| Author | Message | ||
  LaBrenda (dotchain) 3-Pundit Username: dotchain Post Number: 61 Registered: 4-2004 Posted From: 166.68.134.174 |
The three Degrees should really be credited with being amongst the earliest DISCO STARS ..That AMERICAN IDOL show last nite gave DONNA SUMMER all the credit. B Seacrest wasn't born back then I'm guessing. when 'DISCO 'was born....Carol Douglas,1st CHOICE,Shirley and Co. Gloria 'HONEYBEE'Gaynor ....those were the earliest Disco artist and jams in my opinion BT EXPRESS and Betty Wright's Danger High Voltage lp...the other Philly I. guys ...then Miss Gaines. I know a lot of the stuff I would hear at that disco never made it to lp til much later. KUNG FU FiGHTING I believe was amongst them as was I'll always LOVE MY Mama ..I know I was under age and was totally excited upon hearing these fantastic jams in 1974..I felt so groovy watching the 'trannies' manipulate.oh the dancing!..Gimme some by JIMMY bo HORNE comes to mind and TAVARES as well ...so much was Philadelphia INternational I'm recalling.Gosh I loved that time of my life.Who knew?...who else am i forgetting from 73-74? hmmmmn?..Am I wrong to attack Donna? She does have a wonderful strong voice and a way with the words...I saw her at her first hometown (well nearby) performance at the CHATEAU D'VILLE outside Beantown....This was her first actual concert I mean to say....I could write a book about the fools who attended. They kept screaming out Supremes songs....double oy!....keep on dancin' ! | ||
Reese (reese) 3-Pundit Username: reese Post Number: 45 Registered: 4-2004 Posted From: 12.15.169.206 |
LaBrenda: It doesn't sound like you're attacking Donna. You're just stating (and rightly so) that there were plenty of other artists doing disco before Donna. First Choice, the Hues Corp. and plenty of others. I remember Gloria Gaynor being crowned Queen Of Disco after HOENY BEE and NEVER CAN SAY GOODBYE came out. However, I think because Donna was so successful and so identified with disco that her success sort of overshadowed others who were doing the same thing. No fault of Donna's of course. And truly she had the pipes to justify her success. Speaking of Donna's concert at the Chateau de Ville,was this in 1977? I am from Boston. And that year, Diana Ross was advertised to appear at the Chateau de Ville in April. I thought that was strange since she had long since left nightclubs by that point, plus she had just appeared at the Music Hall with her one-woman concert. Anyway, Diana didn't appear that April, but I believe Donna did. Your mention of that brought back some memories. | ||
LaBrenda (dotchain) 3-Pundit Username: dotchain Post Number: 62 Registered: 4-2004 Posted From: 166.68.134.174 |
Oh least I forget Boston's own MARGO THUNDER (expressway to your heart etc)later of "9.9"(all of you for all of me) and "Lady Soul"(if my sister's in trouble) (from Woopie's Sister Act movie)...well she was a baby, a young teen who really had some local disco hits and hootspa.<^She would play the SUGAR SHACK etc ..way under age to cabaret...She's worth checking out if you can locate her stuff.Truly soulful. | ||
LaBrenda (dotchain) 3-Pundit Username: dotchain Post Number: 63 Registered: 4-2004 Posted From: 166.68.134.174 |
Maybe that's why the 'oddball' screaming out of Ms Ross and co's hits....That was probably the very same show!..I don't recall her playing there again and I was probably at Diana's at the MUSIC HALL also....My late sweetie Walter Moseley had some funny stories about Miss Gaines and a classmate or two as well. She was no one to mess with.She has mellowed and how. I wish I had met her then as I could have but I chose to pick up the party elsewhere rather than wait with a friend of her's. She sounded fabulous with her sisters (SUNSHINE 'take it to the zoo)I loved that song from TGIF....REGARDS to all the DISCO KINGS AND QUEENS! | ||
whatchulookinat (tommysupreme) 1-Arriviste Username: tommysupreme Post Number: 10 Registered: 4-2004 Posted From: 198.53.185.14 |
funny stories about Ms. Gaines? ooh please tell LaBrenda! :o) I didn't catch the show, but if Ryan Seacrest did say she was "the earliest disco star" then yeah he's dead wrong.. One of the biggest stars, for sure, but oh well it was probably a spontaneous slip.. But at least disco is being represented positively.. Speaking of some of early disco artists.. did anyone catch Carol Douglas (with her "witness" Carol Williams) battling out with Sharon Brown on The People's Court several months back? Entertaining, if a little saddening to say the least.. (Message edited by tommysupreme on May 12, 2004) | ||
Juicefree20 (juicefree20) 6-Zenith Username: juicefree20 Post Number: 729 Registered: 4-2004 Posted From: 24.46.184.162 |
Yes, I saw the ladies on The People's Court. It was a sad affair & reeked of a public relations stunt. As far as Mr Seacrest's statement, most of these folks don't know the true history & that's a problem. Remember that out of all of the great Disco songs & artists, somehow The Bee Gees were annointed The Kings Of Disco by the media! Guess they had never heard of Salsoul or Philly International. His is a typical statement of one totally ignorant of the facts & totally out of his element! | ||
Soulaholic (soulaholic) 4-Laureate Username: soulaholic Post Number: 135 Registered: 4-2004 Posted From: 68.41.40.105 |
Hey LaBrenda: You hail from Boston? Did you go to the sugar shack? How about any other beantown clubs? Yesterdays, friends, tony c's, lucifers. zeldas, landsdowne, the rino!!????? I am one of the original boston old school dj's! | ||
LaBrenda (dotchain) 3-Pundit Username: dotchain Post Number: 64 Registered: 4-2004 Posted From: 166.68.134.174 |
OOH baby! don't forget Ask Me and several others by 'Ecstasy Passsion and Pain' (Barbara Roy and the Sweethearts) and 'Polly Brown'(up in a puff of smoke),and Of course The Hues Corp.(as mentioned prior) and Consumer Rapporte, Gary Toms Empire, STONED LOVE got its share of play as well...Lady Bump by (Silver Convention's) Penny Mclean, Skin Tight Ohio Players,SANDY MERCER(hugo and luigi),Barrabas(checkmate),Gwe n McRae,COME AND GET YOUR LOVE (by I forget who)Heavy Falling out (the stylistics) ...i had much more ....later | ||
SDF (handsome) 4-Laureate Username: handsome Post Number: 72 Registered: 4-2004 Posted From: 170.118.158.14 |
LaBrenda, you're bring back memories! My songs I liked were: Gary Toms Empire-7,6,5,4,3,2,1 Blow Your Whistle Penny McLean (from Silver Convention)-Lady Bump & the lady Bumps On Ecstasy, Passion & Pain-Ask Me, Touch & Go Gwen McCrae-Rockin' Chair Consummer Rapport-Ease On Down The Road Running Away-Roy Ayers Spring Affair-Donna Summer Down To Love Town-The Originals Handsome | ||
Tony Russi (tony_russi) 4-Laureate Username: tony_russi Post Number: 98 Registered: 4-2004 Posted From: 65.83.155.35 |
Probably the reason they refer toDonna Summer as DISCO Queen is because when her records came out they lumped the music under the title of DISCO...before that it was just dance music.Then when it was labeled DISCO it all had to have that thump,thump beat. I much prefer R&B Dance music to Disco music. | ||
Randy Russi (randy_russi) 3-Pundit Username: randy_russi Post Number: 58 Registered: 4-2004 Posted From: 169.139.180.100 |
Yes, and then disco became a big deal with the mainstream market. Before that it was kinda only in the clubs (and certain clubs at that!), but I remember Gloria Gaynor early on, Hues Corp., Tina Charles, and so many others that kinda came with one club hit. | ||
LaBrenda (dotchain) 3-Pundit Username: dotchain Post Number: 65 Registered: 4-2004 Posted From: 166.68.134.174 |
I dug out numerous lps etc last nite. 'HiJack' by Herbie Mann was fabulous as was SOUL MAKOSSA by AFRIQUE and Manu DiBango....I'm going to refresh your memory when I get home. EL COCO 'Let's get it together' and of course "COCOMOTION".......Barbara Acklin 'firelove' and several others by the soprano that have slipped my mind.Of course the strippers would tear up on LOVE MAKES A WOMAN from the 60s and 'just aint no love' ( i think that was the title.I'm not near my collection ...Tina Charles.Good memories folks!..Keep on racking those disco brain cells. later.... now if Miss Donna is going to be included in this thread we must mention ROBERTA KELLY 'Troublemaker' ...Giorgio Moroder The Munich Machine....Madeline Bell,Sunny Leslie and who was the third gal in that choir?...Let us also remember ULLANDA Mccullough's STARS and WANT ADS.............I just love Ullanda McCullough and LETS ALL CHANT Michael Zager Band with all the fab vocalists...Dollette, Maeraetha etc.... | ||
LaBrenda (dotchain) 3-Pundit Username: dotchain Post Number: 67 Registered: 4-2004 Posted From: 166.68.134.174 |
HEAVY MAKES YOU HAPPY- RESPECT YOURSELF_-I'll take you there....Gospel made its way into the bar scene and who could sit still?...Ritcie Family 'BRAZIL'....Al Green 'ONE NITE STAND' , 'Take me to the river'....and pleeez least I forget HOLLYWOOD SWINGING Kool and the Gang and Rufus YOU've GOT THE LOVE.....If I had anyone left to invite I think I'd throw a dance party...TGIF | ||
John Lester (theboyfromxtown) 3-Pundit Username: theboyfromxtown Post Number: 39 Registered: 4-2004 Posted From: 62.49.61.57 |
Labrenda.......it was Sue with Madeline and Sunny. Sue and Sunny hit big in the Uk with their version of Doctor's Orders I would say that Gloria's "Honey Bee" was (kind of) the first acknowledged disco record. I remember it being talked about cos it came out on CBS and then MGM and that became a big talking point. The track was selling fast. Roberta Kelly..Trouble maker...ooo I loved that. Did you guys get Joanne Spain on a track called Elevator? For disco albums. First Choice's "The Player" was THE album...imho... | ||
Richard Felstead (felstead2001) 3-Pundit Username: felstead2001 Post Number: 36 Registered: 4-2004 Posted From: 128.40.91.183 |
There were many artists that were recording dance orientated material long before Donna Summer as some of you have stated. Her involvement with producer Georgio Morroder brought us the hugely controversial hit "Love To Love You Baby" in all it's extended glory. So the story goes, she insisted that the studio be cleared of any additional staff, and that the lights be dimmed, so she could get "into it".:-)) Gloria Gaynor's "Never Can Say Goodbye" is an earlier example of product aimed specifically at the dancefloors, courtesy of Tom Moulton, who produced that album, and was the first person to be credited with segueing two tracks together. Other early hits on the floor were : It's a shame ( not Evelyn Champagne King ) Sending Out An S.O.S The Hustle - Van McCoy Rock Your Baby - George McCrae ( this has been officially recognised in the UK as being the first "disco" record as such ) Highwire Can't remember the names of the artists, but I'm sure someone else will. | ||
Manny (manny) 4-Laureate Username: manny Post Number: 115 Registered: 4-2004 Posted From: 217.124.12.48 |
Hello Soulful friends! Some memories and some considerations about the birth of Disco. Firsty i refresh the memorie: what tunes were played in Spain (in the airplays, i was a kid and don't come to clubs or discos) in the first 70's that were considered by the medias as "Disco Music"? -"Doctor's Order" by Carol Douglas -"Kung Fu Fighting" by Carl Douglas -"Hold Back The Night", "Sixty Minute Man", "Love Epidemic" by Trammps -"Rock Your baby", George McCrae -"Nice & Slow", Jessie Green -A tune i forgot the title by a Miami sound band called "DD Sound" (?) These tunes i remember like some simultaneously. After, especially spanish RCA (who distributed "Cat" and others labels from Miami) make the subtitution of a "adhesive label" in the sleeves that says "Soul Explosion" for another label with the same illustration (a afro hair) and the same typographie that says "Disco Explosion". Some years after the label was a hand with the text "Disco Direction". Also the critery was very heterodoxe: "Special For Discotheques" in singles by Crusaders ("Stomp And Buck Dance") and various artists LP's compilations from ABC in spanish distributor "Discos Mediterr�neo" under the titles "Ultrasonidos para discotecas Vol, 1" (and more volumes). This included Four Tops, Barry McGuire, Freda payne, (!!!???). A second "wave" of artists and tunes called "disco" by the medias was Boney M ("Sunny", "Rivers Of Babilon",...), Roberta kelly, Silver Convention and other "Munich Sound" artists as also The Trhee Degrees in their Giorgio Moroder years. And Amanda Lear, and Supermax, and Eruption, Otawan, Judie Cheeks, Ami Stewart,... Definitely at these times i don't well understand the significance of the word "Disco" and also, I admit it, I haved some prejudices because wich I don't buy nothing from Salsoul or Prelude records in these years (last 70's early 80's). Today i think the word "disco" was used inapropiate in many cases. Cases where the other word "danceable soul" or "danceable R & B" is much more apropiate. In another words, when i heard the word "Disco", i don't think in "Hold Back The night" by Trammps or "Jam Jam Jam (All Night Long)" by People's Choice (this, IMHO, is danceable soul-R & B). Also I don't associate "Disco" with a determinate label. Have Philly Int. Disco tracks (as Frantique's "Strut Your Funky Stuff" or "Disco Lights" by D. Wansel) but have much more soul and fusion and jazz (as Billy Paul or Jean Carne or also artists that plays all the genres!). Have Prelude records that deserves to be considered soul or gospel (as Jocelyn Brown). And Salsoul records very jazzy (as the "Magic Journey" album by Salsoul Orch.). There are one example of the relativity of these "classifications", a very "polifacethic" vocalist as Lou Rawls and his 1977 PIR album "Unmistakably Lou". The LP is open with a disco mid-tempo "I See You When I Get Here" (that reminds Paul Young's "Love's In The Hair"); and the rest it's all pure jazz ("Spring Again", "Some Day You Be Old",...). Peace & Soul Food | ||
LaBrenda (dotchain) 3-Pundit Username: dotchain Post Number: 68 Registered: 4-2004 Posted From: 166.68.134.174 |
Lou Rawls 'NATURAL MAN' made you wish you wore your shimmy top. I have that DD SOUND lp somewhere....want it?.....TAANA GARDNER 's 'work that body'...put a 'shimmy top' to good use as well! | ||
Juicefree20 (juicefree20) 6-Zenith Username: juicefree20 Post Number: 814 Registered: 4-2004 Posted From: 24.46.184.162 |
Richard: Sending Out An S.O.S. was by Rhetta Hughes. | ||
motownboy (motownboy) 2-Debutant Username: motownboy Post Number: 16 Registered: 4-2004 Posted From: 67.117.46.88 |
The earliest "radio" hits I remember being described as disco songs were all from 1974: George McCrae - Rock Your Baby Hues Corporation - Rock The Boat Gloria Gaynor - Never Can Say Goodbye Never Can Say Goodbye had that prototypical "shoop shoop" of the hi-hat cymbal that was used oh so often in "disco" tunes for years to come. However, I have read in more than one place that songs like Eddie Kendricks' "Date With The Rain" and "Girl You Need A Change Of Mind" from 1972 were among the first "disco" records. Interestingly, the Undisputed Truth recorded an uptempo version of Gladys Knight & The Pips' "Take Me In Your Arms and Love Me" on their 1971 LP "Face To Face" which has a beat/rhythm very similar to the Hues Corporation's "Rock The Boat" from 1974. | ||
Wonder B (wonder_b) 5-Doyen Username: wonder_b Post Number: 228 Registered: 4-2004 Posted From: 81.248.162.71 |
Now Donna Summer had an early LP which came out only in the Netherlands, before being famous... Even she forgot to put it in the discography at the end of her autobiography which recently came out... so I would like to put a scan of the cover here for you... another one from the Wonder B vaults! LOL There were two different editions of that LP with different pics on the cover but I am putting here the one I like best...  Wonder B If you mess with the 'fro, you gotta go! | ||
Soulaholic (soulaholic) 4-Laureate Username: soulaholic Post Number: 148 Registered: 4-2004 Posted From: 68.41.40.105 |
Hey Wonder you gotta show both LP covers: She looks good in this one too!  | ||
Soulaholic (soulaholic) 4-Laureate Username: soulaholic Post Number: 149 Registered: 4-2004 Posted From: 68.41.40.105 |
Here's the Germany Import 45 release: Donna on here way to fame!  | ||
Wonder B (wonder_b) 5-Doyen Username: wonder_b Post Number: 230 Registered: 4-2004 Posted From: 81.251.128.19 |
Soulaholic it's strange because the other cover I know is not the one you posted... is that one an original from when it originally came out??? Wonder B If you mess with the 'fro, you gotta go! | ||
Soulaholic (soulaholic) 4-Laureate Username: soulaholic Post Number: 152 Registered: 4-2004 Posted From: 68.41.40.105 |
Hey WB. Do you have a pic of the "other" cover. All I can figure is with it being released in Europa first there may have been Germany, English, Dutch and so on covers that may or may not have had different photo's ???? Thats my best quess!! | ||
Wonder B (wonder_b) 5-Doyen Username: wonder_b Post Number: 232 Registered: 4-2004 Posted From: 81.251.128.19 |
I know there were two pressings of that LP with fifferent art covers that's all... Unfortunately right now I can't access that other copy of the LP otherwise as soon as I can I will scan it... If I remember correctly the second pressing resembled very much the German 45 you posted... It was pressed in the Netherlands and perhaps (but I am not sure) in Germany too (talking about the LP only of course) but nowhere else... that I am sure of. Wonder B If you mess with the 'fro, you gotta go! | ||
motownboy (motownboy) 2-Debutant Username: motownboy Post Number: 17 Registered: 4-2004 Posted From: 67.117.46.172 |
Here is another cover for "Lady of the Night" and also covers for "The Hostage"..   | ||
Wonder B (wonder_b) 5-Doyen Username: wonder_b Post Number: 233 Registered: 4-2004 Posted From: 81.251.128.19 |
Thanks a lot Motownboy, great scans, but I am talking about the LP cover (the one I posted IS the original Netherlands LP cover)... Wonder B If you mess with the 'fro, you gotta go! | ||
motownboy (motownboy) 2-Debutant Username: motownboy Post Number: 18 Registered: 4-2004 Posted From: 67.117.46.172 |
Wonder B - I have the CD of "Lady of the Night" that came out in the late 1990s in Europe. Is the track listing the same as the original LP? These are the tracks from the CD - there are only 9: 1. Lady Of The Night 2. Born To Die 3. Friends 4. Domino 5. Hostage 6. Wounded 7. Little Miss Fit 8. Let's Work Together Now 9. Sing Along (Sad Song) Were there only 9 on the original LP? I thought her song "Virgin Mary" was also on the LP, but it is not on the CD. | ||
LaBrenda (dotchain) 4-Laureate Username: dotchain Post Number: 82 Registered: 4-2004 Posted From: 166.68.134.174 |
disco tex and the sex o'lettes GET DANCIN' Grace Jones 'that's the trouble' and 'SORRY', and 'I need a man' and 'La Vien Rose' Tom Moulton mixes, KC and the SUNSHINE BAND....that's the way(i like it)...Get down tonite....oh my Gosh...TAKA BOOM 'mr deejay'...and on and on....Jim GILstrap ...more to come..........LOVE UNLIMITED... | ||
LaBrenda (dotchain) 4-Laureate Username: dotchain Post Number: 83 Registered: 4-2004 Posted From: 166.68.134.174 |
You + me(=love and harmony) (undisputed truth) (Denise Lasalle) Freedom to express yourself, who did 'dancer of the dance'? gino soccio? | ||
Randy Russi (randy_russi) 3-Pundit Username: randy_russi Post Number: 70 Registered: 4-2004 Posted From: 169.139.180.100 |
What about "I'm On Fire" by 500 Volts? And who was that girl that did "Lady Bump"? Penny some- thing. Also, who did "Tangerine"? "Shame Shame Shame" by Shirley & Co. was really big early on too. What about Disco Tec & His Sexoletts or something like that--"Get Dancin'". Does anyone know where Shirley is now? She was on one of Sylvia Robinson's labels. | ||
Juicefree20 (juicefree20) 6-Zenith Username: juicefree20 Post Number: 935 Registered: 4-2004 Posted From: 24.46.184.162 |
Randy, that was Penny McLean. Wonder & Soulaholic: How were those LPs??? I never heard anything about them & have never heard them. | ||
Juicefree20 (juicefree20) 6-Zenith Username: juicefree20 Post Number: 936 Registered: 4-2004 Posted From: 24.46.184.162 |
Actually, I always thought that Date With The Rain, Girl You Need A Change Of Mind & Keep On Trucking by Eddie Kendricks were early examples of Disco flavored Soul. Girl & Keep On were extended workouts, with percussion breakdowns galore. I would also include Erucu by Jermaine Jackson in that category as well. | ||
Juicefree20 (juicefree20) 6-Zenith Username: juicefree20 Post Number: 937 Registered: 4-2004 Posted From: 24.46.184.162 |
Doggone it!! The Trammps & The Detroit Emeralds have to be in there as well. |
