I had to resolve this. But how? On the one hand, I could simply hand her my old copy of Tony Blackburn’s Soul Survivor, but that would surely be symbolic of disco’s existential crisis (ooh, I’ve been wanting to use that phrase for years…) Why? Well, let’s face it, if music was football, disco would always be last picked for the team. Likewise, despite being the greatest dancer, it’d never get a prom date.
In short, versus the rest of music, disco really dips out vis-à-vis credibility, failing even to win the faux-ironic admiration that makes up 70 per cent of today’s lounge music fanbase.
Doing further damage to disco’s rep is that government decree appears to have restricted it to Heart FM and office parties – neither a good medium for appreciation.
But as long as you sift the wheat from the chaff, it’s not all bad. Even the chart stuff has pedigree, that is, provided you dismiss Abba, the Bee Gees and the Village Bloody People as a bunch of honky chancers peddling cissy milk. That’s not to make a race issue out of it, after all, From New York to LA is magnificent, and if I had a handbag I’d surely dance round it to Yes sir, I can boogie. Nonetheless, check the calibre of Sister Sledge, Kool & The Gang, Gladys Knight, The Jacksons et al. Case rested.
And so, to disc one:
Tavares Heaven must be missing an angel
Rimshots 7-6-5-4-3-2-1 blow your whistle
Sister Sledge He’s the greatest dancer
Labelle Lady Marmalade
Freez IOU
Whispers And the beat goes on
Shalamar I can make you feel good
Booker Newbury III Love town
Heatwave Boogie nights
Van McCoy & The Soul Symphony The hustle
O’Jays Love train
Detroit Emeralds Feel the need in me
Jackson 5 I want you back
Jacksons Blame it on the boogie
Kool & The Gang Ladies’ night
Eighties Ladies I knew that love
Gladys Knight & The Pips Baby don’t change your mind
Jackson 5 The life of the party
Jean Carne Was that all it was
Donna Summer On the radio
Quickest Way Out Who am I?
Note here that I don’t care that I want you back isn’t technically disco, I just happen to like it an obscenely big amount. Besides, its not as incongruous as putting David Arnold on a mixtape otherwise full of super heavy funk.
Also, some of these may well count as soul groove, but frankly who’s keeping score? The bottom line is that these will be the slammingest grooves at DJ Rentaselecta’s next rave (weddings/children’s parties/wakes etc) and you’ll want to be prepared.
Which brings us to disc two – the proper stuff – Philly Groove, Salsoul and the like. Harder, dirtier, funkier, breakbeatier, and in the case of the Salsoul nuggets, rife with more orchestra than your local philharmonic. Actually, that may over-egg the pudding slightly – it does still have its lightweight elements, but at least there’s no Boney M.
Esther Williams Last night changed it all
Fatback Band King Tim III
Tapestry He was a man
Coup de Villes So long goodbye it’s over
Moment of Truth Helplessly
Frantique Strut your funky stuff
Crown Heights Affair You gave me love
The Jones Girls You’re gonna make me love somebody else
Dee Dee Sharp Easy money
Melba Moore This is it
Carol Williams Love is you
Donna Summer Bad girls
Loleatta Holloway Mama don’t papa won’t
Jean Carne If you wanna go back
Teddy Pendergrass Only you
Alphonse Mouzon Why can’t we make it
Sound Experience Don’t fight the feeling
Anderson Brothers I can see him making love to you
First Choice Armed and extremely dangerous
Perhaps now, Brother Disco, you can rest in peace.
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