Dyin’ to Be Dancin’

SANDY BARBER “I Think I’ll Do Some Stepping” (1977, Olde World)

noreply@blogger.com (Dazzling Dee) — Thu, 08 Oct 2009 14:38:00 +0000

      

Great, another unknown diva! Actually, Sandy worked in the 80s with Ish (from Foxy) in Blue Modern (nope, me neither) and made the mandatory house-wailing-thing as Sandy B, but I can safely say her disco album slipped under the radar… Well, thanks to technology and this little thing called “mp3”, we can still enjoy this breezy-and-then-gritty call for independance. (I know, I'll end up in jail…)

JOE SIMON “Love Vibration” (1978, Spring)

noreply@blogger.com (Dazzling Dee) — Thu, 10 Sep 2009 08:48:00 +0000

      

This veteran Southern soul singer knew he would rock the dancefloor when he choose to work with the legendary Philly producer Norman Harris. The bass is so deadly it could push back Lazarus to the grave…

This gem, among many others, is reviewed in “The Disco Files 1973-78: New York's underground, week by week”, the chronicles Vince Aletti wrote for the trade magazine “Record World” back in the days. A wonderful historical report from the disco front – it's like reading the Dead Sea scrolls, but with the added bonus of playlists.

And as I've been quite lazy lately, here's a little treat to make up for it:

(I never get tired of vintage dance moves. And nice earring!)

DIANA ROSS “Eaten Alive” (1985, Capitol)

noreply@blogger.com (Dazzling Dee) — Sun, 05 Jul 2009 14:16:00 +0000

      

Of the many Michael Jackson's songs I wanted to share, I choose this collaboration he wrote & produced with the Bee Gees for Diana Ross. Of course you can hear him in the chorus. Let's forget the sad echoes the title could evoke regarding his life and enjoy the exhilarating ride…

MICHAEL JACKSON “Ain’t No Sunshine” (1972, Motown)

noreply@blogger.com (Dazzling Dee) — Fri, 26 Jun 2009 14:47:00 +0000

MARTIN DUPONT “I Met the Beast” (1985, Facteurs d'Ambiance)

noreply@blogger.com (Dazzling Dee) — Mon, 01 Jun 2009 17:17:00 +0000

      

I'm not sure this is really “dancefloor-oriented” but I know for sure it was a classic tune down in the Mistral, the club where I spent too many nights in my teens, in my hometown of Aix-en-Provence. Martin Dupont were the cult-new-wave-kings of Marseille and I must confess that “I Met the Beast” and its Anne Clark-ish synths are not really typical of their output (i.e. you can't dance to the other stuff). This song reminds me I was there, on the dancefloor, ready to witness the soon to explode House revolution. Oh happy days…

SHE'S IN IT FOR THE KILL

noreply@blogger.com (Dazzling Dee) — Thu, 07 May 2009 19:19:00 +0000

Sometimes I wake up and remember that I live in the naughties. Then I wonder, what music am I supposed to listen? Thanks to my friends at Popjustice, I manage to stay in the know. And when I discover something like “In for the Kill” by La Roux, I can rejoice: music today is still as vital and essential as I need it to be. That's good news.

From La Roux, you may also enjoy “Quicksand” and “Bulletproof”. I do.

X-RAY CONNECTION “Get Ready” (1983, Break)

noreply@blogger.com (Dazzling Dee) — Wed, 06 May 2009 17:23:00 +0000

      

Guilty pleasure alert! Let me indulge in this Dutch production from Adams & Fleisner (Digital Emotion, Gazuzu, L-Vira…). As we say in France, Holland is the other country for cheese…

BOHANNON “Keep On Dancin’” (1974, Dakar)

noreply@blogger.com (Dazzling Dee) — Mon, 04 May 2009 18:17:00 +0000

      

Hamilton Bohannon began as a drummer for Stevie Wonder and after a successful stint as a bandleader for Motown, he created disco. More or less: the strings came from Philadelphia and Barry White, the groove was handed by James Brown, Bohannon for his part brought the hypnotic rhythms. On his second album, all his tricks are laid down: the funky bass, the unstoppable drums, the meaningless chants and, overall, the african trance. So proud with the result, he shamelessly recycled the formula (see the countless versions of “Let's Start the Dance”). But, hey, who can blame him when the music is so good!

TONY RALLO & THE MIDNITE BAND “Burnin’ Alive” (1979, Ibis)

noreply@blogger.com (Dazzling Dee) — Fri, 27 Mar 2009 17:01:00 +0000

      

Another member of the Cerrone galaxy, Alec R. Costandinos produced this full blown extravaganza. Strings, brass, choirs, a funky bass, you name it, it's all there… In the greatest year of the disco era, 1979, they certainly knew how to burn money in the studio, so we can dance like there is no tomorrow. A crisis? What crisis?

MAX BERLIN “Nothing” (1978, Malligator)

noreply@blogger.com (Dazzling Dee) — Sun, 01 Mar 2009 20:24:00 +0000

      

Some urban legend pretends that Max Berlin is the brother of Cerrone. I can't confirm, but his “Dream Disco” LP, from wich “Nothing” is taken, was issued on Malligator, Cerrone's label. Famous for his “Elle et moi” track, here the enigmatic producer lets shine his elevator-music-with-a-killer-disco-groove touch. Cheesy and infectious, like only we, crazy French, can do!

TINA B “Honey to a Bee” (1984, Elektra)

noreply@blogger.com (Dazzling Dee) — Thu, 05 Feb 2009 17:16:00 +0000

      

The honey in question is none other than the then wife of Arthur Baker, here at the production helm with John Robie. The icing on the cake is the edit by the Latin Rascals. All in all, the Holy Trinity of electro.

DAVINA “Don’t You Want It” (1992, Happy)

noreply@blogger.com (Dazzling Dee) — Fri, 30 Jan 2009 18:37:00 +0000

      

So now I'm stuck in the beginning of the 90s (my young & restless years, or maybe the bold and the beautiful ones). After the Underground Resistance's remix I posted earlier, I can't resist to upload this awesome masterpiece, produced by the softer-than-you-think Mad Mike. It can't go deeper.

THE REESE PROJECT “The Color of Love (UR Mix)” (1992, Network)

noreply@blogger.com (Dazzling Dee) — Fri, 30 Jan 2009 13:18:00 +0000

      

Enough with the obscure stuff! Today I'm in the mood to share a timeless house anthem. The Reese Project was one of the many aliases of Kevin Saunderson, less pop than Inner City, with Rachel Kapp on vocal duties in place of Paris Grey. This remix by Underground Resistance (yep, that's classy) has a piano intro to kill all the italo-house producers and a vocal so uplifting it could mess up God's hair…

MADONNA IS BUSTED!

noreply@blogger.com (Dazzling Dee) — Wed, 07 Jan 2009 15:52:00 +0000

Yeah, I know, the disco era could be a bit tacky… None more so than in the awesome movie “Je te tiens, tu me tiens par la barbichette”, directed by the french comedian Jean Yanne in 1979. I can't begin to translate the title, let's just say it's a name of a kid's game and the movie is about a discofied TV show. In this clip, Mimi Coutelier (the wife of Mr. Yanne) is pretending to be dancing and the music is by Jacques Morali. Anyway, now we all know where Madonna got her dance moves for the “Hung Up” video! You don't have to thank me…

NICO BAND “Let It Show” (1984, Out)

noreply@blogger.com (Dazzling Dee) — Mon, 05 Jan 2009 17:55:00 +0000

      

For the lovers of pure Italo disco, a cut produced by the Nicolosi bros and sung by Dora Carofiglio. Dear Dora is also the voice of Valerie Dore or the group Novecento, as well as numerous other Italo hits of the 80s. I can't get enough of her sweet melancholy.

SUZI LANE “Ooh, La, La” (1979, Oasis)

noreply@blogger.com (Dazzling Dee) — Mon, 05 Jan 2009 17:27:00 +0000

      

Ooh la la, that's exactly my words when I discovered this little known Giorgio Moroder production. A wonderful way to begin any year.

TANTRA “Wishbone” (1980, Importe/12)

noreply@blogger.com (Dazzling Dee) — Wed, 26 Nov 2008 18:29:00 +0000

      

I'm so generous! Here is 15' of a crazy Italo-by-way-of-Africa groove, from the magic production hands of Celso Valli (of Macho, Passengers or Azoto fame). Enjoy the hypnotic ride…

VENISE “The Mystery With Me” (1978, Jobiss International)

noreply@blogger.com (Dazzling Dee) — Tue, 11 Nov 2008 13:31:00 +0000

      

Produced by Jo Bisso, a veteran of the french afro-funk scene. Actually, the music on the Venise LP, “The Best Disco in the City", is the same as on Jo's “The Best Disco in the City” LP, and you also find some of those songs on Jo's “The Best Disco in Town” double-LP. Confusing, I know… Anyway, the guy is a master of the groove and that killer bassline was sampled by Bel Amour in 2000.

ROZAA & WINE “Disco Boogie Woman” (1976, Pye/Right On!)

noreply@blogger.com (Dazzling Dee) — Mon, 06 Oct 2008 17:52:00 +0000

      

The title says it all… An early production of Greg Carmichael, the genius (and frequent associate of Patrick Adams) behind many classics by Pam Todd, Inner Life, Universal Robot Band or Bumblebee Unlimited. Rozaa Wortham is an american singer who worked in Europe (check her “Silly Silly”, an austrian rare groove oddity from 1978) and is now enjoying a career as a jazz, blues and gospel vocalist under the name Maria Perfect.

LA SHE BA “You’ve Been Hunchin’” (1979, Heavenly Star)

noreply@blogger.com (Dazzling Dee) — Thu, 02 Oct 2008 17:08:00 +0000

      

I took my time, but, finally, here is some stuff produced by my idols, Peter Brown & Patrick Adams. We now know pretty well their outputs on the bunch of micro labels they operated in New York (P&P, Queen Constance, Golden Flamingo, Land of Hits, Hit Makers of America…), thanks to some great compilations by the Suss'd label. I choose the extended version of the track credited to Catherine Miller on “Deep Disco Culture, vol. 1”. Of course, it's a bit long (10') and the edit is quite rough, but the hypnotic and sparse groove absolutely drives me crazy. At night, I dream to be reborn in the 50s, in NYC, to experience firsthand the whole disco explosion, dancing in one of the few discerning clubs that played this underground gem.

To learn more on the P&P family, visit my friend Disco Patrick. And now you cand find most of the P&P productions on iTunes.

DUSTY SPRINGFIELD “Baby Blue” (1979, Mercury)

noreply@blogger.com (Dazzling Dee) — Thu, 02 Oct 2008 15:50:00 +0000

      

The queen of blue-eyed soul had, like so many others, to try her hand at disco to stay relevant. And the least we can say is that she succeed brillantly with this light and infectious groove.

KATE B “Free” (1989, Music Man)

noreply@blogger.com (Dazzling Dee) — Mon, 15 Sep 2008 21:11:00 +0000

      

This one I know thanks to my boyfriend, La Doublure, co-founder of the french fanzine eDEN. Merci, mon chéri! A fluffy & bouncy piece of celestial house produced by the master of new beat, Frank De Wulf.

QUARTZ “Quartz” (1978, Vogue)

noreply@blogger.com (Dazzling Dee) — Mon, 15 Sep 2008 19:25:00 +0000

      

Beware, this crazy epic monster (12’56”) is not for the fainted hearts. Produced in France by some unknown dudes, it feels like a trip on african cocaine in outer space. And I mean that as a compliment. If you're asking for more, check “Beyond the Clouds” and discover where Metro Area got their sound.

QUEEN GLORIA DANCING IN THE SKY

noreply@blogger.com (Dazzling Dee) — Fri, 05 Sep 2008 14:36:00 +0000

Here is Gloria Gaynor, the undisputed Queen of Disco (sorry Donna), miming her early classic “Honey Bee”, circa 1975. Apparently, dancing is not really her thing (the same can be said of her back-up singers), but she makes up for it with some fascinating behind-the-scene footages of her life in the wonderful world of the famous (Gloria in an airport! Gloria during a photo shoot!). Classy.

For more disco eye candy, go and visit Disco Imperium.

ROZALIN WOODS “Whatcha’ Gonna Do About It” (1979, A&M)

noreply@blogger.com (Dazzling Dee) — Fri, 05 Sep 2008 12:44:00 +0000

      

One of my all time disco fave. We know nothing about Rozalin, who, like so many aspiring divas, had the chance to record a few 12" and an album during the classic disco era, before spontaneously combusting (maybe). Kind of heartbreaking, don't you think? Anyway, the song is a killer, a classic tale of infidelity overcomed with uplifting enthusiasm, and some strings to boot.