Author Topic: Good disco recommendations?  (Read 2857 times)

Matt

  • Space Champion!
  • Posts: 1021
Good disco recommendations?
« on: October 09, 2008, 04:55:18 PM »
I've only got one disco-ish album (Sparks' No. 1 In Heaven), but I like it a lot. Can anyone hip me to some good disco stuff? Are there any good comps with some of the more obscure stuff on them? Seriously, I wore out my copy of Tusk and now I need good coke music.
It ain't ego, it's my love for you.

Gibby

  • Tarsel tunnel syndrome
  • Posts: 272
Re: Good disco recommendations?
« Reply #1 on: October 09, 2008, 05:10:29 PM »
Get the hits of Black Ivory, Thermonuclear Sweat by Defunkt and It's A Feeedelity Affair by Lindstrom. If you have extra time, check out the Prins Thomas remix of 'Elan' by Justus Kohncke.
"How do they see you when there's no light?"

Martin

  • Space Champion!
  • Posts: 3629
Re: Good disco recommendations?
« Reply #2 on: October 09, 2008, 05:46:24 PM »
Best compilations by a mile for Real Disco (slept on stuff, mostly produced after the mainstream thought disco was dead) are Disco Spectrum from BBE. Compiled by the great Dave Lee aka Joey Negro. Three volumes I think. The first one in particular is soooo good.

I have a thing for westcoast label Solar, which featured artists like Shalamar, Dynasty, Carrie Lucas, The Whispers, and other decadent outfits from late 70s/early 80s. Sequel Records issued a bunch of Solar compilations back in 1999 - Solar Disco Classics is what you need.

Ten years ago I would've told you to get anything you can find by Larry Levan, but nowadays there's tons of compilations and mixes of his best stuff out there, and some of them are quite poor. I would check out Journey Into Paradise: The Larry Levan Story and Live at the Paradise Garage - good summaries of the man's DJ skills, his remixes and his eclectic musical sensibilities.

The always reliable Mastercuts guys have a couple of great compilations too. Check out Classic Salsoul Mastercuts, vols 1-2, Classic 80s Groove Mastercuts, and Classic Disco Mastercuts (natch).

EDIT: Yes, as Gibby says, get the hits by Black Ivory and the man behind it all - Leroy Burgess. There are two Burgess anthologies out from Soul Brother Records called Anthology vol 1: The Voice and Anthology vol 2: The Producer, both of which are great and well worth checking out.

That should get you started.

Phantom Hugger

  • Achilles Tendon Bursitis
  • Posts: 510
Re: Good disco recommendations?
« Reply #3 on: October 09, 2008, 05:54:40 PM »
There are some fine disco (check 70s) and other fun here...

http://blacula.blogspot.com/

Ive been rollerskating to Le Pamplemousse lately

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mRHlU91nuaE http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=w_EKlCVZpqM&feature=related

Gibby

  • Tarsel tunnel syndrome
  • Posts: 272
Re: Good disco recommendations?
« Reply #4 on: October 09, 2008, 07:25:32 PM »
Ten years ago I would've told you to get anything you can find by Larry Levan, but nowadays there's tons of compilations and mixes of his best stuff out there, and some of them are quite poor. I would check out Journey Into Paradise: The Larry Levan Story and Live at the Paradise Garage - good summaries of the man's DJ skills, his remixes and his eclectic musical sensibilities.
This. I also think Nicky Siano is not to be overlooked, lots of good mixes of his big tunes too.


Quote
EDIT: Yes, as Gibby says, get the hits by Black Ivory and the man behind it all - Leroy Burgess. There are two Burgess anthologies out from Soul Brother Records called Anthology vol 1: The Voice and Anthology vol 2: The Producer, both of which are great and well worth checking out.
Good expansion sir, I tip my hat and will check out the other stuff you mentioned.

If by the time you've checked everything out you're probably getting some names and labels together and the who/what/when type thing, you could do worse than check out the Italians Do It Better label. My housemate hordes their stuff like gold; he played this tune by some girl called Farah (that's it, no surname) - I was knocked out.
"How do they see you when there's no light?"

Joe Rogaine

  • Space Champion!
  • Posts: 1526
Re: Good disco recommendations?
« Reply #5 on: October 09, 2008, 09:28:14 PM »
I thought of this thread when I seen this

<object width="425" height="344"><param name="movie" value="http://www.youtube.com/v/ZQnBGZvBtuc&color1=0xb1b1b1&color2=0xcfcfcf&hl=en&fs=1"></param><param name="allowFullScreen" value="true"></param><embed src="http://www.youtube.com/v/ZQnBGZvBtuc&color1=0xb1b1b1&color2=0xcfcfcf&hl=en&fs=1" type="application/x-shockwave-flash" allowfullscreen="true" width="425" height="344"></embed></object>

Bruce Johnston is the perennial "Sixth Beach Boy," so to speak, even though he's been in the Beach Boys since 1965, when he replaced Glen Campbell (!) as the stand-in for Brian Wilson. Heckfire, he's allegedly the guy who played Pet Sounds for the Beatles, and he sang on "California Girls," so he's a Beach Boy in my book. My favorite solo work of Johnston's is his version of the Chantays' surf-rock hit "Pipeline," which was recently unearthed by a thrifting friend of mine. It's pretty much ruled my year. It's long, but hardly repetitive, carried forward by an insistent beat that was probably a tad fast by the standards of the day, but feels just right now and held together by dippy background vocals, bongos, surf guitar, and absolutely monstrous drumming (check it out at 2:39 for proof).

Garrett

  • Plantar Fasciitis
  • Posts: 2
Re: Good disco recommendations?
« Reply #6 on: October 10, 2008, 01:19:09 AM »
Though it's technically "post-disco", the Disco Not Disco series of compilations have some really great grooves on them.

Matt

  • Space Champion!
  • Posts: 1021
Re: Good disco recommendations?
« Reply #7 on: October 10, 2008, 10:50:52 PM »
Thanks, everybody! And, if you have nothing to do, TCM is airing The Apple and Roller Boogie tonight.

Lest we forget, it's a natural, natural, natural desire to meet an actual, actual, actual vampire.
It ain't ego, it's my love for you.

Steve of Bloomington

  • Space Champion!
  • Posts: 2262
Re: Good disco recommendations?
« Reply #8 on: October 11, 2008, 12:12:50 AM »
'Thank God It's Friday' Soundtrack.

That sh** is hilarious!