this is considered a disco record right? but, to me, it sounds rather like Bob James, and comes from before disco hit big time? i'm not sure of my chronology, admittedly.
talk about this record
― gareth, Monday, 12 August 2002 00:00 (twenty-two years ago)
I think its from 1975, recorded before the dance of the same name
came into being (the song inspired the dance & not the other way
around.) It was recorded a bit before the idea of disco as a genre
came into being & I'm not sure he would have called what he
did "disco" (I was just reading about this last night, researching a
piece! How weird.) So you're right that its a little off.
― Mark, Monday, 12 August 2002 00:00 (twenty-two years ago)
supposedly inspired the keys riff of "Yahoo", one of Happy Monday's
best tunes. if only they'd thought to copyright the name!
― Paul, Monday, 12 August 2002 00:00 (twenty-two years ago)
I remembered it wrong -- this is from the liner notes to the 1979 K-
Tel LP
Night Moves:
"Van McCoy, whose hit record 'The Hustle' institutionalized its
characteristic beat in 1975, had never even seen the dance when he
sat down with his sidemen in the recording studio...Van McCoy didn't
have to see it -- he had only to believe that somewhere out there was
a dance called 'The Hustle.' Actually, there never was one Hustle,
but rather endless off-brands called American Double Hustle, Harlem
Hustle, Latin Hustle, Street Hustle, and on and on and on...and so it
is with disco."
― Mark, Monday, 12 August 2002 00:00 (twenty-two years ago)
two years pass...
Another fond old disco memory revival...
Whether I like it or not, Van McCoy and the Soul City Symphony was a big part of my growing up. It certainly didn't make me a "hipper" 5 or 6 year old, but I did appreciate instrumentals thanks to McCoy.
I mean, let's face it. Van McCoy made Bob James sound like Fred Frith. He made Barry Manilow sound like Lou Reed. And he made Meco sound like Eno.
Still though, much of the time, his music just had a TV show theme magic that other instrumental disco/funk bands didn't have, as shlocky as they were... the sampleability rate is high.. and there are weird surreal moments.. like the intro to "Party" (nicked for a sample by Stetsasonic). You have this elderly inebriated confused diva proclaiming "AH-GET ON DOWN.. AND PARTEEEEH....", but then she gets confused. "GET ON DOWN.. AND.. UH... PARTEEEH?".. but then she clears her head again. "GET ON DOWN... Uh Whydonchagetdownand PARTY!".. then the endless "Paaaaaarty!" verses begin. McCoy was worth it for the occasional "WTF"s. "Soul Cha Cha" was another one of them. "Suave! SUUUUUUAVEEEH! Da Me Lo! DA ME LO!".
The Disco Tex connection makes a lot of sense.. although it's easier to make out the weirdness here, whereas "Get Dancin'" is just this "WTF" assault that's unfortunately overlayered (which, granted, is its stroke of brilliance, too.)
Anyway.. search: "The Hustle" (obvious), "Change With The Times", "Party", and the long version of "Love Is The Answer"
Destroy: "the theme from Star Trek".. this was done much better by the anonymous sci-fi funk/disco cover bands like the Galactic Funk Symphony(?).. also the Salsoul Orchestra, Meco, and -- of course -- Giorgio Moroder. (Yes, Giorgio Moroder did an album of Battlestar Galactica music.)
Aside from Disco Baby and the The Hustle / Greatest Hits collections, I'm wondering if I'm missing anything else that's essential.
― donut ferry (donut), Monday, 1 August 2005 16:45 (nineteen years ago)
We had Johnny Sender of Konk and Bruce Tantum of Time Out NY DJ'ing Saturday night. A guy came into the party rather late (3:30 amish) and said "who the hell likes this Love Boat music?"
Of course, I like the Love Boat music.
Classic.
― PappaWheelie (PappaWheelie), Monday, 1 August 2005 20:09 (nineteen years ago)
two years pass...
Today is Van McCoy's birthday. Just heard a great track he cut on Faith, Hope and Charity called "To Each His Own."
― James Redd and the Blecchs, Monday, 7 January 2008 00:57 (seventeen years ago)