Last night's show is up on the archives, so as always you can listen to it here. For our fourth show, we got a little indulgent, playing some of the best (and longest) medleys disco has to offer. Medleys usually incorporated a number of different songs by the same artist into one long play that often took one side of an entire album to complete. Closely related to the medley is the gapless album (poineered by Gloria Gaynor, one of disco's most famous divas), but whereas the songs on gapless albums are completely distinct, divisions of songs within medleys are much more fluid. Sometimes songs pass into and out of each other, and most often a shared repetitive rhythm keeps it all together. The first song in a medley is usually (though not always) brought back at the end, where it is then called the reprise.
Here was last night's playlist:
Grace Jones- Saved- Muse
Arpeggio- Let the Music Play (Medley)- Let the Music Play
Donna Summer-Try Me, I Know We Can Make It- A Love Trilogy
Lipstique- At the Discotheque (Medley)- At the Discotheque
Love and Kisses- I've Found Love (Now that I've Found You)- Love and Kisses
Roni Hill- You Keep Me Hangin' On/Stop in the Name of Love- Get up and Move Your Body
Patti Smith- Land: Horses/Land of a Thousand Dances/La Mer (de)- Horses
As I mentioned before, Grace Jones is supposedly working on a new album due sometime this year. The ever-active machine Donna Summer is working on a new album as well (as teased by her website, linked above). It's surprising to me that for all the continued success and popularity that Ms. Summer enjoys, she hasn't recorded an album of original songs since Mistaken Identity in 1991. According to Wikipedia the new album is called Crayons, curiously enough, and will release in may. You can listen to one of the first singles "I'm a Fire" on youtube here. It's also embedded below.
As for Patti Smith, well she is pretty far from disco, but I included her medley as a good point of comparison. She just released a covers album called Twelve last year and is no doubt writing for a new album as we speak, though nothing's been confirmed yet.
Keep it tuned next week to Heaven is a Disco on BSR!
Take care,
Brice
Monday, February 25, 2008
Monday, February 18, 2008
Hi-NRG
Well, our third episode is a wrap. This time around I took some time to explore Hi-NRG, the form of disco that acted as a transition into the house music of the mid to late 80s. Hi-NRG takes its name from Evelyn Thomas' song "High Energy" (which also started the set) and is usually marked by beefed up tempos and trimmed down instrumentation. Thus, more heavy repetitive synths with even less emphasis on the vocal hook. I also had two special guests in the studio, Kael and Hofia. Though they were a bit mic shy, they were nevertheless a joy to have. As always you can listen to the show on BSR's archiving system here.
And here's a playlist for you all:
Evelyn Thomas- High Energy- 12"
Eastbound Expressway- Frantic Love- Best Of
Earlene Bentley- Caught in the Act- Ultimate Hi-NRG
Laura Pallas- Emergency- Ultimate Hi-NRG
Marsha Raven- Disguise- Best Of
Miquel Brown- So Many Men, So Little Time- 12"
Lipps, Inc.- Rock It- Mouth to Mouth
Material & Nona Hendryx- Bustin Out- Mutant Disco 1
Sylvester- You Make Me Feel (Mighty Real)- Step II
Mino- Kama Sutra (Come and Play With Me)- Prime Cuts I
Sunbelt- Spin It- Prime Cuts I
Hot Posse- Ride It- Prime Cuts I
Because Hi-NRG music was never as popular in the mainstream as its earlier disco relatives, many of these artists have faded into relative obscurity, save the few who achieved huge crossover hits (Miquel Brown, Evelyn Thomas) and those whose careers expanded to other genres outside of disco (Nona Hendryx). Bands like Lipps, Inc. have long since dissolved, and sadly Sylvester died of AIDS complications in the late 80s.
But among the information I've come across online, Nona Hendryx especially has remained very active, scoring films, working on theatre productions, continuing to perform live, and acting as an executive at Rhythm Bank Entertainment. As a member of LaBelle (as well as Patti LaBelle and the Bluebells) Hendryx has maintained a sort of legendary air about her, which has been helped by numerous stylistic changes over the years. In addition to working with Material on Bustin Out, she has also collaborated with artists as varied as Prince, Peter Gabriel, and Talking Heads. Needless to say, her career is still going strong.
I'd love to hear from any of you out there if you have any news on these other great artists.
In the meantime stay tuned to BSR and Heaven is a Disco!
Take care,
Brice
And here's a playlist for you all:
Evelyn Thomas- High Energy- 12"
Eastbound Expressway- Frantic Love- Best Of
Earlene Bentley- Caught in the Act- Ultimate Hi-NRG
Laura Pallas- Emergency- Ultimate Hi-NRG
Marsha Raven- Disguise- Best Of
Miquel Brown- So Many Men, So Little Time- 12"
Lipps, Inc.- Rock It- Mouth to Mouth
Material & Nona Hendryx- Bustin Out- Mutant Disco 1
Sylvester- You Make Me Feel (Mighty Real)- Step II
Mino- Kama Sutra (Come and Play With Me)- Prime Cuts I
Sunbelt- Spin It- Prime Cuts I
Hot Posse- Ride It- Prime Cuts I
Because Hi-NRG music was never as popular in the mainstream as its earlier disco relatives, many of these artists have faded into relative obscurity, save the few who achieved huge crossover hits (Miquel Brown, Evelyn Thomas) and those whose careers expanded to other genres outside of disco (Nona Hendryx). Bands like Lipps, Inc. have long since dissolved, and sadly Sylvester died of AIDS complications in the late 80s.
But among the information I've come across online, Nona Hendryx especially has remained very active, scoring films, working on theatre productions, continuing to perform live, and acting as an executive at Rhythm Bank Entertainment. As a member of LaBelle (as well as Patti LaBelle and the Bluebells) Hendryx has maintained a sort of legendary air about her, which has been helped by numerous stylistic changes over the years. In addition to working with Material on Bustin Out, she has also collaborated with artists as varied as Prince, Peter Gabriel, and Talking Heads. Needless to say, her career is still going strong.
I'd love to hear from any of you out there if you have any news on these other great artists.
In the meantime stay tuned to BSR and Heaven is a Disco!
Take care,
Brice
Monday, February 11, 2008
Everyone Goes Disco
Show two aired last night, and I decided it would be nice to take a look at some of the artists who weren't really part of the disco scene but who nevertheless were largely influenced by disco in some of their music (before we dive headfirst into all the best disco I know). So the show explored a lot of new wave/no wave artists who went disco for a bit but also had some surprises in the way of funk and jazz. You can listen to the episode on BSR's archiving system here.
And here's the playlist:
Debbie Harry- Military Rap- KooKoo
David Bowie- Fashion- Scary Monsters
The B-52's- Cake- Mesopotamia (EP)
Devo- It's Not Right- Freedom of Choice
The Waitresses- I Know What Boys Like- Best Of
XTC- Generals and Majors- Black Sea
Tom Tom Club- Lorelei- Tom Tom Club
Blondie- Do the Dark- Autoamerican
James Chance- Contort Yourself- Off White
Talking Heads- Pull up the Roots- Speaking in Tongues
Yoko Ono- Walking on Thin Ice- Season of Glass
Lizzy Mercier Descloux- Fire- Press Colour
Chaka Khan- Clouds- Naughty
Stevie Nicks- Sister Honey- Rock a Little
Dee Dee Bridgewater- Bad For Me (12")- Journey into Paradise
ABBA- The Day Before You Came- The Visitors
As far as news concerning these artists goes:
Debbie Harry just released a new solo album late last year called Necessary Evil, which was supported by a brief US tour. (Rumors abound that Blondie will be reuniting in the studio once more for an album sometime this year as well. We can only hope.)
The B-52's are coming out with a new album, Funplex, on March 25 on Astralwerks. The first single, "Funplex," is available to download on iTunes now, if you're so inclined. It finds the B's back in the groove of 1989's Cosmic Thing, though they've started to incorporate some cool electronic elements as well (they're working with New Order producer Steve Osbourne).
Tom Tom Club, while still together, hasn't really been all that active recently, though last Christmas they did release a limited edition holiday both on vinyl and CD, called Mistletunes, and it can still be purchased through their site.
As I mentioned during the show, Yoko Ono recently unveiled the Imagine Peace tower in Iceland (check out her website for more info on that), and also last year she released two remix projects: Yes, I'm a Witch, which teamed her up with some of indie music's biggest stars, and Open Your Box, which is a compilation of all her biggest dance singles from the past few years.
Chaka Khan and Stevie Nicks are also pretty busy nowadays. Chaka released her album Funk This last year, and it just recently received two grammy awards, including one for best R&B album. Stevie, meanwhile, is perpetually touring, so there's a good chance she'll swing by to a city near you sometime soon.
That's all for now, so stay tuned to Heaven is a Disco Sunday nights at 1AM on BSR.
Take care,
Brice
And here's the playlist:
Debbie Harry- Military Rap- KooKoo
David Bowie- Fashion- Scary Monsters
The B-52's- Cake- Mesopotamia (EP)
Devo- It's Not Right- Freedom of Choice
The Waitresses- I Know What Boys Like- Best Of
XTC- Generals and Majors- Black Sea
Tom Tom Club- Lorelei- Tom Tom Club
Blondie- Do the Dark- Autoamerican
James Chance- Contort Yourself- Off White
Talking Heads- Pull up the Roots- Speaking in Tongues
Yoko Ono- Walking on Thin Ice- Season of Glass
Lizzy Mercier Descloux- Fire- Press Colour
Chaka Khan- Clouds- Naughty
Stevie Nicks- Sister Honey- Rock a Little
Dee Dee Bridgewater- Bad For Me (12")- Journey into Paradise
ABBA- The Day Before You Came- The Visitors
As far as news concerning these artists goes:
Debbie Harry just released a new solo album late last year called Necessary Evil, which was supported by a brief US tour. (Rumors abound that Blondie will be reuniting in the studio once more for an album sometime this year as well. We can only hope.)
The B-52's are coming out with a new album, Funplex, on March 25 on Astralwerks. The first single, "Funplex," is available to download on iTunes now, if you're so inclined. It finds the B's back in the groove of 1989's Cosmic Thing, though they've started to incorporate some cool electronic elements as well (they're working with New Order producer Steve Osbourne).
Tom Tom Club, while still together, hasn't really been all that active recently, though last Christmas they did release a limited edition holiday both on vinyl and CD, called Mistletunes, and it can still be purchased through their site.
As I mentioned during the show, Yoko Ono recently unveiled the Imagine Peace tower in Iceland (check out her website for more info on that), and also last year she released two remix projects: Yes, I'm a Witch, which teamed her up with some of indie music's biggest stars, and Open Your Box, which is a compilation of all her biggest dance singles from the past few years.
Chaka Khan and Stevie Nicks are also pretty busy nowadays. Chaka released her album Funk This last year, and it just recently received two grammy awards, including one for best R&B album. Stevie, meanwhile, is perpetually touring, so there's a good chance she'll swing by to a city near you sometime soon.
That's all for now, so stay tuned to Heaven is a Disco Sunday nights at 1AM on BSR.
Take care,
Brice
Monday, February 4, 2008
Disco 101
Welcome, welcome, welcome to Heaven is a Disco.
Our first show on BSR went pretty swimmingly last night (or I guess technically this morning). If you missed out, fear not! One of the many great things about BSR is that all shows are archived online and available to be streamed 24/7. You can catch the link to the pilot episode, entitled Disco 101, here.
In any event, here's last night's playlist:
Lio- Le Banana Split- Premier Album
Lime- Your Love- Your Love
Patrice Rushen- Haven't You Heard- Journey into Paradise
Bohannon- Disco Stomp- Insides Out
Maryann Farra & Satin Soul- Just a Little Timing- Never Gonna Leave You
Grace Jones- I Need a Man- Portfolio
Ecstasy, Passion, and Pain- Good Things Don't Last Forever- Get Up and Move Your Body
Midnight Powers- Dance, It's My Life- Prime Cuts I
Was (Not Was)- Out Come the Freaks- Was (Not Was)
Hi-Gloss- Cash- Hi-Gloss
Padlock- Peanut Butter- Padlock
ABC- Alphabet Soup- The Lexicon of Love
Dr. Buzzard's Original Savannah Band- Cherchez la Femme/Se si Bon- Dr. Buzzard's...
The Raes- A Little Lovin (Keeps the Doctor Away)- Dancing up a Storm
Some interesting news on these artists (to whom I've linked official websites/wikipedia pages whenever possible): apparently Grace Jones, Was (Not Was), and ABC are all planning new album releases this year. We can only hope these albums are releases properly here in the US. I know that Grace Jones, in particular, had some issues with unreleased albums during the nineties. Though during the 90s she mainly contributed songs to commercials and movies, two albums--Black Marilyn and Force of Nature--were completed but never released. The new album, called Corporate Cannibal, once again teams her up with Sly & Robbie, but also with new collaborators like Brian Eno, son Paulo Goude, and fiancee(husband?)/producer Ivor Guest.
According to their official website, Was (Not Was) will have a new album out through Rykodisc on April 6 of this year called Boo!. As for the ABC album, frontman Martin Fry claims the album will be out in March in the UK, hopefully to be released worldwide (US!) later in the year to accompany a tour.
Vive la discoteque!
Take care,
Brice
Our first show on BSR went pretty swimmingly last night (or I guess technically this morning). If you missed out, fear not! One of the many great things about BSR is that all shows are archived online and available to be streamed 24/7. You can catch the link to the pilot episode, entitled Disco 101, here.
In any event, here's last night's playlist:
Lio- Le Banana Split- Premier Album
Lime- Your Love- Your Love
Patrice Rushen- Haven't You Heard- Journey into Paradise
Bohannon- Disco Stomp- Insides Out
Maryann Farra & Satin Soul- Just a Little Timing- Never Gonna Leave You
Grace Jones- I Need a Man- Portfolio
Ecstasy, Passion, and Pain- Good Things Don't Last Forever- Get Up and Move Your Body
Midnight Powers- Dance, It's My Life- Prime Cuts I
Was (Not Was)- Out Come the Freaks- Was (Not Was)
Hi-Gloss- Cash- Hi-Gloss
Padlock- Peanut Butter- Padlock
ABC- Alphabet Soup- The Lexicon of Love
Dr. Buzzard's Original Savannah Band- Cherchez la Femme/Se si Bon- Dr. Buzzard's...
The Raes- A Little Lovin (Keeps the Doctor Away)- Dancing up a Storm
Some interesting news on these artists (to whom I've linked official websites/wikipedia pages whenever possible): apparently Grace Jones, Was (Not Was), and ABC are all planning new album releases this year. We can only hope these albums are releases properly here in the US. I know that Grace Jones, in particular, had some issues with unreleased albums during the nineties. Though during the 90s she mainly contributed songs to commercials and movies, two albums--Black Marilyn and Force of Nature--were completed but never released. The new album, called Corporate Cannibal, once again teams her up with Sly & Robbie, but also with new collaborators like Brian Eno, son Paulo Goude, and fiancee(husband?)/producer Ivor Guest.
According to their official website, Was (Not Was) will have a new album out through Rykodisc on April 6 of this year called Boo!. As for the ABC album, frontman Martin Fry claims the album will be out in March in the UK, hopefully to be released worldwide (US!) later in the year to accompany a tour.
Vive la discoteque!
Take care,
Brice
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