Heaven is a Disco

Body is a Disco

2008-04-22T11:07:00.001-07:00

As Diana Ross exclaims, work that body! After all, that's what disco was all about. And now you may be sweating to the oldies when you think of a disco workout, but seriously give it a try. Maybe you can think of me as a new exercise guru. The best way to stay in shape and have fun is to dance. One of my favorite quotes is from Yoko Ono who asserts that her secret to health and happiness is dancing through life. No matter what you do, make it a dance. Disco just makes this a whole bunch easier.

Here's a link to the last show's archive on BSR and here's a playlist with all the info you've come to trust and expect:

Diana Ross -Work That Body - Why Do Fools Fall In Love?
Change - A Lover's Holiday - The Glow of Love
A Taste of Honey - Do It Good - Another Taste
Mystic Merlin - Sixty Thrills a Minute - Capitol Disco
Natalie Cole - Sophisticated Lady - Natalie
Gloria Jones - Windstorm - Windstorm
ESG - Dance - A South Bronx Story
Logg - Dancing in the Stars - Logg
Jo Bisso - Your Love - Faith Presents TK Disco
Gene Dunlap - Party In Me - Party In Me
Timmy Thomas - Freak In, Freak Out - Faith Presents TK Disco
Ripple - The Beat Goes On and On - Sons of the Gods
First Choice - Doctor Love - Delusions
Skyy - First Time Around - Skyy
Peter Brown - Burning Love Breakdown - A Fantasy Love Affair
Candido - Dancin' and Prancin' - Salsoul 30th
Herman Kelly & Life - A Refreshing Love - Faith Presents TK Disco

Admittedly, not many of these artists have been up to much lately, at least as far as I can tell, with the exception of the few big names.

Diana Ross, as expected, is a legend and is suitably busy. Her last album, a collection of rock and soul standards called I Love You, was released in January 2007, and was her highest Billboard charter since the 80s. Since then, she's been lecturing, making a slew of guest appearances, and doing the requisite performances here and there.

Natalie Cole has been likewise fairly active. Her last album, called Leavin', was also an album of covers, featuring songs originally by artists like Kate Bush and Sting. I'm glad these people are still releasing albums, but seriously, cover albums start seeming like a cop out at a certain point in your career. If you're not going to seriously reinterpret songs or if you're not an artist already known for doing such interesting covers (like say, Blondie or Grace Jones), then please, write your own material. Please. (And neither Blondie nor Grace have yet stooped to the level of an all-covers/all-standards album.)

America is a Disco

2008-04-20T11:59:00.000-07:00

I've always been fascinated by America's relationship with disco. In the seventies, the general public grew to adore disco, then when the nation's consciousness was saturated with disco (and began to overflow), overnight everyone hated any kind of disco-sounding music. Well, maybe it wasn't that black & white. People like Donna Summer had viable careers into the 80s because of their ability to evolve (namely, to adopt synthesizers and new wave), but much of this music bore the heavy stamp of disco's vast influence. Yet, most people today, while fondly recalling say, C+C Music Factory or Duran Duran, will in the same breath denounce Donna, Gloria, Diana, and the like. I think most Americans are proud, and when they realized that most of the popular disco of the time was a European creation, their egos got a little bruised.

Well anyways, here is a link to the archive on BSR, and here is a playlist with all the info you've been dying for.

Festival - I'd Be Surprisingly Good For You - Evita
Voyage - Lady America - Best of Voyage
John Tropea - Living in the Jungle - Faith Presents TK Disco
Donna Washington - 'Scuse Me While I Fall in Love - Capitol Disco
The Salsoul Orchestra - Run Away (feat. Loleatta Holloway) - Magic Journey
Gichi Dan - Cowboys & Gangsters - Mutant Disco 1
Peech Boys - Don't Make Me Wait (12") - Journey Into Paradise
Amanda Lear - Blood and Honey - Queen of Chinatown
Trussel - Love Injection - Journey Into Paradise
Mann Friday - Love Honey, Love Heartache - Journey Into Paradise
Yoko Ono -Every Man Has a Woman Who Loves Him - Double Fantasy
ABC - Poison Arrow - Lexicon of Love
Garcons - French Disco Boys Edit - Divorce
Charles Jackson - Ohh Child - Capital Disco
Stratavarious - I Got Your Love - Get Up and Move Your Body

I haven't been able to find much about a lot of these artists, but a couple are definitely active today. ABC/Martin Fry are releasing a new album this year called Traffic. You can listen to sample tracks on their website (linked above). I have to say I'm surprised just how similar to Lexicon of Love a lot of these new songs sound, which I guess can be both good and bad. They should be touring the states later this year to coincide with the US release of their album.

Another big active name up there is Yoko Ono. In the past few years, she's become much more active than she has been in a very long time. Last year, she managed to release two remix projects, Yes, I'm a Witch and Open Your Box, and opened the new Imagine Peace tower in Reykjavik, Iceland. Then she launched a brand new official website (linked above), which is literally packed full of every bit of info you could ever want on her and her work. To top it all off, she's been doing some sporadic live retrospectives and right now she has a new art exhibition going on at the Galerie Leong in NYC through the end of May called "Touch Me." Busy, busy. (And she's 75!)

Girlfriend is a Disco

2008-04-09T10:53:00.001-07:00

I decided for this last episode (after an all too long two week break) that there's no sense in trying to restrict the kinds of disco played during each episode, so from here on out I'm just going to play the very best music I can find for you to enjoy. The story of disco will just come naturally.

So, this week's episode, Girlfriend is a Disco is a wonderful and weird mix of disco from all across the spectrum, Rick James to Talking Heads and everywhere in between.

Here is a link to the archive/playlist on BSR. And following is the playlist with links and the usual info.

Rick James - You and I - Come Get It
Talking Heads - Girlfriend is Better - Speaking in Tongues
Kid Creole & the Coconuts - Darrio (12" Disco Mix) - Off the Coast of Me
Desmond Child - Our Love is Insane - Capitol Disco
The Paper Dolls - Get Down Boy - Single
Minnie Riperton - Baby, This Love I Have - Capitol Disco
Lizzy Mercier Descloux - Funky Stuff - Mambo Nassau
Was (Not Was) - Wheel Me Out - Was (Not Was)
Donalyd Byrd - Love Has Come Around - Love Byrd
Margo Thunder - Expressway to Your Heart - Capitol Disco
Cristina - Disco Clone - Doll in the Box
Janice McClain - Smack Dab in the Middle - Journey Into Paradise
Wizzdom - Free Bass - Faith Presents TK Disco
Phreek - Weekend - Journey Into Paradise

As for whats new with these artists, I've mentioned Was (Not Was)'s new album Boo! before, and well, now it's out! I should warn you first that the album is not as disco as their songs I've played on the show. It has a much stronger soul/funk feel to it, but so far I've heard nothing but good reviews.

The Talking Heads, sadly, are no more, but the groups members have been up to a lot. Of course you know Tom Tom Club, which is Talking Heads bassist Tina Weymouth and drummer Chris Frantz. They'll be doing a few live shows this summer (with DEVO!!). Also, Talking Heads frontman David Byrne has been ever so busy, just performing at a tribute to Paul Simon and announcing that he'll be releasing a new album this year that's a collaboration with Brian Eno. You may know Eno for other things, but he was also a producer for the Holy Trinity of Talking Heads albums (More Songs..., Fear of Music, and Remain in Light) and a collaborator on David Byrne's first solo album, My Life in the Bush of Ghosts.

Kid Creole & the Coconuts will be releasing a new greatest hits compilation this year that may be a great primer on the band for you beginners called. Here is a link to the news blurb on Pitchfork.

Soul Children

2008-04-09T10:23:00.000-07:00

Sorry for a bit of a delay on this one, but don't worry, I'm here to bring you your fix of disco related information. This episode, Soul Children, was all about the early roots of disco. I'm talking Motown, Philly soul, and funk. It's amazing how these kinds of music all evolved into disco around 1973-75. You can hear it in the lush orchestrations, the popping repetitive basslines, and even in the voices of divas like Patti Labelle and Barbara Roy. Here you can find the archive on BSR's website, and here's the playlist:

Labelle - Space Children - Nightbirds
Gloria Gaynor - (If You Want It) Do It Yourself - Experience Gloria Gaynor
Rare Pleasure - Let Me Down Easy - Rare Pleasure
London to Rome - Let's Not Wait - Get Up and Move Your Body
Brown Sugar - The Game is Over - Single
Darren with Flavor - I Got Magic - Get Up and Move Your Body
First Choice - Smarty Pants - Smarty Pants
Don Armando's 2nd Avenue Rhumba Band - Deputy of Love - Mutant Disco 1
Whirlwind - Full Time Thing (Between Dusk and Dawn) - Get Up and Move Your Body
Detroit Emeralds - Feel the Need - Feel the Need
Double Exposure - Ten Percent - Ten Percent
Ecstasy, Passion, and Pain - Touch and Go - Ecstasy, Passion, and Pain
Funky People - Everybody Hustle - Single
Kat Mandu - There's Only Been a Few - Kat Mandu
Poison - Get Up and Move Your Body - Get Up and Move Your Body
Liquid Smoke - Dance, Dance, Dance - Liquid Smoke
Tapestry - Life is What You Make It - Down By the Maple River
Moment of Truth - So Much for Love - Moment of Truth
Ja Kki - Sun... Sun... Sun... - Single

I'll admit that its pretty tough finding info on a lot of these artists. Most of them faded into obscurity after a few minor hits in the mid-to-late seventies, which makes it hard to find much info out there on the internet. That being said, I've done my best to provide links above for you to check out what these artists have been up to.

Patti Labelle has talked a lot recently about a Labelle reunion with former bandmates Nona Hendryx (who I've played before with Material on the song "Bustin Out") and Sarah Dash. The last time Labelle has recorded together was for the song "Dear Rosa," an unreleased tribute to Rosa Parks, in 2006. Now however, they're getting together with producer Lenny Kravitz to make their first full-length album since Chameleon in 1976. If Patti and crew can forego the MOR R&B of recent years in favor of the glam-funk-soul-rock of Labelle, this could be very good.

Gloria Gaynor, another big name on this playlist, still tours behind her big hits. She's also released a new album in 2006 called The Answer but I can't say for sure whether she stays close to her dance-floor roots of turns to a more adult contemporary approach (I hope for the former). She's also come under much scrutiny since becoming a born-again Christian in 1982, after which she has publicly denounced homosexuality. Needless to say, I can't imagine her huge gay fanbase (which probably is her biggest support) has been happy.

Well thats all for now. As always, stay tuned to BSR!

Brice

Eurovision

2008-03-12T10:22:00.000-07:00

If I may boast a bit, I have to say that this week's show was pretty awesome. We took a look at some of the best Eurodisco tracks around, which meant the beat was always bouncy, the vocals always light, and the melodies always catchy. Of course, this means we had to look at Eurodisco's pioneer, ABBA, as well as some other artists who were either big in Europe and unknown in America (see Amanda Lear) or who were American artists who couldn't resist the European flare of slick production and poppy beats (see Donna Summer). We also took an extended look at some 80s synth-pop that was heavily influenced by Eurodisco. Here's a link to the archive. And here's a playlist for the show:

Telex - Eurovision - Neurovision
ABBA - The Visistors - The Visitors
Amanda Lear - Diamonds - Queen of China Town
Garcons - Encore l'Amore - Mutant Disco Vol 1
Voyage - Souvenirs - Best of Voyage
Pretty Maid Company - Hey Hey Big John - Single
The Passengers - He's Speedy Like Gonzales - The Passengers
Penny McLean - Lady Bump - Lady Bump
Ice T - From New York to LA - Prime Cuts I
Giorgio Moroder - Oh What a Night - E=MC2
Donna Summer - Romeo - I'm a Rainbow
Lime - You're My Magician - Your Love
Caroline Loeb - Narcissique - Mutant Disco Vol 2
Andrea True Connection - More, More, More pt 2 - More, More, More
Loi - Body Contact - Prime Cuts I
Fussy Cussy - Disco Kings - Single

Telex released a new album back in 2006, called How Do You Dance?, which consists of five new songs and five covers. ABBA, despite unrelenting attempts from fans, continues to refuse the chance of a reunion. Though there's always the musical Mamma Mia, if you're really a big fan. Personally, I don't know how well I could handle both ABBA and a musical. It might just be all a bit too saccharine for me. Surprisingly enough no one else (outside of Donna Summer & Giorgio Moroder) is really still active in the music world today, as far as I know. I can't say for sure whether or not this has something to do with some widespread animosity toward Eurodisco in America, but it is peculiar nonetheless.

Stay tuned for the next Heaven is a Disco, during which we'll explore some of Disco's American roots--plenty of good soul, Motown, and funk!

Take Care,
Brice

My Spine is the Bassline

2008-03-03T11:23:00.000-08:00

You may or may not have noticed that last night's episode was sadly not live. I was out of good old Providence on a nice trip home to NJ, but I'm glad to be back. Anyway, last night's show was all about some of my favorite disco basslines, many of which came from disco artists who existed on the fringe of New York punk/no wave (see especially the excellent compilations Disco Not Disco and Mutant Disco). You can find the archive online to listen in here. And here's a playlist:

Shreikback- My Spine is the Bassline- Disco Not Disco
Change- Paradise- Journey into Paradise
Silver Convention- Fly, Robin, Fly- Save Me
Jackie Moore- This Time Baby- I'm on my Way
ESG- Moody (Spaced Out)- A South Bronx Story
Kazino- Binary- Disco Not Disco
Konk- Soka Loka Moki- The Sound of Konk
Loose Change- Straight from the Heart- Loose Change
Teena Gardner- Heartbeat- Journey into Paradise
Positive Force- We Got the Funk- Journey into Paradise
Coati Mundi- Que Pasa/Me No Pop I- Mutant Disco Vol.2
Kid Creole & the Coconuts- I'm a Wonderful Thing, Baby- Mutant Disco Vol.1
Vivien Goldman- Launderette- Disco Not Disco

Shriekback is still very active today, having last year come out with their 11th studio album Glory Bumps. Kid Creole & the Coconuts are likewise still touring and recording, but their website was last updated some time ago. Chances are we'll be hearing more from the Coconuts shortly.

Lastly, Vivien Goldman has proven to be a remarkably influential component of the punk scene. After "Launderette" and her no wave music career, Goldman devoted her energy mostly to music journalism, and is highly regarded in the chronicling of the early punk/no wave scene as well as the explosion of Afro-Caribbean music in America. Her website (linked above) has much more info on her books, works, and what she's been up to recently.

Keep it tuned to BSR!

Brice

The Art of the Medley

2008-02-25T12:33:00.000-08:00

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

Hi-NRG

2008-02-18T20:44:00.000-08:00

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

Everyone Goes Disco

2008-02-11T19:52:00.000-08:00

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

Disco 101

2008-02-04T12:27:00.000-08:00

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