Billy Preston ~ Outa Space 1971 Funky Purrfection Version DJDiscoCat 2026-09-21 | Billy Preston ~ Outa Space 1971 Funky Purrfection Version
Rolling Stones ~ Emotional Rescue 1980 Disco Purrfection Version DJDiscoCat 2023-06-16 | After the massive success of "Miss You" the Stones took a step back into soulful R&B with "Emotional Rescue" a beat driven tune that peaked at #3 for two weeks it was the highest new entry that week at #33. It could not get past Diana Ross's "Upside Down" at #1 and Christopher Cross "Sailing" at #2 the first week and then Air Supply "All Out Of Love" the second. Mick Jagger wrote and recorded a demo with an electric piano and sang it in falsetto like Marvin Gaye had done with "Got To Give It Up" and brought it to the band,keeping the piano and vocal with the rest of the Stones adding their parts to the song finishing off with saxophonist Bobby Keys adding his part.Billboard noted that the song may have been influenced by the music of Curtis Mayfield and the Impressions but updated with the tough talking lyrics of Jagger who explained that the song was about a girl who was a bit messed up and a man who wanted to help her to get involved with his emotional rescue.Gossip had it that Keith Richards was not enamoured of this new direction and limited his involvement with guitar and his backing vocals near the end of the song. The result is a hot funky dance track that was not played in concert until 2013. It did peak at #9 on the Hot Disco/Dance chart that summer of 1980.
Diana Ross ~ No One Gets The Prize 1979 Disco Purrfection Version DJDiscoCat 2023-06-03 | Diana remixes for ya! Diana's vocals on "No One Gets The Prize" displayed her vocal talent and she really let loose her gospel pipes, full throated at the verses and sounding like the Diana in the Supremes. It was a real treat to find the 12 that had No One Gets The Prize/The Boss with the sharpest edit I would ever hear and comes close to her vocals on "Love Hangover" but with Ashford & Simpson providing the right funky track with a thumpin and insistent disco beat.I didn't really care for the mixed for that reason 12" and finally found another longer version that I used here and give the song a well deserved remix, Diana in top form with Valerie Simpson and Nickolas Ashford also in top form for a song that deserves a second, third or fourth listen. It's really great cat -fighty dust up between two friends who compete for the attentions of the same guy. Might have made a great duet with another female star, my money would have been on Chaka Khan....
Shalamar ~ Right In The Socket 1980 Disco Purrfection Version DJDiscoCat 2023-05-26 | Shalamar started out as a studio group to record a novelty single that would stitch together a whack of Motown chestnuts put to a bright disco beat and call it Uptown Festival. The response was unanimous, we LOVED it! Hey it was 1978 and nostalgia was rampant, remember "Grease" and "Happy Days" were huge back then so the Simon Soussan arranged disco revival of Motown classics made sense and it peaked at #2 disco for four weeks!Dick Griffey and Gene Page had worked on the first LP and Leon Sylvers joined them for their second LP, "Disco Gardens", helping to mold their new dance groove sound and bring them the faces everyone wanted to know; Jody Watley, Jeffrey Daniels and Howard Hewett who became the permanent members."Right In The Socket" rocked them good with that funky bass behind it all that landed up becoming a #11 Top Disco/Dance hit in 1980.
John Waite ~ Missing You 1984 Extended Meow Mix DJDiscoCat 2023-05-19 | John Waite was born July 4, 1955 in Lancaster, England. He was already an accomplished musician by the age of 14 by playing harmonica and bass guitar in several bands before he formed the Babys in 1976. The British band was heavily marketed to the US including a $10,000 budget to make a music video that helped them get signed to Chrysalis records and helped make their first hit, "Isn't It Time" a #13 pop success in December of 1977. The Babys broke up after their third album with Jonathan Cain joining Journey and Waite being the last one find success on his second solo album, "No Brakes" with the #1 pop single "Missing You".John was in a reflective mood when it came time to write the lyrics so he wrote about his personal feelings, making word associations and finally working out the entire song. Written quickly, the former art student released the song explaining that it was about the breakup of his relationship and how it helped him to get through that rough time. The adage of the best love songs being written with a broken heart still holds true here.
Champaign ~ How Bout Us 1981 Soul Purrfection Version DJDiscoCat 2023-05-12 | Champaign gets their name from their hometown of Champaign, Illinois with charter members Micheal Day, Leon Reeder, Michael Reed and Dana Walden. Vocalists Pauli Carman and Rena Jones soon joined the band just in time for their golden moment, "How 'Bout Us" a 1 Adult Contemporary song for two weeks, peaking at #12 pop and #4 R&B.The song was recorded in a number of various styles until it approached the version that was finally released, the gossamer dream of a song floated into the consciousness of the radio listeners all over the world. The next single, "Can You Find The Time" missed the charts entirely but two years later "Try Again" hit the charts #6 AC, #23 pop and #2 R&B but failed to maintain their momentum and the band broke up in 1985. Betty Wright and Grayson Hugh released their version of "How Bout Us" in 1990, peaking at #15 AC, #67 pop and #30 R&B. Pauli went on to work in the supergroup Asia and Reeder went on to work with Chicago.
Stealers Wheel ~ Stuck In The Middle With You 1972 Classic Rock Purrfection Version DJDiscoCat 2023-05-05 | Stealers Wheel was formed in 1972 with charter members Gerry Rafferty, Joe Egan, Rob Noakes, Ian Campbell and Roger Brown. Signing to A&M Records for their first album, the group was union of powerhouses which led to some arguments but in the end created their greatest single in the #6 Pop sensation "Stuck In The Middle With You". Little known fact is that Rafferty had quit the band but returned to it once he saw how "Stuck In The Middle With You" performed on the national level and felt he could offer the pop audience something by letting bygones be bygones to present a united front as band and was quite successful. It was produced by the legendary 50's & 60's duo of Leiber & Stoller. But inner circle members were coming and going for the next album, Ferguslie Park that spawned their last charting single with the #29 pop hit "Star" in the spring of 1974.Rafferty became a household name in 1978 with his spirited rendition of "Baker Street" that all but arrested the radios for all playing that super long sax intro that floated out of open kitchen windows or with the passing car with their windows down. You knew exactly what song it was without needing to hear anything else as you passed them by and then it was an earworm but I never tired of hearing it.Egan had a less successful career but did release critically acclaimed albums which bear a listen.
Erasure ~ A Little Respect 1988 Disco Purrfection Version DJDiscoCat 2023-04-28 | Erasure is Andy Bell and Vince Clarke who played keyboards for Depeche Mode and Yazoo (Yaz in the US: "Situation" and "Don't Go") and began their career in 1986. The first album did not have any hits, but the magic started on album #2, 1987's "Circus" that propelled them into the mainstream.A slew of hits followed and a song from their third album "Chains Of Love" broke them in the US. The next song issued was "A Little Respect" and it became a #4 pop hit in the US. They had much more success in the UK with their releases typically went Top 5.If you don't have it, you should get their greatest hits CD, if you like synth based pop dance music, Andy Bell has one of those really great pop voices that really warms up every song they do.
Fleetwood Mac ~ Hypnotized 1973 Classic Rock Purrfection Version DJDiscoCat 2023-04-21 | Fleetwood Mac named for the rhythm section of Mick Fleetwood and John McVie was a blues based band that slowly approached pop music by changing guitarists several time. After losing their guitarists, they invited Bob Welch who brought along songs like "Hypnotized" and "Sentimental Woman" and gave them a gentler sleeker sound than before. Written and sung by Welch it was recorded for the Mac's 1973 "Mystery To Me" it was issued as the B side of the promoted single "For Your Love". The dj's flipped the song and it became the albums strongest track. Mellow but insistent yet hypnotizing throughout, it is a perfect expression of that emotion. Welch states that he wrote the song with Benifold Mansion in England in mind, a place he described as "rather spooky and strange even in the summer time."The fabulous Pointer Sisters did a cover in 1978 that added another dimension to it.
Sly Fox ~ Lets Go All The Way 1985 Funky Purrfection Version DJDiscoCat 2023-04-14 | Sly Fox was an American pop duo, Gary "Mudbone" Cooper and Michael Camacho. The duo came to prominence in the mid-1980s with their UK/U.S. top 10 hit single "Let's Go All the Way". They released one studio album of the same name which charted within the U.S. Top 40, and a couple of subsequent singles before breaking up.The duo were wholesome, clean-living teen idols assembled by record producer Ted Currier. Cooper, a funk session musician, had previously been a vocalist with Parliament-Funkadelic and Bootsy's Rubber Band. Camacho was a protégé of David Bowie. The group's touring band included Cooper's former Rubber Band bandmates Frank "Kash" Waddy (drums), Joel "Razor Sharp" Johnson (keyboards), and Flip Cornett (guitar/bass), along with "Bad Boy Troy" Tipton (guitar), Greg Seay, and current Zapp keyboardist, Greg Jackson.Their sole album, Let's Go All the Way, was released on Capitol Records in December 1985. The eponymous track became a top 10 hit in both the U.S. and UK in 1986. The follow-up singles "Como Tu Te Llama", "Stay True" and "Don't Play with Fire" did not perform as well and sold poorly. The group disbanded in 1988.In 1989, Sly Fox reformed briefly in Cincinnati, Ohio. With a demo budget from Bill Laswell, the duo recorded four songs, including Cooper’s “There’s No Place Like Home”. The recording sessions included musicians James Ibold (guitar), Chris Sherman (bass), Casey McKeown (keyboard) and Johnny Miracle (drums). Previously unsettled artistic differences arose between the duo, and they abruptly separated again. Cooper returned to tour with George Clinton, while Camacho headed to Los Angeles to focus on a film career.Since the dissolution of the group, Cooper has remained involved in the music industry. His most recent album, 2006's Fresh Mud, was a collaboration with Dave Stewart that combined blues and rap. Camacho has concentrated on acting, directing, and singing. He released the solo album Just for You in 2007. He is also a proprietor of a well-known jazz lounge and bar in New York City and has started a funk band named The Funky Foxes.
Laura Lee ~ Womens Love Rights 1972 Soul Purrfection Version DJDiscoCat 2023-04-07 | Born Laura Lee Newton on 9 March 1945 in Chicago, Illinois is an American soul, gospel singer and songwriter, most successful in the 1960s and 1970s and influential for her records which discussed and celebrated women's experience.SHe with Della Reese were part of the first gospel groups to perform with instrumental backing tracks and toured the country. By 1965 Laura billed her self as Laura Lee for her career as a soul singer she signed with Chess Records and then recorded at Muscle Shoals where her career took off. The timing was right for her to collaborate with Holland Dozier Holland who left Motown to establish their own Hot Wax record label and she signed to the label which released her biggest pop hit "Women's Love Rights" produced by William Weatherspoon also ex of Motown. The song peaked at #36 pop in 1971. Lee left Hot Wax in 1975 and signed with Ariola Records, but became seriously ill shortly afterward and retired from the music industry for several years. She returned in 1983 with a gospel album, Jesus Is The Light Of My Life, on which she worked with Al Green.[12] By 1990 she recovered from her illness and had been ordained as a minister. She has continued recording music, mostly gospel.
Norma Jean ~ High Society 1979 Disco Purrfection Version DJDiscoCat 2023-03-31 | Norma Jean Wright was born July 15, 1956 in Ripley, Tennessee and moved to Elyria, Ohio when she was a child.Her first gig was lead vocals for the Topettes and toured with The Spinners as a background singer. She was recruited to work with Chic as lead vocalist for the first album with the singles "Dance, Dance, Dance (Yowsah, Yowsah, Yowsah)" (#6 Pop, #6 R&B in January 1978) and "Everybody Dance" (#38 Pop, #12 R&B in April 1978). She got her first R&B hit with "Saturday" a #15 R&B hit produced by Chic. Her last charting was for "High Society" a #19 R&B hit. Wright has sung as a backing vocalist with C+C Music Factory, Constina, Randy Crawford, Will Downing, Aretha Franklin, Fantasy, Debbie Gibson, Nelson Rangell, Luther Vandross, Madonna, Sister Sledge, Nick Scotti & Freddie Jackson. She frequently appears in a duo with Luci Martin, another former Chic vocalist. In 2018, Wright joined and toured with the female group First Ladies of Disco. In March 2019, Wright released the single "Don't Stop Me Now" with the group.
Stevie Nicks & Tom Petty ~ Stop Draggin My Heart Around 1981 Classic Rock Purrfection Version DJDiscoCat 2023-03-24 | Stevie went all rock and roll for her debut album seeking out friends who could help her establish a separate identity for her outside Fleetwood Mac and she succeeded in spades.A standout duet with Tom Petty and his band "Stop Draggin My Heart Around" an elegant rock infused ballad that expresses the anger of being played around with letting both singers explain themselves in the song's conversation. Written by Petty and his band for her, it was the first single from Bella Donna. It was not written by Stevie at all but she owns it, like the star she is. On a side note, the song was the 25th video played on the nascent MTV on August 1, 1981. It also peaked at #3 on the Hot100 and #2 on the Mainstream Rock chart. Weird Al parodied it as "Stop Draggin My Car Around" to which Stevie and Jimmy Fallon sang in a humorous recreation of the original video on the Tonight Show.She has a great sense of humor!
Jermaine Jackson ~ Lets Get Serious 1980 Funky Purrfection Version DJDiscoCat 2023-03-17 | Jermaine Jackson celebrates his birthday on December 11, 1954 into one of the greatest family rock groups ever. After the run of hits on Motown, the group was considering leaving them for Epic when Jermaine decided to stay on at Motown and marry Hazel Gordy, daughter of Berry Gordy. The Jacksons went on to greater fame replacing him with Randy and they hit heights that approached their 60's output.Jermaine worked with Stevie Wonder for this funk infused disco tune "Let's Get Serious" in 1980 and it became a massive R&B hit spending six weeks at the top becoming his biggest hit ever on that chart. I instantly loved the heavy funk of "Serious" and when Stevie started singing his part I was in the stratosphere! I could use my Detroit moves on that one and it kept me on the floor for several nights in a row. Jermaine would go on to record with Whitney Houston long before she broke with "Don't Go Breaking My Heart" on her debut album.
Sheryl Crow ~ All I Wanna Do 1993 Pop Purrfection Version DJDiscoCat 2023-03-10 | I know this one is years away from the 70's yet it has that 70's soul vibe updated to the 90's. Sheryl was working hard behind the scenes working with Michael Jackson, Don Henley and George Harrison before she turned solo artist. Born February 11, 1963 to musical parents it was only a matter of time before she attended university to earn a degree in piano playing. Then she taught music school to children for a short time and headed to California. She was one of Jackson's backing singers and you can find pictures of her in 80's garb wig and all in hair glory. Signed to a label, she began work on an album that got cut short when executives heard it and dumped those sessions which cost 250K to start over. She had been jamming with a studio band and that gave the album the workingman's view and sound she was looking for and wrote the songs that would populate her smash debut album. One song in particular was not coming together but the music was hot. So she pulled out her book of poetry and overlaid the verses onto the rhythm track and free associating lyrics. She considered it to be a throwaway tune, ie the B side of a single. The first single "Leaving Las Vegas" was on the down direction on the chart when executives issued "All I Wanna Do" and the song skyrocketed to the top, stopped by Boyz II Men "I'll Make Love To You" for six weeks but did hit #1 on the Adult Contemporary Chart.
The Rhythm Makers ~ Zone 1976 Soul Purrfection DJDiscoCat 2023-03-03 | The Rhythm Makers were the second incarnation of the band that would eventually get their own million selling disco song in "Disco Nights" as GQ.Before they morphed, songs like "Soul On Your Side" was an early version of "Disco Nights" and the stone cold classic club tune "Zone" a percussive electronic dance tune.They first formed in 1968 as Sabu & the Survivors in the Bronx, NY. By the time the 70's arrived, they had renamed themselves The Rhythm Makers with members Keith Crier, Kenny Banks and Herb Lane. 1976 saw "Soul On Your Side" issued as a single but it was "Zone" that caught the attention of DJ's and club goers. Banks left and was replaced by Paul Service when their manager suggested they adopt a new name Good Quality or GQ for short.They went on to disco fame with Disco Nights from their first album as GQ that stormed the pop charts all over the world but soon cast changes led to recordings that were met with diminishing returns and were still performing as of 2010.Keith Crier was the uncle of Keith Sweat.
Patrick Juvet ~ Ou Sont Les Femmes 1977 Disco Purrfection Version DJDiscoCat 2023-02-27 | Like model Grace Jones, model Patrick Juvet easily stepped into his dancing shoes and began his career as a disco recording act. Born August 21, 1950 in Montreux, Switzerland he began studying the piano at age 7 and loved the Beatles.Moving to Paris in 1968 when he was 18, penniless when a friend sent him to Germany to begin a modeling career and after two years, he returned to Paris where he met producer Eddie Barclay. He began to collaborate with electronic artist Jean Michel Jarre and in 1977 released his biggest hit "Ou Sont Les Femmes" sung in french. The title translates in to "Where Are The Women", but the english version changed it to the more mournful "Where Is My Woman" one time the translation did not help. Chasing women is a national pastime in France, so a song about finding where they hide out was something they could relate to. Heartbreak had nothing to do with the sexy electronic beats that Jarre had created for Juvet. Juvet went on to record with the producers of the Village People, Henri Belolo and Jacques Morali with "I Love America" and "Got A Feeling". "Où Sont Les Femmes" was re-recorded in English in 1978 on Casablanca but failed to gain an audience.
Kool & The Gang ~ Hollywood Swinging 1974 Funky Purrfection Version DJDiscoCat 2023-02-24 | "Soul Makossa" is a song that influenced the sound of disco and inspired Michael Jackson to write "Wanna Be Startin' Somethin'" and also affected Kool & The Gang back in 1972. The tune was so hot and hard to get (it was an import from Cameroon) found in a New York record shop by DJ David Mancuso who immediately added it to his playlist. The response was overwhelming and scarce copies of the original by Manu Dibango led to covers being recorded to fill the void. Kool & The Gang were asked to re record the song and they went to the studio where they began riffing off the song and wrote three hit songs, "Jungle Boogie", "Funky Stuff" and "Hollywood Swinging" instead.Ricky West co wrote the song with the band and the story in the song actually happened to Ricky. Put down in the studio, it was wildly received and topped the R& B chart in June, 1974. Madnrill's "Fencewalk" (1973) was a song rhythm written in threes which Bayyan heard and them made that the bassline. The song was played by famed DJ Frankie Crocker of WBLS FM New York whose nickname was "Hollywood".
King Harvest ~ Dancing In The Moonlight 1972 Pop Purrfection Version DJDiscoCat 2023-02-20 | I will bet you did not know that King Harvest's "Dancin' In the Moonlight" was originally recorded by Boffalongo (Davy Robinson was a member) in 1969, and the band decided to record it, turning the song into a #13 Hot100 hit in 1973. King Harvest formed in 1969 with four Cornell University students, Dave "Doc" Robinson (lead vocals/bass/keyboards), Ron Altbach (keyboards), Ed Tuleja (guitar), and Rod Novak (saxophone) playing cover tunes of popular tunes in bars, frat parties, bars and other colleges. They broke up in 1971.They reformed in Pairs when the band members began moving there, one by one. The core group picked up session work and finally won a Rock & Roll talent show by 1971.They released the Europe only album "I Can Tell" which led to an offer to write songs for a french movie "Le Feu Sacré" that France decided to be their entry at the Cannes Film Festival. "Dancing In The Moonlight" was written by Sherman Kelly, who originally recorded the song with his band Bofflongo in 1970. It was forgotten but Wells Kelly persuaded the band to take a shot on a cover hiring Steve Cutler as drummer and put the song down on tape. Cutler used a new toilet brush to get the drum effect he wanted to keep the song simple.The band had signed with Perception Records for the US when it started gaining major radio airplay in 1973 where the song reached #13 a respectable showing for an unknown band. However, it did not lead to similar all important album sales and it failed to reach the Top 200 Billboard Album and further singles sank without a trace. The they soldiered on until they broke up in 1976. A true One Hit wonder as "Dancin' In The Moonlight" got them branded as a light rock group which disappointed the hard rocking members. They did leave behind this simple pop tune that had the nation humming along in 1973.
Leo Sayer ~ Thunder In My Heart 1977 Disco Purrfection Version DJDiscoCat 2023-02-17 | Leo has a versatile voice and can sing just about anything from "Long Tall Glasses" to "When I Need You" to the raucous "Thunder In My Heart" where he had been mistakenly identified as Freddie Mercury by some listeners. I can understand that once I listened again to the song, his incendiary vocals helped to define the feeling when you are falling out of love.Gerard Hugh "Leo" Sayer was born May 21, 1948 and raised in Shoreham-by-Sea in Sussex to Thomas E.G. Sayer and Theresa Nolan as the second of three sons. He attended St Peter's Catholic Primary School then went on to study commercial art and graphic design in Sussex.Then he turned to songwriting and a song he wrote with David Courtney was recorded by Roger Daltrey who got his first solo hit with it in the summer of 1973. His second solo single was the one that clinched it, "The Show Must Go On" was covered by Three Dog Night who got a #4 Hot100 hit out of it. His first hit was "Long Tall Glasses" that topped out at #9 in the US. His 1976 album Endless Flight garnered him two #1 hits, When I Need You and You Make Me Feel Like Dancing. His fifth album "Thunder In My Heart" was issued in 1977, but it was the song "Easy To Love" that echoed the smooth soul of Boz Scaggs "Silk Degrees" and earned a #36 pop hit with it. The title track did not perform as well peaking at #38 on the Hot100 and a #30 disco hit.
Boz Scaggs ~ What Can I Say 1976 Soul Purrfection Version DJDiscoCat 2023-02-13 | I never heard anything from Boz until he released his now classic "Silk Degrees" in 1976, although he had been recording since 1966. "Silk Degrees" was a defining moment for all with the songs Lowdown, Lido Shuffle and We're All Alone.He was born June 8, 1944 in Canton, Ohio the eldest child of Royce and Helen Scaggs. The first instrument he learned was how to play the cello at the age of nine. Boz won a scholarship to attend St Marks School Of Texas and met Steve Miller. Miller helped Scaggs get his first guitar and gave him his Boz in 1959. He joined Miller's band The Marksmen and after graduating in 1962. After that, the two floated around and Boz quit school in 1963 to concentrate on his recording career. He joined the Army and fronted a new band for a few months. After dabbling in psychedelic music Miller again approached Boz to join him for Miller's first two albums in 1968. Moderate sales helped to fuel his desire to record but did not find fame until 1976 and his "Silk Degrees" album where the backing band was to become known as Toto. The first single issued was "What Can I Say" released in November of 1976 entering the chart at #85 and peaking at #42 for four weeks on the Hot100. This is one of those albums that is a monolith, every song was different and created a warm, jazzy and R&B flavoured album that still resonates today. I can listen to this one on repeat and keep it in my car along with Steely Dan Aja. What do you carry round in YOUR car or device? What is your go to album?
Shania Twain ~ Dont Be Stupid 1997 Disco Purrfection Version DJDiscoCat 2023-02-10 | Eileen Regina "Shania" Twain was born in Windsor, Ontario on August 28, 1965 and raised in Timmins, Ontario. She loved to sing as a child and started writing her own songs before signing with Mercury Nashville. Her debut album was a flop in 1993. SHe met up with Robert John "Mutt" Lange and in 1995 roared back selling 20 million copies and snagging a Grammy Award for the album.1997 was her year, she released "Come On Over" which became the best selling studio album by a female act in any genre thus the best selling country album of all time earning her four Grammy Awards. In Canada, "Don't Be Stupid" was remixed to a contemporary dance beat that didnt chart but did gain some play in clubs around Canada. I have taken that single dance version and stretched it out to a decent length...This one does fit in to what I am doing here, its a dance oriented single you may not have heard yet. Dance and disco through the years and where it is today.
Jethro Tull ~ Bungle In The Jungle 1974 Classic Rock Purrfection Version DJDiscoCat 2023-02-06 | Jethro Tull was formed in 1967, very much a product of the times, they started off as a blues rock and jazz fusion band. In short order, they added other elements of folk, hard rock and classical music to their progressive rock sound. Multi-instrumentalist Ian Anderson is the only constant member who mainly plays flute and is the main vocalist for the band.Their 1974 album "War Child" was a response to the lack of interest in their previous album, "Passion Play" which became quite controversial due to the critics and fans who disliked the direction the band was taking."War Child" was a compilation of unfinished demos that were completed to create the album and Anderson mentions that "Bungle In The Jungle" was actually begun in early 1973 and not completed until the album was recorded. As it went, the song piqued the interest of the record buying public and it became a #12 pop hit in 1974. They had one previous charting single "Living In The Past" that peaked at #11 in 1971. They have been recording since then and on 17 November 2022, the band announced on their Facebook page that they had completed recording their 23rd studio album, which is expected to be released in spring 2023.
Sweet ~ Ballroom Blitz 1973 Glam Rock Purrfection Version DJDiscoCat 2023-02-03 | Glam Rock was rampant in the early 70's thanks to David Bowie and a host of glam rock bands including The Sweet, or in the US just Sweet. Their classic line-up consisted of lead vocalist Brian Connolly, bass player Steve Priest, guitarist Andy Scott, and drummer Mick Tucker and were originally called The Sweetshop. Formed in 1968 London, they had their first hit in the UK with "Funny Funny" in 1971 in the Archies (Sugar Sugar) mode. Then they teamed up with Nicky Chinn and Mike Chapman who brought a surprising jolt of rock to their sound. They had their first #1 UK with "Block Buster" and then three #2 songs UK followed, Hell Raiser, The Ballroom Blitz and Teenage Rampage. In the US they established themselves with "Little Willy" a #3 Hot100 hit in 1972.The Ballroom Blitz went #1 in many countries except that the US it went top 5 followed by "Fox On The Run" in 1975, both of those songs were on their "Desolation Blvd" album. This is a fun song that sports crowds have picked up on and the rockin' tune is a guaranteed floor filler.They had a change of style in 1978 with Level Headed going in a more rock direction with "Love Is Like Oxygen" a personal favorite of mine and a #8 Hot100 hit.
Heart ~ Straight On 1978 Classic Rock Purrfection Version DJDiscoCat 2023-02-01 | The first time I heard from Heart was from "Dremboat Annie", there were three versions of that song and I loved all three because of Ann Wilson's pipes...there has never been one like it before and never will again. What a power house!However the MOR rock of that song was in good company with Magic Man and Crazy On You rocking out totally! Their next album had Barracuda, where they were called out for copying the guitar work of Led Zeppelin particularly Immigrant Song. I didn't hear it so I just disregarded it as misogyny but these two sisters have rock in their DNA. Dog & Butterfly was a concept album one side dog and the other side was butterfly and was more mellow than side A. I remember hearing this one near the end of September 1978 right after I moved to Canada. The album and title track the single "Dog and Butterfly" was like Heart's shot back at Mushroom Records who released Magazine, an unfinished album not suitable for release until Heart said it was ready to go. A judge agreed that "Dog and Butterfly" was already in the can and had a release date. "Straight On" had some disco elements to it, the 4/4 beat and that slinky bassline sure kept me on the dancefloor, one of the few times that a rock song really did a good job for the dance crowd. I thought that since I liked it, you might too just to change things up a little and to hear one of the greatest voices in rock and roll, up there with Stevie Nicks and Linda Ronstadt. They had four consecutive platinum albums from 76-78 and then two gold albums in 1980. The slide continued when there next two releases barely made half a million copies and this is when producer Ron Nevison stepped in. The women were not really open to songs written outside of the duo and Nevison questioned "When was the last time you wrote a hit" that the band decided to go along with his suggestion.
Ahzz ~ New Yorks Movin 1981 Disco Purrfection Version DJDiscoCat 2023-01-30 | No information whatsoever anywhere about who sang and played and engineered it. Normally this would be the end of the bio except for one thing. Thomas Jane. In his movie "Stander" about a cop turned robber, he celebrates his victory in dark silhouette dancing buck naked, he was really rockin' it and when he turned sideways to the camera, gyrating energetically I thought he was going to knock himself out with it. This song was playing and I instantly recognized it and I will always associate this song with that scene. Ahem.After hearing Ahzz's "New York Moving" from 1981 I knew had to find out more about this group and what I did find is pretty interesting. If they had done an album, I would have called it "The Land Of Ahzz" but this was pretty much a one off. They were a production vehicle for Patrick Adams who gave us the energetic and salacious "In The Bush" b/w his ode to sunshine "Keep On Jumpin'" that propelled the disco single to the top of the Disco Chart for two weeks in mid-summer 1978. Patrick Adams became a producer to note when I first heard Musique's "In The Bush" in 1978. Patrick met had met a producer named Peter Brown (No, not the same as the singer of "Dance With Me") and they formed a partnership that went on to explore the shattered universe of dance music after disco. This Peter Brown was a DJ who helped Four Below Zero get signed to Roulette Records and Patrick produced his session. He went on to become one of the most successful producers of disco and then moved into hip hop and invented unusual ways of miking that helped rappers get their message across by making their voices naturally more boomy. The two used their main label P&P Records, to house several other independent labels with names like Queen Constance, Heavenly Star, Golden Flamingo, Sound Of New York and Land Of Hits. An early release on the last label gave us Ahzz post disco dance tune "New York Moving".
Diana Ross ~ The Boss 1979 Disco Purrfection Version DJDiscoCat 2023-01-27 | Even though her most recent #1 "Love Hangover" was disco, Motown and Diana were not really into it feeling it was quickly passing fad. Her next singles were ballads a la Streisand so she was paired up with Ashford and Simpson who had developed a deep booming disco sound that attracted her.With a passel of songs to choose from, she felt that "The Boss" would be the best and let A&S provide every song on the album in 1979. While it returned her to the charts, her scatting was subject to some ridicule from the R&B crowd. Around this time, Motown had put together a Supremes Megamix that was taking over the clubs with a disco beat under it, so the long drum intro on "The Boss" was used to mix in near the end to show Diana was still with us. There was also an edited No One Gets The Prize that cut right into the Boss but the themes were not compatible and made for an uncomfortable pairing. The extended version of the Boss was the better choice for discos.
Golden Earring ~ Twilight Zone 1982 Classic Rock Purrfection Version DJDiscoCat 2023-01-25 | Golden Earring started off in Amsterdam, The Netherlands in 1961 as The Tornados but changed their name when they discovered a US band already had established a presence there. The new name was a tribute to "Golden Earrings" a single released by Brit group The Hunters. Charter members were 13-year-old George Kooymans and his 15-year-old neighbor, Rinus Gerritse adding Frans Krassenburg on lead vocals and Jaap Eggermont on drums. Eggermont would later become famous as the producer of The Stars On 45 series of hit megamixes in the early 80's. 1965 brought the band to the attention of the record buying public with their song "Please Go" and then a second single "That Day" went to #2 on the Dutch chart. In 1967 they dropped the "The" and the "s" from the name becoming Golden Earring when Barry Hay joined the band as lead vocalist. An early attempt to get the attention of US rock fans was unsuccessful, but they remained wildly popular in Europe. In 1970, drummer Cesar Zuiderwijk joined the band and they were poised for international fame as the opening acts for Doobie Brothers, Rush, Santana, King Crimson and .38 Special. They became the top billed act after they released the 1973 LP "Moontan" with the raucous "Radar Love" burning up the charts on both sides of the pond. Now, KISS and Aerosmith were opening for them! Unable to maintain the momentum, they kept a relatively low profile until 1982 when they recorded another stone cold smash, "Twilight Zone" which became an international hit and was helped along by the fledgling MTV who put the video in heavy rotation. Turning their attentions to their European fans, they released music throughout the 80's with Hay and Koomans putting out solo albums. 1991 saw the band with another Dutch hit "Going To The Run" dedicated to a fallen Hell's Angel who was a friend to the band. Their live performances have been carrying them since then and they regularly sold out with the recordings of those concerts being released and selling in the range of half a million copies each. 2003 had them in the US for an album of new material. In 2009 two reunion concerts in the UK brought them back to their former fame in the UK. 50 years together in 2011 got them their own postage stamp and it actually played "Radar Love" when a smartphone app scanned the stamp. It was the very first instance of a postage stamp with music. Now the band has been memorialized in the Hague with a pop exhibition that ran for a year in 2011. Their last studio album was 2012's "Tits N'Ass" where they introduced new member Johnny Rooymans. "Still Got The Keys to My First Cadillac" was the first single issued and was supported by a video that used young impersonators of the legendary rock outfit.
Stevie Wonder ~ I Aint Gonna Stand For It 1980 Country Funk Purrfection Version DJDiscoCat 2023-01-23 | Stevie Wonder's newfound burst of energy more than made up for his previous project the languid "The Secret Life Of Plants" LP of 1979.It dropped very unexpectedly so soon after but was not unwelcome, it contained "Master Blaster" and a country infused funk tune "I Ain't Gonna Stand For It" sung with a country twang that perfectly fit in with the variety of beats Wonder created for the "Hotter Than July" album. Usually Wonder would take inordinate amounts of time to release an album sometimes two or three years, but he always performed on the charts. Hotter Than July was a total romp, everything on it was excellent! One of the few albums I listen to straight through, every track was a new classic.His next project was a greatest hits album with four new songs, "That Girl" was a runaway #1 R&B and pop hit, but there was no album to support it so Motown lost an estimated million copies of sales when that song was on the charts.
The Stock Aitken Waterman Super Megamix DJDiscoCat 2023-01-22 | High energy disco never had it soooo good! Disco lives!
Debbie Jacobs ~ Dont You Want My Love 1979 Disco Purrfection Version DJDiscoCat 2023-01-20 | Debbie Jacobs was born Deborah Jean Jacobs on November 10, 1955 in Baltimore, Maryland. She strted singing for her mother at age 3, joining the church choir and at 11 advanced to the adult choir where everyone else was 18 or more. Her father was a singer and it inspired her to do the same. She worked many different jobs while pursuing her recording career working as a waitress, retail sales and working with children. At 17 she began singing with jazz with local musicians which led to her contract and the Undercover Lover LP produced by disco impresario Paul Sabu, whose incisive productions were instantly recognizable for their high energy pace and incredible orchestral backup that turned the songs she did with him into disco nirvana. She could really belt it out and kept her own with the musical arrangements.She scored with a #6 disco tune b/w "Hot, Hot Give It All You Got". Her next single was from a new album when Hot Hot Give It All You Got was re recorded and became the B side of her first #1 Disco hit with "High On Your Love" for one week.She became active in the AIDS community when "Sitting on a plane, I read the story of Ryan White. When I came back to Baltimore I started volunteering at University of Maryland Hospital with the first 50 HIV diagnosed infected children and the rest is history.I formed a non-profit organization 11 years ago, formerly known as Baltimore Pediatric HIV Program, Inc. that now is known as LIGHT and has several services that include an accredited childcare academy with complimentary services of case management, client advocacy, outreach, referrals for counseling and testing, support groups for parents, grandparents/caregivers, youth and young adults, health education risk reduction programs.For more information you may visit our web-site - www.lighthealth.org
Sanford Townsend Band ~ Smoke From A Distant Fire 1976 Pop Purrfection Version DJDiscoCat 2023-01-18 | Eddie Sanford and Johnny Townsend were keyboard players and vocalists who had been circling around each other for a short time working gigs together who decided to form a band and set about getting their writing chops. Townsend had been in the 60's group Dead Sea Fruits and has session work with Jim Messina and Kenny Loggins under his belt. After recruiting the best session players they formed the Sanford Townsend Band and were invited to record their album at the famed Muscle Shoals studios along with legendary producers Jerry Wexler (Aretha Franklin) and Barry Beckett (Etta James).The catchy "Smoke From A Distant Fire" was their first single and it peaked at #9 on the Hot100. Further waxings failed to attract enough attention and after two more albums the band folded up shop in 1979.They both remained in demand with Sanford backing Michael McDonald and Townsend who joined with Cher for her Black Rose experiment.
Tina Turner ~ Whats Love Got To Do With It 1983 Soul Purrfection Version DJDiscoCat 2023-01-16 | At the time, the last time I had seen Tina was her Acid Queen performance in the movie "Tommy" and never forgot the image of her dark side in her portrayal. That stayed with me for a long time until 1982 or so she was a guest vocalist on this UK compilation. She did "Ball Of Confusion" and made it her own, next was her cover of the Al Green classic "Let's Stay Together" and that was excellent!Apparently those two songs led to her career renaissance LP, "Private Dancer" that included it and a little song entitled "What's Love Got To Do With It" gave her her first #1 song. Everyone knows her story because she is an icon. We were always rooting for her and she finally arrived in grand style with the urban styled album. We know Tina had garbage in her personal life and she used that in her vocal performances and selection of music. This one is almost dreamlike and the video was perfect for her, walking and singing in the hood coming across the situations in the song with the residents. I thought that it would make a nice change of pace to get this Tina tune out there.
Pointer Sisters ~ Im So Excited 1983 Disco Purrfection Version DJDiscoCat 2023-01-14 | I've been on a Pointer Sisters bender as of late....this a tribute to their incredible vocal harmonies! They "automated" the music but it was always funky and their soulful voices overcame all of that to create some wonderful dance music through the years. Office chair boogie!
Cher ~ Take Me Home 1979 Disco Purrfection Version DJDiscoCat 2023-01-13 | Cher had quite a few hits from the mid sixties to the early 70's that established her as a star. After that run of hits, she hit a dry spell for most of the 70's until Michelle Aller and Bob Esty wrote a song with her in mind, "Take Me Home". The album was her fifteenth release and came out during the disco era in early 1979.Her previous three albums were duds and she was looking for a way back in when she approached Neil Bogart at Casablanca with the idea of doing a rock disco album as she lacked confidence in singing disco music. Bogart advised her to do a disco album and against her better judgement went with him to record the "Take Me Home" Album. She need not have worried, that iconic voice was bathed in the best melodies and session players to fill out the orchestral sound of the song which gave her a #8 Hot100 hit and announced her return. In the clubs, the 12" version (same as album version) peaked at #2 for four weeks in March of 1979. It was kept out of the top disco spot by Rod Stewart "Da Ya Think I'm Sexy" and Instant Funk "I Got My Mind Made Up". Surprisingly, it also peaked at #21 on the R&B chart. While it brought her back to radio, it did not last long and the next time radio picked up her single was in 1988 with "I Found Someone" which began her third comeback and this one took her all the way to Believe in 1990 a #1 Hot100 hit up to today she is now 87 and still rocking it with a 36 year old bf. Good for her, she deserves it!
The Billboard Disco Dance Hits (1974 ~ 1994) Five Seconds of Each Song DJDiscoCat 2023-01-11 | The history of disco up to the end of 1994. Happy dance thru the years!
Christopher Cross ~ Never Be The Same 1979 Pop Purrfection Version DJDiscoCat 2023-01-11 | "Never Be The Same" became Christopher Cross's #1 Adult Contemporary for two weeks in December of 1980. "Sailing" hit #1 on the Hot100 that same year with "Say You'll Be Mine" which got to #20. He earned four Grammys for his first LP, Best New Artist, Best New Album, Record of the Year and Song Of the Year. Pretty impressive considering the amount of talent that got involved with Chris like Don Henley, Michael McDonald, JD Souther and Nicolette Larsen on the backing vocals and the best session musicians only Warner could provide."The song is about having a broken heart and that woman has had her heart broken a few times", just like Christopher had. He figures his audience is mostly women and they can relate to the lyrics and made the record popular. His next single was from the "Arthur" soundtrack and it topped both the Hot100 for three weeks and the AC chart for four weeks!
Gerry Rafferty ~ Right Down The Line 1978 Disco Purrfection Version DJDiscoCat 2023-01-09 | "Right Down The Line" was the second single from Gerry Rafferty's "City To City" album after "Baker Street". It was a #1 Adult Contemporary hit for four weeks and did you know that "City to City" was the album that knocked "Saturday Night Fever" off the top of the album chart? Rafferty and Joe Egan formed a band named Stealer's Wheel and with "Stuck In The Middle With You" peaking at #6 pop. Produced by Leiber & Stoller the group had two more hits and then broke up. The litigation of the suit prevented Rafferty from recording solo for most of the 70's but he came back with "City To City".He wrote the song for his wife, who stood by him during those hard times "it's just my way of saying thank you." Rafferty had two more singles in 1979 but then faded away leaving us with the sax driven "Baker Street" and the valentine "Right Down The Line".
Eruption ~ I Cant Stand The Rain 1978 Disco Purrfection Version DJDiscoCat 2023-01-06 | Ann Peebles wrote and recorded "I Can't Stand The Rain" a #38 Hot100 hit in 1973. Frank Farian worked with the band on a cover and turned it into their biggest international hit, peaking at #18 on the Hot100 in the summer of 1978.They got their start in the UK music scene and were known as Silent Eruption but shortened it in 1974 when Precious Wilson joined the group. "I Can't Stand The Rain" was released in December of 1977 it hit #1 in Australia and Belgium, going Top5 in the UK. Then the Neil Sedaka penned "One Way Ticket" began gaining momentum peaking at #9 in the UK.In 1979, Precious made her move too soon and went solo, flying off into obscurity. The band never recovered and the band gave up the ghost in 1985. Precious purchased the ownership of the name Eruption in 1997 and sometimes tours with and without the band.
Pigmeat Markham ~ Here Comes The Judge 1968 Funky Purrfection Version DJDiscoCat 2023-01-04 | "Rowan & Martin's Laugh-In" was a trendsetter right from the very start, with the Dean Martin persona of Dan Rowan giving the show an elegance with a new twist on TV comedy. "The Fickle Finger Of Fate Award", "you bet your sweet bippy", "verry interesting", "sock it to me" were wildly popular, but none took the centre stage more than "Here Comes The Judge" with Sammy Davis Jr wearing the robes and the wig making an iconic statement.This was the first thing I thought of when I watched the inauguration of Supreme Court Justice Judge Ketanji Brown Jackson but thought it was too irreverent. But repeated listens later I thought, well, why not now.The saying was so popular it spawned two pop hits, Shorty Long for Motown and Pigmeat Markham's which still sounds fresh with a rapped retelling of the song. Pigmeat was born in 1904 and by the age of 13 was performing in medicine shows and southern carnivals.He made the acquaintance of George Wilshire and the two honed their comedy routines gaining popularity along the way. They then moved to New York in the 20's gaining even more fame. At the time, Pigmeat was appearing "Under cork", that is with burnt cork on his face for the black face trope. Vaudevillans ceased using this device after World War II, but no one could tell the difference when Pigmeat stopped as he was very dark skinned. He toured with Bessie Smith and became relevant through the Rowan & Martin Laugh In show, passing away in 1981.
Bee Gees ~ Spirits (Having Flown) 1979 Extended Purrfection Version DJDiscoCat 2023-01-02 | After the astonishing success of "Saturday Night Fever" the Bee Gees began to plan their next attack on the charts. Beginning work on their 15th album, entitled "Spirits Having Flown" with Barry Gibb as the main contributor and producer. Repairing again to Miami's Criteria Studios to record the album everyone but Maurice was actively involved in the daily work being completed. He was having addiction issues with alcohol along side the back pain he was suffering which was not properly diagnosed until 1980. As he became more unreliable, Barry and Robin hired other bassists to take his place. It was not because he couldn't play the bass, it was just that his unreliability that caused this action.I'll bet you did not know that the horn section from Chicago had a guest appearance on the Spirits Having Flown album since they were in the next studio putting together their first album without Terry Kath, "Hot Streets". The Bee Gees returned the favor by appearing as background vocalist on "Little Miss Lovin'" and Blue Weaver played keyboards on "No Tell Lover". The brothers Gibb did record a song "Desire" that was rejected but handed over to brother Andy to record.There were so many radio leaks of "Spirits Having Flown" that the album release date was advanced to January 24, 1979 to garner the missing sales opportunity. They had a new rougher sound incorporating more rock on "Tragedy" as the album and single streaked to #1. Every track was being played on radio but "Spirits (Having Flown" was not released as a single in the US, but was in the UK when the song was included on the "Bee Gees Greatest Hits" in late 1979.The lilting Caribbean sound was supported by the professional work of flautist Herbie Mann, who had many disco chart successes at this point. It peaked at ##6 in the UK and the Bee Gees had to wait eight years before they had another Top40 hit.
Pointer Sisters ~ Neutron Dance 1983 Disco Purrfection Version DJDiscoCat 2023-01-01 | I was planning this for later on this month, but now that Anita Pointer has passed away, the first loss of 2023. So sad, they brought me so much joy on the dance floor throughout the years. Sorry to break the bad news. Neutron Dance was a single pulled from their Breakout LP that made them even more popular by concentrating on high energy dance music and man they sure burned it down. The incredible harmonies seemed tailor made for the music that producer Richard Perry created for them.The song was also included in the Beverly Hills Cop movie which helped the song reach #6 on the Hot100.
Donna Summer ~ Last Dance 1978 Disco Purrfection Version DJDiscoCat 2023-01-01 | Happy New Year Everyone! This will be my last dance of 2022...are you loving the use of this one in "Magic Mike's Last Dance" promos? I have been working on this one since August and it finally came together. It will play at 11:40PM finish three minutes before midnight and I will be switching over to Times Square to see the ball drop to welcome in 2023. Out of all the epic songs that Donna performed in her career, "Last Dance" is my absolute favorite as like her role depicted a hardworking superstar on her way up which accurately described her career. Because of her earnest performance, it has since become a sentimental favorite as well at the official last dance that closed and closes many clubs an parties for the night back then and even now.Casablanca executive Neil Bogart wanted to release a disco movie and found that Motown was going to do the same thing so he approached them and made it a cooperative between the two greatest dance labels ever. With stars on both sides making hit songs for the movie "Thank God It's Friday" with Diana Ross, Donna, the Commodores and Paul Jabara, who wrote this for the movie and gave Donna her star making turn. "I started off slow and then jumped into overdrive to create a disco anthem for the ages, a trick that was added to the intro of "MacArthur Park" her first #1 pop and disco hit that followed "Last Dance"."The movie is about one night at a disco with a host of characters at the hottest club in town, The Zoo. Donna played Nicole and her rags to riches story unfolds as she begins to perform it over another song and then the DJ puts her music on and she instantly became a disco icon." "Thank God It's Friday" is a comedy and a guilty pleasure. Bogart himself has always said that this was not going to be a "critics movie" and did not screen it for them. However critics did view the movie along with audiences and gave it low ratings, but it proved to be a time capsule. The non stop hit music soundtrack looked like it would hit #1 on the Album Chart knocking "Saturday Night Fever" off the top, but it failed when Billboard executive Bill Wardlow instead chose Yvonne Elliman's "If I Can't Have You". The news that is was #1 kept the Fever soundtrack at #1 ending TGIF dream of topping that chart.Stick around to the end to hear Donna leave a little bit of love for ya.
Edwin Starr ~ War 1970 Soul Purrfection Version DJDiscoCat 2022-12-31 | This was a tough one to extend....how to do it without killing vibe...I got the request some time ago and just could not even get started. I felt intimidated in messing with such a classic, until today. A perfect song to sum up 2022 and a stellar performance by Edwin Starr from 1970. Things don't really change do they? This guy can wail! His energetic performance drives the song lyrics to hit harder, you can hear every word he sings very clearly. The urgency is captivating grounded by the very funky instrumental track produced by Norman Whitfield and his flair for the dramatic.Enjoy! Say goodbye to 2022.
Irene Cara ~ The Dream (Hold On To Your Dream) 1983 Disco Purrfection Version DJDiscoCat 2022-12-31 | Irene Cara Escalera is her full name and she was born March 18, 1959 in the Bronx, New York City one of five children of Puerto Rican, Black and Cuban descent. Born into a musical family, Dad played saxophone she learned to play piano on her own. At 5 she was taking dance lessons that led her directly to singing and dancing on Spanish language television. Johnny Carson saw her and invited her to join him on his wildly popular talk show. Next she joined the cast of The Electric Company then recorded a spanish language album for the Latin market and an English Christmas album. She was invited to join the concert tribute to Duke Ellington and performed alongside Roberta Flack, Stevie Wonder and Sammy Davis Jr and then attended the Professional Children's School in Manhattan. Next was Broadway and off Broadway productions she also joined the cast of the Love Of Live soap opera as the original Daisy Allen. She also appeared in Roots:The Next Generation and Guyana Tragedy The Story Of Jim Jones.All of this set her up for the star making turn in "Fame" as Coco Hernandez singing the title tune and several other songs for the soundtrack. The role was specifically re-written for her and resulted in a multi platinum chart topping album, Fame won the Academy Award for Best Original Score.Going back to Broadway as Dorothy in "The Wiz" and then her award winning performance as Myrlie Evers-Williams for the Medgar Evers story.She was selected as the artist to perform Flashdance "What A Feeling" produced by Giorgio Moroder, but was not willing to do that since she was being compared to Donna Summer. She relented and Keith Forsey picked her up on to go to the studio to record it and wrote the lyrics on the way there.
Mi Sex ~ Computer Games 1979 New Wave XTension DJDiscoCat 2022-12-28 | Mi-Sex had a good thing going with their 1979 hit "Computer Games" where the sheer novelty of heaaring a grown man sing "Com-pu-pu-pu-ter games" like "pew pew pew" of the science fiction movies is something i just figured out. I love this new wave dance rap tune with a big hook featuring his yelp that clinched it for me. Hailing from New Zealand circa 1978 were Murray Burns on keyboards, Steve Gilpin on lead vocals, Don Martin on bass guitar and Kevin Stanton lead guitar and backing vocals with Richard Hodgkinson on drums. "Computer Games" was not written when it came time to start recording so it ended up being a last minute add to the album "Graffiti Crimes" in 1979 becoming their most successful single in North America. Cash Box said, "This avant-pop band has taken the sound first pioneered by Eno and Ultravox and molded it into more of a hard rock sound. The band employs witty future-orientated lyrics to augment the swirling synthesized sounds."I love this new funky sound in a kinda Pop Musik way, electronically produced music that is there for the sheer joy of dancing. I discoed disco, post disco boogied, new waved and clogged my way through years of clubs and new wave dancing was very electronically energetic inspired mostly by Donna, Giorgio and all but it was great to get this mid=tempo groover I just can't forget. Shortly after that Ronnie Jones released "Video Games" that also included the sounds of actual video games at the time.Oh yeah and I went through video games, pong was my first. I sat down at a table that had a tv in the table facing up under a piece of plexiglass and two joysticks one per person then DigDug, then Robotron2084 was my, fav then on to Asteroids, Space Invaders, Galaga. It was quit the racket, the 50's soda shoppe in the 70's. It was cathartic, I mean destroying all those evil forces was like going to the therapist. For a quarter you could expunge your emotions by taking it out on the evil doer
Christopher Cross ~ All Right 1983 Disco Purrfection Version DJDiscoCat 2022-12-26 | "Another Page" became Christopher Cross's second album saw release in 1983. After the platinum success of his 1979 debut, he spent two years working on it and concluded recording it at the end of 1982. During that period he found time to record a song for the Dudley Moore movie "Arthur" and "Arthur's Theme (Best That You Can Do)" became a #1 pop hit for three weeks. The first single issued was "All Right" and it peaked at #12. Then "No Time For Talk" lost steam at #33 in the summer of 1983. Christopher stated in an interview with Gary James: "I think the initial inspiration of songwriting for myself or Paul Simon or any of the songwriters that I regard, you would call inspirational. They sort of come out of the sky and you don't know why or where they come from. I feel they're regurgitations of influences from your past. Your own emotion influences lyrically. Your own emotion influences musically." "Somebody like myself, I started out being influenced by Buddy Holly, The Everly Brothers, The Beatles, The Beach Boys and Joni Mitchell. So, all that stuff is going to melt together in my style, but, it's really responsible to them. Lyrically, I think you express emotions of your own life in your own way. How you judge the art is a real personal perspective. In other words someone might regard someone like myself as being very gifted.""Some may discount my gift as not being very important. Someone may regard someone else as being very gifted and I wouldn't. Someone like Randy Newman is almost a god to me. But, to some people they think he sings weird and don't like his songs. To say Barry Manilow isn't as gifted or as talented as Randy Newman, or his art isn't as valid, is very subjective. I like Randy Newman better than Barry Manilow, but, they each do what they do." The third single issued was "Think Of Laura" which became part of the "Luke & Laura" story arc on "General Hospital". Much like Herb Alpert's "Rise" had benefited from play on the hugely popular soap opera (it was #1) and that song peaked at #1 on the pop chart. Genie Francis played Laura and when her relationship with Luke changed into something meaningful, "Think Of Laura" was played often to show how much Luke felt for Laura.
Steam ~ Na Na Hey Hey Kiss Him Goodbye 1969 Pop Purrfection Version DJDiscoCat 2022-12-25 | One of the most iconic pop tunes of the 60's was "Na Na Hey Hey Kiss Him Goodbye" was written at the last minute and was calculated to be as cheesy as possible so that DJ's wouldn't play it and thus would allow the A side to gain the airplay. But their plans were foiled when Fontana Records flipped the single and helped to propel this one into the fabric of music history.This all started when Paul Leka who co wrote and produced the Lemon Piper's #1 pop hit "Green Tambourine" and got him a contract with Mercury Records. Remembering his friend Gary DeCarlo who he met when he was brought into the Chateaus to record a few songs. DeCarlo was also signed to the label based on Leka's recommendation. Gary brought four songs to record and with a few minutes of studio time left, wrote and recorded a B side designed to fail. Paul felt that all four songs DeCarlo brought were good enough to be singles issue and threw together a B side that used a composition "Kiss Him Goodbye" from 1961 written by bandmate Dale Frashuer and completed the song. DeCarlo had already adopted the stage name Garrett Scott and provided the vocals. All four of the DeCarlo songs flopped, except that one throwaway that just would not die. It was the perfect marriage of voice and band. They used dummy lyrics with Na Na and Hey Hey and decided to just go with the stream of consciousness of those lyrics, doubled the vocals and left for the night.On their way out, it was nearly 2AM and the manhole covers were spewing steam which gave Leka the idea to name the band Steam. When they took the song to the label, the exec felt that the song was too good for the B side and scheduled it for commercial release. DeCarlo was miffed that all of his songs stiffed and refused to continue recording with Steam even though the band name was Steam featuring Garrett Scott for that iconic single. Too bad, who knows what other pop confection classics they could have come up with.
Madonna ~ Holiday 1983 Disco Purrfection Version DJDiscoCat 2022-12-23 | Ed Gordon of Kings Of Spins asked me to remix Madonna's "Holiday" using the music stems. I started with everything but the drum track, which was not included in the pack he sent me. Once that vocal track was completed, I went on the search for the drum and other assorted tracks to complete the remix. It was released on October 19, 1983 making it 40 years old and so I decided to remix it to celebrate this remarkable achievement. Madonna released two singles "Everybody" and "Burning Up" before her third single "Holiday" hit big! The song was written by Curtis Hudson and Lisa Stevens, members of group Pure Energy out of New Jersey. They then shopped the demo with Stevens on vocals but were turned down even by ex Supreme Mary Wilson.Disappointed, they continued to shop it until friend DJ John "Jellybean" Benitez asked them if they has a song they could contribute to his newest talent, Madonna. They handed over "Holiday" and the song peaked at #16 on the Hot100 January 28, 1984 setting the scene for her chart domination.A spartan video for "Holiday" was shot in the studio with her brother Christopher and friend Erika Belle flanking her. No matter that MTV decided to not put it in heavy rotation, but it still did very well in the clubs peaking at #1 for five weeks on the Billboard disco chart. The song is one of Madonna's favorites and it has become her most performed song in her concert repertoire. It charted three times in the UK #14 in February, 1984, then #2 in 1985 (held out of the top spot by "Into The Groove" and then in 1991 when it peaked at #5. Hudson and Stevens remarked in an interview "The song still generates money," Hudson told Blog critics in 2015. "If we did nothing else, the royalties from 'Holiday' could support us."
Electric Light Orchestra ~ Do Ya 1976 Classic Rock Purrfection Version DJDiscoCat 2022-12-23 | I will bet that you did not know that the 1976 single by ELO "Do Ya" was a cover version. The original was recorded by The Move and reached #93 on the Hot100 in 1972. It was also covered by Todd Rundgren (Can We Still Be Friends) in concerts by 1975 and then the band felt they could re record it. The Move did morph into ELO and they took a second stab at it and this time, it had legs. The first single issued from "A New World's Record" was "Livin' Thing" and it peaked at #13, then the second single issued was "Do Ya" and it peaked at #24 this time out. Lynne felt that it was a good song. Bev Bevans was being interviewed by a midwest DJ who thought the song was Rundgren's after seeing ELO one night. That was when the band decided to redo it and reclaim ownership.
Michael Johnson ~ Bluer Than Blue 1978 Extended Purrfection Version DJDiscoCat 2022-12-21 | Michael Jay Johnson was born August 8, 1944 in Alamosa, Colorado but grew up in Denver. Interested in music from a young age, he took up the guitar at 13. While attending college, he won an international talent contest in 1965 which got him a deal with Epic Records.The first thing he did was to attend the Liceu Conservatory in Barcelona, Spain to learn from eminent classical guitarists. After completing his studies there, he moved back to the US and met Randy Sparks who founder of The New Christy Minstrels a popular 60's folk group. The band broke up in 1967 so Johnson joined The Chad Mitchell Trio collaborating with a young John Denver who was writing songs for the trio.He played in an off Broadway production of "Jacques Brel Is Alive And Well And Living In Paris" and then was signed to Atco Records in 1971 and releasing his first album in 1973. He was gaining an audience with each successive album.He recorded two demos "Bluer Than Blue" and a song from "Brigadoon" "Almost Like Being In Love". "Bluer" was the first released and it peaked at #12 on the Hot100 with "Almost" following reaching #32. His last charting pop hit was 1979's "This Night Won't Last Forever". He switched to country music and had five top 10 country hits on RCA Records then went to Atlantic in 1991.
