The Bass line on Queen’s 1980 single ” Another One Bites The Dust” ( written by Queen’s Bass player John Deacon) is clearly a variation of the one used in Chic’s ” Good Times” which was released a full year before.The percussion track and the hand claps were looped continuously repeating throughout the track.The vocals provided by Freddie Mercury were thought to be from a black vocalist since many were not familiar with Queen before this track hit the United States. It was even rumored that when played backward it’s message was ” It’s Fun to Smoke Marijuana” The track definitely had a ” funky” feel , a nice ” bounce” but Disco? You decide.
Blondie was mostly known as a punk/new wave band formed by Deborah Harry and Chris Stein in the early 70s. The release of their Parallel Lines LP in 1978 had many fans calling them a “sellout” as the hit single ” Heart of Glass” was picked up by radio and classified as Disco, but was it really? Was this a dance floor filler at nightclubs at the height of Disco’s popularity in 1979?The song released in January 1979,reached number one in both the United States and the UK .
The production team made use of cutting edge technology at the time by creating it’s drum pattern on a Roland CR-78 drum machine, first introduced the year the track was recorded. Some DJs of the period would use this as an early evening opening track but in my experiences I never heard anyone program this track to a packed house accustomed to a more energetic style. So what’s the verdict? Disco: YES or NO?
Born December 10, 1957 Paul Hardcastle is cosidered one of the early electronic music pioneers. He had some success on the underground dance scene in the early 80s before his mainstream hit “19” an anti-war track, about America’s involvement in the Vietnam War and the effect it had on the soldiers who served using snippets from a documentary.His manager at the time was Simon Fuller who named his future production company “19 entertainment” The song’s use of samples from the documentary set legal precedents.
In my opinion the track was groundbreaking when it came out and can still be played today with the renewed interest in break dancing.I am surprised that no contemporary artist has utilized this technique in their musical story telling. Would love to hear new Paul Hardcastle utilizing issues in today’s world. Genius.
During the peak of the Disco craze most notably in 1978-1979 many FM radios around the country switched formats and began programming Disco as their primary format. Established Pop and Rock and Roll artists fighting for valuable space on the airwaves began producing Disco flavored tracks, some successfully other disastrously. In this series ” DISCO: Yes or No” we attempt to examine Disco tracks from Non-Disco artists and the public’s acceptance or refusal to receive these songs as a legitamate form of the genre. You decide.
Probably one of the best examples of this ” survival tactic” used by Rock bands in the late 70s to penetrate the Disco wall is the band KISS with their 1979 hit ” I Was Made for Loving You” from their album Dynasty written by Paul Stanley, Desmond Child and Vini Poncia on Nei Bogart’s Disco label CASABLANCA RECORDS. The album went on to be Certified Paltinum by the Recording Industry of America as well as achieving #1 Chart status in many countries. Kiss’ Bad Boy Rock and Roll image status was unaffected and the track made it’s way into many nightclubs. In my opinio this was mainly due to Casablanca’s street cred in the Disco market.But …..was it Disco?
Back in the Day it was a “NO Brainer “. New Years Eve you were going out to your favorite club,buying a bottle and ringing in the New Year with a bunch of friends. Over the years as our generation became older alot of us just settled for staying home and celebrating with the family, by 12:05 we were seriously considering calling it a night. There were many reasons to stay home too far to drive, too expensive, music was changing and we didn’t want to hear Hip Hop all night many other reasons of course. So we settled and stayed at home. 12 grapes, a glass of ” Cidra” and another slice of ” Brazo Gitano” when no one was looking So we decided to evaluate what it was that people were looking for to motivate them to go out on this the last night of the year. Our particular demographic target was ages 47 through 60 ,those of us that had been here from the very beginning, the Open Houses, The Pete and Lenny’s , The Limelight a select crowd of well dressed , well behaved individuals we no longer thought were out there. We had been able to duplicate this at our November 1st event. The chemistry of those that attended was ” magical” as if we had stepped back in time to 1979.
” Everything fell into place that night,the energy level was exhilarating, the music , the people as well as the visuals on the monitors around the club. Our bodies were in 2014, our senses were in 1979. It was incredible ” remembers Lizzie Valencia of West Miami. On Wednesday December 31 Veteran DJs Mr.Q 305 from Miami Landmark night spots such as Alexandre’s at the Omni Hotel and Daphne’s at the Sheraton River house along side of DJ Alex Gutierrez from clubs of the past such as Alcazaba at the Coral Gables Hyatt Regency, 609 , Mezzanotte in South Beach and Coconut Grove as well as Club Mystique at the airport Hilton once again bring you the perfect combination of style and sounds. ” We know you have many choices ,but our venue stands out for it’s quality and location. Award Winning Chef and an extremely friendly staff, not to mention the music you won’t hear anywhere else” states Mr. Q 
” We enjoy entertaining audiences of our generation. We share a bond with them, a connection to that era that allows us to enjoy the experience together, To recreate a long lost time for just a few short hours” DJ Alex Gutierrez
We invite you to come and share with us.
A variety of packages are available to enjoy the evening. Call 305 441 7902
31 years we walked into a movie theater and saw a side of our city many of us did not want the world to see. Scarface starring Al Pacino and Directed by Brian De Palma was the story of a Cuban immigrant that comes to Miami with the goal of ” Taking the word and everything in it” The movie was a Blockbuster hit and inspired a generation of Tony Montana imitators and a bizarre fascination from the Hip Hop community. Initially Universal wanted a ” Hip Hop” soundtrack . Donna Summer’s producer Giorgio Moroder wrote and produced all of the tracks on the album released on December 9,1983. He even enlisted the help of Village People producer Pete Bellote. Moroder’s signature ” dreamlike electronic sounds’ are evident throughout the entire soundtrack, that did not really produce any radio or club friendly hits with the exception of the minimally played ” Rush Rush” by Debbie Harry of Blondie. some of the tracks were included on the soundtrack of the 2001 video game Grand Theft Auto III. 
Track Listing for the Soundtrack
“Scarface (Push It to the Limit)” Pete Bellotte Paul Engemann
“Rush Rush” Debbie Harry Debbie Harry
“Turn Out the Night” Bellotte Amy Holland
“Vamos a Bailar” María Conchita
“Tony’s Theme” Instrumental by Moroder
“She’s on Fire” Bellotte Holland
“Shake It Up” Arthur Barrow Elizabeth Daily
“Dance Dance Dance” Barrow Beth Anderson 2
“I’m Hot Tonight” Barrow Daily 3:13
“Gina’s and Elvira’s Theme”
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Happy Birthday Sheila E.
Born in California on December 12, 1957 Sheila Escovedo better known by her stage name Sheila E. was best known for her 1984 hit “The Glamorous Life” She is the niece of Coke Escovedo who was in Santana. She played percussion on Micheal Jackson’s 1979 track ” Dont Stop Til You get Enough” as well as on Gloria Estafan’s Latin album ” Mi Tierra”
She was ranked #88 on VH1’s 100 Greatest Women of Rock & Roll.The erratic style of the track kept it of the playlists of most club DJs of the time but the cut was immensely popular on FM radio and MTV.
Her heavy percussive hit single “The Glamorous Life” was a song written by Prince in 1984.She toured with artists such as Ringo Starr, Lionel Richie, Diana Ross and Marvin Gaye .Prince pushed her to sing and become a solo artist and her image at the time was directly influenced by Prince’s persona. The record was released June 4, 1984 on Warner Brothers Records.
Disco Music has survived the test of time. The parodys, the satires,Disco Demolition Night at Comiskey Park in 1979. Contemporary Dance music draws upon the structure created by the pioneers such as Alec R Costandinos, Cerrone,Giorgio Moroder, Boris Midney, John Davis, Paul Jabarra and others but it could not have survived without the support of the DJs and the fans that keep this music in their sets and in their hearts. There is a culture , a movement that continues to expose generations to this music. A parent passing it on to his children , a DJ playing it for his crowds , an artist producing music reminiscent of the time ,repackaging for today’s ears. They are out there, consciously or unconsciously keeping the style alive.
I have decided to do a series of Profiles highlighting those people, mainly the fans of this genre who have continued to enjoy and support Disco all over the world. Without these faithful followers the music would not have endured. If you are a Fan and have a personal story of when your ” Love Affair” of Disco began , please LEAVE A COMMENT BELOW so I may contact you for a brief story of your first encounter. Thanks
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Le Freak Reaches #1 December 9, 1978
The song started with explicit instructions to immediately lose control as if anticipating the effects that this track would have on anyone listening to it.Chic was no stranger to the top 10 having already scored big with their huge hits ” Dance, Dance, Dance (Yowsah, Yowsah, Yowsah)” (1977), “Everybody Dance” the first song recorded as Chic (1977)”. I really hadn’t heard about that new dance craze and wasn’t really totally convinced that there was one, but the song sure knew how to make people get on the dance floor the track enjoyed most of its popularity on FM radio, for some reason the club DJs did not pick up on this one and and opted to go with other dancefloor friendly Chic hits such as “Everybody Dance” maybe because of its unmixable intro nonetheless on December 9th 1978 the song reached number one on the Billboard charts.
Formed in 1976 by guitarist Nile Rodgers and bassist Bernard Edwards in New York the group then known as ” The Big Apple Band” was rejected by every major label until being signed by the small independent label ” Buddah Records’who released a 12 inch containing Dance Dance Dance / Everybody Dance. The record became so popular among Club Djs that Atlantic Records soon signed the band.
The Freak reached #1 on a variety of International charts and sold 7 million units released in 1978 on the album C’est Chic 
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Who is August Darnell?
When I first heard Dr.Buzzard’s Original Savannah Band in 1976 I felt that I was being tricked into liking my parents or maybe even their parent’s music. This strange mixture Forties big-band sounds with the disco flavors of the time confused many young DJs who didn’t know if they should like it or give it to their grandparents as a Christmas present. (Tuxedo Junction, Manhattan Transfer and others would later ” Trick” me as well.) The album would become a Gold Selling record the single ” Sunshower” would be sampled by a variety of artists. His band would catapult vocalist Cory Daye into the Disco limelight, and this unique sound would open the door to other artists who would explore this era and interpret it in their own Disco way.
August Darnell whose real name was Thomas August Darnell Browder would undergo a variety of incarnations eventually reinventing himself and scoring big as Kid Creole and the Coconuts in the early 80s which would combine all his previous styles as well as infusing some Caribbean rhythms. Co-founded by Darnell and his Savannah Band mate vibraphone player Andy Hernandez.Darnell presently lives in Sweden and occasionally tours with original members.
