Category: Alex Gutierrez

I got in trouble ,BIG trouble when my father walked in to a group of us huddled around my stereo listening to the 1972 song ” Jungle Fever” by the Belgian group ” The Chakachas” The lady in the song was yelling and screaming, and although we weren’t quite sure why, we felt very ” naughty”…. very naughty. Many Many years later listening to this track again I got a weird look from wife ” You’re a pig” I think she said. So then how did this song go on to be Certified Gold by the Recording Industry of America and ranked as the No. 51 song for 1972 reaching #8 on the US Charts..
Jungle Fever relies heavily on a rhythm guitar riff , a trombone , a flute and a series of pauses where a woman can be prominently heard moaning and breathing heavily later joined by a man. It is a minimalist track yet the listener ( at least men) is hooked immediately and continues to listen despite it’s repetitive nature, curious to see ” what happens next” Call it an ” Adult Film on Vinyl” The original 45 RPM single was only 2:32 seconds ( later extended) , yet it feels longer ( no pun intended).


The Chakachas were a Belgian based group of Latin studio musicians, founded in 1958 by percussionist Gaston Bogaert. Although it did receive airplay it’s source of popularity came straight from the nightclubs at the time where the track was a must play.The 1997 film “Boogie Nights” revived it and featured it as background in one of it’s scenes. You can find this 45 RPM in most every collection from veteran DJs of the 70s. It was remade in 1982 by Kinkina on Profile Records Remixed by Phil Harding and produced by Paul Oakenfeld .It’s worth another listen.

Put on your Polyester Pajamas and settle in for a Disco Movie Marathon, although it may not be as long as you would imagine. There were alot of movies made during the Disco Era ( and slightly after),many of them wanted to make you believe they were about Disco , but how many true Disco movies were there? We know Saturday Night Fever of course ,but as far as true Disco films are concerned , those that portray the music and the lifestyle on the screen, there are just a few.
Thank God It’s Friday is a 1978 film produced by Motown Productions and Casablanca Filmworks for Columbia Pictures (whose torch-holding mascot, in a specially produced logo, dances to disco music before the opening credits).The film features a young Jeff Golblum and Donna Summer acting ( struggling artist trying to make it big) The film featured tracks by Casablanca heavy hitters such as Love and Kisses, DC LaRue, Santa Esmeralda ,Patti Brooks, Cameo others such as Diana Ross,Giorgio Moroder and of course Donna herself which won an Academy Award for Best Original Song and also made it to #3 on the US singles chart. The movie although weak in depicting the Disco experience was more accurate musically than Sat.Night Fever.
Roller Boogie 1979 starred the Exorcist’s Linda Blair in a film that concentrated on the ” Roller Disco” side of the genre with mostly original songs composed specifically for the film with the exception of Eart Wind and Fire’s ” Boogie Wonderland” So cheesy, it’s fun.
Can’t Stop The Music was terrible but we didn’t care because we were meeting one of the most popular groups of the era ,The Village People. The movie was a semi auto-biography on the formation of the Village People. When the movie was released in June of 1980 ,Disco the genre was already experiencing a negative backlash. Personally the title track was the only Disco worthy song on the soundtrack.
Many other films attempted to Cash in on the Disco image ,mostly unsuccessfully. Xanadu was one such film.The film was originally conceived as a roller disco picture, but in my opinion didn’t have Disco bone in it. Electric Light Orchestra provided the bulk of it’s soundtrack.
Staying Alive was the sequel to Saturday Night Fever. The title comes from the Bee Gees song “Stayin’ Alive,” that was featured in the original. The film centers around Tony trying to become a Broadway Dancer. 0% Disco ,but we do get to see his famous “white suit” once again.
In 1998 Miramax Film released a film that would recreate the excitement of Disco and nightclubs in the 70s. ” 54″ revolved around a young man and his quest to get into the famed nightclub eventually getting sucked in to it’s corruption. The film featured one of my favorite ” Remakes” originally done by Gordon Lightfoot and then by Viola Wills ” If You Could Read My Mind” by Stars on 54 featuring Ultra Nate, Amber and Jocelyn Enriquez. It is this track and this moment in the film that gave me ” Disco Goosebumps”
Car Wash the album was a huge hit, producing 3 Top Ten singles, “Car Wash”, “I Wanna Get Next to You”, and “I’m Going Down”. The title track was also a number one single on the Billboard pop charts.One of the most identifiable tracks of the era, but Disco Movie it wasn’t.

Flashdance 1983 not considered a Disco movie in my opinion ,but it did introduce ” Breakdancing” into the mainstream. The #1 ” Flasdance…What a feeling” composed by Disco producer Giorgio Moroder was the film’s only connection to the genre.

The rest of these films are honorable mention and basically just used Disco as a marketing ploy.