Rabz’ Radio Show April 2022: Disco


Cats, due to popular demand, here we are. I’m not even going to pretend that it’s one of my favourite musical genres, but nonetheless, there are some diamonds in the dirt.

To truly understand the rise and (seeming) fall of disco, one needs to understand the Seventies as the era that taste forgot.

Following on from the revolutionary changes in social mores that began in the Sixties and similar to many musical subcultures before, disco was initially an “underground” phenomenon that later slipped seamlessly into the mainstream. To paraphrase, that time “when bank clerks started dressing like Neil Diamond”.

This piece at Reason attempts to put disco in context and this film looks like it might also be worth checking out. Not to mention this riotous event, which I wish I’d been at.

Anyway Cats, don those flares, stacked heels, open necked polyester shirts (chest carpet obligatory), munch on some ‘luudes and boogie on down.

Here’s a piece from the seventies 

and a neo disco piece to get you in the mood 

Enjoy!


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Crossie
Crossie
April 2, 2022 7:05 pm

Quaaludes may have been the stimulant of choice for city folks, we in the suburbs had Seaview sparkling wine April Gold and Rhinegold. Well, the girls did.

Crossie
Crossie
April 2, 2022 7:07 pm

I think we should start with Fly Robin Fly.

Crossie
Crossie
April 2, 2022 7:10 pm

Anyone remember Edith Bliss?

Rabz
April 2, 2022 7:11 pm

Cats, let’s have some of that mighty seventies lushness – the TH version.

Rabz
April 2, 2022 7:13 pm

Born to be Alive … 😕

Roger
Roger
April 2, 2022 7:14 pm

I’m here, but I’m in disguise so nobody will recognise me.

rosie
rosie
April 2, 2022 7:14 pm

Thanks Crossie, Fly Robin Fly is close to being an instrumental

Rabz
April 2, 2022 7:16 pm
Roger
Roger
April 2, 2022 7:17 pm

Born to be Alive … ?

155,221,569 views! And counting…

rosie
rosie
April 2, 2022 7:17 pm

And thanks Rabz, for putting on the show.

Crossie
Crossie
April 2, 2022 7:19 pm

Great link Rabz, completely forgot Patrick Hernandez. Born to be alive was very popular in the suburbs.

Rabz
April 2, 2022 7:22 pm
Crossie
Crossie
April 2, 2022 7:23 pm

This was also good Pop Muzak.

Crossie
Crossie
April 2, 2022 7:23 pm

Not Muzak, Pop Muzik. Autocorrect irritates me.

Rex Anger
Rex Anger
April 2, 2022 7:25 pm

Sorry Cats, but this needs to happen.

Vlad Bae commands it

Dschngis Khan- MOSKAU

Live from 1978 for max Euro-campy cape-swirly goodness. 🙂

***Slav Intensifies***

Rex Anger
Rex Anger
April 2, 2022 7:26 pm
Roger
Roger
April 2, 2022 7:26 pm

Disco in excelsis …

Disco meets New Wave.

The child will be called The Human League.

Crossie
Crossie
April 2, 2022 7:26 pm

And we mustn’t forget the Frenchman.

Bruce of Newcastle
Bruce of Newcastle
April 2, 2022 7:28 pm

I’ll kick off with two sciency tracks!

Giorgio Moroder – E=MC² (1979)

Mi Sex – Computer Games (1979)

The latter isn’t supposed to be disco but with lasers and a glitter ball it would go very well. In ancient days I liked to head down to Canterbury ice rink, they’d often do that sort of thing to this track. Which helped to hide my embarrassment when I fell over.

Rabz
April 2, 2022 7:28 pm
Roger
Roger
April 2, 2022 7:32 pm

Cats, this is Rabz’s radio show.

Maybe he’ll take requests towards the end of the night.

(By which time I’ll have long since retired with a good book.)

Iron Cove
Iron Cove
April 2, 2022 7:32 pm

Hey mr dj can you play the Rolling Stones Miss You, for my love of ‘78, Michelle?

Rabz
April 2, 2022 7:34 pm

The Human League

When you’re in love
You know your in love

Sorry peoples, I wanted the video for the goils – oh hang on … 🙂

Rabz
April 2, 2022 7:36 pm

No, Rog – this is an open field, I want people to post their favourite disco ditties

That was the purpose of these monthly posts …

Democracy in action

Crossie
Crossie
April 2, 2022 7:37 pm

You think 155 million views is big, this one had 311 million.

Boogie Wonderland

Rabz
April 2, 2022 7:37 pm
Crossie
Crossie
April 2, 2022 7:38 pm

Don’t let me have all the fun, post your own favourites.

Roger
Roger
April 2, 2022 7:38 pm

No, Rog – this is an open field, I want people to post their favourite disco ditties

That was the purpose of these monthly posts …

Democracy in action

Oh, well in that case.

Bruce of Newcastle
Bruce of Newcastle
April 2, 2022 7:39 pm
Nelson_Kidd-Players
Nelson_Kidd-Players
April 2, 2022 7:42 pm

Somehow I totally missed Born to be Alive until I heard it in that be commercial. Great track.

Crossie
Crossie
April 2, 2022 7:42 pm

Does this qualify as disco?

Some Girls

Rabz
April 2, 2022 7:44 pm

The Bowie, Soul Train, 1975.

More funk than Disco, but who gives a rodent’s … 🙂

The top drawer audio.

rugbyskier
rugbyskier
April 2, 2022 7:46 pm

And we mustn’t forget the Frenchman.

I think ‘The King of the Divan’ is Belgian. The song always reminds me of National Lampoon’s European Vacation.

Crossie
Crossie
April 2, 2022 7:46 pm

This one starts off slowly and eventually gets on with it.

Yes sir, I can boogie

Nelson_Kidd-Players
Nelson_Kidd-Players
April 2, 2022 7:47 pm

Anyway, how did an Anglo-Aussie trio of brothers manage to rise to the pinnacle of this genre? Did it come down to that bridge?

(The opening beat was said to be inspired by the sound of driving over a bridge in New England. Possibly one of those metal ones.)

Crossie
Crossie
April 2, 2022 7:47 pm

Rugbyskier, even better.

Roger
Roger
April 2, 2022 7:49 pm

More funk than Disco, but who gives a rodent’s …

Speaking of funk… always filled the dance floor though.

Rabz
April 2, 2022 7:51 pm

Rog, that is pure disco, Squire.

The funkier, the better.

Crossie
Crossie
April 2, 2022 7:52 pm
Crossie
Crossie
April 2, 2022 7:53 pm

Just found out that a recent remix of Popcorn got 56 million views. I must admit it’s good.

Popcorn – Remix

Bruce of Newcastle
Bruce of Newcastle
April 2, 2022 7:54 pm

Lets get out of the seventies for a short while.

The KLF – Justified & Ancient (1991)

The KLF aren’t a classic disco gig, but they loved the stuff so much they had a pure disco side project for a while. This one of course features the lovely Tammy Wynette.

Rabz
April 2, 2022 7:54 pm

Bluddee hell – banned, banned, banned, I tells ya! 🙂

Crossie
Crossie
April 2, 2022 7:56 pm

Rugbyskier, great combination, disco and psychedelia.

Rex Anger
Rex Anger
April 2, 2022 7:58 pm

Dancing Qveen!

Errr… Sorry, wrong one. 🙁

Proper Dancing Qveen! 😀

Rabz
April 2, 2022 7:58 pm
miltonf
miltonf
April 2, 2022 7:59 pm
Rabz
April 2, 2022 8:00 pm

Some more funk, peoples … 🙂

Bruce of Newcastle
Bruce of Newcastle
April 2, 2022 8:00 pm

The funkier, the better.

Challenge! Hmm, how about this?

Deee-Lite – Groove Is In The Heart (1990)

It really is a fine tribute to the disco era, wonderfully kitschy.

feelthebern
feelthebern
April 2, 2022 8:01 pm

The gayest house party ever.
Sinc would have shuttered the old Cat under the same circumstances.

rugbyskier
rugbyskier
April 2, 2022 8:01 pm

A 2021 homage to disco from a German DJ. The backdrop from the kids choir singing the chorus might be familiar to some.

Crossie
Crossie
April 2, 2022 8:01 pm

No disco night would be complete without Kelly Marie.

Roger
Roger
April 2, 2022 8:02 pm

And, as dinner calls, I think I’ll bow out on this one.

Executing those moves in flares is really something.

Rex Anger
Rex Anger
April 2, 2022 8:02 pm

Now you’ve done it, Bruce…

“The train on Plaftorm one is the Last Train to Trancentral. Stopping at all stations. First stop, Funk. Then Hiphop, then all stations to Muumuu.”

All aboard, Cats!

Rabz
April 2, 2022 8:03 pm

Sacré bleu! How could I have forgotten this epic of the genre?! 😕

miltonf
miltonf
April 2, 2022 8:03 pm
Iron Cove
Iron Cove
April 2, 2022 8:04 pm

Rabz I thank you from the bottom of me heart

Crossie
Crossie
April 2, 2022 8:05 pm

Good choice Roger.

Rabz
April 2, 2022 8:06 pm
Rabz
April 2, 2022 8:08 pm

Snap, Milts …

miltonf
miltonf
April 2, 2022 8:08 pm
Rex Anger
Rex Anger
April 2, 2022 8:10 pm

The gayest house party ever.
Sinc would have shuttered the old Cat under the same circumstances.

It’s not gay until it’s this gay:

Erasure’s Always.

So gay, it’s got a series of Robot Unicorn games inspired by it…

Bruce of Newcastle
Bruce of Newcastle
April 2, 2022 8:11 pm

This is fun, I forgot about this one totally until it turned up on the YT sidebar. Liked at the time and then forgot about for ages. Fine dance funk!

Cameo – Word Up (1986)

Rabz
April 2, 2022 8:12 pm

Gay?!

Give it up, peoples …

Rabz
April 2, 2022 8:13 pm

BoN – Cameo were awesome in their day.

rugbyskier
rugbyskier
April 2, 2022 8:16 pm
Crossie
Crossie
April 2, 2022 8:20 pm

Rabz says:
April 2, 2022 at 8:12 pm
Gay?!
Give it up, peoples …

Never

Rex Anger
Rex Anger
April 2, 2022 8:20 pm

@ rubgyskier-

Yes.

Rabz
April 2, 2022 8:21 pm

Yeah, whatevah, whenevah … 🙂

Rex Anger
Rex Anger
April 2, 2022 8:21 pm

All this disker makes me feel like doing a Leo…

#GonnaLeoTheNightAway

rugbyskier
rugbyskier
April 2, 2022 8:21 pm

Word Up is in my go-to iTunes playlist when using the noise cancelling headphones on a Dash-8 flight.

Thefrollickingmole
Thefrollickingmole
April 2, 2022 8:24 pm
johanna
johanna
April 2, 2022 8:25 pm

An alternative version of the Donna Summer classic by Russian gal Yana Fortep here.

h/t Steve Trickler at Adam’s.

Rabz
April 2, 2022 8:29 pm
miltonf
miltonf
April 2, 2022 8:30 pm
Bruce of Newcastle
Bruce of Newcastle
April 2, 2022 8:30 pm

Ok back to some classic disco. This is another one I forgot about until it appeared on the sidebar.
I hate it when YT can pick me like this.

S’Express – Theme from S’Express (1988)

Crossie
Crossie
April 2, 2022 8:31 pm

Almost forgot Lipps. Inc.

miltonf
miltonf
April 2, 2022 8:32 pm

Acid house Bruce

Rabz
April 2, 2022 8:33 pm

Sod that, Mole –the full audio-visual feast is required … 🙂

Rex Anger
Rex Anger
April 2, 2022 8:33 pm

And despite all this, Cats,

There are some folks who just dont’ feel like dancing…

miltonf
miltonf
April 2, 2022 8:34 pm
rugbyskier
rugbyskier
April 2, 2022 8:36 pm

She shimmers like a California sunset… Early 2000s funk with some nice metaphorical lyrics.

Rabz
April 2, 2022 8:37 pm

I will survive, Cats …

miltonf
miltonf
April 2, 2022 8:39 pm
Rabz
April 2, 2022 8:48 pm

Yerpians, attempting to respond to this unexpected new socio-cultural phenomenon …

I am the king of the divan, I tells ya!

Pop Muzak* … 🙂

Mix me a molotov, Squire!

*0ne of my fav0urite ever songs, Cats.

calli
calli
April 2, 2022 8:48 pm

Sorry, sorry, sorry! I’m late. My satin flares didn’t fit and I fell off my platforms!

Save it!

Bruce of Newcastle
Bruce of Newcastle
April 2, 2022 8:50 pm

Royalty!

Prince – Uptown (1981)

Had to have a look through to find a disco funky single. My favourite of his is Sign O The Times, but that is more technofunk.

calli
calli
April 2, 2022 8:52 pm

And…we get at extra hour!

Iron Cove
Iron Cove
April 2, 2022 8:52 pm

Mr dj please,please,please…
The revolting cocks, do ya think I’m sexy
for my 80’s baby Lindy

Crossie
Crossie
April 2, 2022 8:53 pm

Calli, grab a glass of bubbly and hit the dance floor.

Rabz
April 2, 2022 8:54 pm

Once had a love and it was a gas

Not disco, but the Moroder produced it. Miss Harry at her best.

Bruce of Newcastle
Bruce of Newcastle
April 2, 2022 8:55 pm

Acid house Bruce

MF – Pure disco despite what the wiki says. Dance club classic.

Rabz
April 2, 2022 8:57 pm

calli, at this rate, the extra hour will be barely enough.

Bluddee hell, I was worried that this radio show would not be “well received”.

I was wrong (again). 😕

calli
calli
April 2, 2022 8:58 pm

Ha! For when a mirror ball just isn’t enough bling…you need a crown too.

Rabz
April 2, 2022 8:58 pm
calli
calli
April 2, 2022 9:00 pm

I always knew the Cat was utterly tasteless. But not joyless.

And for those who opine that my demise is near…take that!

Crossie
Crossie
April 2, 2022 9:02 pm

Atomic came out before Heart of Glass and it was a good move. Hit them with your best shot first is my philosophy.

The first time I heard Atomic I had the same reaction as when I first saw Star Wars. Out of this world. 70s were a fantastic decade, everything was still possible and easy.

Crossie
Crossie
April 2, 2022 9:04 pm

Rabz, already linked upthread.

Rabz
April 2, 2022 9:07 pm
rugbyskier
rugbyskier
April 2, 2022 9:08 pm

Almost forgot Lipps. Inc

Always reminds me of a school trip to NZ in 1980. I also remember going to see Pseudo Echo at the uni refectory early 1986 and they played this as the encore. Just thought they were having a bit of fun but it was a preview of their cover single that they released a few months later.

Rabz
April 2, 2022 9:10 pm
calli
calli
April 2, 2022 9:17 pm

There’s a party at the bottom of that old rabbit hole.

Bruce of Newcastle
Bruce of Newcastle
April 2, 2022 9:19 pm

The original is excellent, and so is the later version from the Moulin Rouge soundtrack.

Lady Marmalade – Eleventh Hour (1974)

rugbyskier
rugbyskier
April 2, 2022 9:24 pm

I had good timing, had just gotten home from a rugby club function when this thread popped up. Thanks Rabz and everyone else for making a fun Saturday night.

Rabz
April 2, 2022 9:24 pm

RS – you are always welcome, Squire.

miltonf
miltonf
April 2, 2022 9:27 pm
Rabz
April 2, 2022 9:27 pm

for those who opine that my demise is near

You’ll outlive Sir Keith Richards, Squirette – if that’s any consolation. 🙂

miltonf
miltonf
April 2, 2022 9:31 pm
lotocoti
lotocoti
April 2, 2022 9:32 pm

Do roller skates count?

Rabz
April 2, 2022 9:37 pm

Err, no lots, unless the exquisite Miss Corley is guiding them.

Bruce of Newcastle
Bruce of Newcastle
April 2, 2022 9:38 pm

Worth putting up the Disco wiki. It’s pretty epic. Eighty years of music in one wiki page! I like this one:

The Martian, a 2015 film, extensively uses disco music as a soundtrack, although for the main character, astronaut Mark Watney, there’s only one thing worse than being stranded on Mars: it’s being stranded on Mars with nothing but disco music.

Someone send the soundtrack to Elon, it might save his life. 😀

Fair Shake
Fair Shake
April 2, 2022 9:40 pm

Tabs, you’re a champion. I enjoyed ze music ! Thank you

Rabz
April 2, 2022 9:40 pm

stranded on Mars with nothing but disco music

Sounds slightly more preferable than existing here on Earth.

Rabz
April 2, 2022 9:42 pm

Gee, thanks Quake. 🙂

Bruce of Newcastle
Bruce of Newcastle
April 2, 2022 9:47 pm

Err, no lots

Haven’t seen that one. Mesmerizing. R&B pop more than disco, but that’s quite forgivable…

Rabz
April 2, 2022 9:48 pm

The lights aren’t coming on any time soon, Cats – let’s have some electrickery – it’s bigger than the two of us!

miltonf
miltonf
April 2, 2022 9:52 pm
Rabz
April 2, 2022 10:00 pm

Miss Planet, explaining what a woman is, for those collectivist dunderheads among us.

And yes, Cats, it is disco, as far as I’m concerned! 🙂

Nelson_Kidd-Players
Nelson_Kidd-Players
April 2, 2022 10:04 pm

satin flares didn’t fit

I imagine it’s a fine line between not fitting and fitting perfectly, Calli! 😉

Rex Anger
Rex Anger
April 2, 2022 10:15 pm

Something that I wish was disco.

Through the Fire and the Flames as translated by the Synthwave movement:

https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=nwroczL6WLA

miltonf
miltonf
April 2, 2022 10:35 pm

Thanks Rabz that was fun

Rabz
April 2, 2022 10:51 pm

Thanks, Milts – it ain’t over yet – and we have a bonus hour. 🙂

Rabz
April 2, 2022 11:00 pm

This is not disco, Cats.

So not Disco (again) …

Rabz
April 2, 2022 11:12 pm

Hey, Yarks – get off the high horse, Squire

If you could see what I can see
Feel what I feel
When my head is on fire
When I’m a burning wheel

Vanishing Point, Squire.
You know you love it. 🙂

Rabz
April 2, 2022 11:19 pm

Miss Planet – “out the window“, 2018, channelling Primal Scream … 🙂

Iron Cove
Iron Cove
April 3, 2022 12:15 am

/https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VOq_D-iLQWM”>

Rabz
April 3, 2022 5:05 pm

Just be good to me – the SOS Band.

What I always loved about this song was the sparseness. An art in itself.

1983 …

Bruce
Bruce
April 3, 2022 8:02 pm

Thelma Houston playout medley from “I’ve got the Music in Me”. direct-cut album.

Jim Gordon and Jim Keltner on drums.

Michael Omartian on Keyboards, etc, etc.

Rabz
April 3, 2022 9:08 pm

Le Freak, by Chic … 🙂

Tastee.

Kneel
Kneel
April 4, 2022 1:16 pm
Kneel
Kneel
April 4, 2022 2:41 pm

“Do roller skates count?”

At one point in time, I could dance “The Time Warp” (Rocky Horror) on roller skates…

johanna
johanna
April 4, 2022 6:05 pm

Well done, Rabz – I didn’t contribute much, but very much enjoyed the contributions of others.

Elizabeth (Lizzie) Beare
Elizabeth (Lizzie) Beare
April 8, 2022 6:01 pm

Great show Rabz, and so much I remember now, hearing it again. Thanx.

Yep. I was there. Inter-regnum of husbands between 1976 and 1980.
A lot went on. In between the tears.

  1. Still no news on whether Tulsi Gabbard is getting a gig in Trump’s cabinet. I do feel she’s owed something…

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