A Survey: The First DISCO Song / Record!

 

Disco Music > Disco History 101 Index > History > A Survey: The First DISCO Song / Record!

A Survey: The First DISCO Song / Record!

The FIRST DISCO SONG...

The term "DISCO" was loved by many in the seventies, it was a reference to a style of music that was played in the Night Clubs. They, in turn became known affectionately as "DISCOS", as in "I'm going to the DISCO" It was there that we heard "DISCO Music". Soon those who didn't know how to dance started an anti-DISCO movement, as in DISCO SUCKS! That is another story all together. The Term "DISCO" is today like a sexually transmitted disease, no-one wants anything to do with it.


But when did DISCO actually start? What was the FIRST DISCO record? Who was the first DISCO GROUP? Well, I hope to shed some light on this. While there have been "DISCOTEHQUES" in Europe since before World War II, in Paris , today's "DISCOS" started being called that in the early seventies. DISCO music was what changed them from Night Clubs . The music itself caused the TERM to be applied to the locations as well. BUT....

Is there ONE song that changed everything? ONE song that started "DISCO"? Probably not just ONE song, but for arguments sake, I tried to find it. The FIRST song that was termed DISCO. Before it, the music played was called SOUL or R&B. After this one song, DISCO MUSIC or DISCO became the term to which the dance music was being referred to. There isn't just ONE song, no. But I asked 1,200 deejays from that DISCO era to give me their earliest recollections, and I took them down, made a list of their responses. Soon I had a list of over one-hundred and sixty-five songs!! The ones that were mentioned most often, credited for the beginning of DISCO, are now listed below.

Some deejays put titles like "Dancin in the streets" by Martha Reeves and The Vandellas from 1964 as the first. WRONG! That was SOUL / R & B / MOTOWN, not DISCO. That wasn't the song that gave us the TERM! Others credited SANTANA and "Black Magic Woman/Evil Ways". WRONG again. That was "Dance-able Rock", it too, didn't start the DISCO movement. A lot of Stevie Wonder's work was mentioned, but alas, that too was MOTOWN, and did not start the DISCO explosion.

It was close, the top three songs listed were all mentioned by over 75 percent of those who responded to my survey. There are some BIG surprises on the list. Even bigger surprises as to who is NOT on the list. No Bee Gees, or DISCO INFERNO. Is this "fool proof", no, but it does give us a very good idea of the music that started the DISCO movement.

Here you have them, the TWENTY-FIVE FIRST SONGS OF DISCO! (In reverse order)

#25- "FRANKENSTEIN" by The EDGAR WINTER GROUP- 25 percent
#24- "Mr. BIG STUFF" by JEAN KNIGHT-27 percent
#23- "LET'S GET IT TOGETHER" by EL COCO-30 percent
#22- "JUNGLE BOOGIE/HOLLYWOOD SWINGIN" by KOOL AND THE GANG-33 percent
#21- "BALL OF CONFUSION" by THE TEMPTATIONS-35 percent
#20- "ROCK THE BOAT" by THE HUES CORPORATION-45 percent
#19- "VENUS" by The SHOCKING BLUE-45 percent
#18- "PILLOW TALK" by SYLVIA-45 percent
#17- "LOOK ME UP" by BLUE MAGIC-45 percent
#16- "LOVE'S THEME" by The LOVE UNLIMITED ORCHESTRA-46 percent
#15- "DANCE TO THE MUSIC" by SLY STONE-47 percent
#14- "I'M GONNA LOVE YOU JUST A LITTLE MORE" by BARRY WHITE-48 percent
#13- "THE LOVE I LOST/BAD LUCK" by HAROLD MELVIN and THE BLUE NOTES-50 percent
#12- "KEEP ON TRUCKIN' / BOOGIE DOWN / DATE WITH THE RAIN" by EDDIE KENDRICKS-50 percent
#11- "SPANISH HARLEM" by ARETHA FRANKLIN-52 percent
#10- "ARMED AND EXTREMELY DANGEROUS / NEWSY NEIGHBORS" by The FIRST CHOICE-53 percent
#9- "IN THE SUMMERTIME" by MUNGO JERRY-54 percent
#8- "THEME FROM SHAFT" by ISSAC HAYES-59 percent
#7- " LOVE TRAIN" by The O'JAYS-60 percent
#6- " LET'S GET IT ON" by MARVIN GAYE-60 percent
#5- "WANT ADS" by HONEY CONE-60 percent
#4- "JUNGLE FEVER" by The CHAKACHAS-70 percent
#3- "FREDDIE'S DEAD / SUPERFLY" by CURTIS MAYFIELD-75 percent
#2- "CISCO KID / ME AND BABY BROTHER / SPILL THE WINE" by WAR-80 percent
#1- "ZING WENT THE STRINGS OF MY HEART" by THE TRAMMPS-90 percent

There it is, the best that I could do. Gives us a lot to talk about doesn't it!

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Posted by: vyniljunkie
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YOUR COMMENTS ON A Survey: The First DISCO Song / Record!

There are two records on this list that I should talk about. In the early seventies, the ROCK group EDGAR WINTER released FRANKENSTEIN, some may question it being on this list. DAN HARTMAN was a member of that group, his DISCO influence comes shinning through in an obvious fashion. That led this song to be played EXCLUSIVELY in DISCOS, enough so that many remembered and added it when talking about the music they played back then. The other is the SHOCKING BLUE, and VENUS. While not a DISCO group, VENUS was a DISCO song, they just didn't know it would be. It too, was played in heavy-rotation at DISCOS! It could be "Dance-able ROCK", but it was mentioned enough, that I believe it worthy of being included. It was the volume of responses that put it on this list. That hopefully, will answer your questions and sub-due your doubts.
 
Posted by: vyniljunkie | Mar 25, 08 | 11:23 am

Two other songs that didn't make the list could have. SOUL MAKOOSA and RAIN 2000, while pre-disco, should have made this list. It was tough to exclude them, but they were released before the term DISCO came into existence in 1972. Still, I think I should have included them. Sorry!
 
Posted by: vyniljunkie | Apr 04, 08 | 10:39 am

For me, the top 3 were:

Love Train by The O'Jays, Bad Luck & The Love I Lost by Harold Melvin & The Blue Notes and Love's Theme by The Unlimited Orchestra. Soul Makoosa was a strong hit as was Rock The Boat also.
 
Posted by: tomllewis | Apr 14, 08 | 1:46 pm

Why is Soul Makossa by Manu Dibango NOT in the list? Many historians consider this the first record
 
Posted by: playball54 | Apr 23, 08 | 7:39 am

A lot of deejays considered SOUL MAKOSSA the first song, a lot told me that while they played it, it isn't a DISCO song. That is argumentative, I first believed that SOUL MAKOSSA was before DISCO, I since have changed my mind, it does belong on this list. It, according to the numbers I came up with, would come in the top three!!It gathered a 75 percent share of all responders. That puts it in a tie with Curtis Mayfield. Now RAIN 2000 by TITANIC was also played at that time, but it failed to get enough votes to get included. I feel that it was among the first DISCO songs as well. So, this list, is not perfect, but it gets us talking about it!!
 
Posted by: vyniljunkie | Apr 23, 08 | 7:59 am

What about:
Al Green
Herbie Mann
Salsoul Orchestra

Sorry, I can't accept EDGAR WINTER "FRANKENSTEIN" Too hippy for me.
 
Posted by: steve Compton (the old queen from Detroit) | May 12, 08 | 4:31 pm

I really must agree, the longer I look at him (Edgar Winter)on that list, the more I want to do some LSD? I don't do things like that?? Maybe it was the song that was played, I played it, so did Jimmy Burgess, Larry Lavan and probably thousands of others. Remember, we played ANYTHING, and I really mean ANYTHING, that was danceable. But I do get stoned just reading that name on this list!!--- The SALSOUL ORCHESTRA was much later, after DISCO was on a roll. TANGERINE was their first hit, that came out in 74 or 75? AL GREEN, he was considered FUNK/SOUL, but I did play a lot of his great stuff. Herbie Mann? What did give us? He was a great studio musician at the beginning of DISCO, 1972 or so. I can't think of any SINGLE release he had in the early seventies. Refresh my memory, I have been burning out too many brain cells just thinking about EDGAR WINTER!!
 
Posted by: vyniljunkie | May 12, 08 | 4:54 pm

This is a terrific list and a fascinating subject. I'm no expect on disco music but I wish I was! I was 9 years old in 1974 and I remember a couple more songs that made an impact on me. One is "Dancing Machine" by the Jackson Five. I don't know if it's really disco but I remember it really stood out as a dance tune. Also, "Rock Your Baby", by George McCrae, seems like an early disco song to me. I only wish your list included the years. Thanks!
 
Posted by: terri | Aug 04, 08 | 9:37 am

I GOTTA TELL YA HAROLD MELVIN 'THE LOVE I LOST' & BAD LUCK TAKE THE CAKE...VAN MCCOY 'DO THE HUSTLE WAS A CLASSIC TOO.ALL DISCO WAS GREAT-FOREVER CAME TODAY; A JACKSON SONG MOST PEOPLE DONT REMEMBER WAS A GREAT ONE TOO; VOYAGE; SALSOUL ORCH;BARRY WHITE ;THE TRAMPS; ILL ALWAYS LOVE MY MAMA BY THE INTRUDERS-BEST! THIS IS A NO WIN !!!!!I ENJOYED ALL OF THEM-HUNG AT DECAMERON ;LATIQUE; UNCLE SAMS; ENCHANTED GARDEN[I KNEW STEVE RUBELL B4 HE OPENED 54}IN DOUGLASTON QUEENS;PENRODS; CHANNEL 80;RUMORS; FOCOS; ZACHARYS; ETC MARK DONOHOE PHOENIX AZ
 
Posted by: marco from new york | Aug 22, 08 | 4:38 pm

Eddie Kendricks "Girl you need a change of mind was one of the first records that was mixed like a disco record.
 
Posted by: Dwayne Holt | Sep 12, 08 | 4:37 am

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