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Mighty Real

Showstoppers - Various Artists (CD)

Candystorecords (US) / 2005 / CSR 005
CD in jewel case

Producer: Various

1. Take Off 9:53 Harlow - 1980
2. I Can Fly 7:55 Rainey - 1985
3. That's Love, That It Is 7:37 Blancmange - 1983
4. Into The Fire 5:43 Hit List - 1986
5. Souvenirs 6:29 Voyage - 1978
6. Love Is In The Air 5:14 John Paul Young - 1978
7. Shine On Silver Moon 7:16 Marilyn McCoo & Billy Davis - 1978
8. Can We Try Again 5:09 Technique - 1983
9. Don't Turn Around 5:24 The Raes 1978
10. What A Night 6:44 Terry Iten - 1986
11. Manhattan Shuffle 6:00 Extensions From Area Code 212 - 1979

A new label out of New York called Candystorecords has embarked on an ambitious project to compile some of the greatest, but ignored on compact disc Disco dance classics from the late 1970s and 1980s.. What's particularly nice about Showstoppers is that it doesn't adhere to just one style or era of music. It draws from classic Disco of the 1970s like Voyage, Marilyn McCoo & Billy Davis Jr. and The Raes to New Wave like Blancmange or Hit List and proto Hi-NRG like Harlow. It was originally envisioned to showcase the music played at The Saint, which was a premiere New York Disco, but legal reasons kept Candystorecords from actually using "Saint" in the name.

Mighty Real Showstoppers is bound to appeal to a wide audience, but especially those in New York who danced and partied to these songs back in the day. It's interesting to note that the front cover of the CD states "1980-1988," however many of the tracks here are from as early as 1978. Most are familiar to Disco devotees, but sorely missing from CD release until now. Candystorecords was kind enough to answer my question about the 1980-1988 date on the cover: "Well, our point of view is that of a DeeJay. In 1980, he/she was playing numbers from the '70's as part of the night's mix. We're trying to lay out what you actually heard on the dance floor, and not necessarily the newest release of the moment..."

SHOWSTOPPERS is a collection of stand-alone songs that consistently drew folks to the Disco dance floor by offering a little something extra. Whether through an outstanding musical hook, a compelling story line, or, good old fascinating rhythm; these classic songs grabbed everyone for a communal ride. Once on the ride, that rare place of living inside a song, was visited.

Showstoppers is part of the larger MightyREAL, A Dance Floor Retrospective: 1980ñ1988, which is a fifteen volume compact disc compilation series immortalizing the dance hits heard in BIG ROOM nightclubs where the "in-crowd" gathered, during the Disco / Danceable New Wave / HiNRG / pre-House Music period of 1980 - 1988. Itís a fun yet under explored era of nightlife history.

Every song is the 12-inch original extended version. Each track has been gloriously remastered from analog sources by Rick Rowe, a multiple gold record award recipient in engineering and a recently declared living legend in his field. Each CD volume is organized by music type, and sequenced for maximum listening pleasure. Individual tracks are NOT mixed together so you get the complete original 12" version of the songs.

Accountability: Each song is fully licensed. CANDYSTORECORDS spent over two years tracking down the lineage of each song; making the necessary arrangements with the current master owners and copyright holders. Those who used their creative talents to write and perform these songs, many who haven't seen a dime in years for their efforts, are finally getting paid. It feels good to offer a commercial CD product done the right way. In this world of "benefit culture", let's not forget the music makers who made something wonderful, possible.

The first three volumes of MightyREAL, A Dance Floor Retrospective: 1980 -1988, are available for your listening pleasure. These CDs are available through the CANDYSTORECORDS website.

Buy from:
Amazon.com (US)
Amazon.co.uk (UK)

 

 

Submitted by DiscoMusic.com (3698)