Universal Robot Band

[usagi-san]

A couple of weeks ago in Japan, at the Tower Records next to Shinjuku station, I found a couple of Universal Robot Band albums. I got the one whose spine reads "Universal Robot Band RG 67177". There is no indicator of country of manufacture, but I suspect it was not made in either Japan or America. (The multi floor store has many imports from other places.) The cover also has the band logo and above it the graphics "Version Originale Dance and shake your tambourine." I knew that song was a disco hit and minor pop hit, did not remember it but took a chance and bought this CD. I enjoy it very much, great old school sound and production in places like one is actually in a disco. A picture inside has what appears to be a silhouette of a short haired woman humping a conga drum. Next to the photo it says "Dance and Shake your Tambourine Making Love Sammy Gordon." The disc label says "Universal Robot Band RG 67177 P & C 1977 Red Greg Records." it is longer than standard LP length and its 12 songs include Disco Boogie Woman, Flintstone Disco and Space Disco.

I don't remember much about the other CD of theirs I did not buy but now I wish I had bought it. I checked my local American Tower records; they did not have it, had not heard of it and could not order it; it was not in their computer.

Now, Tower Records filed for bankruptcy recently. I think one thing that might help their business would be if they could get some coordination regarding their stores in various countries. A store in one ought to be able to get a CD available in another.

[disco-disc]

Hi U ,
I have a CD by URB - pink with a picture of computer style robots band - 'dance and shake your tambourine' - agek-2315 Unidisc.
Don't know where I got it but it has - Flintsone/d&s/youre my music/space disco/sunshine/save me (Silver convention ?)
Not a favourite, spends much of it's time on my shelf.
Is this the one you saw ?

What is the scene in J - you seem to buy a lot of disco on ebay - is Disco THAT big in J ????

[usagi-san]

Starsky, thanks, I am not certain but that sounds like it was the other one I saw in Tokyo, Japan. I also wondered if "Save Me" was the Silver Convention song. I think the reason I chose the other one was it had a lot more songs on it.

I have never bought anything for myself on ebay. I don't like the concept of auction sites, for one thing.

I have been to Japan 12 times. Any store there I have seen that deals with international music, like Tower, Virgin or HMV, has loads of disco in their soul, dance, disco or whatever sections. I found an El Coco collection there after it had disappeared from around here in California and also in Tokyo last month I bought the Japanese reissue of El Coco's "Let's Get It Together" album with extensive liner notes, too (I was going to save this for an El Coco-Japan thread, but thought it was a good place here considering your question.) The stores there seem not only to import cool stuff from all over the place, and reissue cool stuff themselves but also they don't seem to immediately yank off their shelves stuff that goes out of print.

I had been hoping for a long time to get around to listening thru my J-pop stuff and get Romaji of several titles to make a list of my favorite J-pop songs which have an authentic disco sound; songs by Checkicco, Naoko Kawai, CoCo (girl group, no relation to El Coco) etc.. Hopefully someday.

[discorecordplayer]

Ive got the record, it came in a pink sleeve and had a picture of a robot on the front. Its a pretty cool album. they also released a Disco Christmas album