When Exactly Did Disco Die and When Was the Beginning of the End?

[discorecords]

Pshaw; disco died?

It's becoming popular with the 20-something-year-olds now on YouTube. :)

Such as FranklinDisco; 24 years old and rehashing the great disco tracks.

YouTube - FranklinDisco's Channel

[garrybcoston]

Originally Posted by mr.t likes indie

Thank you for your response, Garry. It was a pleasure to read your post and I fully agree with it.

The only thing I still prefer over your idea of the changing faces of some genres of music is the idea that some types of music give birth to some other types of music, and when one type of it radically changes its "face" I would more likely be saying about the birth of a derivative sound. But, from the other point, I also agree to your idea, at least because the "feeling" of disco was successfully transfered to other genres that formed that big "EDM" continuum and because the perception of sound/musical techniques can change after some time and some genre wouldn't be thought to be itself no more.

I agree Mr. "T," and, though Disco may have given birth to other genres, technology also had a lot to do with Disco's demise and it's so called changing face and giving birth to other danceable genres as I mentioned in my last post. But it was more than just a needed change because of technology or gradually evolving into other types of music for Disco; you would have to have really been there, and lived the scene, from beginning to end to truly understand.

Imagine if there was a backlash against rap/hip hop, i.e., someone staged a rap/hip hop demolition in Kansas burning rap/hip hop CD's, and the media jumped on the bandwagon, and people were already outcrying against the harm that rap/hip hop was causing within the society, their children, etc. This would definitely have a negative effect against the hip hop/rap culture, music, scene, etc. This is what happened to Disco. People were already coming out of the woodwork accusing Disco of this and that, and when the demolition happened in Comiskey Park in 1979, that only added fuel to the fire.

All in all I agree with your post, Disco did evolve, but not until it began to die and eventually ceased to no longer exist.

Garry

[garrybcoston]

Originally Posted by mr.t likes indie

I have also noticed no one had pointed to the boom of cheap professional synths from, most notably, Yamaha, Roland, Korg that happened in the late 70s - early 80s as to one of the possible reasons of decline of disco. Around that time, Kraftwerk and UK new wave/synthpop movement have successfully proved music can still be hugely danceable when it's produced solely on synths.

And, there was also tape boom around that time, hitting from the other side, which simplified and reduced the price of all recording needs. Yes, recording to a tape is generally thought to be less quality, but is still enjoyed by the majority.

With these factors combined, disco music, which was based on a real orchestra, musicians, vocalists, looks expensive.

You're right, the production of Disco music was hugely expensive, however, it (Disco) was so successful and so much money was being made, that that was really not a factor. You have to realize that Disco was more than just the music; it was the trend, the scene, the fashion, and yes the music, and the record companies, Producers, and Artists really raked in.

I agree with the technology influence on Disco's demise, though I firmly believe that the orchestrations would have continued in some way, shape or form had Disco not died. Eventually, as you say, technology would have intervened had Disco not died the way it did and Disco would have changed; the only difference is because of the backlash against it (Disco), and the 1979 demolition derby which was a media event that finally killed Disco, the name was dropped, the scene itself killed, record companies shut down, and Producers and Artists forever ashamed to remain in the Disco genre.

Because of what happened to Disco a lot of people lost work, were unemployed, and heartbroken because of the loss of Disco; this is a fact.

Garry

[garrybcoston]

Originally Posted by discorecords

Pshaw; disco died?

It's becoming popular with the 20-something-year-olds now on YouTube. :)

Such as FranklinDisco; 24 years old and rehashing the great disco tracks.

YouTube - FranklinDisco's Channel

I think a resurgence is back in the air and underway, and yes the young people are the one's that will do it. Most of them have never much heard real instruments played, and they absolutely love it. We'll see what happens soon (return of lush orchestrations, platform shoes, bell bottoms, disco radio stations, and dance/techno, etc. changing their name to Disco?).

Garry

[remicks]

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[garrybcoston]

Menopause...Steven Tyler? This song is one of my all time favorites.

Garry