Early 80's funky disco

[SandraDee]

Thought I'd give the late 70's pure disco a rest & listen to stuff like

You Can't Run From My Love - Stephanie Mills
Take Some Time Out - Salsoul Orchestra (featuring Jocelyn B. - one of the many !)
Spirit of the Dancer - Evelyn King
Starstruck/ Hot in the Flames of love
- Patti Austin
The Man in my Life - Klymaxx
Just in Time - Raw Silk
Save the Overtime For Me - Gladys Knight
Best Love - Rose Royce
Its a Girls Affair - Change
Give me Action - Queen Samantha
Just an Illusion - Imagination
Hopscotch - Gwen Guthrie
Take me Back - Coffee
I'll Be Your Pleasure - Esther Williams
We've Got Our Chance - Linda Clifford
If You Want me - Barbara Roy
Set Me Free - Karen Silver
Spotlight - Stacey lattisaw
Dancin to the Beat - Henderson & Whitfield
Take My Love - Melba Moore
Dont You Want My Lovin - Wanda Walden
It Doesnt Only Happen at Night - Geraldine Hunt
Take me to the Top - Advance
Keep on Movin - Deodato
Ready for the Night - Margie Joseph
You Got The Power - War
Finesse - Glenn Jones
I Wanna Know - Rocket
Searching to find the One - Unlimited touch
Street Corner - Ashfor & Simpson

Oh I could listen to this stuff 4 ever! Its funky but still very much DISCO.
There's quite a few of the Ladies in there too, eh Marky?! ( I know u like 'em)

[QUINNY]

Steely Dan: You've surpassed yourself. I can honestly say that I don't think I have ever heard or played any of the tracks listed. Should this ignoramus be worried? :lol:

[Blaxman]

Hi Steely Dan,

Loved your list, I'm a really fan of early 80's disco-funk!! Until 85/86, when everything became too electronic!!

I love especially, Stephanie Mills, Salsoul Orchestra, Evelyn King, War (the best), and many others from your list!! Cool!!

Peace

[markydefad]

Steely Dan,

I know about half your list--maybe I have a few more on LP's. And "YES"--I DO LOVE THE LADIES!!!!!

My faves are "Best Love" by Rose Royce (another great song by them from this era was the jazzy "Still in Love"); Imagination--LOVED that entire LP; Gladys, Change, Stephanie, Ashford & Simpson, and Patti Austin. I don't recall Patti's "Starstruck", however. Which LP was that from???

[Jeff H]

Marky--

"Starstruck" is from the same LP that has "Rhythm of the Street" on it, but I can't remember the name. Or was it called just "Patti Austin"?

[markydefad]

I guess "Starstruck" flew under my radar. I remember an Australian movie called "Starstruck" directed by Gillian Armstrong from around 1982. No relation, I guess.

A lot of the songs on S.D's list look like LP tracks that I might have--just don't recall by title.

Hey, when you've got as much stuff as I have accumulated... you only can remember the hits, mostly. Duh.

[jazz_pilgrim]

Some very nice stuff in there!! :grin: Some with memories for me include ....

Just an Illusion - Imagination / You Got The Power - War - those two were massive on the Continent when I was studying in Germany. In fact, I remember buying "Just an Illusion " in Germany as a UK import 12" !!! :grin:

Dancin to the Beat - Henderson & Whitfield
That is on the Disco Spectrum 2 compilation I have got and is a really powerful 80's disco record. I love it!! :grin: Fantastic intro on it!

Hopscotch - Gwen Guthrie - I remember the name of the tune, but I have forgotten how it goes!!




_________________
It's got to be about the music !!

<font size=-1>[ This Message was edited by: jazz_pilgrim on 2002-09-04 18:40 ]</font>

[SandraDee]

I'm pleased I stirred some memeories 4 u guyz.
Yes Quinny u should be worried; where did u DJ exactly?!
I agree Blaxman, it went very pear-shaped around 1985 but some early garage compensated for this I s'pose.
Marky- 'Still in Love' is fabulous & sounds very like Chaka Khan I think, & yes alot are LP tracks.
U are right Jeff, the LP was just 'Patti Auatin' & was mainly produced by Narada M.Walden.
Jazz, 'Hopscotch' is on Gwen's 'Portrait' LP from '83.It sounded like a cuddlier version of Grace Jones early 80's stuff! I think Maarten has mentioned this LP b4 as one of his faves.

[QUINNY]

Steely Dan: I'm here shaking in my boots and the furrow on my brow is deepening as I write. :lol:
But hey! it's amazing that 250 miles can make such a difference. I've heard of nearly all the artists but never those tracks (except Imagination which I failed to see originally). I was always a singles guy I suppose, when it came to what to play. Even albums from my all time favourite bands have left me somewhat less than gratified.
Give me quick fixes any day. I'm a hopeless case. :oops:

[jazz_pilgrim]

That's the great thing about this Board! :grin:

The number of LPs I have with tracks that I didn't even know existed, until somebody mentions them... As Blax said - it's a very cheap way to get some new music! :lol:

I think I shall pick some of these out for your thread on Tracks That Didn't Make The Dancefloor.... Now lemme think .. Hmmm :roll:

[QUINNY]

JAZZ: IMHO. You see that's where I'm not totally convinced. If the tracks are sooooo good, why are they relatively unknown or unplayed?
Cream nearly always rises to the top!
I've made cassettes and CDs for hundreds of unknown bands over the past 20 years, and the one ever lasting truth is that although they are good, they all don't have that something special that makes them outstanding. I can imagine in 20 years time that some freak will find some of these 'treasures' and be able to convince someone that they are masterpieces.
Apart from a very few exceptions, all albums are stuffed with fillers. The best tracks almost invariably get put onto a single. If you're a record company exec you're not going to put the also rans onto single in order to get people interested in buying the album. I'm a cynic I'm afraid.

[jazz_pilgrim]

I will disagree with you on this one! With respect for your views, of course!

But I often wonder, Quinny, what the hell record company execs get up to sometimes? For example I remember that Maze instrumental track (but not the name) that was massive in the early Eighties in the clubs... What did the record company do? They put it out on the B-side, that track didn't get the commercial radio airplay (as it was a B-side) and they missed a golden opportunity for a Maze hit single!

IMHO, I would argue that if you limit yourself to singles, ie what a record exec thinks worth putting out, then you are relying on someone else's opinion - not your own to decide what you listen to...

Another example for you. Take the current Alicia Keys CD. The track that gets the most play on Jazz FM (and I like it a lot due to it's early 70's Marvin Gaye feel) is the wonderful "This Life" A track with real depth and understanding! :grin:
But I doubt if it will ever get released as a single .... :sad: If you miss out on that track by only listening to the singles, then you miss out on a real musical experience!!

Back to you!!

[sammyperez]

Jazz:

I agree with your statment that if you just listen to the singles you will miss out on some outstanding music. I was told a long time ago, the reason certain songs get played on the radio and become mega hits is because the majority do not know anything about music which is absolutely true. It is the minority, like most of the people on this forum, who actually know quality when they here it.

Steely:

I love your list and this era of music. I used to call it "The Prelude era" of course since that label was so prominant in that period. Here are some other classics from that time frame you may remember:

Sending my love - Pleasure
You and me just started - Linda Taylor
Rock your world - Weeks & Co.
Watch out - Brandi Wells
You used to hold me - Thelma Houston
Rock Shock - B.B.C.S.&A
Let's do it - Convertion
You ain't really down - Status IV
Do it to the music - Raw Silk
I specialize in love - Sharon Brown
This beat is mine - Vicky 'D'
Who's been kissing you - Hot Cuisine

and there are so many more I can list, however, I don't want to take away from others on the forum possibly listing some of their favorites from that era. As you can tell I love this period of music as much as you do. Bernie was kind enough to feature me on the last Dance Groove Radio show on this site and a mix by me entitled 'The College Years '80-'84'.; Alot of memories here. Great choice Steely!

Easy,

Sam "ALL JAM"

[QUINNY]

There is truth in what you say. Despite record company execs shaping my listening experience, I still had the ability to choose from the 1000s of singles which ones I felt were the best. It's not as if I bought every one! After 40 years of listening to music intently, I don't really go out looking for even more tunes to mess with my mind. I still go to live jazz gigs on average twice a week and get plenty of aural stimulation from them normally. Improvisation doesn't mess so much, becuase you could never hope to remember what's been played.
Another truth that I've come to realise is that most musicians don't know much about commerciality. They don't always have an ear for the hook or whatever that makes a tune stand out. I think we have to give the record company execs a little more credit than they traditionally have received and hey they're only human, so of course they can get it wrong. Without hits though, the music industry would not exist. Think on that for a while.

As for the Maze instrumental - can't quite remember it, but I'm not too sure that the radio stations would have played an instrumental that much. I have to agree with you that 'Back in Stride Again' was probably their best chance. It sorta made the charts and was a record that used to make me feel good at the time. I really thought their time had come.

[Blaxman]

On 2002-09-05 06:55, QUINNY wrote:

....Cream nearly always rises to the top!
I've made cassettes and CDs for hundreds of unknown bands over the past 20 years, and the one ever lasting truth is that although they are good, they all don't have that something special that makes them outstanding. I can imagine in 20 years time that some freak will find some of these 'treasures' and be able to convince someone that they are masterpieces....

Hmmmmmm.......'nearly always' is not the same as 'always'. Several gems are exactly in this gap!! We know many bands or artists who never did a big hit, for many reasons.....bad contracts, bad record labels, even bad luck!! Otherwise, we have many untalented people getting superstars status with crap songs!!
And I think this is the main reason why ancient obscure tracks are so considered today! Because they are very much better than the average music of today!

Peace