Lost Gems of Disco Music

[normvork]

In a period of only a few short years in the late 1970's as Disco became the dominant trend in popular music, a flood of material was pouring out of the recording studios. I read in a newspaper in 1979 that about 50% of all new pop LP's contained at least one disco track. Every once in a while I find an unfamiliar used single or LP from the era and take it home out of curiosity. Often it's mediocre to bad. Once in a while I find something I really like.

My question to pose to all of you is: What great disco songs went pretty much unnoticed and did not become popular? What songs deserved to be hits? Of course it's always a matter of personal taste so I want your own personal favorites, not just what would have appealed to the mass market.

To kick off the discusion, one of my favorite lost gems is "I Love the Way you Do It" by Ren Woods, from the LP "Out of the Woods" ARC/Columbia JC36123.

Another one that nobody (as far as I know) ever talked about was Paul Jabara's "Didn't the Time Go Fast." from the "Keeping Time" LP.

Did the Pattie Brooks cover of "This is the House Where Love Died" ever get any attention?

[tony98]

Patti Brooks was a very big local track, it never was as big as it should have been. Other local club hits included - Eddie Rosemund "Funk It" - Nino Tempo "Hooked On Young Stuff" - Charles Earland "Let the Music Play" - Mystic Merlin " Just Can't Give You Up" & "Mr. Magician".

[sfbeary]

i'm glad that someone is discussing these songs because:

a) i thought i was the only one who noticed that ren woods cut. i knew and already liked the single "everybody get up," but years ago i came across her lp in a store w/a turntable and thought the rest of the album was so-so, but that particularl track made me go WOW! and buy the thing.

b) both of the ren woods tracks, along w/the aforementioned earland, mystic merlin, and rosemund cuts, can be heard on my 24/7 internet disco radio station, RadioioDisco:

http://www.radioio.com/radioiodisco.php

the rosemund track was played at the paradise garage. mystic merlin and the earland were nowhere near as big in america as they were in england.

as far as the pattie brooks cut goes, the US promo 12" has a bizarre flaw on one of its sides, i don't remember which. it sounds as if the tape got caught and no one noticed while mastering it. consequently, you can hear the music briefly slow down and speed up. if it happened on the "this is the house" side, that alone would've doomed its chances in the US.

[normvork]

How about Priscilla Coolidge-Jones "Disco Scene" from the "Flying" album?
I like the tune a lot and they must have expected it to become a hit back then (1979) because in the early 80's there were cutouts of this LP in every bargain rack. It has that classic smooth disco sound with a nice hook that should have gotten some airplay. Was it just a little behind the times when it came out?
The record was produced by Booker T. Jones (Booker T and the M.G.'s?) so I figure this was his wife. Also wonder if she's related to Rita Coolidge... there is a vocal resemblance.

[tony98]

In the 70's i did play another Priscilla Coolidge track "Ain't that peculiar" a cover of the Marvin Gaye song.

[normvork]

Did anybody else but me ever fall in love with Deborah Washington's Back in Love Again from the Love Awaits LP? It has a sweet girl group sound like Donna Summer's Love's Unkind but more easy going.

[tony98]

"Back in love again" did get overlooked at the time. I only have it on 7" , it came out on Ariola over here.

[LazyDisco]

My favs from the Ren Wood album are "Hooked on a love groove" and "Stick and stones". What about the "Make love to me " superb track by quite conservative Helen Reddy ?! :D

[normvork]

Originally Posted by LazyDisco

My favs from the Ren Wood album are "Hooked on a love groove" and "Stick and stones". What about the "Make love to me " superb track by quite conservative Helen Reddy ?! :D

I do not think I have heard it yet. Was it on an LP? I really loved Imagination from Helen Reddy as a HiNRG track from her Lp of the same name in 1983. Do not know if it was ever released as a single.