Intros with Hooks before the Beat

[FranceJoliFan]

I'm always dazzled by the first four notes of Sunset People. It hooks you immediately. Before the beat even comes in.

I've been thinking of other strong disco intros. Ones that
a) hook you before the main beat comes in
b) aren't "ballad intros" (e.g. Last Dance, etc.)

Two by Gino Soccio come to mind:

Dance To Dance
Rhythm Of The World

Both of them use female vocals and sparse instrumentation as a hook.

I enjoy these intros because so many songs of the era begin with eight or more measures of drum beats. It's exciting to hear something so distinct in the first few bars.

Does anyone else have any favorite disco intros?

[needlefingers]

Glad To Know You - Chaz Jankel

Spank - Jimmy "Bo" Horne

Babe, We're Gonna Love Tonite - Lime

[paul]

Here's one I was listening to this morning, I'm Your Boogie Man - KC and the Sunshine Band.

[ol'skinflint]

Originally Posted by FranceJoliFan

I'm always dazzled by the first four notes of Sunset People. It hooks you immediately. Before the beat even comes in.

I've been thinking of other strong disco intros. Ones that
a) hook you before the main beat comes in
b) aren't "ballad intros" (e.g. Last Dance, etc.)

Two by Gino Soccio come to mind:

Dance To Dance
Rhythm Of The World

Both of them use female vocals and sparse instrumentation as a hook.

I enjoy these intros because so many songs of the era begin with eight or more measures of drum beats. It's exciting to hear something so distinct in the first few bars.

Does anyone else have any favorite disco intros?

"Arista Vista"-Gregg Diamond's Starcruiser and "Love in Motion"-George McCrae. "Get on the Funk Train"-Munich Machine

[SandraDee]

The 'ee, ee' before the beat at the start of Kashif's 'I Just Gotta Have You (Lover Turn Me On)' always sounds ear-grabbing!

[FranceJoliFan]

needlefingers: I like the intro to Babe, We're Gonna Love Tonight too. That whole song is full of hooks. Not a wasted moment. Of course, Denyse LePage's voice is the ultimate hook.

: )

The intro to Madonna's Open Your Heart has a similar free-form feel to it.

[eddie]

Jocelyn Brown's "Somebody else's guy" is an obvious one that comes to mind with the vocals and piano before the beat kicks in.

[remicks]

*****

As I understand the premise ...these are songs with enough lead-in to let you find your partner and get on the dancefloor before the song really kicks in ...


songs like :

DON'T LEAVE ME THIS WAY
THAT'S WHERE THE HAPPY PEOPLE GO
DISCO NIGHTS (ROCK FREAK)
RUBBERBAND MAN
KEEP ON DANCING

*****

[FranceJoliFan]

Yeah, I always liked the beginning of Keep On Dancing.

I think the strongest opening hook was in Le Freak. It always grabbed me.

[QUINNY]

Originally Posted by FranceJoliFan

Yeah, I always liked the beginning of Keep On Dancing.

I think the strongest opening hook was in Le Freak. It always grabbed me.

One, two, aaah! is a hook? I must be gettin' old or summut?

Err, call me stupid, but wouldn't a good DJ have mixed in these non danceable 'hooks' underneath the preceeding record. so that the boom, boom, boom, boom bangin' bit would keep you on the dancefloor rather than running to it? Just my 2 cents worth.

[FranceJoliFan]

Originally Posted by QUINNY

One, two, aaah! is a hook? I must be gettin' old or summut?

Err, call me stupid, but wouldn't a good DJ have mixed in these non danceable 'hooks' underneath the preceeding record. so that the boom, boom, boom, boom bangin' bit would keep you on the dancefloor rather than running to it? Just my 2 cents worth.

I'm sure some djs do mix it that way. I've also heard djs ending a song cold, then moving right into a new song without mixing. And surprisingly, it didn't clear the dancefloor. And I consider these djs "good" also.

BTW, were you serious when you wrote that you didn't consider the One, two aaah! a hook? It's the very definition of a hook. And is repeated throughout the song. It's right up there with Toot toot, aaah, beep beep. And the hook in Let's All Chant. Simple bits to lure you into the meatier parts of the song.

[QUINNY]

Originally Posted by FranceJoliFan

BTW, were you serious when you wrote that you didn't consider the One, two aaah! a hook? It's the very definition of a hook.

Absolutely serious. How could 1 second right at the beginning be a hook, especially of a record released at the height of Disco mixing?
If anything the hook is "Freak out, Le Freak this is Chic, Freak out......aaah"

However,
Uno, dos
uh uno, dos, tres, quatro on a record in 1974 probably was.

[FranceJoliFan]

Yes, "Freak out! Le Freak, C'est Chic!" is part of the hook. But the thing is, songs have many hooks in them. Those catchy moments throughout the song that hold your interest. They seem simple. But a lot of skill goes into creating them. And when I don't like a song, it's often because it doesn't have enough hooks. The song is flat.

Many disco records began with generic drum beats. That's why I admire the songs that, in the shortest amount of time, got your attention with a unique sound. Without the aid of a heavy beat. Something to make you want to keep listening to the rest of the record.

I like going to a club and hearing everything seamlessly mixed. But I'm sometimes disappointed that my favorite parts at the beginning get lost in the process.

[srg]

Two of my many favourite intros...

Haven't Stopped Dancing Yet- Gonzalez
Love insurance- Front Page

[Marcio**]

Isaac Hayes-Stranger in Paradise-fantastic intro
Metropolis featuring the Sweethearts-New York in my Kind of Town-very charming intro
Boney M-Nightflight to Venus-intro with vocoder