There's something weird with this LP cover for Motown Discotech #3

[remicks]

*****

You all have it right !
& Disco Funk has it the most right!! That disco dancer had mutated to appear to be dressed both proper and casual .... he could get into any kind of club that way ...

This cover turns out to be more weird than I realized .... Because its true ... the guy's left foot is on his right leg and vise versa !!
Non matching shoes! Loooong rubbery arms . And yes they both seem to be rather uh ... lippy !!
Thanks for some fun responses here on this !!


----- Now .... why the inker didn't just draw in a little collar on the guy's neck and color in a green shirt on him ? ..... ???? ???



******

[disco-disc]

Thanks for that R...it WAS fun

[ashley]

.. so what is the woman holding above her head?
Her lipstick?
A switch-blade knife?

.. and why does the implement need to be wrapped around her knuckles?

[musiquelover]

Is anyone else having the impression that those dancers have less than five fingers?


Also, the position of their legs looks quite impractical for dancing.

[remicks]

Originally Posted by ashley

.. so what is the woman holding above her head?
Her lipstick?
A switch-blade knife?

.. and why does the implement need to be wrapped around her knuckles?

Could be poppers . (?)

By the way, she seems to be a darn good dancer despite the fact that she's got two left feet !!!

*****

[Videoskooter]

Originally Posted by remicks

Could be poppers .(?)

Did poppers exist in those days? I don't know coz' that stuff was highly illegal in Belgium BITD. I think they were only openly available in the late 90's here.

Since we are speaking about weird cartooncovers:

[markydefad]

Originally Posted by Videoskooter

Did poppers exist in those days? I don't know coz' that stuff was highly illegal in Belgium BITD. I think they were only openly available in the late 90's here.

Poppers definitely existed in the dance culture back in the Seventies--and it was real amyl nitrate too!!! Then the spoiler moral police went after them and the formula was changed to butyl nitrate---still good-- BUT then the moral police went after that formula--and we got isobutyl nitrate, still acceptable....but recently in Europe they had to stop using that formula and it's now isopropyl nitrate and it is AWFUL!!!!!

Several good brands manufactured in the UK by Skyhi.me.uk that were imported here in the U.S had to change their formulas last year and are now just ruined. And still the US distributor sells them for $36 a bottle!!! Won't get fooled again on that scam!!!

The U.S brands are still isobutyl nitrate but just don't have the kick they used to have. Everything must change...nothing stays the same...DAMN IT!!!!

[Mixmachine]

Originally Posted by Videoskooter

Did poppers exist in those days? I don't know coz' that stuff was highly illegal in Belgium BITD. I think they were only openly available in the late 90's here.

Since we are speaking about weird cartooncovers:

Video, this is not 'weird' this was part of a deliberate put down campaign in the USA to ridicule everything "Disco", (Rich Dee's was part of it, and it's not a coincidence his band is called "His cast of idiots")), one the reasons the majority of DJs never played this trash song in a Disco or anywhere else.

Check out the last paragraphs here for some eyeopening info on Rick Dee motives for recording "Disco Duck".

Disco - The Term: Why It Had To Go! DiscoMusic.com

[Videoskooter]

Mix, I'm always confused when it comes to Disco Duck. Honestly I always found the vocals on that record stupid and seeing Rick Dees in the clip was sufficient enough to rate him as a complete dork but....

I really like the music with the "Duck" chants, so I do cherish the Disco Duck Symphony version (mixed by Tom Moulton)that is instrumental. Now that came out in 1976 as Ricky Dicky's version was from 1977. Was it a deliberate rip-off? Fill me in plz!

Here's a SAMPLE

[markydefad]

Rick Dees & His Cast Of Idiots charted "Disco Duck"@ #1 on September 4, 1976. So this came first.

[remicks]

Originally Posted by Mixmachine

Video, this is not 'weird' this was part of a deliberate put down campaign in the USA to ridicule everything "Disco", (Rich Dee's was part of it, and it's not a coincidence his band is called "His cast of idiots")), one the reasons the majority of DJs never played this trash song in a Disco or anywhere else.

Check out the last paragraphs here for some eyeopening info on Rick Dee motives for recording "Disco Duck".

Disco - The Term: Why It Had To Go! DiscoMusic.com

Mixmachine .....I know that you, like me, are only interested in the truth behind the disco story and you especially are concerned about revisionist interpretations ....especially from people citing who knows who on the Internet.

So you'll want to know that that story you reference doesn't exactly tell it right.

Here's some info from what I would call a very credible source:

THE BILLBOARD BOOK OF NUMBER ONE HITS

"I (Rick Dees) was working out in a gym in Memphis (his hometown and where he morning Dj'd on radio WMPS) when disco was coming out, and I also worked in a club called Chesterfield's telling jokes and spinning records," says Dees. "The more I played the songs ,the more I knew it might be time for a disco parody. One of the guys that worked out in the gym did a great duck voice ............so I said "how about a disco duck?"

.........."Dees recorded his tune for Fretone records a local Memphis label ......But DISCO DUCK really got down --- starting in Birmingham Alabama. As it spread throughout the south , Dees flew to Hollywood to sell the record to a major label.
"We talked to everybody in the business and everybody passed on that song (now does that sound like a concerted music business anti-disco conspiracy??) except Al Coury (President of RSO Records) He said, 'Let me take it home and play it for my kids.'" They laughed at the song and Coury leased it for $3,500."

I sometimes feel we are far too thin skinned in our desired role as protectors of disco music. Parody songs have a long tradition in popular music and really only the best get flattered by being taken on by them .

Do songs like RUDOLPH THE RED NOSED REINDEER sully Christmas music?? . Does LITTLE OL' LADY FROM PASADENA wipe out surfing music??

What about Jimmy Castor doing TROGLODYTE or Cheech and Chong's BASKETBALL JONES ?

The most similar song in spirit to DISCO DUCK I can come up with is FUNKY WORM by the Ohio Players .


Any funk fans wanna get indignant about this one ??? :



I think the line "gonna make a million dollars" in it best explains the motivation for creating these records.
It's silliness didn't cause funk to collapse.


And except to join in on the fun, DISCO DUCK did nothing to disco ---
--- It was released in 1976 and disco went on full steam ahead for at least four years after. It was just a fun , clever song that capitalized on a current event ...the way novelty songs do.
(i.e. THE STREAK by Ray Stevens)



*****

[Videoskooter]

Following what Remicks says: "DD" was released by RSO-Records. Aren't they the same guys who made a fortune out of "SNF". If "DD" was meant as a torpedo to Disco, why would they put it out?

It would be a torpedo at their own investment, not?

If "DD" sucks that much, if it would completely mock Disco, why would Tom Moulton burn his fingers by remixing it? Just for the money?

If Ricky Dicky was such a hater of Dance Music why has he prominently featured Sheila E. live on his show a few weeks ago?

"DD" was a parody, it was "Weird Al" avant-la-lettre. Now, like I said, I'm not a big fan of Ricky's humour but he was harmless IMO. The American Record Cie executives killed Disco in the US, not a few noveltic parodies!

And certainly not James Last

So, if you don't like Ricky's version, think away the vocals and enjoy the music...or even better: go and search for that DD-Symphony track. It has the ducks, the violins,the hornZ but not the rappin' radio rookie.

BTW, ever heard Ze French version? >>>>> Le Disco Duck

Or this one:

BTW, "Disco Duck" was inspired by Northern Souler Jackie Lee's hit 'The Duck" which is not available on YT but "The Chicken" is....

[Mixmachine]

[quote=remicks;134960]Mixmachine .....I know that you, like me, are only interested in the truth behind the disco story and you especially are concerned about revisionist interpretations ....especially from people citing who knows who on the Internet.

So you'll want to know that that story you reference doesn't exactly tell it right.

Here's some info from what I would call a very credible source:

THE BILLBOARD BOOK OF NUMBER ONE HITS

"We talked to everybody in the business and everybody passed on that song (now does that sound like a concerted music business anti-disco conspiracy??) except Al Coury (President of RSO Records)

No, this tells me that everyone else knew this was an insulting song, and that given what was beginning to emerge at the time (Disco Suck) releasing this "Parody" was not a good idea for the Biz of Disco!!!

I'll let you in a little secret, just because they put it on Billboard it doesn't necessary reflect the reality of what was happening down in the trenches at the Discos.

Do you really think that Rick Dee was going to come out and say that He was ridiculing Disco and all his fans with this song, How many copies do you think he will sale then?

This song's purpose was to ridicule Disco and everything around it, that's why they used it in that scene in SNF, they needed a 'ridiculous' song to use for the geeks dancing at the Studio and they picked that one. And remember SNF is an Anti-Disco movie not Pro Disco.

That's why red necks used it to ridicule "Disco people" especially Latins they came across.

do you know that in Latin circles a "Duck" is a gay person?

Do you know that within Latin circles when you mockingly chant "whack whack " to someone you're calling them Gay?

Do you think Rick Dee didn't know this?

duck 1 (dk)

4. Slang A person, especially one thought of as peculiar.

I sometimes feel we are far too thin skinned in our desired role as protectors of disco music. Parody songs have a long tradition in popular music and really only the best get flattered by being taken on by them .

It is my understanding that you were doing Radio at the time, so you are probably one of those forced to played this song by your music director, but I was down at the Disco everyday and no one played this trash in a 'proper' disco.

Reporting to Billboard was very much about the politics of the Biz, many Djs reported songs to Billboard because that's what they were told to include in the charts, many others just filled out the forms in a minute by copying someone else's charts, and so on, Billboard charts are fine for refreshing our memories, but I wouldn't put to much faith in the accuracy of the numbers, certainly not in the Disco side of things.

[Videoskooter]

Originally Posted by Mixmachine

do you know that in Latin circles a "Duck" is a gay person?

Plus the "whack whack"part: was it before or after that song came out? just asking!

Went to a party the other night
All the ladies were treating me right
Moving my feet to the disco beat
How in the world could I keep my seat

All of a sudden I began to change
I was on the dance floor acting strange
Flapping my arms I began to cluck
Look at me..
I'm the disco duck

[DD:] Ah, get down, mama
I've got to have me a woman, ha, ha, ha, ha, ha
[BS:] Disco, disco duck
[DD:] Got to have me a woman
[BS:] Disco, disco duck
[DD:] Oh, get down, mama
[BS:] Try your luck, don't be a cluck (= a foolish person), disco

If SNF was so anti-Disco, why didn't they include this one on the soundtrack? IMO, it was used in the movie as the parody it's supposed to be.

Honestly, it's the first time I hear this story. In Europe it's just considered as a funny song, not anti-gay whatsoever!

[remicks]

Originally Posted by Mixmachine

I'll let you in a little secret, just because they put it on Billboard it doesn't necessary reflect the reality of what was happening down in the trenches at the Discos.

Reporting to Billboard was very much about the politics of the Biz, many Djs reported songs to Billboard because that's what they were told to include in the charts, many others just filled out the forms in a minute by copying someone else's charts, and so on, Billboard charts are fine for refreshing our memories, but I wouldn't put to much faith in the accuracy of the numbers, certainly not in the Disco side of things.

Well those charts ... ( the disco charts that is ) which I am so grateful for ..... are indeed somewhat representative of what got played at the time. For instance the era that Marky is now computing .... those charts were broken down by cities and regions and published for all to review and you can confirm there that certain songs do indeed dominate in most the regions . Of course they vary ....even as the music varied from club to club within one city! thank goodness .....
Now unless you think there was a conspiracy at the top that altered each region's reportings ( with no region complaining about it ) .... you have to recognize that certain songs more than any of the others got played virtually everywhere.
As for DISCO DUCK ....who knows how much play it got ... depending on what club you were in I guess...but judging from its wimpy disco chart success it didn't get played that much (or folks were being too cool to report it) . Regardless ,we know the song existed....was huge on the radio... and no harm came of it IMO ....

Do you really think that Rick Dee was going to come out and say that He was ridiculing Disco and all his fans with this song, How many copies do you think he will sale then?

His comments about the song came from a book published well after the time of money making on that record : 1985

Do you know that in Latin circles a "Duck" is a gay person?

Do you know that within Latin circles when you mockingly chant "whack whack " to someone you're calling them Gay?
4. Slang A person, especially one thought of as peculiar.

"Duck" means many things but I cannot confirm your assertion about it meaning "gay" ......???? Never heard that before myself and can't find a reference saying so ....

Do you think Rick Dee didn't know this?

Well mixmachine you can't have it both ways ....either its how you present it in this case , with disco very much associated with gays , so much so that even a young DJ in Memphis knew it in 1976 and intentionally worked in references in his song ....or its the way you usually prefer to present it : with it becoming "gay" only in latter day revisionists' imaginations....
( How come Rick Dees knew the disco/gay connection in Memphis , but you didn't in Miami?? )

It is my understanding that you were doing Radio at the time, so you are probably one of those forced to played this song by your music director, but I was down at the Disco everyday and no one played this trash in a 'proper' disco.

Yes but this was a college radio station I was at . I was the ONLY person playing disco ... and believe me no one at the station had a clue in terms of telling me what to play !!

And yes I did play DISCO DUCK and enjoyed every second of it !! Who knows how many flipped the channel because of it !!

*****