Teen Idols Who Did Disco

[Cdnbob]

What other teen idols besides the following did disco during the disco era?


A Holland Dozier Holland Production Produced by Brian Holland






A Holland Dozier Holland Production Produced by Brian Holland

[drlove]

I'd add:

1) Tony Orlando (teen idol - circa 1961 - WAY before hooking up with Telma & Joyce) -- released a 12-inch solo version of "Don't Go" in 1978, before Isaac Hayes' own classic rendition a year or so later. Also, in 1975-76, Tony Orlando & Dawn released the original version of "Midnight Love Affair" as an album cut, though Carol Douglas had the much-remembered hit with it.

2) Jackson 5 (big-time teen idols from 1970-75) --- had huge club hits with "Forever Came Today" (1975) and then with "Shake Your Body Down To The Ground / Blame It on the Boogie" (1978-79) and "Lovely One / Can You Feel It / Walk Right Now" (1980-81).

3) Ralph Carter (teen idol years 1974-79) -- the "Good Times" tv star made a smooth transition to disco recording star with the Van McCoy productions of "When You're Young and in Love" (1975) and "Extra, Extra, (Read All About It)" (1976).

4) Andy Gibb (teen idol years 1977-1981) -- the Bee Gees' younger brother had a 12-inch version of "Shadow Dancing" (his big pop/dance hit of 1978), though it likely saw little or no action in the clubs.

5) I'm sure they're many others . . .but that's why it's so cool to have so many members to contribute da rest !!!

[remicks]

*****

Canadian disco pioneers !! :

1)Dr. Love:

Tony Orlando (teen idol - circa 1961 - WAY before hooking up with Telma & Joyce) -- released a 12-inch solo version of "Don't Go" in 1978, before Isaac Hayes' own classic rendition a year or so later. Also, in 1975-76, Tony Orlando & Dawn released the original version of "Midnight Love Affair" as an album cut, though Carol Douglas had the much-remembered hit with it.

--- I did not know this ....good info! .... curious to hear it ....

******

[Cdnbob]

Did the Defranco Family record disco? I don't recall any... ??

[drlove]

Remicks . . you'll find that "Midnight Love Affair" on the TO BE WITH YOU album by Tony O. & Dawn (circa late-Spring of '76):

Tony Orlando and Dawn -To Be With You - Elektra Records 7E-1049 - 1976 (Also released in Quad version)
Side 1: Cupid, To Be With You, Caress Me Pretty Music, Selfish One, Happy Man
Side 2: Midnight Love Affair, Talk To Me, You're All I Need To Get By, (You're) Growin' On Me, When The Party's Over

To Be With You
1. Cupid
2. To Be With You
3. Caress Me Pretty Music
4. Selfish One
5. Happy man
6. Midnight Love Affair
7. Talk To Me
8. You're All I Need To Get By
9. (You're) Growin' On Me
10. When The Party's Over

[disco-disc]

I see you have the Bay city rollers, hows about other 'Teen Idol' groups:
Sweet
Osmonds
Glitter Band
Mud
John Travolta

All were Teen idols to some extent ??

Strange that David Cassidy did not do a Disco record....would have thought he was the most likely to ??

[drlove]

Disco-Disc . . . I know Glitter Band's "Makes You Blind" (GREAT instrumental track, by the way) . . . but what are some of the disco releases by the other groups you mention ???

[STEPHEN L FREEMAN]

Originally Posted by drlove

you'll find that "Midnight Love Affair" on the TO BE WITH YOU album by Tony O. & Dawn (circa late-Spring of '76):
1. Cupid
2. To Be With You
3. Caress Me Pretty Music
4. Selfish One
5. Happy man
6. Midnight Love Affair
7. Talk To Me
8. You're All I Need To Get By
9. (You're) Growin' On Me
10. When The Party's Over

Was the LP (or any of the individual cuts) produced, or arranged by John Davis? The writers of "Midnight Love Affair" don't appear on any other Carol Douglas, nor John Davis LP. So it appears that Carol's was a full-on cover-version.

[Cdnbob]

Originally Posted by disco-disc

I see you have the Bay city rollers, hows about other 'Teen Idol' groups:
Sweet
Osmonds
Glitter Band
Mud
John Travolta

All were Teen idols to some extent ??

Strange that David Cassidy did not do a Disco record....would have thought he was the most likely to ??

Actually David Cassidy just released an album of his and a few Partridge Family songs remixed to modern day beats.

As for The Osmonds, the only disco-related album they did was the one that Maurice Gibb produced (Steppin Out - 1979) and as far as I know, John Travolta never did any disco numbers at least not on the two solo albums he released. No idea who Mud are, and never heard of the Glitter Band either. Were they UK groups.

Sweet... ahhhh yes, I suppose if you count "Fox On The Run" or "Ballroom Blitz".

[Jackson9]

Stacy Lattisaw - Dynamite

The Sylvers - Boogie Fever / Hot Line

[STEPHEN L FREEMAN]

Originally Posted by disco-disc

...about other 'Teen Idol' groups: Glitter Band

If they were a Teen Idol band... MAN! They were a damn funky one. They had a good run in the UK, but "Makes You Blind" was the only time they surfaced in the US clubs, or radio. I'd assumed (solely from lack of available information, at the time) that they were along the lines of The Olympic Runners, in the UK. Later to discover they were Gary Glitter's concert back-up ban.

Originally Posted by disco-disc

Strange that David Cassidy did not do a Disco record....would have thought he was the most likely to ??

Actually, Cassidy was fighting, the entire time he was in The Partridge Family, to escape the Teen Idol image. He'd always aspired to being a Rock musician. And was/has been adamant about that in every interview he's given. Now and since. He was forever trying to shake the Teen/Pop image. If he'd done a Disco recording, it would've been the final nail-in-the-coffin of him being accepted/respected by the Rock & Roll community.

Keeping in mind that his was the mid-late 70's. There was no bridge between the two genres yet.

[drlove]

Thanks, Stephen, I believe you're absolutely correct (based on the 1976 dates TO&D's "Midnight Love Affair" charted on the A/C charts and when Carol's superior disco version hit the dance charts) and we know Carol has had quite an illustrious career of cutting some stellar cover records (Dancing Queen, Night Fever, etc.) in addition to her originals.

As far as that TO&D LP's production credits, I no longer personally own that LP as it was one of my Katrina casualties, but I also didn't see any production credits listed on allmusic.com

Here's the you-tube entry of their recorded performance of "Midnight Love Affair"
YouTube - Midnight Love Affair

Finally, looks like a huge TO&D really fan needs to put in an entry at the discogs website, which doesn't feature this particular 1976 LP at the Dawn page:
http://www.discogs.com/artist/Dawn+(5)

[STEPHEN L FREEMAN]

Originally Posted by Cdnbob

...as far as I know, John Travolta never did any disco numbers at least not on the two solo albums he released.

Even on that double LP he recorded for MidLand/MidSong International?

Originally Posted by Cdnbob

...never heard of the Glitter Band either. Were they UK groups.

Their instrumental track from 1976, "Makes You Blind" was a HUGE dancefloor, and R&B radio hit, in 1976. An awesome instrumental groove, on Bell/Arista Records in the US. No extended 12", but you didn't need one. The way the song was constructed, you could start it over, and over, and over...with a simple slip-cue into another copy of the 45.

Originally Posted by Cdnbob

Sweet... ahhhh yes, I suppose if you count "Fox On The Run" or "Ballroom Blitz".

I was a sucker for 1972's "Little Willy". A real stomper!

[Cdnbob]

Originally Posted by STEPHEN L FREEMAN

Actually, Cassidy was fighting, the entire time he was in The Partridge Family, to escape the Teen Idol image. He'd always aspired to being a Rock musician. And was/has been adamant about that in every interview he's given. Now and since. He was forever trying to shake the Teen/Pop image. If he'd done a Disco recording, it would've been the final nail-in-the-coffin of him being accepted/respected by the Rock & Roll community. Keeping in mind that his was the mid-late 70's. There was no bridge between the two genres yet.

Yes, you only have to look at the difference between his very first solo record "Cherish" and "Rock Me Baby". The first could almost be a Partridge Family album while the second was much more rock n' roll orientated. Two very different albums.

Then look at his RCA output from 1976-79. Much more rock orientated. He worked a lot with Bruce Johnson of the Beach Boys during this time, while in the early 70's one of his writing partners was Kim Carnes (of "Bette Davis Eyes" fame). One of his best tracks from the 76-79 period was a song by Paul & Linda McCartney called "Tomorrow" as well as doing the very first version of "I Write The Songs".

Sadly now he seems to be stuck continually re-recording his old stuff but just in new styles.

[drlove]

.. . ooh, Good call, Jackson9:

THE SYLVERS !!!

how could I have forgotten them ??? They were certainly in all the teen mags of the day (1976-77), and their brand of bubblegum-disco was INFECTIOUS !!! "Hot Line"' is one of my favorite disco tracks of all time, only because my feet can't stop moving everytime I hear it !!! Having Freddie Perren as a writer/producer certainly helped this family group of 9 brothers & sisters, as he helped guide Tavares to disco immortality as well that very same year (1976).