1979! Best Year In Disco?

[needlefingers]

For myself, 1979 is the best year for disco. The sound is not only refined from its original roots, but is sharper, clearer, focused and even more fun than all the years before. The range of songs that are considered disco, is wider. It rules the charts and pop world (and the advertising world too). Fashion is important, except in the gay clubs, where the t-shirts come off. The fad is in full swing.

There is such a gluttony of releases that much gets lost, never played. Some of it re-discovered here on discomusic.com (thank God). Earlier artists releases, such as Donna Summer and Chic, are now guaranteed a seat at the number one position. For me, every night is Saturday night.

It’s the year I return home from 3 years in Germany/Europe (soldier by day, dj at night). I come home in the late summer and immediately come out to gay bars (The Copa). I exchange my ties and gold thread shirts for jeans and a t-shirt. I get to hear what the American dj’s are playing that’s European, and vice versa. And weekends are filled with catching Grace Jones, Evelyn “Champagne” King or France Joli at the club.

It is also the year of the backlash, The Knack, “disco sucks”….etc. But I can take the bad with the good. (I always have)

Here we are 30 years later and I am grateful that I survived to celebrate my love and passion. And to have you guys and gals to banter around with it.



Happy Anniversary 1979!

Here are the number one dance songs from 1979

Number-one dance hits of 1979 (USA)
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

These are the Billboard magazineHot Dance Club Play number one hits of 1979.
Issue Date
Song
Artist
January 6
"Le Freak" / "I Want Your Love" / "Chic Cheer"
Chic

January 13
"Contact"
Edwin Starr

January 20
Fly Away (all cuts)
Voyage

January 27
"I Will Survive" / "Substitute" / "Anybody Wanna Party?" / "I Said Yes"
Gloria Gaynor

February 3
"I Will Survive" / "Substitute" / "Anybody Wanna Party?" / "I Said Yes"
Gloria Gaynor

February 10
"I Will Survive" / "Substitute" / "Anybody Wanna Party?" / "I Said Yes"
Gloria Gaynor

February 17
"Keep on Dancin'" / "Do It at the Disco" / "Let's Lovedance Tonight"
Gary's Gang

February 24
"Da Ya Think I'm Sexy?"
Rod Stewart

March 3
"Da Ya Think I'm Sexy?"
Rod Stewart

March 10
"Da Ya Think I'm Sexy?"
Rod Stewart

March 17
"I Got My Mind Made Up (You Can Get It Girl)"
Instant Funk

March 24
"He's the Greatest Dancer" / "We Are Family"
Sister Sledge

March 31
"He's the Greatest Dancer" / "We Are Family"
Sister Sledge

April 7
"Dancer" / "Dance to Dance"
Gino Soccio

April 14
"Dancer" / "Dance to Dance"
Gino Soccio

April 21
"Dancer" / "Dance to Dance"
Gino Soccio

April 28
"Dancer" / "Dance to Dance"
Gino Soccio

May 5
"Dancer" / "Dance to Dance"
Gino Soccio

May 12
"Dancer" / "Dance to Dance"
Gino Soccio

May 19
"Ring My Bell"
Anita Ward

May 26
"Hot Stuff" / "Bad Girls"
Donna Summer

June 2
"Hot Stuff" / "Bad Girls"
Donna Summer

June 9
"Hot Stuff" / "Bad Girls"
Donna Summer

June 16
"Hot Stuff" / "Bad Girls"
Donna Summer

June 23
"Hot Stuff" / "Bad Girls"
Donna Summer

June 30
"Hot Stuff" / "Bad Girls"
Donna Summer

July 7
"Hot Stuff" / "Bad Girls"
Donna Summer

July 14
"Born to Be Alive"
Patrick Hernandez

July 21
"Born to Be Alive"
Patrick Hernandez

July 28
"Born to Be Alive"
Patrick Hernandez

August 4
"I've Got the Next Dance"
Deniece Williams

August 11
"This Time Baby"
Jackie Moore

August 18
"Here Comes That Sound Again"
Love De-Luxe

August 25
The Boss (all cuts)
Diana Ross

September 1
The Boss (all cuts)
Diana Ross

September 8
"Found a Cure" / "Stay Free" / "Nobody Knows"
Ashford & Simpson

September 15
"Found a Cure" / "Stay Free" / "Nobody Knows"
Ashford & Simpson

September 22
"Come to Me" / "Don't Stop Dancing" / "Playboy"
France Joli

September 29
"Come to Me" / "Don't Stop Dancing" / "Playboy"
France Joli

October 6
"Come to Me" / "Don't Stop Dancing" / "Playboy"
France Joli

October 13
"Move On Up" / "Up Up Up" / "Destination's Theme"
Destination

October 20
"Move On Up" / "Up Up Up" / "Destination's Theme"
Destination

October 27
"Move On Up" / "Up Up Up" / "Destination's Theme"
Destination

November 3
"Move On Up" / "Up Up Up" / "Destination's Theme"
Destination

November 10
"Harmony" / "Ooh, La La"
Suzi Lane

November 17
"Beat of the Night" / "Pump It Up"
Fever

November 24
"No More Tears (Enough Is Enough)"
Barbra Streisand and Donna Summer

December 1
"No More Tears (Enough Is Enough)"
Barbra Streisand and Donna Summer

December 8
"No More Tears (Enough Is Enough)"
Barbra Streisand and Donna Summer

December 15
"No More Tears (Enough Is Enough)"
Barbra Streisand and Donna Summer

December 22
"Deputy of Love"
Don Armando's Second Avenue Rhumba Band

December 29
"Deputy of Love"
Don Armando's Second Avenue Rhumba Band

[STEPHEN L FREEMAN]

I'm gonna go with 1978 as the "Best Year In Disco" for me, personally.

The Euro influence was blending with the US styles. The genre had become refined in it's overall sound, but there were still variations going on. The formula wasn't completely in place...just yet.

It had gone Global, but the floodgates hadn't opened...just yet. To those of us who'd been in the scene from the start (say...'73-74ish), there was still a feeling of it being ours. Does that sound imperious or a tad "elitist"? It should. It is. And I make no apologies for the truth. By '79, we'd become faces <gasp!> within the crowd. That was a big blow, to the collective Egos of a lot of people who were, just a couple years prior, considered on the cutting edge, or avant-garde. By late '78, the socio-economic conditions that compelled the need for the Disco scene, had all but disappeared. The trend was all that was left.

A good comparison would be how the "Punk" crowd of the late 70's felt, when the 80's came along and their sound broke-out, got watered-down and dissolved into New Wave. I believe it was Johnny Rotten of the Sex Pistols, who summed this up perfectly in an interview: (forgive me for any paraphrasing) In the beginning, the kids in the UK-Punk scene were aggressive and rebellious, because they had serious socio-economic issues to rebel against. Their anger, or rage, was justified, but had nowhere to go, except into their music. But, by the time they got to touring the US, they found crowds of kids who were aggressive simply for aggression's sake. Their anger, or rage, was neither real, nor justified. The "angry youth" was, by then, merely fashionable.

[drlove]

Needlefingers, you're right when you say 1979 gave you a much wider choice, as by then, it was the most commercially successful genre of music out there. The # of disco tunes to top the pop charts (i.e. mainstream audience) peaked in that year, and Billboard even began a Top 100 positions listing on the disco charts (signifying --- as you well pointed out, needlefingers --- that there was MUCH product out there in '79).

My disco memories of '79 are pitiful in comparison with your buoyant description of nightlife, circa 1979. I got to do a modified "pretzel" disco dance with a good friend in our class talent show skit (Whoop-tee-doo !!!)Too bad I wasn't of legal drinking/bar-entering age in '79.

Musically, though, I did '76, when there was a more R&B vibe to disco music (Tavares, Trammps, Supremes, Sylvers, Lou Rawls, Four Below Zero, Whirlwind, etc.)

But as we get ready to enter the 30th anniversary of the start of '79, I definitely join ya in celebrating disco's greatest year in terms of product and commercial success!

[needlefingers]

Well then, let's get this party started right ....

Some other ‘79 hits…

Cher - Take Me Home


The Ring - Savage Lover


Festival - Don't Cry For Me Argentina


Ferrara - Love Attack


Stephanie Mills - You Can Get Over


George McCrae - Don’t You Feel My Love


Kat Mandu - The Break


Revanche - Music Man

[RetroRuss]

It is really scary to think that 1979 was 30 years ago!! Although my 'disco odyssey' began in 1976, 1979 was the year for me - precisely because it was mainstream genre of music that has always 'done it for me'.

I was 19 then, a student (ahem), more like a full time clubber!! Going out every Thursday, Friday & Saturday night to the 3 clubs that were the places to be in London (and a whole heap more to dance), meant I had the most amazing experiences, met the rich, famous, poor, odd, etc. I have stories that make people gasp in amazement - being a level headed person I didn't indulge in (too many) drugs or alcohol so just soaked it all up!

As I say on my website, Facebook etc. you can't recreate the period (or indeed that particular year) however its essence lives on in the music and having danced to it the first time round I try and share that feeling that vibe, the spirit, through my shows, and live gigs.

[needlefingers]

Here is the wikipedia entry describing 1979 in music

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/1979_in_music

And more memories….

Edwin Starr - H.A.P.P.Y. Radio


Pamala Stanley - This Is Hot


Shelia & B. Devotion - Spacer


Cory Daye - Pow Wow


Herb Alpert - Rise


Claudja Barry - Boogie Woogie Dancin’ Shoes


Peter Jaeques Band - Walking On Music


Debbie Jacobs - Don’t You Want My Love


McFadden & Whitehead - Ain’t No Stoppin’ Us Now


Freddie James - Get Up And Boogie

[STEPHEN L FREEMAN]

Originally Posted by needlefingers

Here is the wikipedia entry describing 1979 in music.

Great link. I love those timeline chart / list things. And in it, I stumbled across a fact that I never knew (or, never noticed...), regarding the soundtrack from "Saturday Night Fever"...

It was released in November of 1977, with the first single being "How Deep Is Your Love". In 1978, "How Deep Is Your Love" won a Grammy for Best Song of 1977. Then... in 1979, the soundtrack wins a Grammy for 1978's Album of The Year.

The same LP, with a shelf-life strong enough for it to win Awards in 2 consecutive years. (Which also, means it sustains a cultural and creative relevance, within the Recording Industry, spanning 3 years.)
I may not be much of a SNF fan, but that's an exceptional accomplishment!

[needlefingers]

Originally Posted by STEPHEN L FREEMAN

It was released in November of 1977, with the first single being "How Deep Is Your Love". In 1978, "How Deep Is Your Love" won a Grammy for Best Song of 1977. Then... in 1979, the soundtrack wins a Grammy for 1978's Album of The Year.

As I have noted here before, How Deep Is Your Love was released before the movie and was the number one song when the movie came out. For those first two weeks, people went to see Saturday Night Fever to hear How Deep Is Your Love. They didn't know the other songs/music involved until they saw the picture.

And the producers thought they had missed the "disco craze" and feared they had a big flop on their hands.

[Rab]

"Beat of the Night" / "Pump It Up", This is interesting? Wasn't aware this was such a big hit back then.

[STEPHEN L FREEMAN]

Originally Posted by Rab

"Beat of the Night" / "Pump It Up", This is interesting? Wasn't aware this was such a big hit back then.

I believe it was more of a regional thing. Crazy BIG in San Francisco, LA and New York. But not a lot of attention anywhere else.

I'm not surprised it topped the chart, if only for a week. It did flare-up fast, and burned mega-watt bright. Then (at least where I played, and in the clubs I danced at..) it dropped-off, just as quickly as it came.