IMPORTANT: Disco Backlash at WMC in Miami - PRESS RELEASE

[Bernie]

Hi all,



Just got off the phone with Marty Angelo of "Disco Step By Step" fame. He relayed his unfair treatment by an organizer of the Winter Music Conference through a formal press release which I will post below.



Marty has taken a bold stand against such blatant and ignorant views of Disco. After reading the press release please show Marty your support by replying to this post and by visiting his website at http://www.discostepbystep.com.



It's amazing that even in 2002 there are some that act as though Disco never existed and believe that it has no place in discussions, but at the same time exploit the Disco vaults for inspiration and samples.



==================



Press release

March 20, 2002



For Immediate Release



Winter Music Conference Organizers Tries to Muzzle Disco Innovator



World's first disco television producer bows out after being told to "be

objective"



MIAMI, March 20, 2002. In what has transpired into a war of words Marty

Angelo, creator, producer, and writer of Disco Step-by-Step ?, the world's

first disco dance television show, announced today that he would not

continue to seek participation in any discussion panels at this year's

Winter Music Conference.



"I submitted my credentials to the panel coordinator back in early January

of this year," stated Angelo. "No one ever got back to me, so I

resubmitted them again a few weeks later and still no one even called to

say yes or no. That got me wondering."



Angelo sent numerous emails and faxes to the Winter Music Conference and

finally did hear from newly appointed panel coordinator, Frank Ceraolo. He

apologized about the lack of communication, stating his paperwork must have

gotten lost, but was interested in having Angelo speak on a Marketing/

Promo panel. Then after a week of no communication at all, Angelo

re-emailed Ceraolo, and to his dismay, was told by Ceraolo: "I am a

"little" concerned about you being part of the Promo panel, because of your

company name....people above me have expressed concern that the moniker

"DISCO" is a little "outdated".



Angelo responded back to Ceraolo explaining the word disco should not be a

cause of concern. Ceraolo fired back an email to Angelo, which

stated: "I really do not want you to go off about the 'disco' thing,

because OTHERS are just as sensitive-- and you know why. I am not

embarrassed about DISCO...I love it personally. However, others here

(above me) are more 'sensitive'. You let me know what your thoughts are,

and if you can be 'objective', let's put this to bed."



Angelo, whose roots are drenched in the disco field, was one of the

original members of various disco Dj organizations such as: New York Disco

Record Pool and the International Disco Record Centre. He was founder of

the Buffalo New York Disco Record Pool and in the late '70s produced the

world's first all disco dance television show. Angelo also produced and

hosted two live disco radio shows, was a correspondent to Billboard

Magazine, Cashbox, Disco News and Record World, and in 1979 helped organize

the first, still on-going, annual event: "The World's Largest Disco" <sum>

which according to The Guinness Book of World Records confirmed that the

crowd of 13,000 made the first event the largest disco event of all time.



Angelo's music business background also goes back even before the disco era

when he managed various successful rock bands, promoted concerts, and

produced records. He and former Beatle, George Harrison and rock legend,

Jimi Hendrix discovered a group from Buffalo New York called the

Raven. Angelo also managed the '60s top 40 band, the Grass Roots, and

traveled around the world working with just about every major band.



"I think an organization who specializes in promoting mainly dance music

should be ashamed of themselves for this type of behavior," Angelo

remarked. "It is one thing to not be on any panels but to ask me to be

'objective' in using the word 'disco' <sum> is a bit too much for me to

handle. Whatever happened to our primary constitutional right: "freedom

of speech?"



"Disco never died or disappeared <sum> it evolved into the dance music that we

have today, and one of the very reasons why there is even a Winter Music

Conference in the first place! They boast that over 6500 music industry

professionals and enthusiasts from around the world will converge in Miami

Beach. Representatives from over 60 countries were in attendance last year

including executives from major and independent record labels, publishers,

promoters, managers, agents, artists, DJs, remixers, producers, radio and

video programmers, retailers, Internet companies, equipment hardware and

software manufacturers, as well as media from around the world. Last year

I actually placed a 1/4 page display advertisement in WMC's attendee

directory. I gave them over $600 for that ad and no one.. not one person <sum>

ever complained or objected that I not use my company name in that

ad. This is some kind of double standard.



"These people are making a small fortune off of an industry which disco

helped start. I would think the attendees would love to hear about the

era, which still feeds them. There are not many disco innovators still

alive yet alone willing to talk about such a controversial subject.



"Where do we live, Nazi Germany? The old Soviet Union? China? Cuba?

Afghanistan?" Angelo asked the Winter Music Conference panel

coordinator. "You are trying to control what I say because you do not like

a particular "word" which is the very word that continues to put money in

people's pockets and food on their table?



"Now I know what Afghanistan women must feel like when they are forced to

wear 'Hookahs' (veils to cover their faces and bodies.) just because they

are women. I know it maybe stretching this a bit <sum> but in a small way I

can understand discrimination and stupidity a bit better today than yesterday."



Angelo points to his website, discostepbystep.com, which he designed for

historical purposes, stating: "If you look on my website you will find a

page called: "Did Disco Die?"

(http://www.discostepbystep.com/did_disco_die.htm.) And on that page is a

list of 48 different names of today's dance music genre. Each name can

'only' go back as far as the word 'disco'. They all started AFTER the

original disco era<sum> from '2Step to US Techno' <sum> every single one of the

dance music genre's listed is rooted in disco <sum> Just because some

people "expressed concerned" about the word DISCO does not give them the

right to muzzle people who want to point back to it and give credit where

credit is do. How dare them try to control what people say.



"Shall we just sweep the entire disco movement under the rug, and pretend

it did not exist? Steve Dahl, a rock music radio station disc jockey tried

to kill disco in Chicago back in 1979 when he promoted "A Disco Demolition

Night" at Comiskey Park, but that did not work. All disco did was

reproduce itself into hundreds of smaller genres.



"Suppose rock and roll innovators Wolfman Jack or Alan Freeman were still

alive today, (not that I think I am on same level as them) would the WMC

say to them: 'You can participate on a panel but because you promoted

early rock and roll music be 'objective' talking about it. You can be on a

panel but we will not use your company name: "rock and roll". I am sure

there would be plenty of people who would want to hear what they had to say

at a winter music conference. How could people not be interested in

hearing from the very innovators who started a business they are still

making money in?"



Angelo tried continuously to reason with Ceraolo until he received

Ceraolo's final email response stating: "Look, I really don't have time

for this. I have tried to do my best...but I do not need someone who is

going to complain, 'bitch' or moan about concerns that are not my own. I

have a job to do...and at this point, this has become too "high

maintenance" for me. I am sorry that you could not be 'satisfied' with

what I was trying to do. You should be proud of your company and its

accomplishments, but I am not going to get into a 'debate' or argument with

you about any of this."



When asked how he felt by Ceraolo's remarks, Angelo responded: "I am

totally insulted, ashamed, and angry that this whole thing has turned out

like this. But you know something? I am not surprised <sum> because people in

the music business have not changed very much over the years <sum> they still

like to eat their young.



"To comply with the WMC's demands would mean to take a seat in the back of

the bus and our founding fathers fought too hard for me not to stand up to

this freedom of speech infringement. I prefer to bow out of this

controversy instead of giving into a 'Sieg Heil' mentality! I am tired of

seeing our freedoms slowly deteriorate."



Contact

Marty Angelo

Disco Step-by-Step? Dance Television Show

http://www.discostepbystep.com

954-677-8161

email address: discostep2001@yahoo.com



Winter Music Conference

http://www.wintermusicconference.com/

(954) 563-4444 · Fax: (954) 563-1599

info@WinterMusicConference.com

-30-



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There you go, that's Marty's press release. How do you all feel about this? Post your remarks here and let yourselves be heard. What's everyone's insight into what happened to Marty? How best to handle situations like these...?

[Robbie]

I can't really blame the higher-ups for giving a cold shouldered stance towards Angelo. Not for nothing, but even if the music continues to live on, it is nothing but mere retro cotton candy to the rest of the public, especially in the major industries.



I too feel that "disco" is outdated for 2002, but I am only speaking from an outside view. The disco music of the 70's IS disco, but too call it "dance" music is wrong. "Dance" is vague and generic.



Perhaps it's because I've always been leery of how the pop culture has played with disco music over the years, re its "renaissance" in the 90's. But, like the 60's hippie revivial of the late 80's, the disco revival was forever to be locked in the dungeon of retro kitsch filth, with overexaggerated images that supposedly "defined" disco when in reality it was only "assumptions". All of this talk about "everyone had Afros and wore flares" just doesn't hold up.



I think Angelo had to realize that whether it would happen this year or not, anything bearing the name "disco" was sure to get sneered at by the higher-ups. That's just the way it is. In the general sense, it was a fad; of course the music continued but it went underground, where it originally was and could've stayed until the artists wanted something big. Even underground would only finds its own clique though I'm sure many of them would've wanted more exposure (which would bring them $$$ and fame, just like it happened when disco entered the public consciousness).



I can't blame Angelo for being pissed off beyond anything, for he has put all he has into this music, but when you're part of the higher bracket and your goods get the thumbs-down, maybe it's best to start your own little niche in the music industry, independently.

[martya11]

Bernie ..

Thank you for your support and for posting my press release on your website.

I do need to clear a few things up right here in the beginning.

Folks .. this is not about disco. It is far from it. Yes .. disco is the reason for the reaction .. but let me tell you, it is much deeper than that. It is about FREEDOM!

No one has the right to discrimate against anyone for anything ... and that includes "disco" or dance music .. or whatever you want to call it.

I did not pick this fight ... I am only in the middle of it and willing to step out on a limb and defend my rights as an American.

I have been out of the music business for years. I do have the Disco Step-by-Step (tm)website as a tribute to those who want a look back at that era ... and for historical purposes. But .. believe me .. I have not made money in the music business for 25 years!

I only wanted to volunteer to speak on a panel at the WMC ... not as a disco flag waver .. but as someone who had some spare time on his hands and thought maybe I could help things along. I did not have any pre-conceived idea or agenda.

But ... when the WMC decided to start playing "disco" type games with me .. and did not want me to use my trademarked name, is when I stood up and took notice. Why wouldn't a dance music company not want me to use my company name...was really my first question. What is in a name? Well .. as you read the press release Bernie has posted you will start to see a picture and a pattern here .. that goes a lot deeper that just music.

This is not a new story but one that goes back ages in the Entertainment business. God forbid anyone found out you were Jewish back in the Golden Days of Movies! How about top 40 radio stations not playing black music? How about white musicians stealing songs from black musicians .. they called it "covering?" How about signing contracts with minors and stealing all of their money? No, my friends .. this is a much deeper issue than some disco music.

This is about FREEDOM! Freedom of Speech!

I did not intend for this to be a platform for political music politics .. but .. again.. I did not ask for this fight.

I am sure it will pass... I just want to hold people accountable for their actions .. that's all. If you want to stomp on people's freedom then go to Afganistan and join the Talaban ... (which we do see what is happening to them .. so maybe you better stay put ... but if you do .. then be careful what you say and do to people .. especially people who are FREE and have the right to speak up.)

Nope ... this is not about DISCO... again .. I will defend it to the hilt .. but I will never allow someone to take away my rights as an American. NEVER! I know too many people who have died for this right.



<font size=-1>[ This Message was edited by: martya11 on 2002-03-20 18:22 ]</font>

<font size=-1>[ This Message was edited by: martya11 on 2002-03-20 18:37 ]</font>

[paul]

Well, allow me to inject a little of the race card here because I think it works. Being African-American I/we know when we just aren't welcome to the party even if cordially invited. I think what Marty should do now is redirect his justifiable anger into something positive as in organizing something similar but with people who aren't afraid to wear their disco pride. I too get annoyed at this ridiculous mindless attitude towards disco. These same hypocrites go the ballparks and do their lame YMCA.

Marty should remove his support from any organization that has issues with "disco." Sometimes I feel like I live in bizarro world. You can say bluegrass, swing, opera etc today and no one raises an eyebrow but god forbid you dare say the "D" word. Pardon me but those who can't deal with it can kiss my black ass.

[The Lord of Flatbush]

Let's use these examples: Disco Mix, Disco Single and Disco Version; Does those examples ring a bell?



Disco was revolutionary in its hey day, whether it was the clothes, clubs or the music. The DJ's, producers and remixers also played a key part during the mid-seventies until 1980. Not to mention, the dancers and the host from various shows outside of American Bandstand and Soul Train.



The genres of music changed but what can't be taken away from us are the memories that's kept alive. From the various clubs, such as The Paradise Garage and Studio 54 just to name a few were instrumental to making excitement shine brightly on a regular basis until its close.

[chillywilly]

I gotta say that being a child of the 70's and a huge disco fanatic that the idea that

"Disco" should just fade away is insane.



I recently recieved a double 12" pack of

Pink "get the party started" and one of the mixes in the pack is "Pink's noise disco mix".



Many labels still remix new and established artists using a standard disco beat and using the word "disco" in the name of the mix.



The Conference needs to remember its roots and worry more about alienating its contributors and less about trying to be "hip".

[DeepBeat]

This is totally ridiculous. I think narrow-mindedness is a word that can't even begin to describe the way some people in the music business still perceive the world "disco" to be.

The kids today have not lived through the "I Hate Disco" thing so I don't see any reason why they would be hostile to the term. This obsession about things being new (new sound, new club wear, new attitude) is just a marketing coup d'etat enforced to the ignorant public.

I can live with an ignorant public but I cannot stand ignorant so-called professionals of the dance music industry who prefer disco bashing over the short lived unimaginative NEW sounds they promote. No matter what they say, if it makes you move it's disco no matter what the marketing department wants to call it.

[cjanzalone]

right on marty and the other guys who wont stand for disco bashing. i also made a point in my posting in this site have they forgot their roots. i love house . techno and hiphop. not all but some. hell i hated some disco records i had to play. but in the 80s you ll find that the djs of the 70s were the producers of the 80s.and the house producers of the 80s became the producers of the 90s and so on. i played in the 70s 80s and 90s. and still do for special parties in y2k. there is always a new generation of djs and record promoters in every decade as the trends change but not to recognize marty is a shame. electronic will suffer the same fate as disco. record companies will put out crap that wont sell and calim electronic is dead. hell grunge didnt have a long shelf life did it. but the 4 4 dance (disco) dance beat will live on and evolve as long as people dance. in other countries the word disco is still used as a place to dance to a dj.oh are they not politicaly correct with their music. i remember when moby signed a deal with a major record company. his fans blasted him as a sell out. well where is he now, he is a big hit with the main stream. well if disco is bad and oldschool and alternative is out it hasnt hurt him. he knows his alternative roots and just expanded his music from it. remember we are all here as well as the djs circle jerking to electronic music in miami because of DISCO. shame on the winter music conference . pinks new 12 inch is hot did they ban her from the convention. for having a disco mix on it. or how about the GROOVE ARMADA DISCOTEK MIX OF SUPERSTYLING. OH AND ATTENTION RECORD GURU S the 12 inch record was invented by djs in the 70s who wanted a longer version.and they said the 12 inch was finished with the invention of the CD. why are they making turn tables again. because djs want to be djs like we were. history is history and lets not forget it

[arjan]

I have to play dance music from the clubs on the radio, presenting a dance chart, but I get sometimes very annoyed by hearing what the producers do with disco samples. Often it is so bad and non-original that I would call it waste of vinyl. They should keep it the way it was, an MP3 or Magic file or so and send it through e-mail or put it on a web site, but never release it on vinyl. It is simply too bad and too easy to make this music yourself. What a shame for the dance scene nowadays.



I wouldn´t even WANT to be on a conference or convention if there would only be people like R. Rivera or DJ Jean, Thunderpussies and all that shit. They make music for children or people so stoned that they can´t even think anymore.



By the way: there is also a lot of good "dance" music nowadays and I am sure the guys that produce this would love to have Marty at their party.



Arjan (from Europe).

[Paulo]

Just when you think that (after some 25 years), we got rid of the prejudice, there it comes again alive as ever: prejudice against disco, againgst blacks, against gays, against people, against freedom.



Unfortunately the sistem never sleeps. He has a sense of survival which reveals itself when it feels "threatened", even by the smallest of things. Power don't want to lose its unique highly place. It doesn't share.



These people didn't realize that we are in the 2000s, in another century. Their minds are still in the 20's.

[arjan]

Without the blacks and gays (and so disco) the average man would still dance the "Wiener Walz" (Johan Strauss).

[Fantomas]

To Arjan:

Your comment is totally racist. As for Blacks, yes, they probably were the most influential in the Disco scene, specially in the beginning. But you must not forget the Spanish speaking and White contributions (Moroder, Cerrone, and others) made to Disco.

As for Disco and gays, Disco was for all and Disco did not evolve because of Gays. On the contrary, Gays adopted this music as their favorite. But Disco in the beginning was doing just fine without the overwhelming Gay influence that got a hold of it after 1975.

There were plenty of Funky, groovy, happenning night clubs that did just fine without Gays. There were also plenty of Artists that were not Gay, and most of those in the beginning that pioneer Disco, were not Gay. As a matter of fact, if you want to deal in Facts, I'll deal in facts with you. It was the Gay influence in Disco in the late 70's that brought to its knee. The straight establishment found it very difficult that what had started as a music for all had turned into the sound, for what they considered, "deviant members of society". I'm personally straight and like that Nukie, and I don't harbor any ill will towards anyone that chooses an "alternate" life style---that's your business. But don't make such claims that Disco couldn't have survived without gays when it was exactly Gays that drove the last nail on its coffin.

[Funky Dude]

arjan wrote:

Without the blacks and gays (and so disco) the average man would still dance the "Wiener Walz" (Johan Strauss).

Huhhuh huhhuh huhhuh, the thought of people in the 20th/21st century dancing to 200 year old music and calling it pop music makes me laugh. What you're saying is 100% true, without them there would be no disco. I personally believe the same applies to rock music because I've seen a lot of Elvis Presley documentaries and they say Elvis's style of rock'n'roll was influenced by black rhythm and blues and country music. And I also heard that Ike Turner recorded what was believed to be the very first rock'n'roll song way back in 1950 called "Rocket 88". So also rock'n'roll may not exist if it weren't for black rhythm and blues. And if rock'n'roll didn't exist today we'll be probably be clicking our fingers to some 1920's style jazz singer who wears a 1950's style hat, suit and tie, or listening to some awful sounding pre 1950's opera style love songs. Or we'd be slapping leather and saying "howdy partner" to country music which is probably the closest style to rock'n'roll without black rhythm and blues. Rhythm and blues is a key factor to rock'n'roll, funk and even disco to my opinion.

[Jeff H]

On 2002-03-21 08:57, Fantomas wrote:

To Arjan:

Your comment is totally racist.



It was the Gay influence in Disco in the late 70's that brought to its knee. The straight establishment found it very difficult that what had started as a music for all had turned into the sound, for what they considered, "deviant members of society".



I'm personally straight and like that Nukie, and I don't harbor any ill will towards anyone that chooses an "alternate" life style---that's your business.

And your comments, Fantomas, are totally homophobic!



So disco died because straight people couldn't deal with the fact that the "deviants" had stolen "their" music, huh? I kinda doubt all those Lynryd Skynryd fans were much into Donna Summer in the first place, wouldn't you agree?



I think it's more likely that the stereotypical straight white redneck who's afraid of any situation in which he doesn't run the show (whether it involves gays, women or people of color) just got uncomfortable that gay people were becoming more visible. As I said in another post, it's probably no coincidence that the war cry was "Disco Sucks," since what they were really targeting were cocksuckers.



So forgive me if I don't quite believe that you have no ill will toward gay people. And by the way: IT'S NOT A CHOICE! Did you "choose" to be straight? And I'll tell you about my gay "lifestyle" (it's one word, by the way) if you can describe to me what the hell your "straight" lifestyle is.



Now, being a bigot--that IS a lifestyle choice.

[Fantomas]

to Jeff:

I made my point. Just because I don't agree with your lifestyle doesn't make me homophobic. I don't go out killing, maiming, or beating gays. And yes, Gays were mainly responsible for the demise of Disco. Stating a fact doesn't make me homophobic either. You want me to be Politically Correct (a hypocryt, and say things that you want to hear. I'm far from one of those Politically Correct people; I like dealing in facts. Just the point that Gays liked this music made it a target for real homophobics. These people began to equate Gays with Disco, and that was a mistake because Gays didn't in any way what so ever invent or create Disco. And yes, Disco didn't need Gays to survive.