First extended disco

[Marcio**]

I think this topic was discussed before. Anyway, I know these songs:


1-"Never Can Say Goodbye" by Gloria Gaynor, 1975, 6:28.

2-"Swearin' to God" by Frankie Valli, 1975, 10:09.

3-"Frenesi" by The Ritchie Family, 1975, 8:00.

[Marcio**]

Okey-Dokey, I've forgotten George McCrae's "Rock Your Baby", 1974, 6:23, TK :D .

[jazz_pilgrim]

Originally Posted by Marcio

Okey-Dokey, I've forgotten George McCrae's "Rock Your Baby", 1974, 6:23, TK :D .

I've often wondered if there was ever a L-O-N-G version of that record. Was it a seven inch parts 1 and 2 type release? or what? Do you know if it is available anywhere?

[markydefad]

I think that long version of "Rock Your Baby" was pieced together years AFTER it was a hit...by mixing the vocal & instrumental versions from the 45 together.

Am I wrong??? There were NO 12" singles in 1974 when it was first released. DJs had to mix the 2-sides of the record together on a nightly basis to extend the tracks.

I do have it on some CD compilation and I did find it on one of those 2 hits by different artists 12" deals that were released in the late 1980s.

I'll have to check for the details..unless someone gets there first.

[Bernie]

There was never a 12 inch at the time of original release. I have a Sunnyview 12 inch single (a Henry Stone label) from 1985 which has the "Original Version" on the B side and it only clocks in at 3:14. The A side contains a modern day (circa 86) remix and it clocks in at 4:57.

[markydefad]

I have a 6:24 version on some CD compilation. I can't recall the title--it was a series--this was the male vocal edition (Frankie Valli's "Swearin' To God") is on it also.

allmusic lists the 6:24 version on George's "Greatest Hits" CD also.

[QUINNY]

Gawd!!! This would involve looking at every record from late '74 'til mid '75 to see which ones say "extended Disco version" or something similar. There were plenty of part 1/part 2 type releases prior to that.

I think the first one I noticed was Helplessly - Moment of Truth and a few others around that time and that was mid '75 or thereabouts. As far as I know, the George McRae track certainly wasn't released in a long version at the time.

To be perfectly honest, the first extended Disco version records were a pain in the ass 'cos they weren't commercially available on 12", played soooooo quietly and had the tendency to hop, skip and jump at times. They got knackered in extra quick time.

[markydefad]

That book about the Paradise Garage ("My Life At"..) by that guy who's name I can't recall...tells the story of Tom Moulton mixing the vocal & instrumental versions of Al Downing's "I'll Be Holding On" on what he called the "FIRST 12" "...Tom took this to a club and had a DJ spin it.

Tom railed in his Billboard column about Chess not making this version available to the public--then they did--then they took it off the market---or something like that. It's in the archives of his column.

[NickNack]

I avoided running the 45's by buying the album :D , "Rock Your Baby", TK 501, 1974. Song is timed at 6:20.

If I'm not mistaken, weren't most 7" singles released as Parts 1 & 2 given the "full version" on the artists' albums? That's how I remember it.

[markydefad]

Ah Nicky...........

So the LP had the extended version from the get-go!!!!

I thought that could be the case--but allmusic didn't list the original LP...so I surmised that it was a cut & paste job from later.

Glad that's resolved.

[NickNack]

Let's see... extended disco:

How about "Runaway Child, Running Wild", 9:38, Temptations, 1969 :lol: :lol:

Just kidding --- I would take Creative Source, "Who Is He and What Is He to You", 11:45, 1973. Big in the clubs!

[Greg Wilson]

I think you were right on track there with The Temptations NickNack. For my money Norman Whitfield's revolutionary production for the Temps during the early 70's period laid the groundwork for the disco mixes that followed.

The production and mix (or arrangement as it was then called) on the Creative Source track is pure Norman Whitfield, undoubtedly influenced by 'Papa Was A Rolling Stone' (which is almost 7 minutes long).

[QUINNY]

NickNack: I'm sorry, but i can't agree with you on Temps and Creative Source as they weren't especially extended for disco use in the accepted use of that phrase. They're merely (rather self indulgent?) long album tracks.

So I boobed over George McRae :oops: I don't recall ever playing that long version from the album, maybe 'cos the second half is just instrumental filler (and pretty boring) that didn't do a lot.

I loved the Creative Source track as a 7" single. Short, concise and ultra danceable. For me the album version just revisited the same territory over and over again and kept going nowhere. That intro was waaaaaay too long!

Good try, but I think the answer lies somewhere in late '74 / early '75.

[NickNack]

Originally Posted by QUINNY

NickNack: I'm sorry, but i can't agree with you on Temps and Creative Source as they weren't especially extended for disco use in the accepted use of that phrase. They're merely (rather self indulgent?) long album tracks.

I said I was joking about the Temps track so no need to get cranky. As for being 'self-indulgent', well, that's your take. A lot of us took them as new, different, exciting, great to listen to and just pure fun to dance to. "Runaway Child" was the first Motown song where a group of my Air Force buds into rock just had to know who the musicians were. I believe these would be those same Funk Brothers that receive so much well-deserved praise. Nah, couldn't be them, playing on "Runaway Child", "Papa Was a Rolling Stone", "Masterpiece". Such long, boring, self-indulgent tracks...

So I boobed over George McRae :oops: I don't recall ever playing that long version from the album, maybe 'cos the second half is just instrumental filler (and pretty boring) that didn't do a lot.

Surprised you even had the album. 'Instrumental filler' :roll: . Did you ever dance to any of the music you played? You might feel differently about some of this 'filler'. The structure of the lp version of "Rock Your Baby" is the same type mix used by Tom Moulton for all his early remixes, including "Helplessly". You get the intro; the body of the song; the extension, which was nothing but the 'body' sans vocal; the ending. Check out Side One of the Never Can Say Goodbye lp and refresh your memory. Listen to "We're On the Right Track" by Ultra High Frequency, the original remix of "Dream World" by Don Downing. Nothing but 'filler' baby, fierce filler for the dance floor which is all we needed. :D

I loved the Creative Source track as a 7" single. Short, concise and ultra danceable. For me the album version just revisited the same territory over and over again and kept going nowhere. That intro was waaaaaay too long!

There's nothing wrong with the single. That's what helped sell the record. But those of us who had already heard the Bill Wither's version knew there was another one out there. A serious one with a damn strong bass line and an arrangement that could take you to heaven. Intro too long for what? Did you and your crowd have someplace else to be? I played for and partied with people who wanted it all. When I was playing I was expected to give it and when I was dancing I damn sure wanted to hear it. I/We wanted to be taken somewhere and that 11-and-a-half minutes could help me/us get there. No dj I knew would have dared put that 7" on a turntable for a dancefloor. The crowd would have killed him after the managment had fired him. See, for us, it wasn't about dissecting the music, finding fault, thinking "This is doing anything". It was about going with it, having fun, taking that journey to nowhere and back.

Good try, but I think the answer lies somewhere in late '74 / early '75.

I was just trying to have a little fun. You have fun trying to find that very first REMIXED FOR DISCO label.

[Greg Wilson]

NickNack & Quinny: Just had a look at what Ian Dewhirst had to say about 'Who Is He And What Is He To You' in the sleevenotes of 'Classic Funk Mastercuts Vol 1'. Thought it might be of interest:

"Creative Source, the obvious choice to kick off not just an album, but the entire series. The group's only substantial hit and nearly 12 minutes long, it has one of 70's street funk's most galvanising intros - snatches would be dropped, teaser-style, in between tracks for an hour before the deejay let the record run..."

Which goes to show that one mans 'galvanising' is another mans 'waaaaaay too long'.

It certainly galvanised, and continues to galvanise me!