the very first disco song???

[Lajazz947]

Hi Diva,

You brought back a FLOOD of memories just by mentioning the "Wake up everybody" album.

I was a Junior in high school at the time and I too loved the Philly sound. I still love it. Incredible music, soul and style. I visited Philly a few years back while studying at the University of Penn and was fortunate enough to get out into the city to hear some Jazz and Blues. I went to the pubs and bars and found the vibe to be incredible.

That album has such a great message that I think it should get more attention than it does. Although not in its class as a message album it reminds me a little of Marvin Gaye's What's goin on in that it really sends a social message.

I remember listening to Wake up everybody in my 1974 Pinto wagon in 8 track. I had the album, the cassette, the CD and now I have the album on my IPOD. I guess the music industry HAS actually figured out a way to keep us hooked on new media but I love it.

Thanks for bringing back a lot of memories with your post.

I miss those days.

[DiscoDiva]

Originally Posted by garrybcoston

Disco Diva you are truly a bag of chips, french fries, triple wendy's burger, strawberry shake, and then some! would have loved to have known you back in the day.

:p :razz:

ROTFLMAO!!!!! That's very sweet of you. Known me in the day?
You should know me know. LOL....
:roll: :lol:

[DiscoDiva]

I miss those days too! Glad you got to experience my hometown Philly.
Wish you could have been there when all the great clubs were open.
Second Story being one of the best ever. It was a church renovated into one hip and wild club, located on Walnut St. The lines went around the block to get in to hear the best DJ's in Philly. (I had a vip)
Sigh! Talk about memories.
DD

[Say What?]

I heard a radio interview with Barry White some years back, where he said that he had written the very first disco song in 1969 with 'Love's Theme'

[garrybcoston]

Originally Posted by DiscoDiva

ROTFLMAO!!!!! That's very sweet of you. Known me in the day?
You should know me know. LOL....
:roll: :lol:

COOL, DANG FRICKIN COOL.

[eddie]

I listen to the Sunday Rhythm Revue with Felix Hernandez on NYC's Kiss FM. He said that he has read many diverse opinions about the first disco song. He was a DJ during that era.

Honestly of all the tracks he played the earliest with a true disco feel was "Melting Pot" by Booker T and the MG's (1970).

The most influential disco track IMO was from 1971. The Nite-liters "K-Gee" was used as an a rhythm pattern and groove for many later disco hits like Chaka Khan's "I know you, I live you" and Shalamar's "Make that move".

[mrbmarco]

Originally Posted by eddie

I listen to the Sunday Rhythm Revue with Felix Hernandez on NYC's Kiss FM. He said that he has read many diverse opinions about the first disco song. He was a DJ during that era.

Honestly of all the tracks he played the earliest with a true disco feel was "Melting Pot" by Booker T and the MG's (1970).

The most influential disco track IMO was from 1971. The Nite-liters "K-Gee" was used as an a rhythm pattern and groove for many later disco hits like Chaka Khan's "I know you, I live you" and Shalamar's "Make that move".

How can these be the first disco songs, when they were never played at any discos????

[eddie]

"K-Gee" for one was later covered on the Saturday Night Fever soundtrack by MFSB. Like Kool and the Gang's first album it has a Latin feel and is something totally different than any song before it.

The Memphis style of timekeeping on Hi and Stax records also leads into disco. I don't think these music veterans were given their due in contributing to soul/disco music.

[jago]

hi all,
first post actually after lots of lurking visits
love the site.
two posters here brought back memories of listening to these 2 songs on my nitetable radio. (i was only about 11 i think..no clubbing!)
my vote is split between:
deodato 2001 mix
makossa
i think a lot of the other choices mentioned are really soul music ,no?

[cloudeleven]

Tough one to answer, and many excellent answers have already been posted, but here's my take:

"Shaft" by Isaac Hayes (1971) - this was SO fresh and SO different when it came out, and it really kickstarted the 70s disco sound.

"K-Jee" by the Niteliters (1971) - a remake of this was even featured on the Saturday Night Fever soundtrack. It's definitely one of the first disco songs IMO.

[FranceJoliFan]

Love To Love You Baby by Donna Summer

I choose this as the first disco song because of its:

1. Overt sexuality
2. Euro influences

I think that's what separated disco from R&B. And you couldn't put this song in any other category. It was pure disco.

Plus it had

3. Diva vocals
4. Extended version

Along with

5. Top-40 radio airplay (exposed to the masses)
6. Controversy (some stations banned it)

Created by future disco legends

7. Donna Summer
8. Giorgio Moroder

Did any other song bring it all together and jump-start the genre like this?

[JussiK]

Originally Posted by FranceJoliFan

Did any other song bring it all together and jump-start the genre like this?

Check out Manu Dibango, George mcCrae or Italian action movie soundtracks by Stelvio Cipriani etc for future disco arrangements. Along with the Stelvio Cipriani and Theo Usuelli stuff like "Piacere Sequence" there was of course SAVE ME by Silver Convention that was pure eurodisco before Donna. In fact, a full eight years prior to Love To Lover You Baby, the first eurodisco record was realesed: 69 L'ANNEÉ EROTIQUE, by Jane Birkin & Serge Gainsbourg.
it had
1. Overt sexuality - and lots of it
2. Euro influences - from yé-yé to euro lounge

Plus it had

3. Diva vocals - more like euro nymphette & soon-to-be-typical lewd half whispered male talking/singing vocals
4. Extended version - not yet, as this was a prototype

Along with

5. Top-40 radio airplay (exposed to the masses) - a huge hit
6. Controversy (some stations banned it) - that's right

but most importantly, it wasn't pure pop, not yé-yé, nor r&b or rock. it was good for dancing in a sleazy way, it featured a string section, and had a 4/4 rhythmic structure. In other words, it wa disco already as we got to know it around 1974. ( I think...)

[Paulo]

Originally Posted by JussiK

......In other words, it wa disco already as we got to know it around 1974. ( I think...)

Jussi
With all respect, IMHO 69 L'anne Erotique doesn't sound like disco as we got to know it around 1974...

.... Ok.... it has strings....it has a female voice.... it may have played in the clubs of the era in Europe.... it may have influenced the birth of european disco (I really don't have knowledge to discuss that with you)... but... that song is normal 60's pop music. The majority of it had strings. The vast majority of it is played in 4/4. But in 69 L'anne Erotique not even the drums are much important.

Concerning the drum beat, there was a ROCK song which played a lot here in Brazil in the early 70's (maybe 73, but I can't recall the exact year) called MACUMBA by a rock group called TITANIC. It is very unknown these days, but I'm sure you know it.

MACUMBA was a guitar-driven-rock song, but it had a lot of percussion and a loud steady 4/4 beat that was extremely danceable (although I can't call it a disco-song). But the fact that it played on the radio and it was very danceable (in a way Led Zep never was) prompted the song to be played in all our teenage home parties.

If I push it and force it, I may call it disco NOW (not then) ... or at least pré or proto or early-disco.... And maybe it influenced the birth of disco along with Armed And Extremely Dangerous, Wild Safari, Rock The Boat, Soul Makossa, Love's Theme, Rock Your Baby, Shaft, Welcome To The Club Of The Broken Hearts, Mercy Mercy Me, Papa Was A Rolling Stone, Love Train, Woman, Shame Shame Shame which are songs accepted to have formed the basis of disco... if not very early disco songs themselves.

[musiquelover]

Originally Posted by FranceJoliFan

Love To Love You Baby by Donna Summer
[.....]
Did any other song bring it all together and jump-start the genre like this?

In my opinion the only songs qualifying for the title "the very first disco song" are ones released before the Billboard disco action charts came into existence. It doesn't seem right to me the other way around.

[Mixmachine]

Originally Posted by Paulo

Concerning the drum beat, there was a ROCK song which played a lot here in Brazil in the early 70's (maybe 73, but I can't recall the exact year) called MACUMBA by a rock group called TITANIC. It is very unknown these days, but I'm sure you know it.

MACUMBA was a guitar-driven-rock song, but it had a lot of percussion and a loud steady 4/4 beat that was extremely danceable (although I can't call it a disco-song). But the fact that it played on the radio and it was very danceable (in a way Led Zep never was) prompted the song to be played in all our teenage home parties.

If I push it and force it, I may call it disco NOW (not then) ... or at least pré or proto or early-disco.... And maybe it influenced the birth of disco along with Armed And Extremely Dangerous, Wild Safari, Rock The Boat, Soul Makossa, Love's Theme, Rock Your Baby, Shaft, Welcome To The Club Of The Broken Hearts, Mercy Mercy Me, Papa Was A Rolling Stone, Love Train, Woman, Shame Shame Shame which are songs accepted to have formed the basis of disco... if not very early disco songs themselves.

Titanic is better known in the early 'Discos' of the day by "Rain 2000" (also done by Calhoon) and "Sultana" , both dance floor scorchers of the day around 1973.
"Macumba" was also used in many of Miami's early clubs, this cut is more on the Rockish side with lots of chants and percussion but still very danceable, especially back then when many of this type of music was also welcome at the dance floor and lumped together into the 'Disco' category.


This song was also later covered and released in 1977 by a group called Marboo out of Canada, this version its even more “Disco” with strings heavy percussions breaks with cow bells and all, but I don’t recall much buzz around it at the time, although it sounds great today!!