$100 to Whoever First Finds a Disco Song from 1990

[discosavvy]

I will award a gift of $100 to the first person who can prove to me that there was a real disco song released during 1990. My website DiscoSavvy.com now lists at least one disco song for every year from 1972 to 2004, with the noteworthy exception of 1990. It would mean a lot to me personally for someone to find a disco song from 1990 since not only would that fill in the last gap but I really dislike the dance music I know about from that year.

The criteria are as follows:

1. Its initial commercial release in any format (including an LP, CD, audiotape, or single) must have been in 1990, and not in an earlier or later year. Promotional releases sent only to DJs and radio stations in 1990 do not count, unless there was no subsequent commercial release. Video releases do not count; it must be audio only.

2. The song cannot include samples.

3. The song can be a cover version of an older song.

4. The song may be either a live concert recording or a studio recording.

5. The song cannot be in the "electro" category, but must rather meet the criteria for what disco is that are outlined at
http://www.discosavvy.com/diversesounds.html
and must in my judgment have a disco sound. Usually at a minimum this requires a true disco bassline and fairly constant disco beat around 120 bpm, and the sound will trend towards disco rather than house, techno, electro, etc. where if someone heard it it would be clear there is a disco flavor somewhere in it.

6. The song cannot be so spare in sound that it has only drum beats and nothing else.

7. At least some lyrics must be sung, as opposed to spoken. Rap-disco hybrids where there's switching back and forth are acceptable.

8. You must supply an MP3 of at least a minute of the song to me, or show me a place on the Web where I can hear it, and provide documentation of its release date if I cannot find it myself.

9. No one is disqualified just because I already know you. Bernie is eligible too.

Here are some songs that do NOT qualify:
* "To the Rock Groove" by Karen Jones (1990) - it's electro
* "Ride on Time" by Black Box (1990) - it's electro and has samples
* "Step Back in Time" by Kylie Minogue (1990) - it's electro
* "All Around the World" by Lisa Stansfield (1989) - it's electro
* "This is the Right Time" by Lisa Stansfield - not disco
* "You Can't Deny It" by Lisa Stansfield - not disco
* "Electric Boogie" by Marcia Griffiths (1990) - it's electro/reggae
* "Never Knew Love Like This Before" by Gwen Guthrie (1990) - I think I ruled this cover out already
* "La Vie Continue" by Fragile on the Rocks (1989) - it's disco, but it was first released December 1989, and re-released many times in 1990
* "Billie" by Fragile on the Rocks (1989) - first released December 1989, and re-released many times in 1990
* "Don't Think About It" by Isabelle Antena (1986) - first released on her 1986 album "En Cavalle"/"En Cavale", which was re-released in 1990 and also afterwards; however, I am offering a separate $40 reward for sonic proof that this is disco (as people say it is).
* Any dance song that reached high on the Billboard Pop or Dance chart during 1990, since I'm certain none of those were disco either

Research hints:

Perhaps Fragile on the Rocks's 1990 album "Insoumise" has a disco song other than "La Vie Continue" that was not previously released by them as a single in 1989?

Perhaps "Gimme Your Love" by Kayo, from Sweden, is disco?

Is Jeanie Tracy's cover of "I Found Love" by Love & Kisses Hi-NRG or disco?

Maybe you have something rare in your record/CD collection that can answer the question?

An American winner can elect either to receive a check (or perhaps a postal money order) in the amount of $100.00 *or* music-related merchandise (including shipping costs) worth up to $100.00. A winner outside of the U.S. can receive music-related merchandise worth up to $100.00, though I can also send a check in American dollars if you can process it in your country with little or no cost at your bank. A winner
in a country that has unreliable postal mail service (example: Mexico) will have to choose some reliable method of receiving money like Western Union. Any merchandise would be ordered by me according to your wishes, from any reputable dealer(s) including Juno.co.uk, Amazon.com, Amazon.co.uk, Amazon.de, Alapage.com, Tunes.co.uk, MusicStack.com or GEMM.com (if the seller has high enough service ratings), etc. and all costs would be borne to me, and the items would be shipped to you at whatever address you choose.

$50 will be awarded for information about a SECOND disco song, if any, and $25 for a third or fourth song.

Please note that this is not a contest or sweepstakes or any other form of giveaway, but a song search, where something is awarded in exchange for your help.

If you think you have a song that will qualify for inclusion under 1990 at http://www.discosavvy.com/disco90s.html please contact me by email at: discosavvy AT discosavvy.com

And probably I will post the results of this search if anyone finds any valid songs, as a further way of recognizing the helpful person(s) beyond the money or free stuff.

[eddie]

I'm not looking for a handout but howabout Jeff Redd's "You called and told me" on Uptown/Mca. I believe it was from a soundtrack and not on one of his albums.
I blend the definition of soul and disco so this may not be what you are looking for. Please respond with why or why not.

[K-Bee]

Jeff Redd's song really more New Jack Swing than disco but it's probably as close as we're likely to get.
Only thing is...it didn't come out in 1990 but in '91 (The "Strictly Business" Soundtrack).

[discosavvy]

Hi eddie, thanks for reminding me of that great track! I didn't know it was a '90s track but now I looked it up and it turns out it first came out around October 1991, as K-Bee mentioned. But it wouldn't have qualified for the prize anyway because it doesn't have either a disco or hustle beat pattern, and has an electronic-reproduced bassline of a type that is disqualified in the absence of a certain mix of other instruments, and the only other instrument I hear there is a piano. That does sound more New Jack Swing than anything else.

Keep trying folks. I verbally confirmed to Bernie Lopez last night in New York City that this search is going on and that I really want to award someone for helping me.

[buckaroo]

"Can't Stop Loving You" Richard Rogers???? (1990) :-?

[discosavvy]

Originally Posted by buckaroo

"Can't Stop Loving You" Richard Rogers???? (1990) :-?

Hi buckaroo, that's a cool song I haven't heard before. I found a 30-second sample of it at http://www.amazon.de/ and it does sound VERY disco-oriented, however somehow it's more a soul song in its soft feeling, perhaps at best mellow disco-soul. (For comparison, Michael Wycoff's "Looking Up to You" just missed getting into my disco list because it's also just slightly over the fence into the soul side rather than the disco side.) That sample at Amazon.de doesn't have enough of the up-tempo portion(s) of the song; do you know where I can hear more of it? It sounds like it has real bass, real violins, and even real horns. Also, as far as its year of release, I think you're right that it's 1990, but is this LP version identical in sound to the 12" version, or are you referring to a 12" version that has a higher tempo? Apparently the versions differ -- perhaps just in length? And did the song really come out in 1990 or in 1991 or 1993? I saw all three dates for this song. I suppose this can be searched in copyright databases also. I think I can trust http://www.discogs.com/release/152952 for saying 1990 for the 12" with FOUR different mixes of the single. May 1, 1993 is said to be the release date of the CD. Maybe the LP edition came out in 1991?

[paul]

Hey discosavvy,
My for sure obvious choice was Lisa Stansfield Around The World and This Is The Right Time. How 'bout Black Box's Everybody.

[discohunter]

Could be off here...but how about:

Deee-Lite - Groove Is In The Heart

Can't remember exactly, but I think this is 1990

discohunter

[Davicillo]

Wasn't Donna Summer's 'I feel love' an electronic hit!!! And that is regarded as disco in 1977. If your looking for the Philly sound of the 90's....er.its there somewhere. By the way, Blackbox is Italo house.

[discosavvy]

Dear friends: Thanks for the new comments. No, "Everybody" by Black Box doesn't qualify for my list either - nothing by Black Box does. As far as "Groove is in the Heart" by Deee-Lite, that belongs in the broad house music category. And "Groove is in the Heart" wouldn't have qualified for the prize anyway, since it contains a sample (the bassline is from Herbie Hancock's "Bring Down the Birds" from 1969). Songs with samples are OK for inclusion in my disco lists, but do not qualify for the prize, as the rules state. That *is* a 1990 single, though, and Deee-Lite's album "World Clique" with this song on it came out August 1990. And Davicillo is right that the purely electronic character of the song "I Feel Love" is not what I'm searching for as far as later songs, which is why all those 1990s techno songs are ruled out even if they have a disco beat.