The "Last" Great Hi-NRG Ever?

[Energyguy]

Originally Posted by Simon White

A lot of Gay disco became chart pop music back in the disco days- Kelly Marie, Village People, The Three Degrees 'Runner', Donna Summers hits, even Divine 'You Think You're A Man" ect ect. But they crossed over from the Gay clubs to the pop charts where as Almighty have reversed the process and just disco'd up pop hits. Great if you like lowest common denominator pop stuff. I hate it. The reason I liked a lot- not all - of what I heard in Hi Nrg and Gay discos was that it often combined a great Soul voice with a great dance beat and a sense of dramatic purpose often with real orchestras and musicians. For me, the early vocal house tracks showed the same promise after Hi NRG had become crass electronic europap. I remember the first time I heard Darrel Pandy singing "Love Can't Turn Around" and I couldn't believe how amazing it was. The Gay Disco legacy is there still though but I do't think it exists in the Gay discos anymore which are either full of gay Sharon's and Tracy's who wouldn't know good music if it came up and kissed them on all four cheeks or overtly queer drugged up gym queens who as long as it's got a ridiclously fast beat, no melody or complete vocal and is unlistenable anytime but 5.00am sunday morning and off your tits, will be happy.

Some good points there which I agree with... During the 80s HINRG boom years DJs & producers were far more "creative" and produced fresh, original tracks unlike the modern day NRG labels that just remake/cover current pop hits (with the odd exception).

[nrgbeat]

Originally Posted by discokicks

Interesting question as it alludes to the idea that, like disco, true high energy music transformed to other styles and the original form became just a memory.

Although, I've enjoyed and still enjoy a massive array of dance music over these last 15 years, I do remember the end of 1990 being that turning point when finding that glorious hi-nrg sound became a challenge.

A tape that I made from October 1990 sort of says it all....Sugar Baby Love by Les Blue Belles, Stand Up and Sing by Lisa, Before The Night Is Gone by Blue Sunbeam, Even If You Say by Nilla Blackman :D and probably the song that I would say is the last greatest hi-nrg song: One Day by Janet! :D :D

The tape that I made the next month is good as well but there's definitely a more housey-energy feel to it.

You should post these on-line so we can hear them.

A couple of other NRG tunes I remember from that time are "All I Ask Of You" Vicki Shepard and "Believe" Mary Stella.

[john davis]

For me,some of the tracks released on the Loading Bay label was some of the best Hi-NRG ever.

Stuff like Ankie Bagger,Claudia T,Sheila Stewart and Jayne & Jill really stand out for me.

Since then all the Almighty,Klone and Fantasia stuff have in my opinion devalued the Hi-NRG sound.

[Simon White]

Originally Posted by Simon White

A lot of Gay disco became chart pop music back in the disco days- Kelly Marie, Village People, The Three Degrees 'Runner', Donna Summers hits, even Divine 'You Think You're A Man" ect ect. But they crossed over from the Gay clubs to the pop charts where as Almighty have reversed the process and just disco'd up pop hits. Great if you like lowest common denominator pop stuff. I hate it. The reason I liked a lot- not all - of what I heard in Hi Nrg and Gay discos was that it often combined a great Soul voice with a great dance beat and a sense of dramatic purpose often with real orchestras and musicians. For me, the early vocal house tracks showed the same promise after Hi NRG had become crass electronic europap. I remember the first time I heard Darrel Pandy singing "Love Can't Turn Around" and I couldn't believe how amazing it was. The Gay Disco legacy is there still though but I do't think it exists in the Gay discos anymore which are either full of gay Sharon's and Tracy's who wouldn't know good music if it came up and kissed them on all four cheeks or overtly queer drugged up gym queens who as long as it's got a ridiclously fast beat, no melody or complete vocal and is unlistenable anytime but 5.00am sunday morning and off your tits, will be happy.

Blimey, had I eaten a lemon for breakfast that day? ;)

[SandraDee]

I think your observations were quite accurate Simon!;-)

[Simon White]

Originally Posted by SandraDee

I think your observations were quite accurate Simon!;-)

Thanks Sandra ... I think ! :razz:

[marmite7]

No-one's mentioned S.A.W's output as being the last bastion of hi-nrg and for that I say.................


Thank you :)

couldn't stand their sound, although the gay club I frequented used to play Kylie's I Should Be So Lucky three times a night :-o

Mind you, they also did that with Man 2 Man's Male Stripper!

Oh for the halcyon days of 1982-1985 when hi-nrg wasn't cheesy just good pumping fun (ooh er) - I don't actually remember it ever being classed as cheesey to be honest, as most people (straight) complained it was too fast/repetitive. (There by missing the whole point of continuous dancing/mixing) It only became cheesey in retrospect, with Spagna / Baltimora / Sabrina / and all the other "holiday/Ibiza" hits crossing over.



Gawd - dontcha remember the straight clubs with the dj taking a break between records just to wish Wayne & Debbie a happy anniversary!

Arghhhh

[Andy Farley]

Hi Mark how are you?

Gawd - dontcha remember the straight clubs with the dj taking a break between records just to wish Wayne & Debbie a happy anniversary!

That seems to be the gay clubs nowadays, maybe not Wayne & Debbie, but very naff music and talking in between records. Certainly in Brum anyway

[discokicks]

Originally Posted by marmite7

No-one's mentioned S.A.W's output as being the last bastion of hi-nrg and for that I say.................


Thank you :)

couldn't stand their sound, although the gay club I frequented used to play Kylie's I Should Be So Lucky three times a night :-o

Mind you, they also did that with Man 2 Man's Male Stripper!

Oh for the halcyon days of 1982-1985 when hi-nrg wasn't cheesy just good pumping fun (ooh er) - I don't actually remember it ever being classed as cheesey to be honest, as most people (straight) complained it was too fast/repetitive.

The reason hi-nrg wasn't regarded as cheesy back then is because it seemed new and innovative. Also going out to the gay clubs back then wasn't looked at in a negative way as it is these days so anything the dj threw at us on a hot party night seemed to be universally accepted as part of the package of that exciting era.

How often do we see in online profiles these days that someone is 'not into the gay scene' and 'I don't go to clubs' in an effort to put themselves into a more positive light. One of the main reasons cited is the music sucks....why don't we just label all recent dance music as cheesy, redundant and crass? :roll: Nowadays, when dance music borrows or emulates sounds form the past, it's deemed as tired and cheesy....so we reminisce about how great the past was but condemn those who try to re-create it....damned if we do and damned if we don't.

In regards to the SAW era, I quite enjoyed much of it....not what I would label 'hi-nrg' but some great pop dance that filled my floors. Best of the bunch was Lonnie Gordon's glorious Happenin' All Over Again, Sonia's You'll Never Stop Me From Loving You and Kylie's beautiful Better The Devil You Know. Fantastic dancefloor classics!

Looking through some of my 90's vinyl today brought back memories of some great tracks with Hi-nrg rhythm.....

Mary's Prayer - DC Project (1997)
Show Me Heaven - Chimera (1998 )
Holding You - Ally and Jo (1996 - so good!)
Stars - Roxette (1999 Almighty Mix)
He's On The Phone - St. Etienne (1996)
Swamp Thing - The Grid (1994)
Heaven - Neuronic (1996)
Come To My Window - Dare 2B Different (1995 - Melissa Etheridge cover)
Sound Of My Heartbeat - Emjay (1995)
Because You Love Me - Lost (1996 - Celine Dion cover....HUGE!)
Tree Frog - Hope (1994)
Martha's Harbour - Victoria Newton (1999 - beautifully haunting)
Touch - France Joli (1996 - perfect comeback tune)
Catch - Sunscreem (1997)
Shoot Me With Your Love - D:Ream (1995)
Perfect Day - Indigo (1998 - beautiful Lou Reed cover)
Right In The Night - Jam and Spoon (1995)

and my top FIVE in no particular order:

Rendezvous - Culture Beat (1998 )
Go Before You Break My Heart - Tears 'n Joy (1994)
I Don't Want You (Vafanculo) - Linda Ray 1995)
Coming Back - DJ Dado (1997)
Whispering Your Name - Alison Moyet (1994 - gorgeous beyond words!!!)

....and so many more!:D

[Energyguy]

Some of the earlier SAW productions (Hazell Dean, O Chi Brown, DOA) were quite impressive. When it came to 1987 onwards they just became a "cash cow" and started churning out all sorts of pap :-(

[Andy Farley]

Neil how are you?!!!! Long time no speak :)

[Energyguy]

Originally Posted by Andy Farley

Neil how are you?!!!! Long time no speak :)

het Andy ! It has been a long time matey. My PC crashed in June and I only got round to having it fixed yesterday ! Its good to be back in "circulation" LOL Hope you keeping ok :-)

[Andy Farley]

I'm great thanks mate. Are you still on the same e-mail?

[Salsoul Nugget]

It's hard to pick a particular record, but I agree that around 1988 hi-nrg lost a lot of popularity to more house type grooves. It really lost it's edge at this stage and was too slick and overproduced.

[Energyguy]

Originally Posted by Salsoul Nugget

It's hard to pick a particular record, but I agree that around 1988 hi-nrg lost a lot of popularity to more house type grooves. It really lost it's edge at this stage and was too slick and overproduced.

Yeah.. it was 1988 onwards when House seemed to take over. i think by this time the HI-NRG was swamped with all the PWL stuff