Hi-NRG, Love it... or loathe it..

[marmite7]

"Mixing all night long the same type of music created by the same handful of producer at the same BPM required not much effort or skills. but Hey, that's just my opinion, YMMV"

Totaly agree Mix, but I can only speak for the DJ I knew who mixed up all types of beats & genres, without the need to talk during a difficult break between tracks.

For every out n out hi-nrg record (Bobby O, Cowley, Lime etc), you'd also be blessed with:

Eurythmics - Sweet Dreams or Love Is A Stanger
Visage - Night Train
Greg Phillinganes - Behind The Mask
Yello - Viscious Games
Rick Springfield - Celebrate Youth
Yazoo - Situation or Don't Go
Shannon - Let The Music Play
Jocelyn Brown - Somebody Elses Guy
Kid Creole - Life Boat Party or Stool Pigeon
Reflex - The Politics Of Dancing
Extra T's - ET Boogie
Rockers Revenge - Walking On Sunshine
Booker Newbury III - Love Town

all seamlessly mixed............


or................the beat would be tempered and slow-throbbers would be played, to bring the beat "down"

Lian Ross - Fantasy
Rose Laurens - American Love
Off - Electric Salsa
Tuillio De Piscopa - Stop Bajon Primivera
Time Bandits - Endless Road

before the DJ would start to pick it again, heading towards Simple Minds - I Travel, Bobby O - She Has A Way or Lisa - Sex Dance etc etc.

I would never say gay clubs played better music, they just played different. You wouldn't hear a gay record in the straight clubs and god forbid you wouldn't dance to it!! (I can only speak for The UK mentality here, which also crossed over when House Music appeared. Some of the top name 80's DJ's refused to play it because it "was gay music"!!) And now look. World domination


Quinny "Could they have just thought it was not worthy in their eyes?"

I never saw James Hamilton rave about a hi-nrg record - period! It was dismissed and sometimes with pointed references to the fact it was Boystown fodder, for boys who liked fast dancing. Read from that what you will, but it always seemed to me that this genre was dismissed automatically. Basically - the reveiwer just didn't get it. I wonder how many exclusively gay cubs he (or you for that matter), have attended and danced at?



Maybe it was a "gay" thing, (although plenty of my straight mates liked it too), that we preffered the relentless rhythm to completely lose it to, whilst dancing all night. No need to stop for a beer, just dance dance dance.


*waves* to Charlie Windle - me twin

[Simon White]

Great thread this ! Have to throw my hat into the ring....and i'm coming from a totally UK point of view here

For me, for every good Hi Nrg record there were ten crap ones which fell into formula bound, 130 bpm boring cliches, but these records were designed to be mixed in a fast seamless, relentless, spacey, lose yourself in the beat club style where you rarely heard the whole record anyway before it was mixed into something else. Heaven embodied that for me. They were records truly made for particular clubs (obviously !), not mainstream clubs, not radio, charts, or home listening although the more 'pop' end of things broke into the charts on many occasions....and think of how "YMCA" has now become a party cliche but who remembers the sheer excitement of hearing the remix as a brand new release for the first time? I remember nearly hitting the ceiling !

I agree entirely that the PWL hit factory sound was based largely on the Hi Nrg sound (for instance, they had a hit with a version of 'Give Me Just a Little More Time' that was a note for note copy of the Anglela Clemmons version that had been a big Gay club dancefloor sound) and in my mind that, coupled with the overuse of the much cheaper new technology in the early 80's that made everything electronic sounding instead of the big, expensive and luxurious sound of classic Disco is partly what killed Hi Nrg, certainly in the UK. Personally I always hated 'Do You Wanna Funk' for its hard electronic sound and lack of warmth and lack of 'camp' (and I use the word reservedly) and for me it's one of the records that marks the start of the downhill slide into pop crap. And I think the reasons for this slide are clear. Hi Nrg was made for GAY clubs where the reason for being there wasn't because just because you loved the music, it was because you were GAY. That was the common factor, not the music. So then when some of the Gay clubs started playing Souless electronic early House and early Techno, it split into two camps (!) ...naff remakes of big cheesy pop hits over a 130 bpm beat for the Gay Sharons and Traceys or the sound of someone banging a stick inside a dustbin while someone else tried to tune a radio in for the more serious off - their - heads Gay clubbers.

A certain synthesis of the two surfaced in relatively hardcore London clubs like Trade and DTPM, where the music made no sense at all without the drugs and where the whole ethos of Hi Nrg - seamless mixing, relentless banging tempo, often enhanced by drugs - lets face it, the most hardcore Hi Nrg dancers were either off their heads on drugs or booze - was totally replicated. It's also surfaced again in a lot of the mainstream common denominator uptempo dance music of the last 20 years but with the best bits taken out. And I'm amazed how many mainstream records I've heard that sound like 'Trade' records. So the Hi Nrg influence is pretty far reaching even if most of then sound like the intro to a song that never comes.

But there are some great tracks from recent times which do embody the essence of what Hi Nrg actually was originally before it passed into cliche... great , uptempo Disco music with a pop edge.

[SandraDee]

Originally Posted by kdavid13

But when I discovered HiNRG ; it brought back many of the things I loved about disco : the catchy songs,the wailing divas and the 4 on-the floor beats.

I thought the same when I first heard Carol Jiani & Patrick Cowley: wow, disco's back (if a little stripped down.)

[SandraDee]

Originally Posted by marmite7

You wouldn't hear a gay record in the straight clubs and god forbid you wouldn't dance to it!! (I can only speak for The UK mentality here, which also crossed over when House Music appeared. Some of the top name 80's DJ's refused to play it because it "was gay music"!!) And now look. World domination

Well, I used to go to straight clubs in Staffordshire in the early to mid 80s & they played hi-nrg like Ronni Griffiths 'Best Part Of Breaking Up' & Divine 'Love Reaction' & some men actually danced to them! However it wasn't long before they were back to playing U2 or Phil Collins or Shalamar (on a good night!) It just wasn't the same without the poppers & leather though!

[SandraDee]

Originally Posted by SandraDee

& some men actually danced to them!

It has to be said though that most men did stand around in suits with pints in their hands.

[marmite7]

Originally Posted by SandraDee

It has to be said though that most men did stand around in suits with pints in their hands.

So true eh Ms Dee - only the bravest of men (And of course the gays boys) would be dancing to disco and all that the risk of having the piss being taken out of yas, for dancing with girls - lol

Twas only ok to dance with them right at the end

I'm still introducing some of straight mates to this sound and to a man, they've all been blown away by it. "Wish I had the chance to go clubbing to that music, instead of standing round Ritzy's with a warm pint of lager!!

[Mixmachine]

Originally Posted by marmite7

So true eh Ms Dee - only the bravest of men (And of course the gays boys) would be dancing to disco and all that the risk of having the piss being taken out of yas, for dancing with girls - lol

It has to be said though that most men did stand around in suits with pints in their hands.

You guys crack me up, do you know how weird it is for me to hear anyone say that Straight man have a problem with Dancing???

Maybe for Europeans and their descendents in the new world

Obviously you guys are to far off across the pond to know the details of Latin America culture, for instance, where I was born, Cuba, men have been dancing since they invented the drum.

If you look at any vintage Cuban film clips , say the 30's, you'll see nothing but Dance Halls full of Dancing couples dancing to early native sounds that evolved into Salsa music later, the same with much of the rest of Latin America, especially countries like Puerto Rico.

In the early 70's as Dancing at the "Disco" was born in NYC, Latinos were among the first dancing from the get go at this clubs, you see, they were dancing already in the late 60's early 70's in Salsa clubs around NYC during this music's explosive period consider the "Golden age" by todays musical scholars of the era, this music arrived to NYC from Cuba and PR, and as Disco emerged , Latin Dancers, (and Disco musicians) including straight men, were there to boogie and get down. The same was true in parts of New Jersey and Miami, Florida

[Energyguy]

Originally Posted by Mixmachine

You guys crack me up, do you know how weird it is for me to hear anyone say that Straight man have a problem with Dancing???

Maybe for Europeans and their descendents in the new world

Obviously you guys are to far off across the pond to know the details of Latin America culture, for instance, where I was born, Cuba, men have been dancing since they invented the drum.

If you look at any vintage Cuban film clips , say the 30's, you'll see nothing but Dance Halls full of Dancing couples dancing to early native sounds that evolved into Salsa music later, the same with much of the rest of Latin America, especially countries like Puerto Rico.

In the early 70's as Dancing at the "Disco" was born in NYC, Latinos were among the first dancing from the get go at this clubs, you see, they were dancing already in the late 60's early 70's in Salsa clubs around NYC during this music's explosive period consider the "Golden age" by todays musical scholars of the era, this music arrived to NYC from Cuba and PR, and as Disco emerged , Latin Dancers, (and Disco musicians) including straight men, were there to boogie and get down. The same was true in parts of New Jersey and Miami, Florida

Some guys (here in the UK anyway) do have a problem with dancing.. I have always found it quite amusing and can never understand what the problem is?!.. Perhaps it was never deemed "masculine enough"..lol. Its probably not an issue so much nowadays with the younger generation.
I`m pleased I started this particular topic and you have all made some interesting comments !

[marmite7]

Originally Posted by Mixmachine

You guys crack me up, do you know how weird it is for me to hear anyone say that Straight man have a problem with Dancing???

Maybe for Europeans and their descendents in the new world

Obviously you guys are to far off across the pond to know the details of Latin America culture, for instance, where I was born, Cuba, men have been dancing since they invented the drum.

If you look at any vintage Cuban film clips , say the 30's, you'll see nothing but Dance Halls full of Dancing couples dancing to early native sounds that evolved into Salsa music later, the same with much of the rest of Latin America, especially countries like Puerto Rico.

In the early 70's as Dancing at the "Disco" was born in NYC, Latinos were among the first dancing from the get go at this clubs, you see, they were dancing already in the late 60's early 70's in Salsa clubs around NYC during this music's explosive period consider the "Golden age" by todays musical scholars of the era, this music arrived to NYC from Cuba and PR, and as Disco emerged , Latin Dancers, (and Disco musicians) including straight men, were there to boogie and get down. The same was true in parts of New Jersey and Miami, Florida

Heya Mix - how do you explain the disco backlash which your country saw then?

"Macho" guys too straight to listen to, dance to or appreciate disco in any way! The UK never had this wave of feeling, as the straight guys were just indifferent and were seriously only at the clubs for girls. The ONLY reason the dance floor suddenly flooded with straight guys was at the birth of The Rave Era, thanks to Ecstacy, reducing their need to pose, remain aloof & cool at the side of dancefloor. Suddenly it was OK for boys to dance on their own, without some random girl propping them up as they spun around on the spot to Careless Whisper etc

"E" broke down barriers and allowed straight guys to be free (here at least), before that only girls & gays danced - in the main.

Northern Soul events were the exception to this rule, as were Soul Weekenders (such as Gt Yarmouth & Caister), where Rare Grooves & quality disco / funk were spun. But back in the "high street" Ritzy's-type clubs, it just wasn't de rigeur to join the gals dancing round their handbags!!

Thank God the world has changed (or at least the UK!!) and now everyone's dancing to the same beat. (Although some do still have two left feet!)

[Mixmachine]

Originally Posted by marmite7

Heya Mix - how do you explain the disco backlash which your country saw then?

Ah common Marmite, not this again

Like I've said before, America is a Huge , enormous, humongous, place, with a demographic absorbed from all cultures of the world!!!

You can’t draw absolute conclusions about what you read in the papers or books, there are always huge amounts of Americans that know better and acted differently, this people many times comprise numbers larger than the population of some countries of the world!!!

For instance, read the local Disco Charts posted around the forum, and check out how the music varies according to regions of the country, and those charts only reflect a portion of what was really going on!!!

"Macho" guys too straight to listen to, dance to or appreciate disco in any way! The UK never had this wave of feeling, as the straight guys were just indifferent and were seriously only at the clubs for girls.

I think you are very mistaken if you think going to a Disco to pick up girls is some how not a worthy endeavor, and that some how it takes away from the "True" appreciation of Disco music, as a matter of fact just about all male discogoers (dancers and not) went to Disco clubs mainly to get laid, including Gay clubs.

[marmite7]

I think you are very mistaken if you think going to a Disco to pick up girls is some how not a worthy endeavor, and that some how it takes away from the "True" appreciation of Disco music, as a matter of fact just about all male discogoers (dancers and not) went to Disco clubs mainly to get laid, including Gay clubs.

I KNOW that Mix, but at least we danced first to build up a sweat!!!

[remicks]

Originally Posted by Mixmachine

I think you are very mistaken if you think going to a Disco to pick up girls is some how not a worthy endeavor, and that some how it takes away from the "True" appreciation of Disco music, as a matter of fact just about all male discogoers (dancers and not) went to Disco clubs mainly to get laid, including Gay clubs.

Straight revisionist internet disco propaganda!!!


I've noticed inevitably ....just about every straight male from BITD who's posted with any regularity at discomusic.com will at some point (usually sooner than later) make a reference about their intent in going to discos was as a great way to get laid.
I don't think I've ever read that angle from any gay member. The experience for us was about something else. Something much more cosmic.



*****

[Energyguy]

Originally Posted by remicks

Straight revisionist internet disco propaganda!!!


I've noticed inevitably ....just about every straight male from the day who's posted with any regularity at discomusic.com will at some point (usually sooner than later) make a reference about their intent in going to discos was as a great way to get laid.
I don't think I've ever read that angle from any gay member. The experience for us was about something else. Something much more cosmic.



*****

For me it was the great music, every time. I could spend all night on the dancefloor getting lost in the endless hi-nrg classics
"getting laid/"copping off" was always an added bonus!

[marmite7]

Originally Posted by Energyguy

For me it was the great music, every time. I could spend all night on the dancefloor getting lost in the endless hi-nrg classics
"getting laid/"copping off" was always an added bonus!

I was always too knackered from dancin! The whole point then (and now) is to lose oneself in the rhythm.

If I wanna cop off I'll do it on a nite when I'm NOT clubbing

And.......... Remicks? I didn't realise you were a "brother"

xx

[Energyguy]

Originally Posted by marmite7

I was always too knackered from dancin! The whole point then (and now) is to lose oneself in the rhythm.

If I wanna cop off I'll do it on a nite when I'm NOT clubbing

And.......... Remicks? I didn't realise you were a "brother"

xx

Most weekends a gang of us went to Flamingo`s club in Blackpool. They had a great record shop inside the club so you could buy all the stuff you were dancing too all night .. I always staggered out at the end of the night with bags full of vinyl..