Gay News UK charts/ Early 80's HI -NRG Charts

[SandraDee]

It just occurred to me that Freddie James & Kathmandu are the only Canadian acts on the '79 charts. I thought that the gay clubs always played alot of Canadian stuff & was surprised by the absence of acts like Gino Soccio, Nightlife Unlimited, Bob-a-rela, THP & Alma Faye. I know that in the 80s Canadian acts like Lime & Carol Jiani were huge in gay clubs in the UK. Maybe some of these acts were in the top 10s earlier in the year? Actually, besides Abba (& possibly Simon Orchestra?) there aren't many Euro acts either which is also surprising. You'd think Cerrone, Space, Patrick Hernandez, Telex, Michele Freeman, Munich Machine or Chantal Curtis would've had some representation wouldn't you? Maybe the end of '79 was a good time for US records in particular. I'm just pondering as I didn't go clubbing back then but I've read alot about that time & know many of the records of that time quite well.

[Simon White]

Originally Posted by SandraDee

It just occurred to me that Freddie James & Kathmandu are the only Canadian acts on the '79 charts. I thought that the gay clubs always played alot of Canadian stuff & was surprised by the absence of acts like Gino Soccio, Nightlife Unlimited, Bob-a-rela, THP & Alma Faye. I know that in the 80s Canadian acts like Lime & Carol Jiani were huge in gay clubs in the UK. Maybe some of these acts were in the top 10s earlier in the year? Actually, besides Abba (& possibly Simon Orchestra?) there aren't many Euro acts either which is also surprising. You'd think Cerrone, Space, Patrick Hernandez, Telex, Michele Freeman, Munich Machine or Chantal Curtis would've had some representation wouldn't you? Maybe the end of '79 was a good time for US records in particular. I'm just pondering as I didn't go clubbing back then but I've read alot about that time & know many of the records of that time quite well.

More 'Gay News' charts to come which may give a bit more insight. Remmber Sanrd, these charts are top tens... and more than ten records got played in a night ! Certainly Lime and of course Ms Jiani were played a LOT at 'Bangs'. I heard Carol's version of 'Ask Me' in a Northern Soul club once. It didn't go down well......

Somewhere I'm sure I have a Blues & Soul from around '74/'75 which has a 'Gay' Disco chart. I'll post it up too when I find it.

[Simon White]

Ok..taking it back further, here are two clippings from Blues and Soul, from Dec 1973 and April 1974. The magazine recently closed btw after forty years of publication.

Does anyone know anything about 'Erasmus Chorum' ? The minute I see or hear the words 'Black Rock Group' I lose interest, but the picture makes me wonder what they sounded like !!

[SandraDee]

B & S no more?! That's very sad news; I thought it would always be around; that's even sadder than Record Mirror finishing.

[Simon White]

Originally Posted by SandraDee

B & S no more?! That's very sad news; I thought it would always be around; that's even sadder than Record Mirror finishing.

Theres a bit more here Sandy...

http://www.discomusic.com/forums/fun...s-nd-soul.html

Here's another couple of Gay News charts - September 1980 this time...............

[Simon White]

OK, this is a jump forward a couple of years to October 82 , January 83 , March '83 and March '84.

These are from Record Mirror. The '82 chart shows how it had all gone electronic by then...there are some real HI - NRG classics in these three charts but the chart wasn't YET called that....they were calling it 'Boystown' and indeed there's the Boys Town Gang at numbers 10 & 12 in the '82 chart with Sylvester at # 1 and The Weather Girls as a new entry !
Lots of Sharon Redd, lots of Carol Jiani and lots of Bobby O and Ian Levine productions.
By March '84 the chart has been renamed 'Hi NRG Disco' and Evelyn Thomas' 'High Energy' is there as a new entry at number 7.


Hopefully these charts are of interest. Who knows how accurate they are or manipulated they were?

On a personal note, they really do reflect how much of the music I didn't like at the time and how much has dated badly. At the same time, they reflect the that whole Hi Energy period very well. Some of these tracks have stuck very firmly in my mind as huge records in the clubs I went to but of course I didn't go everywhere. Others I honestly don't remember hearing out at the time.

[QUINNY]

Interesting charts. In '82 and '83 many of the records played were in the mainstream, whereas by '84 it would appear a sea-change had occured. Perhaps the charts were compiled from more hard- edged venues by then.

[SandraDee]

Originally Posted by Simon White

how much has dated badly.

I s'pose it's badly dated 'cos basically hi-nrg was always a tad 'retro' (not that that's necessarily a bad thing) being old-fashioned late 70s gay disco (i.e. zingy 4/4 beat, diva/girly vocals, poppy catchy song) with a stripped down totally electronic sound i.e. no orchestras, real horns, real percussion etc. That's my opinion.

[SandraDee]

Originally Posted by QUINNY

Interesting charts. In '82 and '83 many of the records played were in the mainstream, whereas by '84 it would appear a sea-change had occured.

Notice how most of the '82 stuff is European or Canadian 'disco', pure pop or US 'NY funky' disco 'cos there was hardly any US pure 'disco' any more thanks to the backlash over there. By '84 the UK 'hi-nrg' 'scene' was in full swing with lots of UK producers churning the stuff out (usually ex-Northern soul DJs like Ian Levine) & as a consequence dominated the chart 'til about '87 when house was unleashed on the gay clubs.