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

[Simon White]

I only have a few of these...this is the earliest one.

[Energyguy]

Thanks for posting those charts Simon. Some great tracks listed

[SandraDee]

Wow, interesting charts Simone. I remember that summer of '77 with all those electronic sounds like Magic Fly, From Here To Eternity & Oxygene. I'm surprised that Roberta Kelly's 'Zodiacs' went down so well as I don't think it's that good but I s'pose it's camp isn't it? I really really wish I could've gone clubbing in the late 70s but I was only 12 at the time! Also interestingto see the differences between the regions with the north favouring camp or electronic stuff & the south preferring slightly blacker sounds. I love the term 'camp revamp'!

[Andy Farley]

Good to know that Nellie The Elephant still did the damage on the dance floor

[Simon White]

Originally Posted by Andy Farley

Good to know that Nellie The Elephant still did the damage on the dance floor

LOL Andy !

I think a few quick word of explanation might be in order. These 1977 charts really come just as the classic 120 -130 bpm thing that prevailed in the Gay discos was about to take over, the sounds that led directly to the specifically 'Gay' aimed HI NRG sound. 'Dicks Inn' and 'Bangs' were London based Discos. 'Dicks Inn' was kind of a travelling disco and was run by Tricky Dicky who had already DJ'd for some by time then (and who still runs the record shop 'Trax' in London) and they were slightly more commercial and fun. "Bangs' was the first big Gay disco in London and was at the 'Sundown' in Charing Cross Rd and was more serious about it's music, although still not as serious as 'Heaven' which was up and running by 1979. It's pretty fair to say that (like anywhere) the out of London discos would be slightly less upfront with their playlists and like Sandra says little more 'camp'. But who knows what these charts were based on? I definately never heard 'Nellie The Elephant' and I suspect it was either put in as a joke or was the record used to clear everyone out at the end of the night !

Here are two more charts from later, November 1979. You can see how the music has changed, whats being played is more hardcore 'disco' if you like, and some of these records were either being played in the non gay or mainstream clubs while some stayed purely in the gay clubs. The 'Dick's Inn' chart is less commercial by now, and the inclusion of 'Rappers Delight' on the 'Bangs' chart is a real move away from the classic Gay disco sounds like The Simon Orchestra and 'No More Tears' and is I think the kind of thing that led to people making specific HI NG records.
There's a new chart, the 'Femme' top ten which was as the name suggests a Lesbian disco. It can't have been that big (The Sols Arms was a pub) and they played slower records by the look of it and that Suzi Quatro record must be there because of the title and Dusty Springfeild was there because...welll...she was Dusty Springfield I guess !.

[Andy Farley]

These are a great read, and interesting to see the variation in tracks around the country. Interesting that the Huddersfield chart lists John Davis - Love Magic as number one, whereas the others have Streisand/Summer as the top one

[kdavid13]

Thanks for posting these charts.

I just love it ; isn't it amazing that just reading a few titles on a list and BAM
suddenly you're there in your mind.

Great memories ; takes me back to the days when I was 16 !!

[Dayna]

Simply De-Lish-ious..Thank you...

[SandraDee]

I'm so enjoying these charts Simone. I'm currently recording my own CDR's to play in the car & I'm doing '79 as we speak so these are so familiar to me at the moment. Each chart has it's own good tracks e.g. 'Deputy Of Love', Cognac, Musique, Marlena Shaw, Kathmandu, Dynasty, Dusty- I'd be in heaven (literally!) if these came on when I was clubbing!. There's just a couple of tracks I'm unfamiliar with - Toni Washington & David Hudson on the Bang chart; are they any good?

[remicks]

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Yes these are most interesting charts Simon ! ....
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Imports were universally an important music source for djs all over the world it seems ... .... ..
On the Bang chart .... 9 of the 11 listed songs are imports ... The Ritchie Family and Donna Summer being the two that were pressed domestically.

And someone's got to ask ..... so it might as well be me .....

.... what the heck is Petula Clark's THE SHOW IS OVER doing at No. 5 at the Gemini Club ??? ????





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Petula Clark .... there's no esacping her ....

[Videoskooter]

Originally Posted by remicks

.... what the heck is Petula Clark's THE SHOW IS OVER doing at No. 5 at the Gemini Club ???

Maybe it was the closing track of the night, a signal that it was time to go home and people liked it so it became very popular. You know the last dance, the last kiss???? Just guessing (thinking about the thread that handled the slows being played at Disco's)

[Simon White]

Originally Posted by SandraDee

I'm so enjoying these charts Simone. I'm currently recording my own CDR's to play in the car & I'm doing '79 as we speak so these are so familiar to me at the moment. Each chart has it's own good tracks e.g. 'Deputy Of Love', Cognac, Musique, Marlena Shaw, Kathmandu, Dynasty, Dusty- I'd be in heaven (literally!) if these came on when I was clubbing!. There's just a couple of tracks I'm unfamiliar with - Toni Washington & David Hudson on the Bang chart; are they any good?

Sandra, I don't know either of those tracks at all...anyone?
I think I have a David Hudon 45 somewhere tho
..I'll dig that out.

[Simon White]

Originally Posted by remicks

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Yes these are most interesting charts Simon ! ....
.
Imports were universally an important music source for djs all over the world it seems ... .... ..
On the Bang chart .... 9 of the 11 listed songs are imports ... The Ritchie Family and Donna Summer being the two that were pressed domestically.

And someone's got to ask ..... so it might as well be me .....

.... what the heck is Petula Clark's THE SHOW IS OVER doing at No. 5 at the Gemini Club ??? ????







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Petula Clark .... there's no esacping her ....

Imports were always important to UK clubs for a few obvious reasons...number one, all the really good earlier disco came from the US and two...the home grown product was pretty dire in the main. But its surprising what DID get released on UK labels. I've been posting things up in the 'Vinyl Records" for a while, a lot of which are British releases of US product.

[Simon White]

Originally Posted by Videoskooter

Maybe it was the closing track of the night, a signal that it was time to go home and people liked it so it became very popular. You know the last dance, the last kiss???? Just guessing (thinking about the thread that handled the slows being played at Disco's)

I think that must have been it Videoskooter (they used it to clear out my local pub actually and I do have a copy !) although why it's at number five is a mystery ! But then Denice Williams is not exactly a disco record either.

But if you compare the two charts, the 'Bangs' chart is much more upfront and full on disco. Interesting to note how many tracks were being played from album at Bangs, presumably before the 12" versions came out.
I don't know how big the other club was - it may have been quite small whereas know 'Bangs' was big.

[remicks]

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Also worthy of note ...

on the '79 charts ......two ABBA sightings !!



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