Quincy Jones Disco

**EricHG23** · January 23rd, 2006, 11:41 PM

Not expecting tons of fans here but what tracks do people consider essential disco/dance tracks produced by Quincy Jones?

We all know how mixed his Donna Summer album was (though I prefer it on a whole to her Omartian albums later--and I like some songs a lot like Love is just a Breath Away.

But he does have some great disco-R&B songs--I love the whole Jackson Off the Wall album (much more than Thriller), I like the full 5 minute mix of George Benson's Give me the Night, Stuff Like that, LOVE Ai No Corrida...

Any other essential tracks? his stuff is more R&B/funk than I usually like in my disco but...

E

**neonlights** · January 24th, 2006, 12:06 AM

I think some tracks off the Rufus & Chaka Khan album he did - Masterjam (1979, MCA) are among some of his best from the disco era.. "Do You Love What You Feel," "Any Love," and "Body Heat" in particular.. Got the Japanese remaster last week, been listening to it quite a bit lately..

**FrontPage22** · January 24th, 2006, 06:13 AM

"Any Love" by Rufus & Chaka is essential. There's a fab Dimitri re-edit of that song on his Defected CD from 2004.

**Disco Funk** · January 24th, 2006, 08:31 AM

I was looking at his album credits on All Music Guide, and it says that his first project was arranging and conduction a Louis Jordon record in 1942! Funny thing, he was born in 1933, so I guess he must have been a child prodigy.

Anyway, in addition to the artists and titles mentioned so far, he was also the producer of the Brothers Johnson, and they did some great dancefloor tracks like Get The Funk Outta My Face, Ride-O-Rocket, and their most discoey track Stomp.

Disco Funk

**Videoskooter** · January 24th, 2006, 02:06 PM

Quincy Jones was responsable for a great and sophisticated Discosound.

He had many good productions, like the fellows already mentioned but my favourite album is "The Dude" with classics like "Razzamattaz" and the heavenly "Velas" with Belgian Jazz icon Jean "Toots" Thielemans (now on tour in the States BTW).

http://www.discomusic.com/records-more/3952_0_2_0_C/

**markydefad** · January 24th, 2006, 02:43 PM

Don't forget Patti Austin's DO YOU LOVE ME?--great dance classic produced by Quincy Jones. :D :D :D :D

And I'm very partial to LOVE IS IN CONTROL (Finger On The Trigger) by Donna Summer, produced by Q.

**TheLordOfFlatbush** · January 24th, 2006, 02:54 PM

Originally Written by FrontPage22

"Any Love" by Rufus & Chaka is essential. There's a fab Dimitri re-edit of that song on his Defected CD from 2004.

Any Love was a Big, New York City Disco Hit!

Excellent choice and D.F.P.'s Re-Edit was excellent!

**eddie** · January 24th, 2006, 04:19 PM

Yes, "Velas" from the Dude was definitely one of the best instrumenals. That used to be the theme of Yvonne Mobley's Softtouch back in the day. Lord of Flatbush can you dig it.

Another great underrated track by him in a similar vein is Grace which was originally the flipside to "We are the world."

**QUINNY** · January 24th, 2006, 05:41 PM

An honourable mention must go to...
Money Runner from 1972 (or thereabouts. This shaft-like instrumental was a big dancefloor hit with my DJ colleagues and myself at the Coach house club (our first club gig). Dancefloor hits were widely spread over a multitude of genres back then, but with the emphasis on Soul and Funk.

**EricHG23** · January 24th, 2006, 06:12 PM

Funny I actually own some of these (liek Brothers Johnson) and foolishly didn't realize they were Quincy :)

Thanks guys

**buckaroo** · January 25th, 2006, 06:42 AM

Ain't We Funkin' Now Brothers Johnson

**Davicillo** · January 25th, 2006, 06:57 AM

I agree with Videoskooter, 'The Dude' had some great tracks on it.
Razzamatazz being a stand out track!

**markydefad** · January 25th, 2006, 01:25 PM

I was always amused that Qunicy Jones was the producer of most of Sixties Pop Princess Lesley Gore's tunes, a'la' IT'S MY PARTY, JUDY'S TURN TO CRY, YOU DON'T OWN ME, MAYBE I KNOW, etc.

from AMG:

"Produced by Quincy Jones, who fattened the teenager's sound with double-tracked vocals and intricate backup vocals and horns, ....

So what was Quincy Jones doing producing a White suburban teenager who had never recorded before? A couple of demos she recorded with her vocal coach made their way to Mercury's president, who recommended her to Jones, the label's A&R head. For their first session, Gore and Jones picked "It's My Party" out of a pile of about 200 demos. The "It's My Party" single was rush-released when Jones found out that Phil Spector had plans to record the same song with the Crystals.

The singles were also very well-produced, with orchestral arrangements (by Claus Ogermann) that hewed closer to mainstream pop than Phil Spector's Wall of Sound. Retrospectives of Quincy Jones' career usually downplay or omit his work with Gore, although it was among his most commecially successful; he's known now for recordings that are, well, funkier. But his success with Gore did a lot to build his already impressive résumé within the industry."

**Nano** · January 28th, 2006, 12:51 PM

I totally second Marky on Patti Austin's "Do you love me". Great vocals for an amazing track.

Look also for an instrumental jam circa 1977 called "Midnight soul patrol", with state-of-the-art session musicians as always.

**galocha** · February 1st, 2006, 12:43 AM

My favs are:

Love X Love - George Benson
Stomp - Brothers Johnson
Rock With You - Michael Jackson
Give Me The Night - George Benson

All of them written by the favourite songwriter... Rod Temperton. Rod and Quincy make such a great team. Really. Thanks Quincy and Rod for your contribution to music.

**Boogie Child** · February 3rd, 2006, 08:28 AM

I agree about Patti Austin's "Do You Love Me?" - I also like "The Genie" from the same album.

The Brothers Johnsons' "Stomp!" is a classic, but "Light Up the Night" from the same album is also very danceable.

Marcio** · March 4th, 2006, 11:16 AM

quincy jones and salma hayek

**SandraDee** · March 4th, 2006, 06:35 PM

I'm surprised nobody mentioned 'Love I Never Had It So Good' from the '78 'Sounds & Stuff Like That' LP (the title track is of course brilliant as already mentioned). It's definitely got a more 'disco' sound than the other funkier stuff previously mentioned. :P

**ol'skinflint** · March 4th, 2006, 06:48 PM

is my favorite Quincy Jones production, and her performance of Stevie Wonder's "Betcha Wouldn't Hurt Me" would be a close second, followed by "Stuff Like That". He also produced a couple songs I liked for James Ingram, but the names slip my mind. I thought the album he did with Donna Summer was a bit strange. I like some of the songs but others like "Miracle of Love", "If it Hurts Just A Little" and some others didn't really seem to fit her style as well as the Moroder/Bellotte productions. And why big names like Michael Jackson, Bruce Springsteen, Dionne Warwick, Christopher Cross and others were used as session players/singers is a mystery, unless he thought the names would sell the record instead of the music. He was supposed to produce a whole album for Barbra Streisand, and I bet it would have been just as overblown. He often dominates the artists he produces, though I like much of his work....

**SandraDee** · March 4th, 2006, 06:55 PM

Originally Written by ol'skinflint

He often dominates the artists he produces, though I like much of his work....

I'm all for a bit of domination

! I always wished he'd produced an LP for Diana Ross in her early 80s RCA period as I'm sure her voice & glamour would've perfectly suited his sound. (& let's face it, she needed a good LP at that time! :-? )