Disco Classics Back On Wax, Cassette, And CD

**discotom73** · January 25th, 2006, 07:49 PM

Does anyone own any of these Disco Series? I have quite a few: The Ritchie Family, Silver Convention, Voyage among others. Does anyone have a favorite CD? Does anyone know if CDs like these are still being made?

**Disco Funk** · January 25th, 2006, 08:31 PM

Are you talking about the Hot Productions CDs? Yeah, most should still be in production. You can find them pretty cheap on Amazon.com via the marketplace sellers, or on Ebay.

The quality varies from CD to CD, but it's all pretty good. Some you can tell use a vinyl source, but it really is a mixed bag. Also, watch out for some that are pressed as CDRs. I don't know why that happened, but multiple copies of the Maryann Farra CD/LP were CDRs. I still bought a copy because the audio quality was very good. Too bad it came out in Japan legitimately a year later, so I might have to buy it again.

As for which ones I'd recommend, that depends on what you're into. The label compilations, like the Best of AVI, Lollipop, Butterfly, even Enjoy (if you're into late 70's, early 80's rap) are best buys. Those compilations don't feature the full length versions of most tracks, but they are well edited into 5 to 6 minute lengths where the original LP or 12" version is 7 minutes or longer.

Disco Funk

**Bernie** · January 25th, 2006, 08:32 PM

Originally Written by discotom73

Does anyone own any of these Disco Series? I have quite a few: The Ritchie Family, Silver Convention, Voyage among others. Does anyone have a favorite CD? Does anyone know if CDs like these are still being made?

I think everyone here has at least a few, but the quality and timing are far from perfect. See the listing of Hot Productions CDs.

**eddie** · January 25th, 2006, 08:52 PM

Yes, I have several dozen. The most recent ones that a bought have all been CDrs. I think that the reason for this is that the comapny is no longer in business and this individual presses copies because perhaps he knows he may not be prosecuted. I bought them dirt cheap. Most under $5 including shipping. The sound quality is similar to Unidisc. About 97% sound excellent in my opinion but I'm someone who would rather have a clean vinyl copy dubbed to CD as opposed to the master reels. I'm funny that way but I can not stand channel flutter from tapes.

Some of my favorites are Brandi Wells, Terri Wells, Fat Larry's Band, Booker Newberry III, William DeVaughn, Heaven and Earth, Captain Sky, Cecil Parker, Eugene Wilde, Joanna Gardner Rice and Beans Orchestra, and Major Harris.

Some of the turds in the batch were Shades of Love which had totally terrible sound quality. Blue Magic's My Magic is real CD is by far the worst thing they ever did. They did a remake of Welcome to the Club that's an abomination complete with echo effects. Evelyn Thomas, Viola Willis, and Carol Williams were just not my cup of tea.

My favorite track was included on a Diggin' in the Crates compilation by a group called Cavier. The track was "I can't stop loving you". It's very mid 80's in feel but has great strings much like earlier disco. The 12" version has sold for hundreds of dollars.

I also was a bit disappointed in the Weeks and Co compilation. It had a short version of "Rock the World" and included many newer tracks.

**neonlights** · January 26th, 2006, 12:56 AM

I have a few of these Hot Productions CDs.. Even though many are not from the master tapes, I just like the convenience of having them on CD. So far all the "best of" CDs that I have from them have mixed sources, but some of the album reissues do sound really good, like they were from the original masters. Voyage - S/T, all the Claudja Barry albums, the stuff from Tojo records to name a few..

So far the best one I have is Claudja Barry - Made In Hong Kong, the most disappointing is Queen Samantha II.. The CD sounds clear, but the track times were severely cut down. The track times listed on the back are all from 4 to 7 minutes, but the actual track times when you play the CD are 2-3 minutes.. :x

I had no idea there are people selling CDR's of Hot Productions CDs now.. yikes!! So far I haven't bought any of those.. Are there any Ebay or amazon marketplace sellers to look out for?

**Noman** · January 26th, 2006, 05:06 AM

Some labels do use CD-r today for commercial CD:s that are sold in very limited numbers. I don't know if Hot is still alive and this is the case or if it is a pirate out there?

**Disco Funk** · January 26th, 2006, 08:39 AM

Originally Written by neonlights

I had no idea there are people selling CDR's of Hot Productions CDs now.. yikes!! So far I haven't bought any of those.. Are there any Ebay or amazon marketplace sellers to look out for?

I know for sure the Maryann Farra is CDR from personal experience. There was another one, I can't remember the name of the artist or the CD, that had a review on Amazon where a couple of buyers warned about the album being a CDR. The packaging is also different from the others. Instead of glossy hard paper, those CDRs use bond/photocopier type paper. And the CDs just have plain text on them. No colours or pictures on the top of the discs. I only discovered my CD was a CDR by accident, because I have a DVD player that doesn't take CDRs and I happened to put the Farra album in their to listen to it.

Disco Funk

**DiscoKidd** · January 26th, 2006, 05:37 PM

I purchased Don Ray's "Garden of Love" from an amazon.com seller, and it is a CD-R.

The tell-tale sign before I even opened the package was that the shrink wrap was more of a thin plastic wrap than cellophane.

The CD fades in and out on a couple of songs and one song has a very abrupt fade.

Does anyone know if Hot Productions is still in business or was their operation absorbed into Empire Musicwerks?

**Noman** · January 27th, 2006, 04:07 AM

I have Don Ray too both on Vinyl and the CD you mentioned above,
The abrubt fade you talk about is on the vinyl too but it plays gapless into the next track that fades in.
So if you rip the cd and burn it Gapless you will have it like the original vinyl. I don't know if one should :D or :(

**DiscoKidd** · January 27th, 2006, 04:25 PM

Originally Written by Noman

I have Don Ray too both on Vinyl and the CD you mentioned above,
The abrubt fade you talk about is on the vinyl too but it plays gapless into the next track that fades in.
So if you rip the cd and burn it Gapless you will have it like the original vinyl. I don't know if one should :D or :(

I wish I could but I got it from amazon.com this way!

I missed this album the first time around, so I am glad to know that it is the source material, not the CD burn.