Books: "Hot Stuff..." and "The Last Party..."

[usagi-san]

I found the book "Hot Stuff: A Brief History of Disco" and read it all with great interest. It plugs this site and quotes Bernie, too! The author, John-Manuel Androite, did a great job covering many areas of the disco scene, though I liked it best when he stuck to just the nature of the music and the artists. I have no problem when someone disagrees with me on something about disco, but I feel disappointed when I find factual errors. Unfortunately, this book also has many of those, such as stating Donna Summer's "I Feel Love" was from 1975 (really 1977), and that "Last Dance" was on her "Four Seasons Of Love" album. And her "MacArthur Park" was not a Gordon Lightfoot cover; it was a Richard Harris cover. Also, in the "Top Disco Artists and their Hits" section, many times the album with a hit song is incorrectly listed as having the same title as the hit, including the cases of Rick Dees and His Cast of Idiots (2 novelty songs) and The Jacksons.

Regarding our differences of opinion, I don't consider Abba's "Dancing Queen" a disco song, great as it was. I think the first two songs from Abba's "Voulez-Vous" were their closest songs to disco. I also don't think the Bee Gees were really disco, and neither did they (though "You Should Be Dancing" came close). I think they performed (often danceable) r&b/pop.

I am still very glad I got this book though, and I think many of the pictures are excellent.

I also bought the book "The Last Party-Studio 54, Disco, and the Culture Of The Night" by Anthony Haden-Guest. I found some very great information, but there was more on the club culture than the music, and I could really have done without all the content on drugs and sex. (Although I suspected what I was getting into when I bought it.) It is still worth it for various tidbits like (C.J. & Co.'s) "Devil's Gun" being the first song that 54 played, and information on Musique's initial success and "In The Bush" video.

Does anyone else have any disco books they would like to recommmend?

[JussiK]

On 2001-11-22 15:02, usagi-san wrote:



Does anyone else have any disco books they would like to recommmend?

Sure - shameless as I am I recommend mine!

Saturday Night Forever by Alan Jones & yours truly is far from being as analytical or intelligent as Last Night A DJ Saved My Life or as knowledgeable as Keep On Dancing or as entertainingly gossipy as The Last Party but what we got is info on obscure, cheesy and sleazy British or euro tracks. Plus we love Alec R Costandinos, Cerrone, Boris Midney etc, true disco some of those other books don't seem to think much of. And there are some filthy bits. Buy it for Christmas for yourself or for the sleazebag you love ! http://www.amazon.com/exec/obidos/AS...rniesdiscomusi

<font size=-1>[ This Message was edited by: Bernie on 2001-11-23 09:41 ]</font>

[Giovanni]

Some time ago I posted several books to read. Take a look at the tread "Paradise Garage book".

I think that only Jussi's book, and partially Brewster & Broughton's and Mel Cheren's ones, focalize their attention to the music. But a comprehensive text does not exist yet. It is interesting to note that in the last 3 years many books about the disco phenomenon have been published, after about 20' years of silence (Golman's "Disco" is from 1978). We would probably get more informative works in the near future ("Love will save the day" by Tim Lawrence and the "Maestro" documentary movie)

[Paulo]

[quote]

On 2001-11-23 00:13, JussiK wrote: Plus we love Alec R Costandinos, Cerrone, Boris Midney etc, true disco some of those other books don't seem to think much of. And there are some filthy bits.

[quote]





Hello Usagi-san:



Jussi's and Alan Jones' book is great, although he said in his post that it is not so analitycal or inteligent as the others you've read (hopefully he is joking or being modest). His book is very correct and faithful to all the facts that happened in the 70's.



Although I wasn't in the USA or Europe at that time, I lived the disco movement as close as one could living here in Brazil. I saw all the things he discribes happening even here (a country that is far from everything).



And as Jussi said, the book mentions "underground" artists and subjects that the music industry pretend didn't exist.



Buy it. You won't regret it.

Paulo

Brazil

[Bernie]

Here are the direct links to some of the books everyone is discussing:



Saturday Night Forever: The Story of Disco

http://www.amazon.com/exec/obidos/AS...rniesdiscomusi



Hot Stuff : A Brief History of Disco

http://www.amazon.com/exec/obidos/AS...rniesdiscomusi



Last Night a Dj Saved My Life : The History of the Disc Jockey

http://www.amazon.com/exec/obidos/AS...rniesdiscomusi



My Life and The Paradise Garage : Keep On Dancin'

http://www.amazon.com/exec/obidos/AS...rniesdiscomusi



You Better Work : Underground Dance Music in New York City

http://www.amazon.com/exec/obidos/AS...rniesdiscomusi



The Last Party : Studio 54, Disco, and the Culture of the Night

http://www.amazon.com/exec/obidos/AS...rniesdiscomusi



The Rough Guide to House Music

http://www.amazon.com/exec/obidos/AS...rniesdiscomusi

[jpp]

regarding the Jussi book..i recently bought it { thru amazon no less } and whole heartedly would endorse this WITHOUT YET EVEN READING IT !!! only because since i received the book i have looked up several obscure / forgotten artists in the index and found some great , invaluable info in the passages i have turned to....i am hoping to read the whole book soon.....

[EduardoFojo]

[HustleBaby]

I received "The Last Party, Studio 54" book as a late XMAS present so I'm on p.90 as of now. So far Haden-Guest mentions all of the regulars like Bianca, Diana, Liza, Grace, Halston, Andy and Truman. He also mentions other discotheques like Le'Jardin, Regine, The Loft, Le'Club, Xenon and others. I was hoping to read some serious scandulous dirt as to what really went on in the basement, bathrooms and balcony. I've notice that he has a lot of information as to how the discotheques came into being and its business arrangements/deals. Well I'm gonna keep reading and I'll be back with further details.



*DISCO DELIGHT*