Country Disco: Did Anyone Attempt This?

[Disco Funk]

I don't believe I've ever come across a disco song with a truly country music feel. Not that the world would be a better place with the mixing. The country-funk mix seemed to work well in the early 70s for artists like Area Code 615 ('Stone Fox Chase'), Parliament ('Little Ol' Country Boy'), and Bad Bascomb (led by Wilbur Bascomb, these guys put out the LP Black Grass and singles like Funk City that were totally country funk, eg banjos and fiddles).

There have been other great mixing of genres with disco, like rock disco, jazz disco, blues disco, even traditional Greek music disco (Disco Bouzouki Band).

I'm looking mainly for cuts that are more disco than country. I only recall Patrick Juvet's 'I Love America' making a small reference to country music.

Thanks!

Disco Funk

[srg]

i only know Dolly Parton's "Baby I'm Burnin' " 12-inch (on pink vinyl!!) in 1979-not that bad a song, either! She also did a cover of "Save the Last Dance for Me" in 1984, but it really sounded like 80's disco by then.

[mixtape]

Boots Clement "Ghostriders in the sky" is def a country disco tune.

[Discomanic]

Dolly also had Potential New Boyfriend. Bill Anderson had a 12" of I Can Wait Any Longer (which I thought was quite nice). And I think they also played one by Country Star Sylvia which I think was called Drifter. Someone on the board a long while back claimed they may have seen a 12" of this but I have yet to find one.

[WolverSyr]

I worked at a country station for about 3 years in the early 80's, which played mostly old stuff. There was another Bill Anderson song from 79 called Triple S. I only remember that it sounded disco.

I think Ronnie Milsap also did a disco-type song.

There were a few songs that came out post-82 that had a real disco/dance feel. I wish I could remember the names of the songs, but I kind of blotted that era of my life out of my brain! I know Sylvia had a couple others, Donna Allen had a song that sounded like it was straight out of Philly, Anne Murray did something that was real synthy.

I always wondered why Donna Allen was working in the country genre at the time, although she was quite popular. Didn't she eventually move to pop music & do an album produced by Prince?

[all*that*glitters*]

I don't believe I've ever come across a disco song with a truly country music feel.

I'm looking mainly for cuts that are more disco than country. I only recall Patrick Juvet's 'I Love America' making a small reference to country music.

Thanks!

Disco Funk

yowdy Disco Funk,

best bet will be Malcolm McLaren's 'Buffalo Gals', the special extented 12" features a mix with true country-fiddling and the usual line dance instructions. The beat is 4/4 and fits quite well in a standard Disco rhythm pattern. Serious Country dancing here.
Other tracks that refer to C&W can be find on an disco album by The Black Light Orchestra; 'a man and his harmonica', 'once upon a time in the West'. Both tracks being clearly influenced by Ennio Morricone.

And don't forget Max Berlin; 'all over the USA' from his album 'worldwide party'. Check out the mandolin and the harmonica over some serious disco stomp!

Most obvious track of course must be 'baby I'm burning' by
Dolly Parton although there's no C&W element in sight besides the singer....
great record though

all*that*glitters*

[needlefingers]

On the Voyage album From East To West, there is a song called Scotch Machine. Though it starts out with bagpipes, it turns into a country fiddle playing a chicken-reel type of melody.

Also, Patrick Cowley did a song on the Megatron Man album called I Wanna Take You Home. It has a country break and feel to it. It can also be found on the flipside of the Menergy 12 inch.

A couple of other songs that I remember playing, that had a country feel:

Suzi Quatro - Stumblin' In

Dr. Hook - When You're In Love With A Beautiful Woman

I wouldn't call them disco songs, but we played them in the disco.

[Marcio**]

''Winter Melody'' by Donna Summer is very country.

[needlefingers]

And I forgot Kiss You All Over by Exile. I think it hit #1 on the Country Charts, but it was played in the clubs also.

[dvdjamm]

wasn't there a extended version of 9 to 5 by dolly pardon?

[Disco Funk]

Hey guys, thanks for all the recommendations. Keep 'em comin'! I've only heard of the Dolly Parton track, but never seeked it out. The other tracks mentioned sound interesting. Kiss You All Over is definitely one track I know. Exile also did a great version of 'Never Gonna Stop' which was later covered by Linda Clifford.

Disco Funk

[discokicks]

I think the most blatant attempt at crossing disco with country would be the Silver Blue album produced by Joel Diamond from 1978. With cuts like a discofied Tennessee Waltz, Yellow Rose Of Texas and Jambalaya, you cain't get mo' country than thayit.

That's not to say that it's at all wonderful, in fact, I'd use the word 'dreadful'. When one hears discussions about the exploitation and sell-out of the disco sound, the Ethel Merman album is usually the example but I always think of the Silver Blue album.

The '90s had some better countrified club dance tracks....the best being Swamp Thing by The Grid....a hot pounder with a fun banjo strumming thoughout. On the heels of that came another track called Harmonica Man by Bravado...great stuff! Of course then came Cotton-Eyed Joe which was okay but, for me, it was too blatant in its attempt at crossing the two genres. I appreciate The Grid's unusual but clever thought of throwing in that country banjo.

[discokicks]

I think Ronnie Milsap also did a disco-type song.

This song is actually quite good...called Get It Up on RCA from 1979. There's not much of a country element to it though other than the fact that it's Ronnie Milsap. I discovered this 12" extended mix in the mid-90s during the country line dancing craze. It's definitely on the funky side and even clocks in at 8:13!

The flip is another extended mix..this one is a cover of High Heeled Sneakers. Interesting stuff and strangely very disco cool! Yahooooo!

[remicks]

*****
I CAN'T WAIT ANY LONGER is an OK tune by "Whispering" Bill Anderson (he always sang with a soft whispery voice.... ) but it isn't hard core disco. Think AIN"T GONNA BUMP NO MOR WITH NO BIG FAT WOMAN by Joe Tex .....similar in feel to it.


Don't forgetr the hillbilly hoedown in Voyage's SCOTCH MACHINE ....

I almost think Tanya Tucker did something ( ?) on the Dynamite album ...... maybe she just went more rock .....

and when you mention the soul/country connection of the early 70's it must include FAIRYTALE by the Pointer Sisters which they wrote themselves and I absolutely love and consider it one of THE BEST COUNTRY SONGS ever !! Odd but true !


*****

[Disco Funk]

Keep 'em coming boys and girls, yee-haw!

I'm sort of trying to avoid the kitschy or novelty sounding stuff, but I'm willing to check them all out.

Thanks for that Pointer Sisters tip, Remicks. I'll have to see if that's on one of my CDs. If you dig the funk, I'd highly recommend you check out Area Code 615 and Bad Bascomb. 'Stone Fox Chase' by Area Code 615 is an awesome crossover with a wicked harmonica sampled by so many people. For a song released in 1970 it was really ahead of its time. Here's a site with a sound sample to a re-edited version:

http://www.juno.co.uk/search.php?q=a...mn=all&x=4&y=2

Bad Bascomb's stuff is really funky. Wilbur Bascomb who led the group was a really in-demand bass player, so the bass on Bad Bascomb's tracks is top notch. You can check out a few of their cuts on this website:

http://68.40.188.159:7000/playlist.c...ch=bad+bascomb

Then there's also 'Country Cooking' by Jim Dandy. It was on some weird compilation album with a title like Fantastic Zorg... Jim Dandy was the lead vocalist for Black Oak Arkansas. You can check out a sample of 'Country Cooking' on this compilation:

http://www.juno.co.uk/search.php?q=c...all&column=all

And here's the CD with the Parliament 'Little Ole Country Boy' which is done as a tongue in cheek crossover:

http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/

Disco Funk