Best Use Of Disco In Movie Soundtrack?

[markydefad]

I noted in another post that I love the way Paul Thomas Anderson used 1970's music in his terrific movie, "Boogie Nights". From the thrilling opening with "Best Of My Love" by The Emotions to "Jungle Fever" by Chakachas to Three Dog Night's "Mama Told Me Not To Come" to Eric Burdon & War's "Spill The Wine" To Melanie's "Brand New Key" (Rollergirl's aphrodesiac theme song) to McFadden & Whitehead's "Ain't No Stopping Us Now (New Year's Eve party), etc., I thought the music choices were beautifully integrated to help tell the story. So often, nowadays, you just get a bunch of oldies played under the dialogue to help sell a soundtrack. "Boogie Nights" seemed such an exception to that tired marketing strategy that seems to stem from "The Big Chill" era. Granted, not all the music is disco, but I vote for "Boogie Nights" as my favorite disco era soundtrack.



Other movies like "Looking For Mr. Goodbar", "Carlito's Way, "The Last Days Of Disco", and "54" had outstanding soundtracks also. But their musical choices seemed more background club music, than integral to commenting on the characters and the storyline.



Anyone else have ideas for best use of disco/70's music in a movie?



Afterthought: I didn't mention the obvious choice "Saturday Night Fever" cause I know how that stirs up such a hornet's nest here. Some seem to think that movie & The Bee Gees in particular were responsible for the DEATH OF DISCO. Having defended The Brothers Gibb previously and been slammed for it, I just thought "been there, done that". Agree/Disagree???

_________________

Make My Feet Wanna Dance!

Markydefad

<font size=-1>[ This Message was edited by: markydefad on 2001-11-28 13:37 ]</font>

[HustleBaby]

Marky,

Let me start by saying that I am also a fan

of The Bee Gees and enjoyed "Saturday Night Fever along with its soundtrack. I know that

many people believed that this particular movie caused the demise of disco. Anyway, I

like the connections of each song and the situation/character.



Example1: How Deep is Your Love(Whenever John

& Stephanie was together. Especially at the

end when it seemed like he was finally growing up).

#2.More Than A Woman(The song used for their

competition - even though they could have used something with a faster tempo).

#3.Songs played at Club Odyssey -

K.Gee,Open Sesame, You Should Be Dancing etc...



*DISCO DELIGHT*

[HustleBaby]

I think the "SUMMER OF SAM" soundtrack is

pretty good and connects well with the scenes

& characters.

1."La Vie En Rose"-Ritchie's performance in the all-male theatre.

2."Don't Leave Me This Way- Mira Sorvino finally leaving John Leguizamo!

3."Baba O' Riley- Blend of different scenes

starting with Ritchie.

4."Dancing Queen - Shouting/slapping fight

in the middle of a graveyard? Doesn't fit.

5."Everybody Dance"- Plato's Retreat orgy

scene. They could have used a more erotic song like in our EROTIC DISCO POST.

6.All the songs played in the neighborhood discotheque.



Did you notice that some songs in "SOS" were

left out of the cd soundtrack? Exp: Love is the message, It's outta sight and others..

Some songs were common yet likeable and it

made me reminisce of 1977 so I give it 3 1/2

***.



Looking for Mr.goodbar has a superb soundtrack and gives you a raw/realness of the disco era. And it has one of my favorite disco songs "Love Hangover"! Plus the movie was great so I give it 4****.



I would give 54(part 1) 2 1/2** because most of the soundtrack is very common. The movie

was also sugar-coated/watered down without that realness that I've expected. The best songs were Contact, Keep on Dancing, Vertigo-

Relight My Fire and Mighty Real.



Finally do you know the song that was played when the neighborhood punks was beating up on

Richie (Summer of Sam)?



*DISCO DELIGHT*

[Boodikka]

For me, it would be Thank God It's Friday. Not so much for the songs that appeared on the album (some were great: "I Wanna Dance", "Sevilla Nights"....) but for the ones that did not. When Robin Menken and Debra Winger are in the car on the way to The Zoo (actually Osko's), the radio plays "Down To Love Town". I always loved that little touch. The other non-album songs were great as well: "Romeo and Juliet Parts 1 and 2", "I Am What I Am", "From Here To Eternity", etc. I still wish someone would create a TGIF2 compilation incorporating all of these songs.

[e,r]

On 2001-11-28 13:24, markydefad wrote:



Anyone else have ideas for best use of disco/70's music in a movie?

<

1 Midney's "Beutifull Bend" in Liquid Sky

2 opening seconds of TGIF (where the United

Artist statue starts to dance to the beat

from Love&Kisses

3 Voyage Tahity in the party scene of that

"chase movie" with Harison Ford

4 Ayers - Runing Away in Son Of Sam

5 let's all chant in that "serial killer in

the fashion industry movie"



not so disco,,



1 in heaven in Eraserhead

2 Cabaret votaire - jhony yesno

3 Emanuel theme song

4 the 60's soundtrack of Pink Flamingos

5 residents soundtrack to Census Taker



e,r

[JussiK]

People on the tube dancing to The O'Jays LOVE TRAIN during the bittersweet finale of LAST DAYS OF DISCO. Just perfect.

[markydefad]

Regarding "The Last Days Of Disco", the music choices seemed anachronistic given that the movie is set in the early 1980's ( 1982, if I remember correctly). So a club playing "Doctor's Orders", "More, More,More", "Shame", "The Love I Lost", and "Good Times" as if they were the club hits of the time, seemed sooo wrong. The only song used on the soundtrack that seemed of that era was "Dolce Vita" by Ryan Paris, used in the background of some scene and not on the soundtrack. As great as those early disco hits were, a club in 1982, in New York City, obviously modeled on 54, would have been playing a totally different type of music, it seems to me.



Also, the music was played at such a low volume, enabling the characters to chatter like they were in some fern bar, and the lighting was sooo bright that it seemed like this club was really some rich person's private home disco. At least "54" felt like a real club.

[HustleBaby]

[quote]

On 2001-11-28 20:28, e,r wrote:

On 2001-11-28 13:24, markydefad wrote:

let's all chant in that "serial killer in

the fashion industry movie"



That movie was "The Eyes of Laura Mars" with

Faye Dunaway as a fashion photographer.



Carlito's Way was a good movie with a average

soundtrack. The only two songs that fit in well with a particular scene was:

1.Oye Como Va (Shootout in the poolroom)

2.I LoveMusic(Playing in Carlito's nightclub)



DELIGHTFUL!!





<font size=-1>[ This Message was edited by: HustleBaby on 2001-11-29 15:37 ]</font>

[ehuerta]

I loved Cameron Diaz sequence in "Charlie's Angels", dancing to the beat of "Heaven must be missing an angel" by Tavares



I also enjoyed "Shake your groove thing" by Peaches and Herbs in "Priscilla, Queen of the desert"

[Move2This]

I agree with markydefad about Last Days of Disco - chronologically the soundtrack was all over the place, and I can only assume it was put together with either little thought for historical accuracy, or by someone too young to know or care.



And before anyone says anything, I know plenty of people too young to remember the disco era are not like that!!

[markydefad]

Hi move2this,



My guess on this is that the director (Whit Stillman) chose the music HE liked from the disco era (obviously the early to middle years) and used that music as representative of the whole era. I guess that's his prerogative, but it bothered me as someone who spent a lot of time dancing in the early 1980's that the movie would use "Good Times" as the hot club song of the moment when in reality the music would have been more Lime/Cut Glass/Vivian Vee Euro stuff.



I just thought the club ambiance was so fake--unlike any club I've ever seen and it bothered me (even though I liked the music).



I guess to most people a disco song is a disco song... so... as long as it's a disco song playing, they don't remember or care what year it was and whether that song is appropriate to the time period of the movie.



Am I offbase on this?

[Leanmean]

On 2001-11-30 13:46, markydefad wrote:



I guess to most people a disco song is a disco song... so... as long as it's a disco song playing, they don't remember or care what year it was and whether that song is appropriate to the time period of the movie.

Am I offbase on this?

Mark,

That's my pet peeve! That's also why I was so upset when I saw Saturday Night Fever. If Travolta's character had not redeemed himself by giving the dance trophy to the Puerto Rican couple, I would have gone nuts! He just did not have the smooth rhythm of a winning dancer. He was merely OK for a straight white guy.



As a person who danced to 70s disco, I get offended too when people call 80s music classic disco. When I saw the titles on the soundtracks from those movies you all mentioned when they first came out, I was dissapointed. I saw Looking for Mr. Goodbar again recently and thought it had some really good music.

[Boodikka]

Musical anachronisms bother me in ANY film....it's a simple thing to hire a knowledgable consultant (there are many on this board). When its a disco soundtrack and the musical references are chronologically in error, I pick up on it, as I am sure that most of those in these forums do.

It's not just newer films like THE LAST DAYS OF DISCO (I lived/partied in Manhattan in '82, the music and the club scene was not correctly depicted) or SUMMER OF SAM (which had songs not released until the end of '77 played duing the summer of '77). It's also films such as AMERICAN GRAFFITTI (the film ends takes place Sept. '62, but some of the songs were released months later).

[HustleBaby]

I agree with Marky's comment about "The Last

Days of Disco". I saw the movie twice on cable and you can tell that there was no care

in the production of this picture. The soundtrack is very common, thrown together and inaccurate for the year that "the end" was taking place.



Boodikka you're 100% right! Some of the "Summer of Sam" songs weren't made/playing until late 77'. I don't have the year of most songs "down-packed" like the rest of you but I did enjoy the movie.



Leanmean, my mother said the same thing about Travolta's award. She also felt that

his dancing skills were blown out of proportion in her words "John Travolta is not the greatest dancer"! She along with a few other family members wasn't crazy about

"Saturday Night Fever".



DELIGHTFUL!!!!

[paul]

I hear ya Lean. I'm not going to beat up SNF too much because I kinda felt good about sharing disco with the "masses."

I'm more bothered by some of the recent stuff that while I admit I only see trailers of, had musical timelines that were way off, styles that weren't there and quite frankly isn't nearly as intergrated racially or balanced sexually in terms of impact. The trailers lead me to believe that it was more white male embraced than it was. I partied with a mix of everybody but I don't get that sense in the movie trailers.

[Move2This]

Marky - you're absolutely spot-on in all your observations. I had some experience of the London disco scene in the early 80s and stuff like Good Times just would have been considered so yesterday in any of the clubs I encountered.



Your comment made me think of a recent TV comedy (of the deeply ironic kind) here in the UK which featured a "70s disco" organised by a local church. The music being played was "I'm So Excited" by the Pointer Sisters (from 1984, I believe) and I wondered if this was meant to be part of the irony but, sadly, I suspect it wasn't!

[Fantomas]

I remember during the 70's, in NY, when the Bee Gees were played most people on the Dance Floor would boo the DJ. The Bee Gees became accepted in Disco long after the era had passed.

[EduardoFojo]

Anyone here see "Young Soul Rebels," a British film released circa 1991? Set in late-Seventies London, it deals with a murder mystery, punk, and a soul-music pirate radio station operated by two of the protagonists. The soundtrack has some pretty good and (mercifully) less overused tracks on it, including the following:



"I'll Play the Fool For You" (Dr. Buzzard's Original Savannah Band)



"Let the Music Play" (Charles Earland)



"Me And Baby Brother" (War)



"Let's Get It Together" (El Coco)



Of course, some of the usual suspects turn up (take a bow, "Mighty Real" by Sylvester), but at least it features some variety.

[Funky Dude]

Here are my comments on a few disco soundtracks.



Boogie Nights Soundtrack featured some great disco my particular favourites were:

Emotions - Best Of My Love 1977

Commodores - Machine Gun 1974

McFadden & Whitehead - Ain't No Stopping Us Now 1979

However I really HATE Melane's "Brand New Key" because it sounds terrible, it's like listening to that bloody "Push Bike Song" sung by an Australian group called The Mixtures. That's just my own opinion of that song.



Thank God It's Friday was an excellent soundtrack because it's chockas with great disco and some of my favourites are:

Love & Kisses - Thank God It's Friday 1978

Love & Kisses - You're The Most Precious Thing In My Life 1978

Donna Summer - With Your Love 1978

Donna Summer - Last Dance 1978

Paul Jabara - Disco Queen 1978

Cameo - Find My Way 1975

Commodores - Too Hot Ta Trot 1977

Marathon - I Wanna Dance 1978

Wright Bros. Flying Machine - Leatherman's Theme 1978



As for Saturday Night Fever, I know this album gets a lot of bumrap due to the fact that it was overdominant and the Bee Gees happened to dominate the pop disco charts. First commenting on the Bee Gees I don't mind listening to their disco, as a matter of fact about 5 or 6 years back when I only knew top 40 disco I thought their music was the best. But when I started digging deeper into disco and funk I found a whole bunch of underrated disco which sounds even better than the Bee Gees and the main reason why I don't listen to their music as much anymore is because Australian radio stations belt the living **** out of their songs. The disco songs I'm inclined to listening from them lately are "Jive Talkin'", "Nights On Broadway" and "Wind Of Change". Still they are a great group, just what killed their disco glamour was their music just got too popular and many misguided disco fans think the Bee Gees and the Top 40 are the be all and end all to disco, and you've got your fuckwit disco haters who mock disco by sarcastically singing "Ha ha ha stayin' alive stayin' alive" which really pisses me off. Now commenting on the Saturday Night Fever Soundtrack although this album featured what some people call "Wedding Disco" which is the top 40 disco music which everybody knows, I like the not so popular disco songs of this album the best and my favourite ones are:

M.F.S.B. - K-Jee 1975

Ralph McDonald - Calypso Breakdown 1976

Kool & The Gang - Open Sesame 1976

David Shire - Manhatten Skyline 1976

It sucks that most masses ignore those songs and stick to Bee Gees and Trammps "Disco Inferno". And even TV shows just stick to the most popular disco songs off this soundtrack. Now you guys are going to shoot me if I say this, but I'll say it anyway, I have not even seen this movie yet. I was going to hire this movie from a local video store but my mother says to me "You really don't want to watch this do ya? It's pretty boring", so I thought stuff it, the soundtrack is good enough for me.



The only disco movies I watched so far are "Car Wash", "Roller Boogie" and "Can't Stop The Music". To be honest I don't watch movies much.



Speaking of "Can't Stop The Music" movie, from what I heard it got the worst ratings ever. I personally thought the movie was just average that's about it, but the sound track was not bad to my opinion. The best songs of this album are:

Ritchie Family - Sophistication

David London - Sounds Of The City

Village People - Liberation

Village People - Magic Night

Village People - Milkshake



Lastly commenting on Rose Royce's Car Wash movie, the movie was not bad but what screwed it up was it just immediately finished with an immediate conclusion instead of going on for a little while longer showing the guy with the large afro dancing with the girl at the disco and thowing extras into the movie. It was alright but just had bad plotting. One part of this movie I really thought was funny was when one of the guys puts this pig mask on and sticks his head through the window of the girls toilets while one of the girls was on it and scared the living crap out of her. As for the soundtrack I only know a few songs from this soundtrack and out of the ones I know here are my favourites:

Rose Royce - Put Your Money Where Your Mouth Is

Rose Royce - Car Wash

Rose Royce - Daddy Rich

[ol'skinflint]

For me, it would be Thank God It's Friday. Not so much for the songs that appeared on the album (some were great: "I Wanna Dance", "Sevilla Nights"....) but for the ones that did not. When Robin Menken and Debra Winger are in the car on the way to The Zoo (actually Osko's), the radio plays "Down To Love Town". I always loved that little touch. The other non-album songs were great as well: "Romeo and Juliet Parts 1 and 2", "I Am What I Am", "From Here To Eternity", etc. I still wish someone would create a TGIF2 compilation incorporating all of these songs.

I couldn't agree more. And don't forget "You're the Reason I feel like Dancing", "You Can Always Tell A Lady from the Company She Keeps" and all the other songs left off the soundtrack. In fact, I've never heard a soundtrack so tailor-made and a perfect fit for the movie it accompanies. Many people forget (or never knew) that the Bee Gees songs tossed into "Saturday Night Fever" were NOT written for the movie....the Gibb brothers have said so several times....

[remicks]

*****

• Soundtrack for
  The Adventures of Priscilla Queen of the Desert (1994)
  
  * "Go West"
  Written by Jacques Morali, Henri Belolo and Victor Willis
  Performed by the Village People
  
  * "I Love The Night Life (Disco 'Round)"
  Written by Susan Hutcheson and Alicia Bridges
  Performed by Alicia Bridges
  
  * "I Will Survive"
  Written by Dino Fekaris and Freddie Perren
  Performed by Gloria Gaynor
  
  * "Shake Your Groove Thing"
  Written by Dino Fekaris and Freddie Perren
  Performed by Peaches & Herb
  
  * "Finally (7"
  Choice Mix)"
  Written by Rodney K. Jackson, Ce Ce Peniston, Felipe Delgado and E.L. Linnear
  Performed by Ce Ce Peniston

• ******

[Dayna]

"Prom Night" Disco and a Slasher movie= Bliss
to me anyway.. The soundtrack basically sounds like somewhat generic versions of popular Disco songs like "Star "Love" etc.. but It's fun.. and it's Disco~!! I have the movie I want the Soundtrack~!!! I cant seem to find it

[disco-disc]

Great Thread, Hustlebaby knows His/Her stuff...
I think it was 54 that had the Evelyn Champers King track - I don't know if it's right playing as the characters enter the club....BUT if you listen to it the intro goes on longer than anything I have been able to find.
I have the UK AND USA 12" commercial and Promo copies and STILL I cannot find the extended intro they played in the film ...or is it the LP I should get :icon_rolleyes:
Any help appreciated...
just off to watch Summer of Sam or Boogie Nights ....:icon_biggrin:
S

[ol'skinflint]

I noted in another post that I love the way Paul Thomas Anderson used 1970's music in his terrific movie, "Boogie Nights". From the thrilling opening with "Best Of My Love" by The Emotions to "Jungle Fever" by Chakachas to Three Dog Night's "Mama Told Me Not To Come" to Eric Burdon & War's "Spill The Wine" To Melanie's "Brand New Key" (Rollergirl's aphrodesiac theme song) to McFadden & Whitehead's "Ain't No Stopping Us Now (New Year's Eve party), etc., I thought the music choices were beautifully integrated to help tell the story. So often, nowadays, you just get a bunch of oldies played under the dialogue to help sell a soundtrack. "Boogie Nights" seemed such an exception to that tired marketing strategy that seems to stem from "The Big Chill" era. Granted, not all the music is disco, but I vote for "Boogie Nights" as my favorite disco era soundtrack.

Other movies like "Looking For Mr. Goodbar", "Carlito's Way, "The Last Days Of Disco", and "54" had outstanding soundtracks also. But their musical choices seemed more background club music, than integral to commenting on the characters and the storyline.



Anyone else have ideas for best use of disco/70's music in a movie?



Afterthought: I didn't mention the obvious choice "Saturday Night Fever" cause I know how that stirs up such a hornet's nest here. Some seem to think that movie & The Bee Gees in particular were responsible for the DEATH OF DISCO. Having defended The Brothers Gibb previously and been slammed for it, I just thought "been there, done that". Agree/Disagree???

_________________

Make My Feet Wanna Dance!

Markydefad

<font size=-1>[ This Message was edited by: markydefad on 2001-11-28 13:37 ]</font>

everyone will have their individual favorites but my favorite is still the maligned "Thank God it's Friday." Many if not most of the songs are direct reflections on the scenes they accompany ("Trapped in a Stairway", "Find My Way", "Leatherman's Theme"). To this day I still often start my weekends by watching the movie, listening to the soundtrack or both, and I don't care how bad or uncool people think they are.....

[thommy2458]

I agree as far as accurately portraying what was hot then
that TGIF is the winner here.And I agree with a prior poster about Young Soul Rebels as far as quality goes.
But a few that haven't been mentioned are the glorious
Paris is Burning with drag/house/disco culture merging
together in true "garage" spirit.(Same for Maestro)
I loved the nightclub scene in Basic Instinct when Channel
X blares out of the speakers.Always reliable for soundtracks not related to disco is anything by Tarrentino
and Martin Scorsese(especially Goodfellas)

Thom