Radio only Disco hits?

[Tim Tam]

Hi All,

I have seen some songs dismissed as "Radio Only" Disco. The songs that were never played in the clubs and are not considered proper Disco by the cognescenti. I recall some of these were quite famous and the type that are often used in the media when they need some Disco colour. Because I am comparitively new to Disco but still want to be a "cool' Disco fan I need to know which are the tracks that require me to purse my lips at and say "That's not REAL Disco". :D

Would people out there like to offer some suggestions?

Cheers,

Tim Tam

[SandraDee]

As i'm not a 'cool' disco fan I have often mentioned here that i love Sheila B.Devotion's 'Singing In The Rain', Sarah Brightman & Hot Gossip's 'I Lost My Heart To a Starship Trooper', Amii Stewart's 'Light My Fire/137 Disco Heaven', The Nolans' 'Chemistry', Leif Garrett's 'I Was Made For Dancing', Barry Manilow's 'Copacabana', Julio Iglesias' 'Begin The Beguine', John Paul Young's 'Love Is In The Air' & Mel Brooks' 'Its Good To Be The King'. You'll find many disco fans & most other people will say these are uncool & useless but I think they're all excellent poppy disco & they all made respectable chart placings in their day so there are many who must agree with me!;) There must be loads of other 'uncool' radio disco hits but they're amongst my faves.

[paul]

Tim, it's all good to me. I know it's easy to bash the pop disco stuff like Ring My Bell, and YMCA. God knows I have. That's not to say that it's not enjoyable and make you uncool. Since you are new to this, I recommend you consider these "radio hits" as a gateway to more club style songs you'll find in the various "top" list here.
Oh, among my favorites are Cocomotion, Dance With You, and Super Disco. :D

[markydefad]

Oh Tim Tam...

Don't purse your lips and sneer....it's unbecoming in such a young lad!!!

Reserve that for the tired old bitter queens. :icon_twisted::icon_twisted::icon_twisted:

"Radio Disco" is sometimes used as a term--I've used it myself I'm sure- -to describe Pop radio crossover records that maybe were a little too "poppy" for hardcore discos--but in reality probably were played somewhere.

Think like The Sylvers with 'Boogie Fever" or "Hotline"--both radio hits--never mentioned in the Billboard Disco charts--but BOTH probably played in discos across the USA (outside of NYC, anyway)--more than avant garde stuff like Urszula Dudziak's "Papaya"!!! --which DID chart.:roll:

NYC (according to Billboard charts) igged all KC & The Sunshine Band records bigtime--BUT they nevertheless rank as DISCO CLASSICS--both on radio and in clubs. Sometimes as the records got longer --in the 6+ minute range--shorter 3-4 minute records were considered more for "radio" than for "clubs"--but it's all relative and totally arbitrary. In the 1976 charts, The Supremes just had a big CLUB hit with a relatively short tune "I'm Gonna Let My Heart Do The Walking"...so there were no hard and fast rules..but generally, as the years progressed...the records got longer and radio tended to need the shorter versions for their playlists....does this help? :o

In terms of what's generally derided as "radio disco"--look no further than the "Ususal Suspects": Bee Gees, Village People, KC & The Sunshine Band, ABBA, etc....however, ALL of them had major CLUB HITS also.

Since I've posted here, I've always tried to be "INCLUSIVE" and count them in--as opposed to those who want to EXLUDE them as "NOT REALLY DISCO"..... :-D

[Boodikka]

When I think of "Radio" disco (as opposed to "wedding disco", which is a different thing entirely), I think of songs like Paul Nicholas' "Heaven On The Seventh Floor". That's a pop-disco song that had radio play in the Central New York area that wasn't even played in the cheesiest clubs. I've never heard it any club I've been to from Montreal to Rio.
Sandra, Sheila is a Goddess and "Love Me Baby" is her greatest hymn :) !

[SandraDee]

Sandra, Sheila is a Goddess and "Love Me Baby" is her greatest hymn :) !

Totally agree Boody, Sheila B.Devotion have always been one of my favourite acts from the disco era; I loved them quite a bit before 'Spacer' which seems to be the one most people mention here.

[QUINNY]

Radio gaveth to Disco and radio tooketh away. Let's be absolutely honest. Without radio, Disco would have survived, albeit in a much more underground way. However, without radio, it would never have become a cultural phenomenum and it's doubtful that dance music would have been the pre-eminent music form, from the late '80s through to a few years ago. Without radio and the radio hits, Disco wouldn't have had anything like the impetus it, or subsequent dance genres, enjoyed.

Nothing wrong with the radio hits in my book. It's just that after hundreds of plays/listens they can become a tad tiring or over-familiar.

[Videoskooter]

Tim, if you like something, you like it! There's no such thing as "cool" or "uncool" Disco! If you are hit by the beat, it's COOL anyway.

BTW, I still love "Disco Duck", so.......8) What the hell

[Tim Tam]

Thanks everyone for taking time to reply.
It has been both informative and entertaining reading the posts. What I have learned here today is that there is no such thing as bad Disco. If you like a song then that is all there is to it.(Although Disco Duck might be pushing it.:-)) Having said that I get the feeling that perhaps the more RnB a track is the more likely it is to have cred and that would suit me fine as they are the ones I prefer. So I might just be naturally "cool".

Cheers,
Tim Tam