Great Disco Songs That Timed In At Under 5 Minutes

[remicks]

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--- I 'll never forget in spring of 1976 , falling in love with an urgently messaged disco song called YOUNG HEARTS RUN FREE by unknown (to me) Candi Staton ... who sounded so wise and certain of her convictions in her determined rendering of this tale ........This action packed little song blasted itself out from the speakers from note one of the horns and didn't let up until it's story was fully told .... and that incredibly was done in just four minutes time .... when it then unapologetically faded out: its sagely advise given and over .

I purchased that 45 at Tower Records in SF and for some reason wound up at my older sister's flat requesting if I could please play it on their turntable …. which I had to drag out of their closet where it was perched next to their vigorously growing pot plant.
I eagerly put on this obviously remarkable song for all to savor and watched my sister and her husband's unimpressed faces as it played through .... as it became plainly clear that they didn't get it . Our five years of age difference at this point became significant and it was apparent that this was a clash of the cultures and that their seasoned hippie ears had no idea what it was that I was getting excited about .

BUT I digress.

Would I love for this song to have been at least twice its length??
As a DJ .... as a clubber.... heck ya !:icon_surprised:
But listening to it today … the song is so superbly constructed .... so complete a musical package within its tightly worked version. There's just not an excessive note within it . Maybe that's why it charted on Marky's consensus chart all summer long .... 20 weeks and still going strong ..... maybe its briefness kept it fresh and desirable to hear again and again .... each time without wearing thin the way a song that went on and on finally did ......

BUT I digress .....

Now what I'm wondering is this ...

What other great disco songs can you think of had a short version only ?? And by short ....I'm going to arbitrarily assign the length at under five minutes .( Is that a good time length to define a " short " disco tune? :???: )
I know most of the songs are going to be from the early years ....before the obligatory extended remixes were the norm .... but there were also some from later on ....and I think those might be even more interesting to name ....

Here's the start of the list :

4:08 --- YOUNG HEARTS RUN FREE Candi Staton
3:14 --- RIGHT BACK WHERE WE STARTED FROM Maxine Nightingale
4:05 --- (DO THE) HUSTLE Van MCCoy


Other great "short version only" disco songs worth mentioning ???


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[tony98]

In 76' i was on the Warner Brothers promo list, i received a packagefrom them opened it up and there it was,my biggest track of the moment "Young hearts run free" on 12",the problem was that it was only the 7" version on it,i remember how annoyed i was.

[FunkyChris]

Hmm, what about:

Space - Magic Fly (well, it's not that 'great')

[paul]

remicks, my first choice here is The Boss. The seven minute version is nice but 4:01 version to me better. The tempo is just right and captures everything Diana can offer without being overdone.

[remicks]

Hmm, what about:

Space - Magic Fly (well, it's not that 'great')

See .....this is already interesting to me, because I never would have been aware that MAGIC FLY was so short .......maybe it was typically mixed with Carry On , Turn Me On (8.1O )to make it longer (?)

I purposely put the word great in this ....because I 'm looking for songs people felt had merit even though they were short ... maybe "great ' is not the best word , but in other words the point is not to list every single song under five minutes ... but to name those that were meaningful despite being brief. I think MAGIC FLY was one of those.

As for THE BOSS ... Paul ..... :roll: ... now you know there was a longer version !!!:p
But I do follow your point and I can think of others like that myself ( watch for a future thread !!!)


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[tony98]

Can I nominate every Philly Int. single before 1978, what other label would put tracks out on 7" only like "Bad luck" pts.1&2 or "I'll always love my mama" pt. 1&2 talk about clueless.

[needlefingers]

Bad Girls - Donna Summer
4:55.

You're The First, The Last, My Everything - Barry White
4:34

And both of them have great intro's/outro's to work with.

[paul]

As for THE BOSS ... Paul ..... :roll: ... now you know there was a longer version !!!:p
But I do follow your point and I can think of others like that myself ( watch for a future thread !!!)


*****

Yup, I know there are longer versions out there. In fact I have one of them. It's on the The Boss cd. That cd also has the original album version.

[nrgbeat]

I always wished there was a longer version of "Lady Marmalade".

Btw, I always liked "Young Hearts" better than "Victim" which most people seem to prefer.

Remicks, has your sister converted to disco yet? Is she still a toker?

[Salsoul1975]

This Is It by Melba Moore (1976), which was 3:30. Hard to believe this song only peaked at #91 on the Billboard Hot 100 chart in May, 1976; it should've been a Top 40 hit at best. I can picture it being played in regular rotation on NYC Top 40 stations. It had such a radio-ready sound to it, and who would've guessed it was produced by Van McCoy. It sounded nothing like his own hits ("The Hustle"/"Change With The Times") or the one he produced for Faith, Hope and Charity ("To Each His Own").

[markydefad]

I'm Gonna Let My Hear Do The Walking - The Supremes
Got To Get You Back - Sons Of Robin Stone
Lowdown - Boz Scaggs
What Can I Do For You - Labelle

[Marcio**]

OSIBISA Dance the Body Music (3:49)
GIORGIO MORODER Utopia - Me Giorgio (4:17)
CHiC Sao Paolo (4:58)
KC AND SUNSHINE BAND Keep It Comin' Love (3:54)

[paul]

What Can I Do For You - Labelle

Markyyyyyyyyy...you beat me to it though I think someone has a 5 minute version. 8-)

[remicks]

*****

Bad Girls - Donna Summer
4:55..

Isn't that amazing . That huge disco record of 1979 ..... was not mixed to be more than five minutes long ! That's a tough one to beat !!

_____

BUT ......oh, Mar-key !! On your last :( compilation consensus chart ..... check this out ....some real biggies there clock in at under five .
In fact within the Top 10 ... incredibly , I count FIVE songs :o :???: :grin: :grin: as being under five minutes long !!! ( that's half the Top Ten , sort of ....)


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nrgbeat:
Remicks, has your sister converted to disco yet?

no .....in fact shortly after this they fled the city altogether and moved to .... Idaho :o

[FunkyChris]

Here in Germany "Sunny" and "Daddy Cool" by Boney M. were great songs. Both are about 4:00 minutes long.

[Boogie Child]

Alton McClean & Destiny "It Must Be Love"
Donna Summer "The Wanderer"
Ashford & Simpson "Street Corner"
Patrice Rushen "Look Up!"
Jackie Moore "Helpless"

[Mr Kaplan]

Rare Pleasure - Let Me Down Easy - Cheri Records (4:41)

Brainstorm - Don't Let Me Catch You With Your Groove Down (not considered as a great song, but I pretty much like it) - Tabu (4:45)

Teddy Pendergrass - You Can't Hide From Yourself - PIR (4:05)

Teddy Pendergrass - The More I Get, The More I Want - PIR (4:27)

Aquarian Dream - Phoenix - Buddah Records (4:02 !)

Aquarian Dream - East 6th Street (3:32 !!)

Aquarian Dream - Look Ahead (3:24) =====> Aquarian Dream, very good at making good songs ... unfortunately too short :icon_mrgreen:

Pam Todd - Makin' Love - Channel Records (4:34, 3 mns on the Shyrlden version !)

Loleatta Holloway - Runaway (4:44) but perhaps there's a longer version ...

Stevie Wonder - Superstition, Sir Duke ...

Al Hudson - Music (4:37)

Alicia Myers - I Want To Thank You (3:48) not really disco though

Family Tree - Same (4:39)

too many in fact lol

[BrunoRepublic]

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Isn't that amazing . That huge disco record of 1979 ..... was not mixed to be more than five minutes long ! That's a tough one to beat !!

True, but remember that it was almost always played along with "Hot Stuff".

[Disco Push!]

There are too many to mention
"Let Me Down Easy" - Rare Pleasure
"Please Love Me Again" - VIP Connection

[markydefad]

what about these?


DANCING QUEEN - ABBA
SHINING STAR - Earth, Wind & Fire
I DON'T WANNA LOSE YOUR LOVE - The Emotions
BEST OF YOUR LOVE - The Emotions
ROCK THE BOAT - The Hues Corporation
I CAUGHT YOUR ACT - The Hues Corporation
I'M EVERY WOMAN - Chaka Khan
THE HUSTLE - Van McCoy
CHANGE WITH THE TIMES - Van McCoy
SOUL CHA CHA - Van McCoy
DECEMBER 1963 (Oh What a Night) - The Four Seasons
YOU'LL NEVER FIND ANOTHER LOVE LIKE MINE - Lou Rawls
STAYIN' ALIVE - Bee Gees
NIGHT FEVER - Bee Gees
JIVE TALKIN' - Bee Gees
MORE THAN A WOMAN - Bee Gees or Tavares
IF I CAN'T HAVE YOU - Yvonne Elliman
(Shake, Shake, Shake) SHAKE YOUR BOOTY - KC & The Sunshine Band
BOOGIE SHOES - KC & The Sunshine Band

[markydefad]

YIKES!!!! I FORGOT...

YOU SHOULD BE DANCING - Bee Gees (4:47 extended mix)!!!!:roll:

[remicks]

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Yep .... YSBD ..... big #1 disco song ..... and there's another under five you haven't mentioned there .......ohhh 8-) ..... it's at #1 too !!! :)

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[markydefad]

well, that must be something from Dr. Buzzard's LP...

I'LL PLAY THE FOOL (4:47)...???

[remicks]

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8) 8) 8)
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[thommy2458]

In 76' i was on the Warner Brothers promo list, i received a packagefrom them opened it up and there it was,my biggest track of the moment "Young hearts run free" on 12",the problem was that it was only the 7" version on it,i remember how annoyed i was.

....GULP.....Tony,was this an import or American 12" shipped
to you?The only version(not the 80's mix)I know of is a
British 12" that is still extremely rare.Did you keep it?


My favorite under 5 minutes is "Makes You Blind" by the
Glitter Band....but there is WAY too many....
Thom