which record is exemplary for the decline of Disco??

[Mixmachine]

I despise strongly that Disco Duck tune, automatically remembers me that Disco Sucks movement !!!

I actually had forgotten all about this issue until now:evil: but yes, the only thing I remember about the backlash against Disco was people using "Disco Duck" to insult Disco people.

Boy even as early a 1976 this anti-disco hostility was a brewing amongst heterosexual men wasn't it ....

This cut came out in '76 ?? I only remember it becoming an issue after Saturday Night Fever.

[all*that*glitters*]

*****
DISCO DUCK went to No. ! , so I don't feel too lost in space finding it fun.
But SNOT RAP ?? Never heard of it ? What year did it come out ? Is it rap ? If so .....then the answer is "no" ..... I couldn't/wouldn't dance to it.....

*****

'Snot Rap' came out in 1983. I only know that Kenny Everett is a British comedian who made this novelty song about the Rap phenomenon. Dont' you think he looks cute in his leather boy's clone outfit???

As you know or may not know, Rap in the early days was considered as novelty in the UK. So lots of artists made stupid records about it. Just like Rick Dees did with Disco..... :evil:

But maybe our British friends can reveal more about Kenny Everett than I do....earth to Simon White??:roll:

[Mixmachine]

"Enough is enough " DSummer & Streisand, not only no one could dance to this with any dignity ( jumping around was more like it)but to me the vocals was nothing more than an annoying shouting match between two Divas whos vocal style didn't complement each other and just plain didn't work. It seemed to me like a last stab at Disco to milk whatever was left.

What a coincidence, yesterdays on my local paper I ran into this portion on an article about Barbra Streisand:razz::razz:, talk about a shouting match :lol::lol::lol:

Hello Barbra!


DONNA SUMMER
No More Tears (Enough Is Enough)
October 1979
"Pity cameras weren't rolling in the studio for this one. Sitting stool to stool in the studio, legend goes that disco queen Summer, trying to hold a note as long as Streisand, lost her breath, fainted and fell to the floor. Streisand, unfazed, held the note to its conclusion, figuring her duet partner was joking.:p
Summer had more Top 40 hits through the '80s, including 1983's No. 3 She Works Hard for the Money, but none as influential as her '70s classics.
Today, she's on the nostalgia circuit and exhibits paintings in Nashville."



Maybe it is old news?? I never heard this rumor before :???:

[needlefingers]

Hey Mixmachine,

The way I understood the recording of No More Tears (Enough Is Enough), is that they did not record the song together. That their recording sessions were seperate.

They were on two different labels, and being two big divas, I would think they would have had numerous label heads, lawyers and agents protecting both Donna's and Barbara's interests. Not to mention their own.

As you said, the report you quoted is news to me too.

I also remember listening to Casey Kasem back in the day, and him saying that Donna had the longest note held in a pop song(up till that time). But I can't remember which song. I want to say it was MacArthur Park.

I'll do a little research and let you know if I find something. Anybody else?

[needlefingers]

:oops: :oops: :oops: :oops: :oops: :oops: :oops: :oops: :oops: :oops: :oops: :oops: :oops: :oops: :oops: :oops: :oops: :oops: :oops: :oops: :oops: :oops: :oops: :oops: :oops: :oops:

I found it and the story is true.

Here is a link to an interview where Donna tells the story.

http://www.donna-tribute.com/article...bill_xmas.html

Mea Culpa.:oops: :oops: :oops: :oops: :oops: :oops: :oops: :oops: :oops: :oops: :oops: :oops: :oops:

[originalbigm]

I'd definitely add this to the list of cheese and camp that left a bad taste for disco. Percy Faith's impersonation of The Love Unlimited Orchestra.God Awful

[Jim Colyer]

The decline of disco is seen in Rick James.

[Bernie]

The decline of disco is seen in Rick James.

If you want to participate then please explain why you say Rick James?

[normvork]

Hey! Wait a minute! Let"s back up here a second!:cry:
I love Summer Place '76! You may say it is campy, but it's actually a beautiful tune with sweet instrumentals and is a classic for couples dancing. I still love to play it for myself. I even remember hearing it for the first time on American Bandstand in the rate-a-record segment and rushed out to buy it.
The instrumental style was sort of formula, admittedly, since Rhythm Heritage, Love Unlimited and any movie or TV show of the era was promoting its theme song as a new disco record. But that trend faded into more serious non instrumental Disco as the trend went to stronger vocal oriented tunes by 1978.
Anyway, I think 1976 was too early to suggest that this was the start of the decline of disco. Unlike Disco Duck, nobody used this tune against us later.

[RetroRuss]

I have a box full of God awful Disco records, Disco Choo, Touch My Love Handle & gawd knows what titles, that never see the light of day....anyone of them could be construed as an exemplary example for the decline of Disco...even the Blowfly series of albums, with their outrageous lyrics but good production made in the late 70's, at the height of the 'Disco era'.

Personally I think Disco didn't decline because of 'one record' but because musically the world (and its Artists) moved on. In the early 80's the synthesiser was the instrument of choice for many people, rap, body popping, hip-hop became prevalent as did mixing by DJ's like Bambaata, creating a harder edged music that appealed to younger, record buying audiences....in the UK, classic Disco music was edged out by home grown bands, like Human League (and later) Heaven 17, as well as acts like Wham that made discofied poppy tunes. Broadly speaking every generation up to the 80's had its own music - 50's - Rock n Roll, 60's - Beatles/Ballads/Beach Boys, 70's - Disco, Rock, Punk etc. Disco had, sadly, had its day....although I belong to the school of thought that it has evolved into House Music that is heard in a lot of clubs, so flourishes in another guise. I still yearn to hear a modern track, made by a young artist, with a classic 4/4 disco beat, with violins, funky horns, an amazing riff and great soulful voices!

[jj6ms]

I have a box full of God awful Disco records, Disco Choo, Touch My Love Handle & gawd knows what titles, that never see the light of day....anyone of them could be construed as an exemplary example for the decline of Disco...even the Blowfly series of albums, with their outrageous lyrics but good production made in the late 70's, at the height of the 'Disco era'.

Personally I think Disco didn't decline because of 'one record' but because musically the world (and its Artists) moved on. In the early 80's the synthesiser was the instrument of choice for many people, rap, body popping, hip-hop became prevalent as did mixing by DJ's like Bambaata, creating a harder edged music that appealed to younger, record buying audiences....in the UK, classic Disco music was edged out by home grown bands, like Human League (and later) Heaven 17, as well as acts like Wham that made discofied poppy tunes. Broadly speaking every generation up to the 80's had its own music - 50's - Rock n Roll, 60's - Beatles/Ballads/Beach Boys, 70's - Disco, Rock, Punk etc. Disco had, sadly, had its day....although I belong to the school of thought that it has evolved into House Music that is heard in a lot of clubs, so flourishes in another guise. I still yearn to hear a modern track, made by a young artist, with a classic 4/4 disco beat, with violins, funky horns, an amazing riff and great soulful voices!

Post of the week!

[remicks]

I love Summer Place '76! You may say it is campy, but it's actually a beautiful tune with sweet instrumentals and is a classic for couples dancing.

During the song's release Downstairs Record Store in New York City reported it as their best seller :

11/8/75: No.1: "Summer Place '76" - Percy Faith (Columbia)

from Markydefad's Chart Consensus Place '76


*****

[FranceJoliFan]

Here Comes The Night - Beach Boys
Baby I'm Burnin' - Dolly Parton

I liked both of these songs. But the disco beats seemed forced. And the disco style seemed out of character for both artists.

And a close third:

Goodnight Tonight - Paul McCartney

I also liked this song. But to many, McCartney doing disco was heresy.

I don't think Disco Duck was as damaging. Because Rick Dees seemed like a novelty act from the start. But when established rockers (or country artists) did disco, it was more threatening.

But if we're talking about the decline of disco, I would choose a record from a disco artist who should have known better. So I would choose The Wanderer lp. Because it showed everyone that even Donna Summer had given up on the genre. If she had held firm, everything would have been different.