Tom Moulton's Billboard Column

[markydefad]

10/26/74:

Club Dialogue (New York City)

GLORIA GAYNOR'S "NEVER CAN SAY GOODBYE" is still the top record in the discos and has been for five weeks.

"YOU LITLE TRUSTMAKER" by THE TYMES.
This is the original version; stronger lead singer,female back-up group, hotter mix. DJ's have been trying to obtain this version but it is not available commercially, although some disco DJ's have obtained copies of this version which has jumped into their top 10 within the past for weeks.

FREE SPIRIT'S "JUST AS LONG AS I CAN"
(Disco mix; longer and faster is available from Chess/Janus only as a special promotional copy because the disco version was released after the shorter commercial copies were released. Chess/Janus feels the commercial copies should be sold before the Disco version is released commercially.

Roulette Records has made a test pressing of the Disco-mix of "YOUR LOVE" by THE MOMENT OF TRUTH (slower,original tempo and much longer than the commercial one released several months ago, which was not played in the discos). The DJ's who have it love it and play it; hopefully it will become commercially available soon.

____________________________________

That's it. Tom wasn't much of a prose stylist..."just the facts, m'am" kinda style...it gets interesting in later columns cause he's sneaking info about upcoming stuff to be released (LOTS of which he personally "mixed").....BUT he never mentions his connection to any of the product. Can you say "conflict of interests"???? Yet, everyone knew...he wasn't writing under a pseudonym. Well, it is INTERESTING to ME, anyway!!!! :razz:

[markydefad]

Column #2: November 2, 1974

DISCOTHEQUE CLUB DIALOG

With large numbers of discos reportedly opening around the country, including chains of country locations, four questions most asked by their customers are: 1) The name of the record being played and the artist. 2) Is it new? 3) Where can it be purchased? 4) If Gloria Gaynor is so popular at discos, why isn't she being played on radio?

Barry White's new disco hit "You're The First, The Last, My Everything" from his "Can't Get Enough" album, has the instrumental version on the flip side. This instrumental cut is not on the album The discos had a 3:52 version to play off the album. Now with this single they have a 6:58 version.

Carol Douglas' "Doctor's Orders" prompted Midland to give out several test pressings to test it's disco potential. It's creating so much excitemnt in New York that it will be rush released this week by Midland which RCA distributes.....Barry Manilow's "It's A Miracle from the "Barry Manilow II" LP is developing disco audience response in the East...B.B. King's "Philadelphia" single is taken from his "Friends" album. It was played all summer by believing disco dj's who wouldn't give up on this tune.

The Gamble & Huff family of labels (distributed nationally by Epic) has issued Bunny Sigler's "Keep Smilin" and a new group called Love Committee's single "One Day Of Peace"...David Ruffin's new Motown single "Me & Rock And Roll Are Here To Stay" has the "funky music" flavor...Mary Wells starting to get some good disco club reaction with her new Reprise single "Don't Keep Me Hangin' On" (written and produced by Bobby Womack).

Betty Wright's "Shoorah! Shoorah!" is a record that disco dj's say you have to hear more than once to get into...Denene, a New York based label has just releaed "Soon Everything Is Going To Be Alright" by the Third Time Around. It is both a vocal and instrumental.


The next week's column (11/9/74) is cut in half!!!! DAMN!!! :evil:

I can see that Tom is discussing "Express" by B.T. Express; Al Downing's "I'll Be Holding On" ("the exciting thing is the banjo toward the end"): and Jimmy Ruffin's "Tell Me What You Want"...but that's all I can make out....the sentences are sliced in half!!! :roll:

[QUINNY]

Marky: This I find absolutely fascinating. It is most interesting to see that Tom Moulton is so very untogether and how the emerging Disco scene was still very naive. It's almost like everything's being transmitted via bush telegraph or jungle drums. Obviously, Disco was yet to be defined and the tons of records yet to arrive. I find this all rather quaint.

[markydefad]

Disco Action--11/16/74
by Tom Moulton

NEW YORK-- Good news travels fast and the word is out about a forthcoming Jimmy Castor Atlantic album. Castor, who is known in the discos for his "It's Just Begun" smash, hasn't been able to top that record since it's release two years ago.

The cut most people are aware of is "He-Man Boogie". It'll be 4:40 on the LP. The consensus of several DJ's including Steve Santora of Nepentha II, Joe Palminteri of the Sound Machine and Tony DJ of Hollywood, among others who have heard the song is that "Jimmy has made another great disco record".

Steven D'Acqisto, a relief DJ (by choice) at several of the top clubs here, is responsible for turning a number of DJ's and disco stores on to such fast breaking records as "Got To Testify,(Love)" by Cornelius Brothers & Sister Rose, "Hey Girl, Come And Get It" by the Stylistics, and "Love Is Sunshine" by Mandrill. Several DJ's such as David Rodriguez of the Limelight readily admit their appreciation of his ongoing contributions to the club scene.

"Yes, Sir Brother" by Shirley Brown, the flip side of "Woman To Woman", started getting disco play in the early part of September and has continued to grow. It's getting very strong in such New York clubs such as Limelight, the Hippopotamus and Nepentha II.

The Jackson Sisters new single, "Boy You're Dynamite" on Mums is slower than their disco hit earlier this year "I Believe In Miracles". Because of the popularity of that record the new release will get some good play in most of the New York discos.

"Keepin Up With The Joneses", the album by the Joneses, has the group's current hit "Sugar Pie Guy" as well as their previous hit "Hey Babe". Both singles, which had part 1 & 2 versions, were big disco records and no one can understand why part 1 & 2 of both singles are not long versions on the album. Clubs who have played both records sometimes have difficulty in putting them together where they sound as one record.

Scepter Records has just released Don Downing's "Dream World" single (the disco-mix version) as the first product in it's "Disco Gold" series. This record is unique because it first came out this spring on the Roadshow label and, at the time of it's release, the company that distributed it dissolved and the record was almost impossible to get.

It was then released on Scepter and by radio standards was an old record. Scepter then decided (because of disco popularity) to re-release it as a disco record. It remixed the vocal with part of the instrumental with the flip side of the instrumental version. The popularity of the record is still there and it's considered a "standard" disco hit. It has sold steadily in stores and now, as part of the series, will continue to be available.

The two most asked questions on the Manhattan club scene these days are:

"When is the Trammps album coming out?" AND, "When will Gloria Gaynor's "Never Can Say Goodbye" LP with the longer versions of "Honey Bee" and "Never Can Say Goodbye" be released?"

--------------------------------------------
(Self-Promotion Dept.)
Notice Tom's teasing of two pieces of work that HE was responsible for--The Trammps LP & Gloria Gaynor LP. He also did that remix of the Don Downing song.

As Mel Cheren states in his book...Tom was responsible for creating the 12" single, the concept of mixing, and the record pool, among other things....you can see the formulation of these ideas coming to fruition in his column.

[QUINNY]

Marky: Yet more proof that Disco was searching for an identity and no-one had a idea of what they were doing. It's still one DJ somewhere saying, hey try this. Still very much a scatter gun approach and one which lacks any real confidence or conviction. It'll be interesting to see exactly when Tom starts to show real assertiveness.
We were all just aimlessly drifting along back then. There was still no real feeling that a monster was about to be born, although change was in the air.

[Robbie]

Marky--

These early columns by Tom Moulton are great!! It's easy for us to critique them because we know what became of disco music, but at that time, things were looking quite well and there's a sense of innocence to it that can only be felt at that particular time.

[Nano]

Very interesting, Marky. When did this column begin? Was it in October 1974 or before?

[markydefad]

Nano,

To the best of my knowledge, these are the first columns that started with the first disco charts Oct. 26, 1974. (At least, I think so).

Quinny & Robbie,

I'm glad you both find these columns interesting. They do sound innocent and naive...but the man actually came up with solutions to all the problems he mentions. He was the first (according to Mel Cheren) to actually merge the vocal side of the 45 with the instrumental side and create what we came to know as a 12" single. This happened by accident with Al Downing's "I'll Be Holding On" when he tried to do what they called a 10" ref on acetate (to take to DJs to play a few times before they lost their fidelity) and all they had were 12" hard vinyl discs used for entire LPs and he did the unheard of thing of putting one song on one whole side of a 12 inch master and they were amazed at the sound quality. The lightbulb went on!!!

Also, getting record companies(Salsoul was first) to release club mixes to the public and creating record pools so all DJs could sample the product and slip-cueing music for a smooth flow and programming side one of Gloria Gaynor's "Never Can Say Goodbye" LP into one continuous 18-minute mix--against the record company and producer's opinions. It worked and created a standard that others started to imitate. I think Mr. Moulton was truly a visionary in the field of dance music

[QUINNY]

Marky: Thanks for all the typing. Not something I'd undertake so willingly.
I guess the one thing that puts these early columns into perpective is that the number of discotheques at the time was absolutely miniscule in relation to how many there would be a few years down the road. DJs and club goers were relatively rare beasts until when? Late '75 maybe? In 1975 disco/soul/funk was still largely underground wasn't it, even though true disco records had started to appear? I'm trying hard to remember if I felt part of any sort of movement in '74 / '75 and I'm darned if I could say a definite yes before late '75. I think it was records like 'Feel The Spirit of '76 by Leroy Hutson that reallygave me a second take on things, although I should have known something was afoot when say George Benson came out with 'Supership' in '75. Do you remember those?

[NickNack]

Hey Marky,

Thanks for these columns. It's like stepping into a time warp. When I read Moulton's take on B.B. King's Philadelphia I was like, where was I then? And, bang! The Gallery on Houston, still playing doorman, listening to Nicky Siano work that crowd. I remember his one complaint about that 45: "The voices come in at the end and then they fade out too fast." :x I had to agree, we all wanted more of B.B. on that one. :)

I also agree with you, Tom was a visionary. A lot of those Part 1, Part 2 45's were a bitch to mix. His idea to extend them just worked perfectly.

[markydefad]

Disco Action by Tom Moulton
November 23, 1974

("MR. MOULTON GOES TO LOS ANGELES")

(Los Angeles) - Local discotheques haven't as yet reached the point where they are programming music exclusively their own. They are relying on their audience's familiarity with the music.

People here don't seem to be getting up and dancing to the newer sounds or those records they are'nt familiar with.

In the survey of Pips, Studio One, Starwood, Paradise Ballroom, The Other Side, DOK West, Diamond Horseshoe, they are generally playing the hits, with Gloria Gaynor's "Never Can Say Goodbye" on MGM, Carol Douglas' "Doctor's Orders" on Midland Intl. and "Express" by B.T. Express on Sceptor exceptions because they're not yet radio hits.

The clubs don't seem to be receiving promotional copies and that's another reason why their programming doesn't seem to be as current as that in New York--where the clubs are tied closer together with communications and are thus able to know about good records when they are available or even before.

Local clubs seem to be weeks behind the New York discos mainly because they aren't receiving the product...product which can get people onto the floor and dancing.

At Pips, a private club, the music is generally the popular records of the day. There is a nice comfortable, plush atmoshere, where people can party without being onstage. The club doesn't have the same volume intensity as is generally heard in the New York clubs where there are over 100 locations in Manhattan and Queens. There the competition is much greater and the volume is more intense--which creates the excitement you need.

Don Tegelar is the disk jockey at Pips and he's been in the city one year.

At Studio One, Paul Dougan is one of the DJs and this location in West Los Angeles (now West Hollywood) is both very big and very popular. It's open to the public and it really jumps.

This place is in the style a New York type club in size, the sound system ( music is played quite loud) and there is a light show run by the DJs. Sound and lights are what creates the excitement.

Studio One plays such popular tunes as "Philadelphia" by B.B. King on ABC, "Can't Get Enough" by Barry White on 20th Century plus the titles already mentioned.

There is a feeling that the disco club scene here is starting to get established. Not as a fad but as a legitimate entertainment outlet.

Audiences here--like in other cities--come to the clubs to "let loose" -- a form of expression where you can be yourself under the common goal of dancing and having a great time.

Two radio stations in New York are playing "Express" by B.T. Express. They are WWRL-AM and WBLS-FM. This is a cut out of their LP and the radio play has to be based on retail sales and disco action....Gloria Gaynor, who had the top New York disco record for eight weeks, is now getting Top 40 play with KHJ-AM in Los Angeles adding it to it's list.

"Hey Girl, Come and Get It" by The Stylistics on their "Heavy Fallin' Out" LP on Avco has the same sound as "Rock Your Baby" so that is is a Stylistics version of the George McCrae hit. The discogoer still wants this sound and the popularity of this record confirms it.

[Nano]

Now it gets REALLY interesting... a brief description of disco houses on both coasts, and even some radio stations marked. This is like a time capsule, and sure it's firsthand disco history.
This made me remember something I spotted some years ago. I buyed an old Time magazine issue, from 1973 (it had a story on Norman Mailer's book about Marilyn). There I found a full-page ad of the Sheraton Hotel in Buenos Aires (capital of my country, remember). Between the attractions of the building, it cited a "discotheque". I realized that term (and the very notion of it) was much older than I imagined (even as in Argentina then they were called with a French term, "boites").
It's obvious that in this last article Moulton is already talking about disco culture like something fully installed.

[markydefad]

Disco Action by Tom Moulton
November 30, 1974

(New York)

Gloria Gaynor's live disco shows at New York's The Sound Machine Nov.17 and Hollywood (18th) proved to be total successes for both the MGM artist and her club followers. With her backup opening the hour-plus sets with "Black Skinned Blue Eyed Boys," Ms Gaynor followed onstage to perform "I Like What I Like" and such disco classics as "Love Is The Answer," "Put Your Hands Together," "Dream World" and "A Date With The Rain." Also included in the sets were "Honey Bee" and her current hit "Never Can Say Goodbye."

Comments from the audiences after both shows were unanimous in that the performances will be the talk of the club circuit for some time. One fan did ask her "How does it feel to be a big star?" She replied: "I'm not one yet." The fan's retort was "To us you are."

The Hues Corp.'s new album "Rockin' Soul" has a cut on it called "No End In Sight," and it looks like it'll be the big disco record that "Rockin' Soul" wasn't. Although "Rockin' Soul" has garnered substantial radio airplay, the song just hasn't had the same effect on the disco scene as the group's "Rock The Boat." Alfie Davidson of Buttermilk Botton is already strong on "No End In Sight" as are a number of other club people here.

Watch for "You Need A Friend Like Mine" by Annette Thomas (Truth). It's a good soul record, with strong gospel flavoring provided by the female backup group on the disk.

Robert Guttadaro (Bobbie DJ) of Le Jardin recently traveled to St. Louis to open the new Bijou Club. He reports that some of the big audience response records were such tunes as "Get Dancin'," "Doctor's Orders" and "Tell Me What You Want." Guttadaro says that even though the dancers weren't at first familiar with the material they reacted positively to each one of the songs.....On the West Coast, Jim Walters, disk jockey at Los Angeles' Paradise Ballroom, reports that Al Downing's "I'll Be Holding on" is the hottest single in his place. It's the B-side of his new Chess/Janus single, and it's making strong inroads in New York as well. It was released just three weeks ago.

Mike Cappello of Le Jardin is high on Lalo Schifrin's "Escape From Tomorrow," an electronic disk with a strong jungle type rhythm...Ed DeJoy, head of Chess/Janus' West Coast operation, traveled the club circuit here last week with New York-based promotional exec Perry Cooper.... Midland Records reports that Carol Douglas' recently released "Doctor's Orders" has surpassed the 200,000 units sold mark already. The disk is only the third single to be released by the RCA-distributed label....Alexander The Great has instituted a new discotheque luncheon policy for workers who want to dance during their midday break.

The Meadowbrook in Cedar Grove, New Jersy has been reopened as a New York-styled disco. Chuck Molinaro, director of the operation, says that the club has a capacity of some 1,000--1,500 people and a 20' x 80' dance area. Plans also call for the booking of label acts for live midweek concerts, starting sometime around the first of the year.

[markydefad]

Disco Action by Tom Moulton
12/07/74

(New York) Radio station WPIX-FM here has introduced a four-hour disco show on Saturday nights from 8-12 p.m. The program features current discotheque hits as well as a number of disco oldies mixed in.

Showing up on the station's disco playlist are such selections as "You're The First, The Last, My Everything", "Love Is The Answer", Sugar Pie Guy" and "Get Dancin'". Records are announced either before or after they're played and spots are used after two or three plays.

While the techniques of cueing found at the clubs aren't used, WPIX is programming most of what is hot on the club level and initial (reaction) to the station's move into the disco field has been favorable.

Avco Records has mailed out a special promo single of "Hey Girl, Come & Get It" by the Stylistics to disco d.j.'s. and they in turn are telling their audiences that it will probably be available soon as a commercial single. It's rated by the same dj's as the strongest cut on the group's current album.

The new Kay Gees album on Gang Records will be coming out in the next two weeks, and there are several good disco cuts on the LP, including "Ain't No Time (Part 1&2)" and "Get Down." "Aint' No Time" featuring synthesizer and vocal harmonies throughout, is a different sound for the group, giving them more of a pop music flavor.

Already, there are several test copies of "Get Down" at a few of the clubs here and reaction to it has been strong. Al Garcia of The Twinkle Zone says it's "probably the group's most commercial sounding effort."

"Lady Marmalade" by LaBelle has made the top 15 this week, after sharing split play for some time now with the cut "What Can I Do For You" from their same titled Epic LP. The stronger response is now behind "Lady Marmalade".

About nine months ago, a record was released on Silver Blue Records titled "We Can't Get Enough" by Bingo and, for some strange reason, no one ever heard the disk.

Now, Downstairs Records has copies to sell and Colony is trying to acquire the single, which is a lot like a Trammps record. Word from Siver Blue is that if initial reaction is strong enough they may reissue the disk with the track on a B-side.

Steve Santoro, formerly of Nepentha IL, is the disk jockey at the George Whitliegh's Dance Palace in Journal Square in Jersey City, N.J. Styled after a New York club, the Dance Palace opened Friday (29) and has a 800-person capacity.

Buttermilk Bottom, a private club here which was growing in popularity, was closed last week because of problems with city authorities over it's exits. Word is that the club will move to another location and Alfie Davidson will still be spinning for them. Ironically, the club was closed by the officials during the height of crowded Saturday night.

Carl Carlton's ABC LP "Everlasting Love" will be available within two weeks. "La, La, La, I Love You Girl" and the Ruby & The Romanics oldie "Our Day Will Come" are the two strong disco cuts. ......Ritchie Kaczor, dj at the Hollywood here, is getting strong audience response from Sister Sledge's "Love Don't You Go Through No Changes On Me" (Atco)

Look for Atlantic Records to have a strong disco month this January. Coming out will be the new Sister Sledge LP, which has several good disco cuts; the Major Harris LP, with the long version of "Each Moning I Wake Up", and the Jimmy Castor LP with "E Man Boogie", "Hallucinations", and "Bertha Boogie Bump".

[QUINNY]

Marky: I just love the innocence of it all. It almost makes me feel like writing 'big deal', but I realise those thoughts are rather churlish. It's almost like a column from some hack writing for the only newspaper in a one horse town, it's so provincial/local/small time. Brilliant.

[markydefad]

Disco Action by Tom Moulton
12/14/74

(New York) Barry Lederer (Tom's successor in writing this column, BTW) reports from Miami that the disco scene there has been going strong for some two-and-a half years now, having originally sprung from jukebox clubs to places with both disk jockeys and live bands.

One of the most popular places in the heart of Miami is Rumbottoms. Wayne Scott, who used to spin at the Alley in Queens, is the disk jockey there. The club has a 2,000 person capacity, and the dick jockey alternates with a live group, Calhoune, (Calhoon????) also originally from New York. On Weekends the club also books such top name disco acts as Ecstasy, Passion & Pain and Eddie Kendricks.

Another popular Miami spot is the Warehouse, which has a 3,000 person capacity. The main disk jockey there is Bill Kelly. (George Martinez alternates with him). The club doesn't have live entertainment, but does feature casual rooms and an outdoor deck for relaxing.

While the above clubs are the two most popular and the largest, there are several other discos in Miami with strong followings. Among them are the Ambassadors, where Doug DJ spins nightly, and Keiths. The sound systems at both clubs are close to New York standards.

As in a number of other disco cities, the complaints from disk jockeys in Miami are similar, mainly that they are having a difficult time getting some of the popular disco records.

The most difficult record to obtain in the Miami area now is Al Downing's "I'll Be Holding On," currently the No. 2 disco selection in New York this week. Miami disk jockeys also had a hard time getting Jimmy Ruffin's latest disco effort, although that problem has been recently alleviated.

Over-all, the top records in Miami are basically the same as in New York. There are a few exceptions, though. One of these would be "You Are The Song I've Always Wanted To Sing" by Timmy Thomas (Glades). At the top of most disk jockey lists for being serviced with product in Miami is Gary Schaffer of T.K. Productions. He has the reputation for constantly keeping the clubs up-to-date with his product.

Turning back to the New York scene, RCA Records, getting more and more disco oriented, is set to release "Free & Easy" by Satyr. The disk will have the vocal version on one side and the instrumental on the other. Although the label has scheduled an early January relase, most New York disk jockeys are already aware of the record and are hoping for an earlier release date.

Event Records is going to re-release "I Feel Love Comin' On" by Jay & The Techniques. The disk was deleted from Silver Blue Records a few months back, even though it's disco popularity has been maintained. Word is that Event will be going all out for this record.

Columbia Records will be releasing, within the next two weeks, "I Just Can't Say Goodbye" by the Philly Devotions. The record, which was going to be released several months ago but was held up because of contractual negotiations, has an instrumental version on the flip side.

[NickNack]

Marky,

I really love this column. Reading about records I missed because I was just getting into the scene and then hitting one and the image of the 45 flashes in front of me. For this one, it was Philly Devotions, I Just Can't Say Goodbye. Philadelphia sound kicking awesome butt :D .

[DISCODISK]

Marky,

I really love this column. Reading about records I missed because I was just getting into the scene and then hitting one and the image of the 45 flashes in front of me. For this one, it was Philly Devotions, I Just Can't Say Goodbye. Philadelphia sound kicking awesome butt :D .

i fully agree nicknack,this was massive for ian levine in england it even got a u.k release and looking really sexy on a promo ! theres been some really great records mentioned here "you need a friend like mine" annette thomas,"soon everythings gonna be alright" third time around,and without looking im sure "look on the good side" the invitations was mentioned.
quinny finds these coloums quaint and hes right, but if you look back at any soul/disco mags from the same era they are the same as this well the english ones are !
im sure markys billboard charts are about to end but i hope there are lots more of these to come theyre great!! :P

[markydefad]

Disco Action by Tom Moulton
12/21/74

(New York) Bruce Kova, buyer for Colony Records here, says that "Dreams" by Nell Carter is selling well to out-of-state disk jockeys, as well as to visiting spinners from such countries as France, Germany and the U.K. The record has not caught on in New York, though, as it has in other parts of the country.

"African Symphony" is a cut from Van McCoy's "Love Is The Answer" LP (Avco) which local players are hoping to have available as a single soon.

Gloria Gaynor and Carol Douglas have completed taping a "Midnight Special" show, now scheduled for airing Jan 3. Both singers were excited about the opportunity to do the show, as well as the actual taping in California.

"Crystal World" by Crystal Grass on the French Philips label has been known in the New York are for several months now. But, several disk jockeys who have heard and known about the record, have kept quiet about it until it's release here. They want to avoid a similar situation to the Jimmy Ruffin single in that, although dj's had copies, the public couldn't obtain them because several labels were trying to obtain the rights to the song at the same time.

Without a doubt, the most talked about record in New York this week is "Shame, Shame, Shame" by Shirley and Company. It's all about going to every discotheque in town and dancing all night. Spinners are also happy about the flip side having a 4:10 instrumental version of the song. The vocal side is 3:50 in length.

Ecstasy, Passion & Pain put on a fantastic show at the Sound Machine here Dec. 8. The group performed for more than an hour, showcasing such disco hits as "I Wouldn't Give You Up", "Good Things Don't Last Forever" and "Ask Me". As a self-contained group, they also played a number of instrumental disco selections. Judiging from audience reaction to the show, there's a good chance the group will be back shortly, possibly during the New Year's holiday.

"Up In A Puff Of Smoke" by Polly Brown, sounding like an up-tempo, up-dated Diana Ross record, is already getting some store sales and disco play here. The disk is on ABC/Dunhill, distributed by GTO Records.

"Give Me Your Best Shot Baby" by Ebbtide (Sound Gems Records) is starting to break in Philadelphia discos. It's a local record, which is also starting to be picked up by New York clubs.

"Blue-Eyed Soul" on the Carl Douglas "Kung Fu Fighting" LP is receiving strong audience response at Le Jardin and Hollywood here.

Buddah Records hosted a party for local disco spinners at the Levitcus Club here last week. The affair was coordinated by the label's Sharon Heyward. Steady Records has begun a weekly series of reggae shows at the Ipanema Club here. Radio station WWRL-FM disk jockey Jeff Barnes is hosting the affairs.
________________________________________________
Disco Action by Tom Moulton
12/26/74

(New York) Al Downing's "I'll Be Holding On" is the top disco record in New York this week (by audience response). This is the B-side of the record and now Chess/Janus is going to reserve the record to radio stations; WWRL, WNJR and WBLS-FM are already programming it. The commercial copies are 5:35 and the promotional copies will be 3:05, with the long version on the flip side.

"E-Man Boogie" by Jimmy Castor is in the top five this week and the album will be coming out the first week in January. The popularity of this record keeps on getting stronger and it is starting to spread outside of the city. Steve Santoro of the Dance Palace in Jersey City, N.J. says that "E-Man Boogie" is his biggest record.

Hollywood is getting strong reaction to "You Were Right On Time" by Ripple on GRC. The record, which is several months old, was not played when first released. Richie Kaznor started playing it about three weeks ago. Then Tony DJ, alternate DJ there, started to get a number of requests for play. Now it is a very popular record there and it looks like it may spread to other discos.

Album cuts are the big thing this week. Out of the top 15, there are nine album cuts being played. This might be partially due to the fact that record labels cut down on single releases in the month of December because of the holiday season.

One of the biggest disco records this year and now considered a "classic" is "Love Is The Message" by MFSB (also the title of their LP). It is played at least once a night in all the discos and is still in great demand by disco audiences.

Jim Walters reports from Los Angeles that the top records out there are: "Get Dancin'" by Disco Tex & The Sex-O-Lettes, "Lady Marmalade" by LaBelle and "One Day of Peace" by Love Committee. "Love Don't You Go Through No Changes On Me" by Sister Sledge is getting very popular. "We're On The Right Track" by Ultra High Frequency on Scepter remains a strong record in LA discos. Although it was a top disco hit here in New York two years ago, it was not heard in LA until this summer and Scepter did press up copies to cover the LA market. "You Are The Song I've Always Wanted To Sing" by Timmie Thomas is also starting to get good reaction.

Gloria Gaynor's album "Never Can Say Goodbye," will be released Jan 6 and one side of the LP is a disco side with six-minute versions of "Honey Bee" and "Never Can Say Goodbye" plus a new song all put together disco style. The total time on the side is about 20 minutes. The other side has five new songs and they are up-tempo as well.

(Take a bow, Mr. Moulton, for your ingenious idea!!!)


Ben Vereen, star of the Broadway show "Pippin", has a good disco single coming out on Buddah in January called, "Stop You Half Steppin' Mama." It will have the vocal on one side and an instrumental (part 2) on the other. It is again the fine work of producers Tony Silvester & Bert Decoteaux.

[nrgbeat]

I never knew Ben Vereen and Nell Carter recorded disco records.

[QUINNY]

Marky: thanx for the read. I know the U.S.A. is a huge place, but how was it that records took soooooo long to break in other cities (never mind territories)? From memory at least, it seemed that the whole of the UK more or less danced to the same toons, at any one time (although some European countries had those records at much, much different times).
It's kinda hard to believe that in the land of opportunity, the opportunists couldn't get their act together. Where's all the music biz sharks? Lazing on the beach and not bothering with the imminent feeding frenzy?
Fascinating stuff (Marky) Mr. Moulton.

[markydefad]

Quinny,

Sounds like it was a record label distribution problem. Everything sorta "broke" in New York City clubs (and often didn't go any further to other cities if it wasn't a radio hit), and at this relatively early stage in the disco movement, the record labels were just realizing that the clubs could actually "break" a record--not just radio. So the light bulb has been turned on, thanks to Mr. Moulton's crusading efforts; the A&R promotions people at the labels are being forced to turn their attention to this new-found way to make hits--through club play-- leading to requests from dancers for radio play.

That's my take on it, anyway.

[BrunoRepublic]

I think it's also important to note that New York is very, very, very different from the rest of the USA... at least, the parts of it that I've seen. New York is a world unto itself, and you'll see a lot of things there that would be unimaginable anywhere else in North America, or even the rest of New York state. It is simultaneously the most and least American place in the country. So I suspect that the thinking may have also been that nobody outside of New York would know or care about this stuff.

[jazz_pilgrim]

Hey Marky,

I also find these columns very interesting reading.

From reading the columns you can still sense the buzz that there must have been around when the scene was still developing and these records were coming out ....

Timeless and priceless!

:D

[markydefad]

Disco Action by Tom Moulton
w/e 1/11/75

(New York) Gloria Gaynor autographed a number of test pressings of her LP "Never Can Say Goodbye" and gave them out as Christmas presents to disco DJ's here. It seems that she had wanted to show her appreciation in some way for all the help they have given her when word got back about DJ's wanting the LP for the Christmas & New Year's holiday prior to it's release.

Atlantic Records is rush-releasing two disco records in the New York area--"Supernatural Thing" by Ben E. King and "Hijack" by Herbie Mann. Both records are already getting heavy disco play. "Hijack" is a cover record of the "Barrabas" LP cut which is not available in this country yet (Spain only). The single is 5:32, and from what the djs are saying about it, Herbie Mann is going to have a disco monster.

Joe Bataan, who had moderate success in discos with "Latin Strut," has cut a record geared expressly for the clubs. It's an instrumental version of "The Bottle." Bataan personally brought test pressings around to most of the New York discos and the reacton is very good. Stores here are already selling it and it has been out less than a week.

"Let's Get into Something" by the Richmond Extension on Polydor will be released sometime in late January. There are about 10 clubs that already have a test pressings of the record. It is in the same vein as "Hey Girl, Come And Get It" by The Stylistics. This is the fourth record to capture the "Rock The Boat/Rock Your Baby" sound, and judging from audience response this sound is going to be around for a long time.

"Happy People" by The Temptations is starting to happen in several clubs, the Hippo, La Jardine and Soho...WVBF-FM, number two rocker in the Boston market, will have a weekly disco hour, which will feature not only the disco music of the day, but live interviews with local disco DJs on what is happening in their clubs and the problems they are having, if any. Also, there will be interviews with some of the top disco stars from different parts of the country--some live and some on tape. The show bows in late January. There will be interviews with DJs in other parts of the country from time to time.

Although this is not the first station to have a disco show, this is the first station to have interviews with local and out of town disco DJs, plus the interviews with the top disco stars. Ron Robin, a leading disk jockey with the station will do the show. He says that there are a number of stations in the area that have played disco hits and that he himself plays three nights a week at different discos in the Boston market.

He feels that the music of the disco is best performed in the discos themselves, and the whole idea of the show is not to compete with them, but to give people an inside view of the club scene--what makes discos what they are; how their audiences react and how the disco stars themselves feel about the scene.