"70% of the discos are gay "

[remicks]

******

Sometime back in the nineties before having access to this wonderful site .....I used to find some time to get into the library at SFSU and review the old Billboards . I'd chicken scratch titles I didn't recognize or write little notes from articles.

So I've found one of those papers tucked in my Joel Whitburn TOP 40 HITS book and on it I noted that in the May 17 , 1975 issue of BILLBOARD Magazine somewhere within it ... it was stated:

"70 per cent of the discos are gay".

Now I don't know who said it or about where specifically or anything else .... but if someone has that issue , maybe they can review it further .....or I will one time when I make it back in there ....


*****

[canadiantire]

It is just recent that I have realized how much Disco music was of a Gay interest.
No offense to anyone here!

What could explain that?

This fact was actually a revelation to me.

Based on the experience of my Disco years, there were only a handful (J) of discotheques in Montreal that were officially posted as Gay clubs.

The remaining ones were to me “straight” but the sexual orientation is not always stamped on the forehead of everyone...

Maybe I was too busy staring at the demoiselle’s to really have a subjective opinion.

On the same tangent, I have yet to figure the proportion of people from the Gay community who are subscribers to this forum.


- Marcus

[pepper1dancer]

Back in the day I was at work and listening to my 8-track (dont laugh) and someone comes in and says "Disco?, you must be gay". I was taken back and I was surprised i was labeled because of my taste in music. Duh, it was 1979 but I was listening to some Hardcore Disco. That day i labeled Disco as gay also. Sadly, i was a closeted young man back then and soon I got rid of tons of my 12" singles and my Disco albums because i was afraid I would be "outed" just because of my music.(you can laugh). 70%? Find that hard to believe. Back then we had maybe 4 gay discos compared to 40-50 "straight discos" Interesting.....

P.S. this was my 200th post. Yeah for me.

[eddieo]

another great thread (I REALLY have to check these boards more often!)

Back in the day (I started spinning in 1976), there were two kinds of disco: black and gay. Note the little d in disco, as I remember this as the period before Disco became a bad word (there may some disagreement on these boards, as the Disco period---for the most part from Saturday Night Fever on---is when a lot of you may have come to the art form. No offense intended, but the pre-SNF period differed from what followed in a lot of ways, but we'll save that for another thread ;o)
A DJ played black or gay, and often was neither, at least here in Boston. To a certain degree, it had to do with BPM, but the "gay" stuff was swishier and the "black" stuff funkier. We actually identified with these labels, as I might tell another DJ that I played gay, without either of us thinking about sexual orientation at all.

That said, a lot of my colleagues were gay (though some played 'black'), and I made a lot of great friends and learned a lot about gay culture. I'll tell you that my Billboard contact when I reported (briefly) in the 90's was gay, and I would assume that everyone writing about disco was. And, if you hung around with gay guys, you heard them constantly overestimating how many people were gay (sometimes looking around the room, or counting off well-known celebrities: gay, gay, gay, gay....you get the idea). I still have lots of gay friends, and I can't wait to tell them a condensed version of this conversation. Y'know how a gay guy would respond to that "70% of the discos are gay "
comment?: "Yes; and the other 30% are lying!!!"

[Simon White]

******

Sometime back in the nineties before having access to this wonderful site .....I used to find some time to get into the library at SFSU and review the old Billboards . I'd chicken scratch titles I didn't recognize or write little notes from articles.

So I've found one of those papers tucked in my Joel Whitburn TOP 40 HITS book and on it I noted that in the May 17 , 1975 issue somewhere within it was stated:

"70 per cent of the discos are gay".

Now I don't know who said it or about where specifically or anything else .... but if someone has that issue , maybe they can review it further .....or I will one time when I make it back in there ....


*****

Remicks, you may want to re - edit your post because your point is not very clear..are you looking for the May 17th Joel Whitburn book or do you already have it with the quote?

[Videoskooter]

if you hung around with gay guys, you heard them constantly overestimating how many people were gay (sometimes looking around the room, or counting off well-known celebrities: gay, gay, gay, gay....you get the idea).

I think that's the whole point of this thread or another traditional dish served by the House Of Remicks!

I really don't see another point in his vague and unbelievable quote, but hey, that's just me

[Simon White]

I think that's the whole point of this thread or another traditional dish served by the House Of Remicks!

I really don't see another point in his vague and unbelievable quote, but hey, that's just me

Well the quote itself is clearly ridiculous taken out of any context like this.

And this is priceless-

" Now I don't know who said it or about where specifically or anything else .... but if someone has that issue , maybe they can review it further .....or I will one time when I make it back in there ...."

errr what??

Come on Remmy, get your ass out of that closet....and tell us... what is your point?

[Videoskooter]

Off-Topic: As some of you may have noticed, the server is acting weird so don't be surprised if your posts show up twice or if it takes a long time to connect! I've notified Bernie about this.

Thx 4 da patience!

[BrunoRepublic]

Based on the experience of my Disco years, there were only a handful (J) of discotheques in Montreal that were officially posted as Gay clubs.

Disco was also much more popular in Québec than elsewhere in North America. From my own observations, at least 80% of Canadian disco is from Québec, with THP being the only notable exception.

[thommy2458]

another great thread (I REALLY have to check these boards more often!)
To a certain degree, it had to do with BPM, but the "gay" stuff was swishier and the "black" stuff funkier.

Hmmmmmm-I'm sure you don't mean to offend by this
narrow generalization,eddie but really,the best gay clubs
were able to play both "swishy" and "funky"-And my experience as a member here is that there are alot of
straight members who listen to traditional eurodisco
and gay members that listen to Funkadelic.Like the original spirit of club culture,this forum is able to reflect
diversity without labeling people...

Thom

[thommy2458]

double post1

[remicks]

I think that's the whole point of this thread or another traditional dish served by the House Of Remicks!

I really don't see another point in his vague and unbelievable quote, but hey, that's just me

Always do my best to serve up only the tastiest of delectables ! ...Sorry you're having trouble swallowing it though VS :icon_mrgreen:

Also sorry to be vague ... but seriously ....this piece of paper was just folded within my book and once I glanced it over , it included that delicious little scribble of a comment so I thought I'd pass on this morsel hoping maybe someone has that Billboard . ( I can't wait to find out the exact details myself)


What I find most interesting is when particularly this was written .....Spring of 1975 . That's very early in the disco story ....discos hadn't exploded mainstream yet ....discos hadn't opened in big numbers ..... and YES later ... by 1978 every cruise ship, every Hyatt/Ramada/Hilton/Holiday Inn , every vacation resort , every shopping mall, every "fancy" restaurant/bar had a disco ....and of course by then the ratio of those going to discos who did sleep with similar body types vs. those that didn't changed dramatically ....

After all once discos were popularized by the masses ( straights/whites) you'd expect the straight clubs to outnumber the gay ones proportionately reflective to real life .... 10 to 1 or so .... right?


So I would ask you Canadiantire for instance ... are you speaking about your clubbing years of 1975 ? or much later ?


******

Enjoy your meal everyone ! Cheers !

[EricHG23]

Well I have read some gay disco fans were annoyed at how many straight peopel started going to clubs after S Night Fever lol. Of course the biginfamous discos like 54 were pretty notoriously mixed--and often the "better" smaller discos were primarily gay but...

Dance music trends in general have nearly always come out of gay (and ethnic) clubs, no?

For the record I'm gay--and from Montreal but was too young for any of the discos :(

[buckaroo]

Come on Remmy, get your ass out of that closet....and tell us... what is your point?

Excuse me for asking a silly question, but why do people "...cum out of the closet"? Why not, "come out from behind the sofa"? Or, "jump out of the car"?.
:icon_confused:
Don't slap me, just asking. :icon_biggrin:

[eddieo]

Well the quote itself is clearly ridiculous taken out of any context like this.

And this is priceless-

" Now I don't know who said it or about where specifically or anything else .... but if someone has that issue , maybe they can review it further .....or I will one time when I make it back in there ...."

errr what??

Come on Remmy, get your ass out of that closet....and tell us... what is your point?

I think Remicks is perfectly clear here, and, in case his 'clarification', above, still isn't clear to you:
a. he used to scribble notes while reading old Billboards
b. he came across some of his old notes
c. he wonders if anyone has the issue of Billboard from which his notes were written ('cause he doesn't have it; he looked at it in the library)
d. if nobody has the issue, he'll try to get back to the library

Hmmmmmm-I'm sure you don't mean to offend by this
narrow generalization,eddie but really,the best gay clubs
were able to play both "swishy" and "funky"-And my experience as a member here is that there are alot of
straight members who listen to traditional eurodisco
and gay members that listen to Funkadelic.Like the original spirit of club culture,this forum is able to reflect
diversity without labeling people...
Thom

hmmmmm, indeed. of course I didn't mean to offend; what could have been deemed offensive? Labels, in and of themselves, aren't a bad thing, even if I was labelling people (which I wasn't; I was labelling music, or, more specifically, defining what we used to use as labels: black and gay). Should I be offended if someone refers to my car as "silver"?
Again, in 1976 (in Boston at least), we as DJs refered to records with those terms, and described our styles in those terms. There were 'black parties' and 'white parties', usually at gay clubs (which were open to mixed crowds) that had everything to do with the style of music and nothing to do with race. I fear that extreme sensitivity to any label is political correctness run amok. Should I be offended that my political leanings are labelled "left"? Why can't my views be "right"? Of course, that viewpoint means I buy into the idea that "right" is a better word than "left".
I came to disco music when the other alternative was rock (I actually took all my rock records to a used record store and traded them for disco records, jumpstarting my DJing inventory). Rock guys said "disco sucks" and put bumper stickers stating so on their cars. When my close friends that remained rock fans (thus despising disco) would ask me, sincerely, if I was afraid I might be thought to be gay for enjoying disco, I said no. Why would being thought to be gay bother me? I had (and have) no problem with the label "gay"; I loved (and love) the music, the fashion, the tolerance, the attitude, the grooming, and so much else that I found in the gay community. Hell, save for a carnal attraction to other men, I am gay! Of course, now we call that metrosexual, or is that another negative label?

Please look for my upcoming thread, lamenting the way Saturday Night Fever opened my world up to a large segment of the population that helped add a divisive quality to labels that were heretofore only informative, not pejorative.
:icon_lol::icon_biggrin::icon_lol::icon_smile:

[canadiantire]

So I would ask you Canadiantire for instance ... are you speaking about your clubbing years of 1975 ? or much later ?

The date frame I was referring to was more from 1978 and +

[kdavid13]

Disco was also much more popular in Québec than elsewhere in North America. From my own observations, at least 80% of Canadian disco is from Québec, with THP being the only notable exception.

That is true.It was often said that while Quebec was into disco ; the rest of Canada was into rock.

All I know is that during the 70's ; disco was everywhere on the radio then in the 80's dance music took over.HiNRG was being played with special broadcast of dance music during primetime.

After midnight ; more than one stations broadcast live feed from clubs.

Saturday/Sundays there is a 5 to 8 special disco show on the radio.And Musique Plus still has that MAXDANSE show.

The Quebec local scene contributed a lot to the international disco scene during the 70's & 80's.

During this past Pride festival in Montreal ; the big disco show attracted tons of people with Patsy Gallant headlining the event.

[Videoskooter]

Sorry you're having trouble swallowing it though VS

I only have trouble when you start a topic like you did yesterday!

I believe it's common knowledge that Disco mainly started in "Gay clubs" and "Black clubs". Indeed, in 1975, Disco began to rise but not in full effect mainstream wise so it obviously is clear that a vast percentage of Discos were gay (yes maybe up to 70%).

So???? What is your point? What do you find strange about the note you found back?

Or do you only want to have the article it's coming from or do you want to know about the member's experience? Like EddieO stated, it was a fact.

I can't join in coz' I was only 12 at that time and I didn't frequent much clubs back then, only occasionally when my niece took me with her,....

But in 1974, it was I who kissed Donna Summer And I don't need notes to remember that, I clearly feel that delightful kiss on the cheeks, that "Love to love you voice" that asked: "Hi honey, how are you?" The intense warmth afterwards, because it was I who kissed Donna Summer

Hey maybe that well known song is about me? Who knows????? Hey, seriously, I'm hearing things in that record that maybe nobody else does!!! OMG

****************************************


Maybe....I'm the original Discoman!!!!!!!! Good golly miss Molly! That's it!!!

****************************************



We have spoken!!

[thommy2458]

hmmmmm, indeed. of course I didn't mean to offend; what could have been deemed offensive? Labels, in and of themselves, aren't a bad thing, even if I was labelling people (which I wasn't; I was labelling music, or, more specifically, defining what we used to use as labels: black and gay). Should I be offended if someone refers to my car as "silver"?

Eddie-Do you really think the term "swishy" when talking about Gay club music has no negative connotations? I have
seen the label "swishy" used before and it was always used in a derogatory way.After reading your response,I
can see you in no way meant it to offend.I don't mind labels at all,but if someone said he listens to 'swishy"
music you can bet there would be some eyebrows raised.
Thanks for clarifying!

Thom

[Simon White]

This must be one of the things that divides the English language...I think 'swishy' is quite a nice term !


Hands up for swishy poofies!

[remicks]

I only have trouble when you start a topic like you did yesterday!

I believe it's common knowledge that Disco mainly started in "Gay clubs" and "Black clubs". Indeed, in 1975, Disco began to rise but not in full effect mainstream wise so it obviously is clear that a vast percentage of Discos were gay (yes maybe up to 70%).

So???? What is your point? What do you find strange about the note you found back?

Or do you only want to have the article it's coming from or do you want to know about the member's experience? Like EddieO stated, it was a fact.

I can't join in coz' I was only 12 at that time and I didn't frequent much clubs back then, only occasionally when my niece took me with her,....

But in 1974, it was I who kissed Donna Summer And I don't need notes to remember that, I clearly feel that delightful kiss on the cheeks, that "Love to love you voice" that asked: "Hi honey, how are you?" The intense warmth afterwards, because it was I who kissed Donna Summer

Hey maybe that well known song is about me? Who knows????? Hey, seriously, I'm hearing things in that record that maybe nobody else does!!! OMG

****************************************


Maybe....I'm the original Discoman!!!!!!!! Good golly miss Molly! That's it!!!

****************************************



We have spoken!!

First of all Skooter .... please go back to smoking !!!


I'm not sure why this topic has so rattled you ???? What I find interesting though Scooter is just yesterday you said

I really don't see another point in his vague and unbelievable quote, but hey, that's just me

And today you seem most accepting of what just yesterday was so "unbelievable" to you ....


So what's the point about finding this paper ?? ....First of all , simply put ,the intrigue.....what does the article say???

It seems there are some straight disco lovers who want to play down the importance of how the gay movement and the disco movement evolved in a symbiotic way. .... so that I am quite frankly DELIGHTED to have perhaps uncovered at least some documentation of just how significant the gay and disco cultures were to each other back then.
As you can see from the first response here from Canadiantire

It is just recent that I have realized how much Disco music was of a Gay interest.

....that this whole disco/gay story is not as obvious to all as today it now seems to be to you ....

We can all gab all we want .....but something in print from 1975 sure helps to clarify .... especially from a respectable rag like Billboard .
so that's what makes it significant.
And for all I know :icon_rolleyes:... that quote in its entirety may turn out to say
"70 % of the discos are gay .............in BELGIUM" ......
I have no idea.... until someone uncovers the rest of the story ....and that's what I hope happens by my posting this.

I'm sharing info on a discussion board VS that's all ... nothing new ....
and judging by the response so far .... others are interested.



AND B-T-W

SYLVESTER kissed me ..... and I wasn't no twelve year old at the time neither !
you make me feel, mighty reeeealll

hugs (hope thats OK)
remicks

******

[QUINNY]

In my experience (club DJ from '72 on), In the UK, there were very few Gay clubs and nearly all black/club/disco music was broken in straight clubs to straight punters. It was different in the USA, for sure and I for one, would lay money on the USA being the only country in the world to have so many Gay DJs/clubs per capita.

Please note: this is the first time I've been able to post a reply at this site for almost 2 months. Ain't ya glad I'm back (certain peoples need not reply)?????

[remicks]

In my experience (club DJ from '72 on), In the UK, there were very few Gay clubs and nearly all black/club/disco music was broken in straight clubs to straight punters. It was different in the USA, for sure and I for one, would lay money on the USA being the only country in the world to have so many Gay DJs/clubs per capita.

Please note: this is the first time I've been able to post a reply at this site for almost 2 months. Ain't ya glad I'm back (certain peoples need not reply)?????

Welcome back Quinny.:icon_cool:
And believe me the irony is not lost on me that a topic with this title is the one with which you choose to return.

Quinny: I for one, would lay money on the USA being the only country in the world to have so many Gay DJs/clubs per capita.

EXACTLY !!:icon_biggrin: Bingo ! Nail on the head !
And its for this reason that it was in the US of A that the disco scene was really happening, baby!


******

[Videoskooter]

[QUOTE=remicks;127000]First of all Skooter .... please go back to smoking !!!

Remmy, I've never quit, everybody's entitled to 1 vice and that's my vice

I'm not sure why this topic has so rattled you ????

It didn't rattle me, maybe that's what you are hoping but then I have to dissapoint you

What I find interesting though Scooter is just yesterday you said

It seems there are some straight disco lovers who want to play down the importance of how the gay movement and the disco movement evolved in a symbiotic way. .... so that I am quite frankly DELIGHTED to have perhaps uncovered at least some documentation of just how significant the gay and disco cultures were to each other back then.
As you can see from the first response here from Canadiantire
....that this whole disco/gay story is not as obvious to all as today it now seems to be to you ....

Nope, in fact it's old news to me. Don't pretend you have shown me the light!

We can all gab all we want .....but something in print from 1975 sure helps to clarify .... especially from a respectable rag like Billboard .
so that's what makes it significant.
And for all I know :icon_rolleyes:... that quote in its entirety may turn out to say
"70 % of the discos are gay .............in BELGIUM" ......
I have no idea.... until someone uncovers the rest of the story ....and that's what I hope happens by my posting this.

I'm sharing info on a discussion board VS that's all ... nothing new ....
and judging by the response so far .... others are interested.



AND B-T-W

SYLVESTER kissed me ..... and I wasn't no twelve year old at the time neither !
you make me feel, mighty reeeealll

I kissed Cerrone and Bob Sinclar a few months ago and I'm not exactly a little boy anymore BTW, we Belgian and French males kiss each other when we meet, just in case you are wondered about it.

hugs (hope thats OK)

NO :icon_evil: Kiss yes, but I've written this many times: I can't stand that hugging thing, it's a ridiculous trend! It's an Oprah thing and now everybody wants to do it, especially Americans. If you ever meet me, just don't!!

And now I'm gonna light a cigarette :icon_biggrin: Hope you don't mind, being Californian, the state of pure health!


2 nite is party time, it's party time 2 nite and....there's nooooooo bizniss like shooooooooowbiznis!

[Videoskooter]

EXACTLY !!:icon_biggrin: And its for this reason that it was in the US of A that the disco scene was really happening, baby!

Remicks, hold on here. Once again you are stating that Disco was only genuine in the US and that other countries/continents were cheap imitations!

Now, do you begin to understand my first reply, mmmmh?