Is there still disco productions today?

**Com King** · January 27th, 2003, 08:09 AM

When I say disco, I mean old school disco, not disco house like joey Negro or Bob Sinclar can do.

I think there is not, and i can't stop asking me why. It's powerful music, which could be probably well sold today.

Have you any answers?

**BrunoRepublic** · January 27th, 2003, 08:36 AM

Three reasons why disco is not made in substantial amounts anymore:

- It's very expensive to produce.
- All of North America still has a fascist "DISCO SUCKS!" mentality, and continues to believe that disco was the most vile and despicable form of music ever created.
- To produce disco requires imagination, which disappeared from the musical landscape sometime around 1992.

**Com King** · January 27th, 2003, 09:12 AM

I think disco music is not so hated in Europe, where great music was produced, so disco could be still produced.

And Graham when you talk about costs, don't you think disco could be produced with lower costs now?

I find you a little bit tough against nowerdays music, there are some good releases today in electronic music, and especially in France ;)

I'm really still wondering WHY is there no new disco releases.

**BrunoRepublic** · January 27th, 2003, 09:26 AM

Originally Written by Com King

And Graham when you talk about costs, don't you think disco could be produced with lower costs now?

While the costs of multitrack recording have plummeted over the last 25 years, the cost of hiring an army of unionized musicians, arrangers, engineers, etc., has not. Disco was done with real people who all need to be paid. House/trance/electronica can be done with a couple of people and some inexpensive outboard gear.

I find you a little bit tough against nowerdays music, there are some good releases today in electronic music, and especially in France ;)

I'm really still wondering WHY is there no new disco releases.

In addition to what I said before, there are the same reasons why there are no new (significant) rockabilly releases, no new operas, no more prog-rock bands... disco is from the past, and most people think it belongs there. You can't go back.

**Com King** · January 27th, 2003, 09:47 AM

disco is from the past, and most people think it belongs there. You can't go back.

This is sad man, I'm born 20 years too late.

But it's still cool to be 20 today

**Outsider** · January 27th, 2003, 10:55 AM

Originally Written by Graham Start

Three reasons why disco is not made in substantial amounts anymore:

- It's very expensive to produce.

I'm sure you're right, since most disco acts used a lot of musicians.

- All of North America still has a fascist "DISCO SUCKS!" mentality, and continues to believe that disco was the most vile and despicable form of music ever created.

Well, that's an exaggeration. After all, there are disco fans who live in North America (including myself), but I know what you're getting at. I never understood why people have such hatred towards disco, especially in this day and age. After all, it's just music, and these people have the choice to not listen to it.

- To produce disco requires imagination, which disappeared from the musical landscape sometime around 1992.

I totally disagree with you on this. I think that there are a lot of good artists from the last decade (and not all of them are mainstream), but that's me.

I take it that you're not into grunge, which became trendy in the year you mentioned. I'm into that type of music, but that's just my opinion. I'm guessing you're not too fond of someone like Avril Lavigne either (yeah, I like her music). If so, that's cool with me. And what's your opinion of death metal (guess what I think of it?)? I'm just wondering. :evil:

**QUINNY** · January 27th, 2003, 01:04 PM

I think Graham hiot the nail on the head when he suggested that it's simply because it is soooooooo passé. No one in their right mind would make disco music today. Who would buy it? Certainly not all of the old disco goers of the late '70s, 'cos they're probably into much different music now and generally don't keep up to date with the latest CDs. Young kids would just laugh at it.

**markydefad** · January 27th, 2003, 05:46 PM

Well Quinny,

I agree that it would be impossible to "turn back the hands of time" and expect Disco to become "cool" again. It's time came and went and dance music moved on. It's appreciated as "nostalgia" now, just as Big Band music is.

However, Disco sure is used an awful lot by ad agencies to sell their products on TV and the sample freaks sure love to steal the hooks, basslines and choruses from disco to make their music-devoid compositions more, uh...musical.

It's never gonna be the same as it was. But, luckily we still have recorded evidence of what was. Imagine if we lived in an era before records, CD's, tapes, etc. existed. We'd be trying to hunt down that minstrel who played that great tune that night we got real drunk at the Renaissance Fair back in the day.

Hmmmm.... What was his name? Leonardo? Michelangelo? Raphael? Donatello? (Or were those Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles???) Good luck. :roll:

**QUINNY** · January 27th, 2003, 06:12 PM

Marky: We are indeed lucky that records exist. I guess the real clincher for me is this. You'd think that if there were any interest at all in Disco music, then the kids buying today's hits (which they know contain samples?) would be wanting to delve deeper and root out the originals, if it's those self same samples that make the track so good in their eyes. They obviously don't care or don't know. Either scenario is appaling to our more sensitive and more enlightened minds , but hey, we/they live in a throw away society that holds very little to be of any true value. It's a shame, but........

**discosavvy** · January 27th, 2003, 07:06 PM

We already discussed this a couple of times, so sorry for repeating myself. There actually ARE some examples of modern disco where the beat is not the electronic house beat, but from a real live drummer, and no electronic sounds can be heard. The most pure contemporary disco CD was the release from 2000, "The Company" by an Oregon band of the same name. The two songs on that album that have all the characteristics of classic disco are: "Should I Let Him Go?" and "You Turn My World Around" (the former is better than the latter, IMHO). Since they hired several members of an orchestra, I wonder how expensive it was? The other dance songs on that album use keyboards instead.

Jamiroquai also made two songs which are unmistakably disco in its pure form, "Cosmic Girl" (1996) and "Canned Heat" (1999 and a hit in Canada). Real violins were arranged and conducted for these also, according to my sources.

D'Influence is good at copying old disco sounds when they make remakes, such as their version of Michael Jackson's "Rock With You" in 1998 and their version of Gladys Knight & the Pips' "Taste of Bitter Love" in 2002. Lots of instruments.

These songs do not use samples, and are the real deal.

This continued pessimism is really sad... the number one reason why these songs aren't bought by many Americans is because... they don't know they exist because they aren't on the radio and aren't marketed here and there's no networked infrastructure of disco-playing clubs, DJs, and magazines. When I track disco fans down individually and tell them about these songs, I get lots of positive responses. If webcasting rates become reasonable, then these new disco songs would have a chance at exposure. Otherwise, you're right, they will languish in obscurity and today's kids won't care. Disco is not just an "oldies" format, even though that's the perception of American radio programmers.

**Soulman** · January 27th, 2003, 07:13 PM

Well, I have to disagree with you guys. I have been DJing since the mid 70's. Here in the North East of England there is a renewed interest in 70's music (I'm glad I never sold any of my vinyl). My own hometown has had a nightclub dedicated to it for the past 3 or 4 years, there is another one opening on the 7th February. There is a mixture of ages, the older ones that were around the first time (often divorced with new found freedom!), and there is also the young ones who are just discovering disco for the first time.

There are other towns in the region with 70's clubs and pubs and are being frequented by the young ones too. In my own residency I play all the latest Trance Dance House or whatever, but, I always include selected tunes from several decades including the 70's disco period. Just this last Saturday night I had requests for Marvin Gaye and Stevie Wonder from 18/19 years olds.

As a regular working professional DJ I have noticed two definite trends over the last six months in my residency. One is the interest in 70's music, the other is a greater interest in R'n B. Are they linked? Hmm, I think so. Maybe some of the young ones are fedup with all the bang bang stuff.

Later
Soulman

**markydefad** · January 27th, 2003, 07:23 PM

I'd like to think that Disco could come back, but even though many profess their interest and like to dance to it--I can't see it making it back to the charts in a big way.

In LA, we had/maybe have 1970's clubs (Cher used to go to the one at Probe before it closed) and a Saturday night radio show that plays that era on K-BIG---BUT the crap on the radio on the other 6 nights of the week remains firmly entrenched in the Missy Elliott/Timbaland school of Hip-Hop.

A resurgence of interest in Giorgio & Donna would make me kvell--but I ain't gonna hold my breath.

"Everything must change--NOTHING, NOTHING stays the same" to quote the song. :roll:

**Soulman** · January 27th, 2003, 08:54 PM

Yeh, you're probably right that it won't come back in a big way to the mainstream. There are too many diverse genre's now anyway. But I'm always pleased when todays teenagers come and ask me for 70's tunes, it's like playing them for the first time all over again.

Later
Soulman

**markydefad** · January 27th, 2003, 09:26 PM

Soulman,

I totally agree. It warms the cockles (gawd knows what that means!!!) of my heart when teens ask about 70's disco music here. That's why I always take the time and answer every "who does that 'toot toot yeah, beep beep' song?" or that long instrumental with the "people all over the world, it's time to get down" question.

At least, they're interested & paying enough attention to ask. It's not only Gangsta Rap-bangers or screaming Korn-holes that they're listening to.

A little Disco keeps the doctor away (or so I'm told)

**Com King** · January 28th, 2003, 02:48 AM

I've seen someone asked if teenagers knew that there were samples in today's music.

In fact, that's what brought me to disco. I used to listen only house music, and I decided to look for the original samples, to see what was the real work achieved.

I became a big fan and I think disco could come back into the chart.

The most popular weekly party here in Paris is absolutely without no doubt the "Disco Inferno" at the Queen Club on the Champs Elysées every monday.

It's during the week but every monday it's completely full. It has really a wonderful success,nad the playlist is of course only disco.

An other club in Paris, the Studio 287 has made also weekly disco party every sunday in 2002, called "Studio 54" revival : Those parties began at 10 pm with a live show ( We had Boney M, delegation, Jimmy Sommerville, The Whispers, etc ....), and then it was "Studio 54 revival", a classic party. This party should go on in 2003.

This should give you the desire to come to Paris, you disco fans. It's a cool place to be. :)

**QUINNY** · January 28th, 2003, 03:10 AM

If 2 songs on an album by an obscure band means disco is still being made........I think not. :)
As for Jamiroquai....I hate that stuff so much I was on the verge of starting a Jamiroquai sucks campaign. Sorry, but it's the most plastic sounding, totally lame music I have ever heard. It makes my skin creep.
There would be the money for disco if it sold. There's plenty of 'pop' bands that drag in a few violinists (or orchestra) on their toons to give them an air of respectability and seriousness.
As for the odd club and the odd teenager into disco. I go to my local jazz club every Tuesday during university term time. When Jazz was part of their course work, we had lots of music students turn up for the gigs and thoroughly enjoy them. Once it was off the agenda we barely saw them again. Surely it's the same with disco. Just 'cos the odd club has a few kids who are into the music, or there's the odd club in a city like Paris (on two of the duffest nights of the week), doesn't mean a revival is happening. Get a dozen clubs on Saturday night and yes, that might constitute a revival that could get somewhere. For me, disco is old man's music. I wouldn't expect any kids to like it, and they couln't like it in the same way. To them it's likely to be a fashion accessory. It's their way of being different. To us oldies, it was a way of being at one with our fellow kindred spirits, and boy, there were millions of us.

**JussiK** · January 28th, 2003, 04:34 AM

Trust Com King on this subject - Paris is THE place. The Queen on Champs-Elysees is like stepping back in time yet completely today. And you feel respect for the music everywhere in Paris, in clubs as well as in all the vinyl stores like Samad. There are 2 Samad stores but the clerk in the Rue St. Martin store really gets your attention. This young guy knows every riff from early King Errisson tracks to the most obscure Eddie Drennon break and brings on the most ashtonishing cuts you never heard of. And trust me when I say you should listen to the new Disco project Supermenlovers - that's a beauty.

**tdaram** · January 28th, 2003, 08:02 AM

[For me, disco is old man's music. I wouldn't expect any kids to like it, and they couln't like it in the same way. To them it's likely to be a fashion accessory. It's their way of being different.]

i spend all my money in purchasing disco LPs in shops or internet and i listen to them alone in my home.

There are cheaper way to be trendy and different I think...

I'm 22.[/quote]

**Com King** · January 28th, 2003, 09:20 AM

or there's the odd club in a city like Paris (on two of the duffest nights of the week)

So many people go out to listen disco music on a monday night, can you believe it?

This is even more significant.

You know I'm not lyin when I say that the Disco Inferno is becoming an institution. The Queen club is currently the most famous club in Paris I think, and I promise you that if this party was on Saturday, there would be an amazing queue.

The only problem would be : What to do on a monday night? :)

probably go to bed and that's not very exciting ....

**MPS** · January 28th, 2003, 06:58 PM

Im so glad I found this forum, since I didn't know any other place on the net to have these interesting discussions!

Disco has had a real revival, that is, in the club world. It was really hip and cool to dance to underground disco (NOT the more famous Bee Gees/ABBA/Baccara/Village People etc etc -disco, that has been UN-cool for a long time in the so-to-speak club world). As far as I noticed, around 1997/1998 house djs and funk djs at underground clubs around the world - in Europe anyway - started to play rare underground disco. And since then, disco has had respect in the dance/club world and among those djs. Especially house djs. Today, very many house djs uses to drop a few 70's undergound disco tunes in their house sets. Ever heard the sets of Little Louie Vega, Dimitri From Paris, Larry Heard, Timmy Regisford, Frankie Knuckles. And still, the late Larry Levan has so much respect in the house club world. But, again, then we're talkin Salsoul, West End, Prelude etc, and not the mainstream kind of disco.

Just check out the "Mix Archives" at www.deephousepage.com for yourselves, ther you'll find around 900 house mixes with disco tunes, and also pure disco sets...

**MPS** · January 28th, 2003, 07:22 PM

And I forgot to mention some modern (and working!) great disco productions:

Faze Action "Original Disco Motion" from 1995. This tune really sound 70's underground disco to me. Real bass, drums etc. Definitely not a house tune.

G-Litter "Paiste" from 2001. It's a, believe it or not, finnish group. Also, real bass, great organic drums, flutes etc. The Mika Snickars Remix doesn't make things worse.

But there are not many modern working disco productions I admit. The nearest other genre must be house or disco-house.

I actually think that Jamiroquai have made one or two disco tunes, that I find sound and feel like authentic disco or funk-disco. At least "Canned Heat", with it's tight and 70's-funky bass line and crisp disco strings. (Although I've never been any great fan of Jay Kaye's voice...)

**QUINNY** · January 28th, 2003, 07:31 PM

You guys go to the same clubs, right?
We all know that various rare groove scenes developed and the number of compilations with (semi) rare tracks on them, put out by name House DJs, is proof that some digging has been done. Few, if any of the rare groove scenes, have gone on to become a mainstream one, have they? Show me lots of queues on a Friday/Saturday night, then I'd say you had a real scene going. Friday/Saturday is when everybody goes out. :)
Trouble is, a lot of the stuff they've dug up has been less than brilliant. Sad to say, we all had our rare favourites, but we also mostly danced to all the big hits too. Without giving credit to both halves of the equation, I personally feel you're somewhat missing the point of what disco was all about. A good record, is a good record, is a good record. Popularity doesn't really diminish this. There's no real secret why certain records became mega disco hits. They were just the best there were, at that time. I really don't like people telling me my own (and millions of others) personal history sucks. You've got to realise that rare groove fans (such as yourselves) are in effect telling us that our judgement was wrong or misguided, by not acknowledging the hits and only thinking the rare records are worthy. That's your perogative, I guess. Each generation re-writes history to suit itself. :D

**MPS** · January 28th, 2003, 07:45 PM

For me, the popularity of a tune doesn't very often match how good I experience that the tune is. There are so many examples of this. I don't think you can say that if one million persons like a certain tune, then it has to be good TO YOU. To them it's obviously is good.

For example, I don't like rock. I think rock sucks! But many people like rock. If ten million persons like "Pretty Fly for a Whit Guy" with Offspring, then that doesn't make it a good tune TO ME. But there were no ten million persons who liked "Runaway" with Salsoul Orchestra/Loleatta Holloway back in the days when it was made. But still, for me it's a super great tune.

Funilly, when it was remade by the Nu Yorican Soul project, it was appreciated by many more people. So what does that prove? Maybe that it comes down to timing and distribution, backing up from the record company, how big the record company is, how much money was put on promotion etc.

**QUINNY** · January 29th, 2003, 03:19 AM

Why bring rock into the discussion? Don't forget, you have 20 years worth of history that could affect your judgement. The records were introduced to us bit by bit, over how many years? You can pick up a compilation with say 40 tracks from many different years and dismiss them or like them all in 2 hours. We never had that luxury.

Let's assume that you could assemble 1,000,000 people together who'd never heard any disco music before and you played them 1,000 disco tunes from the disco era. Although each individual would have their own favourites, overall there would be certain records that would be hits and others that wouldn't be so popular. Personally, I'd lay bets that the same records would figure largely, as did, back in the day. I don't think you'd end up with a completely different top 100. There was less hype back then, than you imagine. Sure, the big corporations had their share of the spoils, but many, many mega club hits were by relatively unknown bands on small independant labels and many were 1 or 2 hit wonders. Great dance music was acknowledged, no matter what or where its source, until something better came along. One final thought: Even the most played out disco records were once brand new and untried. They had to earn their hit status.

**Giovanni** · January 29th, 2003, 05:04 AM

Only 2 points I want to debate:

1) In every single city of every single western country there is at least one place where a disco night is held.
This is part of the regular program schedule of every club: almost every club nowdays has dedicated nights. It is very rare indeed to find clubs that have their disco night during on fridays or saturdays.
I began to play again (15 years after I left) in a small club here in my hometown. Every other friday I play "educational" disco for about 3 hours and then a house dj takes my place for youngsters to dance to newest rhythms.
But this is part of a standard "revival" phenomenon that always existed. When disco was the thing of the day (from mid 70s to early 80s) many clubs were still halding rock 'n' roll nights with music of 20 years before.
On the other hand, many clubs that play disco today (e.g. "The Queen" in Paris -thank you Jussi for the tip-), are gay and everyone here knows that disco has a strong impact on the gay community. But gays are not the bulk of the people going dancin.

2) In Europe we never had a "disco sucks" movement and so nobody here ever decided to change name to this kind of music.
There are so many people, mostly out of the music business or not very into music, who keep on naming today's dance music simply "disco".
And I think that today's house, mostly the spiritual house movement and all the Body & Soul-like stuff, is much more disco than some old disco stuff.
Today's house is indeed mostly made with old disco samples and I really like this kind of music. Calling it house or disco is a matter of little importance to me.
Evidentely some disco authors and producers cannot produce anymore simply because they are dead, but, on the other hand, there are so many artists and producers of disco fame are still active in the market today:Tom Moulton mixed one of last year's success of the revived West End label..... what is this if not disco?!?!
"Nothing's changed, things are the same, going in circles with just different names"
TEN CITY 1996