Is there still disco productions today?

**Com King** · January 27th, 2003, 09:09 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, 09:36 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, 10:12 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, 10:26 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, 10:47 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, 11:55 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, 02:04 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, 06:46 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, 07:12 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, 08:06 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, 08:13 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, 08:23 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, 09:54 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, 10:26 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, 03:48 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. :)