Top Five Favorite Disco Artists of all time ?

[drlove]

Was wondering which artists/performers/groups/producers, etc. comprise your Top Five (5) Favorite Disco Artists of all time ??? Doesn't matter if they're dead or alive . . . retired or still performing . . . just wonder which 5 artists' collective group of disco career recordings sends you to audio heaven :icon_question:

Requested Rules:
1. List ONLY 5.
2. Rank 'em using the #'s 1 thru 5.
3. additional notes, comments, explanations on your selections are certainly welcome :icon_exclaim:

. . .now, I just gotta think up my own !!!:icon_eek:

[drlove]

Here they go:

1. Ritchie Family (but the pre-1978 line-up with Gwendolyn, Cheryl and Cassandra and all those anonymous studio vocalists & musicians).

2. Trammps

3. KC & the Sunshine Band

4. Chic

5. First Choice

[Jose Jones]

1) Rinder and Lewis (for all their various incarnations, el coco, le pamplemousse etc)

2) Patrick Adams, I love cloud one and Phreek

3) Cerrone, just because when I'm in a bad mood I put Love in C minor on and i'm alright 16 minutes later

4) Gino Soccio, awesome!

5) Rick James

[Jackson9]

ummm my favourite acts aren't strictly disco acts.. but they come under the umbrella of dance, soul, funk, black acts that experimented in disco at one time or another..

does that count?

(1) Michael Jackson - Off The Wall is my favourite album of all time.
i also love everything he sang lead on with The Jacksons / Jackson 5

(2) Minnie Riperton - i play her 6 albums to death.. a mixture of soul and funk.. Stick Together being her most direct disco recording

(3) Gwen Guthrie

(4) Skyy

(5) Evelyn 'Champagne' King

i could name alot more more than five

[Dayna]

OH MY~!!
1-Diana Ross"no surprize there"I dont want to hear any BUT she's not a Disco Artist tripe..She cranked out some of the most memorable Disco tunes of the Disco era........
2-Donna Summer-obvious reasons
3-Alec R Costandinos-Created some of the most beautiful Disco music ever recorded
4-Linda Clifford-What can't you say about this lady that's not good? NOTHING...her body of work speaks for itself..
5-Loleatta Holloway-The VOICE

Honerable mention goes to First Choice and Carol Douglas

[Jackson9]

Linda Clifford-What can't you say about this lady that's not good? NOTHING...her body of work speaks for itself..

excellent choice. i love playing the full full length version of Runaway Love followed by the full full semi-answer record Don't Give It Up.. pure magic

[drlove]

Jackson9, thanks for the list . . . I must fess up to some ignorance about Skyy . . . I'm not OVERLY familiar with their work, but since you've placed 'em so high on your personal faves list, I figure I better brush up on their disco contributions. Is there any particular 12" or LP by them I should use as my textbook into Skyy 101 ???

[drlove]

Dayna,

Loved your list . . . I had never seen a post by you re: Linda Clifford before (as I know your higher-ranked divas deservedly have you quite focused), and I'm delighted to see Ms. Clifford's one of your faves. That elegant beauty tears the house down on "If My Friends Could See Me Now" and "Runaway Love". She hit it really big in 1978 with those tracks, and I know she had great "Fame" in 1980 with "Red Light" from the FAME soundtrack and later that year, "Shoot Your Best Shot". To your knowledge, what classics (if any) did she release in between --- say, around 1979 ???

I also see you gravitate toward the most beautiful disco divas of all time -- Diana, Donna, Linda, Carol Douglas. I enjoy them much myself, but somehow find myself always drawn to the beautiful disco Trios first & foremost --- such as the Ritchie Family, First Choice, 70s Supremes & Three Degrees.

Whether you take your divas in solo servings or in threesomes . . . long live the divas !!!:icon_biggrin:

[Dayna]

Dayna,

Loved your list . . . I had never seen a post by you re: Linda Clifford before (as I know your higher-ranked divas deservedly have you quite focused), and I'm delighted to see Ms. Clifford's one of your faves. That elegant beauty tears the house down on "If My Friends Could See Me Now" and "Runaway Love". She hit it really big in 1978 with those tracks, and I know she had great "Fame" in 1980 with "Red Light" from the FAME soundtrack and later that year, "Shoot Your Best Shot". To your knowledge, what classics (if any) did she release in between --- say, around 1979 ???

I also see you gravitate toward the most beautiful disco divas of all time -- Diana, Donna, Linda, Carol Douglas. I enjoy them much myself, but somehow find myself always drawn to the beautiful disco Trios first & foremost --- such as the Ritchie Family, First Choice, 70s Supremes & Three Degrees.

Whether you take your divas in solo servings or in threesomes . . . long live the divas !!!:icon_biggrin:

I LOVE me some Diva's
Linda's was the first Interview I ever did and we were on very friendly terms before that..I think she's a lovely lady and a true Diva with real talent and she is also humble and down to earth..
and "If my Friends" is my Fav Linda Track
Carol is another lady that is a pure delight to speak to...and she is highly under rated
Loleatta is a doll as well........a layed back country girl with vocal powers from the gods...

[Jackson9]

Jackson9, thanks for the list . . . I must fess up to some ignorance about Skyy . . . I'm not OVERLY familiar with their work, but since you've placed 'em so high on your personal faves list, I figure I better brush up on their disco contributions. Is there any particular 12" or LP by them I should use as my textbook into Skyy 101 ???

alot of people think their greatest song is: Here's To You..
that song is made for singing along to.. dancing along to..
and it's a very good start. it comes from their 3rd album "Skyyport" which also includes other smooth funk classics as Can't Get Enough and the delicious Take It Easy..

if you're wanting pure pure disco disco lol then check out their debut set "Skyy" featuring First Time Around.. this was a massive hit for them.. featuring some very cool tongue-twister harmonies..

the group was led by three sisters.. who easily could give other sister acts a run for their money.. the Sledge sisters, the Pointer sisters, the Jones Girls and Emotions

all of their compilations feature Here's To You.

[STEPHEN L FREEMAN]

...which artists/performers/groups/***producers, etc. comprise your Top Five (5) Favorite Disco Artists of all time?

1) Alec R. Costandinos (in any incarnation)
2) Say Yes Productions (Donna Summer, Giorgio, Munich Machine, Roberta Kelly...)
3) Harem Productions (Pattie Brooks, Shalamar, Arpeggio, French Kiss, Simon Orchestra, Romance, Jessica Williams...)
4) South Philly Productions (Ultimate, Carol Lloyd, Tanguere', Nitelife Unlimited...)
5) Three Hats Productions (Hazel Dean, T.H.P. Orchestra, Duncan Sisters, Grand Tour...)


:icon_mrgreen: ***GOTCHA! on a technicality

[Cdnbob]

My personal Top 5 would be:

1. Sylvester
2. Voyage
3. Change
4. Peter Jacques Band
5. Chic

Sylvester is waaaaaay out in front by a long shot!

[Dayna]

1) Alec R. Costandinos (in any incarnation)
2) Say Yes Productions (Donna Summer, Giorgio, Munich Machine, Roberta Kelly...)
3) Harem Productions (Pattie Brooks, Shalamar, Arpeggio, French Kiss, Simon Orchestra, Romance, Jessica Williams...)
4) South Philly Productions (Ultimate, Carol Lloyd, Tanguere', Nitelife Unlimited...)
5) Three Hats Productions (Hazel Dean, T.H.P. Orchestra, Duncan Sisters, Grand Tour...)


:icon_mrgreen: ***GOTCHA! on a technicality

NO FAIR~!! :icon_lol:
I really shouldn't have done the list seeing as I left some very good friends off it:icon_eek:..
I should have thought outside the box like you MOOSE

[drlove]

Re: your listing of producers, Stephen . . . not even really a technicality (though you are obviously quite clever !!! . . . but we knew that from your many posts).

I included "producers" in the rules 'cuz God knows many producers were more famous than the sometimes "faceless" studio groups they created/produced (such producers as A. Costandinos, B. Midney, G. Diamond, etc.)

That's what fun about this thread -- bend the rules to your liking, as Lord knows disco is fluid and can't be contained !!!:icon_lol:

[drlove]

re: CdnBob's comment of:

* * * *
Sylvester is waaaaaay out in front by a long shot!
* * * *

Bob, I just heard for the first time a couple of weeks back Sylvester's last big hit of the disco era (if you consider 1980 the last big year), "I Need You". However, I only heard it thru the white vinyl remix issued in '89 following his untimely death. G-R-E-A-T tune -- I wish more disco compilations would include it; no offense against "Dance (Disco Heat)" and "You Make Me Feel (Mighty Real)", but there's much, much more to Sylvester than just those 2 disco gems.

[drlove]

re: Jose's top choice of:
1) Rinder and Lewis (for all their various incarnations, el coco, le pamplemousse etc)

* * *

Group, if I were to try to acquire Rinder & Lewis' own work (that is, the rare instances they credited themselves), is it better to acquire the Rinder & Lewis LP Seven Deadly Sins . . . or should I hold out first for the 12" inch mix of Envy/Lust ???

Not overly familiar with either, but the idea of a whole concept album just on the 7 deadly sins is an irresistible idea to me, and knowing it got some club play back 'round '78, certainly piques my interest. For some reason, I've never come across any of the Rinder/Lewis LP's in thrift stores in the past decade.

[STEPHEN L FREEMAN]

I included "producers" in the rules 'cuz God knows many producers were more famous than the sometimes "faceless" studio groups they created/produced (such producers as A. Costandinos, B. Midney, G. Diamond, etc.)

Okaaaaay... I'm not above playin' by the rules... How's this?

1) Alec R. Costandinos
2) Moroder/Bellotte
3) Simon Soussan
4) Bruce Weeden
5) Gunther/Morrison

(he, he, he..:icon_razz:)

[kdavid13]

1- Donna Summer
2- Chic
3- Giorgio Moroder
4- Alec R. Costandinos
5- France Joli

[STEPHEN L FREEMAN]

...if I were to try to acquire Rinder & Lewis' own work (that is, the rare instances they credited themselves),...

Oh, they credit themselves, alright.:icon_lol: Trust me! Just read the labels and back-covers. OH! You mean as a group!

...is it better to acquire the Rinder & Lewis LP Seven Deadly Sins . . . or should I hold out first for the 12" inch mix of Envy/Lust ???

Good luck on the "Lust" 12"! It's rediculous, how much it goes for. I'm a huge fan of that particular LP, but "Gluttony" & "Sloth" are far better tracks. And "Anger" is the freakin' bomb!!! As hard as it is to acquire, as well, I'd say you go for the LP, over the 12". I have the "Lust" remix on a Unidisc re-release and, besides having a longer intro and break (neither of which, noticeably change the song), it's far better sounding vinyl, than the AVI. (Though, just about anything has better sound quality than a U.S. AVI pressing!) Also, it has "Willie And The Hand Jive" on the b-side. Which is, arguably the best track on the follow-up to the "7 Deadly Sins" LP, "Warriors".

Not overly familiar with either, but the idea of a whole concept album just on the 7 deadly sins is an irresistible idea to me, and knowing it got some club play back 'round '78, certainly piques my interest. For some reason, I've never come across any of the Rinder/Lewis LP's in thrift stores in the past decade.

Probably because AVI didn't press boatloads of vinyl. It was a relatively small company, that cut corners wherever possible. Also, the other "Rinder & Lewis" LPs didn't fare well. I have "The Rinder & Lewis All-Stars" LP and the "Cataclysm" LP. Neither had any fresh, or interesting material. Their AVI formula ran-out-of-steam by late 1978. (Although, 1980's "Carry Me", off of El Coco's "Revolucion" LP, is an all-time favourite of mine.) But their Butterfly Records projects were fantastic! I don't know the exact reasons for the glaring improvement in production values, other than having a bigger budget.

[drlove]

thanks, Stephen, for your always-appreciated expertise, background info, and, of course, passion for great disco !!!

[Cdnbob]

I just heard for the first time a couple of weeks back Sylvester's last big hit of the disco era (if you consider 1980 the last big year), "I Need You". However, I only heard it thru the white vinyl remix issued in '89 following his untimely death. G-R-E-A-T tune -- I wish more disco compilations would include it; no offense against "Dance (Disco Heat)" and "You Make Me Feel (Mighty Real)", but there's much, much more to Sylvester than just those 2 disco gems.

Oh I was considering all of Sylvesters material from 1977's "Down, Down, Down" right up to his last album "Mutual Attraction" in the late 80's. If you've not heard anything from his "Stars" or "Living Proof" double LP, seek them out. Two great albums as is the underrated "Sell My Soul" and "Too Hot To Sleep".

[Zef]

Chic (organization)
Gwen Guthrie.
Jacques Fred Petrus/Malavasi etc...(Change/Peter Jacques/B,B & Q)
Jocelyn Brown (all the incarnations)
Sharon Redd.

[pepper1dancer]

My Top 5 List.

1. Sylvester......His Album Cover from Stars is bad ass, OH, and the music is hot too.

2. Donna Summer.......Her Love Trilogy album is truly a classic disco album.

3. The Bee Gee's........yes, I said it!

4. All the 12" singles with the awesome long versions if my favorites...Carrie Lucas, Bonnie Pointer, Tata Vega....

5. The thousands of Miller Lites and Budweiser Lite bottles I had while dancing at my favorite Disco's! Add a cocktail, here and there.

[drlove]

Pepper1Dancer,

Never seen someone credit their favorite adult beverage(s) as disco performers, but hey, whatever floats your boat !!!

Just as long as same beverages did not make any unplanned encore performances the morning after !!!
:icon_biggrin:
Cheers !

[PierreConstantin]

#1 Linda Clifford
#2 France Joli
#3 Sister Sledge
#4 The Quick
#5 Sticky Fingers/Duncan Sisters