Essential disco for novices

[Jose Jones]

Me and my lady are fairly recent disco converts, constantly discovering new disco music we love. I’m planning a major (legal!) download session this weekend as we are going on a pretty long journey and want to fill the Mp3 player up with a load of new tunes.

So I was just wondering if people could post song suggestions (say two or three each) of what you consider to be essential (but perhaps not that well known to the novice) disco?

I’m sure this kind of “desert island” disco thread has been done loads of times before but if you can just bear with this newbie and help us have a fun(ky) journey down to see my sister

Thanks in advance to anyone who posts!

Love the site

Jose

[needlefingers]

Patrick Cowley
Theo Vaness
Tantra

Go to youtube.com to check out their music.

And check out the charts on this website.

Good luck.

[Jose Jones]

Patrick Cowley
Theo Vaness
Tantra

Go to youtube.com to check out their music.

And check out the charts on this website.

Good luck.

Cheers for starting it off, any particular songs to look out for by those artists?

[discophil]

Tough question!

Disco, contrary to "popular" opinion, was very diverse. I think everyone here will agree that Disco had many sub-genres. For instance, there's (my categories!) "orchestra" disco like Constandinos. There's pop disco like Village People. There's electronic disco from the likes of Giorgio Moroder. I guess when you ask about "essential" disco, I wonder what sort of disco you're talking about!

Sorry to complicate things! :icon_mrgreen:

[Jose Jones]

Tough question!

Disco, contrary to "popular" opinion, was very diverse. I think everyone here will agree that Disco had many sub-genres. For instance, there's (my categories!) "orchestra" disco like Constandinos. There's pop disco like Village People. There's electronic disco from the likes of Giorgio Moroder. I guess when you ask about "essential" disco, I wonder what sort of disco you're talking about!

Sorry to complicate things! :icon_mrgreen:

No worries

I think all i'm looking for is your own subjective opinion, you're exactly right when you say that there are loads of sub-genres but for this list i'm trying to get together it doesnt really matter. I'm almost looking for the first tunes that pop into your head rather than anyone trying to second guess what i'm likely to be into

[kdavid13]

My first 4 suggestions :

ALEC COSTANDINOS Romeo & Juliet [Suites]
JOHN DAVIS & MONSTER ORCHESTRA Ain't that enough for you
GIORGIO MORODER From here to eternity
JAMES WELLS True love is my destiny

I have so many favorites but these 4 are quite up there on my list.

[needlefingers]

Patrick Cowley
MySpace.com - Patrick Cowley - SAN FRANCISCO, California - Disco House / Electronica / Club - www.myspace.com/patrickcowley

Megatron Man

Menergy
I Wanna Take You Home
Get A Little
Going Home
Seahunt

Theo Vaness

Theo Vaness - Sentimentally It's You (1979)


No Romance Keep On Dancing - Theo Vaness 1979



Bad Bad Boy - Theo Vaness 1979



Tantra - The Hills of Katmandu (Part 1)

[Jose Jones]

Cheers dudes

[remicks]

*****

Ritchie Family :
QUIET VILLAGE
or LADY LUCK

Donna Summer:
COULD IT BE MAGIC

Jackson Five:
FOREVER CAME TODAY

Dan Hartman:
VERTIGO/RELIGHT MY FIRE


enjoy !!!! :icon_cool:


*****

[Zef]

Inner life/Jocelyn Brown-Ain't no mountain high enough (Larry Levan mix)

Musique- Keep on jumping (Kervokian mix)

Sylvester- Over and over/I need you (there are various mixes)

Two Tons of Fun-I got the feeling (Patrick Cowley mix)

Happy Journey
:icon_biggrin:

[tuckerdgreat1]

Welcome to Disco.....in my opionion the best music ever made......dude just get anything by.....
Donna Summers
Slyvester
Bionic boogie
and of course Cerrone......the artist were constant mainstays in the disco era and made many of great hits...good luck and enjoy

[discokicks]

Essential disco...E S S E N T I A L!

YOU KNOW HOW TO LOVE ME - Phyllis Hyman
THIS TIME BABY - Jackie Moore
SOUVENIRS - Voyage
DANCER - Gino Soccio

[JOL]

I could go on for days but here are a few of my favourites.

Passengers-Hot Leather
Rose Lauren-American Love
Mother F-Hot Wax
Brenda Jones-My Heart's Not In It
Tantra-Wishbone (or almost anything else they did)
Johnny Mathis-Begin The Beguine

[Tim Tam]

Hi,

here are a few of my favourites at the moment.

Musique-Keep on Jumpin
Air Power-Welcome to the Disco
Aquarian Dream-Phoenix
Saturday Night Band-Touch Me On My Hot Spot, Keep Those Lovers Dancing and Come On, Dance Dance
Constellation Orchestra-Perfect Love Affair, Dancing Angel and Cosmic Melody
Love Deluxe-Here Comes That Sound Again
Cory Daye-Pow Wow
John Davis and the Monster Orchestra- That's What I Get (For Falling In Love), Ain't That Enough For You, Bourgie Bourgie
Poussez- You're All I Have, Never Gonna Say Goodbye
Metropolis-I Love New York
Cerrone-Cerrone's Paradise, Love In C Minor, Give Me Love
Gary's Gang-Let's Lovedance Tonight
Frisky-Youve Got Me Dancin In My Sleep
Lorraine Johnson-I'm Learning To Dance All Over Again, Feed The Flame

I know many (But not all) of these are available for paid legal download.
Junodownload.com, Amazon.com (U.S Citizens Only), Traxsource.com

Enjoy your trip,
Tim Tam

[drlove]

Safe Travels on your journey, Jose:

If you're still collecting tunes for the trip, I'd add these 3 "essentials" that might not be as well known to the novice:

1) My Sweet Summer Suite (Love Unlimited Orchestra)
2) There But For the Grace of God Go I (Machine)
3) That's Where the Happy People Go (Trammps)

[STEPHEN L FREEMAN]

Hmmm... Essentials... The first ones to come into my head, eh?:icon_confused:
(These may come as a shock, to anyone that knows me.:icon_eek:)

"Shame" - Evelyn "Champagne" King
"In The Bush" - Musique
"Instant Replay" - Dan Hartman
"Come To Me" - France Joli
"I've Found Love (Now That I've Found You)" - Love & Kisses <---(okay, that's as obvious as a heart-attack)

[EricHG23]

This is so hard... I tend to go for the full out orchestral disco sound or the later Moroder "computer disco" so that's my biase.

I'm sure you guys already know all the hits by Donna Summer--but a few non singles I'd recommend are Wasted, Come to Me, Now I Need You/Working the Midnight Shift/QUeen for a Day (from the super Once Upon a Time album) and Our Love/Lucky from Bad Girls--essential songs for me. (the original mix of MacArthur Park SUITE is also perfect)

Costandinos and his groups (love and Kisses, etc) are essential and as someone else said I'd start off with the two, album long Romeo and Juliet suites.

Cerrone was also suggested but I have two fave tracks that weren't mentioned (besides SUpernature which I assume you already know)--Look for Love (the full 8 or 10 minute mix) and Call Me Tonight.

SOme others off the top of my head. Anything by Boris Midney--while somewhat cheesy his album long Evita ("by Festival") LP is essential.

Other fairly standard but amazing songs (and it's taken for granted you'll get their full length versions ;) )

France Joli - Come to Me, Don't Let Go and Heart to Break the HEart.

Santa Esmeralda - Don't Let me Be Misunderstood/Esmeralda Suite and Sevilla Nights.

Madleen Kane - Forbidden Love Suite

DC Larue - Confessions/Let them Dance, Hot Jungle Drums and Voodoo Rhythm

Jeanne Shy - Night Dancer

Ferrara - Love Attack

Cher - Take Me Home (12" remix) and Bad Love

and some fave, non Donna, Moroder productions:

Janis Ian - Fly Too High

Suzi Lane - Ooh La La Suite and Harmony

3 Degrees - Givin' In Givin' Up (and medley), Red Light

Giorgio - From Here to Eternity (side one medley)

Giorgio - I Wanna Funk With You Tonight

Giorgio - The Chase

Munich Machine - Get on the Funk Train

Munich Machine - Whiter Shade of Pale

Sparks - Tryouts for the Human Race, No 1 Song in Heaven

Blondie - Call Me (8 minute full mix)

I think this is prob already too long...

[thommy2458]

I'll post some early,soulful disco-
Free Man/Southshore Commission
Don't Send Nobody Else/Ace Spectrum
When the Fuel Runs out/Executive Suite
I Love Music/O'jays
Tell me what you want /Jimmy Ruffin
Love,Don't you go through no changes/Sister Sledge
Where is the Love/BettyWright

Thom

[markydefad]

OK, I'll try not to duplicate anything...just did a quick scan so I may... here's 10 I love.

MAKE ME BELIEVE IN YOU by Patti Jo (Tom Moulton remix on "Disco Gold")
THE GREATEST SHOW ON EARTH by Metropolis
MORE, MORE, MORE by The Andrea True Connection
WAS THAT ALL IT WAS by Jean Carn(e)...added an "e" later in her career
EVOLUTION by Giorgio Moroder
DON'T STOP 'TIL YOU GET ENOUGH by Michael Jackson
GIVE IT TO ME BABY by Rick James
ARE YOU READY FOR LOVE by Elton John & The Spinners
DEVIL'S GUN by C.J. & Company
CHERCHEZ LA FEMME by Dr. Buzzard's Original Savannah Band

[kdavid13]

Cerrone Call Me Tonight
Claudja Barry Johnny Johnny Please Come Home
Roberta Kelly Think I'm Gonna Break Someone's Heart Tonight - Trouble Maker
Ashford & Simpson Found A Cure

[Salsoul1975]

Hi Jose,

Here's a sampler of some of my favorite disco songs I hope you will check out because they are just wonderful!

NIGHT AND DAY-John Davis & The Monster Orchestra (1976)
LET'S GET IT TOGETHER-El Coco (1976)
EVERYMAN (HAS TO CARRY HIS OWN WEIGHT)-Double Exposure (1976)
CASANOVA BROWN/(IF YOU WANT IT) DO IT YOURSELF/HOW HIGH THE MOON-Gloria Gaynor (1975)
SPRING RAIN-Silvetti (1977)
LET'S ALL CHANT-Michael Zager Band (1978)
DISCO PARTY-Trammps (1976)
NOW I NEED YOU-Donna Summer (1977)
FEEL LIKE DANCING-France Joli (1980)
CRYING-Instant Funk (1978)
THE GREATEST SHOW ON EARTH-Metropolis (1978)
I LOVE N.Y.-Metropolis (1978)
DANCE (DISCO HEAT)-Sylvester (1978)
I MAY NOT BE THERE WHEN YOU WANT ME (BUT I'M RIGHT ON TIME)-Loleatta Holloway (1978)
I GOTTA KEEP DANCIN'-Carrie Lucas (1977)
PEANUT VENDOR/FRENESI/BRAZIL-Ritchie Family (1975)
WE'RE ON THE RIGHT TRACK-Ultra High Frequency (1973)
MAC ARTHUR PARK SUITE-Donna Summer (1978) (The original LP version, not the remixed commercial 12")
TEN PERCENT-Double Exposure (1976)
LOVE INSURANCE-Front Page (1979)
BEAT THE STREET-Sharon Redd (1982)
WHY LEAVE US ALONE-Five Special (1979)
TOUCH ME IN THE MORNING-Marlena Shaw (1979)

..and this isn't even the tip of the iceberg!

[Jose Jones]

Thanks again to everyone who posted! Looks like we are going to have a great journey!

Jose :icon_mrgreen:

[Dayna]

Welcome to Disco.....in my opionion the best music ever made......dude just get anything by.....
Donna Summers
Slyvester
Bionic boogie
and of course Cerrone......the artist were constant mainstays in the disco era and made many of great hits...good luck and enjoy

DONNA SUMMERS?:icon_eek::icon_eek:
TINA Bring me the AXE

[Dayna]

Start off easy.. :icon_twisted:
Get the "Thank God It's friday" sound track..
Diana Ross Tracks
Love Hangover
Lovin Livin and Givin
Baby It's me-Entire Lp
The Boss-entire LP
Upside down
I'm Coming Out
anything by CHIC
Donna Summer
Four Seasons of Love Lp-Entire Lp
The entire Donna Summer -Once upon a Time Lp
Donna Summer -A Love Trilogy,entire Lp
Donna Summer-Bad Girls-Entire Lp
anthing by Alec R Costandinos
anything by Love and Kisses
Cerrone Super Nature-lp
Supernature
Give me Love
Love is the Answer
Cerrone -Love in C Minor-Entire Lp
Madleen kane
Rough Diamond
Forbidden Love
First Choice
Dr Love
Armed and extremly dangerous
Double Cross
Hold Your Horses
Love Thang
ANYTHING remixed by LARRY LEVAN or TOM MOULTON..
Taana Gardner
When You Touch Me
Heartbeat
Work That Body
Paradise Express
Carol Douglas
Midnight Love affair
Doctors Orders
Burnin
I Fell In Love For The First Time Today
A Hurricaine is Comin Tonight
Lie To Me
I want To Stay With You
Shalamar
a Night To remember
Uptown Festival
In The Socket
take That To The bank
I can make you feel good
Gloria Gaynor
Honeybee
Never can Say Goodbye
Goin out of my head
I am what I am
Casanova brown
Evelyn Champagne King
Shame
I dont Know if it's right
Your personal touch
Love come down
anything by Loleatta Holloway
anything by Linda Clifford
Patrick Juvet
Lady night
I love America pt 1 and 2
Ou Sont Les Femmes
Medley Gay Paris
anything by Sylvester
anything on the Salsoul lable...........
HOT SHOT -Karen young
I could be here all year.........

[STEPHEN L FREEMAN]

DONNA SUMMERS?:icon_eek::icon_eek:
TINA Bring me the AXE

Easy, Darlin'! Eeeeasy...
ssshhhh... there, there now...
Have a little sip of tea... (Carol-Ann, did you remember Mommy's medicine? Good.) and another...
Theeere you go.
All better?