Pre 1982 vs. post 1982

[MPS]

Something happened in the beginning of the 80s, that changed the SOUND of disco music (and all other music) very much. The use of synthesizers began allready in the beginning of the 70's, although 'real' instruments were doing most of the sounds. But, from around 1981-1982 and on, the synthesizers were doing most of the sounds! There still was a lot of good music done, but, I never liked the sound of, e.g., synth drums as much as real 'organic' drums. One more thing that happened in the 80's (which I don't like), was that the sound of the mixing contained more delay, and was not as 'dry' and tight as earlier.

This is why I almost only like the disco music made BEFORE 1983 (with some two, three exceptions, when the tunes sound as if they were made earlier).

Now, I don't really want to diss all disco music made after 1982, but I just don't like the SOUND of it, as much as the typical sound of the late 70's stuff. (And yes, I know that some tunes that were made in the late 70s allready had synth drums, but these I don't like particularly much)

Does anyone agree? (I expect many to disagree here... )

[Leatherman]

If you want the classic disco sound with full orchestra, then the mid to late 70's was the era. Personally, I still dig the post 82 stuff too - like the Prelude/West End material, Randy Muller productions etc. This music was obviously far more programmed with drum machines and, to me, isn't really disco. It's 80's electronic black dance music. Personally, I wouldn't describe records like Sinnamon "Thanks to You" or Rocker Revenge "Walking on Sunshine" as "disco".

Disco stopped being made in 80/81.

[QUINNY]

As a DJ I enjoyed post '82 much more because the music was much more funky, but pre '82 holds many sweet memories and many tunes that I adored too. I regard it all as disco music 'cos I was a DJ and it was played in discotheques. I was never a big lover of what one might call 'classic disco' and sought out earthier sounds in that period, to stop me going mad. Personally, I regarded many of the classic disco era records as completely contrived, unconvincing, unsoulful, unfunky white sounding cak, but this is of course, a very personal take on things. Many records just weren't loose enough. So whereas I'd consider say War - Galaxy as great disco, others probably wouldn't.

[Forrrce]

December '82 seemed indeed to be a cut-off point. Disco had become a bit unfashionable by this time and along with advances in technology there was certainly a change in sound. I personally cite records like Gene Chandler's superb 'Get Down', Gayle Adams's 'Stretch In-Out' and Evelyn King's 'I'm In Love' as early, catalytic examples of what would define the NY club sound post '81. The tempo around now had lowered and I imagine it was also cheaper to reproduce more conventional sounds on keyboards. The slick, synthesised sound synonymous with the big disco indies and characterised by many Kevorkian/Tee Scott/Matthew/Payne, etc mixes had superior, 'technological' sonics and this was a very exciting time for the music. Salsoul seemed to lag behind - apart from obvous exceptions like say,The Jammers, they retained an earthier sound whilst Prelude, West End and Sam were more cutting edge. In the UK, we've always called this post-disco mellow-out 'boogie', pretty much since the time (London's infamous Red Records shop had a 'boogie' section for the US 12"s as far back as '82). There were the odd credible disco releases (Willie Daniels's charming but loopy 'I've Been Searchin'' from '85 sounds 10 years out of date) but in the UK at least, the BPMs had been handed over to hi-nrg.
Ultimately, '83 heralded even more changes and we seemed to lose real drummers and bassists altogether. By the mid-'80s we were facing a wall of reverb hell and crap programming. That's progress, I suppose.

[QUINNY]

[In the UK, we've always called this post-disco mellow-out 'boogie', pretty much since the time (London's infamous Red Records shop had a 'boogie' section for the US 12"s as far back as '82).

I've never heard this expressioon before, so don't include me. Sounds like a Norman J invention.

[Forrrce]

[In the UK, we've always called this post-disco mellow-out 'boogie', pretty much since the time (London's infamous Red Records shop had a 'boogie' section for the US 12"s as far back as '82).

I've never heard this expressioon before, so don't include me. Sounds like a Norman J invention.

Maybe it was mainly a London thing back then. Do you not hear the term used now? It's pretty widespread. What do you call stuff from this period in Southampton? I didn't think it was that offensive!

[Leatherman]

Quinny's right Forrrce, "boogie" is a discusting term which came out of Norman Jay's botty. You need your mouth washed out with sperm, erm.... I mean soap.

Down in Southhampton they prefer never to catogorise music. All thier record shops have the stock - Rock, Country, R&B, Classical, Spoken Word all mixed together -only in alphabetical order. Quinny just likes good music and is getting very upset at the way you've been picking on him and making him look silly.

[Paulo]

I think the main reason for this change from real musicians to programmed synths is:

In the early 80's a new technology was available and the new synths were really cheap in comparison to the expensive 70's synths. The new ones could also do a lot more than the previous ones just by programming them.

What happened then has some similarities with the late 70's punk rock philosophy "do it yourself": in the emerging new-wave a guy could buy a cheap guitar and drums, form a rock band and play... Now he could also buy a cheap synth, programm it and play anything from synth-pop (or techno-pop) to hi-nrg.

As disco became unfshionable in the early 80's, the producers needed a new sound to be played on the discos and it had to be a departure from the 70's kind of disco music. An 80's typical sound was needed.

Since 70's disco was not commercially viable in the early 80's, it wouldn't sell records anymore... there was no point in spending big money in a prouction involving great orechestras, a bass player, a drummer, dozens of keyboards, horn sections, etc.... Instead, thanks to the new technology, they could "emulate" those parts in a cheap synth keeping the costs to a minimum.

[QUINNY]

Leatherman: Me look silly? Naaaah.
Just to give you some history. I stopped DJing in '87 after 15 years in clubs. Then I dropped out of the scene completely, so I wasn't at the 'coalface' getting into whatever was that week's fashion, so the Rare Groove and most other subsequent scenes completely passed me by.
I personally hate the over categorization of music as I personally feel this is partly responsible for the demise of music as a whole (divide and rule). It's what's lead to what we have today where a new sub genre seems to appear virtually every other week. Great for the guys who are into them, but you have to ask why? To me it smacks of desperation (maybe with a small 'd').
Sothampton, only 76 miles from London, but a world away and where I live (just outside Southampton) is a semi rural idyll. We don't need to hustle quite so hard down 'ere.

[MPS]

Paulo:

I think you summed it up quite good there!

[Paulo]

Thank you MPS.

Like you, I also hated the 80's synthesized sound of disco (at the time). All those electronic squeaks and sequenced lines sounded awful and un-musical to me.

At the time I didn't know what was happening, I just went to a disco one day around 1983 to discover all those kind of "futuristic electronic sounds". Gone were the orchestras, drums, horns and bass... instead the synths kept repeating all those lines over and over.

But I also noticed a change NOT ONLY in sound, but in the quality of music. I think the MELODIES got worse too. The 70's disco melodies (apart from the crappy ones) were far superior then the avarage 80's HI-NRG ones.

I was dissapointed with what had happened to the SOUND of disco, but also with the DECAY of melody.

But around the middle 80's I changed my mind thanks to the PET SHOP BOYS. I think they were responsible for injecting a great those of GOOD MELODY in disco again. I think these guys do retain a taste for a great melody. They made me look at HI-NRG in a very different way.

Today, even though I prefer the long 70's suites, I like HI-NRG. I even like 90's dance music quite a lot.