Crowd/party noises on Disco songs-How?

[srg]

I know we had a thread going on here before (can't locate it, though) and, on average, I do NOT like them, but does someone know HOW those party/crowd noises were added to disco productions?? You've heard them: people laughing, whooping it up, clinking of glasses, etc...Would a party be held in the studio and someone would press "Record"? Would they be recorded at a real nightclub then added as a separate track?
Just curious...

[Cdnbob]

Generally these sort of crowd scenes can be found on special sound effect records, and I would assumed the producer in question would just mix this into the song in the overall mix. Perhaps someone like Stephen F can verify this correctly.

[drlove]

When I saw the thread topic, srg . . . .I knew I couldn't answer your question, but suddenly I couldn't get Marvin Gaye's "Got To Give It Up" and the Trammps' "Disco Party" outta my head, with their fun opening crowd noise. Another classic party-in-the-background that actually gets silenced first in order to start the (non-disco) tune was . . . the Temptations' "I Can't Get Next To You" from 1969.

[keefelc]

Hey SRG, didn't Ray Martinez talk about the party noises in his discussion about "Lady Of The Night"? :icon_question:

[markydefad]

Several Maurice White produced tracks for Earth, Wind & Fire ("Saturday Nite" where one of the guys starts talking in an affected cultivated voice and then cracks the group up with an offhand "I smell something" followed by "eww...I smell something else"... laughter and crowd noise end the track ) and The Emotions ("I Don't Wanna Lose Your Love") has clapping and studio musician noise at the end, also. :icon_eek:

:icon_twisted: I have to be careful not to overuse the word "also"---the dreaded Sarah Palin Syndrome, you betcha. Wink. Wink. :icon_evil::icon_exclaim:

[STEPHEN L FREEMAN]

During the dialogue intro for "Love In C-Minor", you can hear the champagne pouring from one glass, into the other. I LIVE for that kind of attention-to-detail!:icon_mrgreen:

"Is there any more champagne left?
(laughter)
It's gone!
Is it, already?
You're kidding!
Here, you can have some of mine.
(glass clinks, and the sound of a glass filling-up)
Cheers!
Susie... He's looking at you.
Susie! He's looking at you.
Is he? Aww..great.
Well, you're on for tonight.
Yeah, sure looks that way...
(kick-drum starts)
Oh, wow! Look at it!! LOOK AT IT!!!
(bass-line comes in)

[JussiK]

I've been checking out all sorts of sound library records but never found any with party noises. Boring nature sounds abound, and there are scenes from gas stations, modern kitchens equipped with dishwashers, as well as from early 70's sex clubs "recorded in Denmark", with stuff much like the goings-on on the Love In C Minor lp. On the other hand all the library stuff I have is of european origin, never saw any american ones. Were there any realesed in the US?

[KBallenger53]

When I saw the thread topic, srg . . . .I knew I couldn't answer your question, but suddenly I couldn't get Marvin Gaye's "Got To Give It Up" and the Trammps' "Disco Party" outta my head, with their fun opening crowd noise. Another classic party-in-the-background that actually gets silenced first in order to start the (non-disco) tune was . . . the Temptations' "I Can't Get Next To You" from 1969.

I'm glad you've mentioned "Got to give it up" drlove. If you really pay attention to the crowd noise, it's actually a sample that is looped over and over again. Check it out next time you play it!!!

'NUFF SAID

[BrunoRepublic]

I know we had a thread going on here before (can't locate it, though) and, on average, I do NOT like them, but does someone know HOW those party/crowd noises were added to disco productions??

The easiest way would be to invite a bunch of friends into the studio, tell them to make some noise, and hit "record"...

Would they be recorded at a real nightclub then added as a separate track?

I doubt it; the acoustics at a nightclub would be terrible.

[Disco Funk]

I was listening to this song today and I remembered this thread. It definitely sounds like the partying was done in the studio, just for the better acoustics. Depending on the producer, it could be live as the musicians are playing or done as overdubs later as the backing track is played back. I think with James Brown, it was all done spontaneously as the musicians played

You'll recognize this as another tune, but James took it and called it 'Hustling'.



Disco Funk

[70spop]

Another classic party-in-the-background that actually gets silenced first in order to start the (non-disco) tune was . . . the Temptations' "I Can't Get Next To You" from 1969.

I forget which song, but that exact same intro is used on another Temps song from the period. It's on their Psychedelic Soul compilation.

Another couple of "crowd noise" songs are Marvin Gaye's "What's Going On?" and "What's Happining Brother", and Tom Browne's "Funkin' For Jamaica".

Brian

[Disco Funk]

I forget which song, but that exact same intro is used on another Temps song from the period. It's on their Psychedelic Soul compilation.
Brian

"....psychedelic shack, that's where it's at...."



There was a nice extended mixed of it on a recent Temptations compilation. I think it was also on iTunes.

Disco Funk

[remicks]

I was listening to this song today and I remembered this thread. It definitely sounds like the partying was done in the studio, just for the better acoustics. Depending on the producer, it could be live as the musicians are playing or done as overdubs later as the backing track is played back. I think with James Brown, it was all done spontaneously as the musicians played

You'll recognize this as another tune, but James took it and called it 'Hustling'.



Disco Funk

WOW !!! This is flat out disco!
The most disco I've heard James Brown without outside help (Brad Shapiro) ...

What song is it that is supposed to be recognized herein ?? Temptations?? BALL OF CONFUSION/PAPA WAS A RS??



........and this
is probably just from a remicks outlook ...
...but had I heard it without knowing who this was ...
....I'd have said this sound leaned a lot more toward Isaac Hayes than JB!!!



*****

[Disco Funk]

WOW !!! This is flat out disco!
The most disco I've heard James Brown without outside help (Brad Shapiro) ...

What song is it that is supposed to be recognized herein ?? Temptations?? BALL OF CONFUSION/PAPA WAS A RS??



........and this
is probably just from a remicks outlook ...
...but had I heard it without knowing who this was ...
....I'd have said this sound leaned a lot more toward Isaac Hayes than JB!!!
*****

You're kidding me, right? You don't recognize the tune?!! Come on! I'll just give you one hint, it was the title track to an LP that had the most recognizable disco tune of all time.

Disco Funk

[kdavid13]

Another track with party noise is Feel Like Dancing by France Joli.

During the break it sounds like the Sweethearts of Sigma are having the time of their lives !!
:icon_biggrin:

[70spop]

What song is it that is supposed to be recognized herein ?? Temptations?? BALL OF CONFUSION/PAPA WAS A RS??

Oh man! From the first note - "Disco Baby" by Van McCoy. As in... the same exact music!

[remicks]

You're kidding me, right? You don't recognize the tune?!! Come on!

Disco Funk

70sPop:
Oh man! From the first note - "Disco Baby" by Van McCoy. As in... the same exact music!

.... Am I really expected to know this particular song for some reason???

Well, believe it or not, I did buy this LP brand new bitd right off the rack ... and I certainly played the heck out of it .... and yet=?? that may have been my least favorite cut (??) ...:icon_confused:
'cause I sure don't recall it .

But WOW .....yes there is a slight similarity in the two if one tilts their head just right....:icon_razz:


Let's compare:

James Brown:



Van McCoy:




well James sure takes doing the hustle to a new level! !!
But how did he expect to get away with this?? Hope no one would notice??
Was this out of character for him ?? I didn't know him to hustle other people's music???

:icon_question: :icon_question: :icon_question: :icon_question: :icon_question:




* its actually kind of a trip to imagine James Brown listening to Van McCoy!! (much less wanting to emulate him)


******

[Disco Funk]

James Brown released this as Hustling, but I've also seen listings of 'Disco Baby' by The Hustlers. I'm wondering if he got in trouble for 'Hustling' and then had to give proper credit. Probably the first time someone called his bluff. Remember he did a whole bunch of 'remakes' under new names and his own writing credit around this time, the most notorious of which was 'Hot', a remake of Bowie's 'Fame'. I guess JB got the message because he didn't do 'remakes again': You don't mess with Hugo & Luigi! ;)

I still can't believe you didn't know 'Disco Baby'! I think it's one of the best tracks from that LP.

Disco Funk

[remicks]

James Brown released this as Hustling, but I've also seen listings of 'Disco Baby' by The Hustlers. I'm wondering if he got in trouble for 'Hustling' and then had to give proper credit. Probably the first time someone called his bluff. Remember he did a whole bunch of 'remakes' under new names and his own writing credit around this time, the most notorious of which was 'Hot', a remake of Bowie's 'Fame'. I guess JB got the message because he didn't do 'remakes again': You don't mess with Hugo & Luigi! ;)

This is some crazy stuff going on ! :icon_eek:
Hey we can surely call him the original rap man ......i.e. ---- steal someone else's music and then blather over it !!

I still can't believe you didn't know 'Disco Baby'! I think it's one of the best tracks from that LP.

Well you have to keep in mind that I bought that LP 34 years ago ... and haven't played it since ! :icon_eek: But its starting to come back to me !! :icon_lol: .I'll have to give it a new spin.



OK any other great James Brown "hustle" examples ???

*****

[Disco Funk]

I'm not sure if I want to turn this into a James Brown-does-disco thread, so I'll just paste a few examples below of his late 70s output









And James Brown singing the above song in his unabomber outfit (hoodie and sunglasses). :)



I think the best example of pure disco that James Brown produced was the track 'Just Wanna Make You Dance' by the JBs featuring Maxxi on the Groove Machine LP from 1979. I couldn't find anything on youtube with that.

A recent mash-up of one of 'I'm Satisfied'



And you can hear the original on this clip from Future Shock (starts around the 2min mark)



Disco Funk

[Disco Funk]

I thought there was a thread showing the original disco man at work, but now I see it was buried in this thread.

I wanted to post a new discovery of a James Brown produced disco tune, just to show he did earn his 'original disco man' moniker. :)



Disco Funk