THE TRAMMPS

[Paulo]

I just bought today The Trammps first album. It seems that only now it has been released on CD for the the first time. The album was out of print for a long time.

Probably most of you already know it. But for those who don't, I highly recommend it. Specially for those who like early disco. The album was released in 1975 during that period when disco still had its roots in soul music. So there are some soul numbers but most of it is already early disco music.

I've just bought it and just heard it once, but it is enough to see it is excelent... besides the backing band is nothing less then MFSB.

[jazz_pilgrim]

Could you list the tracks on the LP, please? I am interested to see what they were...

Th Trammps have always been one of my favourite bands - there was always much more to then than simply Disco Inferno (which is still a brilliant track) .... :)

[QUINNY]

The Trammps were certainly one of those bands that made you feel as a DJ that something good would leap out of the grooves on first playing it. There was always that expectancy with their records.
I guess my earliest record that I played by them was 'Scrub Board' the instrumental version of 'Hold Back The Night' ?and that was about 1972, or did I play something on Mojo that was out before that? I just can't remember the details, doubtless DISCODISK can put things right.
On to '75 and the Isley Brothers' 'Shout' was the record that really got my people moving. It was so much faster than any other record I was playing, so predictably, I always ended a fast session with it before diving into a few slowies.
Once they went to Atlantic I remember lotsa releases came from them but nothing seemed to really break until 'Disco Inferno' came along, and even that took two or even three attempts to chart. Afterwards - zilch.

[DISCODISK]

yes quinny you would have been playing scrub board there was nothing on mojo. the trammps did re-surface in the early 90s with new house versions of hold back the night,youd have thought that wouldnt work but there was some good mixes especially joey negro :P

[QUINNY]

DISCODISK: It's strange. In my mind's eye I can see Trammps with the Mojo label. Wonder what the hell I'm thinking of?
BTW: I can't find anything to do with Mojo releases and yet it was an incredibly important soul/funk label in the early '70s here in the UK. It had loads of great releases including very early Kool & the Gang. Have you ever come across any site that has any of its discography?

[Paulo]

Hi to all.
Pilgrim, the tracks are:

1 STOP AND THINK
2 TRUSTING HEART
3 EVERY DREAM I DREAM IS YOU
4 LOVE EPIDEMIC (which is the single of the album)
5 SAVE A PLACE

6 TRAMMPS DISCO THEME
7 WHERE DO WE GO FROM HERE
8 DOWN THREE DARK STREETS
9 I KNOW THAT FEELING
10 SHOUT

bonus trax:

11 OH WAA HEY
12 JUST SAY THE WORD
13 LOVE EPIDEMIC (extended version)

[Paulo]

Although this is their 1st album, as Quinny mentioned in his post, there were some previous tracks from 1972 to 1974 when they released three 7"singles on Buddah Records. When they were fired, they signed to Golden Fleece and release the first LP above. The Buddah recordings have been released on CD along with other unreleased ones as "The Legendary Zing Album" (Zing was their very 1st single in 1972).

I know that Disco Inferno is a classic, but I think it is popular because it was included on the Saturday Night Fever Soundtrack. The track is good but I don't think the melody is that great. I remember another one which (for me) is far superior. It played a lot here at the time. It is called THE NIGHT THE LIGHTS WENT OUT.

Even this 1st album has better melodies than Disco Inferno, although it is early disco. If you like the philly sound you can get this CD. It is great.

[jazz_pilgrim]

Thanks Paulo for the listing.

Love Epidemic is the track that I know from that LP.

Interesting that you should mention The Night The Lights Went Out as your favourite Trammps track! There has always been a buzz on that track in the "rare groove" scene here in the UK, and I reckon that track is my favourite as well! I remember finding the Trammps III LP in a second hand shop in London and buying it expressly for that track only.

:)

[jazz_pilgrim]

yes quinny you would have been playing scrub board there was nothing on mojo. the trammps did re-surface in the early 90s with new house versions of hold back the night,youd have thought that wouldnt work but there was some good mixes especially joey negro :P

Pye put out a series of 4 track 12-inch EPs in the UK, and I have been lucky enough to pick up two of them second hand. The first one was a Trammps EP with Hold Back The Night and Zing amongst others... Also I have the Northern EP with the Casualeers, Wigans Chosen Few and that great track Seven Days - Chuck somebody - I forget the name.

[Greg Wilson]

Hi Paulo: 'Disco Inferno' was a hit on it's own merit (top 20 here in the UK in 77), pre-dating 'Saturday Night Fever', and would have been viewed as a classic regarless of it's inclusion as part of the film's soundtrack (although 'SNF' obviously enhanced it's legend).

'The Night The Lights Went Out' was about a famous power-cut in New York, if my mind serves me right.

The biggest track for me on the album you mentioned was 'Where Do We Go From Here', which was released here as a single on Philadelphia International (as was 'Love Epidemic' and 'Trammps Disco Theme'). I think that all these singles were released here way after the album, and probably on the back of the success they'd had on Buddah with 'Hold Back The Night', and to a lesser extent with 'Zing Went The Strings Of My Heart' (which was a monster club tune) and 'Sixty Minute Man'. No sooner had 'Hold Back The Night' hit than they were releasing stuff on Atlantic, with 'That's Where The Happy People Go' and 'Soul Searching Time' doing fairly well here before 'Disco Inferno' was released (I'm pretty certain this was their first UK 12").

Jazz_Pilgrim: it's Chuck Wood.

[Paulo]

:D Hi Pilgrim

You said you only know Love Epidemic... but the other tracks are good too... if you get a chance grab this CD. This album has its roots in philly soul, but there are plenty of disco elements in the songs (enough to qualify them as disco music, or disco as it was in 74/75).

The Night The Lights Went Out is by far my favourite TRAMMPS track. It played a lot here along with others such as Disco Inferno (obviously), That's Where The Happy People Go (obviously), Disco Party and Soul Bones (this last one played around 79/80) It doesn't seem it was a hit but it played much.

[Paulo]

Hi Greg

You mention that Where Do We Go From Here, Love Epidemic, Trammps Disco Theme & Hold Back The Night
were released as singles on Philadelphia International Label.

These songs are from the 1st album which was released by a different record company, Golden Fleece.

However, while the TRAMMPS were already scoring hits with the Atlantic Label, a TOM MOULTON REMIX LP of the first album was issued on Philadelphia International (probably to capitalize on the success the band was having with Atlantic).

The album was called DISCO CHAMPS and as far as I know it went almost immediatly out of print, because Atlantic threatened Philly with a legal action.

So maybe you are talking about the Tom Moulton Mixes and not the original versions.

DISCO CHAMMPS has recently been released on CD and it comprises some tracks from the 1st album remixed by Tom Moulton + some unreleased gems. I highly recommend it too to all who like the Philly Sound. Of course the remixes updated the 1974 disco sound of the first album to the 1977 classic american disco sound.

Pilgrim, :D before you ask, the tracks are:

1 STOP AND THINK 1977 Moulton Mix
2 SAVE A PLACE 1977 Moulton Mix
3 TRAMMPS DISCO THEME 1977 Moulton Mix
4 LOVE EPIDEMIC 1977 Moulton Mix
5 WHERE DO WE GO FROM HERE 1977 Moulton Mix

6 PROMISE ME
7 JUST SAY THE WORD
8 OH WAA HEY
9 TRUSTING HEART

bonus trax:

10 STOP AND THINK alternative mix
11 SAVE A PLACE alternative mix
12 WHERE DO WE GO FROM HERE alternative mix
13 LOVE EPIDEMIC alternative mix

[Greg Wilson]

Paulo: What you say about the Tom Moulton mixes makes perfect sense. I remember wondering why they were releasing these records around the same time but on different labels. Don't think I've ever heard the Golden Fleece versions if they're different to the Philly ones.

Didn't say 'Hold Back The Night' was on Philly, it was Buddah in the UK, and was their biggest hit of all over here, reaching #5 in 1975, just as I'd started out as a club DJ.

[Paulo]

[quote]Didn't say 'Hold Back The Night' was on Philly, it was Buddah in the UK, and was their biggest hit of all over here, reaching #5 in 1975, just as I'd started out as a club DJ.

Sorry Greg. You're right, "Hold Back The Night" isn't on the Tom Moulton 1977 Remix album.

On the booklet, it says that this track was recorded way back in 1972/73 and shelved, but due to the later success of the Trammps, Buddah decided to release that single.

So it was 3 different labels releasing products from the same band almost at the same time. No Wonder Atlantic was pissed off.

[Mixmachine]

Wow, I didn’t know about this “Disco Champs” Trammps album, I need to find this CD!, I have the ‘Golden Fleece” LP and is very nice indeed, classic MFSB sound, the “Zing” Lp on Buddah is one of my fave too, for those collecting Trammps , there is also a 12” with ‘Hold back the Night” and “Zing” and two other cuts released in England.

[Paulo]

Mixmachine:

Since it is an american release, I think you'll have no trouble to find the CD. It even arrived here in Brazil, in a big import shop here in Rio.

I also didn't know about this Tom Moulton remix album released in 1977. Some CDs booklets which have Trammps discographies don't mention it (maybe because it went out of print immediately at the time).

Although it is a remix album, it isn't so much different from the 1st LP. You know, at that time remixes were made upon the existing elements of the song (thank God)... very different from today when remixers practically RE-WRITE the song.

[originalbigm]

However, while the TRAMMPS were already scoring hits with the Atlantic Label, a TOM MOULTON REMIX LP of the first album was issued on Philadelphia International (probably to capitalize on the success the band was having with Atlantic).

The album was called DISCO CHAMPS and as far as I know it went almost immediatly out of print, because Atlantic threatened Philly with a legal action.

[/quote]

After reading this I had to go downstairs and dig up my vinyl copy of this album and look it over.Paulo was right the beginning notes on the back say:
"This record contains previously released material"
A TOM MOULTON MIX
It goes on to list all the great musicians and arrangers on this album.Couldn't resist and had to fire it onto the turntable and got swept away with the lushness of sound and the terrific arrangements on these classic Trammps sound.What uplifting great music from the early disco years