Most Underrated Disco Songs

[efunk_adelic]

Off the top my head:

1) Countdown - Dan Hartman
2) Can You Get It (Suzie Caeser) - Mandrill
3) Keep Your Body Workin' - Kleeer
4) Dance With You - Carrie Lucas

Hey, Lloyd here from Australia. Dance With You is a classic and it peaked at No.40 in the Uk. I am 19 so i can only go on what i read but it seems to me the Uk was a lot more tolerant of disco after its "death". i also feel The Isley Brothers "Its A Disco Night (Rock Don't Stop)" is underrated. Turn up the funk on that one!

I don't believe your choices 3 & 4 would be considered underrated because both tracks were red hot at the places I danced at... They were throughly played a lot. However, I like the fact you brought up the Isley Brothers track... It didn't crack the Top 20 disco charts most likely because it wasn't a good track to touch dance too... If you understand what I mean. I was probably the first one on the floor when it was played tho, I liked that track a whole lot. [/b]

[Rab]

As far as the 'I Got The Feeling' by Two Tons O' Fun goes, I wasn't saying that no one has ever heard the song. It just seems as if all the work that Martha Wash & Izora Rhodes recorded as Two Tons O' Fun is overshadowed by the much weaker 'It's Raining Men' that they recorded as The Weather Girls. I saw nothing by Two Tons O' Fun listed in the Top 500

I agree It's Raining Men does not compare with I Got the Feeling or Earth Can Be Just Like Heaven. I think It's Raining Men might have been more mixed with the pop charts as well. I also think they should have kept the name "Two Tons of Fun", to change the name just because of a song they put out seems stupid. Maybe they should have reissued the two hits from 1980 onto the album that featured its Raining Men for a second run. I understand the Two Tons of Fun,...or at least one of them now lives in Germany because the disco scene became so miserable here in the U.S.

[FranceJoliFan]

Was doing a search and found this old post. I agree--Fill My Life With Love, Heaven Knows, Wasn't It Good, Anybody Wanna Party, and Keep It Hot--all gems.

I think early Village People music gets a bad rap. For every overplayed Macho Man and YMCA you get a Fire Island or a Hot Cop. Excellent productions.

As for most underrated, I vote for:

Take Off - Harlow
Your Eyes - Baby 'O
Because There Is Music In The Air - Macho
I'm A Dancer - V.I.S.A.
Mighty Fine - Peter Jacques Band
I Wanna Take You There Now - Gino Soccio
Playboy/I Need Someone - France Joli
If You Feel The Funk - LaToya Jackson
Beat Of The Night - Fever
I Don't Need No Music - TJM

[Cory Ander]

I don't believe your choices 3 & 4 would be considered underrated because both tracks were red hot at the places I danced at... They were throughly played a lot. However, I like the fact you brought up the Isley Brothers track... It didn't crack the Top 20 disco charts most likely because it wasn't a good track to touch dance too... If you understand what I mean. I was probably the first one on the floor when it was played tho, I liked that track a whole lot. [/b]

speaking of the Isley Brothers, they did a track that I considered very VERY disco. It was called "Inside You" and it was stretched out to disco length and was complete with a disco string arrangement. It turned out to be one of their least popular songs and the title track of one of their least popular albums, but I love it. It seems like experimentation didn't work well for them at that point.

[Cory Ander]

not sure how you'd define "underrated". Songs that were not pop hits, songs you never heard while out in clubs, or how about, for the sake of argument, songs seldom or never included on commercially released disco compilations? Mine would include the stunning "Don't Let Your Chance Go By" from Watson Beasley...."Let Me Let You Rock Me", Sue Ann..."Wasn't It Good"?, Cher...."Body Rock", Maria Vidal...."You Are You Are", Linda Clifford....."I'm Not a Slot Machine", Silver Convention...."Where the Streets Have No Name"/"Can't Take My Eyes Off You" medley, the Pet Shop Boys...."I Ain't Been Licked" and "Take Me Higher", Diana Ross. That's probably enough for now.

[FranceJoliFan]

"Let Me Let You Rock Me", Sue Ann

That one brings back memories! I used to hear that in a club here in Seattle (about a million years ago.) It's right up there with the Evelyn King dance-funk (I'm In Love, Betcha She Don't Love You, Love Come Down.)

Besides the forgotten hits, I think there's a lot of underrated album cuts that were never released as singles. Plus all the minor hits that deserved more attention. Good to hear other people point them out, especially if you can hear them on YouTube.

[STEPHEN L FREEMAN]

...songs seldom or never included on commercially released disco compilations? Mine would include the stunning "Don't Let Your Chance Go By" from Watson Beasley...

Here! Here!
Bravo!
:icon_biggrin:

[drlove]

My favorite "underrated" disco tune that failed to chart:icon_eek: is:

My Baby's Got ESP by Four Below Zero.

* * * * * *

My favorite "underrated" disco tune that charted but underperformed on the charts of the day is:

Shine On Silver Moon by Marilyn McCoo/Billy Davis Jr. (only got as high as #32 -- I think:icon_confused: -- on the disco chart).

[boogienights]

TO FREAK OR NOT TO FREAK - Stewart Thomas Group 1979..funky as hell not lyrical genius..but that doesnt matter right? Interesting comments about Isaac "Dont Let Go". I bought a twofer cd with that on it, I love that track it certainly is different.US No39,1979. I also love "Fever" from that lp, and "Zeke The Freak" from the other one. As for Donna "Sunset People" I have always loved that song. And i agree with someones statement about Heaven Knows..I love that track..gimme that over Hot Stuff anyday. Im pretty over Hot Stuff.Ultimate are also fairly underrated with their self titled lp which I am listening to and loving right now - Touch Me Baby/Dancing In The Night/Love Is The Ultimate..the whole thing is disco tastic!!:icon_cool:

[Bernie]

My favorite "underrated" disco tune that failed to chart:icon_eek: is:

My Baby's Got ESP by Four Below Zero.

* * * * * *

My favorite "underrated" disco tune that charted but underperformed on the charts of the day is:

Shine On Silver Moon by Marilyn McCoo/Billy Davis Jr. (only got as high as #32 -- I think:icon_confused: -- on the disco chart).

Man, you are so right. "My Baby's Got ESP," which was an early Patrick Adams production, should be put in the same league as The Trammps' "Zing Went the Strings of My Heart," Executive Suite's "When the Fuel Runs Out" and Don Downing's "Dreamworld." Never quite understood why so many seems to have forgotten that one.

[Cory Ander]

Man, you are so right. "My Baby's Got ESP," which was an early Patrick Adams production, should be put in the same league as The Trammps' "Zing Went the Strings of My Heart," Executive Suite's "When the Fuel Runs Out" and Don Downing's "Dreamworld." Never quite understood why so many seems to have forgotten that one.

Bernie: I'd never heard "ESP" until I got the "Roulette Disco" compilation. It knocks me out....but I've never seen or heard of a "Four Below Zero" album and it sounds like one of those one-off producer projects that were popular in disco's heyday.

[AugustWest]

I take 'under-rated' to mean 'under-respected,' not 'under-successful.'

So mine are commercial hits that maybe don't get the aesthetic praise of some others.

Like:

Village People -- first album with the 4 tracks (hearing them shout "freedom" in San Francisco gives me goosebumps still). Also, YMCA -- YES! -- it's funny, (there isn't a lot of humor in most disco), and I can dance to it. And the original film/video is a trip -- on the old decaying piers, the bars on West St and the elevated West Side Highway.

Herb Alpert -- RISE -- I remember hearing Roy Thode play this at 6am at the Ice Palace in Cherry Grove. It worked.

Teri De Sario -- Ain't Nothin Gonna Keep Me From You -- the best Gibb dance song, and one I can't resist, a relentless mover.

Ashford & Simpson -- Found A Cure. I know it's Vegas, like Cher (Take Me Home I love too), but along with the songs they wrote for Ross' The Boss, it's a celebratory sound I really love.

[thommy2458]

I use to dance to this at The Odyssey in LA:
Natalie Cole's "Party Lights"
www.youtube.com/watch?v=gmp9WwDk-jQ
I wish some one at Capitol would have made a nice 12" mix of this-
it would have done so much better than it did.
Thom

[DJRAZ]

I agree on Sunset People great track. How about With you love by Donna Summer on the TGIF Soundtrack. Also other songs that come to mind.

Star Love - Cheryl Lynn
Music Trance - Ben E King
The Louder - Peter Jaques Band
Baba Baba Boogie - Gap Band
Don't Stop Dancin - France Joli
Mainline - Black Ivory

I can go on and on

[SandraDee]

Why wasn't this (or the Geraldine Hunt version) a huge hit? It's a great song (the sound quality's rubbish on this clip though!:icon_confused:)