IMPORTANT: Disco Backlash at WMC in Miami - PRESS RELEASE

[NickNack]

On 2002-03-21 13:52, Bernie wrote:

It sure has taken a nasty turn and that is really sad. I am dismayed that there are some that hold such ignorant and homophobic ideals and deep seeded hatred. Disco is from AND for everyone.

Which is why I didn't respond last night and again when I read it this afternoon. I knew where it was going to go, and a lot of us on this board have travelled this road before, right here.

Getting back to the original topic...



Is this what's behind the WMC fiasco? I highly doubt it's because the word "Disco" is outdated. There's more to this than meets the eye.

IMO, yes, but that's the question that needs to be asked of the WMC. Why is upper management so "sensitive" about this word? I doubt they're sensitive about the music and they've shown little for Marty. Still, I would like to hear their side, the "excuse", if you will. Words like nigger, spic, kike, wop, fag and all the other garbage we spit out are not used by rational, thinking, sensitive people. DISCO? Sensitive to DISCO? Give us a f@#$%&* break!



_________________

Life Is a Dance

Nicky

<font size=-1>[ This Message was edited by: NickNack on 2002-03-21 15:13 ]</font>

[Outsider]

I can't believe that after all these years that anyone would still try to condemn disco. I think the "disco sucks" attitude is outdated as well as juvenile. The members of the WMC should be ashamed of themselves. Whether they like it or not, disco has had a major impact on music, and it still does. Look at every dance-oriented artist that has come since. I'll never understand why anyone would have such hatred for disco. Not liking the music is one thing, but attempting to eradicate it is stupid, not to mention pointless. As long as there is interest in it (and there definitely is), disco will live on.



As for who made disco what it is, who cares? One thing that's great about disco is that it accepts people regardless of race, gender, or sexual preference. I'm white and straight, and a rocker on top of that (you see, not all rockers hate disco). Disco is one type of music that really does break down barriers.

[cjanzalone]

as a dj for almost 30 years. will say that disco was not infulenced by the gay scene untill the late 70s. with alex constindinos and the likes putting out high energy flowery early (trance if you will) dance(disco) music. the euro sound killed disco in the mainstream clubs as some djs like me dared to be different. but knowing my limits i always went back to the ojays. blunotes , instant funk and james brown and chic to pack the floor. in the early 70s to 76 KC, fnkadelic, parliment, main ingrediant (cuba gooding sr) and the commodors ruled the dance floor. gays came into the scene in the late 70s as a driving force. nothing wrong with that. hell i spun in a gay club just to play the stuff to a full floor. to call disco a fad in crazy. it was a life style and r&b and euro was the music. like hip hop is a life style and rap isthe music as puff daddy put it. in the 80s disco evolved into the florida freestyle sound and expose , sannon along with the soul sonic force brought the soul funk and latin sound sound back to the dance floor while the pat crowley euro style gay stuff went underground.straight and gays black and white all had a part in creating what we now called dance music.now the late 90s and y2k is not a fad ? PLEASE. will these 19 to 20 something ravers rave when their 35. like disco the rave life and electronic music will fade away when they stop doing drugs, get a serious job get married or die from aids.what will the next lifestyle(fad be)i cant wait to see and hear it . to change the subject,it seems that the new core of djs are some inovators of the music industry.in las vegas when i go to the clubs the djs i meet are interested inwhat i have done. the first thing they say is " are you selling any of your old 70 and 80s beats"?? they need then to be creative. if these dj producers who sign with major lables only knew more about the business. in the 60s and 70s record companies had 2 sets of books. one for them and one for the band to see. i know of many many lables that pressed thousands of records and sold them that the bands never knew about.i know i worked for one of them and you bet it happens today.did you ever wonder why a band has 5 top 5 records and still owes money heheheheheheheh. its business baby .vulgar as it may seen its a business. the record business

[Funky Dude]

On 2002-03-21 08:57, Fantomas wrote:

To Arjan:

Your comment is totally racist. As for Blacks, yes, they probably were the most influential in the Disco scene, specially in the beginning. But you must not forget the Spanish speaking and White contributions (Moroder, Cerrone, and others) made to Disco.

Boy, this topic has taken an ugly turn. I really hear ya Bernie about Disco's fans can sometimes be it's worst enemies. I'm curious to know if some of the people in this string partied at the discos in the 70's?

Now that Fantomas has said that, I somehow feel like I said somthing bad in my comment replying to arjan's post. Please tell me if I also said something bad in my post because if I had I'm very sorry. I don't want to be a public enemy to this board.



Basically what I was saying in my post is that rock'n'roll also came from R&B and if it weren't for R&B rock'n'roll may not exist. And as for disco, from what I can understand it evolved from a variety of genres such as:

R&B

funk

latin

soul

jazz

and even a little bit of rock'n'roll

and a few other genres



As for my comments about country and jazz, I was trying to be funny. If my jokes are sick please tell me as well.



I just hope this topic discussion doesn't get any uglier than it already has been because it would be really sad if we have people on the board hating each other.

[JussiK]

All around the world - with the possible exeption of Miami or maybe the rest of the USA too - the word Disco is used with respect by the most influental music generators. Like it or not, Djs are the new superstars. Wake up America to the sound the world is grooving to. And there's more to that than just Kylie..

[sirius]

Exactly! There´s not one HouseDJ in Europe,

who´s not into early Disco, Electro or HI-

HRG. The DiscoMusic has been sampled for

over 13(!)years and they most do it with a

big respect. Especially for the Soulful

HouseDJ´s there´s endless SalsoulMaterial.

Examples: Loleatta Holloway-BlackBox

Carol Williams-Spiller

Mostly every record is based on a DiscoSample. But another question: Isn´t HouseMusic also discriminated by MajorRecordLabels in the U.S.? Was there ever a U.S.-TopTenHit with a HouseRhythm, except Deee-Lite? In the U.S.A. there are so many fantastic DJ´s from ClassicFrankieKnuckles to Danny Tenaglia etc. So what´s with them?

Here in Europe House and Techno is so big like Disco in the 70ies...and sometimes I cannot here it anymore...but that´s something completley different. Tell me, is House discriminated in the U.S. or not?

Cosmic Love & Kisses From SIRIUS & DARKTUNES

[Outsider]

On 2002-03-21 23:46, Funky Dude wrote:

On 2002-03-21 08:57, Fantomas wrote:

To Arjan:

Your comment is totally racist. As for Blacks, yes, they probably were the most influential in the Disco scene, specially in the beginning. But you must not forget the Spanish speaking and White contributions (Moroder, Cerrone, and others) made to Disco.

Boy, this topic has taken an ugly turn. I really hear ya Bernie about Disco's fans can sometimes be it's worst enemies. I'm curious to know if some of the people in this string partied at the discos in the 70's?

Now that Fantomas has said that, I somehow feel like I said somthing bad in my comment replying to arjan's post. Please tell me if I also said something bad in my post because if I had I'm very sorry. I don't want to be a public enemy to this board.

Hey, I was expecting to be the public enemy to this board (lol). Seriously, I don't think you said anything bad. The same goes for Fantomas.

Basically what I was saying in my post is that rock'n'roll also came from R&B and if it weren't for R&B rock'n'roll may not exist. And as for disco, from what I can understand it evolved from a variety of genres such as:

R&B

funk

latin

soul

jazz

and even a little bit of rock'n'roll

and a few other genres

I don't think there's any argument about this.

As for my comments about country and jazz, I was trying to be funny. If my jokes are sick please tell me as well.

It's so obvious that you were only trying to be funny. I wouldn't worry about it if I were you.

I just hope this topic discussion doesn't get any uglier than it already has been because it would be really sad if we have people on the board hating each other.

Exactly. I've seen enough flame wars at other message boards that I don't want to see it here as well. For me this board is an escape from that ****.

[YAHUDEEJ@Y]

[YAHUDEEJ@Y]

[martya11]

Interesting information on the WMC webpage. Notice how they clumped Disco in with: "NRG/Disco & Circuit"



http://www.wintermusicconference.com/panels.html



When you check the list of panel participants you will not find the word "disco" next to anyone's name.



This page was not there prior to the "WMC vs. Disco" controversy. Now it is.



Don't ya just love the importance they give DISCO. The father/grandfather of all of the others on the list?



Music

WMC will focus on the sounds impacting the world now and in the future. Whether it's EBM (Electronic Body Music) IDM (Intelligent Dance Music) or Tribal - contemporary and cutting edge, WMC's seminars will provide insight like nowhere else! Panel discussions will also include the following music genres:





Down Tempo, Acid Jazz & Lounge

Classic House & Garage

NRG/Disco & Circuit

Trance

Alternative Rock

Hip Hop

Pop

UK Garage & 2 Step

Progressive & Hard House

World Beat

Drum & Bass

Industrial

R&B

Experimental

Jungle & Underground

Reggae & Dancehall

Freestyle

Latin Dance

Techno

Breaks & New School

[martya11]

An interesting response from All Things Deep.



Disco Controversy at the Winter Music Conference

(Posted April 4, 2002)



The dance music industry recently concluded the 17th annual Winter Music Conference, a mixture of panels and parties that draws thousands of fans, struggling artists and power brokers from around the world. While most participants came away from the conference feeling positive about the experience, one minor controversy garnered a lot of attention in the days leading to the event.



The situation centered around the Conference administration refusing to allow veteran promoter Marty Angelo to be on any panels. Their concern was that the name of Angelo's company, Disco Step by Step, was too outdated and may reflect negatively on the conference. Angelo responded by sending out press releases detailing his struggles with conference organizers, saying this was an issue of freedom of speech. The issue has been a topic of discussion on internet message boards, with people supporting both sides.



So who is right? It is true that dance music has aligned itself with trendiness, and with most people's memory of disco still linked to Saturday Night Fever, it is understandable that some would not want to be associated with disco's baggage. For some, it's simply a matter of progressing with the times.



On the other hand, it's disingenuous for people at the WMC to deny disco's contribution to today's multi-million dollar dance music industry. Samples from classic disco songs, often uncredited, constitute a major portion of "new" singles. There is even a subgenre called disco-house that unashamedly piggybacks off of disco. The industry continues to capitalize on its similarities to disco, as evidenced by the number of artists and song titles with "disco" in the title. And across the globe, DJs still play disco songs as parts of their set, often to thunderous acclaim, as seen with the popularity of Dimitry From Paris' Playboy Mansion series, which prominently features disco in its selections.



Far from being a dirty word, disco is a fundamental part of dance music's history and any supporter of dance music should recognize that disco laid the foundation for today's global dance culture. When people try to deny their history, they often end up repeating the mistakes of the past. Here's hoping a more peaceful resolution can be found for future editions of the Winter Music Conference.



Copyright ©2002 AllThingsDeep.com. All rights reserved.



http://www.allthingsdeep.com/article...ontroversy.htm

<font size=-1>[ This Message was edited by: martya11 on 2002-04-04 17:56 ]</font>

[The Lord of Flatbush]

On 2002-04-04 17:52, martya11 wrote:

An interesting response from All Things Deep.



Disco Controversy at the Winter Music Conference

(Posted April 4, 2002)



The dance music industry recently concluded the 17th annual Winter Music Conference, a mixture of panels and parties that draws thousands of fans, struggling artists and power brokers from around the world. While most participants came away from the conference feeling positive about the experience, one minor controversy garnered a lot of attention in the days leading to the event.



The situation centered around the Conference administration refusing to allow veteran promoter Marty Angelo to be on any panels. Their concern was that the name of Angelo's company, Disco Step by Step, was too outdated and may reflect negatively on the conference. Angelo responded by sending out press releases detailing his struggles with conference organizers, saying this was an issue of freedom of speech. The issue has been a topic of discussion on internet message boards, with people supporting both sides.



So who is right? It is true that dance music has aligned itself with trendiness, and with most people's memory of disco still linked to Saturday Night Fever, it is understandable that some would not want to be associated with disco's baggage. For some, it's simply a matter of progressing with the times.



On the other hand, it's disingenuous for people at the WMC to deny disco's contribution to today's multi-million dollar dance music industry. Samples from classic disco songs, often uncredited, constitute a major portion of "new" singles. There is even a subgenre called disco-house that unashamedly piggybacks off of disco. The industry continues to capitalize on its similarities to disco, as evidenced by the number of artists and song titles with "disco" in the title. And across the globe, DJs still play disco songs as parts of their set, often to thunderous acclaim, as seen with the popularity of Dimitry From Paris' Playboy Mansion series, which prominently features disco in its selections.



Far from being a dirty word, disco is a fundamental part of dance music's history and any supporter of dance music should recognize that disco laid the foundation for today's global dance culture. When people try to deny their history, they often end up repeating the mistakes of the past. Here's hoping a more peaceful resolution can be found for future editions of the Winter Music Conference.



Copyright ©2002 AllThingsDeep.com. All rights reserved.



http://www.allthingsdeep.com/article...ontroversy.htm



<font size=-1>[ This Message was edited by: martya11 on 2002-04-04 17:56 ]</font>

To pay homage to Marty Angelo for the term "Disco" used on records or conversation there of, Miguel Migs new single is "Satisfied" and it contains four tracks; One of them is called "Original Discotek" version.



What's the problem with the word "Disco?" Give it up already to the new and so called improved people who claim that the word "Disco" is outdated. That's like the Afro from my ancestors coming back in style; The genre of time or in this case music, recycles itself through House and Soul Music. Don't these people know what's up? Disco will never, ever go old, outdated or played out. You feel me brothers and sisters!



This is why we have the KTU Studio 54 Clubhouse with Brooklyn's own Joe Causi heard every Sunday from 6:00 PM - 8:00 PM on the Beat of New York, 103.5 and http://www.pinkyring.com for all to hear. The classics from the Disco era are played to perfection, bringing back the memories of Studio 54, the Bus Stop, the Spanish Hustle and the Hustle. Now we have the Cha Cha Slide, the Electric Slide and the Harlem Shake, so what's the deal with a recycled version of the Bus Stop and all the other dances?



I'm heated now, and the people on the WMC panel better recognize that "Disco" was and still is the most, influential era within musical terms of all time.

[KoolChris]

I've also been confused by the argument between Marty and WMC, as well as those developed thereafter. I was born and raised 'til age 11 in L.A., then moved to Paris, France in 1981, and have been living in between ever since. As a kid, I loved music and bought my own records, from age 7 on. Living in a predominantly black/mexican neighborhood, (and posing as a cholo, calling people "blood", and speaking with a heavy mexican accent, although I'm a white(WASP) straight dude), I listened to the music my friends and their older brothers/sisters listened to, namely DISCO. The influence from my out-of-neighborhood friends, parents, and radio introduced me to E.L.O., the Beatles, the Who, Wings, Lynyrd Skynyrd, War, Commodores and so forth. In my teens, I moved on to rap until 1991, then moved on to House music/Garage, and spent my nights in clubs and buying the singles I heard the day after. For those thinking I'm just telling my life story, there is a point to this. Just keep your pants on. Listening to killer rap tracks (this was before 1991, so it hadn't yet become the joke for losers it's become), then House tracks, I started searching for the tracks sampled in both genres, and ended up IN EVERY CASE looking for funk and disco from the '70s. My LOVE for disco and funk has hailed from the discovery of so many obscure albums I hadn't had access to most of before, because they had no/little airplay, or at least not in L.A., and my group of acquaintances. And once you find records you like, you go out for other records by the same producer, with the same cast of singers and/or musicians, or on the same label. But any record collector knows how that works. Today, as for the past 10 years, Disco is and has been my favorite music.
My idea why so many people seem/ seemed to reject disco is, that a lot of the highly commercial disco released at the time was not always good, especially in Europe. Apart from KC, Donna Summer/Moroder, and quite a few others, a lot of the stuff available to the mainstream public was pretty silly, not always very elaborate, and sometimes really bad. So I guess this rejection is based on an incomplete & inaccurate knowledge of disco, which amounts to ignorance, which is also said to be the basis of racism.
In France, most people think disco started in 1980, because that's when it became popular. And many people think it's crap, because a lot of what the mainstream refers to as disco actually IS. If I'd ONLY had access to the the stuff played in France, I'd probably hate it too. So I guess it not only has to do with taste, but also KNOWLEDGE of the subject.
As for the influence of a particular group in this music, I'd say the black influence is obvious (funk). Gays were probably attracted to it because it was happy and festive, whites and latinos probably simply because it was really cool. I say WAS because Ithink anything released today will be disco- inspired, not ACTUAL disco. The crowd, from my point of view, was mixed, although the people I saw in the Discos (I used to go out in places where underage people (kids who looked a little older, like myself) were tolerated) were mostly mixed youngsters, Blacks and Chicanos, but that has more to do with my neighborhood (Temple St. @ Rampart police station in L.A.).
As for the influence and the heritage of disco music in today's music, it is overwhelming, in mainstream pop, electro, House/techno, R'n'B, and most other styles. You can recognize a beat, a line, a sample, and often the whole track with different arrangements, in most of the stuff released nowadays, especially R'n'B. So I'd say the WMC people don't know what they're talking about. And that's most certainly their loss. Mind you, the reason all these current "artists" can pull off such copies, is, once again, because most people don't even know there ever was an original. And if I didn't have the disco/funk collection I have, I'd be as clueless as anybody else.