Joel whitburns hot disco dance book

[langlang]

Hello fellow forum members ,what is the deal with this hot disco dance book? I have been trying to get a hold of one for quite some time, with no luck. I had one on order with borders at $50 and then they told me they could'nt get it but came back later and said they had a USED copy at $80!!! Also,any other place that you can find it the prices are insane, upwards of $150. From what I have read here there are omissions of a lot of records in the book, and some things that are just wrong so why the big demand? and why the heavy price tag??

[markydefad]

Did you try to order from the Joel Whitburn site? [I Google the site]

Ah it's "currently unavailable." There are some flaws in the information but, overall, the book is a treasure.
Email or call the Whitburn company and ask when they plan a new printing or maybe an update?

http://www.recordresearch.com/dance_..._1974_2003.php

[drlove]

Sorry, langlang, that you've run into some bad luck getting hold of a copy. As the book's now 6 or 7 years old by now, it's possible it wasn't a huge seller compared to Joel's other chart books (Albums, Pop Singles, Country singles, etc.) in that it "only" covered the first 30 years of the Billboard dance chart (October 1974 - 2003) and definitely had a narrower target audience. And those 30 years are just a smidgen of time compared to the lengthy histories of the other Billboard chart compilations, which I guess provided more bang for the buck. In the mid-90s, I researched the top ten of the weekly disco charts from 1974 to 1980 because no such Whitburn compilation had existed at that time. When he finally got around to one, I snapped it up and it has become a great weekly resource to me. Keep trying ....and check your bigger-city libraries to at least make some photocopies in the meantime.

[whitesockedfunk]

I was lucky enough to buy a copy a few years ago for about $ 20. I have several of the Joel Whitburn Billboard books and they are always in reach, love browsing through them!

[markydefad]

drlove--I'm wondering if they aren't updating the book with information since 2003?
The site says "currently unavailable"--so I would take that as being a temporary thing--but that's just my take.

I recall that the first book took forever--several years anyway--from the time they first announced it was in progress until the date it was actually published. I called them myself and was told it was in the pipeline and would be available long before it actually was.

[FranceJoliFan]

Today on Amazon I see someone offering it new for $51.95, and used for $50.39:

http://www.amazon.com/gp/redirect.ht...reative=390957

[langlang]

Thanks for all the info,guys. Since I have the disco files book, I thought I would get the whitburn book also. But since you can google the billboard charts and we have our own chartmaster,Marky to guide us through the past, who needs whitburn? I'll probably bump into that book one day,but not gonna worry about it too much.

[drlove]

Good point, Marky ....and update by Whitburn (or his staff) just may be in the works. Time will certainly tell !

[remicks]

*****



Perhaps you've inspired them--- Mr. Defad ,

into wanting to put out a newer edition that is a little more committed .



******

[rhessel]

Hi guys:

Let me tell you a true ... I got the book Hot Dance Disco release by Joel Whitburn ... but honestly, I much prefer to see the compilation prepared by our friend "defad" (Thanks Marky!), which is much more complete than that published by the Joel's book.

Cheers,

Hessel

[C6 Vette]

I have that book and the only complaints I have is post 1985 when there were two different charts. Club Play and 12" sales..Alot of good dance records are left out of the book because this book focused solely on the Club Play. Also, they don't have a consistant format on the record info..For example, they list the 12" promo issue as the record info, but on other titles it's a 7" single or LP when I know for a fact there were 12" promos issued for those titles.

[JussiK]

The Whitburn book does not mention Pretty Maid Company's "Pretty Maid", even though the record definitely Billboardcharted in 1976. Unforgivable. There are quite a few other equally inexplicable omissions as well. So, get the Vince Alletti Bible instead.

Amazon-US: http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/095...SIN=0956189601
Amazon-UK: http://www.amazon.co.uk/gp/product/0...SIN=0956189601

[drlove]

Jussik ....I have a theory on that and many other omissions. At some point after 1994 (and probably before 2005), Billboard decided to ignore the New York Club-Play chart (which was the very first disco chart published, and the most revered Billboard disco chart 'til the main chart went "national" in August 1976. An explanation of Whitburn's methodology is at the front of his book, with a decision (maybe his alone, at the time) to use the Record World chart for much of 1975 thru August 1976, as he felt it was more representative of the national disco scene. So, Whitburn's book uses New York Club-Play (1974-75), Record World (1975-76), then back to Billboard in 1976.

The puzzling part is that Billboard in 1994, for its 100th anniversary issue, compiled the top disco chart hits from 1974 to 1994 ....and they fully utilized their Club-Play chart from New York for the years 1974 to 1976. Now, in the ensuing 16 years, Billboard has turned its back on the NY charts, and views the start of its "official" disco-reporting period as August 1976 forward.

Frustrating indeed (but also a potential explanation for some "missing" chart hits from Whitburn's book that Billboard fully charted as hits from 1975 to 1976. An example of one of my faves is "Undecided Love" by the Chequers (and an early "Tom Moulton Mix"). Whitburn (and obviously, Record World) doesn't chart it ....but it was a top-five hit in the NY discos in 1975.

Most music historians view Billboard as the industry bible, so for Whitburn and Billboard to ignore the significance of its 1975-76 NY charts is inexcusable, in my opinion.

[Cdnbob]

Checked Amazon.co.uk and they say... http://www.amazon.co.uk/gp/product/0...SIN=089820156X Purchase price is 34.49 UK.

Also checked Amazon.ca and its not available as a new copy but you can purchase used for over $200 CAD.