Before Disco: AM Gold!

**Boodikka** · October 16th, 2001, 10:12 AM

Before disco, I listened to a lot of Top Forty Pop, some of it fairly cheesy. I'm curious to know what all of you listened to before the disco days. Here's a list:

1)Patches - Clarence Carter AG...the saddest, most tear-jerking song ever

2)Candles In The Rain - Melanie Kafka AG

3)How Do You Do? - Mouth and MacNeil

4)Misdemeanor - The Sylvers

5)Go All the Way - The Raspberries AG

6)Gypsies, Tramps and Thieves - Cher AG

7)Doesn't Somebody Want To Wanted - Partridge Family AG

Coconut - Harry Nilsson....the silliest song, great fun

9)Hooked On A Feeling - Blue Swede

10)Sugar Sugar/Jingle Jangle - The Archies

11)One Tin Soldier (Theme From Billy Jack) - Coven.....I believe Paul had mentioned this earlier

**JussiK** · October 17th, 2001, 12:21 AM

This boy listened to CO-CO by the Sweet - not that different from disco in fact. There were others, like "See My Baby Jive" by Wizzard, the incredible "Sugar Baby Love" by the Rubettes...

**Bernie** · October 17th, 2001, 08:30 AM

Oh man, I grew up on this stuff by listening to WABC-AM radio in New York City and also WNBC and 99X in the 70s.

Still listen to this today and a few weeks ago I even snuck in the 45 of Edgar Winter's "Frankenstein."

Other faves include:

Brownsville Station: Smokin' in the Buy's Room

Steve Miller Band: The Joker

Blue Suede: Hooked on a Feeling

ELO: Turned To Stone

Gallery: Nice to be With You

Paperlace: The Night Chicago Died

Bill Withers: Lean On Me ---LOVE THIS SONG ---

Bill Withers: Ain't No Sunshine

Melanie: Brand new Key

O. C. Smith: La La Peace Song

1910 Fruitgum Co: Simon Says

Gary Criss: Dreamweaver

Johnny Nash: I Can See Clearly

Todd Rundgren: I Saw the Light

Tommy James and the Shandells: Crystal Blue Persuasion

Johnny Cash: I Walk the Line

Cat Stevens: Wild World

10cc: I'm Not In Love

Orleans: Dance With Me

and thousands more that I can't remember.

_________________

Defender of the Disco beat,

Bernard Lopez

================================

owner & publisher of http://www.discomusic.com

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[ This Message was edited by: Bernie on 2002-03-30 22:32 ]

**paul** · October 17th, 2001, 11:55 PM

Hey Bernie,

Do you remember listening to Chuck Leonard on WABC. Whenever I hear Bad Leroy Brown I always associate him and my high school history teacher with it.

**Bernie** · October 18th, 2001, 07:13 AM

On 2001-10-18 00:55, paul wrote:

Hey Bernie,

Do you remember listening to Chuck Leonard on WABC. Whenever I hear Bad Leroy Brown I always associate him and my high school history teacher with it.

Sure do, as well as Cousin Brucie, Ron Runday (?), and George Michael (who now hosts SportsMachine). Chuck later went to 98.7 Kiss.

**Leanmean** · October 18th, 2001, 07:19 AM

This is SUPER LONG. Sorry to take up so much space but I'm a writer!

Before the disco daze (1968 - 1972) and in the very early (1973 - 1974) disco daze, I listened and danced to rock.

Our AM stations played Top 40, which I couldn't stand save for the odd song or two such as Nilsson's "Jump Into the Fire" which they played at one of our gay bottle clubs, incidently. They played the full version on FM radio. Oh yeah, and I liked "Crimson & Clover" and "Crystal Blue Persuasion" by Tommy James & the Shondells and "Nah, Nah, Hey, Hey (Kiss Him Goodbuy)" by Marshmallow Steamshovel(?). Okay, and I must admit I really liked Brooklyn Bridge's "The Worst That Could Happen," The Classics Four's "Stormy," and "Spooky" along with Blood Sweat & Tears songs. I guess those are the top 40s I liked! (Remember Zager & Evans' "In the Year 2525"? I'm sure Disco Delight mentioned that one once.

I was the first kid in my group (12 - 13 years old) to listen to Pink Floyd (their first album) as well as Iron Butterfly, Strawberry Alarm Clock, Fever Tree, Big Brother & The Holding Co. w/ Janis Joplin of course (Cheap Thrills), The Rascals, The Doors, Canned Heat, Blue Cheer, The Who and the Velvet Underground (of which I remember absolutely nothing today!)

At 14 I danced to Pacific Gas & Electric's "Are You Ready" Rare Earth's "Get Ready" (man, what a sound!), Steve Miller's early "Livin' in the USA," Bob Segar's "Ramblin' Man" Grand Funk Railroad (anything) and Chicago's "I'm A Man" (oh, the percussion for days!), and (I can't believe I forgot the name of this, Nicky, help me out: It's from that first group Steve Winwood was in!)

My tastes in music and drugs progressed to the harder stuff: Led Zeppelin I, II & III, Bloodrock (remember "DOA"?), Allman Brothers (not that hard, but stoney nevertheless), Deep Purple, Alice Cooper, Jethro Tull, Crosby Stills Nash & Young (again, not that hard, but good drug takin' music!), REO Speedwagon (1971), Johnny & Edgar Winter, Black Sabbath, Rod Stewart, Neil Young (of course we missed the point on his "Needle & the Damage Done" and it became our anthem as we, well, you know....

What happened next was Ziggy Stardust and the Spiders From Mars! That blew me away! "Wham Bam thank you m'am! Where the f*@k did that come from? Then I got into a little touch of Southern Rock.

On the FM radio it was T-Rex, Gary Glitter, Pink Floyd's "Dark Side of the Moon," Dan Hicks & His Hot Licks, Cheech & Chong, Dr. Demento, King Biscuit Flour Hour featuring whoever,

Meanwhile, Al Green had just released a "Best of" and a friend turned me on to it. To say I was not impressed is an understatement because I was so heavy into rock. (Please forgive me for this lapse in judgement. I was just young and stupid!) But, Barry White had just released his first hit so something was creeping in.

Then, my listening tastes got harder still: Bachman Turner Overdrive, ("Blue Collar" "Let It Roll"), Blue Oyster Cult ("Stairway to the Stars" "City's Aflame with Rock & Roll"), Uriah Heep ("July Morning"). But, that's when I came out so I also danced to all the great black dance music from 1973. And THAT'S another story!

**Boodikka** · October 18th, 2001, 07:47 AM

Hi Lean, that Stevie Winwood song, could it have been "Glad" by Traffic? It was on the JOHN BARLEYCORN MUST DIE album. "Na,Na,Na,Na" by Steam was probably my favorite song from 1969. Steam was a group of studio musicians who had no group name, they recorded the song in one long session. They walked out early that morning onto 57th Street, saw the steam coming from the manholes, and decided that would be the group's name.

Hi Bernie, I'm curious: did you like what grew to be known as disco from the very beginning? I didn't get into the first wave of disco because I found the more well-known songs like "Disco Lucy" and "Shame, Shame, Shame" rather annoying.

**Leanmean** · October 18th, 2001, 08:36 AM

Boodikka,

No, it was before Traffic when Steve was only 17. I can't believe I can't think of the song or the group! Nicky and I discussed it in another really old thread on the old board. I know they also did "I'm A Man" the same one I mentioned that my favorite version is by Chicago (Transit Authority).

Spencer Davis Group! Hello! That's it! Now what was that damned song??!!!

**jpp** · October 18th, 2001, 09:05 AM

Leanmean..just to add to your train of thought with your faves...how about Mark, Don & Mel, aka Grand Funk Railroad..and Pure Prairie League { still love Amy } Deep Purple { My woman frm Tokyo } MC5, Flamin Groovies, Box Tops { Alex Chilton was 17 yrs old } the Grassroots,the Guess Who, Mitch Ryder, and as dorky as it may be, I loved Paul Revere n raiders { remember Kicks } and the young Rascals

**Boodikka** · October 18th, 2001, 09:11 AM

Hi Lean, was the song "Gimme Some Lovin'"? The one that was covered by Kongas in 1978?

**Anonymous** · October 18th, 2001, 11:20 AM

On 2001-10-18 08:13, Bernie wrote:

On 2001-10-18 00:55, paul wrote:

Hey Bernie,

Do you remember listening to Chuck Leonard on WABC. Whenever I hear Bad Leroy Brown I always associate him and my high school history teacher with it.

Sure do, as well as Cousin Brucie, Ron Runday (?), and George Michael (who now hosts SportsMachine). Chuck later went to 98.7 Kiss.

Ah, what great names and memories from my more innocent (really) youth.

Do you know if Chuck is still with the station?

**originalbigm** · October 20th, 2001, 08:29 AM

Prior to disco I was huge into R&B/Soul and in fact believe it was the precursor to disco.I was one of Toronto's first DJ's back in 1972 when discotheques were beginning to emerge.At that time the genre of choice for dancing was R&B/Soul James Brown,Bobby Bare,BettyWright,UndisputedTruth,Temptations,Eddie Kendricks,George McCrae,RufusThomas

The BlackByrds,O'Jays etc.To me the defining song and LP that brought disco into the fore as a true music genre was Gloria Gaynor's Never Can Say Goodbye LP.Remember and correct me if I'm wrong but prior to disco the 12" single didn't exist. It was all 45's and Lp's

**Masdefi** · October 28th, 2001, 02:41 PM

Before disco I was listening to various kind of music; I went from italian pop singers until Deep purple!! But only in 1974 I realized which my interest was. First of all Barry White but also one-shot groups as Patti Labelle on Andrea True Connection. Then I started to hear Disco Soul & Funky.

_________________

Fan the fire!

Masdefi

[ This Message was edited by: Masdefi on 2001-10-28 15:43 ]

[ This Message was edited by: Masdefi on 2001-10-28 15:45 ]

**paul** · December 5th, 2005, 06:55 PM

OK, so I wanted to look back at some old stuff and I decided to resurrect this one.

Time of The Season - The Zombies
On Less Bell To Answer - The 5th Dimension
One Bad Apple - Jackson 5
Ball Of Confusion - Temptations
Tighten Up - Archie Bell & The Drells

**discokicks** · December 5th, 2005, 07:35 PM

Cool...here's some of my groovy 45's:

Spill The Wine - Eric Burdon and the Animals
Spirit In The Sky - Norman Greenbaum
Hitchin' A Ride - Vanity Fare
Little Green Bag - George Baker Selection
Double Barrel - Dave and Ansil Collins (LOVE THIS!)
Angel Baby - Dusk (!!!)
Israelites - Desmond Dekker and the Aces
I Didn't Know I Loved You ('Til I Saw You Rock n Roll) - Gary Glitter
Down By The Lazy River - The Osmonds :oops:
Indian Giver - 1910 Fruitgum Co.
Up Around The Bend - CCR
That's Where I Went Wrong/ Which Way You Going Billy? - Poppy Family
Stay Awhile - The Bells (So sexy!)
Venus - Shocking Blue
Gimme Gimme Good Lovin' - Crazy Elephant
As The Years Go By - Mashmakhan

**Salsoul1975** · December 5th, 2005, 08:49 PM

That's Where I Went Wrong by Poppy Family
Woodstock by Matthew's Southern Comfort
It's A Cryin' Shame by Gayle McCormick
Cherry Hill Park by Billy Joe Royal
Will You Be Staying After Sunday by Peppermint Rainbow
I Dig Rock And Roll Music by Peter, Paul and Mary
Friends by Elton John
Doesn't Somebody Want To Be Wanted by Partridge Family
We Can Fly by Cowsills
For The Love Of Him by Bobbi Martin
United We Stand by Brotherhood Of Man
Baby Take Me In Your Arms by Jefferson
Long Long Time by Linda Ronstadt
Loving You Just Crossed My Mind by Sam Neely
I've Found Someone Of My Own by Free Movement
Don't Say You Don't Remember by Beverly Bremers
Just Too Many People by Melissa Manchester
Daisy Jane by America
Don't Ever Be Lonely by Cornelius Brothers and Sister Rose
Ben by Michael Jackson
The Night They Drove Ole Dixie Down by Joan Baez
The Hungry Years by Neil Sedaka
I Only Have Eyes For You by Art Garfunkel
Secret Love by Freddy Fender
Una Paloma Blanca by George Baker Selection
I'm On Fire by 5000 Volts
Steppin' Out (Gonna Boggie Tonight) by Tony Orlando & Dawn
One Toke Over The Line by Brewer & Shipley
Hey Girl by Donny Osmond
Cherish by David Cassidy
Fire And Water by Wilson Pickett
Kentucky Rain by Elvis Presley
Baby It's You by Smith
Smile A Little Smile For Me by Flying Machine
Lay A Little Lovin' On Me by Robin McNamara

**paul** · December 6th, 2005, 12:30 AM

discokicks, Salsoul, great AM radio picks. I'm particularly fond of Venus, Israelites, Cherish, and United We Stand.

Here are a few more:
Rainy Night In Georgia
Family Affair
Band Of Gold
This Guy's In Love With You

**Discomanic** · December 8th, 2005, 10:16 PM

Oh, man what memories. However, I see that I most closely associate with Salsoul1975. But I would have to throw in:
Lou Christie-If My Car Could Only Talk and Rhapsody In The Rain.
Mark Lindsey-And The Grass Won't Pay No Mind
Classics IV-Everyday With You Girl and Cherry Hill Park (album cut)
Billy Joe Royal-Practically all of his late 1960s hits.