What dance song demolished the disco style ?

Marcio** · June 18th, 2003, 12:18 AM

It's only my opinion...

1 - Genius Of Love by Tom Tom Club
2 - Just An Ilusion by Imagination
3 - Kiss by Prince

.

**markydefad** · June 18th, 2003, 01:53 PM

I've said it before & I'll say it again....

"MY SHARONA" by The Knack &

"RAPPER'S DELIGHT" by The Sugarhill Gang

The death knells of DISCO. :evil:

**DevP** · June 18th, 2003, 02:19 PM

I, personally, don't believe that any one song demolished the disco style. Disco, like most fads, became an overexposed pop cultural phenomenon and people just got tired of it and were ready for the next new thing. Of couse, disco critics (or Rock freaks like we use to call them) took advantage of this and starting to have anti-disco demolition around the country and disco became a joke, something for people to laugh at. However, even after the so called 'death of disco' many artist continue to have disco hits into the early 80's. For example:

Funkytown by Lipps, Inc.
And The Beat Goes On by The Whispers
Celebration by Kool & The Gang
Second Time Around by Shalamar
A Lover's Holiday by Change
Upside Down by Diana Ross
Rock With You by Michael Jackson

As well as many, many others. Even rock legends like Queen who's hit single "Another One Bites The Dust", which had the Chic sound written all over it, couldn't resist the disco style. Also David Bowie in 83' had he's biggest hit with the disco oriented song "Let's Dance." I don't believe the Tom Tom Club "Genius Of Love" or Imagination's "Just An Illusion" had anything to do with disco's demise. If anything they helped keep it on life support until disco made it's comeback in the 90's. :lol:

DevP

**NickNack** · June 18th, 2003, 02:24 PM

Originally Written by Marcio

It's only my opinion...

1 - Genius Of Love by Tom Tom Club
2 - Just An Ilusion by Imagination
3 - Kiss by Prince

.

#1: Disagree
#2: Strongly disagree --- this was and is hot!
#3: Never played it :roll:

For me, Blondie's "Heart of Glass" signaled a change in disco's style I reallly wasn't happy with.

**Outsider** · June 18th, 2003, 05:11 PM

I don't see how "My Sharona" killed disco. Isn't the Knack a rock band? Sure, that song was huge in its day (and so was the band for a brief time), but I wouldn't blame it for disco's demise. :evil:

**paul** · June 18th, 2003, 05:25 PM

Originally Written by Outsider

I don't see how "My Sharona" killed disco. Isn't the Knack a rock band? Sure, that song was huge in its day (and so was the band for a brief time), but I wouldn't blame it for disco's demise. :evil:

Some people dare consider this song "disco." Even taking the most broad and liberal definitions of disco, "My Sharona" will never be a disco song in my world.
As to the original topic, I can see picking Rapper's Delight and Heart of Glass as songs that signaled a regrettable change in disco the way I liked it.

**Outsider** · June 18th, 2003, 05:37 PM

Originally Written by paul

Some people dare consider this song "disco." Even taking the most broad and liberal definitions of disco, "My Sharona" will never be a disco song in my world.

I agree. I don't think the song is danceable, let alone disco. It's a rock song, pure and simple. Sure, there are rock songs that are good for dancing (and I don't mean disco-styled rock songs either), but "My Sharona" isn't one of them. :evil:

**markydefad** · June 18th, 2003, 05:40 PM

If you were alive in 1979...you might recall that as the Disco records were burning that summer in Chicago...."My Sharona" hit the radio and heralded the beginning of a new era.

from allmusic:

"The band attempted to update the Beatles sound for the new wave era on their debut. A good idea that was well executed, but critics cried "foul" when millions sold after Capitol's pre-release hype (it went gold in 13 days and eventually sold five million copies, making it one of the most successful debuts in history."

This record was #1 for several months, as I recall.

The winds of change were in the air. I recall riding the trolley car down Market Street in SF reading Time or Newsweek's article about "The Death Of Disco" ....and thinking it's gonna be over over soon. This had never occurred to me before.

New wavish Dance Rock was coming into style; R&Bish dance music "(The Second Time Around"; "And The Beat Goes On") became the "Disco" of the moment. Oh, and that cheap little homemade record about "rapping" was giving urban producers ideas of cheap and easy ways to make MONEY!!!!!!

The times--they were a changin'.

**nrgbeat** · June 18th, 2003, 05:49 PM

I would have said "Pop Music" by M.

It was one of the first records that was sort of a disco/new wave hybrid.

"you're living in a disco..."

**markydefad** · June 18th, 2003, 05:55 PM

Jeez, I'm NOT saying "My Sharona" was a DISCO song!!!! DUH!!!

It was a harbinger of what was to come.

Blondie's "Heart Of Glass" was an step in this direction...but it was still playing by Disco rules. It merged a punkish pop/ rock sensibilty with disco production style. Even the Queen of Disco, Donna Summer was starting to rock more than before.

Just as Nirvana's "Smells Like Teen Spirit" heralded a new era and made the hard rock "hair bands" of the previous decade obsolete overnight--"My Sharona" brought a punky sensibility to the top of the U.S. pop charts...soon followed by another new wavish #1...M's "Pop Muzik"....

Suddenly the Bee Gees sounded kinda old-fashioned. And the 1980's began.....

Cue Flying Lizards, Soft Cell, Duran Duran, Depeche Mode, OMD, Yaz, Eurythmics, Talk Talk, etc. Buy some of those skinny ties and start rolling up the sleeves of your sports coats. :roll:

**Outsider** · June 18th, 2003, 05:59 PM

Originally Written by markydefad

If you were alive in 1979...you might recall that as the Disco records were burning that summer in Chicago...."My Sharona" hit the radio and heralded the beginning of a new era.

I was 11 in 1979 (I didn't turn 12 until December 24 of that year), and I sure do remember "My Sharona" when it came out. And yes, I remember hearing that song all the time back then. Perhaps it did bring in a new era in music. As we all know, trends in music tend to change after time. I just don't associate that song directly with the end of disco, which I always thought was about two years later.

from allmusic:

"The band attempted to update the Beatles sound for the new wave era on their debut. A good idea that was well executed, but critics cried "foul" when millions sold after Capitol's pre-release hype (it went gold in 13 days and eventually sold five million copies, making it one of the most successful debuts in history."

That's a good description of "Get The Knack". I have that album, and I think that "My Sharona" is not the best song from it. And it's obvious that the Knack's biggest influence is the Beatles.

This record was #1 for several months, as I recall.

That's correct.

The winds of change were in the air. I recall riding the trolley car down Market Street in SF reading Time or Newsweek's article about "The Death Of Disco" ....and thinking it's gonna be over over soon. This had never occurred to me before.

But if you still enjoyed disco, that's all that mattered.

New wavish Dance Rock was coming into style; R&Bish dance music "(The Second Time Around"; "And The Beat Goes On") became the "Disco" of the moment.

Proof that disco wasn't quite dead yet.

Oh, and that cheap little homemade record about "rapping" was giving urban producers ideas of cheap and easy ways to make MONEY!!!!!!

We know how that ended up.

The times--they were a changin'.

Hey, that happens. :evil:

**NickNack** · June 18th, 2003, 05:59 PM

I remember when we were given "My Sharona" as a promo 12". Not having heard it anywhere, when I got it home and put it on the turntable I was like, "What the f*#@! Why did we get this?" Feedback time at the record pool was also a bitch as I, and many others, had to explain their rating: "5/1". The first number is for DJ reaction. I gave it a "5" because I recognized it as a good rock song. The second number was crowd/dancefloor reaction. I told them how the hell would I know as I work a "Disco", not a rock club.

**paul** · June 18th, 2003, 06:02 PM

This whole topic still hits raw nerve with me. Even though I've heard and understood the racist/sexist/homophobic motives behind much of the "death to disco", "disco sucks" movement, I still have a hard time fathoming the small mindedness behind these things. I keep thinking we are moving past this mentality because there is no effort to get rid of the stuff called music on the radio today. I come back to reality though when I realize that there are still little dickheads still running around who after disco went on to the "I hate Madonna" movement to the current "Dixie Chicks" whining.
OK, I feel a little better now :-?

**markydefad** · June 18th, 2003, 06:15 PM

Obviously, we all have different memories of how things changed....my mentioning of "My Sharona" (which I liked and bought) is the way I remember my realization that the disco era that started for me when I moved to SF in Jan 1975 and I had seen become a mass audience phenomenon was suddenly ...and I mean SUDDENLY...over.

Sure dance music still existed. But the major U.S. labels stopped the production of purely disco product overnight. The R&Bish stuff was still in production at Solar and Tabu and De-Lite...but Columbia wasn't looking for a new disco song for Barbra Streisand like it had been a year earlier. DJs turned to European/Canadian Imports to find new music to play (hence, Change, Lime, Tantra, Vivan Vee, Easy Going, etc.)

At least that's the way i remember it.

**paul** · June 18th, 2003, 06:42 PM

Ahh, speaking of My Sharona, Rock Lobster came to mind. While I didn't hear My Sharona at any of the discos I went to at the time, ironically I heard Rock Lobster at a club that remained "Disco" for many years. That song was also a harbinger of things to come :(

**markydefad** · June 18th, 2003, 06:55 PM

Yep, The B-52's absolutely were part of that new wave of dance music. I remember my brother telling me about them and my going out and buying that first LP. I LOVED "Planet Claire" and grew to love "Dance This Mess Around" and eventually "Rock Lobster".

Trocadero didn't play this stuff at the time. BUT the stand-up bars did. Maybe the edgier dance clubs did.

Trocadero hung unto that "old sound" as long as they could. Eventually the split between the patrons that wanted the "old sound" lush sting -filled disco (Cerrone) and the patrons that wanted the new harder edged rockish/synth stuff (Blondie) caused a serious rift. Bobby Viteritti talks about this in that "Tribal Rites" book. He attempted to please BOTH groups...and I think he did an excellent job....but the times were changing and eventually Cerrone gave way to the new stuff.

**Forrrce** · June 18th, 2003, 09:03 PM

May have been a bit different in my neck of the woods. 'My Sherona'? An out-and-out rock record, nothing to do with disco over here. We were subjected to the likes of Kelly Marie, Ottowan, Anneka (sic.), Lobo - the list goes on. Didn't warning bells sound when Ethel Merman made a disco record?!!!!

**nrgbeat** · June 18th, 2003, 09:19 PM

I always wondered whether this change in musical direction circa late '79 was actually brought about by dj's who were looking for a new musical style, a break from the traditional disco sound or record companies who were pushing the new sound down people's throats.

I used to hate new wave music, but actually enjoy listening to it now. (e.g. "Nowhere Girl" B-Movie)

**discodoc** · June 19th, 2003, 12:25 AM

What's going on here? Disco's DEAD??? :(

On a seperate note, how many will commit with me to fasting and prayer that hip hop dies a quick and painful death, SOON?

**efunk_adelic** · June 19th, 2003, 03:26 AM

Originally Written by Outsider

I don't see how "My Sharona" killed disco. Isn't the Knack a rock band? Sure, that song was huge in its day (and so was the band for a brief time), but I wouldn't blame it for disco's demise. :evil:

Outsider, I was on the dance floor enjoying the music, when all of a sudden the DJ put on that record... O M G!!!
All the white guys we're screaming with delight... and of course me liking dance music... was absolutely shellshocked :o :o

**PaulC** · June 19th, 2003, 04:46 AM

...

**Mixmachine** · June 19th, 2003, 08:56 AM

When people started requesting Ralph McDonals' "What a fool Believes" I knew my "disco " days were numbered..

**Outsider** · June 19th, 2003, 09:44 AM

Originally Written by efunk_adelic

Outsider, I was on the dance floor enjoying the music, when all of a sudden the DJ put on that record... O M G!!!
All the white guys we're screaming with delight... and of course me liking dance music... was absolutely shellshocked :o :o

Was your reaction because the song in undanceable, or because you don't like the song? :evil:

**efunk_adelic** · June 19th, 2003, 12:02 PM

Originally Written by PaulC

It was'nt so much one particular record. It was more that the name 'disco' became unfashionable. So what we did was simply start calling it 'dance music'. Disco lovers understood that, and those that did'nt thought, mistakenly, that 'Disco' had gone away. It never left the clubs, it just came off the radio. Just look at how many great 'disco/dance' classics came out in the early 80"s and that was suppoosed to be after disco had died!

Very well said Paul,

you can just feel the anger and frustration from people when they could finally say (with everyone agreeing) that disco sucks

**efunk_adelic** · June 19th, 2003, 12:11 PM

Originally Written by Outsider

Was your reaction because the song in undanceable, or because you don't like the song? :evil:

I bought the single just for shits & giggles. If I recall, I played the record just for fun... If I liked it, it was just for a very short time. I'd rather listen to My Sharona than Sun, Sun, Sun :oops:

....Outsider, it was just a shock especially since I knew the DJ. The first time he played it, It was right after a bunch of killer tunes. How could he do something completely out of the ordinary :-? I did forgive him 7 years later, when he sold me his copy of "Get Off" by Foxy.... for $20.00

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