"Disco-Rock" fusion songs?

[daviddiebel]

I had a 1980 Traamps record with a horrible song called "Hard Rock and Disco" on it. The album was called "Mixin' It Up." Was this a sort of trend in disco at the time? I also think Chic's song "Real People" was tending in that direction with some of the "rock-type" guitar.

It seems like this was a stupid direction to go in. I mean, why make "disco music" that's less danceable? Are there other examples of this kind of thing?

[Forrrce]

Black America has never had a problem with rock - after all, its roots are black. Think Hendrix, think Funkadelic - and don't forget that Miles Davis was keen to do a project with Hendrix before he (Hendrix) died...heaven only knows what that would heve been like. But Miles, Tony Williams, etc., dived headfirst into the Jazz-Rock waters anyway - and that was only the beginning.
Every strand of music has been mixed with rock at some point, usually to the detriment of the 'other', so why should disco be any different?
Some of the (for me) greatest funk LPs of the past 25 years (the Mutiny LPs, Steve Arrrington's Hall Of Fame, all P-Funk, etc.) have had a strong rock influence. Check the "Disco, Not Disco LPs" on Strut and you'll find that it's not all that bad.

[BrunoRepublic]

There are loads, because by 1980 disco was the most uncool thing imaginable. Everywhere you went people had t-shirts/bumper stickers/buttons that read "disco sucks!". So the few disco artists who hadn't already been dropped from their respective record labels tried to adapt their sound to the new reality. Most did not succeed.

[QUINNY]

This is an interesting subject.
I never thoughtthat a good guitar solo ever hurt a good disco record. Think Baby O, In the Forest for instance. A blinding guitar solo that fitted in perfectly. However, I wasn't too happy with the New Wave offerings in general. I had to play them 'cos I'd always worked fairly poppy discos, something I had to do to earn a living.

Do you think the disco offerings of 1980/81, such as many of the Prelude releases were maybe a nod to rock? The stripped down sound with synths being the dominant instrument did give disco a rockier sound I suppose and in some ways was getting back to the smaller ensembles that had dominated music since the early '60s. Funk had never really got too involved with strings and things and so it probably did appeal much more to guys like myself, who liked music with some attitude. I, for one, was quite happy with the direction black music took once pure, unadulterated D I S C O faded. Rap was almost like the new Rock 'n' Roll and the new Jazz all rolled up into one and those stripped down funky dance offerings were right up my street. I was in heaven.

[Forrrce]

Do you think the disco offerings of 1980/81, such as many of the Prelude releases were maybe a nod to rock? The stripped down sound with synths being the dominant instrument did give disco a rockier sound I suppose and in some ways was getting back to the smaller ensembles that had dominated music since the early '60s.

Quinny - not sure how this sound was in any way 'rocky'. Which tracks sounded that way to you, out of interest? For this period, I'm thinking Strikers, Sharon Redd, Congress, Unlimited Touch, etc - the stuff of this ilk was always, to me at least, heading back towards soul/R&B and away from the giddy heights of disco. The technology was different, as you point out - maybe that was more a question of economics than anything else. But, yes, there was a real shift in the New York disco sound at this time. Rocky? I obviously hear music differently to you - so maybe it's an age thing. I've grown up on records with sleevenotes saying how this and that artist is into 'rock' and are incorporating elements of 'rock' on their LPs - this was a big selling point in the '70s, so it seems.
But seldom do I hear what I'd class as 'rock'...gimme a hand here.

[efunk_adelic]

I always thought that Call Me by Skyy had rock elements to it.... Even though it was a little funky. The less popular Be Mine Tonight by the Jammers had a little rock edge to it.... I agree with you on the early 80-82 hits going back into the direction sounding funk/disco/rock all at the same time.... Listen to some of Rick James hits from this time period.... Absolutely had the best hits of his time during this period.

[QUINNY]

I guess it's to do with both rock and funk having an accented 2nd and 4th beat, whereas pure disco tended to have both on and off beats similarly accented. Things like Body Music and Inch by Inch by the Strikers were only a whisker away from rock in feel. They just sounded more 'Rock 'N' Roll'. Maybe it's the attitude thing. After 3 or 4 years of lushness and funk losing some of its edge to cash in on disco, these records (and others) sounded really hard in comparison.
Perhaps I'm talking a load of crap, but I felt Rap and the more funky disco from '80 onwards was young people grabbing the music back from the older generation and re claiming their piece of music turf. There's always been this thing whereby young guys create a new musical form only to see older guys cash in on it and sell it down the river. I felt Rap especially, was like the punk of dance music when it first appeared. It was kids putting two fingers up to the older generation and therefore rightfully belongs in the Rock tradition, whereby Rock signifies music of the young and rebellious.

Here's something to ponder.
Do you think Banbarra - Shack Up is pure funk? On one level, without doubt it is one of THE funkiest records ever made, but listen to that blistering but soulful guitar solo in part 2. Play that to a Rock freak and they'd probably get into it big time. Something like Ram Jam's Black Betty had nearly all the same elements, even an almost identical rhythm pattern and feel, but would you or I call that unequivicably funky? Like you said Forrrce, Funk always had some Rock elements (and vice versa).

[QUINNY]

I went to bed last night thinking about this topic and a few records sprang forth.

SLOWDOWN - John Miles was there ever a better rock disco record? Compelling stuff.
UNDERWATER - Harry Thumann although laden with strings, this was pure rock in its energy level.
LIVE IT UP - Isley Brothers the drums are pure rock and the extended guitar soloed part 2 was pure Isley's magic.
IN THE BUSH - Musique did you ever hear a disco record where the drummer really went for it, quite like this guy did. The intro and the sparce break are really rocky. Joyous, uninhibited stuff.
LET'S START THE DANCE - Bohannon this is possibly controversial, but here again the drums are just kickin' it like mad. Something that disco was not noted for, even though the drums were always mixed upfront. Most disco records had 'pretty drums' on them, where the drummer sounds like he's doing a good professional job, rather than cutting loose.
R.R. EXPRESS - Rose Royce ditto above.

Note: all these sounds are the sort of records where the vibe is everything. They are all uplifting, yoyous and totally, unashamedly uninhibited. They all 'stick it' and mash it up. They damned got R'N'R balls.

[discosavvy]

I'm not sure if y'all have seen this article yet, but take a look at what DJ Charlie Anzalone, a DJ in Buffalo, New York, predicted in the article "Disco DeeJays - Reaching Fever Pitch" in the September 7, 1979 issue of the Buffalo Evening News:

"Now you're seeing rock artists like Rod Stewart and the Doobie Brothers making disco records and having the biggest sellers of their careers. There may be more rock in it in the future, but it's still going to be called disco. I think disco is going to be the pop music of the '80s."

Sort of true and sort of false at the same time. More rock influence, yes, as we see in songs like "Spacer" by Sheila & B. Devotion (very nice rock guitar solo there!), "Roller Boogie" by Voggue, and "My Look" by Cerrone, but about it still being called disco after 1981...

[Marcio**]

"Take The Heat Off Me" by Boney M.

Guitar's solo on "Come Into My Heart/Good Loving" by USA-European Connection

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[PaulC]

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[Funky Dude]

Ahhhh disco rock, a fusion some of us disco lovers either like or hate :) .

Well a number of Aussie rockers throughout the 70s had done what THEY call rock songs but are like a disco/rock fusion. Examples:

AC/DC - Soul Stripper 1974
Stevie Wright - Evie pt 3 1974
Little River Band - Curiosity Killed The Cat 1975
Sherbet - Life 1975
Sherbet - Child's Play 1976
Sherbet - Dancer 1976
Sherbet - Howzat 1976
Skyhooks - Party To End All Parties 1977

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