Dance Themed Records From The Disco Era That Weren't Disco

[remicks]

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They existed . Here's one:

SWAYIN' TO THE MUSIC

Johnny Rivers last big hit :
Billboard Hot 100 : #10 in disco year 1977



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I'll add another:

SWINGTOWN

in the midst of disco year 1977,
Steve Miller managed to chart this one at #17 on the Hot 100.

[drlove]

Helen Reddy's "I Can't Hear You No More" (1976) comes to mind, as it topped the Adult Contemporary chart, yet surely featured disco-styled instrumentation and backing vocals.

[mrbmarco]

What A Fool Believes By The Doobie Brothers & Lotta Love By Nicolette Larson from 1979 and remixed by jim Burgess.

[discokicks]

I think Remicks topic is about song titles that sounded like they'd be disco but weren't.

I'd always found it strange that just as disco was starting to show itself on the radio in the spring of '75, Leo Sayer released his first hit "Long Tall Glasses (I Can Dance)" which you would have thought would be disco-esque but it was actually boogie-woogie. Oddly, it talked about this trend of going out to dance but it wasn't in reference to disco nights. It would be two years later when Sayer caught onto the disco craze with "You Make Me Feel Like Dancing".

Hats off to whoever made this amateur video too!



Btw...this song was more known to us Canadians by the band Shooter whose version is similar to Leo's (and my personal preference).

[discokicks]

And here's another! With Ms. Gaynor hitting the top of the Billboard pop chart in March '79, the afterglow of Chic's "Le Freak" still around after its 6 week reign at the top, "I Love The Nightlife", "YMCA" sitting firm at #2, "Heaven Knows" and "Shake Your Groove Thing", here comes partyboy Nigel Olsson with his rousing, get-on-the-floor and start moving those "dancin' shoes".....zzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzz.....

[SandraDee]

When I first heard the title of this pop dirge in '79 (before I actually heard the track) I thought it could be a disco record - how wrong was I! Indeed, by the time of Dexy's 'celtic' re-incarnation in '82 I could see how unlikely it would be for them to make an even vaguely disco-style record!

[Marcio**]

The Dramatics: ''Shake it well''

Adressi Brothers: ''Slow dancing, it don't turn me on''

[srg]

I remember,back in '81, seeing and buying, on the spot, Pink Floyd's "A Collection of Great Dance Songs" vinyl LP, thinking that this was a disco remix project...only to find out it was the same old cr#p my rocker friends were listening to, only repackaged as a compilation....yewwww!! (GREAT cover, though)

[langlang]

this is quite possibly the other end of the spectrum-a dance record that proclaimed not to be disco- but, i thought it was very interesting that bob seeger's old time rock and roll had a very distinct disco feel-very crafty,that bob.

[FranceJoliFan]

When I first saw the title Dancin' 'Round And 'Round on Olivia Newton John's 1978 album Totally Hot, I thought for sure it would be dizzying disco.

[remicks]

I think Remicks topic is about song titles that sounded like they'd be disco but weren't.

Right !
Or ... songs that are about dancing : but not disco dancing ......during the disco era

I was hoping to see Leo Sayer's song turn up !

Orleans took this song to #6 on Billboard's Hot 100 in disco year 1975:

DANCE WITH ME

(1:40 illustrates why its so bloody hard to sometimes identify what instruments you are hearing , even in 1975!
I would have guessed maybe accordion , harmonica ??) )



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[drlove]

thanks, discokicks, for clarifying the topic for me. At disco's commercial peak in 1979, a top 20 pop single had the fun title of "Dance the Night Away". a big Disco hit ??? Nah, just danceable rock by Van Halen, of all people.

[remicks]

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Released in the middle of The Bump dance craze - so you'd THINK :

BUMP BOUNCE BOOGIE

---- nope !!!


It's 1979.
gotta be about a break-dancer and his boom box right ?????

MUSIC BOX DANCER


---- nope !!

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[Cory Ander]

in that same vein Van Halen also attempted the Motown classic "Dancing inthe Street" but the less said about that the better.

[needlefingers]

England Dan & John Ford Coley - You Can't Dance





I love Bette's version of this song....

Bette Midler - Do You Want To Dance?