Is 80s really disco?

[boogie nites]

Hey there everyone, my name is Lloyd, I'm 19, gay and from Australia. I envy those of you who got to live through disco...well at least I can appreciate it now. Heres a topic, I'm not sure if its been asked before but I'll go anyway. I don't really consider 80s music as disco. "Holiday" by Madonna is pop to me yet it ranks on the top 500 list. I consider disco proper to be from 1974 to 1982. Ok dudes so the disco is dead paranoia shouldnt influence that decision, but disco was in its prime in the mid to late 70s from what I've read and the disco movies I've seen. So heres my question: Should 80s music really be considered disco?

[efunk_adelic]

Hey there everyone, my name is Lloyd, I'm 19, gay and from Australia. I envy those of you who got to live through disco...well at least I can appreciate it now. Heres a topic, I'm not sure if its been asked before but I'll go anyway. I don't really consider 80s music as disco. "Holiday" by Madonna is pop to me yet it ranks on the top 500 list. I consider disco proper to be from 1974 to 1982. Ok dudes so the disco is dead paranoia shouldnt influence that decision, but disco was in its prime in the mid to late 70s from what I've read and the disco movies I've seen. So heres my question: Should 80s music really be considered disco?

First of all Lloyd, welcome to the forum... you've come to one of the best disco websites on the net.

You'll probably find some interesting opinions in the Discuss Disco Music part of the forum. When you think of it... every music genre has went thru a change in style... Example: Country music has gone thru a huge change but they still call it country music.

As far as Disco Music is concerned... maybe they should've never called it disco music back then... it was just a nickname. Around 82 (I Believe) Billboard Magazine changed the title of their chart to Top Disco/Dance Hits... then changed it again to Top Dance Tracks--- Best Sellers.

The ugly word was dropped (disco). It's all Disco, it's all Dance... it's all good. :)

[Rab]

The late 1970's was so spectacular a lot of that sound/style couldn't help but spill over into the very early 1980's.

By "early" I'm talking primarily 1980, and to a small degree 1981. After that the styles changed. Artists such as Lime, Patrick Cowley, Carol Jiani, Harlow, Tantra, Kano had an even more intense high energy sound than what was out in the late 1970's (probably from the "new wave" influence). Sadly, this also introduced more concentration on the "synthesizer sound". Away from the beautiful strings, brass and traditional percussion that you would hear in songs from artists such as Madleen Kane's Forbidden Love, Front Page's Love Insurance, Sarah Dash's Sinner Man, Janice McClain's Smack Dab in the Middle, Marlena Shaw's Take A Bite LP, Pick Me Up I'll Dance by Melba Moore. These are just a few of the incredible classics that had a particular (orchestral) sound that you would hear less and less. Not to knock Madonna, but I don't think her style really added anything overly positive to the "new" sound that took over in the mid-eighties...although I do like Vogue (1990).

There were some songs during the 70's that had that particular "synthesizer sound" that were outstanding like Gino Soccio's Dancer, Donna Summer's I Feel Love, Sunset People, I think Gary's Gang's Keep On Dancing. Of course, I'm talking more on "style" of the music that came out in the early 80's more than the sound of the instruments used. Of course, you can achieve the sound of trumpets or violins with a synthesizer.

Here are some songs that came out in 1980 that sound like they really belong to 1979.

Can't Fake the Feeling--Geraldine Hunt
Spacer--Sheila B Devotion
Lover's Holiday--Change
Searchin--Change
Shoot Your Best Shot--Linda Clifford
Let's Go Round Again--Avg White Band

[Marcio**]

there's an unpretentious song called "this kind of love" by phil fearon & galaxy. I think it's from 1985 but sometimes I think I'm in 1979 when I listen to it.

[QUINNY]

I won't pussyfoot around.

HELL YES!!!!!!

[markydefad]

Back in tha day, when I was dancing to it, I didn't notice any change. Towards the end of 1979, disco stopped being a major force on the radio anymore....but we still danced and danced and danced. In retrospect, the "sound" really did change with the advent of the early 1980's. More electronic instrumentation and new wavy rock elements replaced the sweeping strings and punchy horns of the past.

As someone mentioned earlier, the "disco" title on the Billboard charts was amended to say "Dance/Disco" in the early 1980's and later the "Disco" was dropped entirely.

Hey, dance music is a moving organism that keeps shape-changing and unfortunately, as of present "de-evolving" into just a beat. No melody, no lyrics...just a beat, thank you very much.

It all comes under the category: "Music That You Can Dance To" :D

[Nano]

Artists such as Lime, Patrick Cowley, Carol Jiani, Harlow, Tantra, Kano had an even more intense high energy sound than what was out in the late 1970's (probably from the "new wave" influence). Sadly, this also introduced more concentration on the "synthesizer sound".

Specially sad for those funk bands that tried to jump wagon and record with synth beats, like E,W&F and Kool & The Gang. That was the beginning of the end.
(I agree with Rab even when he's on the violin-disco side and I'm more on the synth-disco side.)

Not to knock Madonna, but I don't think her style really added anything overly positive to the "new" sound that took over in the mid-eighties...although I do like Vogue (1990).

However, a good part of "Madonna's style" belongs, at least in terms of sound, to Nile Rodgers and Jellybean Benitez -both disco artists and producers.

[QUINNY]

Nano: Re: funk bands going synthy.
Commercial expediency and vanity. Never a match made in heaven, eh?
I'd personally say that this proved them to be cutting edge and a willingness to 'change with the times', as well as needing to make a buck and still wanting to feel 'young and vibrant'.
Whether we like it or not, to most people Kool made their best records after 1979, however I'd have to agree that E,W&F crapped out.

[Forrrce]

The '80s were still very disco, though not necessarily by name. Hi-nrg and house were just less organic (and sometimes stripped down) varitaions. Disco had indeed moved with the times.

[boogie nites]

Hey Lloyd here again. Sorry I took so long to get back but I don't have the net at home and only get to use it 2 or 3 times a week at uni. I too am a big fan of "orchestral disco". The sweeping strings of Silver Conventions "Everybodys Talking About Love" and The Brothers Johnsons "Dancin Free" come to mind. Y'all have some interesting opinions on it. I do like Madonna, but I agree that her synth songs were very of its time. However, some of the synth in the 70s was great too, like the ones aforementioned in one of the posts sorry I forgot your name. One of my favourite disco songs of all time is Gene Chandlers "Get Down". 1979, quite key-boardy,very funky. I pump it up when I'm stoned and it goes down a treat. "Get down baby baba baby get down...". Anyone else into this one? :D

[Forrrce]

One of my favourite disco songs of all time is Gene Chandlers "Get Down". 1979, quite key-boardy,very funky. I pump it up when I'm stoned and it goes down a treat. "Get down baby baba baby get down...". Anyone else into this one? :D

I always credit 'Get Down' as having pre-empted the whole early '80s Prelude-type, synthesised 'boogie' sound. For that alone, all involved deserve a medal...but, hey it's a superb good-time tune as well and that's what counts! I know Quinny's seriously down with Gene's groove, too...

[Paulo]

I think disco wasn't restricted to the 70's as most people would say. The 70's disco-sound vanish in the early 80's, but disco itself continued within another format.

It was a case of "evolution of the species". Disco changed its form in order to survive, adapting itself for an ever changing new world (decade) and diminishing market.

The fact that in the 80's we had synths instead of strings is not enought to qualified the music as not-disco.

I remember listening to IOU by Freez in a club. I remember that I noticed a change in sound (where are the violins?...), but everybody (at the time) assumed IT WAS DISCO MUSIC and not something else. None cared if it was electronic or not. To the avarege clubber it was disco.

Later the term hi-nrg was coined, and now it is used to make the distinction from the 70's disco to the 80's disco, but still some would say HI-NRG DISCO.

[efunk_adelic]

One of my favourite disco songs of all time is Gene Chandlers "Get Down". 1979, quite key-boardy,very funky. I pump it up when I'm stoned and it goes down a treat. "Get down baby baba baby get down...". Anyone else into this one? :D

I always credit 'Get Down' as having pre-empted the whole early '80s Prelude-type, synthesised 'boogie' sound. For that alone, all involved deserve a medal...but, hey it's a superb good-time tune as well and that's what counts! I know Quinny's seriously down with Gene's groove, too...

It has a similiar feel to ----> Rod - Shake It Up (Do The Boogaloo) '80