Disco in Eastern Europe?

**K-Bee** · April 14th, 2004, 02:20 AM

I was just wondering about this...
was any disco ever being made in eastern europe back in the day, or was the style being completely blocked by the Iron Curtain?
I know a lot of Jazz came out of Poland and Czeckoslovakia back in the 70s but i've never heard of anything even remotely like disco or dance music. Still, Im having a hard time believing that the style didn't have any kind of impact on that part of the world since it did influence about everything else.

Maybe some DM members from eastern europe can share some light..(if we have any?) :-?

Thanks.

**hotdiscomix** · April 14th, 2004, 04:05 AM

Hi K-Bee,

I'm born and grow up in East-Germany (ex-communistic part of Germany).
East-German artists have in the 70s only rock music and German folk music produced.
The first 12"-single with dance music came out 1980 from the group "Kreis" (circle). It was a poorly pop song with a thin girlie voice.
With begin of the "Neuen Deutschen Welle" (new German wave) 1982/83, have also East-German bands produced some dance tracks. But 98% of this songs are in German.
All song texts had political correctness, not sex, drugs & rock 'n roll :)

I think international is Nina Hagen the most well-known "East-German singer". But the hits "New York, New York" and "Zarah" has she produced in West-Germany, after their escape.

--------------------
PS: My English is so bad, because I must learn Russian and not English in the school time :cry:

**K-Bee** · April 14th, 2004, 05:10 AM

:lol: A 1980 DDR made 12" Dance single! Somehow I'm strangely attracted to this item :lol:

I'm familiar with the concept of Neue Deutche Welle but I wouldn't really consider it dance music. To me it seems more like the german answer to the british new wave thing, although I'll admit to the fact that some of it was danceble.
Yup Nina Hagen - I forgot all about her :oops: A versatile artist if there ever was one. Who else would be able to combine Punk and Opera and get away with it :lol:
I'm not a big fan though, even though her "In Ekstase" LP from the mid 80s had some HI-NRG like moments on it. I belive she did an english version of the album too - appropiatly entitled "In Extasy"

Thanks for the info - and btw, your english is just fine :D

Anyone else knows something.....I know there must be some slovak Costandinos hiding out there somewhere :lol:

**hotdiscomix** · April 14th, 2004, 05:31 AM

It was not really a DDR 12"-single.
The record is produced in West-Berlin and published by Hansa Records.
In East-Germany was this version not available.

You are right, "Neue Deutsche Welle" is not really disco/dance music, but that was the only "hoping glow". :roll:

**discosavvy** · April 14th, 2004, 01:15 PM

In Poland in 1980, Ewa Kuklinska released the disco songs "Boutique" and "Pokochaj Mnie", based on Chic's "Le Freak" and "I Want Your Love" respectively.

**Bernie** · April 14th, 2004, 01:22 PM

Wasn't "Moskau" by Dschinghis from Russia?

**discosavvy** · April 14th, 2004, 01:56 PM

Originally Written by Bernie

Wasn't "Moskau" by Dschinghis from Russia?

No, Dschinghis Khan was a German group with songs written by Ralph Siegel and Bernd Meinunger in the German language, and the records released in Germany. Just with Russian themes, like Boney M did with "Rasputin". But I see that Dschinghis Khan, Chilly, Gilla, and other German artists have many fans in Russia today.

**K-Bee** · April 15th, 2004, 01:06 AM

Originally Written by discosavvy

In Poland in 1980, Ewa Kuklinska released the disco songs "Boutique" and "Pokochaj Mnie", based on Chic's "Le Freak" and "I Want Your Love" respectively.

Ahaaa....polish Chic covers :lol: This is more like it. I knew eastern european disco had to exist. Kem 'em coming, guys! :)

**JussiK** · April 15th, 2004, 01:36 AM

Poland must have been quite the place to strut your stuff behind the curtain - I got 2 albums by The Neoton Family, with cover imagery that has to be seen to be believed.

**shenkin2001** · April 15th, 2004, 02:03 AM

I think that Neoton Family from Hungaria was very professional disco band in East Europe.Also I remember
Zodiac(Lithuania)...

**K-Bee** · April 15th, 2004, 02:16 AM

just found this on the dresden film festival web site

----------

". The MTV of the East – East German Disco Films

Up to 1990, the East German DEFA Studios produced a series of so-called disco films. As a cheeky music clip, ambitions art film and expressive documentary all in one, these films were intended as pre-films to features in East German cinemas during the late 1970s and 1980s. They convey an authentic picture of the aesthetic ideas in communist East Germany as well as of a music video culture in a state of development.

In addition to visualising the rock and pop melodies of City, Puhdys, Omega, Vaclav Nečkar and others, these short films also contained clips from concerts and, from today´s viewpoint, at times highly amusing interview sections. Conceived as a continuation of Filmfest Dresden´s successfully screened "prickly animal films" from last year, with this exclusive and entertaining programme the festival is casting a filmic eye on the communist East German and East European music scene of that time."

---------
wonder if this is worth something?? :-?

**ALBATROS** · April 15th, 2004, 09:02 AM

I am coming from a country which was at that time part of Yugoslavia. I cannot remember of any group or singer from this time to play genuine disco songs. However, disco was far from tabu in my country at that time. Disco records have been reprinted and sold with no restrictions. People here seems still have tons of those records in basements or attics. If you are lucky, you can cheaply buy those on sunday fairs for used ( old ) things. And sometimes I can get records as good as new for say 1$ apiece ( maxi or LP )!
Of course there are lots of 45's, but those usually lacks on sound quality. From 75 ( as far as I can remember) disco was wery often played on the radio - I can still remember " Born to be alive" played ad nauseum and everybody was familiar with that tune! But there was wery sharp bias towards rock music too. In our school we have differentiated ourselves between those who listened to disco and others who were more into rock music. Disco sucks movement have had impact here too!
In early 80's disco was slowly faded away, an give room for Italo - disco ( which was highly popular at that time ) and 80's pop.
Albatros

**discosavvy** · April 15th, 2004, 01:37 PM

Originally Written by ALBATROS

I am coming from a country which was at that time part of Yugoslavia. I cannot remember of any group or singer from this time to play genuine disco songs.

I read that the following Serbo-Croatian songs from Yugoslavia were disco, but haven't yet heard them:

"Roda rok" by Cice-Mace (1980)
"Klikeri i krpice" by Cice-Mace (1980)
"Disko Baba (Trla baba lan)" by Cice-Mace (1980)
"Shta se to dogadja" by Cice-Mace (1980)
"Disco Lady" by Lokice (1980)
"Dodirni me" by Lokice (1980)

**K-Bee** · April 16th, 2004, 02:17 AM

Originally Written by discosavvy

Originally Written by ALBATROS

I am coming from a country which was at that time part of Yugoslavia. I cannot remember of any group or singer from this time to play genuine disco songs.

I read that the following Serbo-Croatian songs from Yugoslavia were disco, but haven't yet heard them:

"Roda rok" by Cice-Mace (1980)
"Klikeri i krpice" by Cice-Mace (1980)
"Disko Baba (Trla baba lan)" by Cice-Mace (1980)
"Shta se to dogadja" by Cice-Mace (1980)
"Disco Lady" by Lokice (1980)
"Dodirni me" by Lokice (1980)

Me neither...I've never even heard anything mentioned about them ever before. Wonder what they're like :-?

**JussiK** · April 17th, 2004, 06:21 AM

Alla Pugatjova from The Soviet Union had quite a few so-called disco tracks out. Alla was the premier diva of Russia with a typical dramatic voice, and the dance tunes employed a sort of slowed down Biddu-meets-Isaac Hayes kind of music that seemed to run out of all steam half way thru the 3 min max durations. I still ssometimes see these vinyls in junk stores here. The Leningrad discos were not much to behold, mostly just restaurants that played taped western top 40 hits somehow imported to the country. I myself used to take cassettes filled with the latest stuff and exchange them for a few glasses of champagne there, or a good quality Melodia label pressing of say, Magic Fly by Space or an Amanda Lear track - still have a few of those. The dancing was wild as the punters were like they wanted to experience each and every beat to the fullest. In hotel bars, the scene was really sordid, just tired prostitutes and overweight businessmen in badly cut suits.

**Fso Stodwapiec** · April 17th, 2004, 03:28 PM

Originally Written by discosavvy

In Poland in 1980, Ewa Kuklinska released the disco songs "Boutique" and "Pokochaj Mnie", based on Chic's "Le Freak" and "I Want Your Love" respectively.

Ewa Kuklińska :o the light opera chick? Oh, and a "comedy" bloke T. Drozda had a comedy "disco" record in which he is wearing a pink wig or something, but I forgot what it is called...

**jazz_pilgrim** · April 26th, 2004, 07:54 AM

My wife is Polish but was born in Warsaw and left Poland in 1980-81.

She used to go to the discos in Warsaw on a regular basis in the Seventies. She told me the music she danced to was mostly the mainstream American disco tunes.

She does recall dancing quite often to live Polish bands who played their own versions of the main disco tunes. But she does not recall any Polish artists ever making disco records.

:)

**sirius** · April 27th, 2004, 01:20 AM

Dear Friends!
Cause my mom´s from YU I knew a lot about Disco there.
Certainly they played DiscoSound at the Disco´s esp. because so many tourists were there...Boney M., Donna
Summer, Amanda Lear, etc. etc. Certainly they haven´t such
a wide range of good Disco-Records.
In the early 80ies YU was very into the NewRomanticScene
like Classix Nouveaux or Simple Minds. In Dalmatia you got
the best ItaloDiscoRadioPrograms ever heard.

Did you know that BONEY M.´s "Rasputin" was banned
in the USSR??? Sometimes there was big censoship in
comunistic states at that time. "Lili Marleen" by Amanda
Lear was banned in YU for expample, etc. etc.(I should
play this track on HOT DISCO NIGHTS). Sexuality in
songs was also sometimes a big problem there: Never
heard "Love To Love You Baby" in YU.
To be continued...
Cosmic Love & Kisses From SIRIUS & DARKTUNES...

P.S.: Russian scientists discovered at that time that if
mice are hearing Disco-Music they will get Homosexuals.
And I Feel Love Forever!!!

**K-Bee** · April 27th, 2004, 01:40 AM

P.S.: Russian scientists discovered at that time that if
mice are hearing Disco-Music they will get Homosexuals.
And I Feel Love Forever!!!

Are you kidding, Sirius??!!
This is too funny for words!! :lol:

**JussiK** · April 27th, 2004, 04:09 AM

Originally Written by sirius

Did you know that BONEY M.´s "Rasputin" was banned
in the USSR???

This must have been a temporary thing cause I danced to that tune in Leningrad when it was happening - that tune I mean! :-) - and the track seemed to be everywhere.
This thread got me wondering so I walked into one of the junk stores run by Russians here and amid pirated cds and dvds of the type of Kill Bill vol 2 and the trashy Mel Gibson splatter thing there were a number of disco vinyls. I got Rasputina's "Urban Madwoman" and several other titles by equally obscure singers with exaggarated hairdos, massive layers of Rimmel and who all held cigarettes on the sleeves. The sound qualities are good but the songs awful.

**sirius** · April 27th, 2004, 05:16 AM

Dear JussiK!
Maybe it´s my mistake...but I´ve heard that rumour. I
mean the USSR, not Russia!!!
About AMANDA LEAR´s "Lili Marleen", that´s true. This
song is from the LP"Never Trust A Pretty Face", but on
the YU-Album it´s not included!
Dear K-Bee!
My name is SIRIUS(serious) not Kiddy!
Also you can get sick dancing to DiscoMusic:
The FREAK is responsible for many discus-prolaps and
your fingers are inflamed because of snipping all the time.
There were many ugly words about the Disco-Scene...
Cosmic Love & Kisses From SIRIUS & DARKTUNES...

**hotdiscomix** · April 27th, 2004, 05:16 AM

In East-Germany there was a law that a DJ must play 70% "east-block" music (East-German, Polish etc.) and 30% "west-music".
I do know not a DJ there has played in this relationship. The DJs has played 90-100% "west-music".

I have lost my DJ license after a night with 100% "west music", e.g. Patrick Cowley's "I Feel Love" megamix or "Hills Of Katmandu" (all from cassettes) :roll:

The official statement was: "I spread the decadent American subculture." :evil:

Censored was all versions of "Lily Marleen" (I like the Kid Creole version), all artists which have left East-Germany, the groups Dschingis Khan, KISS (okay no disco music) but also Voyage's "From East To West" :o

**discosavvy** · May 12th, 2004, 01:26 AM

OK, I finally found Neoton Familia's disco songs. (I didn't realize they are spelled Familia and not Family). The disco songs I heard from them are "Diszkókege" (1979, rather nice, mostly instrumental), "Ha szombat este táncol" (1979), "Hazafelé" (1979), "Hegyirabló" (1979), "Szia!" (1979), "Let's Go Dancing" (1978), "Marathon" (1980), and two songs - "Santa Maria" (1979) and "Don Quijote" (1980) - that are rather like Boney M's "Rasputin" and Dschinghis Khan's "Dschinghis Khan" in their "historical/literary-theme-expressed-thru-disco-pop" method. And just like Dschinghis Khan, Neoton Familia released some of their material in English versions in addition to the Hungarian originals.

"From Beats to Bass: A brief history of beat and rock music in Hungary" by Blade Runner with Gusztáv Kosztolányi claims that disco music became uncool among Hungarian youth because the Communist leaders, like "Comrade Péter Erdos", endorsed it instead of rock. Anyway, Neoton Familia itself turned in a very rock and electro direction after the start of the 1980s. Once again people thought rock = rebellion, disco = status quo establishment.

**philter2** · May 12th, 2004, 02:51 PM

That's a very exciting topic.
I can remember some very cool soviet late 80s synth disco. Tracks like "Ballet Ticket", "My Dear" and "I just can't understand what's happening" by ? (i frogot his name).
There was also some dance music being presented as "new computer music".

Here's an excerpt from a track my father wrote back in 1984:
http://blendbrank.com/transfer/fortuna.mp3

The vocals are ukrainian. Just listen how energetic the guitar improvisation at the end is.

Last year i got the idea of recording a perestroika diso mix containing soviet tracks. It slowly proceeds.

**EL COCO** · May 12th, 2004, 03:41 PM

For K-Bee...
I think there's nothing to laugh about these topics.
Try to imagine what was about to live in that situation.
Don't joke people who could not live free in their nations.