I Feel That Disco Officially Died in 1980

**Mario** · June 13th, 2004, 05:51 PM

What up, guys?

Here's something that I'd like to toss around to you and get your reactions. I used to be a regular at discos in the Southwest (El Paso, New Mexico, Juarez) back in the late 70s. I know I'm going to get "creamed" for this, but I'll say it anyway...In this area, disco died in 1980 :cry: With the rise of the movie: Urban Cowboy, my old standby discos were actually converted into country/western dance bars complete with bronco bulls :evil: It seemed like that year, 1980, EVERYTHING disco was "gone!" Yes, I realize that disco songs continued to play right through the early 80's, but in no comparison to the late 70s! Did anyone else experience the conversion of discos into country bars like I did? I'm assuming that in the larger cities discos continued on into the early 80s...Take Care.... 8) Mario

**QUINNY** · June 13th, 2004, 06:39 PM

But Mario, what did you expect? You're in cowboy country there. I'm amazed that disco ever got accepted by those rednecks!! :lol: :lol: :lol:

**DiscoMan** · June 13th, 2004, 09:37 PM

I wouldn't argue too strongly against your contention, Mario.
"Urban Cowboy" was very popular at the time up here in Mass. I had recently gotten married and bought a house during the summer of '80. The drinking age was raised back to 21 from 18 in '80 or '81 and the party was over.

Disco Clubs were beginning to close one right after the other and by early '81 it was getting tough to find a place to go. Worcester had very few clubs to chose from by '82 -early '83. Plenty of **** bars and strip joints, though. And the situation changed little over the next 20 years. There are plenty of bars where you can buy a draft for a buck, but if you're looking for a first class dance experience; Worcester, Ma is not the town. My wife and I go to a nice place on Saturday night but even that has it's limits. Most people around here these days want to hear "Hip-Hop" (makes me puke!). And you can't dance to this ****!

About "Urban Cowboy"; I didn't see it 'till I bought the DVD a few months ago. There's a reason why it's called "****-kicker music".

**MixMasterMax** · June 14th, 2004, 12:20 PM

I would not argue with that year signaling the end. However, I have two questions. Why is there a need to document the precise death year. It's actually been a metamorphosis into many other forms (never died, just slipped past you without too much fanfare and is still being sampled to this day). But if anyone needs an official year, I would say 80 or 81 although i have quite a few records from 82 I consider solid disco tracks. OK, so the second
question. When did disco begin. If we want to know when it ended, we must also know when it began. For me in NYC, it was around 72.

**DiscoMan** · June 14th, 2004, 04:08 PM

For me in NYC, it was around 72

I would agree. It was in full swing here in Central Mass. by mid-summer of '74.

**Mario** · June 15th, 2004, 06:44 PM

Hey Mixmaster & All The Guys... :) I totally agree with you that disco did not die and that it "evolved" into something else that is currently heard to this day. That is a given. And to be quite honest, the dance music of the late 60s and early 70's evolved into the disco music of the 70s. And we could go on and on with just cause. The reason that I selected the year 1980 was because that was the year that disco's death bell knelled loudly at the change of the decades. And if you really stop and think about it, despite the few disco records that managed to survive the early 80's, one CANNOT argue that they were received with the same audience appeal that the late 70's offered disco aficionados. So I will remain faithful to my choice of 1980. In regard to the "beginnin" of disco, then it becomes quite sticky... :oops: I've read posts that claim that Manu Dibango's "Soul Makossa" earns the award for being the "first" disco record and others argue that the famous "Sound of Philadelphia" records were the first disco records. Interestingly enough, both Dick Clark and Casey Kasem have been quoted as giving the title of the first disco record to The Hughes Corporation for "Rock The Boat." I kinda' have to agree that "Rock The Boat" was the first disco record that made it big in mainstream circles. Now, I am aware of previous disco style records before "Rock The Boat" but I feel that "Rock The Boat's" predecessors did not make the profound impact that "Rock The Boat" did. If I remember correctly, Rock The Boat" was a "mega" hit that officially brought disco music to mainstream listeners "all around the globe."

Now, I leave you with my "opinion" for you to mull over...Take Care...And Peace Out! Mario 8)

**Jimmy-Michaels** · June 18th, 2004, 11:42 PM

Technecly disco didnt really evolve or die till after 1982. There were many disco tracks still made and played in the clubs till then. As for "Urban Cowboy"..belive it or not, in Philly..the Boz Scaggs ballad "Look What You Done To Me" was a ballad played at the discos! To me, im kinda shocked it came from such a "**** kicker" related thing :lol: Cause it is a good late disco club ballad.

**jam master jay** · June 19th, 2004, 07:37 PM

I agree about that Boz Scaggs ballad, I heard it again recently and didn't even think it came from that awful movie...also, 1982-83 is about the cutoff musically, but clubs in my area kept going a bit longer than that, but with much smaller crowds.

**Videoskooter** · June 22nd, 2004, 06:29 PM

In Belgium disco was introduced in the clubs in the early seventies (72-73), it was really massive from 1976 till 1980, then it began to slow down and like all of you guess, it totally disappeared in 1982. During the eighties I had a danceshow on some local stations here and I tried to introduce Go-Go and house but it all stayed very underground. In 1987 New-Beat was the beginning of a new Club-era, followed by commercial house and since 2000 disco is back in full force here. We mostly call it Groove but the old records are being played over & over again.

**Studio74** · June 22nd, 2004, 07:03 PM

Hey Videoskooter,have you ever heard of the Glimmer Twins,they´re a DJ double-act and they´re from Belgium.I´ve heard them at Lux (Lisbon´s best club) last February and they rocked the place.

**Videoskooter** · June 22nd, 2004, 07:27 PM

Oh Yes-The Glimmer Twins are well known here. They put out many mixes on CD. They are famous for their two Série Noire-mixes where they bring back the New Wave and New Beat Classics and they also do a part of the Culture Club mixes where they mix vintage disco with eighties records. They have an incredible good taste but always stay close to clubsounds where our other stars: "2 Many DJ's Aka Soulwax Aka The Flying Dewaele Brothers" mix everything from eurodisco to punk to Dolly Parton.

**Studio74** · June 23rd, 2004, 10:08 PM

Yeah,i love 2ManyDjs also :D .I know there´s a album by their Soulwax project coming out soon.Videoskooter you´re also into stuff like Blackstrobe,Tiefschwarz,Spektrum,Tiga,Metro Area,Legowelt,etc?

**Videoskooter** · June 23rd, 2004, 10:30 PM

Hey-Studio 74. Yes I like all those artists. If you are into stuff like that you must check out the Dr. Lektroluv compilations. A mysterious Belgian guy who wants to heal the world with elektrodance. Like I said the beat is definitily back but only in our clubs, not in the charts. If you visit Belgium you must go to Antwerp or Gent. A lot of clubs with different styles and you can go from disco to disco (Now that was a great tune!) and disco itself has a lot of followers here! Check out our national radiostations Donna and Studio Brussel, especially in the weekend, they play all the good old stuff and the newest trends, including special mixsessions from 2Many Dj's and the Glimmer Twins.

**Studio74** · June 23rd, 2004, 10:52 PM

I already have two of those Dr. Lektroluv compilations, and they rock.Thanks for your tips,in case i travel to Belgium.Yeah, that Disco to Disco tune is great.You´re talking about the one made by Les Rhythmes Digitales i guess...in their Darkdancer album there´s a tune with that name, and i play it a lot in my ocassional DJ sessions...Usually it rocks the crowd :D

**Funky Dude** · June 24th, 2004, 10:25 AM

Mario wrote:

In this area, disco died in 1980 With the rise of the movie: Urban Cowboy, my old standby discos were actually converted into country/western dance bars complete with bronco bulls

:lol: :lol: :lol: :lol: :lol: Gettem' up, roundem' up rawhide (WHIPCRACK!!!) :lol: :lol: :lol: !!! Sorry mate I just could help myself laughing, discos turning into country bumpkin bars what a cack :lol: :lol: :lol: !!!! Normally I hear about discos becoming techno bars in the 80s but country'n'western now that's a complete turn in the other direction :lol: !!! I'm sure Slim Dusty would of been a big hit if he sang "Beer With Duncan" live in that bar in front of those line dancers :lol: :lol: :lol: !!! Fair dinkum, who would wanna turn a cool funky disco into an uncool hillbilly bumpkin bar, it's like swapping a bass guitar for a banjo :lol: :lol: :lol: !!!

Sorry mate couldn't help myself, having a little fun here at the fact discos turn into country bumpkin joints. Getting serious now to me 1980 is the year that a lot of disco went under serious transform which more rockier and new wave sounds are introduced into the music though still a lot of disco still sounded pretty disco until after 1982 when it had more of the 80s high energy feel to it. Have to say it appeared that disco was still alive and well in Australia in 1980 as the pop show "Countdown" had that year a Xanadu dance competition special which top Aussie dancers were dancing to big disco songs of the late 70s (a lot being of Michael Jackson and the Jacksons). I think disco probably reigned in Australia between 1973/74 and 1982/83 though during the 70s cool Aussie pub rock/glam rock bands like AC/DC, Skyhooks, Sherbet, Hush, Ted Mulry Gang etc. were the go along with ABBA fever but disco obviously really kicked in hard over here in 1978 when Saturday Night Fever hit the screens just like everywhere else.

Anyways I see 1980 as a transformation year for a lot of disco which rock and new wave are fused with it and the disco that transformed after 1982 went high energy style. It's a weird theory I came up with because of new wave being a big thing of the early 80s and a couple years later high energy.

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AUSSIE AUSSIE AUSSIE!!! OI OI OI!!!

**Videoskooter** · June 24th, 2004, 04:49 PM

I haven't said it here before but for me personally, there was a big gap between 1982 and 1988. Funny, but I don't recall having favourite dance records from those years. The drumcomputers were taking over and everything sounded so mechanical to me! I didn't enjoy H-nrg and Italodisco so I basically bought missing stuff from the seventies whenever I found it.
Go-go was cool but didn't last long and of course Prince was great but otherwise??? New-beat in the very beginning was a fresh start till mainstream picked it up and destroyed it and I really started having fun again when the Chicagohouse began to rise. (Studio 74: From disco to disco: certainly Les Rhythmes Digitales but the one from Whirlpool Productions is a classic too!)

**Studio74** · June 24th, 2004, 06:27 PM

Yeah,Videoskooter,the Whirpool Productions tune is also great.But i do find a lot of records that i like from the period that goes to 1982 to 1988...stuff like Treat Me from Paul Simpson Connection,Obsession by Animotion,Slave To The Rhythm by Grace Jones,It Doesn´t Really Matter by Zapp and a lot of Electro-Funk, Electro-Pop and some Italo-Disco from that era.Of couse i like some of the New Beat and Electronic Body Music stuff like A Split Second,Nitzer Ebb,Front 242,etc...In 1988 i started to listen to Chicago and UK House and Detroit Techno...The first Acid-House records that i heard,like Adonis,Bam Bam,Phuture,etc blew me away...

**K-Bee** · June 25th, 2004, 01:41 AM

OMG! Bam Bam....now there's a real blast from the past.
"Give it To Me" was acid house to the extreme and "Where's Your Child" is still the scariest record ever made...complete with car crashing sounds and babies crying! Surely Bam Bam had a severely twisted mind! :lol:

Did he ever do anything else besides those two tracks?

**Studio74** · June 25th, 2004, 10:13 AM

Well,i heard more Acid-House oriented records by him,and he had his label,Westbrook,where he also released tracks from Armando and Mike Dunn.

**discosavvy** · June 25th, 2004, 05:05 PM

Disco was very popular in India from 1981-1987. The Hindi movie "Disco Dancer" came out in 1982 and spurned some disco hits on the Indian pop chart, including the rather boring anthem "I Am a Disco Dancer". Better were "Auva Auva Koi Yahan Nache" and "Krishna Dharti Pe Aaja Too". There was also a film "Khud-Daar" from the same year which had the song "Disco '82". Supposedly the 1981 film "Armaan" has a disco song called "Rambha Ho". In 1985, Nandu Bhende created a medley of Bollywood hits, set them to a disco beat, and released his "Disco Zamana" album. He went "disco" again in 1987 with his "Disco Mazaa" album. The point is that 1982 for Indians was like 1978 for Americans.

**Videoskooter** · June 26th, 2004, 12:38 AM

I did a little survey here in Belgium amongst a whole bunch of dj's and asked them:" What do you consider as the first real discohit in Belgian clubs." The answer:"Troglodyte" by the Jimmy Castor Bunch. It was never in the charts but was massive in clubs. One person seriously said "Yakety Yak" by The Coasters but let's just ignore him-LOL-but they were both superb. I'd like to hear this Indian Disco though. And if you ever have the chance to see the very old and classic Egyptian movie "Le Taxi de l'amour (I don't know the original title), then take a good listen to the instrumental music and you'll here the discovibes which influenced Alec R. Costandinos and Cerrone many and many years later.

**QUINNY** · June 26th, 2004, 09:48 AM

I heard some snippets from an oldies chart show today.

UK Top twenty national chart w/e 28 June 1980
in it were the following:

Funkytown - LippsInc.
Back Together Again - Roberta Flack & Peabo Bryson (boss tune)
Behind The Groove - Tina Marie (boss tune)
Let's Get Serious - Jermaine Jackson (boss tune)
You Gave Me Love - Crown Heights Affair (boss tune)
Jump To The Beat - Stacy Lattislaw
Substitute - forget by who.

Yep, Disco certainly died in 1980!!! NOT

**SandraDee** · June 26th, 2004, 11:00 AM

Originally Written by QUINNY

Substitute - forget by who.

Yep, Disco certainly died in 1980!!! NOT

That was by Liquid Gold & yes you're right Quiny ( :o ) if disco was dead then it sure had a good connection through Doris Stokes!

**Videoskooter** · June 26th, 2004, 02:49 PM

Oh yes 1980 was still very disco. But I think "Substitute" was a record by Clout.

**SandraDee** · June 26th, 2004, 02:58 PM

I think you'll find that Clout's 'Substitute' was a hit in '78 whilst Liquid Gold's 'Substitute' (a totally different song) was a hit in '80 (it was the follow-up in the UK to 'Dance Yourself Dizzy'). Do feel free to check my accuracy.