RECORDS WE'VE LOVED #1 Evelyn 'Champagne' King - Shame

**QUINNY** · August 17th, 2004, 03:56 AM

O.K here's something completely different.

I personally feel that something is needed that includes most people who may read it, rather than exclude them. To that end, I propose a weekly thread that praises, dissects and discusses a well known, humungous Disco hit. Sure, some of us may be well tired of these gargantuans, some of us may have never played 'em (for whatever reason), but the truth remains that it was the big hits that propelled Disco into the stratosphere and had ever more people clamouring for Disco music. Without the big big hits, Disco would have been still-born.

This week's record up for discussion is:

Evelyn 'Champagne ' King - Shame

Love it or hate it, this is still played and danced to by millions.
What makes this record sooooo good?

**DiscoMan** · August 17th, 2004, 09:19 AM

Great idea!
Why "Shame" is so popular after all these years?
It's aged well, is still an enjoyable track to listen too AND it's still DANCEABLE!
Though I don't know that young clubbers today "dance"?

**FrontPage22** · August 17th, 2004, 10:33 AM

It's slick and smooth and sexy!!! It's that saxaphone and that vocal. It is class.

**Bernie** · August 17th, 2004, 10:39 AM

Great idea Quinny! Go for it.

As for "Shame," one can't go wrong with this killer T. Life production and David Todd remix. To think, that she was only a teenager at the time.

**paul** · August 17th, 2004, 11:30 AM

Good idea Quinny.
Interesting you should mention Shame. I am going burn a new set of cdrs for the car. Shame is one of the songs I wanted to have because right now it's not in the mix. I remember bypassing it because it was played so much. I change my mind now because the song has so much energy. That sax at the opening and that killer break just can't be ignored. Ya jus' gotta blast that song.
I remember that song was frequently used as a song they would play right after a slow set. Perhaps you djs have a term for that. Anyway, nice start Quinny

**Videoskooter** · August 17th, 2004, 12:09 PM

Great new topic.

"Shame" is one of those records that catch you immediately and stay forever without getting boring.

And to be quite honest, to me it is not that commercial.

It has something more. It's well sung, well produced and the theme is very catchy with that gorgeous sax running all over it.

I like Evelyn's later stuff also but this one is defenitely her classic.

**QUINNY** · August 17th, 2004, 01:00 PM

Great to see so many replies so soon.

For me this record had something that was a very rare commodity....joie de vivre. It was incredibly joyous and life affirming, even though the lyrics are about a negative situation, and yes, that production was first rate. It's been on a zillion CD compilations and like Paul I had become a little jaded with it, but I still remember the great, great feeling the punters and I used to get from it and I can still listen to it and thoroughly enjoy it....only not so often, maybe. That's something that's worth an awful lot of respect and love.

**Greg Wilson** · August 17th, 2004, 01:54 PM

As far as I remember, prior to New Order's 'Blue Monday', this was said to be the biggest selling 12" in the UK.

**K-Bee** · August 17th, 2004, 03:14 PM

Believe it or not....I didn´t know about "Shame" until years after it was released. My introdution to Evelyn King was "Your Personal Touch" in 1985, years after Shame came out.
I wasn´t too excited when I first came to know about Shame...always thought it was below par compared to Kings (IMHO) best efforts like "I´m In Love" & all the other Kashif produced gems. I´ve come to know the importance of "Shame" in disco history but I´ve always thought there was more to Evelyn King than her adolescent teen-disco release. Thankfully later releases showed so.

**Svend** · August 17th, 2004, 03:35 PM

I think Quinny is absolutely right about the joy in this record. It's a quality sorely missed in so much of the current music scene--including dance music with its icy, frantic "songs." When I take a chance and play some wonderful classic disco record for a friend, they often respond with, "It's too pretty, too sweet." Melody has become suspect in these overly fashion conscious times. End of rant!

Evelyn's wonderfully throaty voice really puts this over and even acts as a kind of percussion instrument when she and the backups shout "Shame!" And congas drive me wild!

Thanks for starting a great thread, Quinny.

**Rab** · August 17th, 2004, 04:45 PM

"Shame" has great trumpets & percussion. Typical dramatic 1978 sound.

People into disco will occasionally ask me what my favorite disco record is? My reply of course is that I don't have a favorite, even though my mind will try relentlessly to sort my favorites for a top 50 list. For the most part I think different disco songs suit whatever mood your in at the time. I think most of us here are like that. I heard the Jones Girls, "You Gonna Make Me Love Somebody Else" a little while ago and couldn't get enough. Back when it came out, I was like...oh, ho hum, not overly impressed. It was a smooth, non-high energy hit. There were so many hits back then, that had such a rich quality sound with that orchestral percussion, brass sound. To go back to 1979, what I would give....

This younger generation, really has no idea what they missed. Wouldn't it be nice to flood the radio stations with the old stuff and have it catch on...

**originalbigm** · August 17th, 2004, 08:20 PM

To me it was and is one of THE signature songs of the era. Timeless in it's sound & style which I would class as being more on the uptempo R&B side of the disco spectrum.A guaranteed dance floor filler.

**efunk_adelic** · August 17th, 2004, 10:28 PM

Finally!!! another cool thread to look forward to when I turn on the computer....

As for your first choice Quinny.... what a scorcher!!! :D

This is just about as good as it gets... I can go on and on about this record... so perfect in my book.

Very smooth and silky.. like someone mentioned above.

**zeca azevedo** · August 17th, 2004, 11:16 PM

Hi

SHAME is probably the BEST RECORD of the disco era in my opinion, pure perfection from start to finish. We are talking about a pop masterpiece here - a record that puts together in a brilliant way a jazzy, seductive melody and a slick, polished-but-not-washed production and the soulful vocal supplied by EVELYN KING [I'm not overrating it, believe me]. For me, it is the best record EVELYN KING even made, way better LOVE COME DOWN, to name one of her hits.

I still love SHAME [the record, you fools :lol: ] and I'm sure it is one of those [few] DISCO nuggets I'll still be hearing when I'm 64 [and 74... and 84...] :D

Peace,

zeca azevedo,

**Discomanic** · August 18th, 2004, 12:39 PM

I would have to agree with you all on this one. It's one of those timeless Disco classics I never get tired of. I have a clip of Miss King from the Midnight Special singing "Shame" and during the middle of the song she plays the bongos for about 5 minutes. Great clip.

**Rab** · August 18th, 2004, 03:56 PM

I'm not positive, but I think this record was on Polydor, with great quality vinyl. Excellently frequency highs & lows on this 12".

**originalbigm** · August 18th, 2004, 05:57 PM

Originally Written by Rab

I'm not positive, but I think this record was on Polydor, with great quality vinyl. Excellently frequency highs & lows on this 12".

Actually it was RCA.Here is an interesting note courtesy of AMG
"What a difference a remix makes. As originally issued on Evelyn "Champagne" King's 1977 RCA LP Smooth Talk, "Shame" was a different track than the one that became a million seller. Produced by T. Life and written by John Fitch and Reuben Cross, "Shame" started out with Sam Peake's sax blast. This prime version was more concise and had a more immediate punch. As "Shame" started to become a disco favorite, it received an extended remix by Al Garrison and David Todd. The duo gave the cut an overall wider-sounding mix, bringing to the fore Peake and Instant Funk bassist Raymond Earl. They split up Scotty Miller's drums which emphasized the beat more. Though Evelyn "Champagne" King had other hits ( "I'm in Love," "Love Come Down"), "Shame" remains her signature song."

**jazz_pilgrim** · August 19th, 2004, 01:55 AM

Gotta admit - great idea for a thread Quinny! :D

It was easily one of the best 70's disco records for me - definining the period. It had this wonderful sultry moody unconventional feel to it - just listen to Ms King's superb moody vocals topped off by those wonderful sax breaks. When the sax soared to those heights, it took your soul with it! And it still does it for me today!

A record that was so unique in style - all her later records were much more conventional 4/4 disco records. Never to be surpassed! :)

BTW I believe from memory that the 12" was in the UK Top 75 charts for over 70 weeks, but only had one week in the top 40, peaking at number 36 or so!

:)

**sfbeary** · August 19th, 2004, 02:29 AM

yeah, this is one of those classics that proves even some of the most popular disco records had substance. one of the most remarkable things to me was that she was only 16-years-old. so many teen stars make such an issue of their age and so often come across as children. evelyn sounded adult, as if she truly experienced the mixed-up situation expressed in the lyric. and the follow-up, "i don't know if it's right," was a thing of beauty as well.

**nrgbeat** · August 19th, 2004, 06:19 AM

The LP version of "I Don't Know If It's Right" was rather blah, but the remix is great.

**Spellbound** · August 19th, 2004, 08:46 PM

This younger generation, really has no idea what they missed.

very true

fortunately i am not one of them

**Mr.Ree** · September 28th, 2008, 08:58 AM

Originally Written by QUINNY

O.K here's something completely different.

I personally feel that something is needed that includes most people who may read it, rather than exclude them. To that end, I propose a weekly thread that praises, dissects and discusses a well known, humungous Disco hit. Sure, some of us may be well tired of these gargantuans, some of us may have never played 'em (for whatever reason), but the truth remains that it was the big hits that propelled Disco into the stratosphere and had ever more people clamouring for Disco music. Without the big big hits, Disco would have been still-born.

This week's record up for discussion is:

Evelyn 'Champagne ' King - Shame

Love it or hate it, this is still played and danced to by millions.
What makes this record sooooo good?

"Shame" has a feisty spirit (not to mention a killer bass line) that STILL makes it sound special to MY ears, even today. And it's surprising how confident Evelyn King sounded singing it (even though she was VERY young at the time), as if she knew what a great song it was. But it's so great that people seem unaware she's done several other songs I think are on the same level. My favorites would include "Back to Love", "Betcha She Don't Love You", "Flirt", "Kisses Don't Lie" and especially "ShakeDown".