U2 lead singer used to listen to "Love Machine"

[Marcio**]

"In the Seventies, club culture was the enemy. It was girl's music and we were boys. I did buy "Love Machine". Was it by the Stylistics? (Proceeds to sing the track complete with credible falsetto.) There was an instrumental on the B-side that had a serious groove. I bought that record but I don't think I told anyone because it was just at the time punk rock was breaking and punk rock was about as male, white and hormonal a form of music as you could find."


Bono Vox




"Love Machine" by the Miracles, I think :D

"U2 interviews"

[Paulo]

This is great Marcio!!!

It sums up the rock thinking. It is so funny how people in rock can pigeon-hole or classify all other music... Music for boys, music for girls, music for whites, music for blacks, music for gays...

I am very glad that he said: "in the 70's club culture was the enemy", because it also means that it didn't go away.

It is strong as ever was. And at least, today, club culture is not a "girl" thing as he said. Today, club culture has "male credibility"... now all males can go to clubs, shake their asses, dig the music, and get some sex.

[judydoggie]

Dear Paolo:

I love what you said about Pigeon-holing musical genres by demographic!!

Sadly, it's still true and in the U.S.A. the record promos and advertising reveal a lot about it that I truly believe the Labels think we're too stupid to see through. One of my fave jazz singers, Diana Krall, sold-out commercially and did an "adult contemporary" album of mostly hubby Elvis Costello's music. Boy, did Verve (her label) put a different spin on the promo. Instead of going on the shelves of equally male and female jazz fans, and being promoted in that soft-sell kinda way, when "The Girl In The Other Room" came out; it was positioned to go right in-between Norah Jones (on Yuppie, mostly female) shelves; and Barbra Streisand (on Baby Boomer, mostly female) shelves -- but, get this, there's a whole separate stand-alone in-store display, aimed at the male demographic, all but ignoring Ms. Krall and blaring "new originals with lyrics by Elvis Costello" in bright yellow -- to attract males of all ages!

Finally, speaking of males of all ages, you said "now all males can go to clubs, shake their asses, dig the music, and get some sex." I agree about the clubs, I agree about shaking the asses, I agree about diggin' the music, but when you're my age, and fat to boot, when it comes to the sex part, that's just a memory of the 1970s! (lol)

All the best,

Paul - a.k.a. JudyDoggy

[Nano]

Hey Paul, in my country it's been some years since la Krall was marketed to males... In fact, I thought it was the same everywhere... Those photo shoots, critics always mentioning her looks, you know, well... :)
I personally don't find her that attractive phisically, but she certainly sings well...

[markydefad]

"In the Seventies, club culture was the enemy. It was girl's music and we were boys. I bought that record but I don't think I told anyone because it was just at the time punk rock was breaking and punk rock was about as male, white and hormonal a form of music as you could find."

Bono Vox

Now this quote proves what I've always believed about the demise of "Disco". "Disco" was perceived as "girl's music". Hence, at a certain point, when it's dominance of the radio airwaves got overpowering-- we got BACKLASH, baby!!! And they did a damn good job too. It was mostly gone in less than a year (from the pop radio airwaves, anyway).

"Funkytown" somehow climbed to #1 in the spring of 1980...and some other R&B type dancers charted high....but nothing like in the late Seventies.

Go back underground...you, you, you...girly girls!!!

WE WANNA ROCK!!!!! FUCKIN' A-- MAN!!!! :roll:

[Paulo]

Hey Paul :D

Don't be sad. You're not alone in that "sex thing".

Although I am not fat, I am nearly 45... Things were too diferent when I was in my 20s and 30s... As Robert Smith of THE CURE sang in THE HEAD ON THE DOOR:

"... I am slowing down, as the years go by... I am sinking... So I fooled myself like anybodye else..."

[judydoggie]

I'm laughing so hard I think I've soiled my Depends!

It's a comfort to know that there are others amongst us who feel that way.

It occurred to me that if I hadn't been paying so much attention to getting a little sex appres-disco when I was younger, I'd remember more of the songs that I need to come here to be reminded of to be able to recall!

Paul - a.k.a. Judydoggie

[QUINNY]

If I ever thought Disco was girly music, I'd be appalled!!!

Shakin' yo' ass to the heavy funk jams was never a girly pastime, surely?

Staying up until 2a.m or later was an act of rebellion, especially if you were only just 16 or 17 and not old enough to lawfully drink. Not like the punk rockers who looked the look, but were safely tucked up in bed by midnight. :lol: :lol: :lol:

[judydoggie]

Dear Quinny:

Maybe the punkers near where YOU were in those days were tucked into bed by midnight. In New York City, where the bars closed then, and still do, at 4:00 a.m. and after-hours run rampant (many until 10:00 a.m.) I seem to recall pulling my car into the garage on east 18th street (right up the street from the venerable "Irving Plaza" -- now a great multi-genre music venue but then a punk toilet) and seeing punkers running like cockroaches in the headlights. This was at nearly dawn.

As for an act of rebellion, again, in NYC it was okay to stay until four at the Saint; and perhaps make a quick stop thereafter at Crisco Disco and stay 'till six. But it was never, ever correct to be out as late as the "weekenders" (9-to fivers; day-jobbers) or the "bridge and tunnel" (out-of-town) crowd; because we did it every night.

[Salsoul1975]

No, Bono; it was the Miracles (sans Smokey) who recorded "Love Machine", and not the Stylistics. Ironically, none of the Stylistics' disco-oriented work ever had the appeal that their ballads and/or uptempo material did. "Rockin' Roll Baby" was the only one that fared well; it made the Top 20 in late 1973. Everything else flopped on the pop charts, although I'm sure it fared better on the soul charts.