In defense of Loose Joints' - Is It All Over My Face

Marcio** · February 23rd, 2005, 07:55 PM

http://www.discomusic.com/records-more/551_0_2_0_C/
http://www.discomusic.com/records-more/4595_0_2_0_C/

The current opinion: Loose Joints' "Is It All Over My Face" is the best disco record with the worst female vocals ever...The contrary opinion:

“Is It All Over My Face” is one of the most classic underground dance tracks ever. Its winning combination of insanely funky, minimal proto-house percussion, bass and keyboard work (courtesy of leftfield disco genius Arthur Russell) and great sleazy, double-entendre lyrics - “Is it all over my face?/You caught me love dancin’” made it an instant favorite with New York and Chicago DJs like Larry Levan and Ron Hardy, and it has endured ever since. This version contains both the rarely heard “Male Vocal” version which is heavier on percussion, and the sweeter, more widely known “Female Vocal”. Like so many of my favorite disco records, this was one those situations where the drummer was paid in coke before the session, instead of afterwards, resulting in an open drum break at the beginning of the track and many moments of spontaneous cumbustion along the way. In Chicago, dancers scream back “hell, yeah” in response when the DJ cuts out the song after the question “Is it all over my face?” The first time a fellow DJ showed me that trick while I was playing it out in Chicago to a packed house party, and I heard 100 people screaming that back at me in unison, my career fate was sealed. Buy it already – it’s an absolutely essential dance classic."

from
http://www.turntablelab.com/funkinthetrunk/fitt8.html

:)

**remicks** · February 24th, 2005, 03:23 AM

....."and great sleazy, double-entendre lyrics " .... I agree the lyrics are sleazy ...but not great. The track itself is OK but I've never been fond of sleazy lyrics and always felt their presence lessened songs .... not enhanced them. That's why I've never been a fan of certain records and typically don't listen to them .... That includes Grace Jones "Pull up To The Bumper", Salsoul's "You're Just The Right Size " and Musiques "Push Push In the Bush" . I just don't find it entertaining . How about that....I'm a disco prude :D :lol: !!

**LITTLE SCOTTY** · February 24th, 2005, 10:06 AM

Originally Written by remicks

....."and great sleazy, double-entendre lyrics " .... I agree the lyrics are sleazy ...but not great. The track itself is OK but I've never been fond of sleazy lyrics and always felt their presence lessened songs .... not enhanced them. That's why I've never been a fan of certain records and typically don't listen to them .... That includes Grace Jones "Pull up To The Bumper", Salsoul's "You're Just The Right Size " and Musiques "Push Push In the Bush" . I just don't find it entertaining . How about that....I'm a disco prude :D :lol: !!

8) I respect your opinion,cos you've said that you don't like them,so don't like listen to them....but you've never said that it was "bullshit" or something like that,like many people say..... :evil: when they don't like a music style......

**NickNack** · February 24th, 2005, 11:52 AM

Originally Written by Marcio

The current opinion: Loose Joints' "Is It All Over My Face" is the best disco record with the worst female vocals ever

I'll stick with this opinion and add two corrections (IMHO, of course

:) ): 1) It is NOT the 'best disco record' and, 2) It has the worst vocals ever --- female and male.

**Videoskooter** · February 24th, 2005, 03:35 PM

I always liked it :D Okay, the voices are special but they make this recording very avant-garde and trancy. perhaps it's not that fit for the dancefloor but at home I can listen to it several times!

**markydefad** · February 24th, 2005, 03:39 PM

The most telling line from that review is that "the drummer was paid in coke." I think he shared with the vocalists. :lol:

I get the feeling they are "high" when I listen to it. :-?

**passaro** · February 25th, 2005, 12:18 AM

no wave/new wave was fusing with disco in new york the time this record was released. (bands playing around nyc such as esg, konk, liquid liquid etc.) i think this record perhaps isnt for everybody. especially people wont dont understand traditional african music or avant garde music, everything in this song is perfect in my own opinion. this music isnt pop or ear candy for kids that never ate their greens. its real music, and quite ghetto too... if you dont feel it, then i guess you just dont FEEL it.to be honest i feel upset i should even have to defend this song and artist. did you lose the key to unlock your mind?

critics drilled john coltrane when they first heard his avant garde stylings, saying he was losing is form, playing offkey, making grunting noises and other awful sounds, these people such as yourself completley missed the point too. i guess some things arent for everybody. (which can be good :))

**QUINNY** · February 25th, 2005, 02:54 AM

And then there's stuff which is just goddam awful!

Is It All Over My Face errs towards being just plain bad and to try and pull the "some of you are ignorant" trip is the easiest thing to do, but sooo difficult to actually back up.

There's good music and bad music. For my money (a Jazz/Coltrane fan to boot) Loose Joints is just plain bad and has little of merit contained within its grooves.

**remicks** · February 25th, 2005, 10:48 AM

Hmmmm . It's an interesting idea ... records that are just plain bad period , or records that are good, period. Seems like a subjective issue ..if someone likes it , for them it's a good record. I do think that some disco was more instantly accessible. Some songs you could first listen to, and know they'd go over on the dance floor. Then there were the frustrating times when as a DJ you felt a song should be well received but it wasn't. I think the harder to sell records were sometimes more rewarding, when a DJ would slowly convert (sometimes) his crowd into responding to it. I admired those DJs that stuck with some obscure record they believed in. Obviously you aren't alone in appreciating Loose Joints , passaro, just read the review. I'm going to give it a couple more spins ..... I'm in the mood to attempt to be converted .. :) ..

**Arazi440** · February 25th, 2005, 05:05 PM

Check out Ministry of Sound-The Sessions Volume 3-mixed by Clivilles & Cole -Track 3-Dajae Is it all over my Face(all over smoove,s face mix) written by Hula/H Fingers/Dajae 1994 Cajua ! music :)

**Videoskooter** · February 25th, 2005, 05:53 PM

Hey I'm with Passaro. Just calling it a bad record and again playing the hype-card is very subjective, Q ,my dear friend :) Just like Remicks says, if somebody likes it, he LIKES it!

If Loose Joints were THAT bad, how come it still is played as hell in many discos here, but then again Belgians probably just don't have taste although we make the best goddamn chocolates in the world, as said last week by George W. Bush himself. I think even the Prez likes Loose Joints, I'm sure about it!

**Bernie** · February 26th, 2005, 09:28 AM

Originally Written by Videoskooter

...as said last week by George W. Bush himself. I think even the Prez likes Loose Joints, I'm sure about it!

No, he likes big fat joints - Inhale George 8)

**Bernie** · February 26th, 2005, 09:30 AM

"Is It All Over My Face" is alright and I still play it, but if you ask me the best Arthur Russell song is "Kiss Me Again" by Dinosaur. The 13 minutes of haunting cellos and bass... A superb song. This is vastly superior to Loose Joints.

**NickNack** · February 26th, 2005, 02:09 PM

Originally Written by Videoskooter

Hey I'm with Passaro. Just calling it a bad record and again playing the hype-card is very subjective, Q ,my dear friend :) Just like Remicks says, if somebody likes it, he LIKES it!

Well guess what? :D I'M WITH QUINNY! And I take umbrage to the fact that passaro thinks we're uninformed, ignorant or whatever because we happen to disagree.

Being 'raw' doesn't make music 'real'. Being loose and disjointed doesn't make it 'ghetto' or 'avant-garde'. What this song does showcase is an inability :o of the vocalists to sing in the key the song is written. Passaro thinks the song is perfect, I think it's crap. No big deal. (BTW: I still eat my greens, :) every chance I get.)

If Loose Joints were THAT bad, how come it still is played as hell in many discos

Lots of bad music is still played in discos because, as you said, 'bad' is subjective. We all know that. I think "IIAOMF" holds on because of how people experienced it BITD. Jussi said the same thing about this song in an old thread. It's one of those, "You had to be there".

I played this song at 'the Rabbit' because a lot of the crowd also hung out at 'the Garage'. They liked it --- I didn't it. They danced --- everybody happy! I didn't play it at 'the Anvil' and nobody gave a damn. Different strokes, different folks, people. :)

**DJJOHN** · February 26th, 2005, 02:11 PM

This is where people that like that horriblt HINRG stuff show thier differences with people with good taste. If you don't understand Loose Joints then you probably like stuff like Abbacadabra or what ever it was called.

**DJJOHN** · February 26th, 2005, 02:13 PM

You should not have to "defend" this record. Its an absolute classic, way ahead of its time.

**Videoskooter** · February 26th, 2005, 03:23 PM

Originally Written by NickNack

Different strokes, different folks, people. :)

That's the one!!!
I guess we'll never agree on this one but I will go looking for a fairly recent Mix album I have that contains an awesome remix of this one. BTW I deliberately listened to the original several times yesterday and yes, when you listen to it very closely you can argue the synergy of the vocals and the instruments but that is the reason why I Like it so much. It has some sort of Jazz pattern in it. And as we all know Jazz is not everybody's cup of tea. I like it but my dad says they only hide the fact that they can not keep in tune. :D :D :D

Music is like food. Everybody has his own opinion about it and that makes it interesting I suppose. I wonder if Quinny puts mayonaise on his fries BTW!

**NickNack** · February 26th, 2005, 03:32 PM

Originally Written by DJJOHN

This is where people that like that horriblt HINRG stuff show thier differences with people with good taste. If you don't understand Loose Joints then you probably like stuff like Abbacadabra or what ever it was called.

And the 'newbie' casts wide aspersions. I love it! :lol: WELCOME to the board. I see you'll have no problem sharing your opinions. :)

**QUINNY** · February 26th, 2005, 06:33 PM

VideoS: I occasionally put Mayo wit' ma fries, but much prefer sautéed potatoes cooked in olive oil and herbs. Don't need any Mayo with them.

I think IIAOMF is one of those records that has been hyped as more and more revisionists have re-written the Disco playlist. It wasn't played that much BITD, so far as I know.

BTW: It's got sweet FA to do with Jazz and Ingrams did make some much better music. No, it's totally Russell's creation, isn't it (another revisionist's hero that was not particularly rated/played/talked about BITD)?

Sorry to sound soooo cynical, but that's just my way. :lol: :lol: :lol:

Marcio** · February 26th, 2005, 08:15 PM

From dusty groove.com:

"One of the strangest club tracks from the West End years -- but a great one! The cut's an obvious reference to some of the more sensual practices of the club scene, and it's got a nice dark sound to it that's a good example of the way that late disco, early house, and post-punk sounds were criss-crossing on the New York scene. Served up here in both male and female vocal versions, too! "

So...What sensual practice is it ???

http://www.discomusic.com/records-more/551_0_2_0_C/

:)

**passaro** · February 27th, 2005, 06:09 AM

hey bernie, do you know about the "flying hearts"? a band that david byrne and arthur russell played in the 70s?.. oh i love kiss me again too :) but i dont think
of anything as being superior, ...a time and a place for everything.

**Bernie** · February 27th, 2005, 09:29 AM

Never heard of Flying Hearts and if its one of those 12" singles over a $100. I guess I never will :cry:

**remicks** · February 27th, 2005, 09:21 PM

"I played this song at 'the Rabbit' because a lot of the crowd also hung out at 'the Garage'. They liked it --- I didn't it. They danced --- everybody happy! I didn't play it at 'the Anvil' and nobody gave a damn. Different strokes, different folks, people. :)" -------- NickNack , why was "Is It All Over my face?" not a good play for The Anvil?

**passaro** · March 2nd, 2005, 01:35 AM

critics are musics worst enemy, i guess some didnt get it from the start.

miles davis, "if they say too much or act too cool then they dont know ****".

**QUINNY** · March 2nd, 2005, 05:06 AM

Passaro: For every one person who likes Miles Davis there are probably 20 who don't and even hardened Davis fans were unable to get behind such things as his Jazz Fusion leanings from the very late '60s and early '70s. It's not as if any one person has the monopoly on good taste (as everyone here tells me!! :lol: ).

So quoting Miles Davis hardly earns your proposition any brownie points. It's really very easy to agree with everyone else, when everyone else are the 'hipsters' that dictate what is cool, sometimes for ulterior motives or to save face. Try and convince me IN YOUR OWN TERMS why I should change my mind about this nothing piece of music. All you've done is make me realise that you can be brainwashed.