Who was the catalyst for Disco?

[originalbigm]

While listening and researching one of my favourite early years disco lp's, "Rhapsody In White" by Barry White's Love Unlimited Orchestra (1974), I came across this rather interesting comment from Amy Hanson in a review for Allmusic

Rhapsody in White set the stage and showcased the sounds that would shortly inspire a generation of producers, arrangers, and performers to start a million mirror balls spinning the world over.

While I my personal feelings lean more to Gamble & Huff and the Philadelphia sound being in the fore front of the emergence of disco I do see the possibilty of her statement.Agree or disagree?

[QUINNY]

BW was possibly part of the equation, but it was Gamble & Huff and Thom Bell who really paved the way IMO for others to plunder.

[DiscoMan]

Barry White was part of it, though that was not his intention and would probably be insulted if told he had a "Disco Sound", but TSOP was the sound of Disco.
The sound came out of Philadelphia and the dance came out of NYC.

[Anonymous]

The catalyst for all things eurodisco - and therefore disco in general - were the soundtracks of early 70's films like "Cinque Bambole Per la Luna D'Agosto" and "Sessomatto". In these, composers such as Piero Umiliani, Ennio Morricone and Armando Trovaioli took liberties with African, Latin, American and European rhythm factors, them up and came forth with mutated sounds aimed at the dancefloor - part funk, part pop, part bossa. That's disco - not danceable soul or r&b, but pure disco!

[JussiK]

The catalyst for all things eurodisco - and therefore disco in general - were the soundtracks of early 70's films like "Cinque Bambole Per la Luna D'Agosto" and "Sessomatto". In these, composers such as Piero Umiliani, Ennio Morricone and Armando Trovaioli took liberties with African, Latin, American and European rhythm factors, them up and came forth with mutated sounds aimed at the dancefloor - part funk, part pop, part bossa. That's disco - not danceable soul or r&b, but pure disco!

I'll take the blame for that one...

[Anonymous]

I can definitely see how Gamble & Huff and the Philly sound were the catalysts. So many great songs of the era are from them.

Before that there were only isolated songs - Sylvia's "Pillow Talk" (1973) is a commercial example - that hinted that something was happening with soulful dance music... Then in the summer of '74 came George McCrae's "Rock Your Baby" and the entire Miami sound... and by the time of K.C. & The Sunshine Band it was apparent that disco could be R&B-influenced without necessarily being played on R&B radio...