EASY LOVE

Italo is the bible for believers in the healing powers of synth-driven beats.  Learn well its teachings?

Vikki Benson — Easy Love (Download)

JEWEL'S GROOVE

Outrageously funky tune...in a primal way.  Dam-Funk seems to have taken a lesson or two from "Jewel." If I had to guess I'd say this is a different Jewel than the "Foolish Games" one tho.

JEWEL — JEWEL'S GROOVE (Download)

TOOK ME ALL THE WAY BACK

90s house from Theo Parrish.

Theo Parrish — Took Me All The Way Back (Download)

TIME TO MOVE

I think electro-funk is taking over my brain.  Do you ever have those moments where you wonder if you're human or a supremely placed cowbell inside a punchy synth breakdown?

I'm hooked. Fierce edit by Marcello Giordani of Italo Deviance.



Carmen — Time to Move (Marcello Giordani Boogie Down Edit) (Download)

BODY MUSIC

Getting back to the roots of this blog with a sexy disco numba.  With a coy name-drop of the band hidden inside as a prize!

One On One — Body Music (Download)

PUMP UP THE JAM

Andy Butler has cited this as one of the songs that first got him into electronic music... I think it makes sense.



Technotronic — Pump Up the Jam (Download)

TRESPASSERS

Rule #2
I always do what signs tell me. 

Some fun house...from the Netherlands.

Trespassers — Newworldaquarium (Download)

DO YOU WANNA DANCE?

Came across this video courtesy of Joe Barnes of Journey Into The Unknown.  Apparently King Sporty (aka Noel Williams) is best known for co-authoring Bob Marley's Buffalo Soldier... But all I know is I have to learn some of his dance moves...



Quality electro-funk from King Sporty and the Ex Tras, 1983, Dancefloor Records.

King Sporty and the Ex Tras — Do You Wanna Dance (Download)

IN THE LIGHT OF THE MIRACLE

One of those few songs that haunts me for a bit after every listen.

In the Light of the Miracle (Danny Krivit Re-edit) — Arthur Russell (Download)

WAITING ON MY ANGEL

Some mid-80s house from Jamie Principle on Persona Records.  My Italo-influence senses are tingling.

Jamie Principle — Waiting On My Angel (Download)

BACK IN TX

First post back in TX, y'all.  London was fun, but it's good to be back...they don't have iced tea over there...

I reckon with this one Don Armando captured a little of that Texas bravado I've come to know and admire.

Don Armando's Second Avenue Rhumba Band, 1979, ZE Records.



Don Armando's Second Avenue Rhumba Band — Deputy of Love (Download)

TONIGHT IT'S PARTY TIME

Rule #1
If it's in the store, you can buy it.

Legendary producer Bob Blank, Sleeping Bag Records, 1983.



Class Action — Weekend

I O U

Been kind of 1983 heavy lately. I guess it was a good year. The Tokyo Disneyland opened for instance, and McDonald's introduced the McNugget.

So here's another tasty 1983 nugget, from Arthur Baker (New Order/Afrika Bambaatta).

Freeez — I O U

MY HOUSE

Herc n the crew are back, and these fools worked it out again!! Old school Hercules and Love Affair meets old school house meets the new school of Andy Butler.  Shaun Wright on vocals.

I wish Hercules and Love Affair would love me back the way I love them.



Hercules and Love Affair — My House

THE MUSIC GOT ME

This is one to get excited about! It sure makes me giddy. Straight outta 1983, some excellent almost-house from Prelude Records.

Visual — The Music Got Me (Vocal Mix)

I'M GOING TO GO

It seems like this song was born out of Italo, but raised by American funk.  I'm extremely fond of it.  Released 1983 from Full Time Records.

Jago — I'm Going to Go

I WANT TO TELL YOU TODAY

One of the rootinest tootinest disco tunes I know, from the master himself, Arthur Russell (as Loose Joints).

Loose Joints — Tell You (Today) (Original 12" Vocal)

Keep Your Love Alive!

Heard this at Visions Video Bar the other night... I've been enjoying it quite a bit.

Paul Sharada — Keep Your Love Alive (Keep it Satisfied) (12" Version)

The Italo Exit

Last night I checked out Visions Video Bar's launch party for their Magic Waves winter festival.  These kids know how to put together a party.  They were spinning some of the best Italo I've heard until 4am.

THE ITALO EXIT presents MAGIC WAVES WINTER FESTIVAL LAUNCH PARTY

I found a track from Alden Tyrell that has that "new" Italo sort of vibe he's got going on.

Alden Tyrell feat. Fred Ventura — "Memories"

This party was a lot of fun. Highly recommended to folks in London!

Keeping with the Italo theme.......I'll post one of my favorite Italo tracks. I've always liked the vibe of this one. Kind of dark in tone, but crisp and with some killa synth. Mix these ingredients and throw in a dash of brooding identity crisis lyrics and BAM! You've got a hot dish of Italo.

DHARMA — "Plastic Doll"

Dang I've been posting a lot of Italo lately...!

Victim of Change Again

A melancholic mood this evening reminded me of this Italo classic from Canadian songwriter/producer Gino Soccio.  It's one of those tunes that really draws you into a mood, with only sparse lyrics and pensive but persistent synth-driven instrumentals.  With a beat that can hold its own on the dance floor to boot, this is one of my favorite Italo songs.

Gino Soccio — "Remember"

I Came Here to Dance

Madleen Kane is just that Swedish model-turned-disco-diva that we all know.  This track comes from Trema, one of the most successful independent French record labels during the 70s.  It was released in 1980 and definitely contains traces of that 80s dance vibe that we've all come to know and love on and off the dancefloor.  There's also some cool horns, catchy multilingual vocals and some rad hair-metal-esque guitar riffs.



Enjoy.


Madleen Kane — "Cherchez Pas"

I'm an Indian Too

Not sure if this song is incredibly racist or just some kind of ineffective social commentary... Possibly both, but whatever it is, this silliness, a disco cover of a song from "Annie Get Your Gun," combines a spectacular groove with some catchy and truly bizarre vocals.  But what else can you expect?  Just another winner from Don Armando's Second Avenue Rhumba Band.

This disco oddity was released by ZE Records in 1979 as 12" with "Deputy of Love" as a B-side.

Don Armando's Second Avenue Rhumba Band — "I'm an Indian Too"

Don Armando's Second Avenue Rhumba Band — "I'm an Indian Too (12" Version)"

Leo Zero/Strut Records/London

In a few weeks Strut Records' first compilation of their "Disconnect" series will be released, with tracks selected by UK deejay legend Leo Zero. Strut says that with "Disconnect," they ask "some of the world's leading DJs to explore the darker side of their collections for rarities, secret weapons and unheralded dancefloor winners." It sounds like fun, but there's only one way to know for sure!

But most importantly, to promote the release Leo Zero has been doing a tour around Europe, and he'll be doing a set at London's The Book Club in Shoreditch on Friday, November 26.  I'm guessing it won't be entirely disco-centric, but it should be a good time.

You can also download a track from the compilation for free, in advance! Got a download link here for convenience. It's not too exciting to me, but it's solid.  Still definitely looking forward to the full release.


Leo Zero — (The Countach feat. Rosenda) My Oasis (Dance Club Version)


STRUT RECORDS DISCONNECT


THE BOOK CLUB INFO

Take a Chance

Eerie and strangely emotional, this Mr. Flagio tune from 1983 touches a peculiar part of my heart.  It has that slightly off-kilter Italo feel, simple instrumentation that knows what to do at exactly the right moments, and some vocoder vocals that send chills down my spine every time.  I guess that's my attempt at rationalizing my love for this song, but I don't think it quite captures exactly why I can't stop listening to it.

Mr. Flagio — "Take a Chance"

Love-Disco, Because I Love You So

Winter seems to be creepin' in, and it's getting me down. For the alleviation of these wintertime moods, the doctor recommends some disco.

Here are a few tunes that always manage to shake the blues right outta me via paranormal surges of energy that cause violent and uncontrollable fits of  boogie-ing down.

Hyperbole aside........these love-themed songs should warm your heart on these cold Fall nights. Because what better to do when it's getting cold outside than stay inside with the ones you love and share some dance moves?

 
Jimmy Ross — "First True Love Affair"

Syreeta — "Can't Shake Your Love"

Can't Make It Up...

Friends!

In the endless sea of the internet disco world in which I spend so much time swimming/drowning, etc., I have stumbled upon what I think can only be described as an absurd treasure.

Yes, you have guessed it! Despite the relative arbitrariness of this blog's name (other than stemming from my love of Cosby-esque sweaters), I recently discovered that my blog's eponymous human, Mr. Bill Cosby himself, released a comedy disco album in 1977 entitled Disco Bill.

While it might not be comedy-disco's Sgt. Pepper's Lonely Hearts Club Band, I think it could at least be the (perhaps fortunately) forgotten genre's The Joshua Tree.

.......Anyways, complete with some presumably 'funktastic' album art, the album is kind of amusing and worth a listen if you have a lot of free time.  But to save you some time, here's what I think is the best track.

Bill Cosby — "What Ya Think 'Bout Lickin' My Chicken?"

Get out there and dance to this sucker!!

...Oh, boy.

Viva Italo!

Hey there sailors...

I've been failing in the posting department lately, but alas, no excuses.

As I mentioned in my first post, Hercules and Love Affair came to London for one performance at Debut, at which they appropriately 'debut'ed a bunch of material from their upcoming release "Blue Songs."  In an attempt to avoid re-opening still tender wounds, I will only say that I missed the show by mere minutes.........

But I can't complain too much seeing as I spent the entire week before the show in Italy with the lovely Deprecious, exploring the land which has seen Rome rise and fall, given us the art and ideas of the Renaissance, fine wines and cuisine, and most significantly birthed a brief moment in the 1980s that left a mark on dance music forever that we have come to know as Italo Disco.

Characterized by synth-driven dance rhythms and over the top vocals that reek of Italian cheese, Italo took disco where need it needed to go after it lost popularity in the late 70s.

Kano, an Italo group formed in 1979, is a supreme example of the type of music being cranked out during this period.  Famous for their hit "I'm Ready," they released a fair amount of quirky tunes to which many folks around the world have danced the night away, including the fabulous "Now Baby Now."

Kano — "Now Baby Now (Kotey Edit)"

And in self-pity for missing the Hercules and Love Affair Show, I'll also post this track that Andy Butler created with Jason Kendig as the first release of their new record label "MR.INTL." I think it's pretty cool, a kind of techno/deep house thing going on, with a nifty vocal sample to boot.

Andrew Butler and Jason Kendig — "And I'm (So in Love With You)"

Helluva Week

Oy vey.

I've been tired for literally a week. With the exception of the few glorious hours that I've actually been asleep.

Anyways... music! I've been extremely excited about this tune for the past few days, amidst my sleepy haze.  A classic underground groover from West End Records, with some outrageous synth work and a vocal performance that reminds us all why disco is the genre that puts us in our place.

I think if you don't like this song you need to take a step back and really look at yourself.  Reconsider some life choices and begin making changes that have long been necessary.  How could you have ended up here?

Shirley Lites — Heat You Up (Melt You Down)

"I'm in London For You"

Hey Gang,

After being here for almost a month, it wasn't until this last Friday night that I got my first taste of London disco, so I figured there couldn't be a much better time for this inaugural post.

My first London-disco adventure was not a let down. Some friends and I headed out to a bar near Kings Cross to catch a set from Serge Santiago, who did not disappoint and kept the grooves coming with an Italo-heavy set, mixed with a lot of solid disco and house tunes.

A great house track from Serge Santiago, "Atto D' Amore":

Serge Santiago — "Atto D' Amore"

I've also been psyching myself up for the January release of Hercules and Love Affair's second album.

For those who might be interested, they're coming to London for one performance at Debut. More info here: http://www.friezefoundation.org/music/

This remix of "Blind" by the legendary Frankie Knuckles reminds me of what I love about both Hercules and Frankie.


Hercules and Love Affair — "Blind (Frankie Knuckles Remix)"

Anyhow, as being in London finally gave me the inspiration and motivation to try this out, I'll finish my first post with one last track, whose lyrics were appropriately misheard by Daddy as "I'm in London for you."

"Haven't You Heard?" by Patrice Rushen. A great dance-y disco ditty  remixed by the Paradise Garage's Larry Levan.

Patrice Rushen — "Haven't You Heard? (Larry Levan Mix)"