it began as music played in the discothèques in the 1970's.  the latest forms of disco will more likely be covered in the house and garage section, latest classic disco releases will be reviewed here.

current reviews: singles and albums

last updated: 25th october 2004

 

	roy ayers - "baby doll" [bbe] the second twelve inch from the vaults of roy ayers sees the musical genius at the other end of the spectrum from the first release.  this is classic roy ayers from the "running away" era.  great vocals and tight production make this a must have for all fans. the b side has the instrumental like the good ole days of buying a twelve inch single.  somewhat annoying as us music geeks will want two copies to work this track on the decks!
	earth wind and fire - "fantasy" (long remix) [the power funk and soul] do we really need a remix of this? as bootlegs go, this isn't the re-hashed attempt done in a bedroom...and if it is, then can we have more!  instead, we have what sounds like a live version or a track that made its way from the vaults of cbs, straight into the back of a van and to the vinyl pressing plant!  great intro, awesome finish.  just a polish of a great tune.
	"another man"- barbara mason [west end] it's one of those west end records reissued and re-mastered classics.  and that's what it is....a classic!  rather a down tempo track compared to some of the disco stompers, but hey it's all good! great production and awesome vocals from ms mason.....doesn't take much for anyone to read between the lines of the lyrics!
	"everyman"- double exposure / "my first mistake" - chi-lites - danny krivit re-edits [strut] re-edits eh?  very close to the original methinks!  but i'm not here to get into the politics!  already done the rounds in their house sampled tunes, these two disco gems are timely re-issued to teach those who don't already know the history of dance music! "my first mistake" as used on david morales' "needin u" and "everyman" as used on "salsoul nugget" by m & s......both excellent house tunes, developed from even better disco ones!
	"discolick 5"- various interesting to see this series growing in popularity!  these 'dodgy' re-issues are worth a mention as the tunes are classics and recorded on quality vinyl.  the 5th in the series brings us diana ross "love hangover" - possibly my favourite ross tune.  the flip side has the jackson's "shake your body".  so if you missed out the first time round or wanna save your originals, you better hunt these down!

 

	various - "the kings of disco" compiled by dimitri from paris and joey negro [bbe] just when you wonder if they're still making compilations, bbe records go back to their roots with a brand new series and a disco one to kick it off!  using compilers of the previous disco installments, here we see two cds; one for each of them.  dimitri delves deeper and pulls out the more rare-groove style where joey's selection has a more boogie flava.  both selections prove worthy.  'smile on the face moment' comes in the shape of spandau ballets 'chant no1 (i don't need this pressure on)' - suddenly the thoughts of 'huh?' is replaced is this really the same track?!  so yes, very much something needed in your collection.  vinyl comes in two parts with two disc's each.  and for all you trainspotters out the who think they don't need this album, most of them are dimitri's and joey's re-edits that won't be seen else where!
	larry levan – "the definitive salsoul mixes ’78-’83" [suss’d/salsoul] as a dj, he engaged the crowd and showed that creativity was something to be proud of and celebrate, whilst as a remixer, larry employed techniques that set records on fire.  for those of us too young to witness the man in action and to those whom the paradise garage now seems a world away, this compilation reinforces the memories and stories.  his ‘original album remix ‘ of the salsoul orchestra’s “how high” sees a lavish sax, hopeful guitar and popping fx lay under the vocals which question a lover’s commitment.  sparkle “handsome man” (commercially unreleased remix) is a heart warming tale of fair maiden whose has found sanctuary, as pretty guitar strums, clapped percussion and powerful brass provide the energy.  the ‘original full length remix ‘ of inner life feat jocelyn brown’s “make it last forever” takes a grooving guitar, slow dance percussion and expanding synths back jocelyn’s half whispered compelling vocals.  his mythical status may have been compounded by his tragic early death, but there is no doubting one fact; larry levan was a musical genius, who has influenced so many. (reviewed by jon freer)
	various - "disco juice volume 2" [counterpoint records] unveiling the past once more, nick the record has searched the crates of harlem's famous p&p records for a second time and come up with the goods.  this volume shows the diverse label of the nature, bringing forth a host of exquisite rare gems.  some of the hip hop tracks sound a little dated, but only in the way that music from a similar era does, and there are a few really brilliant deep disco influenced tracks, which are worth the money on their own.  ahzz's "new york moving" is a simple striding funk influenced number, with clapped percussion, a divine cooling guitar, sublime strings and a roving bass.  jesse henderson's passionate "i did it again" explores the melancholic sentiments of an exasperated lover, as gold tinted  strings, idealistic dreamy keys lie perfectly alongside jesse's vocals.  margo william's and the golden flamingo orchestra's "guardian angel is watching over us" shines brighter than the rest, thanks to a 'head's down' funk bass, margo's praising vocals, calming keys and outstanding soft keys.  while cloud one's "dust to dust" polishes things off in a similar heartfelt disco influenced style, thanks to a slow calculating percussion, a spine tingling guitar, beautiful tender moog edges and pacifying vocals.  nick has done an excellent job here, digging up a wonderful array of urban black music.
	"disco breaks mastercuts" - various artists [beechwood] continuing the theme of 'breaks' used in contemporary dance tunes, the first comp being a funk one, mastercuts bring us this disco albums full of nice little gems.  whether you are a first timer or want to save your original disco 45's, you can't really go wrong here. the selection doesn't venture too far into the commercial "cheese" but then doesn't exactly dig in deep for those rarer disco cuts.  bearing in mind the theme, it's pretty much achieved it's goal - toney lee's "reach up" as used by basement jaxx, carrie lucas "dance with you" as used by armand van helden.  other tracks to play 'spot the sample' include, black ivory "mainline", sylvester's "over and over", loose joints "is it all over my face" plus more.
	"last night a dj saved my life" - various artists [nuphonic] for review click here
	"disco not disco" - various artists [strut records] exactly how many disco compilations can joey negro compile?!  obviously not enough!  here he teams up with sean p to bring this "leftfield disco classics from the new york underground" album.  most of these tracks probably never surfaced beyond their underground culture of the day, but they go a long way to prove there was an opposite end to the disco spectrum - where the other side was filled with the cheese that killed the genre.  it's worth investing in merely for the "cavern" by liquid liquid - this is the track that sugar hill records lost the infamous court case because it's the that "white lines" is based on.  riddled with similar gems.
	"disco forever" - various artists: compiled by dimitri from paris [bbe records] to be perfectly honest, i wasn't too keen on this album - i looked at the track listing and realised i hadn't heard of a most of the artists or tracks - now being 'disco' - i thought i knew a fair amount....was i proven wrong! this gives a whole new light to a musical genre , cursed by commercialism that resulted in its death.  if ever there was a "rare groove" equivalent in disco - this album would be it. nineteen tracks on the cd and twelve on the vinyl - double vinyl and triple cd, one of which is mixed.  included are a number of dimitri re-edits that stay so true to the original, you would never have known if you hadn't read the sleeve notes.  it took a number of listens, well, two and i was hooked.  very percussive tracks that have that very familiar feeling about them that give you a sense of deja vu - "...oh is this where it's from..." type thing. a brilliant version of "love hangover" by touch is included - i didn't know it existed, an amazing spanish version of "ain't no stopping us now" by charanga '76 - not as cheesy as it may appear, a funky "barely breaking even" by the universal robot band (i was wondering when this was gonna appear on a bbe comp!)...many more, but i'm sticking to the regular three to list.....well worth getting to educate and discover the sound rare disco.
	larry levan live at the paradise garage - various artists [strut records] i was still in short trousers when larry levan first started playing records in 1971 and had only just bought my first album (‘out of the blue’ by elo, of course!) by the time the paradise garage opened in 1977, but listening to this compilation of some of larry’s finest moments in new york’s most influential club is like a soundtrack to life in the late ‘70’s. disco was everywhere and the best music from that period has a lasting quality as powerful as the other main movement at the time - punk. main difference was that, while you couldn’t even snog to punk, disco was all about serious getting down and that’s what hundreds of people did in the paradise garage every night!  myths abound around the origins and exact terminology of garage and house music as we know them today, but most people agree that what larry levan was doing in the paradise garage set the standard for most of the dj’ing and club culture that was to follow.  what’s great about this compilation is the fact that it avoids the obvious ‘disco classics’ of the time and instead plays a more ‘rare groove’ set of tunes that you don’t ordinarily find without digging through some deep and dusty back catalogues. some of the names are well-known but the tunes are a bit more obscure and much the better for it. change are here, for example, but with the epic ‘angel in my pocket’ instead of the more obvious ‘searching’ and a diana ross-free supremes feature too with the very boogie-some ‘let yourself go’. almost every track is a blinder individually and together they create a wonderful vibe across 2 cds so, if you like your disco, you’ve gotta have this! (reviewed by miles j)
	"disco juice"- various artists [counter point records] a brilliant compilation celebrating the works of p & p records of new york and it's various subsidiaries  - s.o.n.y. (sound of new york).  the labels may not have been commercially as popular as other disco labels, but they definitely delivered the tunes.  more r & b and soul based and a few often had a tendency to go off on a tangent with a bit of "moogy madness" , but then it was the flavour of the day!  tracks included: "disco juice", "patti duke" by cloud one, "dance freak" by chain reaction.
	"disco spectrum 2"- various artists [bbe records] the second installment in the series covering the disco scene.  compiled by joey negro, the album shows us the roots of house and (u.s.) garage.  staying clear of mainstream disco, it demonstrates just how versatile the scene was before commercial disco records ruined the genre.  a mix of up-tempo and (comparatively) slower tracks reminds us that it's roots are definitely r & b and funk. so what's on offer?  i can't list all the tracks so the (current) three favourites are: patti labelle's "music is the way of life" (as recently covered by the lab rats), aquarian dream's "phoenix", al hudson & partners' "spread love" (as used by lenny fontana/black sun). overall an excellent compilation that educates the listener to the essence of the disco-boogie scene.
	"larry levan's classic west end records remixes made famous at the legendary paradise garage"- various artists.  [west end records] what a long title!  west end records was one of the first labels to make 12" singles and worked closely with larry levan.  the idea of the label was to make disco more soulful and funky, it's what made west end so successful at the time.  making a come back, they have released this excellent compilation of re-issues.  tunes such as taana gardner's "heartbeat", the peech boys "don't make me wait" - if you missed them the first time round get this while you can!  the tunes may not have seen the light as chic or rose royce may have, so maybe not to everyone's disco taste, but well worth a listen.