FRIDAY NIGHT DISCO:
Artist Spotlight.
Every so often, Friday Night Disco will be shining the spotlight on a different act that's worthy of your attention.
These are the allstars, the heavy hitters, the greats! FND is working through a huge list of great artists.
You'll find biographies, rare tunes, video playlists, links to interesting articles, photos, live videos, timelines, interviews and more.
We're talking disco, groove, jazz-funk, fusion, boogie, italo, the lot.
You can catch all the updates on the Friday Night Disco Twitter page and read through the archives right here. Enjoy!
These are the allstars, the heavy hitters, the greats! FND is working through a huge list of great artists.
You'll find biographies, rare tunes, video playlists, links to interesting articles, photos, live videos, timelines, interviews and more.
We're talking disco, groove, jazz-funk, fusion, boogie, italo, the lot.
You can catch all the updates on the Friday Night Disco Twitter page and read through the archives right here. Enjoy!
#1: CHANGE /// #2: IMAGINATION /// #3: CHIC /// #4: SHALAMAR /// #5: VOYAGE /// #6: ODYSSEY /// #7: DONNA SUMMER
(next: GIORGIO MORODER)
#1: CHANGE
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CHANGE made immaculately produced Italo-Funk / Post-Disco / Disco-Funk / Groove, bursting with melody and energy and played to perfection. The group's members and production team had connections with Chic / High Fashion / Zinc / The B.B.&Q. Band.
Here's a great YouTube playlist to get you started... <<< CHANGE playlist >>> CHANGE revolved around producers Jacques Fred Petrus/Mauro Malavasi/David Romani & a cast of NYC singers & musicians. Here's an exhaustive article about these great producers. <<< CHANGE - Article >>> |
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CHANGE gave Luther Vandross - who'd previously worked with Chic - his breakthrough moment on their debut LP, The Glow Of Love. He described the title track to lyricist Wayne Garfield as "the most beautiful song I've ever sung in my life".
<<< CHANGE - The Glow Of Love >>> Best thing about CHANGE's last 80s album? "Mutual Attraction" - solid gold. Check that synth! <<< CHANGE - Mutual Attraction >>> A rare music video by CHANGE for 1984's Change Of Heart. Mimed but great nonetheless! Enjoy: <<< CHANGE - Change Of Heart >>> How about Soul Train dancers getting down to CHANGE's "Mutual Attraction"? This is gold... <<< CHANGE - Mutual Attraction (Soul Train) >>> |
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#2: IMAGINATION
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IMAGINATION, one of my favourite groups ever, is the second Artist Of The Week at Friday Night Disco. The trio - Leee John (interview below), Ashley Ingram, Errol Kennedy - made countless funk/soul/R&B/post-disco/groove/house/pop gems that nobody else could. And they were outrageous. Heroes!
Here's a huge IMAGINATION YouTube playlist to enjoy while you read on: <<< IMAGINATION playlist >>> The very first song on the very first Friday Night Disco playlist was Body Talk, IMAGINATION's smash hit debut. Leee wrote the lyrics to Ashley's backing track at his kitchen table. It sold a quarter of a million copies in the UK. Untouchable tune. IMAGINATION - Body Talk - <<< music video >>> <<< 12" version >>> <<< live performance >>> IMAGINATION's ballads are as impressive as their dance tunes. Check out Leee singing I'll Always Love You: <<< IMAGINATION - I'll Always Love You (live) >>> |
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IMAGINATION performing Just An Illusion & Music And Lights on the Champs-Elysées (if you squint)…
<<< IMAGINATION - Just An Illusion & Music And Lights (French TV) >>> Here's the classic IMAGINATION performance of Flashback on Top Of The Pops: <<< IMAGINATION - Flashback (TOTP) >>> IMAGINATION's Leee John writing for Huffington Post UK about how "the future of music is in the past": <<< IMAGINATION - Lee John article >>> But that's not all... Check out Friday Night Disco's <<< INTERVIEW WITH LEEE JOHN >>> ! |
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#3: CHIC
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What can I say? I mean, it's CHIC. You can't have a disco without them. Dressed to the nines, everything they touched turned to gold. Suave, virtuosic, tight, prolific, brilliant - nobody does what The Chic Organisation did, firstly in the world of Disco and then in the world of Pop. Based around the core of Nile Rodgers and Bernard Edwards, but gathering up some of the most talented musicians in the United States over their glittering careers, the Organisation is still going strong today, and Nile is undoubtedly the man of the moment - long considered one of the greatest talents in music and finally getting the recognition he deserves.
Here's a great YouTube playlist to kickstart the proceedings… <<< CHIC playlist >>> CHIC feat. Nile Rodgers: full set from Glastonbury 2013... <<< CHIC live at Glastonbury >>> |
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CHIC fans: @nilerodgers has been working with @Fender on a replica of his Hitmaker guitar (which has played on $2 billion worth of songs)...and it's nearly there.
<<< Nile's Hitmaker replica >>> Two great versions of At Last I Am Free - CHIC's original & Robert Wyatt's amazing cover: <<< CHIC - At Last I Am Free >>> <<< Robert Wyatt - At Last I Am Free >>> Have you looked at CHIC's tour schedule? They might be playing near you soon… <<< CHIC's tour schedule >>> |
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One of the smoothest CHIC tracks in the catalogue - Savoir Faire.
<<< CHIC - Savoir Faire >>> Whether you're new to CHIC or a longtime fan, you need to watch "Nile Rodgers: The Hitmaker". Full (1 hour) documentary: <<< CHIC documentary - Nile Rodgers: The Hitmaker >>> And I couldn't finish without mentioning Nile's autobiography, "Le Freak". One of the best books you could hope to read about disco, New York, pop, determination, identity, music - you name it - you really should make room for it in your life. <<< Nile Rodgers' autobiography - Le Freak >>> |
#4: SHALAMAR
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SHALAMAR had ups and downs, lineup changes, success and heartache, but no matter what, they always had the tunes and the moves. The band's three most famous members went on to have successful solo careers (particularly Jody), and even now, a slightly different version of SHALAMAR does occasional shows. Their biggest hits - from between 1979 and 1983 - are the stuff of legend. Here's to Shalamar.
Let's begin with an epic YouTube playlist full of Shalamar classics and rarities: <<< SHALAMAR playlist >>> SHALAMAR was conceived by Soul Train's Don Cornelius & Dick Griffey way back in 1976. The group originally consisted of session singers, who were replaced - after "Uptown Festival" - by Gerald Brown, Jody Watley and Jeffrey Daniel. Watley and Daniel were discovered on Soul Train. After second album Disco Gardens, Howard Hewett replaced Brown and producer Leon Sylvers III was brought in. The SHALAMAR formula had been found. |
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How about one video from each of SHALAMAR's classic albums? Coming right up...
"Take That To The Bank", from 1977's Disco Gardens, with Gerald Brown, Jody & Jeffrey.http://www. <<< SHALAMAR - Take That To The Bank >>> "The Second Time Around", from 1979's Big Fun, their first album with Howard. <<< SHALAMAR - The Second Time Around >>> "Full Of Fire", from 1980's superb Three For Love. A great Jody tune. <<< SHALAMAR - Full Of Fire >>> "Sweeter As The Days Go By", from 1981's Go For It. A delicious groove. <<< SHALAMAR - Sweeter As The Days Go By >>> "A Night To Remember" and "I Can Make You Feel Good", from 1982's classic, Friends. <<< SHALAMAR - A Night To Remember >>> <<< SHALAMAR - I Can Make You Feel Good >>> "Over And Over", from 1983's The Look (Jody & Jeffrey's last appearance). http://www. <<< SHALAMAR - Over And Over >>> |
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SHALAMAR's label, SOLAR Records (formerly Soul Train Records), was founded in 1977 by Dick Griffey. The acronym stood for Sound Of Los Angeles Records. Other acts on the roster included The Whispers, The Sylvers, Lakeside, Dynasty, The Deele and Midnight Star.
<<< SHALAMAR's label - SOLAR Records >>> Want to dig deeper? Here's SHALAMAR's Unsung documentary, which deals with everything from their beginning to the eventual breakup of the classic Hewett/Watley/Daniel lineup... <<< SHALAMAR documentary >>> ...and Jody Watley's follow-up videos on YouTube. <<< SHALAMAR - Jody Watley Unfiltered >>> Jody and Jeffrey started out dancing on Soul Train; Jeffrey eventually became Michael Jackson's dance coach, teaching him some of his signature moves. Let's wrap things up with some SHALAMAR boogie... <<< SHALAMAR - Jody & Jeffrey on Soul Train >>> <<< SHALAMAR - Jeffrey & his dance group Eclipse >>> <<< SHALAMAR - Jeffrey on TOTP (1) >>> <<< SHALAMAR - Jeffrey on TOTP (2) >>> <<< SHALAMAR - Jeffrey Daniel video collection >>> |
#5: VOYAGE
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VOYAGE (Marc Chantereau, André "Slim" Pezin, Pierre-Alain Dahan, Sauveur Mallia and, on their first two albums, vocalist Sylvia Mason-James) made some of the best French disco ever. A group of highly-regarded musicians and composers, formerly known as VIP Connection and Arpadys, they joined forces with producer Roger Tokarz in the late 70s and released a double-whammy of disco classics on Sirocco Records: 1977's Voyage and 1978's Fly Away. They then changed their sound for their third and fourth LPs, Voyage 3 and One Step Higher, embracing funk-pop and post-disco, like many others at the turn of the 80s.
How about a couple of VOYAGE playlists? Here we go... <<< VOYAGE playlist 1 >>> <<< VOYAGE playlist 2 >>> VOYAGE's albums were themselves voyages - beginning with the incredible mission statement From East To West. This is too good! <<< VOYAGE - From East To West >>> |
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The track titles on the band's debut LP say it all; From East To West is followed by Point Zero, Orient Express, Scotch Machine, Latin Odyssey and Lady America - the last of which can be seen here on Discoring:
<<< VOYAGE - Lady America (on Discoring) >>> The follow-up came a year later, the soundtrack to another global odyssey. Here are two versions of opening track Souvenirs, which many consider to be VOYAGE's finest moment... <<< VOYAGE - Souvenirs (album version) >>> <<< VOYAGE - Souvenirs (on French TV) >>> After those two wonderful concept albums, VOYAGE returned in 1980 with Voyage 3 - their 3rd album and their first as a trio. They presented a new funk-pop-disco sound. Top tune? I Love You Dancer. Tremendous. <<< VOYAGE - I Love You Dancer >>> |
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#6: ODYSSEY
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One of my favourite disco - and indeed R&B - acts is ODYSSEY. The Lopez Sisters (Lillian, Carmen and Louise), born in the Virgin Islands but living in New York, started out singing together and then became ODYSSEY (Lillian, Louise & Tony Reynolds) in 1977. They brought a Carribean feel to their eclectic, self-titled debut, which concenred itself mostly with R&B and soul. Bill McEachern replaced Tony in '78; the group then moved into disco and away from their label, RCA. The late, great Lillian Lopez was ODYSSEY's lead singer and featured in every lineup of the band. One of a kind.
To begin, let's try this ODYSSEY playlist... <<< ODYSSEY - playlist >>> This one - produced by CHIC's Nile Rodgers and Bernard Edwards - is a beast. ODYSSEY - Together:http://www. <<< ODYSSEY - Together >>> |
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One of the most magical tunes I know, from the post-RCA phase of ODYSSEY's career. Feel that synth! (Joy) I Know It:
<<< ODYSSEY - (Joy) I Know It >>> The superb disco mix of perhaps ODYSSEY's signature tune, Native New Yorker, from their otherwise disco-free debut album: <<< ODYSSEY - Native New Yorker (Disco mix) >>> Probably my favourite ODYSSEY song. If you're not feeling this tune, it ain't loud enough! Use It Up And Wear It Out... <<< ODYSSEY - Use It Up And Wear It Out >>> And this monumental slab of funk and groove, taken from 1982's Happy Together: <<< ODYSSEY - Inside Out >>> |
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#7: DONNA SUMMER
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The Queen of Disco. Pop siren. Moroder collaborator. She was born LaDonna Gaines, but you'll know her as DONNA SUMMER. An early career in psychedelic rock was followed by a move to Germany to star in musicals, but once she teamed up with Giorgio Moroder and Pete Bellotte, a star was truly born. One of disco's true icons, she blazed a trail across the charts in the 70s and 80s and we haven't seen the like of her since. Let's have a look at some of her finest material.
First up is a huge playlist, spanning her entire career... <<< DONNA SUMMER playlist >>> I Feel Love - the track that changed disco and dance music forever, thanks to Moroder and Bellotte. <<< DONNA SUMMER - I Feel Love >>> |
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Hot Stuff was probably DONNA SUMMER's biggest-selling single. Certainly packs a punch...
<<< DONNA SUMMER - Hot Stuff >>> Have you heard the 17-minute version of Love To Love You Baby? Has to be her most outrageous moment. Very, very saucy. <<< DONNA SUMMER - Love To Love You Baby >>> DONNA SUMMER's excellent 1976 LP, A Love Trilogy, in full - highly recommended... <<< DONNA SUMMER - A Love Trilogy (full album) >>> |
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This is the real deal. Now I Need You and Working The Midnight Shift, back-to-back. DONNA SUMMER. 1977. Oh yes.
<<< DONNA SUMMER - Now I Need You / Working The Midnight Shift >>> Let's zone in on Wasted, from side B of the Love Trilogy album. One of my favourites. Blissful disco. <<< DONNA SUMMER - Wasted >>> DONNA SUMMER is the only artist ever to have three consecutive double albums reach the top of the US charts. They were Live and More, Bad Girls and On the Radio. All in all, she released seventeen studio albums, moving between soul, R&B, dance-pop, funk, disco, pop-rock, house and synthpop - but she'll most likely be remembered for her contribution to Disco and how her longstanding collaboration with Moroder and Bellotte changed dance music for good - releasing superb, cohesive albums and ushering in electronic dance music. Her voice never diminished in quality. She died in 2012. <<< DONNA SUMMER remembered by Nile Rodgers >>> |