chapter eightascendancy

[…] of the outgoing year in his final column for 1976, the future made a surreptitious appearance on the bottom right-hand corner of his “Disco File” page where David Mancuso had listed a track called “Love in ‘C’ Minor” by an obscure artist called Cerrone as one of the records on his current playlist.

[…] to stereotype was maintained when German machinery joined French sex in the form of Kraftwerk’s Trans-Europe Express, which included a travel-as-flowing-art-form title track that simulated a rail journey through its reproduction of a train whistle, electrified wheels, locomotive rhythm, and […]

[…] joined French sex in the form of Kraftwerk’s Trans-Europe Express, which included a travel-as-flowing-art-form title track that simulated a rail journey through its reproduction of a train whistle, electrified wheels, locomotive rhythm, and screeching brakes (“Metal on Metal” was the run-on track).

Kraftwerk had already established their experimental credentials by deploying Robert Moog’s portable modular synthesizer in Autobahn, although their ensuing tour of America suggested that their brand of avant-garde futurism wouldn’t translate onto the dance floor.

Europe’s techno invasion gathered pace with the release of Donna Summer’s I Remember Yesterday, a concept album that journeyed through the decades.

A brilliant combination of whipped-up synthesizer and dreamy, ecstatic vocals, “I Feel Love” was quite unlike anything else on the album.

“They said, ‘Come on over, let’s talk!’ and they signed me as a producer.” In June, Bogart snapped up the rights to the producer’s latest project, Love and Kisses by Love and Kisses, and the single “I Found Love (Now That I Found You)” became a major chart hit.

“They said, ‘Come on over, let’s talk!’ and they signed me as a producer.” In June, Bogart snapped up the rights to the producer’s latest project, Love and Kisses by Love and Kisses, and the single “I Found Love (Now That I Found You)” became a major chart hit.

Empowered by the sale of half of his company to PolyGram for a reported ten million dollars, Bogart also signed Jacques Morali and Henri Belolo, and in July 1977 the duo delivered their first recording to the West Coast mogul, Village People by the Village People.

[…] that gay men didn’t yet have a disco act they could call their own—Valentino had recorded “I Was Born This Way,” ostensibly the first self-consciously gay anthem, in 1975 but there were no gay-identified groups — and so he decided to write and produce a gay concept album that featured Rose […]

[…] working with the Ritchie Family, had already shifted from the polished Philadelphia sound of Brazil and Arabian Nights to a powerhouse aesthetic for the recording of African Queens, which featured Olatunji and six other percussionists, and they retained the new sound on their Casablanca debut.

Moroder launched himself as a solo artist with the release of From Here to Eternity by Giorgio, a techno-funk collection.

Summer continued her prolific run when she and Moroder came out with the double-album Once Upon a Time, a reinterpretation of the Cinderella story that included drug highs and urban lows before reaching its happy conclusion.

And Cerrone consolidated his reputation as one of Eurodisco’s most influential figures when he released Supernature, a fable about good and evil that was infused with H.

True, Vince Montana set the cash registers clinking when Christmas Jollies, which he produced in just thirty days, went on to fill a couple of hundred thousand Christmas stockings.

Holloway’s album, Loleatta, was released to enthusiastic reviews in January 1977, and a month later the vocalist made her nightclub debut at the Gallery’s Valentine’s Day Massacre party.

“She was so excited by the crowd that she just started singing these songs that weren’t really popular like ‘We’re Getting Stronger (The Longer We Stay Together)’ and ‘Is It Just a Man’s Way?’ and after that they became real anthems.

[…] by Scepter before going on to record a string of important club hits on Philly Groove, including “Armed and Extremely Dangerous,” “Guilty,” “Love and Happiness,” “Newsy Neighbors,” “The Player,” and “Smarty Pants.” Warner Brothers subsequently signed and then dropped the group after a brutally […]

[…] before going on to record a string of important club hits on Philly Groove, including “Armed and Extremely Dangerous,” “Guilty,” “Love and Happiness,” “Newsy Neighbors,” “The Player,” and “Smarty Pants.” Warner Brothers subsequently signed and then dropped the group after a brutally brief stint.

[…] before going on to record a string of important club hits on Philly Groove, including “Armed and Extremely Dangerous,” “Guilty,” “Love and Happiness,” “Newsy Neighbors,” “The Player,” and “Smarty Pants.” Warner Brothers subsequently signed and then dropped the group after a brutally brief stint.

[…] before going on to record a string of important club hits on Philly Groove, including “Armed and Extremely Dangerous,” “Guilty,” “Love and Happiness,” “Newsy Neighbors,” “The Player,” and “Smarty Pants.” Warner Brothers subsequently signed and then dropped the group after a brutally brief stint.

[…] before going on to record a string of important club hits on Philly Groove, including “Armed and Extremely Dangerous,” “Guilty,” “Love and Happiness,” “Newsy Neighbors,” “The Player,” and “Smarty Pants.” Warner Brothers subsequently signed and then dropped the group after a brutally brief stint.

[…] before going on to record a string of important club hits on Philly Groove, including “Armed and Extremely Dangerous,” “Guilty,” “Love and Happiness,” “Newsy Neighbors,” “The Player,” and “Smarty Pants.” Warner Brothers subsequently signed and then dropped the group after a brutally brief stint.

All we knew was we weren’t getting limos any more!” Then came “Doctor Love” and a chance encounter with the heavyweight-boxing champion of the world.

[…] was struggling to break through, and her sense of frustration was compounded when she performed as a guest vocalist on “Runaway” for the third Salsoul Orchestra album, Magic Journey. “She didn’t like the way Vince was behaving,” says Cayre, who had agreed to drive the artist to Philadelphia.

[…] was struggling to break through, and her sense of frustration was compounded when she performed as a guest vocalist on “Runaway” for the third Salsoul Orchestra album, Magic Journey. “She didn’t like the way Vince was behaving,” says Cayre, who had agreed to drive the artist to Philadelphia.

The slanted scales of musical justice were somewhat rebalanced when Walter Gibbons remixed “Hit and Run,” which had appeared on the fastfading Loleatta album.

[…] section and erase Holloway’s early vocal was her own, and she made her case by playing Gibbons a copy of “By the Time I Get to Phoenix,” an eighteen-minute epic from the album Hot Buttered Soul in which Isaac Hayes talks over an unchanging, minimalist rhythm track for the opening eight minutes.

[…] section and erase Holloway’s early vocal was her own, and she made her case by playing Gibbons a copy of “By the Time I Get to Phoenix,” an eighteen-minute epic from the album Hot Buttered Soul in which Isaac Hayes talks over an unchanging, minimalist rhythm track for the opening eight minutes.

[…] phenomenon, and the format’s reputation was further enhanced when the remix of Peter Brown’s “Do Ya Wanna Get Funky with Me” on TK—which was released in the same week as the Holloway twelve-inch and was described by Moulton as “something exceptional”—became the first “giant single” to sell […]

[…] with the Ritchie Family’s “The Best Disco in Town” and “African Queens,” KC & the Sunshine Band’s “Get Down Tonight,” “That’s the Way (I Like It)” and “(Shake, Shake, Shake) Shake Your Booty,” Funk Machine’s “Funk Machine,” and T-Connection’s “Do What You Wanna Do.” “TK,” says Vince Pellegrino, […]

[…] “The Best Disco in Town” and “African Queens,” KC & the Sunshine Band’s “Get Down Tonight,” “That’s the Way (I Like It)” and “(Shake, Shake, Shake) Shake Your Booty,” Funk Machine’s “Funk Machine,” and T-Connection’s “Do What You Wanna Do.” “TK,” says Vince Pellegrino, who started to work […]

[…] “African Queens,” KC & the Sunshine Band’s “Get Down Tonight,” “That’s the Way (I Like It)” and “(Shake, Shake, Shake) Shake Your Booty,” Funk Machine’s “Funk Machine,” and T-Connection’s “Do What You Wanna Do.” “TK,” says Vince Pellegrino, who started to work for CBS as a sales representative […]

[…] “Get Down Tonight,” “That’s the Way (I Like It)” and “(Shake, Shake, Shake) Shake Your Booty,” Funk Machine’s “Funk Machine,” and T-Connection’s “Do What You Wanna Do.” “TK,” says Vince Pellegrino, who started to work for CBS as a sales representative in May 1977, “was owning the marketplace.” […]

[…] and “(Shake, Shake, Shake) Shake Your Booty,” Funk Machine’s “Funk Machine,” and T-Connection’s “Do What You Wanna Do.” “TK,” says Vince Pellegrino, who started to work for CBS as a sales representative in May 1977, “was owning the marketplace.” When Stone released a disco compilation toward the […]

[…] Then, in the autumn, he reinvented the role of the remixer and encroached still further into the jealously marked territory of the producer by adding new instruments to the original tapes of Michele’s album Magic Love (released on West End) and Chocolat’s Kings of Clubs (released on Salsoul).

[…] Then, in the autumn, he reinvented the role of the remixer and encroached still further into the jealously marked territory of the producer by adding new instruments to the original tapes of Michele’s album Magic Love (released on West End) and Chocolat’s Kings of Clubs (released on Salsoul).

“They gave me a tape of this song, and when I heard it I said,’ Oh boy, could I make this an anthem!’ ” The song was called “I Need a Man,” and that man turned out to be Moulton.

Moulton produced “I Need a Man” and then, to his great displeasure, Portfolio, both of which were recorded in Philadelphia.

on the select discography for 12 West, chosen by Jimmy Stuard

on the select discography for 12 West, chosen by Jimmy Stuard

The slanted scales of musical justice were somewhat rebalanced when Walter Gibbons remixed “Hit and Run,” which had appeared on the fastfading Loleatta album.

on the select discography for 12 West, chosen by Jimmy Stuard

on the select discography for 12 West, chosen by Jimmy Stuard

on the select discography for 12 West, chosen by Jimmy Stuard

on the select discography for 12 West, chosen by Jimmy Stuard

on the select discography for 12 West, chosen by Jimmy Stuard

on the select discography for 12 West, chosen by Jimmy Stuard

[…] and “(Shake, Shake, Shake) Shake Your Booty,” Funk Machine’s “Funk Machine,” and T-Connection’s “Do What You Wanna Do.” “TK,” says Vince Pellegrino, who started to work for CBS as a sales representative in May 1977, “was owning the marketplace.” When Stone released a disco compilation toward the […]

on the select discography for 12 West, chosen by Jimmy Stuard

on the select discography for 12 West, chosen by Jimmy Stuard

Renowned for playing “pretty” music—songs like Barry White’s “It’s Ecstasy When You Lay Down Next to Me” and Odyssey’s “Native New Yorker” — Merritt was the sensitive type.

Renowned for playing “pretty” music—songs like Barry White’s “It’s Ecstasy When You Lay Down Next to Me” and Odyssey’s “Native New Yorker” — Merritt was the sensitive type.

[…] of the outgoing year in his final column for 1976, the future made a surreptitious appearance on the bottom right-hand corner of his “Disco File” page where David Mancuso had listed a track called “Love in ‘C’ Minor” by an obscure artist called Cerrone as one of the records on his current playlist.

on the select discography for Gallery 1977, chosen by Nicky Siano

on the select discography for Gallery 1977, chosen by Nicky Siano

on the select discography for Gallery 1977, chosen by Nicky Siano

All we knew was we weren’t getting limos any more!” Then came “Doctor Love” and a chance encounter with the heavyweight-boxing champion of the world.

on the select discography for Gallery 1977, chosen by Nicky Siano

on the select discography for Gallery 1977, chosen by Nicky Siano

The slanted scales of musical justice were somewhat rebalanced when Walter Gibbons remixed “Hit and Run,” which had appeared on the fastfading Loleatta album.

on the select discography for Gallery 1977, chosen by Nicky Siano

[…] to stereotype was maintained when German machinery joined French sex in the form of Kraftwerk’s Trans-Europe Express, which included a travel-as-flowing-art-form title track that simulated a rail journey through its reproduction of a train whistle, electrified wheels, locomotive rhythm, and […]

on the select discography for Gallery 1977, chosen by Nicky Siano

“They said, ‘Come on over, let’s talk!’ and they signed me as a producer.” In June, Bogart snapped up the rights to the producer’s latest project, Love and Kisses by Love and Kisses, and the single “I Found Love (Now That I Found You)” became a major chart hit.

on the select discography for Gallery 1977, chosen by Nicky Siano

on the select discography for Gallery 1977, chosen by Nicky Siano

Renowned for playing “pretty” music—songs like Barry White’s “It’s Ecstasy When You Lay Down Next to Me” and Odyssey’s “Native New Yorker” — Merritt was the sensitive type.

on the select discography for Gallery 1977, chosen by Nicky Siano

on the select discography for Gallery 1977, chosen by Nicky Siano

on the select discography for Gallery 1977, chosen by Nicky Siano

on the select discography for Gallery 1977, chosen by Nicky Siano

[…] was struggling to break through, and her sense of frustration was compounded when she performed as a guest vocalist on “Runaway” for the third Salsoul Orchestra album, Magic Journey. “She didn’t like the way Vince was behaving,” says Cayre, who had agreed to drive the artist to Philadelphia.

on the select discography for Gallery 1977, chosen by Nicky Siano

A brilliant combination of whipped-up synthesizer and dreamy, ecstatic vocals, “I Feel Love” was quite unlike anything else on the album.

on the select discography for Gallery 1977, chosen by Nicky Siano

[…] and “(Shake, Shake, Shake) Shake Your Booty,” Funk Machine’s “Funk Machine,” and T-Connection’s “Do What You Wanna Do.” “TK,” says Vince Pellegrino, who started to work for CBS as a sales representative in May 1977, “was owning the marketplace.” When Stone released a disco compilation toward the […]

on the select discography for Gallery 1977, chosen by Nicky Siano

on the select discography for Gallery 1977, chosen by Nicky Siano

on the select discography for Gallery 1977, chosen by Nicky Siano

on the select discography for Gallery 1977, chosen by Nicky Siano

on the select discography for Gallery 1977, chosen by Nicky Siano