VOLUME 1 · NUMBER 7
Tom Savarese has 8 new releases for you.
Actually, 28 releases are contained in this program. Eight new ones (out of 116 Tom reviewed), and a 20 song/20 minute medley of some of the best disco songs of 1977. More on this later!
Rough Diamond / Madleen Kane. Madleen is beautiful, talented, and can she sing. Thor Baldurson and Tony Lester arranged the song, and Jurgen Koppers and Paul Scemama engineered at Gang and Ferber Studios in Paris. (Thor and Jurgen have both contributed to many of Donna Summer's disco hits, and are about to add more stars and bullets to their chart record with this LP.) Originally released by CBS (France), the LP will be out shortly on Warner Brothers.
Scotch Machine/Bayou Village / Voyage. Roger Tokarz produced this hot new European group, and TK's Marlin label has just released it. Tom presents three cuts from "Voyage" on this program. The first two ("Scotch Machine and "Bayou Village") are instrumentals, and bring bagpipes and country and western motif to the disco dance floor. They are hot!
My Man Is On His Way / Retta Young. Tom concludes this set with a special disco version of "My Man Is On His Way" from Retta's new All Platinum LP, "Young And Restless." The song offers a very desireable combination of melodic beauty as well as an irresistable, upbeat tempo and arrangement. Ha cha cha!
SPECIAL NOTE TO DJs: Side A runs 17:51, building from 128 BPM (beats per minute) to 134.
Disco Dance (Mega Mix) / Michele. Michele made her DISCONET premiere on Volume I, Number 2 with "Can't You Feel It" from the West End "Magic Love/Michele" LP. Several cuts on the LP received heavy disco play, and all three capitals of disco production contributed to this special new disco version of "Disco Dance." Original tracks were produced by Pierre Jaubert in Paris; Tom Moulton supervised additional production in New York and Philadelphia; and Patrick Cowley in Los Angeles has added some new twists via his Mega Mix. A new mover.
From East To West / Voyage. Michele's new "Disco Dance" is a tough act to follow, and Tom builds on her momentum with another spirited cut from the TK/Marlin "Voyage" LP. The group adds to their very interesting orchestration and percussion with some pleasing vocal.
SPECIAL NOTE TO DJs: Side B runs 18:37, building slightly from 126 BPM to 130 BPM.
Come Into My Heart/Good Lovin' / USA-European Connection. Tom selected an entire side of the new Marlin/TK "Come Into My Heart/USA-European Connection" LP. The group was produced by Boris Midney and Pete Belullo in Philadelphia, and after playing some of the tracks for Ray Caviano at TK's New York office, a worldwide deal was signed in 48 hours. The trades have given it excellent reviews, advance test pressings have gotten both sides climbing up the disco charts, and we'll certainly see more "Connections" on future programs.
SPECIAL NOTE TO DJs: Bonus Side 1 runs 14:28, at a consistent 132 BPM.
Automatom 1977/Disconet Top Tune Medley. There were thousands of songs being played at discos during 1977, and any medley of the "best" is somewhat presumptuous to begin with. So this is one medley, which presents 20 songs in 20 minutes. Your votes (over 450 of them) from the feedback cards on Volume I, Number 3 helped determine the selections, and our prime objective was to develop a very danceable set of music which would bring back some fond memories for your audience. The songs are in the following order of play:
| Artist | Title | LP/ P Label/ C Publisher |
|---|---|---|
| Sassy | Theme From Disco 77 | 12" TK (TKD 46)/ Sherlyn/ Lindseyanne, BMI |
| Barry White | It's Ecstasy When You Lay Down Next To Me | T543/ 20th Century/ Sa-Vette Music, BMI |
| Odyssey | Native New Yorker | APL1-2204/ RCA/ Featherbed/ Desiderata/ UniChappell, BMI |
| Ritchie Family | Quiet Village | Marlin(TK)2206/ Can't Stop Productions, Inc./ Atlantic Music/ Gransom Music |
| First Choice | Dr. Love | GZS7501/ Gold Mind/ Lucky Three/ Six Strings, BMI |
| Celi Bee | Superman | APA(TK)77001/ Peer International, BMI |
| Andrea True Connection | NY, You Got Me Dancing | 12" Buddah (D113)/ Buddah/ Diamond Touch/MRI, ASCAP |
| Marvin Gaye | Got To Give It Up | T7-352R2/ Tamla(Motown)/ M. Gaye, ASCAP |
| Mike Theodore Orchestra | Cosmic Wind | WB305/ Westbound/ Bridgeport Music, BMI |
| Chic | Dance, Dance, Dance | SD1953/ Atlantic/ Cotillion/ Kreimers, BMI |
| Vickie Sue Robinson | Hold Tight | AFL1-2294/ RCA/ Kipahulu Music, ASCAP |
| Hues Corporation | I Caught Your Act | BS3043/ Warner Bros./ JiMi Lane/ Ensign, BMI |
| CJ & Co. | Devil's Gun | WB301/ Westbound/ ATV Music, BMI |
| Space | Carry On, Turn Me On | UA-LA780G/ United Artists/ UA/Virginia City, ASCAP |
| Kebekelektrik | Magic Fly (Journey Into Love) | 12" TK(TKD49)/ Disques Directions/ Machine Music, CAPAC |
| Cerrone | Love In C Minor | SD9913/ Atlantic/ WEA Filipacchi Music/ Fefee Music/ Cerrone Music, SACEM |
| Carrie Lucas | I Gotta Keep Dancin' | BVL1-2220/ RCA Soultrain/ Gomelsky/ Eggers Music/ Carrific Music, ASCAP |
| Grace Jones | I Need A Man | ILPS9470/ Island/ Beam Junction Music, BMI |
| The Trammps | Disco Inferno | SD18211/ Atlantic/ Six Strings, BMI |
| Salsoul Orchestra | Magic Bird of Fire | SZS5515/ Salsoul/ Vincent Montana, Jr. |
SPECIAL NOTE TO DJs: Bonus Side 2 runs 20:03, and builds from 120 BPM to 130 BPM. Please try and overlook your own individual preferences for the best songs of 1977, and use the feedback card to evaluate this set as an entirety… your own overall reaction to the entire side, as well as your audience's reaction. Thanks
Henry Stone starts the DISCONET Number One club.
In recognition of the enlightened labels who have been working with DISCONET to help build disco into a national music force, we've started our own "Number One" club. Mike Wilkinson, DISCONET's President (the one without the beard) recently presented Henry "Father of Disco" Stone with DISCONET Volume I, Number 1, Serial #001, at TK's Miami, Florida office. "Where's the mahogany and gold placque?" said Henry. (as if there was any room left on TK's walls.) "When you give DISCONET one, we'll reciprocate, "replied Mike.
Other #001s have been given with DISCONET's appreciation to Mel Cheren at West End, Joe Cayre at Salsoul, Claude Carrere at Carrere Disques, and Jerry Wexler at Warner Brothers, for Volume I, Numbers 2 through 5.
The Winter of '78… uggh! In addition to grinding the retailing and manufacturing ends of the record industry to a halt (and screwing up our own schedule somewhat), the harsh winter has put a dent in disco business throughout the midwest and northeast. Our subscribers report a 10-15% decline in normal gross, and say that everyone from the DJ to the doormen have had to work extra hard to keep their customers coming in through some unbelieveable weather. Disco fever can't be stopped, however. Subscribers in the Rockies and southeast report record business so far this winter as vacationing big city folk bring with them an increasing demand for excellent disco entertainment. Spring should be a real boomer for everyone!
Al Siewert wins a solar-powered LCD chronograph. Al's lucky number came up on DISCONET Volume I, Number 5. He returned the feedback card (like every good DISCONET DJ), and included the pressing serial number stamped on the upper left hand corner. It matched (#558), and we've sent Al a very handsome watch pictured on the right. Al plays five nights a week at The Hideaway II in Forest Park, Illinois, a southwest suburb of Chicago. While Al is on several record companies' promotion lists, he told us "You can't get too much good programming input in this business." He enjoys having Tom and Bobby DJ "in the booth" with him each night he plays, and admires their musical taste and mixing expertise. Be sure you return the feedback card for this program, and enter the serial number on the upper left hand corner of your Volume I Number 7 jacket. Your time may be next!