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You searched for ‘disco’, which matched 137 songs.
click - person recommending, year, performer, songtitle - to see more recommendations.
ma quale idea  performed by pino d�angie  1983
Recommended by moondog [profile]

Italian disco-rap-pop from the early eighties that instantantly puts a smile on your face and a spring in your step. Anybody know more of mr pino or of tracks in the same genre ?


available on CD - back to mine - r�yksoup




  texjernigan: I don't know, but it shure is hip right now: check out ed banger records, specifically Justice's D.A.N.C.E.
  moondog: ah thanks for that, yes i�ve heard that. So i guess they have sampled it then. But what do you call the genre, italy disco, italy hits, i think i have heard something somewhere
The Things we do for Love  performed by 10cc  1976
Recommended by Mike [profile]

I'm sure I've already said this about another recommendation, but this is just superb pop. 10cc were a group whose hits were very familiar to me as a child, although I wasn't particularly keen on them then. (We're talking the 1970s, folks!).

The group fused influences from the Beatles (particularly McCartney) and prog rock with their own brand of distinctively British whimsy (precursors of the Korgis here). They were also excellent harmony singers. I'm just discovering some of their album back catalogue for the first time - there is some superb material, to my ears. Their biggest hit was 1975's "I'm not in love", which I think reached no.2 in the UK and US singles charts - I've always dismissed it as being very saccharine-sweet. This group doesn't generally get the respect their output deserves for its quality and influence.

from Deceptive Bends
available on CD - several Mercury/Polygram/Universal compilations



  wimberly300: My passion for love and life has made me take on here to tell everyone how DR JAMIN ABAYOMI brought back my lover who has been gone for 6 years.It was all confusion and distress to me when my lover whom i love and cherish wouldn\'t love me anymore but
Boogie Oogie Oogie  performed by A Taste of Honey  1978
Recommended by ambassador [profile]

One of the most nonsensical song title ever, yes, I know and much derided for that reason, but to quote Otis Redding when told his lyrics didn't make any sense, "I'm gonna worry about settin' the groove. I get that groove going, they don't care what I say." Boogie Oogie2 has got groove to spare, with a jazzy intro (similar to Boogie Nights by Heatwave) before that bass line drops in shakes the floorboards. Just like all the dance craze songs of the 60s, the disco era about vocals were mostly used as a counterpoint to the rhythm section. The Mizell brothers add a touch of sophistication to this female-led band (Hazel Payne and Janice Marie Johnson on bass and guitar - they're the ones on the awesome album cover) which is a step further in the commercial direction after their work with Jazz Funk kings like Donald Byrd, Gary Bartz and Johnny Hammond. This song is up there with G.Q.'s "Disco Nights (Rock Freak)" and anything by Chic in the sophisticated disco category.

from A Taste of Honey (Capitol)


All I Really Got to Know  performed by Alexander Kowalski featuring Raz Ohara  2002
Recommended by secularus [profile]

Heard this track on french radio and discovered that it will be released on 12" sometime in May 2002. Alexander Kowalski, a 23 year old based in Berlin, has created a tech house excursion that is extremely infectious. A great driving tune! My only qualm are the vocals which I must admit are mildly cheesy but they grow on you and many people I have played this to end up liking it after a few listens.





Don’t Talk to Me About Love  performed by Altered Images  1983
Recommended by dsalmones [profile]

By late 1983, when Altered Images' third and final album, Bite, was released, Altered Images were already dead in the water. The group had never made any particular headway in the US, where their blend of Siouxsie and the Banshees and the Monkees (not to mention Claire Grogan's bizarre, baby-talk hiccup of a singing voice) was just a little too weird for mainstream tastes, and in their native UK, their colorful look and bubblegummy 1982 singles "I Could Be Happy" and "See Those Eyes" had forever typecast them as a kiddie-pop band. Grogan was already branching off in her second career as an actress (she played the title role in Bill Forsyth's 1982 cult classic Gregory's Girl), and Bite seemed like a mere contractual obligation. For the most part, it sounds like it, too, but the brilliant single "Don't Talk To Me About Love," which led off side two, was a welcome surprise, and possibly the best song they ever did. Mike Chapman's production recalls his work with Blondie, while the disco-tinged electronic beat, chicken-scratch electric guitar part and rubbery, melodic bass part all sound closer to New Order's "Blue Monday" than Bananarama's "Cruel Summer." Grogan herself is in an entirely different mood than usual, with her newly-lowered singing voice (and slightly improved enunciation) displaying a rueful, almost petulant edge that suits the cranky lyrics. Only at the very end does she shoot into her usual helium-pitched unintelligibility, with an air of "See, I can still do this, I just choose not to anymore." Coupled with the most indelible chorus of the band's entire career, it all adds up to a minor masterpiece. Sadly, however, nobody wanted to know.
(AMG)

from Bite (Portrait 25413)
available on CD - Bite...Plus (Edsel)


La Noche Inventada  performed by Ana D  2003
Recommended by megara [profile]

El mejor cover hecho de Family. Del disco incluido en Rockdeluxe Dic. 2003 es el track m�s valioso.
La canci�n por si sola es absolutamente hermosa. En su sencillo pop, Family creo un mundo plateado que ahora Ana D texturiza.

from Homenaje a Family



More, More, More  performed by Andrea True Connection  1976
Recommended by parlop [profile]

The best disco song ever... the vocals are so sultry and seductive as only a former porn star's can be... the beat is irresistable.




tables and chairs  performed by andrew bird  2005
Recommended by morning belle [profile]

this whole album is gorgeous. discovered it in borders today. :)

from the mysterious production of eggs


Pyar Karne Wale  performed by Asha Bhosle  1980
Recommended by jeanette [profile]

A week ago I was in India, the holiday of a lifetime. As well as all the tourist stuff, like temples and museums, I always make sure that I get a slice of pop culture when I'm in a foreign country. So the night tended to conclude in the hotel with a bit of Indian TV.

Watched a fair bit of MTV India which, if anything, is even heavier on ads and blatent self-promotion that its British and American equivalents. I was cheered to see that most of the music they played was in Hindi and there was a limit on the American and European bands that got airplay (seemingly, strangely, limited to The Rasmus and Britney Spears).

But MTV is only watchable for a limited amount of time. Jet lag and excitement dictates that one spends more time awake than asleep and so I got to see a few late 70's Bollywood classics, among them 'Shaan' (translation: 'Pride'). This Asha Bhosle gem is from this movie. The film itself struk me as a fairly banal James Bond rip off although, not speaking Hindi, I grant that I'll have missed the more subtle aspects of plot construction.

This song stopped me in my tracks. I knew that Bollywood was an area that I enjoyed but was in a grand state of ignorance of, and I was looking forward to rectifying this. Pyar Karne Wale takes the prize for best Donna Summer rip off EVER. Stealing its barely-adjusted backing from 'I Feel Love', Bhosle wails and moans over the top, transforming Moroder's disco classic into something that simultanously establishes common ground between Indian and European disco while evoking its more subtle differences.

Myself and boyfriend came back with what seems like every Bollywood soundtrack produced between 1972 and 1980 including, of course, Shaan. I look forward to educating myself in this genre and finding more similar gems.

from Naseeb / Shaan, available on CD




  pleasepleaseme: Hi, I'm From N.Y.C. In the early 80's we had a show on cable, called "Cinema,Cinema, which showed numbers from the classic cinema. I lucked out on a few OST'S. Can highly recommend "Qurbani" & "Kasme Vaade" & "Sargam" & "Sawan Ko Aane Do" & "Loafer". Would love to know if you found any of those, or if you could recommend some of your finds.
  jeanette: Did indeed pick up Qurbani, which I have now listened to and would agree that its fab. That's the only one I have of those you mention. Got 30-odd CDs and most of them are double or triple headers, and I'm slowly ploughing my way through the pile. Favourite thus far is 'Zamaane Ko Dikhana Hai' which is another R.D. Burman stunner.
  olli: RD burman is, ahem, "da bomb". probably my favourite bollywood producer/composer. not that i'm an expert on indian 70's pop culture or anything.
who needs forever  performed by astrud gilberto  1966
Recommended by coffman [profile]

This exceptionally haunting and lyrical song by Quincy Jones has received its definitive interpretion by Astrud Gilberto with arrangement and accompaniment by the Brazilian organist Walter Wanderley. The melancholy urgency of the piece resonates well with the dark/sad tonality that pervades so much of Bossa Nova music, though its character is also reminiscent of certain otherwise very different pieces from the bebop era, which had a formative influence on Quincy Jones' music. There is definitely the remote influence of Charlie Parker and especially Dizzy Gillespie. It's truly a completely unique piece. The drifting melody which seems to skirt over the chord changes has a beautiful inevitability. Only a very gifted and skilled musician could have contrived such a beautiful work. So Quincy Jones deserves especial credit for crafting this song from the film "The Deadly Affair."

Astrud's delivery, so typically limpid and restrained, only serves to heighten the intensity of this darkly passionate song. The subtle but somehow fierce organ playing of Walter Wanderley acheives a sizzling romanticism that perfectly complements the reading of Astrud's apparently detached fatalism.

In my opinion, this track is a true musical masterpiece. Its remarkable economy of means is a testament to the skill of the composer as well as the artistry of the performers. In fact, it's a nearly perfect combination of expressive means and poetic intent. The beautiful resolution, with Astrud's perfect striking of the high B-flat over the half-diminished F-minor seventh, is a moment of sublime dramatic intensity, though profoundly understated, as is typical of her finest artistic moments. One is reminded of Miles Davis. Her poetic skill is rooted in subtlety.

I have listened to this extraordinary track hundreds of times, and always experienced chills rising up on the back of my neck. How amazing that this incredible musical gem was omitted from the original album A Certain Smile, A Certain Sadness. Perhaps it was too intense, too heavy; whatever the case, it's a truly remarkable piece of music.

I'm truly grateful to have discovered this great albeit minor musical masterpiece. There's really nothing else quite like it! The sizzling but subtle sensitivity of the rhythm section (Claudio Slon on drums, possibly Joao Gilberto on guitar and Jose Marino on bass) adds an intensity to the piece which helps project the almost existential tone of the song.

I'm really swept away by this obscure and neglected work, which attains -- for me at least -- to a peak of poetic intensity really rare in music. As is usual with Astrud at her best, it accomplishes its artistic ends with what seems like the most minimal of means. But subtlety is always the avenue to the most profound of artistic experiences. I think this is a remarkable example -- one of the greatest -- of the wedding of popular music and high art. It is a truly perfect performance. In my opinion, its greatness increases rather than diminshes with repeated listenings. There is only one word for that -- it's magic!

from A Certain Smile, A Certain Sadness, available on CD



  rio: you must pick-up the quincy jones soundtrack (released with the score to "the pawnbroker") with astrud singing "who needs forever". The lush quincy jones score is hauntingly beautiful, and astrud never sounded better. This version is the real deal for me..
  rferus: Amazing guitar on this piece.
No More Tears  performed by Barbra Streisand; Donna Summers
Recommended by ajhorse21 [profile]

It's very 70's with a slow start but picks up and is really fun by the end. Diana DeGarmo sang it on American Idol, season 3.




Lluvia de Primavera/Spring Rain  performed by Bebu Silvetti  1975
Recommended by tempted [profile]

The definition of a groovy, instrumental easy listening disco tune. Makes me wanna jump on the first plane to somewhere warm and swinging. Great piano and acoustic guitar accompaniment from this Spanish lizard with a hairy face. And that girl backing choir.. there are two single versions of this that are slightly different and a full length version which is the best.






  tempted: To correct: the "full-length version" is in fact a disco mix by Salsoul stalwart Tom Moulton. So good, man... Crazy percussive middle part galore! Available as a Salsoul 12". Tell me if you bump into one!
Miss Broadway  performed by Belle Epoque  1977
Recommended by jeanette [profile]

Belle Epoque (or La Belle Epoque as they were billed in the UK, presumably to further Francophy them) get shoved in that black hole of Eurodisco, based on the evidence of their perky 1977 cover of Black Is Black. Were I not a Eurodisco weirdo who is more than happy to delve into the careers of various sequin-chested nobodies I would never have learned the truth.

This song is as glam-rock as they come. The sound of Miss Broadway is that of a female Noddy Holder, complete with that talking-over-a-hairdryer voice. The orchestration is crunching and stomps all over the disco beat holding it all together.

In short: Silver Convention's older sisters who secretly like Wanda Jackson.

from the single Miss Broadway (Carrere S-54021)




  umbrellasfollowrain: This song fast became the song of my summer nights. I play it to preen to in front of the mirror, before I step out for the night, then hum it as I my feet step out the door and into the night and the streets unspool before me. See, how lyrical the song makes me?! Belle Epoque is ferocious. Jeanette, I think you're so cool. Thanks for bringing dis track to my attention. You always have my attention.
My Suitor  performed by Berntholer  1984
Recommended by jeanette [profile]

Rediscovered this as I was uploading an audio clip for Belle Epoque (this is next alphabetically in my 45's).

I can't work out whether this is joyous or heartbreaking. It eats into the very soul of you when you hear it. My, that sounds dramatic - different from my usual carping. Tinkles on the piano break up the dense atmosphere herein and get you into the claustrophobic world of singer Drita.

Stands alone in 1984. Nothing else sounded anything like it.

from the single My Suitor (Blanco Y Negro NEG 5)



Twangy Brisba  performed by Berry Lipman  1970
Recommended by HoboTech [profile]

Space should only be this fun! Jazz-Funk surrounded by space age synths with a disco beat. Lipman is one of Germany's cheesiest composers, but when he gets it right people stand up and applaud. This album is some of the best sci-fi music ever.

from Star Maidens - The Girls From Space, available on CD


Falling Free  performed by Bert Kaempfert  1971
Recommended by delicado [profile]

This is one of those odd discoveries: a track on a CD I've owned for about 8 years, but which I had somehow overlooked. I buy a lot of CDs, and I guess is one of the later tracks on a long compilation cd. Still, that's not much of an excuse, is it!

This is a slow, groovy instrumental (well, with wordless vocals) with funky drums, some fine fuzz guitar work, nice spiky brass and some very pleasing chord changes. It is strongly reminiscent of similar work of the time by people like Johnny Harris. I have a few tracks by completely different artists with a very similar feel/orchestration and closely related chord sequences. It's simultaneously very hip sounding yet quite square with the choir and strings. I love it, obviously.

from Now! (Polydor)
available on CD - Easy Loungin' (Polydor Germany)



Detroit 442  performed by Blondie  1977
Recommended by jeanette [profile]

In some ways an obvious pop-punk classic, but still one that's generally overlooked in favour of their singles. One of the greatest nights between my best friend and I was the time that not only did we discover this was both of our favourite Blondie song, but we found out that, rather shamefully, each of us harboured a secret crush on Rimmer from Red Dwarf.

The song is the best among some real class on Plastic Letters. The noises made by a band on the brink of the mainstream super-success they were so worthy of. Deborah Harry never sounded tougher (except perhaps on Rifle Range), a persona that fits her like the ripped catsuit she famously sported on Top Of The Pops.

from Plastic Letters, available on CD



Yesterday when I was young  performed by Blossom Dearie  1970
Recommended by mattias [profile]

This song is just one of the great songs from the Fontana album "Thats just the way I want to be". The song is written by Charles Aznavoir and this is the definitive version of it. Blossom is singing i front of a huge orchestra and her voice is clearer than ever as she sings this sad song to the happy bossa nova arrangements. Very nice!
See my website for more info: http://www.angelfire.com/jazz/blossomdearie/blossomdeariediscography.html

from That's just the way I want to be (Fontana)
available on CD - Whisper for you



  delicado: I love this version too, but oddly enough I once played it to someone I met on a plane who was a huge Aznavour fan. She felt that Blossom's version deprived the song of its drama. I agree with you that the contrast of the sad song and the light, happy bossa arrangement works very well.
Daymaker  performed by Bob  1990
Recommended by delicado [profile]

Absolutely cracking track. I was nuts for this back in 1990 when it came out and recently rediscovered it. A really nice mix of guitar driven pop, excellent Beach Boys influenced vocals and catchy, shuffling beat. Just a great track. Bob are a hard band to track down stuff by because their name is so generic. But you can listen to it (and all their releases actually) at their site - http://houseofteeth.co.uk/

from Stride up EP (House of Teeth)


tiger  performed by brian auger & the trinity with julie driscoll  1967
Recommended by shaka_klaus [profile]

hammond groover number one, brian auger, teams up with julie driscoll for a song that doesn't sound like anything else. the choir by driscoll is quite strange and repititous (straight from the bengal???), vocals by auger just blows me away.

from the single tiger (columbia db 8163)
available on CD - the mod years 1965-1969 (disconforme)



Discovery  performed by Brian Bennett  1978
Recommended by nighteye [profile]

One of former drummer Brian Bennett's best tracks. Mellow space funk with synthesizers, a deep bassline and weird sounds. Almost gives the feeling of floating around in space.


available on CD - The cream of the Chappell Music Library Sessions (Chappell)




  texjernigan: Lovage sampled this track for their opener, "ladies love chest rockwell." Anybody know if there's a site that shows all the original samples for stuff like this, rap and what not?
Julie With...  performed by Brian Eno  1977
Recommended by bugbarbecue [profile]

Picture yourself in a boat on a river.

Actually, in this case it happens to be the middle of the ocean. Just drifting any direction. No land in sight, nothing else on the water, not even any clouds. No distractions. Just you, the boat, and the water.

Oh, and Julie -- she's there -- with her open blouse, gazing up into the empty sky.

What's so powerful about Eno's "Julie With..." (and this is perhaps representative of his entire career) is that he gives you an experience in perfect detail, as if reading a book.

Even if you discount the lyrics, which, although not exactly Shakespearian, are clear and unambiguous, there is no escaping the image that Eno is presenting.

Casting aside any overanalysis, what we're left with is an outstanding bit of relaxing, but emotionally evocative chillout music. Completely beatles, the instrumentation is typical Eno: pad synthesizers, minimoog and guitar with heavy chorus. Not something you'd throw on at an afterparty, but great for a sunset in solitude.

from Before And After Science, available on CD


You Go To My Head  performed by Bryan Ferry  1975
Recommended by robert[o] [profile]

Lounge lizards rarely get more reptilian than this. Another brilliant example of Ferry�s cover mad, song-stylist solo work outside of Roxy Music in the early to mid 1970�s � totally rethinking some well-known standard, yet grasping something intrinsic about the song�s core. Here he gives the tune just the hint of a Philly-soul groove, and keeps the production/arrangement as open/eerie as an empty parking garage. Very sexy, and more a little creepy � its like being hit on by the ghost of Bela Lugosi in the toilet of a disco in 1975.

from Let's Stick Together, available on CD


mis balas llevan tu nombre  performed by carlo coup�  2002
Recommended by modette [profile]

Carlo coup� es un nov�simo compositor espa�ol que cuenta en su haber con 3 discos repletos de un estilo exquisito y sibarita, recreando ambientes selectos llenos de largos cigarrillos, trajes de corte impoluto y vestidos op art, acompa�ado por supuesto por el toque m�gico de su hammond.
la canci�n que presento pertenece a su �ltimo disco, en el que pinta toques m�s funk y numerosos gui�os de ye ye espa�ol. pero lo m�s divertido es que el disco parece ser la soundtrack de una pel�cula italo-espa�ola de 1965 "mis balas llevan tu nombre" de la cual no se encuentra ninguna copia. cada cancion va precedida de un track con dialogo de tal pel�cula. todo ello es tan real que seguro caeras en la trampa de su mentira... o no? get it!!!!!!!!!!!

from mis balas llevan tu nombre, available on CD


Rockets  performed by Cat Power  1995
Recommended by spinspin [profile]

Driving and discordant, bittersweet, sad. This song is the most beautiful thing I've heard this week. In the mixtape of my head this comes right before Johnny Cash's "Don't bring your guns to town." A song you should listen to after you watch the evening news tonight... (released free as part of the protest records project: http://www.protest-records.com/ which is somehow associated with sonic youth.)


available on CD - Dear Sir (Runt)


Knight Moves  performed by Chilly Gonzalez  2010
Recommended by geezer [profile]

A gorgeous ,lively instrumental set to a gentle piano driven house beat.Uplifting and glad retaining the joy of disco music

from Ivory Towers, available on CD


The Face I Love  performed by Chris Montez  1968
Recommended by heinmukk [profile]

nice one! i discovered chris montez lately and i like what he has done.
this song is a cover of astrud gilbertos song from the album "beach samba" (which i didn't recognize until reading it at allmusic.com) and begins with a nice organ-melody as an intro. i especially like the sound of that organ, it's a very sweet and not to heavy one. so that it fits perfect into the mood of this song and giving it a little more sweetness.
as always chris montez sings like a woman and if one doesn't know this it wouldn't be necessarily clear to one. (correct english....?)
while searching for chris montez stuff i came across "the more i see you" performed by montez which was covered last year by a onehitwonderband here in germany and you couldn't escape to hear it at least twice a day no matter where you were leaving and going. the cover was very strict arranged along montez' version. i wonder how i would think of the montez original if this onehitwonder band wouldn't have done this cruelty?!
anyway, last years summer was great anyway...(sex every day...)
and now, you go and listen to that montez guy!!

from watch what happens
available on CD - Digitally Remastered Best


’Disco’ La Passione (Adams and Gielen 12 inch mix)  performed by Chris Rea featuring Shirley Bassey  1996
Recommended by FlyingDutchman1971 [profile]

A great torchy song about solitude and lonliness transformed into a thumping dancy powerhouse! Chris Rea was so right in getting Ms. Shirley Bassey to record the vocals on this song and Oliver Adams and Johan Gielen remixed the rather bland original into an amazing fast-paced house anthem!

from La Passione, available on CD


Captain Future  performed by Christian Bruhn  1980
Recommended by eftimihn [profile]

"Captain Future" was an end-70s Toei Animation science fiction series directed by Leiji Matsumoto (The same team who did all the clips for Daft Punk's singles from the "Discovery" album). For the german release of the series a whole new soundtrack was recorded by Christian Bruhn. The title track is an incredible mixture of funk and disco with sequencers and analogue keyboards galore and very Edda Dell'Orso sounding vocals providing the lead melody (the similarity is striking, but the vocals were performed by Bruhn's wife Erika).

from Captain Future, available on CD



Stingray  performed by Claus Ogerman  196?
Recommended by konsu [profile]

A great kind of euro-surf discoteque tune. Trobbing percussion and a cool snakey guitar. Claus did a lot of these "Brass-ploitation" LP's for RCA in the mid sixtes. Some surf, latin , and a really cool soul one that i've been trying to track down. Very solid stuff from one of the best arrangers ever!

from Watusi Trumpets (RCA SPRS 6115)


Don�t let this Rainbow Pass me By  performed by Cloud One  1981
Recommended by texjernigan [profile]

Produced by Patrick Adams & Patrick Brown, this is a late disco track that has a level of productiont that transcends time, it would seem. There are several elements which suggest that this was recorded recently, with the tighter bouncy sound quality kind of like Junior Senior.





baby i love you so  performed by Colourbox
Recommended by alkine [profile]

there is absolutely nothing wrong with the bass in this track, forget about Channel One and the whole history of dub, or the hi hat that gives meaning to the sweet vocal by Loretta, i'll quite happily sink into pop bliss with this tune, and forget Disco or Detroit ever existed. a peach of a lime. never has the obvious sounded so fresh.

from Colourbox (4AD)


birds do it (german’ sex education movies’ songs of  performed by compilation
Recommended by modette [profile]

maravillosa recopilaci�n alemana que con frase ir�nica por t�tulo nos presenta una veintena de canciones de diversa musicalidad.
en �l encontramos desde el funky mas setenta a cargo de Heinz Kiessling (petra), el sonido hammond y groove del siempre increible Jack Arel (following you), la diversi�n er�tica m�s lounge de Uschi Moser (love, jet t'aime, l'amour y sunny honey) o el beat ritmico de Gerhard Heinz (look at me), junto con otros temas que recuerdan al pop, la psicodelia, etc...
en conjunto, un disco para pedir ya, con el fantastico libreto repleto de fotos de las peliculas mencionandas que tampoco tiene desperdicio.

from birds do it, available on CD


Brother, Can You Spare a Dime  performed by Connie Francis  1968
Recommended by needycat [profile]

I first discovered this track on Connie's box set "Souvenirs." An impassioned soft start builds to a frenzy of despair. A snazzy, kick-ass band backs Connie (Don Costa arrangement, I think???). Liza would have loved to sink her teeth into this one!

from Connie & Clyde (MGM)
available on CD - The Swinging Connie Francis (Audiophile Records)




  sleipner: listen to the thea gilmore version, sheer class
Alleys of your Mind  performed by Cybotron  1981
Recommended by geezer [profile]

A Detroit take on Kraftwerk,Depeche Mode and European Disco,sparse remote synthetic drums and bass lines,and squelching fat melody lines that you can still hear in todays pop and R and b (Justin Timberlake,Timbaland ,Lady Ga Ga ),lends heavily from Trans European Express but is also looser and a tad more joyous .

from Clear
available on CD - Clear or Best of


When the Wind Blows  performed by David Bowie  1986
Recommended by Mike [profile]

I discovered this work of absolute genius today - it was on a 3 disc Bowie compilation ("The Platinum Collection") which a colleague was playing at work.

The song starts with an echoey 80s drum sound with a repeated guitar riff, behind which we begin to hear a beautiful chord sequence played on the synth. The riff drops out and Bowie sings a fantastic melody over the chord sequence, which takes many subtle and grand turns. The song has a relatively complicated construction and instrumentation.




Wedding Dress  performed by Derek Webb  2003
Recommended by 37piecesflair [profile]

A song about the Christian faith and how it's convienent for some, but crucial to others.

I just discovered this and think it is amazing. I'm not spiritual by any means, but I think it states my feelings.

The chorus says it all..

"I am a whore, I do confess, I put you on you like a wedding dress."

from She Shall and Must Be Free


Sandmen - Thelma (Fallout mix)  performed by DIY  1993
Recommended by alkine [profile]

well there isn't much to say, it's a drum machine and someone saying 'celebrate life'. i remember this lp from 8 years ago, and probably we were wasted, but it was the most played vinyl in the flat. found without knowing who or why, and now thanks to www.bleep.com, i found it again. not much happens until 3'40, and then, in the right mood, you realise why music is so great, some dude with a drum machine and a cheesy hook, manages to encapsulate joy in sound.

from Strictly 4 Groovers (Warp WARP18)


Spring Affair  performed by Donna Summer  1976
Recommended by lilly747 [profile]

The perfect slice of disco...everything is right, the wild bassline, pounding beat, streaking violins and the re-requisit amount of donna 'ahh's' and 'ohhs'....what more can you ask you!

from Four Seasons of Love, available on CD


Sunshower  performed by Dr. Buzzard’s Original Savannah Band  1976
Recommended by ambassador [profile]

This one fits well with with my previous reccomendation in the melancholy/eerie vein. I read somewhere that the song was in the African JuJu style, but discofied of course given its 1976 production. It was this song that proved to be the Dr. Buzzard . . . was not your average disco band. Cory Daye's vocals are beautiful and harken back to an earlier era of classic jazz vocals, like Ella and Billie. The children's backup vocals are what gives it the spooky quality, probably because the intrumentation is dark, like seeing those cute (but scary) kids come out of the corn fields in Children of the Corn. The last chorus just sends chills down my spine as Cory digs into the lyrics and dances around them as the everything sort or brightens up, like the sun coming out after a summer rain. This makes the title all make such perfect sense.

from Dr. Buzzard's Original Savannah Band, available on CD



  Festy: You know what makes the last chorus for me (or choruses from after the kids singing only accompanied by percussion)... as simple as it may sound... it's the handclaps. They add so much and I always look forward to them coming along. I became obsessed with this song about 6 months ago and bought the CD, which, as I expected, doesn't contain so many fantastic songs on it, but, still an enjoyable CD. I really enjoy your recommendations!
Sunshower  performed by Dr. Buzzard’s Original Savannah Band  1976
Recommended by rasand [profile]

This song features a wonderfully simple instrumentation with strings and hawaiian guitar on a soft disco rhythm. Makes me long for some deserted island beach.


available on CD - Dr. Buzzard's Original Savannah Band



  Festy: I've commented on the other recommendation of this track, but I have to reiterate how great it is. Pseudo african rhythms, kids singing and happiness. It sounds like smiles. :)
Mister Love  performed by Dr. Buzzard's Original Savannah Band  1978
Recommended by PappaWheelie [profile]

Cosmopolitan Disco with a warm orchestration igniting the perfect melody, Cory Daye's vocal performance can't go wrong. Dr. Buzzard's music is unlike any other music with the battered "Disco" tag. As with most of their discography, this is highly recommended! Also try "The Gigolo and I" and "Transistor Madness-Future DJ" from their wrongly criticized "Dr. Buzzard's Original Savannah Band Meets King Pennett" album.

from Dr. Buzzard's Original Savannah Band Meets King Penett (RCA)
available on CD - Very Best of Dr. Buzzard's Original Savannah Band (RCA)




  ryder0059: I JUST WANTED TO SAY MISS CORY DAYE VOICE IS ONE OF A KIND,IT IS ABSOLUTELY BREATHTAKING,SASSY WITTY,STYLISH.I WISH SOMEBODY WOULD GET HER BACK INTO THE STUDIO AS SOMEONE WOULD MAKE LOTS OF MONEY.I DONT GET IT AS HER CORY AND ME RECORD IS OUT OF PRINT BUT SELLS FOR THIRTY DOLLARS ON EBAY AND OTHER OUT OF THE COUNTRY SELLERS LIKE ROCK HOUSE MUSIC. I REALLY BELIEVE THAT IF THEY PLAYED SOME OF HER MUSIC ON THE RADIO NOW IT WOULD SELL LIKE GOLD COME ONE SOMEONE PLEASE GET HER BACK INTO THE STUDIO THANKS FOR YOUR TIME JOHN KARVASALES
  Lemluv: Thank you for posting this. I have been enchanted by the works of August Darnell, Stony Brower and Co. in all it's manifestations. Seductive yet sophisticated, concealing a rapier and wit all the time dressed to impress (from Tropical Gangsters to Zoot Suits, y mas). They were pegged as a "disco" group, but were much more. What gets me the most is how visual their music could be. Nostalgic, contemporary, and ahead of it's time simultaneously.
Eque  performed by Duke Ellington  1968
Recommended by delicado [profile]

Taken from his exquisite Latin American Suite, this is an unusual sounding track to me. Mid-tempo, with an unrelenting bossa nova style beat, the action is shared between the piano and various horns and saxophones. I guess it's the strange discordant tones that take this track higher for me. They remind me of some chords I've heard in the more adventurous Brazilian pop music of the late 1960s - basically taking what is fundamentally a sweet sounding, warm chord, and overlaying notes that provide a darker, more forboding feel.

Adding to this, the punctuating horns and reeds give the whole thing a gently groovy feel that's reminiscent of quirky 60s soundtrack music. Really cool stuff, and I recommend the whole album.

from Latin American Suite, available on CD


Just A Little Lovin�  performed by Dusty Springfield  1969
Recommended by eftimihn [profile]

As a rather casual Springfield listener i didn't discover this track until recently. While the "Dusty In Memphis" album boasts better known songs (e.g. "Son Of A Preacherman" of course), this one is an underrated gem. A soothing, relaxed opening turnes into an emotional, soulful finale drenched in swirling strings, horns and driving drums and bass.

from Dusty In Memphis, available on CD



Magic Garden  performed by Dusty Springfield  1968
Recommended by audvoid [profile]

I discovered this on The Dusty Springfield Anthology 3CD set (1997) and fell in love with it instantly. Until this release Magic Garden had never been available in the U.S. and was originally released on an obscure British-only EP. The song's an absolute classic that veers between Phil Spector-esque surging pop and dreamy summer of love escapism. Truly a rediscovered lost masterpiece.

from If You Go Away EP (Phillips BE 12605)
available on CD - The Dusty Springfield Anthology (3CD) (Chronicles)


Bon-Jour  performed by Ed Lincoln  1968
Recommended by delicado [profile]

When I heard this album by the Brazilian organist Ed Lincoln, I really wasn't expecting a tune like this. It's a beautiful, tender vocal, sounding like something from a Francis Lai soundtrack, with lovely male-female alternating vocals and an exquisite Morricone style trumpet blending well with the guitar/organ/percussion instrumentation. An absolutely stunning track - playful but slightly sad at the same time, with some spooky laughter/sighing from the female singer towards the end.

from Ed Lincoln, available on CD




  n-jeff: Thats the thing with Lincoln, its not just the cheese, he played alongside the best Jazz musicians in Brazil. He could cut a pretty funk when the occasion demanded, and his "Seu piano eletrico" album ranges from african tinged stompers to mid sixties style vocal cuts. IMHO opinion underrated as a producer as well, he seems to have been active on the cutting edge of Brazilain music from the late fifties right through to the late seventies. I intended to use this track as the payoff for a compilation I did for a cd trading ring, but I don't think I had the space. He was in hospital just before Christmas (2003), not sure how he's doing now.
  delicado: I have to say, I'm pretty blown away by his work. I know you've been harping on about him for years, so I wish I had listened earlier!
  sodapop650: Ed Lincolns best work is the recordings he did with Orlann Divo becasue he is a little more low-key and the arrangements are just plain better. I love O Ganso cause its so damn crazy and his recordings under the name Claudio Marcelo are pretty good too. A rcord seller in Brazil actually got me his autograph as a present because I bought so many of Ed Lincolns LPs. But I gotta tell you, someone like Sergio Carvalho or Eumir Deodato are much more powerful on the Hammond and Ely Arcoverde, Juarez Sant'ana Ze Maria I think are all more mature organists. I put Ed Lincoln with Walter Wanderley a little heavy on the cheese.
Entre e Ouca  performed by Ed Motta  1992
Recommended by ambassador [profile]

I didn't entirely get Ed Motta until I listened to this album. For me this is his perfect mix of sacred and profane styles, his soul and his jazz. Only his third album and his first two employ retro styled instrumentation, it sounds like a 1970s session from Luther Vandross without the glitzy disco production. Ed's voice sounds so great paired with the Fender Rhodes which dominates this album. The arrangements are complicated, unpredicatble but entirely accessible. Entre e Ouca, which means "Enter and Listen," has a mid-tempo disco feel with a bouncing bass line, sharp guitar lines and that rhodes. I like his newer, more challenging albums as well, but this sound immediatly speaks to me like the best crafted pop songs.

from Entre e Ouca (WEA)
available on CD - not that I know of


Janela De Ouro  performed by Egberto Gismonti  1970
Recommended by bobbyspacetroup [profile]

I first heard this one on one of the radio mixes on Stereolab's website, and found a copy for relatively cheap on eBay shorty thereafter.

Anyway, it's great.

The sound reminds me of Gary McFarland's "Latin Lounge" stuff but with a bigger sound and an extra element of subtle funkiness. Gismonti's arrangement here is adventurous, unpredictable and totally engrossing.

The whole album is wonderful -- "Pendulo" and "Parque Laje" are equally as good -- but I'm still most partial to this, the first track that I heard.

from Sonho 70 (Fontana (Brazil) 6470572)


Danger! High Voltage!  performed by Electric Six  2003
Recommended by xfanatic50 [profile]

This song is great! "Fire in the Disco/Fire in the Taco Bell" It's so cheesy, but so perfect. Plus, Jack White's vocals are always slightly off-kilter. A great, great track.

from Fire




  spinner303: Haha, this song rocks. Its a really, really fun song. Bass lines are great. Check out the video, its free on their site: http://www.electric6.com/media_video.html
Getting Away With It  performed by Electronic  1989
Recommended by ref. [profile]

Straight up pop song with a disco sheen. I haven't liked many songs in Electronic's catalogue, despite featuring Bernarnd Sumner from New Order and Johnny Marr from the Smiths, but this song is up there with my favorites from each group.

This song features Neil Tennant from the Pet Shop Boys. What star power!

The lyrics are typical Sumner - casual dream-speak about his relationship with the world.

The refrain is gold, as are the melodies.

Check out the song here:

http://profile.myspace.com/index.cfm?fuseaction=user.viewprofile&friendID=42979805

from Getting Away With It (Factory FACD 257)


Are you ready for love  performed by Elton John
Recommended by moondog [profile]

Sir Elton goes phillysoul - disco and guess what ? it´s superb. Along with delfonics/stylistics mastermind Thom Bell Elton John cut an mini album in the mid seventies that is unlike anything else in his song catalogue and where "are you ready for love" is the standout track.
And if you have any chance seek out the wonderful video where you see Elton along with, what i guess is the musicians on the song, handclapping themselves along to a delirious state of mind.




Chocolate  performed by Fantastic Explosion  2003
Recommended by chipple [profile]

An old Lotte chocolate commercial song turned into an infectious disco-ish club track.
The song starts with a loop of the famous "we like music, we like the disco sound" sample and with social dance instructions in Japanese, and then turns into disco with a groovy bass line and wah-wah guitar, to then apply the commercial song's vocals perfectly.

from Return of Fantastic Explosion (Transonic TRS-22001)



Les Biches  performed by Flora Purim  1968
Recommended by gregcaz [profile]

This record is a complete mystery to me even though I have every other Flora album. Dusty Springfield-style orquestrated pop that sounds like nothing you'd associate with her name. There the slightest hint of bossa, and the flipside (actually the A-side, but I find this B much more interesting) is a basic 60s pop ballad with a bit of a European flavor, produced by folk stalwart Milt Okun, interestingly enough. Both sides are meticulously arranged with washes of strings, horns and reverb. Fascinating! The copy I have is a promo copy, and I wonder if stock copies even exist, since it's in no discography I could find. Does anybody know anything about this?

from 7" (Tetragrammaton)



  andyjl: Jacques Brel recorded a song of the same title around the same time. Maybe it's a cover version of his original? Les Biches ('The Does',ie female deer) is also the title of a late 60s film by French director Claude Chabrol, though I don't think the Brel song is on the soundtack.
  gregcaz: Well, the record only lists the producer Tony Harris as the composer of the song, so I kind of doubt. There's also no apparent link between that title and the actual lyrics to the song.
Lay Me Down (Wake Me Up)  performed by Four Seasons  1970
Recommended by fost\'r [profile]

I have never seen this on a Greatest Hits album or heard it on the radio. It never made the US top 100 (although at this time the Seasons were apparently more popular in the UK).

It's surprisingly long for a Four Seasons song (6:11), and takes its time moving from the slower, "Lay Me Down" sections (with the more typical harmonies) to the more rock-oriented "Wake Me Up" sections. The closing refrains feature the types of harmonies you'd expect from early-80s Chicago. Frankie Valli handles the lead vocals, but stays away from the high-pitched stuff.

If you liked GENUINE IMITATION LIFE GAZETTE, this should be right up your alley. For those most familiar with the early-60s stuff ("Sherry") and their disco hits ("Who Loves You," "December 1963"), the 1969-1970 recordings might make a lot of sense as a bridge between the Four Seasons as a group of singers fronted by Valli in 1962 to a vehicle for some great compositions by Bob Crewe and Bob Gaudio in the mid-1970s.

from single (Philips 40688)


Venus  performed by Frankie Avalon  1959
Recommended by eftimihn [profile]

Exremely well arranged song, i absolutely love these almost surreal sounding female vocals throughout the song and the harpsicord embellishments, combined with a slightly calypsoed beat, sounds unusual for me for that time. There's something special about it, maybe it's because i could imagine the song in a David Lynch movie, giving it a whole new context, like Bobby Vintons "Blue Velvet" wasn't the same after watching the movie...

from 25 All-Time Greatest Hits, available on CD



Two Wings Mambo  performed by Gallon Drunk  1991
Recommended by phil [profile]

I've recently decided to sell all my records, on the grounds that they are a bit 20th Century. So I went through them to see if there was anything worth replacing; and in general, the answer was no: I had several hundred records, and they were all rubbish.

However

I DID discover 2 records by Gallon Drunk which were absolutely fantastic - I can't believe that I haven't listened to them for so long. Both this album and the follow up (From the Heart of Town) are really good, very exciting and dynamic records. I picked Two Wings Mambo but almost any song of these
would do - Just One More, Jake on the Make, Arlington Road etc, they're all grrrrrrrrrrreat.

TWM has this huge introduction, beginning with the trademark super-cheap maracas sound, before all kicking in with the mambo beat. It has the sort of quiet verse/ loud chorus deal perfected by Nick Cave over the years only with a slightly funkier beat than Nick normally has. James Johnston eventually joined the Bad Seeds of course.

His singing definitely got better over the years - if I have sold this to you, I recommend that you start with From the heart of town.

from You, the night... and the music, available on CD


Laissez Faire  performed by Gichy Dan  1979
Recommended by PappaWheelie [profile]

An August Darnell penned song that rivals much of the prestigious 'Dr. Buzzard' catalog. Smooth, tropical, moderate-tempo late 70's Cosmopolitan-Disco tune with wordly lyrics...and Lordes Cotto on vocals!

from Gichy Dan's Beachwood #9 (RCA)



Bring on the Love   performed by Gloria Jones  1978
Recommended by geezer [profile]

From a time when soul was shaking hands with disco,on this beautiful midtempo ballad the two genres are happy to live in a harmony.This is a track that is allowed to build upon a soft disco beat layer by layer ,a deceptive melody allows optimism to drip drip then flood your senses,leaving you feeling good about life and for once a song that is as long as you want it to be.A song that somehow takes you high without leaving its musical ground .

from Windstorm, available on CD


Black Cherry  performed by Goldfrapp  2003
Recommended by robert[o] [profile]

The title track from Goldfrapp�s second LP is everything pop music should be � sexy, glamorous, smart and weird - but rarely is these days. If their debut album was all about, in the duo�s own words, �Ennio Morricone and disco�, then the follow-up is all about disco and�Ennio Morricone � only wrapped in a shimmering gown early 1980�s inspired electronic textures. Electro-clash with heart and soul, a Madonna song with 170 I.Q., a tune for Milva to sing on Moonbase Alpha � I could go on and on�

from Black Cherry, available on CD



  eftimihn: Excellent recommendation and great description. Unfortunately the only track off their sophomore effort that can moodwise hold up to such exquisite songs like "Pilots" or "Utopia" from their debut.
  robert[o]: I actually dig the second LP a great deal. Very disco/electro, (as opposed to Ennio), but really high quality disco/electro. (And simply delivering a "Felt Mountain" Part II would have been a bit dull - I think.) "Forever" and "Hairy Trees" are pretty darn exquisite, likewise.
  catfish: a beautiful track that simply melts into your ears. You get the impression that something very naughty is going on but never quite sure exactly what. Has Rachel Stevens ripped this band off or what?
  OneCharmingBastard: A sumptuous moment from one of this decade's most solid slabs of sound.
Koko  performed by Goldfrapp  2005
Recommended by robert[o] [profile]

Ever wonder what a collaboration between Kate Bush and Gary Numan in, say, 1982 might have sounded like? Well, now you know.... Pure organic/synthetic sex pop, kids. Submit to Allison's tubeway army - resistance is futile!

from Supernature, available on CD


Autumn Leaves  performed by Grace Jones  1978
Recommended by geezer [profile]

A perrenial sesonal classic given a veneer of French disco sophistication,its appeal lies in retaining the melancholy of the songs intent whilst infusing the proceedings with something more up beat and Parisienne ,so the song runs at am exhaustive 8 minutes but leads you out of a forboding autumn and takes you nearer the optimism of spring. All achieved through the genius of arrangement and Miss Jones empathy with the song

from Fame, available on CD


Season of young moss  performed by Handsomeboy technique
Recommended by moondog [profile]

Better than the avalanches. Few other tracks have made me so glad this year than this song from Japans Handsomeboy Technique. It is virtually the same formula as the avalanches; collage pop from soft rock, disco,hip hop, girl groups etc but with much better song structures than the ava. The album adelie land is also recommended.

from Adelie Land, available on CD


Zuhalterb�ssatle  performed by Harald Paulsen & Lotte Lenya  1930
Recommended by james [profile]

It seems unlikely to be able to pick one song from the threepenny opera that stands out above the rest since the thing in itself is so honed to perfection (and never moreso than in the very early recordings). But as a microcosm of the whole this track (track 8) encapsulates perfectly the balance between the borrowed idiom of the popular musical style and the squalor of the lyrics. there is a jaunty middle section in which Mac recalls how he would slip out of bed to let one of the whore Jenny's clients in, mix them a drink and treat them well. Then comes a duet and they sing together of how they long to return to that whorehouse and to those happy times. At the end the music lingers with added, disconnected percussive sounds, in which time the ambivilance and ironies all resonate, creating a moment of perfection for the work as a whole, where all meaning vanishes and mere rhythm persuades.

from Die Dreigroschenoper Berlin 1930 (Telefunken)


No Brakes On My Roller Skates  performed by Hot Skates 3000  2003
Recommended by jeanette [profile]

Billie Ray Martin under a briefly fashionable electroclash pseudonym. Our Germanic techno-soul diva sonically revisits and updates her underrated Electribe 101 days for a foray into what almost becomes disco metal. This quirky 12" is on lurid pink vinyl, and features a blistering remix by her old mate Mark Moore (of S-Express fame) on the B-side.

from 12" single (Disco Activisto DAREC001)


Have you got ticket to the Dome?  performed by Ip  1993
Recommended by Genza [profile]

Japanese recluse Ip rarely leaves the confines of his room-cum-studio - and it's usually to attend a naff 1980s-stylee disco. The shy, clumsy student takes on the persona of a mentalist when news of a party spreads.

To celebrate his love of all things crazee, Ip recorded a series of bizarre poptastic tracks in the early 1990s. The songs suffer from dreadful production values and annoying lyrics, much of which is spoken in broken Engrish. But hey, that only adds to the fun.

Ip's debut album 'Floor 15: Room 17' is his best. Two stand out tracks include: 'Knocking on door while Mr Room Mate is away now', and 'Why are all new friends arrive for special event not on?'.

But his best song is 'Have you got ticket to the Dome?', a slice of Human League-esque rom-pop, bolted on to a 130 bpm, glam rock rhythm.

I used to know his acquaintance, this bloke that used to wear a plastic suit and fake glasses. He would hang around with a can of cheap lager. But I haven't seen him in months. I think he lost his mobile phone, or something. He'd probably say: 'Oh yeah, Gonza, Genzo. I remember. The good old days. Hanging out in the Lounge.'

Whatever. But Ip. Far out.

from Floor 15: Room 17, available on CD



  delicado: I don't remember Ip's music. Wasn't there a related thing called 'DJ Bakesey'? I remember that being really good.
  Genza: Don't remember Ip? What on earth...? If I remember rightly, you used to hang around with him and those two mates of his that used to jump up and down on bed and squeal in a high-pitched way. Very, very odd. As for 'DJ Bakesey', he wag good - and some of his mates in the JCR Squad were pretty hot. Their sound - looking back - was pretty ground-breaking. 'MC Lem' was amazing and I loved his booming anthem 'Fish Pie': 'All I want for tea is Fish Pie All I want for tea is Fish Pie If I get it, I won't swear like a bad boy If I get it, I won't play Duncan no more...' Who was Duncan? And what did it all mean? Am I scared? Can I sleep here?
Long Way Down  performed by Jimmie Spheeris  1971
Recommended by konsu [profile]

Found this sealed copy at a local thriftery, an artist i've never heard from a good period at Columbia. Most of the LP meanders in a poetic way, highlighting Spheeris's moody lyrics, sometimes getting a little too "drippy" at times. This track stands out like a champ from the rest, and was penned by a sideman on the LP, Lee Calvin Nicoli. It has such a great pop appeal, in a sort of Cat Stevens way, with a brilliant arrangement (by the author no doubt), that moves along bouncing and resting... A perfect song for a rainy sunday afternoon!

Seems this fellow died very young, and has quite a cult following from what i've read. Should be a nice discovery for fans of 70's folk. And singer-songwriter stuff.

from Isle of View, available on CD


Te Quiero Tal C�mo Eres (Just The Way You Are)  performed by Jose Jose  1977
Recommended by RCA76 [profile]

This is an "excelente" version of Billy Joel's version of "Just The Way You Are". This album was recorded in 1977, beginning his era with BMG/ Ariola records. The executives, happy to have a performer like JOSE JOSE, provided him with the best musicians, numbers and producers of the time. Included in this album are 2 numbers by Mexico's greatest: Juan Gabriel ("Ya lo pasado, pasado" & "Ahora No !"). Among others credited are Napoleon ("Lo que no fue, no sera"), Adan Torres("Almohada"). Of the 10 numbers included, 7 were top ten hits in Mexico, Colombia and the U.S. Leaving disco to other performers that needed to launch their productions to the international market, Jose Jose's album is just pure old-fashioned latin love songs, songs still heared today.

from Lo Pasado, Pasado, available on CD


D.A.N.C.E.  performed by Justice
Recommended by texjernigan [profile]

Produced by the same guys that did Daft Punk, has the sound of the Discovery album.




Lullaby  performed by Krzysztof Komeda & Mia Farrow  1968
Recommended by jeanette [profile]

And I am not just including this because it is from Rosemary's Baby, my very favourite film of all time. Well, maybe I am a little - the opening credits where Polanski guides us over the rooftops of the Bramford while Mia murmurs her "la la la"s sets up perfectly the movie heaven that is to come.

Actors usually make a hash of singing (and, of course, vice versa - Bjork is great in Dancer In The Dark but that's all I can come up with), although I've heard that Cybil Shepherd makes a decent stab. But Mia can't fail to impress with her innocent singing voice, keeping in the character of Rosemary even though she doesn't speak a word in this song. Komeda maintains his usual atmospheric wonder, with the sort of piano based joy that gave such a fruitful relationship with Polanski's films.

Lots of others have had a pop at this, usually with some degree of success as the melody is so strong (discounting a dodgy metal version of it by some chancers whose name escapes me). My favourites are Hugo Montenegro's (on Good Vibrations) and Claudine Longet's lyric-added version, Sleep Safe And Warm.

from Rosemary's Baby, available on CD




  Swinging London: I love this too! It seems to pull the whole movie into a class of it's own. I've been trying to find the Claudine Longet version for years!
The Way that I Found You  performed by Ladytron  2000
Recommended by tempted [profile]

It's no matter what you do but how you do it! This is a darker song in the Ladytron repertoire and electro disco pop at its very best. Very synth bass heavy yet melodic thanks to these people who understand the recipe of making me happy! Ladytron succeed in making their highly synthetic music sound very organic. Just like Kraftwerk have always done. Apart from Kraftwerk this reminds me of... The Human League. But with a modern touch, leaving the trademark 8t's echoes out. Get up on the dancefloor!

from 604, available on CD



De Cara a la Pared  performed by Lhasa  1997
Recommended by mitchiavelli [profile]

Lhasa is a Mexican-American woman now resident in Montreal, Canada.

She sings in French and Spanish and incorporates elements of Latin, French and Yiddish music into her sound.

She has a stellar back-up band that includes some of the best musicians in Montreal's rich music scene.

'De Cara a la Pared' is a very sexy and romantic number that I'm sure you'll enjoy.

NB: the CD cover art is among the ugliest I've ever seen.

See it here:

http://mapage.noos.fr/weblhasa/v2/discographie/fr_discographie.html

from La Llorona, available on CD


Trojan Horse  performed by Luv�  1978
Recommended by jeanette [profile]

Others go to Amsterdam for the sex and the drugs - on my trip there I was intent on discovering a hit of the purest Europop. And it came in the form of three lovely ladies who had millions of number ones in 1970s Netherlands.

Luv' (the apostrophe is not a typo - perhaps any Dutch grammar scholars reading this would care to tell me of its purpose) combine drums, bagpipes, cliche and corn in one bejewelled package. They have made many great records but this is their majesty, their Great Gatsby.

And the CD cited below is a 2CD anthology of Dutch 70s and 80s girl pop. My idea of heaven and the rest of the population's burning purgatory.

from the single Trojan Horse (Philips 6012 858)
available on CD - We Cheer You Up (Hunter Music)



Take Me With You  performed by Lyn Christopher  1973
Recommended by mr_klenster [profile]

Sinister and spacy, slightly discordant, gospel-inflected soul groove, with a murderous, high-powered bassline. Gene Simmons and Paul Stanley of Kiss apparently sing background vocals on this artist self-titled album, and strangely enough it's their backing that makes this sound sort of reminiscent of a gospel session, but in space maybe. Begging lyrics and tripped out reverb enhance the strange, infectious hold of this song. This is a very heavy, mournful, and unique sound experience. Recommended.





Bossa Rock Blues #1  performed by Manfredo Fest  1972
Recommended by konsu [profile]

Really suprised to see this one in a thrift store recently. I was taken back by the bad cover photo of some blue cheese in tin foil with saltines and a bottle of wine.(?) Anyway, the music is fantastic, much in the vein of Jobim's CTI work from the same period. This piece grooves almost more in a Deodato way, with a nice funky nocturnal jazz bite. Nice to see the gap close on the years between his Bossa Rio stint and the records he did for Discovery.

Strangely enough it was recorded in Minneapolis MN while he was living there. On the RCA subsidary Daybreak.

from After Hours (Daybreak DR 2012)


She Told Me, She Told Me  performed by Marcos Valle  1967
Recommended by konsu [profile]

If there has been any really great re-discoveries in brazilian music as of late, Marcos Valle is one of them. The Samba 68' record is one of the few he gave to the USA, and we should be grateful!

This has to be THE most endearing duet I have ever heard. MV's wife of the time, Anamaria,joins him in a walk on the Impanema beach... hands clasped in the evening moonlight,stopping only to say to themselves "To look at delicious you, and know that it's all for me..." and continue their thoughts of possible love..." And you'd feel as I do, if you knew what I knew..."A childlike two-finger piano line emphasizes the naiveity of a young couple so eloquently and poignantly... against a backdrop of waves crashing softly from a string quartet....A song you'll never forget.

from Samba 68', available on CD


Walk The City Streets  performed by Mary Wells  1992
Recommended by Arthur [profile]

Disco thumper ala Pet Shop Boys.
This is actually a remix of the song and as far as I know only came out on this CD. Recorded as part of the massive Motorcity project, Mary was unwell at the time of recording and sadly died a few years later. It was the last thing she ever recorded.

from The Best Of Motorcity (Motorcity/ Hot HTCD7701)


Female of the Species  performed by Meg Myles  1961
Recommended by FlyingDutchman1971 [profile]

I can just imagine people sitting in a seedy New York movie theatre on 42nd Street back in 1961 watching a b-movie called "Satan in High Heels". The film is in its last reel and suddenly the main female character comes out on the nightclub stage wearing a leather outfit complete with 6-inch dominitrix boots and a riding crop! The music swells and she starts to sing:
---
i'm the kind of woman, not hard to understand,
i'm the one who cracks the whip and holds the upper hand
I'll beat you, mistreat you, til you quiver and quail,
the female of the species is more deadly than the male.
---
This little film isn't likely to have ever had a soundtrack album which in a way is sad because in addition to this camply little gem there are a couple of other cute vocals by Meg Myles and the other actresses in the film and some great jazz instrumentals sprinkled throughout as well. The fine folks at Something Weird Video have kindly put this little film out on DVD. You can also catch the scene containing this song on their compilation of movie trailers (where I first discovered this film) released to inform people of their DVD catalog.

from from the film "Satan in High Heels" (Something Weird Video www.somethingweird.com)


Machine Vibes  performed by Metro Area  2002
Recommended by heinmukk [profile]

metro area brings a lot of things together. there is the oldskool discovibe. there is retro-electro. there is detroit. and there is always organic stuff within like in this track, the nice flute-riff which appears only once or twice.
the whole album is highly recommandable. all tracks are arranged in a deep disco mood, as i would describe it. but you can't compare it to real disco from the 70s as there are a lot of other ingredients. for example a 909 fourtofloorbeat in many tracks and synthiepads sweeping in and out. nice mixture.
i think some tunes should be familiar to club-goers (miura, athmosphrique) but this one is more for your home-audio-experience...=)

from Metro Area


Rock With You  performed by Michael Jackson  1979
Recommended by eftimihn [profile]

While i can't say i'm an admirer of Jackson, his first two Epic records "Off The Wall" and "Thriller" are a reminder he wasn't always that pathetical popular figure he is today but a talented performer and songwriter with an array of gifted people to back him up as arrangers, songwriters and musicians. The most imported credit goes to the legendary Quincy Jones, who really gave these records an incredibly rich sounding, impeccable prduction. All instruments, funky guitars and bass, swirling disco-esque strings, horns and brass, vocal harmonies and syths, are in the right place here. The production is detailed, lush and transparent sounding, easily beating most of todays pop productions, even more so on the remastered versions of these records.

from Off The Wall, available on CD



La Discotheque  performed by Mike Rozakis  1973
Recommended by human-cannonball [profile]

This is an absolutely impossible rarity, as it has never been released out of the original master-tape (until 1 year ago)! Part of the soundtrack of a 1973 Greek psychedelic underground film with the international title 'She Knew No Other Way' (local title: Children of the Flowers). However, this is not a mad freak-beat groovy tune (which is the case for most of the rest of the tunes in the soundtrack score); instead, it's a warm, classy, mid-tempo, funky jam with wah-wah guitar & sax solos and a very discreet piano backing. As a Greek, I was astounded by the discovery of this 70s funky gem from a totally unknown composer (Mike Rozakis). A true obscurity masterpiece, seek the proper vinyl release from Greek label 'Potfleur'.

from She Knew No Other Way OST (Potfleur)



  n-jeff: Thanks for the heads up on this LP! Its a great one, I love the way its at once stumbling and psychedlic, but at the same time maintains the great groove. Good fuzz guitar and great strings, plus that lovely wayward organ. Is there any more Mike Rozakis music lurking around?
Sob Story  performed by Minor Threat  198x
Recommended by Durruti [profile]

This song is about.... ehh, the lyrics are quite self explaintory::

"Life's not been good for you
It's just not fair
You did nothing to deserve it
You did nothing at all
Sit back and watch
It turns from bad to worse
No matter how loud you cry
It always hurts.....
Everybody gets
The breaks that belonged to you
Everybody takes
Your just desserts....




At first I wasn't very satisfied with this song. It's hardcore, lyrics are shouted and I didn't understand anything, I only listened to melody and other things. Than I read lyrics and listened to it again.
THIS SONG IS VERY GOOD. ONE OF THE BEST MINOR THREAT SONGS (They are all great except "Guilty Of Being White", I hate lyrics. It remind me of nazi skins)
Minor Threat are one of the greatest hardcore bands of all time. Straight Edge is movement, which started becouse of one Minor Threat's song with the same name. The lyric side of MN is great, instrumental part to. They are great. They'll always be. IF YOU DON'T LIKE MINOR THREAT YOU DON'T LIKE HARDCORE! Sorry, but that's true.

You can find their whole discography on one CD which consists of 26 songs.

from Complete Discography, available on CD


Teeth Like God’s Shoeshine  performed by Modest Mouse  1997
Recommended by kaptnunderpnts [profile]

give this song one good, patient listen all the way through and it will begin to grow on you and will get better and better. a redeeming song in the end that comes full circle very nicely. it seems a bit discordant at first, but modest mouse does a very good job of keeping their more discordant songs very tight. a great song. in fact, i'm going to put it on now. the rest of this album- lonesome crowded west- has some other great songs as well. which i guess i'll recommend individually later.

from Lonesome Crowded West


Sweet Lips  performed by MONACO  1997
Recommended by beautifulmutant [profile]

The best New Order song New Order never recorded (bt which features Peter Hook).
Excellent lyrics, sing-along chant / chorus...
I would've though I'd've outgrown this song after 7+ years, but I still get emotional for some reason when I hear this song. It struck a nerve I cannot explain. Beautiful song.

from Music For Pleasure (Polydor)



  eftimihn: Yeah, i still remember this really hooked (kinda lame pun, i know) me when it came out. At the time the prospect of New Order ever coming together again was very unlikely, so this was a welcome substitute at least for me. The first single off "Music For Pleasure", "What Do You Want From Me", was equally New Order-esque with Potts' voice sounding strikingly similar to Sumners'.
wide to receive  performed by morrissey
Recommended by fourdoublefour [profile]

Like "Lost", written by Spencer Cobrin. Haunting melody, just discovered it. This guy Cobrin has some secret and awesome talent, come on up man and lets see what else you can do.





  kohl: yeah, it's quite a grower. off maladjusted if i recall correctly. and who'd think morrissey would ever give us an 'internet' song?
Cherry, Cherry  performed by Music Machine  1967
Recommended by artlongjr [profile]

Just discovered this cover of the Neil Diamond song on Youtube, along with several other videos by the Music Machine, and it really stunned me. It's a beautiful soft pop version of "Cherry Cherry" complete with flute solo-nothing like the other songs I've heard from the band. Nothing garagey about it at all, more in the easy listening vein...and I mean that in a good way!

Another great cover version that the Music Machine do is "Hey Joe"-their's is my favorite version of that oft-recorded chestnut.


available on CD - Turn On the Music Machine (Collectables)


King of the Carrot Flowers Prt. 1,2 & 3.  performed by Neutral Milk Hotel  1997
Recommended by two-headed boy [profile]

A perfect segue into a perfect album, King of the Carrot Flowers is a masterpiece. This is the way songs should be written, performed, and produced. Jeff Mangum strums the catchiest 3 chords on his acoustic guitar while his piercing vocals spill lyrics of psychedelic sophistication. I can still remember the first time I heard him sing the lyric - 'and your mom would drink until she was no longer speaking, and dad would dream of all the different ways to die, each one a little more than he would dare to try' - in a rising climax. The energy and power is then sustained into a C drone from an organ, followed by an amped acoustic guitar being plucked clumsily. And like a street preacher we again hear Jeff, he belts 'I love you Jesus Christ' while the rest of the band hit fuzzed-out power chords F and C until a storm swells with cymbals, horn, bass, guitar, Jeff's voice and another rising movement to yet another climax. Propelled by an electric frequency that chops like a helicopter blade inches over-head we are lead into Part 3, often referred to as 'Up and Over'. This last part explodes into fuzz rock in all it's garage-roots glory with lyrics like - 'I will shout until they know what I mean, I mean the marriage of a dead dog sing, in a synthetic flying machine'. As the fuzz is sustained heavily the song ends with 1 last climax; the one-note piano brings us to a close.

King of the Carrot Flowers Part 1 introduces the theme of 'loss of innocence'. The narrator, addressing his lover nostalgically, compares the emotional deterioration of the older parents with the emotional and sexual discovery of their youth - 'your mom would stick a fork right into daddy's shoulder, and dad would throw the garbage all across the floor, as we would lay and learn what each other's bodies were for.' This motive returns later in the album, as does his 'Jesus Christ' theme. Jeff Mangum alerts the listener in his lyric sheet that he believes what he sings, and that this 'Christ' theme is but the spiritual light he finds within everything. The album further treats themes like the Holocaust, death of loved ones, visions of ghosts, and all the horrors of man with this light. It is a beautiful and terrifying experience unlike any rock record to date. Personally, my favorite song of all time.

from In the Aeroplane Over the Sea (Elephant 6)


Where will I be tomorrow  performed by Nice Little Penguins  1994
Recommended by Mike [profile]

By one of those beautiful quirks that only occours when you befriend the staff of secondhand shops (and therefore get to hang around, sampling anything that sounds potentially interesting), I discovered this Danish Band yesterday. Well, actually I bought their 1994 album "Flying" yesterday, and discovered it today.

Inhabiting an area that to me is Beach Boys meets Big Dish with flavours of Crowded House blended with a little general indie, the album is remarkably enjoyable after one play. Kind of like a superior version of the Rembrandts. And one of the tracks that struck a particular chord was this one, a slowish number, but only one of several outstanding tracks. I really liked another slowish number "You are" a lot too.

from Flying


New York New York  performed by Nina Hagen  1983
Recommended by Yammer [profile]

The DIY ethos of punk served to liberate performers from the obligation to have a great deal of technical ability. The unfortunate corollary was that any display of already-acquired virtuousity instantly marked one as part of the Uncool Wankerage, forcing nascent guitar gods like Andy Summers to play as though suddenly arthritic. Possibly the first artist to successfully bridge Old World training and New World raucousness was Nina Hagen. "New York New York" is the East German-trained singer's signature tune. Over a clipped, dry Morodor techno-dystopia background, the verses present Hagen recounting her then-current regimen of glamourous excess in a harsh, metallic raven's shriek. Then, as though descending from the heavens at the end of a Wagnerian opera, comes the chorus -- a meltingly warm (yet uncomfortable) wave of minor chords, then a soaring, yearning, superbly modulated mezzo-soprano...which, after a jolt of realization, is understood to also belong to Nina Hagen. And so on.

from Fearless (CBS)


mirza  performed by nino ferrer  1966
Recommended by penelope_66 [profile]

this frech jazz/soul artist is a recent discovery of mine. and it's too bad it took me so long to find him! just as talented as the well-known jaques dutronc. most of his early stuff is great, and gets a bit more "souly" as time goes on. if you like 60's french music, check this out.


available on CD - l' indispensable (barclay)



Battened Ships  performed by Odyssey  1972
Recommended by Pal [profile]

My Favorite for the moment, charmy folky soul! Don�t mix this Oyssey with a later one who were more into the disco.

from Odyssey (Mowest)


Lying is the most fun  performed by Panic at the Disco  2005
Recommended by sparkling.inferno [profile]

it's not the most beautifully written song -or the most appropriate, for that matter- but i love it for the way it was performed, the way Brendon's sometimes high-pitched vocals harmonize so well with the instruments, and its memorability. this song stuck with me for a very long time, however i am also very attached to it on account of more personal reasons.
the intellectual aspects are also what struck me as being meaningful- how often do you hear the word 'harlequin' or 'testosterone' in a song? i enjoy listening to tunes with at least some signs of intellect, rather than hearing a string of curses or slang in an entire three minutes. although there are some profanities in Lying, it's not as bad as many other songs out there, that's for sure.

however, there is a sad aspect to the song as well. apparently, it was inspired by guitarist Ryan Ross' recent breakup with his girlfriend on account of her cheating. he stated:
"At the time it felt like the world had ended. I hated everything. It affected that whole album. I guess it's good that I wrote it down. I might have stabbed somebody."

overall, i think it's a great composition, with an enjoyable melody and a catchy chorus, despite its melancholy roots.

from A Fever You Can't Sweat Out


Dance, Bunny Honey, Dance  performed by Penny McLean  1977
Recommended by jeanette [profile]

From that much maligned genre, eurodisco, comes an amazing story of a young girl moving to the city. She has dreams of dancing and making it under the bright lights, but is confronted only by people who see sexuality in her dancing, not freedom. She is exploited; her ideals ruined.

People think I make too much of the genius of Penny. I can often be heard espousing, at length, her brilliance and analysing her songs (I tend to do the latter in my head - there's only so much friends can take). Penny was pretty famous in Germany and only vaguely so everywhere else, primarily for the disco classic Lady Bump. She is now a sci-fi/fantasy novelist but unfortunately her books have not been translated into English else I'd doubtless find social comment in those as well...

from Penny (Columbia (Canadian) PCC-90446)



Your Funny Uncle  performed by Pet Shop Boys
Recommended by daniela_por [profile]

Beautiful piano-led song that can make you smile. I discovered this PSB's b-side after listening to Tom Chaplin's home-made cover.




If I Ever Feel Better  performed by Phoenix  2000
Recommended by geishalass [profile]

This is a gorgeous summer tune in a similar vein to "Heartbeat" by Tahiti 80. This song makes you want to dance, a bit disco, a bit easy listening and a smudge of retro. I can't recommend the entire album - it's all over the place but this single is stunning.

from United (Astralwerks)




  G400 Custom: Couldn't agree more. This is one of my favourite singles of the last five years. The album certainly is patchy, but there's a few things on there that reach similar heights, notably the other single, 'Too Young'.
detroit  performed by primal scream  2002
Recommended by olli [profile]

insanely hard, pulsating fascist dance punk piece, easily the best song on primal scream`s uneven last album. features some mean distorted synthezisers, a gigantic bassline and some great, sneering vocals from Jim Reid of the jesus and mary chain. (am i the only one who has a problem with bobby gillespie`s singing voice?)i often find myself jumping around the house while listening to this.

from evil heat


Disco 2000  performed by Pulp  1995
Recommended by chris kane [profile]

Britpop classic from the mid 90's. Bits of every great pop record ever





  daniela_por: I love this song. Have you heard keane's cover? It's not as good as the original, but it's nice :)
  delicado: There's a Nick Cave cover that I think is pretty cool.
Disco 2000  performed by Pulp
Recommended by daniela_por [profile]

Happy dance-pop song about a high school love.




Disco 2000  performed by Pulp
Recommended by mateunio [profile]




Fault Lines  performed by Radiogram  2000
Recommended by mitchiavelli [profile]

'Fault Lines' is a beautiful, slow melodic number from Radiogram's debut album 'Unbetween'.

After listening to 'Fault Lines' and 'Unbetween' it came as no great surprise to discover that this band has enjoyed great success in roots music circles in Canada and the UK.

Strangely, the 'ethereal' sound achieved by the producer [Chon] reminds me of Jane Siberry's 'When I Was a Boy'.

from Unbetween, available on CD


Bitter-Sweet  performed by Roxy Music  1974
Recommended by delicado [profile]

For someone like me, the strangest thing about getting really into Roxy Music is the overt rockiness of a lot of their material. Even on this track, which is one more of their slower, more mournful numbers, there are a lot of very heavy rocky moments. They work pretty well though, and I'm certainly not complaining.

The atmospheric opening is breathtaking, and Bryan Ferry's vocal as he sings 'I've opened up my heart' is incredibly beautiful. The words and music seem to meld together in a very pretty way, but then before long the track mutates into a stomping, carnival like passage that clearly influenced Nick Cave to a considerable extent. Throughout the song there's this interchange between delicate, melodic verses and the rowdy, discordant section. Like another favorite Roxy track, 'Just like you', this song finishes with a clever chord change.

I'm sure many people would find 'Bitter-Sweet' much too dramatic and serious - perhaps some days I would too - but it does have an incredible elegance and style that makes me keep on listening.

from Country Life, available on CD



Lose That Girl  performed by Saint Etienne  1998
Recommended by king8egg [profile]

for years friends have been telling me i should give st. etienne a listen as they thought it was something i'd like. well, it took me long enough but they were right. if they had recorded nothing else than this song i would consider it one of my favourite pop songs. with lines like: "i should have told you to lose that girl/i should have told you that's not your world /on her radio she turned the disco down..." it was destined to end up a favourite of mine.

from Good Humor, available on CD




  delicado: I'm also a recent convert to St. Etienne. I insisted to friends that I didn't like them, but I recently got 1992's 'So Tough', and thought it was brilliant.
  tempted: If there's one group I find very difficult to criticize it's St. Etienne. People say they've made a bad album or two but I think they all are different faces of perfection. "So Tough" is probably the best choice to start with them. That's the band in a nutshell. And the most widely appreciated album.
  OneCharmingBastard: Talk about a sleeper. Not their most obvious single by a long shot (that honor still goes to either their Jimmy Webb tribute "Avenue" or their Bo Donaldson & The Heywoods cover, "Who Do You Think You Are"), but this track not only stands the test of time, but improves like a fine wine. Someday people will love this band. Until then, little four minute bursts of brilliance like this are part of my own private stash of cool cuts.
I Don�t Need A Doctor  performed by Sheila B. Devotion  1977
Recommended by jeanette [profile]

Ah, Sheila, resplendent in her purple sequined hotpants, is having such a good time on the cover of this record with her tight-trousered pals. And so she might - for her group have made a blinding record.

She's in love, you see, and it's making her feel ill (not sleeping, sweating etc.) but this is "good" and all the disco nation roars in approval.

Perfect chirpy pop music for everyone.

from Singin' In The Rain (Carrere EMC 3236)



Sleep Deprivation  performed by Simian Mobile Disco
Recommended by DeathandHarmony [profile]




Dinnertime  performed by Spiderbait  1999
Recommended by n-jeff [profile]

Its 4 tracks into the CD, and after one of the fluffy pop numbers, so it quite takes you by surprise when a guitar kicks in of such rawness that it feels like small blisters are erupting over your eardrums.
In come the bass and drums, and the girly vocals (Janet presumably) with a nice sarcastic tone. The sarcasm seems to be a feature of the band.
Threres also a triffic 1980 style disco remix on the extra CD, for extra amusement. To be honest I love the whole LP, it has nice fat drums, lovely rolling bass, and they aren't afraid to use the technology, it was hard to pick one song out, but this one had the edge for Janets voice and that ruff guitar. God I love Fuzz.

Oddly the person who played the CD to me first dismissed them as just another Oz-Rock band. Nah, way off the mark.

from Grand Slam, available on CD




  n-jeff: My 4 year old daughter worked out enough of the CD player controls to play the disco remix back to back about twenty times over this weekend. Still sounds great.
love with the three of us  performed by stereo total  2001
Recommended by olli [profile]

english language version of "l' amour a 3", available as a bonus track on the american release of "musique automatique".

cute electronic pop song about threesomes, courtesy of french-german electro-rockabilly-breakbeat-chanson-disco-pop sensation stereo total.
features some great moaning samples.
the ooohohouou- sound in the chorus remind me of a norwegian children's programme i used to watch when i was a kid. i just love the vocals in this version. they might not be technically perfect, but the french-german accent is really cute, and adds a lot to the feel of the song.

"it's absolutely out, i know it's hippie shit/
but i say it loud, with the three of us, i love it"

(by the way, stereo total are very nice people. they deserve your love)


available on CD - musique automatique (kill rock stars)



Juxtapozed With You  performed by Super Furry Animals  2001
Recommended by ElOleg [profile]

One of the best songs of this wales group. With some kind of disco sound.

from Rings Around The World, available on CD


Art to Zebras  performed by Sy Richardson  1977
Recommended by FlyingDutchman1971 [profile]

If you had one of the premium movie channels in the 1980's, you may have happened across a late-night showing of the Softcore-Porn-Musical film "Cinderella". While several of the musical numbers are quite good and rather amusing, the best song (imho) is "Art to Zebras", performed by 'Fairy Godmother' (a stereotypical crossdressing gay black man). This song is basically a list of all of the items he has stolen from the townspeople... and being that the film was made in 1977, yes, it is a disco number. Definitely a relic of it's time but nonetheless a great number from one of the films I keep in my Guilty Pleasure Chest.




you made me feel like (everything is alright)  performed by syreeta  1968
Recommended by shaka_klaus [profile]

this is motown at it's best in my opinion. i bought the album "a cellarful OF MOTOWN!" when it was released in 2002. however i just re-discovered it a couple of weeks ago when i was cleaning. the track was (as it say in the booklet) originally assigned to the supremes. great stuff!


available on CD - a cellarful of motown! (motown/universal)



  scrubbles: Agreed. I love the undercurrent of dread in this song. Why it remained in the Motown vaults is a mystery to me.
Dark On You Now  performed by The Ashes  1967
Recommended by artlongjr [profile]

This song is a classic of the psychedelic era, by a group that later became known as the Peanut Butter Conspiracy. I first discovered it years ago on a 1967 compilation album called "West Coast Love-In" which featured about four of the Ashes' songs. It was "Dark on You Now" that really wigged me out-it is an awesome, slow-paced, moody number that features the spine-tingling vocals of Sandi Robison and the prominent 12-string guitar of John Merrill. The song is incredibly atmospheric and reminds me of a combination of the Byrds and Jefferson Airplane when both of those groups were in their prime. It is also at four minutes plus quite long for the era. I listed this as being recorded in 1967 but it may have been waxed in 1966...at any rate it is surely one of the great songs of the early psychedelic era.

I have the first Peanut Butter Conspiracy album which contains a re-recorded version of this song, harder rocking and not nearly as good. The original Ashes version was recorded as a 45 for the Vault label (which also issued "West Coast Love-In").


from Spreading from the Ashes (Big Beat)
available on CD - Spreading From the Ashes (Big Beat)



  n-jeff: I'm sure I have this on one of the pebbles "Highs of the mid sixties" series ("volume 3 Hollywood a go-go" IIRC) although I believe they credit it as "Follow the sun", I'm sure. Great summer song.
  artlongjr: That is a cover version by a band called the Love Exchange..."Swallow the Sun" is a key lyric in this song, but I really don't know what it means!
6060-842  performed by The B-52s  1979
Recommended by rum [profile]

The lyrical theme of �6060-842� seems pretty mundane for the B-52s. Tina goes to the ladies room, sees a phone number scrawled on the wall, and so decides to ring it. Hmm� doesn�t sound like it�s gonna be a tale the measure of �the time our car was hijacked by the devil� and the like. Still this IS the B-52s, and recognisably so, �if you�d like a very nice time, just give this number a call� reads the unlikely graffiti. So something must happen. The band are optimistic too, bouncing along excitedly on a jumpy new wave rhythm. Tina, we reckon, is much like the band. She lives for wild parties and crazy adventures. This 6060-842 could be just the ticket. �Oh my gawd! I�m gonna give that there number a ring. You see if I don�t!� So she drops a dime in the phone slot and, �prays she gets the line.� She�s biting her lip, stabbing her nails into her finger tips, �come on� come ON!!!�

But pause a moment. Is she really so na�ve? Does she really think a �really nice time� awaits her? In the gnarled and weather beaten hands of a social realist singer-songwriter, the number 6060-842 would lead to abuse, to prostitution, and ultimately, to death. In the hands of the B-52s? I don�t know, you tell me. A debauched toga party in a 1950s vision of the future�? Well, it�s neither. It�s just a brilliant anti-climax. You see Tina and the B-52a might be deranged, but the world they live in is not. It�s bloody typical. She dials 6060-842, and can�t get through! �The number�s been disconnected�� monotones the operator. But Tina won�t accept this, no, and neither will the band. They can�t end the track with Tina accepting the disappointment with a sigh of weary resignation, �ah well, nevermind� maybe next time.� No, no, this anti-climax has worked them up into an angry frenzy. Ricky Wilson vents his frustration with viscious slashes of electric guitar whilst Tina just keeps dialing and dialing, and getting rebuffed and rebuffed, �HELLO!!!� �sorry�� The track probably ends with them all smashing up the phone box. A superb, and much over-looked track.

from The B-52s, available on CD


Warmth of the Sun  performed by The Beach Boys  1964
Recommended by delicado [profile]

Another of my favorite Beach Boys tracks, 'warmth of the sun' is a haunting ballad, sung astoundingly beautifully (Carl Wilson does the lead vocals) over a twangy picked electric guitar. From the astounding album 'Shut down vol. 2' which also gave us 'Don't Worry Baby'! 6 years ago I thought that the Beach Boys were pretty much 'Surfin' USA and other surfer hits'. I'm glad I was able to get beyond this - there's so much to discover!

from Shut Down Vol. 2 (Capitol)
available on CD - Surfer Girl/Shut Down Vol. 2 (Capitol/EMI)



Somebody To Love  performed by The Boogie Pimps  2005
Recommended by mattypenny [profile]

The third in a series of 3 linked postings, the other being White Rabbit and the original Jefferson Airplane version of this song.

It probably wouldn't be unfair to describe this as a fairly cheese-y dance cover of the Jefferson Airplance song. It puts a fairly similar sounding vocal over a dance track, with some extra squelchy noises.

I would never have thought the world needed a dance version of this song, but its good fun, and it fills the gap when you have one of those need-to-hear-a-disco-fied-version-of-a-60s-goth-classic moments.

Where it gets really wierd, though, is the video. The singer is a fairly genericvideo female without many clothes on. But she's shot as if she's a giant lying across several fields. And then you see a number of babies parachuting out of an airplane, and eventually landing on top of her. You could say its tasteless, crass, sexist or all three (and I probably would), but its kind of nutty enough to suit what there is of the howling vocal.


available on CD - Now 60 or 61 (UK)



  n-jeff: I've not heard this, and I'm not really going to go out of my way to find it, although I appreciate your sentiments. Anyway, before Jefferson Airplane, Grace Slick and some of the others were in a band called The Great Society, and they also did a version of this song, produced by Sly Stone. So it feels like something of a circle turning, although in 1966 he hadn't formed the great melting pot of the family.
There are stories attached to that session, but thats by the by, the Great Societys' legacy would be a very fine live album. You should track it down. Proper Psychedelia.

  mattypenny: Jeff, thanks for the comment. Sly Stone being involved in a version of this sounds intriguing, I will try to track it down. Also interesting that you should use the word 'psychedelia'. You're absolutely right to - I think I didn't because I tend to associate it with either very surreal type of music (e.g. early Pink Floyd) or fairly mellow music (e.g Albatross, Good Morning Starshine, or late Pink Floyd), and both Somebody To Love and White Rabbit are neither.....Well, I suppose White Rabbit is surreal, but in a direct kind of way if that makes sense. You could say its closer to punk than hippy. I know very little about this period to be honest - as you can probably tell - but there's more interesting music there than I once thought. P.S. I wouldn't 'go out of your way to find' the Boogie Pimps version. In the context of the video channel they have on in the gym it was great when it came on - the vocal is similar and as I say the video is just so wierd it's worth watching. All in all quite fun but not essential. cheers, Matt
The Dis-Advantages of You  performed by The Brass Ring  1967
Recommended by artlongjr [profile]

This song has become known as one of the quintessential "Now Sound" numbers, and I go a LONG way back with it as far as memories go! As a kid in the sixties I used to love the Benson and Hedges cigarette commercials-although I was very much anti-smoking even then! But the cool theme music and humorous content of these commercials was a hit with us kids. Well, flash forward to the mid-1980's...I was doing my usual record collector thing in a local thrift store and came across an album called "The Dis-Advantages of You" by the Brass Ring, a group that I had several 45s by already. It looked interesting, so I picked it up...and was blown away by the first track, which was that wonderful Benson and Hedges theme that I remembered from childhood. I
couldn't believe my luck in stumbling across it, and
it immediately became one of my all time favorite tracks. The cool, wordless female vocals, whimsical melody, and smooth saxophone playing never fail to transport me back to the 1960's of my youth! I did some research on the song at the time and was surprised to find that it had been a chart hit in the spring of 1967. I was listening to the radio a lot back then and didn't recall hearing it. But rediscovering this recording really was a highlight of my musical development.

from The Dis-Advantages of You (Dunhill 50017)


Lookin� At A Baby  performed by The Collage  196?
Recommended by konsu [profile]

Another awsome but forgotten vocal group from 60's California that deserves a proper re-issue!The Collage were a vocal quartet(2 boys & 2 girls)with a very cool sound.Not enough to set them apart from the pack,but very groovy out of their context.The sound is as good as re-discovered groups like Free Design, or Millenium.In fact,Curt Boettcher wrote one of the songs on the LP,as well as Roger Nichols!
This song has a kind of"love awareness" message that seems just as relevant in today's troubled world: "...Look at a baby,what do you see?What do you see,lookin' at a baby?/I can see the world the way that I would like the world to be!..."This song,as the opener on the LP,has a lot of power, with that great 8th note stomp and a big,boomy,bass line with harpsichord.The arrangements are by the great Perry Botkin Jr.,and he gives the whole record a nice swirling,magical quality.And the rest of the album is just as impressive, and should be worth the high price for any lover of the genre.

from The Collage (Smash SRS 7101/MGS 27101)



  kwan_dk: Great song! I was lucky enough to find their album for 1 (!) dollar at a garage sale and loved that great opening track...
  rum: I heard a version of this track on that excellent rhino handmade 'Hallucinations' compilation. It was by the Collectors. I'm not sure whether it was the original or not, but it's really good. I remember looking at a picture of the band and thinking that if these 'collectors' started peering over into my baby's pram, I'd be wheeling him away to the nearest bobby. Ah such was the carefree innocence of the 60s that shabby young men could spend balmy afternoons in the park staring at young children.
  maya: I love this album! I may post some recs once I've listened to it a few times more...and since the year has a question mark, it's from 1967! they've got such a soft, sweet sound, that it's hard to resist.
  artlongjr: This song and band are great, no doubt. They were Canadian and later evolved into Chilliwack (who I haven't heard). I have their first LP which contains this song, and is excellent, it's a classic of West Coast psychedelia. I had a chance to hear their second album from a friend of mine who works in a record store, it's terrific! I think I heard that the name "Collectors" was given to them by a manager or record executive...but please, overlook the dorkiness of the name! This song is getting around, I now have it on two comps.
Do You Love Me?  performed by The Contours
Recommended by ajhorse21 [profile]

Disco, dance, superficial, but SO fun! Who hasn't heard this song a million times? It's still great!




He hit me (it felt like a kiss)  performed by The Crystals  1962
Recommended by texjernigan [profile]

This track has got such a weird message, and though it's not in the track, the lyrics at the end of the song really pull the song around. This is copied from http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/He_Hit_Me_(And_It_Felt_Like_a_Kiss)

Goffin and King wrote the song after discovering that singer Little Eva was being regularly beaten by her boyfriend. When they inquired why she tolerated such treatment, Eva replied with complete sincerity that her boyfriend's actions were motivated by his love for her.

The song was written and intended as a sort of protest song from the point of view of an abused woman. Phil Spector's arrangement was ominous and ambiguous. Dave Thompson writes, "It was a brutal song, as any attempt to justify such violence must be, and Spector �s arrangement only amplified its savagery, framing Barbara Alston�s lone vocal amid a sea of caustic strings and funereal drums, while the backing vocals almost trilled their own belief that the boy had done nothing wrong. In more ironic hands (and a more understanding age), 'He Hit Me' might have passed at least as satire. But Spector showed no sign of appreciating that, nor did he feel any need to. No less than the song�s writers, he was not preaching, he was merely documenting." [1]

Upon its initial release, "He Hit Me" received some airplay, but then there was a widespread protest of the song, with many concluding that the song was an endorsement of spousal abuse. The song soon became played only rarely on the radio, as now.





You can make me Dance ,Sing,or Anything  performed by The Faces  1974
Recommended by geezer [profile]

Late period Faces hint at the looser funkier sound which was calling Rod across the pond ,all the faces elements are on this slab of disco pop rock,i mean swagger ,melody ,tightness,looseness,atitude and humour and a chorus which subliminates love/lust into eight carefully chosen words .Possibly their last piece of greatness before Rod Stewart made his Atlantic crossing and headed for safer shores and leopard skin trousers .

from Snakes and Ladders (Mercury)
available on CD - Best of the Faces /Good Boys when there asleep


Dancing With Peter Pan's Shadow  performed by The Faith Brothers  1987
Recommended by john_l [profile]

Opening with a glorious horn fanfare, then letting loose with sparkling guitars, this gem is one of the great "forgotten" rock songs of the mostly synthesized '80s. Its LP "A Human Sound" and its predecessor "Eventide" are both worth discovering.

from A Human Sound (Siren)



  stevehow: at last some1 with good taste in music!!!!! gus ex drummer ...Faith bros
  Willow: I love The Faith Brothers!! Can't believe it is their 25th Anniversary this year! Billy Franks is still going strong and is playing Shepherds Bush Empire on 6 June 09. He always plays a few Faith Brothers songs and his new solo stuff is amazing! Check him out: www.billyfranks.com
helpless  performed by the flirts  1984
Recommended by olli [profile]

fine little new wave bubblegum desperation pop song, with lyrics wich borrow heavily from the beatles' "yesterday". great bassline and some great new-wavey dance effects. not exactly a masterpiece, it's way too long and a bit clumsy in places, but it has that something that keeps me returning to it from time to time. usually when drunk at parties.





You’ve Lost That Loving Feeling  performed by The Human League  1979
Recommended by Genza [profile]

This is a cover of the Spector, Mann and Weil classic. I'd always loved The Human League - and Dare is probably the seminal new romantic album. But it wasn't until a friend of mine bought Reproduction in the late 1980s that I discovered the early, darker side of The Human League.

Reproduction is often slated for being too doomy and too pretentious. But there's some real gems on there - and Empire State Human and Blind Youth bounce along nicely.

The real killer is track 7 - which effectively blends electronic lament Morale with the League's cover of You've Lost That Loving Feeling. It's a beautiful, slow version - a totally electronic lullaby and it's totally essential.

from Reproduction (Virgin CDV 2133 CDV 2133)


Tell Me When  performed by The Human League  1995
Recommended by dsalmones [profile]

Although a thick line has long been drawn connecting disco to the '90s techno scene, few have bothered to connect the dots between the more modern genre and synth pop. The Human League didn't need to fret about such things, though; they intuitively understood those relationships, having explored virtually all the influences over their career � industrial, funk, R&B, synth pop, new wave, and disco itself. And when the wheel turned again, the band was back on top with a sound that hadn't really changed, but just refined. With a few minor alterations, 1995's "Tell Me When" could have come from 1983, slotting nicely between "Fascination" and "Mirror Man." Of course, the drum programming would need to be changed (there were no jungle rhythms back then!), but the funky bassline can stay, along with the bubbly synths. In fact, the real difference is found in the vignette-esque lyrics and the more complex vocals. And these slight changes make all the difference, turning synth dreams into techno club success. A taster for the group's forthcoming Octopus album, "Tell Me When" hit on both sides of the Atlantic, landing just outside the Top 6 and Top 30 in the U.K. and U.S., respectively.
(AMG)

from Octopus, available on CD


Open Your Eyes  performed by The Lords Of The New Church  1982
Recommended by dsalmones [profile]

Opening with a brat beating bass and melody that is scarily reminiscent of some late 70s euro disco pathos, it�s only when Brian James� raunchy guitar kicks in that you know you�re well away from the lights of that dance floor and in the grips of a very different master. A hedonistic web of Bators� beloved conspiracy theorizing, the logical successor to the Wanderers� paranoia-packed repertoire, �Open Your Eyes� previewed a closet of horrors that embraced organized religion, the impending World Tour of Pope John Paul II, Bolshevik plots and Ronald Reagan�s apparent rush towards nuclear Armageddon. With session man Matt Black�s synthesizers giving the whole thing a classic rock feel that merged edgily with the band�s own punkish sensibilities, it was, as always, Bators� viperous lyrics that brought the whole thing into the twilight zone of pre-Internet intrigue. The 80s politicking of Margaret Thatcher�s Britain and Reagan�s cold war America pretty much ensured that both sides were far happier not having to open their eyes. A gleeful Bators was there, though, to make sure they did.
(AMG)

from The Lords of the New Church, available on CD


Love’s Theme  performed by the Love Unlimited Orchestra  1973
Recommended by FlyingDutchman1971 [profile]

Barry White flawlessly blended the sounds of soul and classical music and practically invented disco. This instrumental rescues the string section from the stuffy opera house and creates a difinitive sound for the 1970's. You can hear his influence in much of the decade's music that came after this song's release.

from Rhapsody In White (20th Century Fox Records T-433)
available on CD - Barry White: Ultimate Collection (Polygram POL 542291)



  konsu: Hey! There's a great vocal version of this tune on one of the "Love Unlimited" vocal records Barry produced with a trio of ladies. It's on the album "In Heat" (20th Century T-443 1974). It just got reissued on CD. It's kinda fun hearing lyrics to a song that's so well remembered as an instrumental!
Step Out  performed by The Mamsa and Papas   1971
Recommended by geezer [profile]

If you are familiar with the,by now,well played M and P sound this will surprise you ,a gentle ,light funky ballad with an entirely male led vocal .The measured ,considerate vocal by John Phillips takes the Mamas and Papas into a new mature almost sophisticated territory.Regretably short at 2.20,the previous sunshine pop makes way for new feeelings and concerns ,from a fantastic album callled "People Like us " which seemed to pave the way for what came to be known as AOR,the relentless sunshine of California discovers the humidity of 70,s L.A .This was their last record

from People like us
available on CD - People Like Us


Right as Rain  performed by The Minders  2001
Recommended by two-headed boy [profile]

So far the best thing I've heard all year! The Minders return, this time they invite us into their neighborhood by way of Golden Street. We still feel the quaint influence of Britain's great pop secrets, the Kinks, but we also hear another side of this band that has been long overdue, themselves. The Minders have discovered their voice only glimpsed at in earlier recordings. And 'Right As Rain' is as good as it gets. There is no avoiding the contagions found in the head-bopping performance, you will be infected with a fever you may never wish to recover from. Put plainly, you will love this song, guaranteed! The drumsticks click, the bass rolls in, the electric guitars whir, the beat throbs and then, in a moment of pure expectation, we hear Martyn's vocals like honey dripping from heaven. It is Martyn's voice that carries us through this song and we are disappointed when he pauses to breath. The longest pause comes during the backwards guitar solo, complete with screaming feedback and enriched by keyboards and bass. The refrain is just as exciting when Martyn returns to refill our ears with his perfect British accent. By golly, I wish you could hear it now.

from Golden Street (SpinArt)




  tinks: I should hope his British accent is perfect...being that he's British and all! It always amazes me when I hear praise come in for the Minders from places far & near...those cats live in my neighborhood!
  tinks: Oh, and to clarify...I love the Minders, too! What I meant was that I still think of them as a local band!
Past, Present & Future  performed by The Shangri-Las  1966
Recommended by 4givemyNglish [profile]

Haunting melody inspired by the Beethoven's Moonlight Sonata.
Lyrics are truly depressing for a so called "girls band" and this song so unique has been qualified as one of the saddest ever made in the sixties. The Shangri-Las is a fascinating and under-rated band that deserves to be re-discovered. Quick list of recommended songs : Remember (Walkin' in the Sand) -yes they did this too!-, I Can Never Go Home Anymore, Give Us Your Blessing, Leader of the Pack, etc...


available on CD - The Best of the Shangri-Las (Polygram)




  delicado: This song is utter genius. 'just don't try to touch me... because that will never happen again'. They are indeed under-rated. It's strange really. There are CD compilations out there, but they all seem to marketed in a budget kind of way.
  jeanette: There's hot debate as to what this song means... I've read that it's about a rape survivor which kind of makes sense but I think it has too much mystery to it to define completely. George "Shadow" Morton surpasses even the greatest hopes for girl-group trash-drama. As to the compilations, there's a great one on RPM called "Myrmidons Of Melodrama". Strangely, its available in two different covers, with slightly altered tracklisting (a few songs on one not on the other and vice versa) but either one contains all their best tracks and some amusing "Radio Spots" with Mary Weiss (lead singer) giving tips on how to behave on a date. "Don't barge on ahead like a baby elephant" she advises; "you'll get attention all right, but it won't be favourable".
  milhouse-paris: The two different versions of "Myrmidons of Melodrama" are quite different, not only because of the tracklisting, but also becouse the most recent one(2002, by RPM) has stereo versions of 5 songs. I'm not sure that these songs sound better in stereo than in mono...
  delicado: I now have the newer 'Myrmidons' comp. So many great tracks. My favorite bit of this song is right at the end when she says "I'm all packed up and I'm on my way - and I'm going to fall in love ... but at the moment, it doesn't look good ... At the moment, it will never happen again."
We Could Be Flying  performed by The Singers Unlimited w/ Art Van Damme  1974
Recommended by Festy [profile]

This was the first version of this song that I'd heard, but have since discovered that it has been recorded many times. The song is written by Michel Colombier & Paul Williams and this version is somewhat haunting, whilst, at the same time, it's also spacey and heavenly. The lush vocals give the song its "other worldly" sound.


available on CD - Afternoon Tea Music - Clear Herb Tea (Universal Music)




  Mr Steal: I only ever heard this once - been looking for it ever since. It's truly lovely. I should say that Scott Walker does a really nice version of the song on his much-maligned (but actually pretty OK - albeit covers only) LP Any Day Now.
Golden Brown  performed by The Stranglers  198?
Recommended by jcb3 [profile]

We got (still get) very little British music here in the States, even the top of the pops - I'm continually discovering great stuff that is decades old...

One of my all time faves is this Strangler's tune - beautiful imagery, some etherial background vocals, altogether a wonderful "mellow" tune from a band best known over here for punk.





  n-jeff: Lovely, surprisingly, considering what boorish herberts the stranglers could be. Nice video too, 20's Cairo chic, grubby whie suits, rubber plants, faded sepia hotel splendour. I've always wanted that sort of white suit, maybe it was watching Casablanca at an early age.
  audioadventures: I was into the band before they broke as they were based in our town. Golden Brown is from La Folie album (1982).
Bouncing Babies  performed by The Teardrop Explodes  1980
Recommended by dsalmones [profile]

Teardrop Explodes� second single, "Bouncing Babies", was released in July 1979, following the departure of organist Paul Simpson and the arrival of his replacement Gerald Quinn. With those changes, the group's sound, too, would alter dramatically, as Quinn took the band into the crypt-like depths of proto-Goth; in true Phantom of the Opera style, his organ haunts the grooves, while Gary Dwyer pounds his drums like a man who�s just discovered he's been buried alive, and Michael Finkler reenacts the Texas Chainsaw Massacre with his buzzsaw guitar.

Ecstatic reviews greeted the single, but its lifespan was short � before long, �Bouncing Babies� was so hard to find that the Freshies came close to scoring a hit simply by bemoaning that difficulty � their &"I Can't Get (Bouncing Babies by the Teardrop xplodes)" itself ranks alongside its namesake among the most memorable of the age.
(AMG)

from Kilimanjaro, available on CD


Niki  performed by The Third Wave  1970
Recommended by Festy [profile]

It took me a while to get a copy of this album as even the out-of-print re-issue on Crippled Dick Hot Wax (that's the name of the label, folks. Promise!) sells for a bit these days. I'm glad I got it as it's a fantastic album - the only LP released by the 5 Filipino/American sister vocal group, although I think they released at least one 45". Discovered by George Duke, he wrote the arrangements and his trio of the time provides backing. The album was recorded in Germany (released by MPS) and is a little bit poppy, a little bit jazzy, a little bit funky. There are a number of songs which could be recommended (a number of them jazz standards, such as 'Maiden Voyage' and 'Cantaloupe Island'), but the one I've chosen is 'Niki'. I hadn't come across this track before getting the album, unlike a few of the other tracks which have turned up on compilations over the years.

'Niki' is a song that builds. It starts off fairly casually and builds up to a swinging chorus, accented by some very hip playing by George Duke, still on an acoustic piano during this stage of his career.

Another commendable and notable track on the album, and which I discovered through a compilation created by 'mine host' of Musical Taste, Senhor Delicado, is "Waves Lament". Absolutely fantastic.

from Here & Now, available on CD



Sister Ray  performed by The Velvet Underground  1968
Recommended by jeanette [profile]

Since I've been recommending on this site for a while, I came up with a new idea in January. A lot of my all time favourites are on here now, so what I thought I would do now is to recommend a track every week that has had most resonance for me over the past seven days.

A bit of background: I've been having an unhappy time at work lately. I sometimes work shifts and don't get in until 11pm. As I have been so stressed with my daily grind, I've been finding it very difficult to wind down at the end of the day.

This song, this week, is suddenly making sense to me. It's calmed the jumble in my head every night by understanding that the world isn't an ordered place. I've been coaxed out of my rigid state by these 17 minutes. It's not my favourite Velvet Underground song - that would be The Murder Mystery - but after years of always thinking Sister Ray was a self-indulgent filler, I think I finally grasp what its purpose is. Or, at least, I now know there are only certain, bloody awful, weeks in which I can find the beautiful oyster inside this track.

I will return to normal service next week with my usual gay disco or girl group love.

from White Light / White Heat, available on CD



  stupidwall: i always thought sister ray was one of their most overrated songs. it mostly just sounds like nonsense. i guess i'll just wait till im unhappy or just in the right mood.
  n-jeff: Sounds like a fairly straight description of some sailors having a heroin and sex orgy with a bunch of transvestites to me.
If such a thing can be said to be straight....

"not me"  performed by this mortal coil  1984
Recommended by kohl [profile]

the song that made me rediscover them. the intro begins and shifts into something else. the lyrics are delivered carefully, almost in hesitation, while the music itself is more forceful. i'm not sure what else i could add.

it may be as you say
i'll admit
but you don't sound convinced
between the surface you and the surface me
you didn't touch me
it may be as well that
i didn't see the point
you didn't touch me
you didn't touch me
you didn't touch me
you didn't touch me

i suppose it's just hollow
no idea--no spark
when i thought that in order to survive
you need to touch me
all of the mes
it may be as well that
i didn't see the point
you didn't touch me
you didn't touch me
you didn't touch me
you didn't touch me
you didn't touch me
you didn't touch me
you didn't touch me
you didn't touch me


available on CD - it'll end in tears


Understanding in a Car Crash  performed by Thursday  2001
Recommended by cryofthecelt [profile]

"Understanding in a Car Crash" is the song that brought me to love Thursday, a hardcore emo rock band from the New Jersey area. Emo (for "emo"-tional) is a genre that encompasses deep and tenderly obscure lyrics with raw, impassioned screams and hard rock riffs. Thursday is probably the best emo band out there. This is a great song about wasted time and wanted love, so listen to it! You might discover an emo-punker inside of you that you never knew existed!

from Full Collapse, available on CD


Keep On Running  performed by Tom Jones  1971
Recommended by n-jeff [profile]

The Spencer Davis Group Version is good. But this is even better, it kicks in with great brass stabs and then this fantastic Bass Line kicks in, similar to the original but with a deeper, funkier feel. Nice drums and Toms great voice. For once it keeps the groove going all the way through, one of my friends used to close a disco night with this, and it rocked every time.

from Tom Jones Great Hits (Decca)



Mercy Seat  performed by Ultra Vivid Scene  1988
Recommended by Genza [profile]

A tinny drum machine, a big slab of discordant fuzz guitar and a droney voice. Fabulous. Making music in your bedroom has never sounded so fabulous.

from Ultra Vivid Scene (4AD CAD809CD)




  Lenoir: totally ok. The guy behind the scene was Kurt Raskle and I never ever heard again about him...could anyone tell me what became of him? The Mercy Seat is still one of the most exciting mind blowing tunes I've ever known
The Damned Don't Cry  performed by Visage  1982
Recommended by robert[o] [profile]

First of all I had to ask myself whether the real reason I really like this song is because the title is cribbed from a movie I love. (An ace bit of film noir from 1950, starring Joan Crawford, that I can't recommend strongly enough.) And yeah, it is rather "Fade to Grey"- Part II, (though I think the melody/mood/dynamics are stronger here.) And yeah, lyrically it�s all a bit John Foxx-light - images of European ennui and dissipation minus the inspiration. And yeah, I'm the first to admit Visage is to great post-punk-electro what Baccara is to prime 1970's disco, but I love "Yes Sir, I Can Boogie" and I love "The Damned Don't Cry" - damn it!

from The Anvil
available on CD - The Damned Don't Cry


Mississippi Delta  performed by Zack Laurence Orchestra  1969
Recommended by delicado [profile]

Another recent rediscovery from a record I bought long ago, and another song I'm not normally crazy about. But the arrangements are too outrageously groovy for me to ignore here. I'm a sucker for beaty late 60s instrumentals, and I can forgive the lack of musical variation when the production is as cool as this.

from A taste of Zack Laurence (Silverline DJSL007)



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