A few weeks ago someone asked me if I'd heard the music that's being played on the radio.When I asked why, this person stated that it had a "weird," sound. After describing it, I asked if it had a single bass drum beat placed right up front so you can hear it loud and clear. This person said "yeah, now that you mention it." So, I told this person that what they heard was ,"Disco." Yep, that's right, it's "Disco," only there are no strings or horns, just synthesizers. And, it's going by the name of either "Dance," "Club," or "House," but, it's still "Disco."
What's interesting about what is happening to the music on top 40 stations, is that "Dance," "Club," and "House," have been eased into their formats a little at a time since the mid 1990s. It would seem that few people are noticing this trend because it's being done so slowly, and cross marketing has been kept to a minimal level.
Three of the of the most notable acts that are performing music in this style are Lady Gaga, Rhianna, and the Black Eyed Peas. "Dance," "Club," or "House," when coupled with a big budget video performance can make for an amazing visual experience that appeals mostly to the target demographic of 14 to 24. In fact, the result of such a combination has made stars of all three acts. But, when you finally break it on down, the music that they are performing is still, "Disco."
"Disco", is what was considered to be European R&B. In 1975, the sound made it's way to this country. The first clubs that opened didn't actually play "Disco," instead, they played R&B, along with some danceable Rock or danceable Jazz. In fact some of the first records to be played in clubs were the Commodores, "Fancy Dancer," KC and the Sunshine Band's "Get Down Tonight," and Johnnie Taylor's, "Disco Lady," the latter of which featured an ultra funky bass line performed by none other than funkateer and James brown alum, Bootsy Collins.
R&B slowly began adopting elements of the "new" sound as Diana Ross' "Love Hangover," and Donna Summer's "Love To Love You," would attest. However, the true "Disco," sound didn't take hold until radio personality Rick Dees released his "Disco," parody, "Disco Duck," in 1976. Though the record was pure novelty, it fueled the market for more music that sounded the same. And, lets not forget the dancing. Dancing schools began to spring up everywhere as the trend began to gain momentum. In 1977, everything would change. Until this point "Disco," was the music of the masses. But, the release of the movie, "Saturday Night Fever," which severed to propel the trend to new heights also led to it's eventual decline.
The soundtrack to the movie, "Saturday Night Fever," was performed by the Bee Gee, who at one point was quoted as saying that they had no idea that what they were doing would be so huge. In my opinion, that though the movie was a success, and very entertaining, it introduced three negatives into the "Disco," trend. These negatives were, exclusivity, conformity, and intolerance. It also introduced one other thing that I like to call, the "velvet robe," mentality.
Exclusivity seemed to arise whenever clubs would change ownership. Each change of ownership meant a change in clientele. What this would mean is that a visit to a once familiar club meant finding no familiar faces in the crowd, or that you were treated as an outsider showing up on the wrong day for outsiders. Conformity meant that you had to wear the right cloths, not just dress cloths, or risk being ostracized or worse, ejected. Intolerance meant that if you weren't part of the clique that hung out at a particular club you might endure a certain amount of intimidation aimed your way in order to make you not want to come back. The "velvet rope mentality,' is an idea I used to describe the use of exclusivity, either by having an actual velvet rope and/or a bouncer hand picking who gets in or who doesn't. .
BY 1978, everything went "Disco." The popular music showcase, American Bandstand, and even Soul Train had a mirrored ball hanging from the center of their sets. And by 1979, just about every recording artist, across almost every genre, had at least on "Disco," track on their albums that were released in that year. But it was in that year, 1979, that a very powerfully negative event took place.
It happened between baseball games during a double header at Comiskey Park in Chicago. To Be Continued........
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