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Disco music
Disco is a genre of dance music that originated in African American and Hispanic communities in the United States, starting in Philadelphia and later in New York City during the late 1960s and early 1970s.[12][13][10][14][15] In what is considered a forerunner to disco style clubs, in February 1970, the New York City DJ, David Mancuso, opened The Loft, a members-only private dance club set in his own home.[16][17] Most agree that the first disco songs were released in 1973, though some claim Manu Dibango"s 1972 Soul Makossa to be the first disco record.[6] The first article about disco was written in September 1973 by Vince Aletti for Rolling Stone Magazine.[18][19] In 1974 New York City"s WPIX-FM premiered the first disco radio show.[20]
Musical influences include funk and soul music. The disco sound has soaring, often reverberated vocals over a steady "four-on-the-floor" beat, an eighth note (quaver) or sixteenth note (semi-quaver) hi-hat pattern with an open hi-hat on the off-beat, and a prominent, syncopated electric bass line sometimes consisting of octaves. Strings, horns, electric pianos, and electric guitars create a lush background sound. Orchestral instruments such as the flute are often used for solo melodies, and unlike in rock, lead guitar is rarely used.
Well-known late 1970s disco performers included The Bee Gees, Amanda Lear, Donna Summer and The Jacksons. Summer would become the first well-known and most popular female disco artist, and also played a part in pioneering the electronic sound that later became a part of disco (see below). While performers and singers garnered the lion"s share of public attention, the behind-the-scenes producers played an equal, if not more important role in disco, since they often wrote the songs and created the innovative sounds and production techniques that were part of the "disco sound".[21] Many non-disco artists recorded disco songs at the height of disco"s popularity, and films such as Saturday Night Fever and Thank God It"s Friday contributed to disco"s rise in mainstream popularity.
Early history
Disco has its musical roots in the late 1960s. Philly and New York soul were evolutions of the Motown sound. The Philly Sound is typified by lavish percussion, which became a prominent part of mid-1970s disco songs. Music with proto-"disco" elements appeared in the late 1960s, with "Tighten Up" and "Mony, Mony", "Dance to the Music" and "Love Child" . Two early songs with disco elements include Jerry Butler’s 1969 "Only the Strong Survive"[22] and Manu Dibango"s 1972 "Soul Makossa" .
The early "disco" sound was largely an urban American phenomenon with from producers and labels such as SalSoul Records (Ken, Joe and Stanley Cayre), Westend Records (Mel Cheren), Casablanca (Neil Bogart), and Prelude (Marvin Schlachter) to name a few. They inspired and influenced such prolific European dance-track producers as Giorgio Moroder and Jean-Marc Cerrone. Moroder was the Italian producer, keyboardist, and composer who produced many songs of the singer Donna Summer. These included the 1975 hit "Love to Love You Baby", a 17-minute-long song with "shimmering sound and sensual attitude". Allmusic.com calls Moroder "one of the principal architects of the disco sound".[23]
The disco sound was also shaped by Tom Moulton who wanted to extend the enjoyment of the music — thus single-handedly creating the "Remix" which has influenced many other latter genres such as hip hop, techno, and pop. DJs and remixers would often remix (i.e., re-edit) existing songs using reel-to-reel tape machines. Their remixed versions would add in percussion breaks, new sections, and new sounds. Influential DJs and remixers who helped to establish what became known as the "disco sound" included David Mancuso, Tom Moulton, Nicky Siano, Shep Pettibone, the legendary and much-sought-after Larry Levan, Walter Gibbons, and later, New York–born Chicago "Godfather of House" Frankie Knuckles.
Disco was also shaped by nightclub DJs such as Francis Grasso, who used multiple record players to seamlessly mix tracks from genres such as soul, funk and pop music at discotheques, and was the forerunner to later styles such as hip-hop and house. Women also played important roles at the turntable. Karen Cook, the first female disco DJ in the United States, spun the vinyl hits from 1974 – 1977 at "Elan, Houston, TX, and also programmed music for clubs throughout the US that were owned by McFaddin Ventures.
Chart-topping songs
The Trammps - Disco Inferno album cover
The Hues Corporation"s 1974 "Rock The Boat", a U.S. #1 single and million-seller, was one of the early disco songs to hit #1. Other chart-topping songs included "Walking in Rhythm" by The Blackbyrds, "Rock Your Baby" by George McCrae and "Love"s Theme" by Barry White"s Love Unlimited Orchestra. Also in 1975, Gloria Gaynor released the first side-long disco mix vinyl album, which included a remake of The Jackson 5"s "Never Can Say Goodbye" and two other songs, "Honey Bee" and "Reach Out (I"ll Be There)". Also significant during this early disco period was Miami"s KC and the Sunshine Band. Formed by Harry Wayne Casey ("KC") and Richard Finch, KC and the Sunshine Band had a string of disco-definitive top-five hits between 1975 and 1977, including "Get Down Tonight", "That"s the Way (I Like It)", "(Shake, Shake, Shake) Shake Your Booty", "I"m Your Boogie Man" and "Keep It Comin" Love".
The Bee Gees used Barry Gibb"s falsetto to garner hits such as "You Should Be Dancing", "Stayin" Alive", "Night Fever" and "More Than A Woman". In 1975, hits such as Van McCoy"s "The Hustle" and Donna Summer"s "Love to Love You Baby" and "Could It Be Magic" brought disco further into the mainstream. Other notable early disco hits include The Jacksons’s "Dancing Machine" (1974), Barry White’s "You"re the First, the Last, My Everything" (1974), LaBelle’s "Lady Marmalade" (1975) and Silver Convention’s "Fly Robin Fly" (1975). Chic"s "Le Freak" (1978) became a classic and is heard almost everywhere disco is mentioned; other hits by Chic include the often-sampled "Good Times" (1979) and "Everybody Dance" (1978). Also noteworthy are Cheryl Lynn"s "Got to Be Real" (1978) and Walter Murphy"s various attempts to bring classical music to the mainstream, most notably his hit "A Fifth of Beethoven" (1976).
The rich orchestral accompaniment that became identified with the disco era conjured up the memories of the big band era which brought out several artists that recorded and disco-ized some Big Band Music including Perry Como, who re recorded his 1929 and 1939 hit, Temptation in 1975 as well as some unlikely Country artists such as Bill Anderson (Double S) and Ronnie Milsap (High Heel Sneakers). Even the I Love Lucy theme wasn"t spared from being disco-ized.
Prominent European pop and disco groups were Luv" from the Netherlands and Boney M, a group of four West Indian singers and dancers masterminded by West German record producer Frank Farian. Boney M charted worldwide hits with such songs as "Daddy Cool", "Ma Baker" and "Rivers of Babylon." In France, Dalida released "J"attendrai", which became a big hit in Canada and Japan, and Cerrone"s early hit songs - "Love In C Minor", "Give Me Love" and "Supernature" - became major hits in the U.S. and Europe.
As one of the first movies to be scored with disco music before Saturday Night Fever, the James Bond film The Spy Who Loved Me garnered great popularity from composer Marvin Hamlisch"s score, especially the disco-flavored Bond 77 opening track.
Characteristics
Disco bass pattern
The "disco sound", while unique, almost defies a unified description, as it was an ultra-inclusive art form that drew on as many influences as it produced interpretations. Jazz, classical, calypso, rock, Latin, soul, funk, and new technologies — just to name a few of the obvious — were all mingled with aplomb. Vocals could be frivolous or serious love intrigues — all the way to extremely serious socially-conscious commentary. The music tended to layer soaring, often-reverberated vocals, which are often doubled by horns, over a background "pad" of electric pianos and wah-pedaled "chicken-scratch" (palm muted) guitars. Other backing keyboard instruments include the piano, string synth, and electroacoustic keyboards such as the Fender Rhodes piano, Wurlitzer electric piano, and Hohner Clavinet. Synthesizers were also fairly common in disco, especially in the late 1970s. The rhythm is laid down by prominent, syncopated basslines (with heavy use of octaves) played on the bass guitar and by drummers using a drum kit, African/Latin percussion, and electronic drums such as Simmons and Roland drum modules). The sound was enriched with solo lines and harmony parts played by a variety of orchestral instruments, such as harp, violin, viola, cello, trumpet, saxophone, trombone, clarinet, flugelhorn, French horn, tuba, English horn, oboe, flute, and piccolo.
Most disco songs have a steady four-on-the-floor beat, a quaver or semi-quaver hi-hat pattern with an open hi-hat on the off-beat, and a heavy, syncopated bass line. This basic beat would appear to be related to the Dominican merengue rhythm. Other Latin rhythms such as the rhumba, the samba and the cha-cha-cha are also found in disco recordings, and Latin polyrhythms, such as a rhumba beat layered over a merengue, are commonplace. The quaver pattern is often supported by other instruments such as the rhythm guitar and may be implied rather than explicitly present. It often involves syncopation, rarely occurring on the beat unless a synthesizer is used to replace the bass guitar.
In 1977, Giorgio Moroder again became responsible for a development in disco. Alongside Donna Summer and Pete Bellotte he wrote the song "I Feel Love" for Summer to perform. It became the first well-known disco hit to have a completely synthesised backing track. The song is still considered to have been well ahead of its time. Other disco producers, most famously Tom Moulton, grabbed ideas and techniques from dub music (which came with the increased Jamaican migration to New York City in the seventies) to provide alternatives to the four on the floor style that dominated. Larry Levan utilized style keys from dub and jazz and more as one of the most successful remixers of all time to create early versions of house music that sparked the genre[24].
Production
The "disco sound" was much more costly to produce than many of the other popular music genres from the 1970s. Unlike the simpler, four-piece band sound of the funk, soul of the late 1960s, or the small jazz organ trios, disco music often included a large pop band, with several chordal instruments (guitar, keyboards, synthesizer), several drum or percussion instruments (drumkit, Latin percussion, electronic drums), a horn section, a string orchestra, and a variety of "classical" solo instruments (e.g., flute, piccolo, etc.).
Disco songs were arranged and composed by experienced arrangers and orchestrators, and producers added their creative touches to the overall sound. Recording complex arrangements with such a large number of instruments and sections required a team that included a conductor, copyists, record producers, and mixing engineers. Mixing engineers had an important role in the disco production process, because disco songs used as many as 64 tracks of vocals and instruments. Mixing engineers compiled these tracks into a fluid composition of verses, bridges, and refrains, complete with orchestral builds and breaks. Mixing engineers helped to develop the "disco sound" by creating a distinctive-sounding disco mix.
Early records were the "standard" 3 minute version until Tom Moulton came up with a way to make songs longer, wanting to take a crowd to another level that was impossible with 45-RPM vinyl discs of the time (which could usually hold no more than 5 minutes of good-quality music). With the help of Josй Rodriguez, his remasterer, he pressed a single on a 10" disc instead of 7". They cut the next single on a 12" disc, the same format as a standard album. This method fast became the standard format for all DJs of the genre.[25]
Because record sales were often dependent on floor play in clubs, DJs were also important to the development and popularization of disco music. Notable DJs include Rex Potts (Loft Lounge, Sarasota, Florida), Karen Cook ("Elan, Houston, TX) Notably the first female discjockey (DJ) in the United States and programmer for all McFaddin Ventures properties, Jim Burgess, Walter Gibbons, John "Jellybean" Benitez, Richie Kaczar of Studio 54, Rick Gianatos, Francis Grasso of Sanctuary, Larry Levan, Ian Levine, Neil "Raz" Rasmussen & Mike Pace of L"amour Disco in Brooklyn, Preston Powell of Magique, Jennie Costa of Lemontrees, Tee Scott, John Luongo, Robert Ouimet of The Limelight, and David Mancuso.
The 12-inch single format also allowed longer dance time and format possibilities. In May, 1976, Salsoul Records released Walter Gibbons" remix of Double Exposure"s "Ten Percent", the first commercially-available 12-inch single.[citation needed] Motown Records’ "Eye-Cue" label also marketed 12-inch singles; however, the play time remained the same length as the original 45s. In 1976, Scepter/Wand released the first 12-inch extended-version single, Jesse Green"s "Nice and Slow." This single was packaged in a collectible picture sleeve, a relatively new concept at the time. Twelve-inch singles became commercially available after the first crossover, Tavares" "Heaven Must Be Missing an Angel".
Disco clubs and dancing
By the late 1970s many major US cities had thriving disco club scenes which were centered around discotheques, nightclubs, and private loft parties where DJs would play disco hits through powerful PA systems for the dancers. The DJs played "...a smooth mix of long single records to keep people "dancing all night long"".[26] Some of the most prestigious clubs had elaborate lighting systems that throbbed to the beat of the music. McFaddin Ventures in Houston, Texas comissioned a study on the stimulation of males and females during the playing of music. They accordingly custom tuned their speakers to make their numerous properties more exciting. Their programmer/disc jockey, Karen Cook, was the first female disco DJ in the states and trained other McFaddin Ventures discjockeys to work the music format - 6 up, 3 down, to sell more drinks.
Some cities had disco dance instructors or dance schools which taught people how to do popular disco dances such as "touch dancing", "the hustle" and "the cha cha." The pioneer of disco dance instruction was Karen Lustgarten in San Francisco in 1973. Her book The Complete Guide to Disco Dancing (Warner Books, 1978) was the first to name and break down popular disco dances and distinguish between disco freestyle, partner and line dances. The book hit the New York Times Best Seller List for 13 weeks and was translated into Chinese, German and French.
There were also disco fashions that discotheque-goers wore for nights out at their local disco, such as sheer, flowing Halston dresses for women and shiny polyester Qiana shirts for men with pointy collars, preferably open at the chest, often worn with double-knit suit jackets.
Some notable professional dance troupes of the 1970s included Pan"s People and Hot Gossip. For many dancers, the primary influence of the 1970s disco age is still predominantly the film Saturday Night Fever (1977). This developed into the music and dance style of such films as Fame (1980), Flashdance (1983), and the musical A Chorus Line (1975).
Influence on other music
The transition from the late-1970s disco styles to the early-1980s dance styles was marked primarily by the change from complex arrangements performed by large ensembles of studio session musicians (including a horn section and an orchestral string section), to a leaner sound, in which one or two singers would perform to the accompaniment of synthesizer keyboards and drum machines.
In addition, dance music during the 1981–83 period borrowed elements from blues and jazz, creating a style different from the disco of the 1970s. This emerging music was still known as disco for a short time, as the word had become associated with any kind of dance music played in discothиques. Examples of early 1980s dance sound performers include D. Train, Kashif, and Patrice Rushen.[35]
During the first years of the 1980s, the "disco sound" began to be phased out, and faster tempos and synthesized effects, accompanied by guitar and simplified backgrounds, moved dance music toward the funk and pop genres. This trend can be seen in singer Billy Ocean"s recordings between 1979 and 1981. Whereas Ocean"s 1979 song American Hearts was backed with an orchestral arrangement played by the Los Angeles Symphony Orchestra, his 1981 song "One of Those Nights (Feel Like Gettin" Down)" had a more bare, stripped-down sound, with no orchestration or symphonic arrangements. This drift from the original disco sound is called post-disco.
During the early 1980s, dance music dropped the complicated melodic structure and orchestration which typified the "disco sound". Examples of well-known songs which illustrate this difference include Kool & the Gang’s "Celebration" (1980), Rick James’ "Super Freak" (1981), Grace Jones"s "Pull Up to the Bumper" (1981), Carol Jiani"s "Hit N" Run Lover" (1981), Laura Branigan"s "Gloria" (1982), The Pointer Sisters’ "I"m So Excited" (1982), Prince’s "1999" (1982), The Weather Girls"s "It"s Raining Men" (1982), Madonna’s "Holiday" (1983), Irene Cara"s "Flashdance (What A Feeling)" (1983), Angela Bofill"s "Too Tough" (1983), Miquel Brown"s "So Many Men, So Little Time" (1983), Michael Jackson’s "Thriller" (1983), Cerrone"s "Back Track" (1984), Jocelyn Brown"s "Somebody Else"s Guy" (1984), and Klymaxx"s "Meeting in the Ladies Room" (1984).
Resurgence from the 1990s to the present day
In the late 1980s and increasingly through the 1990s, a revival of the original disco style began to emerge. The disco influence can be heard in songs as Rick Astley"s "Never Gonna Give You Up" (1988)[36] Gloria Estefan"s "Get On Your Feet" (1991), Paula Abdul"s "Vibeology" (1992), Whitney Houston"s "I"m Every Woman" (1993), U2’s "Lemon" (1993), Diana Ross"s "Take Me Higher" (1995), The Spice Girls’ "Who Do You Think You Are" (1997) and "Never Give up on the Good Times" (1997), Gloria Estefan"s "Heaven"s What I Feel" (1998) & "Don"t Let This Moment End" (1999), Cher’s "Strong Enough" (1998), and Jamiroquai"s "Canned Heat" (1999).
The trend continued in the 2000s with hit songs such as Kylie Minogue"s "Spinning Around" (2000) and "Love at First Sight" (2002), Sheena Easton"s "Givin" Up, Givin" In" (2001), Alcazar"s breakthrough single Crying at the Discotheque (2001), Sophie Ellis-Bextor"s smash single Murder on the Dancefloor (2002), S Club 7"s singles "Don"t Stop Movin"" (2001), "Alive" (2002) and "Love Ain"t Gonna Wait For You" (2003), The Shapeshifters" "Lola"s Theme" (2003), Janet Jackson"s "R&B Junkie" (2004) and Madonna"s 2005 album Confessions on a Dance Floor echoes traditional disco themes, particularly in the single "Hung Up," which samples ABBA"s "Gimme! Gimme! Gimme! (A Man After Midnight)." Madonna continued doing disco music in her 2008 release, "Hard Candy", this time experimenting with the old days of funk- and soul-influenced disco in songs like "Beat Goes On" and "Dance 2nite".
In the mid-late part of the decade, many disco songs have been released, becoming hits, including (2005) Gorillaz"s "Dare", Ultra Nate"s "Love"s The Only Drug" (2006), Gina G"s "Tonight"s The Night" (2006), The Shapeshifters" "Back To Basics" (2006), Michael Gray"s "Borderline" (2006), Irene Cara"s "Forever My Love" (2006), Bananarama"s "Look on the Floor (Hypnotic Tango)", Akcent"s "Kings of Disco" (2007), the Freemasons "Rain Down Love" (2007), Claudja Barry"s "I Will Stand" (2006), Pepper Mashay"s "Lost Yo Mind" (2007), Sophie Ellis-Bextor’s "Me and My Imagination" (2007), Maroon 5"s "Makes Me Wonder" (2007) Justice’s "D.A.N.C.E.", "Phanton (Part II)" (2007), Dannii Minogue"s "Touch Me Like That"(2007), Cerrone"s "Misunderstanding" and "Tatoo Woman" (2008), Sean Ensign"s "I Wanna Be With You" (2008), Donna Summer"s "I"m a Fire" (2008), Jody Watley"s "A Beautiful Life" (2008), Crystal Waters"s "Dancefloor" (2008) and Alcazar"s comeback single We Keep on Rockin" (2008). Music producer, Ian Levine has also produced many new songs with such singers as George Daniel Long, Hazell Dean, Sheila Ferguson, Steve Brookstein and Tina Charles among others for the compilation album titled, Disco 2008, a tribute to Disco music using original material.
In recent years, artists such as DE SIGNER, Ali Love, Hercules and Love Affair, producer JMV and Lady Gaga have revived the disco sound helping bring further mainstream interest and success.
Disco tributes continue to be popular draws. The World"s Largest Disco, an annual celebration held over Thanksgiving weekend in Buffalo, New York, draws thousands of disco fans in 1970s attire. In addition to playing disco hits of the era, live performers from the 1970s
Disco
Stylistic origins Funk[1]
Various soul styles [2]
Psychedelic[3][4][5]
Latin (especially salsa)[6][7]
Pop rock
Secondary: Afro-Cuban music (furthest Soca)[8] • Classical • Gospel[9] • Swing[8] • Blues[9]
Cultural origins Late 1960s – early 1970s; US and Canada[10][11]
Typical instruments Electric guitar • Bass guitar • Piano • Keyboard • drums (or drum machine) • horn section • orchestral solo instruments (e.g., flute) • percussion
Mainstream popularity Most popular in the mid-1970s to early 1980s
Derivative forms Hi-NRG • House • Hip-hop • New Wave • Garage • Afro-Funky • Nu-Disco
Subgenres
Italo Disco • Eurodisco • Space Disco
Fusion genres
Disco-punk • Disco house • Disco-Funk
Използвани материали: http://en.wikipedia.org.
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Disco music
Disco is a genre of dance music that originated in African American and Hispanic communities in the United States, starting in Philadelphia and later in New York City during the late 1960s and early 1970s.[12][13][10][14][15] In what is considered a forerunner to disco style clubs, in February 1970, the New York City DJ, David Mancuso, opened The Loft, a members-only private dance club set in his own home.[16][17] Most agree that the first disco songs were released in 1973, though some claim Manu Dibango"s 1972 Soul Makossa to be the first disco record.[6] The first article about disco was written in September 1973 by Vince Aletti for Rolling Stone Magazine.[18][19] In 1974 New York City"s WPIX-FM premiered the first disco radio show.[20]
Musical influences include funk and soul music. The disco sound has soaring, often reverberated vocals over a steady "four-on-the-floor" beat, an eighth note (quaver) or sixteenth note (semi-quaver) hi-hat pattern with an open hi-hat on the off-beat, and a prominent, syncopated electric bass line sometimes consisting of octaves. Strings, horns, electric pianos, and electric guitars create a lush background sound. Orchestral instruments such as the flute are often used for solo melodies, and unlike in rock, lead guitar is rarely used.
Well-known late 1970s disco performers included The Bee Gees, Amanda Lear, Donna Summer and The Jacksons. Summer would become the first well-known and most popular female disco artist, and also played a part in pioneering the electronic sound that later became a part of disco (see below). While performers and singers garnered the lion"s share of public attention, the behind-the-scenes producers played an equal, if not more important role in disco, since they often wrote the songs and created the innovative sounds and production techniques that were part of the "disco sound".[21] Many non-disco artists recorded disco songs at the height of disco"s popularity, and films such as Saturday Night Fever and Thank God It"s Friday contributed to disco"s rise in mainstream popularity.
Early history
Disco has its musical roots in the late 1960s. Philly and New York soul were evolutions of the Motown sound. The Philly Sound is typified by lavish percussion, which became a prominent part of mid-1970s disco songs. Music with proto-"disco" elements appeared in the late 1960s, with "Tighten Up" and "Mony, Mony", "Dance to the Music" and "Love Child" . Two early songs with disco elements include Jerry Butler’s 1969 "Only the Strong Survive"[22] and Manu Dibango"s 1972 "Soul Makossa" .
The early "disco" sound was largely an urban American phenomenon with from producers and labels such as SalSoul Records (Ken, Joe and Stanley Cayre), Westend Records (Mel Cheren), Casablanca (Neil Bogart), and Prelude (Marvin Schlachter) to name a few. They inspired and influenced such prolific European dance-track producers as Giorgio Moroder and Jean-Marc Cerrone. Moroder was the Italian producer, keyboardist, and composer who produced many songs of the singer Donna Summer. These included the 1975 hit "Love to Love You Baby", a 17-minute-long song with "shimmering sound and sensual attitude". Allmusic.com calls Moroder "one of the principal architects of the disco sound".[23]
The disco sound was also shaped by Tom Moulton who wanted to extend the enjoyment of the music — thus single-handedly creating the "Remix" which has influenced many other latter genres such as hip hop, techno, and pop. DJs and remixers would often remix (i.e., re-edit) existing songs using reel-to-reel tape machines. Their remixed versions would add in percussion breaks, new sections, and new sounds. Influential DJs and remixers who helped to establish what became known as the "disco sound" included David Mancuso, Tom Moulton, Nicky Siano, Shep Pettibone, the legendary and much-sought-after Larry Levan, Walter Gibbons, and later, New York–born Chicago "Godfather of House" Frankie Knuckles.
Disco was also shaped by nightclub DJs such as Francis Grasso, who used multiple record players to seamlessly mix tracks from genres such as soul, funk and pop music at discotheques, and was the forerunner to later styles such as hip-hop and house. Women also played important roles at the turntable. Karen Cook, the first female disco DJ in the United States, spun the vinyl hits from 1974 – 1977 at "Elan, Houston, TX, and also programmed music for clubs throughout the US that were owned by McFaddin Ventures.
Chart-topping songs
The Trammps - Disco Inferno album cover
The Hues Corporation"s 1974 "Rock The Boat", a U.S. #1 single and million-seller, was one of the early disco songs to hit #1. Other chart-topping songs included "Walking in Rhythm" by The Blackbyrds, "Rock Your Baby" by George McCrae and "Love"s Theme" by Barry White"s Love Unlimited Orchestra. Also in 1975, Gloria Gaynor released the first side-long disco mix vinyl album, which included a remake of The Jackson 5"s "Never Can Say Goodbye" and two other songs, "Honey Bee" and "Reach Out (I"ll Be There)". Also significant during this early disco period was Miami"s KC and the Sunshine Band. Formed by Harry Wayne Casey ("KC") and Richard Finch, KC and the Sunshine Band had a string of disco-definitive top-five hits between 1975 and 1977, including "Get Down Tonight", "That"s the Way (I Like It)", "(Shake, Shake, Shake) Shake Your Booty", "I"m Your Boogie Man" and "Keep It Comin" Love".
The Bee Gees used Barry Gibb"s falsetto to garner hits such as "You Should Be Dancing", "Stayin" Alive", "Night Fever" and "More Than A Woman". In 1975, hits such as Van McCoy"s "The Hustle" and Donna Summer"s "Love to Love You Baby" and "Could It Be Magic" brought disco further into the mainstream. Other notable early disco hits include The Jacksons’s "Dancing Machine" (1974), Barry White’s "You"re the First, the Last, My Everything" (1974), LaBelle’s "Lady Marmalade" (1975) and Silver Convention’s "Fly Robin Fly" (1975). Chic"s "Le Freak" (1978) became a classic and is heard almost everywhere disco is mentioned; other hits by Chic include the often-sampled "Good Times" (1979) and "Everybody Dance" (1978). Also noteworthy are Cheryl Lynn"s "Got to Be Real" (1978) and Walter Murphy"s various attempts to bring classical music to the mainstream, most notably his hit "A Fifth of Beethoven" (1976).
The rich orchestral accompaniment that became identified with the disco era conjured up the memories of the big band era which brought out several artists that recorded and disco-ized some Big Band Music including Perry Como, who re recorded his 1929 and 1939 hit, Temptation in 1975 as well as some unlikely Country artists such as Bill Anderson (Double S) and Ronnie Milsap (High Heel Sneakers). Even the I Love Lucy theme wasn"t spared from being disco-ized.
Prominent European pop and disco groups were Luv" from the Netherlands and Boney M, a group of four West Indian singers and dancers masterminded by West German record producer Frank Farian. Boney M charted worldwide hits with such songs as "Daddy Cool", "Ma Baker" and "Rivers of Babylon." In France, Dalida released "J"attendrai", which became a big hit in Canada and Japan, and Cerrone"s early hit songs - "Love In C Minor", "Give Me Love" and "Supernature" - became major hits in the U.S. and Europe.
As one of the first movies to be scored with disco music before Saturday Night Fever, the James Bond film The Spy Who Loved Me garnered great popularity from composer Marvin Hamlisch"s score, especially the disco-flavored Bond 77 opening track.
Characteristics
Disco bass pattern
The "disco sound", while unique, almost defies a unified description, as it was an ultra-inclusive art form that drew on as many influences as it produced interpretations. Jazz, classical, calypso, rock, Latin, soul, funk, and new technologies — just to name a few of the obvious — were all mingled with aplomb. Vocals could be frivolous or serious love intrigues — all the way to extremely serious socially-conscious commentary. The music tended to layer soaring, often-reverberated vocals, which are often doubled by horns, over a background "pad" of electric pianos and wah-pedaled "chicken-scratch" (palm muted) guitars. Other backing keyboard instruments include the piano, string synth, and electroacoustic keyboards such as the Fender Rhodes piano, Wurlitzer electric piano, and Hohner Clavinet. Synthesizers were also fairly common in disco, especially in the late 1970s. The rhythm is laid down by prominent, syncopated basslines (with heavy use of octaves) played on the bass guitar and by drummers using a drum kit, African/Latin percussion, and electronic drums such as Simmons and Roland drum modules). The sound was enriched with solo lines and harmony parts played by a variety of orchestral instruments, such as harp, violin, viola, cello, trumpet, saxophone, trombone, clarinet, flugelhorn, French horn, tuba, English horn, oboe, flute, and piccolo.
Most disco songs have a steady four-on-the-floor beat, a quaver or semi-quaver hi-hat pattern with an open hi-hat on the off-beat, and a heavy, syncopated bass line. This basic beat would appear to be related to the Dominican merengue rhythm. Other Latin rhythms such as the rhumba, the samba and the cha-cha-cha are also found in disco recordings, and Latin polyrhythms, such as a rhumba beat layered over a merengue, are commonplace. The quaver pattern is often supported by other instruments such as the rhythm guitar and may be implied rather than explicitly present. It often involves syncopation, rarely occurring on the beat unless a synthesizer is used to replace the bass guitar.
In 1977, Giorgio Moroder again became responsible for a development in disco. Alongside Donna Summer and Pete Bellotte he wrote the song "I Feel Love" for Summer to perform. It became the first well-known disco hit to have a completely synthesised backing track. The song is still considered to have been well ahead of its time. Other disco producers, most famously Tom Moulton, grabbed ideas and techniques from dub music (which came with the increased Jamaican migration to New York City in the seventies) to provide alternatives to the four on the floor style that dominated. Larry Levan utilized style keys from dub and jazz and more as one of the most successful remixers of all time to create early versions of house music that sparked the genre[24].
Production
The "disco sound" was much more costly to produce than many of the other popular music genres from the 1970s. Unlike the simpler, four-piece band sound of the funk, soul of the late 1960s, or the small jazz organ trios, disco music often included a large pop band, with several chordal instruments (guitar, keyboards, synthesizer), several drum or percussion instruments (drumkit, Latin percussion, electronic drums), a horn section, a string orchestra, and a variety of "classical" solo instruments (e.g., flute, piccolo, etc.).
Disco songs were arranged and composed by experienced arrangers and orchestrators, and producers added their creative touches to the overall sound. Recording complex arrangements with such a large number of instruments and sections required a team that included a conductor, copyists, record producers, and mixing engineers. Mixing engineers had an important role in the disco production process, because disco songs used as many as 64 tracks of vocals and instruments. Mixing engineers compiled these tracks into a fluid composition of verses, bridges, and refrains, complete with orchestral builds and breaks. Mixing engineers helped to develop the "disco sound" by creating a distinctive-sounding disco mix.
Early records were the "standard" 3 minute version until Tom Moulton came up with a way to make songs longer, wanting to take a crowd to another level that was impossible with 45-RPM vinyl discs of the time (which could usually hold no more than 5 minutes of good-quality music). With the help of Josй Rodriguez, his remasterer, he pressed a single on a 10" disc instead of 7". They cut the next single on a 12" disc, the same format as a standard album. This method fast became the standard format for all DJs of the genre.[25]
Because record sales were often dependent on floor play in clubs, DJs were also important to the development and popularization of disco music. Notable DJs include Rex Potts (Loft Lounge, Sarasota, Florida), Karen Cook ("Elan, Houston, TX) Notably the first female discjockey (DJ) in the United States and programmer for all McFaddin Ventures properties, Jim Burgess, Walter Gibbons, John "Jellybean" Benitez, Richie Kaczar of Studio 54, Rick Gianatos, Francis Grasso of Sanctuary, Larry Levan, Ian Levine, Neil "Raz" Rasmussen & Mike Pace of L"amour Disco in Brooklyn, Preston Powell of Magique, Jennie Costa of Lemontrees, Tee Scott, John Luongo, Robert Ouimet of The Limelight, and David Mancuso.
The 12-inch single format also allowed longer dance time and format possibilities. In May, 1976, Salsoul Records released Walter Gibbons" remix of Double Exposure"s "Ten Percent", the first commercially-available 12-inch single.[citation needed] Motown Records’ "Eye-Cue" label also marketed 12-inch singles; however, the play time remained the same length as the original 45s. In 1976, Scepter/Wand released the first 12-inch extended-version single, Jesse Green"s "Nice and Slow." This single was packaged in a collectible picture sleeve, a relatively new concept at the time. Twelve-inch singles became commercially available after the first crossover, Tavares" "Heaven Must Be Missing an Angel".
Disco clubs and dancing
By the late 1970s many major US cities had thriving disco club scenes which were centered around discotheques, nightclubs, and private loft parties where DJs would play disco hits through powerful PA systems for the dancers. The DJs played "...a smooth mix of long single records to keep people "dancing all night long"".[26] Some of the most prestigious clubs had elaborate lighting systems that throbbed to the beat of the music. McFaddin Ventures in Houston, Texas comissioned a study on the stimulation of males and females during the playing of music. They accordingly custom tuned their speakers to make their numerous properties more exciting. Their programmer/disc jockey, Karen Cook, was the first female disco DJ in the states and trained other McFaddin Ventures discjockeys to work the music format - 6 up, 3 down, to sell more drinks.
Some cities had disco dance instructors or dance schools which taught people how to do popular disco dances such as "touch dancing", "the hustle" and "the cha cha." The pioneer of disco dance instruction was Karen Lustgarten in San Francisco in 1973. Her book The Complete Guide to Disco Dancing (Warner Books, 1978) was the first to name and break down popular disco dances and distinguish between disco freestyle, partner and line dances. The book hit the New York Times Best Seller List for 13 weeks and was translated into Chinese, German and French.
There were also disco fashions that discotheque-goers wore for nights out at their local disco, such as sheer, flowing Halston dresses for women and shiny polyester Qiana shirts for men with pointy collars, preferably open at the chest, often worn with double-knit suit jackets.
Some notable professional dance troupes of the 1970s included Pan"s People and Hot Gossip. For many dancers, the primary influence of the 1970s disco age is still predominantly the film Saturday Night Fever (1977). This developed into the music and dance style of such films as Fame (1980), Flashdance (1983), and the musical A Chorus Line (1975).
Influence on other music
The transition from the late-1970s disco styles to the early-1980s dance styles was marked primarily by the change from complex arrangements performed by large ensembles of studio session musicians (including a horn section and an orchestral string section), to a leaner sound, in which one or two singers would perform to the accompaniment of synthesizer keyboards and drum machines.
In addition, dance music during the 1981–83 period borrowed elements from blues and jazz, creating a style different from the disco of the 1970s. This emerging music was still known as disco for a short time, as the word had become associated with any kind of dance music played in discothиques. Examples of early 1980s dance sound performers include D. Train, Kashif, and Patrice Rushen.[35]
During the first years of the 1980s, the "disco sound" began to be phased out, and faster tempos and synthesized effects, accompanied by guitar and simplified backgrounds, moved dance music toward the funk and pop genres. This trend can be seen in singer Billy Ocean"s recordings between 1979 and 1981. Whereas Ocean"s 1979 song American Hearts was backed with an orchestral arrangement played by the Los Angeles Symphony Orchestra, his 1981 song "One of Those Nights (Feel Like Gettin" Down)" had a more bare, stripped-down sound, with no orchestration or symphonic arrangements. This drift from the original disco sound is called post-disco.
During the early 1980s, dance music dropped the complicated melodic structure and orchestration which typified the "disco sound". Examples of well-known songs which illustrate this difference include Kool & the Gang’s "Celebration" (1980), Rick James’ "Super Freak" (1981), Grace Jones"s "Pull Up to the Bumper" (1981), Carol Jiani"s "Hit N" Run Lover" (1981), Laura Branigan"s "Gloria" (1982), The Pointer Sisters’ "I"m So Excited" (1982), Prince’s "1999" (1982), The Weather Girls"s "It"s Raining Men" (1982), Madonna’s "Holiday" (1983), Irene Cara"s "Flashdance (What A Feeling)" (1983), Angela Bofill"s "Too Tough" (1983), Miquel Brown"s "So Many Men, So Little Time" (1983), Michael Jackson’s "Thriller" (1983), Cerrone"s "Back Track" (1984), Jocelyn Brown"s "Somebody Else"s Guy" (1984), and Klymaxx"s "Meeting in the Ladies Room" (1984).
Resurgence from the 1990s to the present day
In the late 1980s and increasingly through the 1990s, a revival of the original disco style began to emerge. The disco influence can be heard in songs as Rick Astley"s "Never Gonna Give You Up" (1988)[36] Gloria Estefan"s "Get On Your Feet" (1991), Paula Abdul"s "Vibeology" (1992), Whitney Houston"s "I"m Every Woman" (1993), U2’s "Lemon" (1993), Diana Ross"s "Take Me Higher" (1995), The Spice Girls’ "Who Do You Think You Are" (1997) and "Never Give up on the Good Times" (1997), Gloria Estefan"s "Heaven"s What I Feel" (1998) & "Don"t Let This Moment End" (1999), Cher’s "Strong Enough" (1998), and Jamiroquai"s "Canned Heat" (1999).
The trend continued in the 2000s with hit songs such as Kylie Minogue"s "Spinning Around" (2000) and "Love at First Sight" (2002), Sheena Easton"s "Givin" Up, Givin" In" (2001), Alcazar"s breakthrough single Crying at the Discotheque (2001), Sophie Ellis-Bextor"s smash single Murder on the Dancefloor (2002), S Club 7"s singles "Don"t Stop Movin"" (2001), "Alive" (2002) and "Love Ain"t Gonna Wait For You" (2003), The Shapeshifters" "Lola"s Theme" (2003), Janet Jackson"s "R&B Junkie" (2004) and Madonna"s 2005 album Confessions on a Dance Floor echoes traditional disco themes, particularly in the single "Hung Up," which samples ABBA"s "Gimme! Gimme! Gimme! (A Man After Midnight)." Madonna continued doing disco music in her 2008 release, "Hard Candy", this time experimenting with the old days of funk- and soul-influenced disco in songs like "Beat Goes On" and "Dance 2nite".
In the mid-late part of the decade, many disco songs have been released, becoming hits, including (2005) Gorillaz"s "Dare", Ultra Nate"s "Love"s The Only Drug" (2006), Gina G"s "Tonight"s The Night" (2006), The Shapeshifters" "Back To Basics" (2006), Michael Gray"s "Borderline" (2006), Irene Cara"s "Forever My Love" (2006), Bananarama"s "Look on the Floor (Hypnotic Tango)", Akcent"s "Kings of Disco" (2007), the Freemasons "Rain Down Love" (2007), Claudja Barry"s "I Will Stand" (2006), Pepper Mashay"s "Lost Yo Mind" (2007), Sophie Ellis-Bextor’s "Me and My Imagination" (2007), Maroon 5"s "Makes Me Wonder" (2007) Justice’s "D.A.N.C.E.", "Phanton (Part II)" (2007), Dannii Minogue"s "Touch Me Like That"(2007), Cerrone"s "Misunderstanding" and "Tatoo Woman" (2008), Sean Ensign"s "I Wanna Be With You" (2008), Donna Summer"s "I"m a Fire" (2008), Jody Watley"s "A Beautiful Life" (2008), Crystal Waters"s "Dancefloor" (2008) and Alcazar"s comeback single We Keep on Rockin" (2008). Music producer, Ian Levine has also produced many new songs with such singers as George Daniel Long, Hazell Dean, Sheila Ferguson, Steve Brookstein and Tina Charles among others for the compilation album titled, Disco 2008, a tribute to Disco music using original material.
In recent years, artists such as DE SIGNER, Ali Love, Hercules and Love Affair, producer JMV and Lady Gaga have revived the disco sound helping bring further mainstream interest and success.
Disco tributes continue to be popular draws. The World"s Largest Disco, an annual celebration held over Thanksgiving weekend in Buffalo, New York, draws thousands of disco fans in 1970s attire. In addition to playing disco hits of the era, live performers from the 1970s
Disco
Stylistic origins Funk[1]
Various soul styles [2]
Psychedelic[3][4][5]
Latin (especially salsa)[6][7]
Pop rock
Secondary: Afro-Cuban music (furthest Soca)[8] • Classical • Gospel[9] • Swing[8] • Blues[9]
Cultural origins Late 1960s – early 1970s; US and Canada[10][11]
Typical instruments Electric guitar • Bass guitar • Piano • Keyboard • drums (or drum machine) • horn section • orchestral solo instruments (e.g., flute) • percussion
Mainstream popularity Most popular in the mid-1970s to early 1980s
Derivative forms Hi-NRG • House • Hip-hop • New Wave • Garage • Afro-Funky • Nu-Disco
Subgenres
Italo Disco • Eurodisco • Space Disco
Fusion genres
Disco-punk • Disco house • Disco-Funk
Използвани материали: http://en.wikipedia.org.
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