Disco Chart Feb

-Jean Wells "I Can't Stop Dancing" (TEC, 1979)
-Direct Current "Everybody Here Must Party" (TEC, 1979)
Every TEC single I've ever pulled has been of such absolute quality. The Jean Wells offering has all the disco tidbits (strings, laser sounds, ooowap-ooowaps a bongo break), but maintains a 100% cheese free policy throughout. And Direct Current comes through with one of my most treasured singles. Sisters Deborah, Dorothy, and Denise Clement deliver three-part harmonies remiscent of doo-wap while getting the dance floor hyped. Both were produced by Nick Martinelli and recorded in Philly.

-Taana Gardner "Work That Body" (West End, 1979)
Larry Levan's contribution to this period has been well-documented, and this is a good reason why.

-Patrick Cowley "Sea Hunt" (Megatone, 1981)
Patrick Cowley OWNED synthesizers in the early 80's. Period. Everybody's all 'Giorgio Moroder' and I'm all, like, 'PATRICK COWLEY'!

-Yello "Bostich" (?,?)
I first heard this at six in the morning at a NYE Rave in ?01? Mario 'Smokin'' Diaz, a Hot Mix 5 member, played an entire set of proto acid house tracks that fuckin' BANGED. If I could have a recording of any DJ set ever it would be on the short list for sure.

-Jean Carn "Was That All It Was b/w What's On Your Mind" (Philadelphia Int'l, 1979)
Great Release from Philly Int'l. "Was That…" has gotten a lot of plays this summer. Let's just say I can empathize with the lyrics. "What's On Your Mind" is the track CZR sampled for his pounding "Put My Mind At Ease". Great bassline!

-T-Connection "Do What You Wanna Do" (Sunnyview, 1977)
TENSION! RELEASE!

-Modern Romance "Everybody Salsa" (WEA, 1981)
Before you had talented rappers spitting 16 bars all over each other's albums you had some weirdo rapping for 10 minutes with lines stolen from other songs. Awesome.

-George Clinton "Loopzilla" (Capitol, 1982)
'They drive you up the wall, we drive you on the floor!'

-The Funkacise Gang "Funkacise" (Ram's Horn, 1984)
If you need to get that fat off your back, not make your liver quiver, and see your toes for the very first time, then the Funkacise Gang has just the thing for you. It's this song. And it's hilarious and good.

-The Jimmy Castor Bunch "Party People" (Cotillion, 1979)
A Tribute to the great Disco Cities of America.

-Ministry "Work For Love" (Arista, 1983)
Miles plays the B-Side dub on his 'My Disco Life' mix. But I like the euro-vocals on the main mix. I've seen a copy on Gemm.com allegedly signed by Al Jourgensen, so I guess this is some of his early work?

-Indeep "When Boys Talk" (Sound Of New York, 1983)
Same group that brought us the oft-referenced life-saving DJ. I like the rap part. I also like having two copies to play with the tools on the B-Side.

-Giorgio Moroder "Chase" (Polygram, 1978)
I know I kinda knocked on him above, but Giorgio's alright in my book. A friend had a single with this, "From Here To Eternity", and "Faster Than The Speed Of Love" all megamixed together. I only own "Chase", though.

-The Strikers "Body Music" (Prelude, 1981)
My favorite Prelude release. Just found me a clean copy, too. The one I found in Brooklyn (shouts to Matt B!) had an unnoticed fracture. Such is life. Larry Levan AND Francois Kevorkian in the studio on this one.

-Fresh Band "Come Back Lover" (Are 'n Be, 1984)
One of Tony Humphries earlier mixes featuring a great bass line throughout and a pleading lover's lament on the break. 'I'll do you right this time girl, just believe in me.' Though my copy of the promo single is still in Milwaukee (ahem), I just found I also have it on a BBE compilation (Disco Spectrum, also recommended). Sweet.

-B. B. & Q. Band "All Night Long (She's Got The Moves I Like)" (Capitol, 1982)
Mauro Malavasi also did a record for Prelude with an insane cover of Spencer Davis Group's "I'm a Man" that totally rules (look for the promo single rather than the LP version), and here produces a slow tempo R&B thingy with a synth hook that I love a bunch.

-The Universal Robot Band "Doing Anything Tonight" (Red Greg, 1978)
-Herbie Mann "Superman" (Atlantic, 1978)
When I say 'Patrick Adams', you say 'overtly sexual disco JAMS'. "Doing Anything Tonight" is a really energetic ditty with fun changes and party vibes provided by the whistles and shouts in the background. And I don't think the "Superman" they refer to is the DC superhero...

*Honorable mentions:
Next Evidence "Morning Breeze" (Dimitri from Paris Edit) and Crazy Penis "You Started Something" b/w "Keep On" (Paperecordings).