In America has that Italo Disco chart and this video is a gas.....

STARKNIGHT is this really English?

Refreshed Links from a 2010 blog
O.K. so they gave this guy an English sounding name (Bob Salton), but clearly English is not his mother tongue. If his pronunciation wasn't bad enough it also happens to be garbled. What is a Starknight anyway? Something medieval? Something dark? Surely something made up.
GET IT HERE
But once again in classic Italo Disco form their making up is our pleasure. This 1982 release on Blood Records is one more example of how clearly funky and electronic and danceable Italo Disco can be.  The D.J.'s at WBMX in Chicago found it and played the hell out of it.

One very interesting thing to note is that Alredo Riccini who also happened to co-write this tune also happens to record with the aliases Joe Yellow, Bandanna, Bob Salton, Delanuà, Joe Yellow, and Sylvi Foster. After knowing that it also begins to make a lot more sense. Though I'd have to wonder if he took English lessons or something cause by the time Lover to Lover and Take my Heart came out he certainly had much better and clearer enunciation.

I'm going to have to out myself here. I'm an English as a second language teacher living in Rome so it's a topic I come in contact with daily.

We lost an Italo Disco Great Albert One alias Albertone, Jock Hattle and A1

This is an update of a post from a while back.  Since Albert One left the stage on May 11, 2020 it seemed like as good a time as any to dedicate an entire post to him.

Jock Hattle the chubby Italo Disco Megastar.
http://www.filefactory.com/file/sqdzb3rg4d/01%20Albert%20One.zip
http://www.filefactory.com/file/63dvydltwi51/02%20Albert%20One.zip

His debut single Turbo Diesel came out in 1984 and it was a big pop hit in Italy he performed it everywhere including t.v. shows like FestivalBar.

Better known as Albert One, but in actuality named Alberto Carpani sang many italo disco hits including this debut single under the aforementioned moniker Jock Hattle.  Crazy Family (Yes-No) is just simply a classic of the era almost as good as the Joe Yellow record from the same year, Lover to Lover but still an Italo Disco "10" in my opinion.

He's one of the few italo disco figures that was actually recognizable.  The year before Gary Low became one of the first with the smash You are a Danger.  That same year Gazebo had the second biggest pop single of the year with I Like Chopin (only beaten by Irene Cara's Flashdance - What a Feeling).  So by 1983, Italo Disco artists were being presented on RAI alongside new wave and the new romantic British invasion artists like Duran Duran and Human League.

GET A LITTLE CRAZY

Dance to the Beat Boeing

The Brits like to call a record like this "boogie."  It reminds me a lot of the classic We got the Funk by Positive Force.  In any case it's made in Italy disco music before the whole italo thing had taken hold.  There are a few examples of this sound from 1982, 1983 and some are great.
BOEING
I sold my import Good Vibes record copy for a pretty penny back in the day.  There's a Full Time records Italy version that was released in 2018 with an edit by a D.J. from Perugia called Moplen who has a big presence on SoundCloud.  It's a limited edition pressing with three other great Italian classics on it.

I'm crazy about Nancy Martinez or if you love yourself some Nancy Martinez like I love me some Nancy Martinez...

THE RAREST NANCY, HER VERSION OF LA VIE EN ROSE 

Refreshed Links

NANCY ZIP

Born Nancy Catherine Julia Martinez to John and Maureen Martinez from Rosemount, Montreal, Quebec, Canada. Nancy's multi-cultural genes may very well have had an influence on her natural talent. Her father was Spanish and her mother was of Welsh origin.  However, although her aspirations were to follow another career path she began to hone her musical skills early in life. Vocal lessons and luck helped Nancy land many jobs at clubs and parties.  She eventually parlayed her talent into the role of background singer.  In 1980-81 she toured with recording artist Chatelaine ("Take Me") as well as touring and studio work with René and Nathalie Simard and disco sensation Kat Mandu ("The Break") to name a few.
It happens all the Time 
It happens all the Time was a release from 1987 on Disconet.

Quebec's very own Nancy Martinez!
Nancy felt uncomfortable about signing as an artist.  However, she agreed to record for producer Domenic Sciullo but refused to use her real name.  Her first solo release was "Can't Believe" credited to Nancy Martin.  The song spread over Canada like wildfire eventually reaching the U.S. where Atlantic Records picked it up for release.  This was her first American hit, but later that year she scored an even bigger success internationally with "I'm Gonna Get Your Love" credited to Jade. Thanks to a Disconet remix (U.S.A.) and versions on Polydor (Canada), Rams Horn (Holland) and Dureco-Benelux (Netherlands) the song became a global sensation. 
1983 gave us several brilliant Nancy releases including So Excited and Take it Slowly both of which were staples at The Saint.  cant believe and la vie in case the other link dies
Can't Believe 
 Nancy Martin was her first alias but she ended up using a few.  The instrumental  Twelve Inch Vocal  Sizzling Hot White Label Mix
By far the best Nancy Martinez record is Can't Believe.  It's cosmic, it's disco, it's dark, it's just the right groove.  It was in 1982 and it is in 2011 too.  It got picked up by Atlantic in the states and shot up to #5 on the U.S. Disco Charts.
The 1984 release on Matra and J.C. Records Canada was sort of unusual.  It was an attempt to capitalize on the fact that Laid Back's Sunshine Reggae was a huge hit all over the world yet not in North America.  Then they thought to segue into her version of La Vie en Rose.  She is of course fluent in French so why not?  Believe it or not it works though.
 TAKE IT SLOWLY

Jade takes me back to the Frat House in Dupont Circle D.C.

I was a Freshman at University and I was first coming into contact with Hi NRG the clubs.  Nancy's alias as Jade "I'm Gonna Get Your Love" was massive.  It brings me back to such a time of sheer dancing joy.
After a couple years break she went full-stop Freestyle with the massive "Move Out."  MOVE OUT  It hit #12 on the dance charts.

Her biggest hit was the 1986 freestyle smash "For Tonight" though likeable it was a far more commercial sound.  It peaked at #2 on the dance charts.

It's follow-up in 1987 "Can't Wait" took the sound one step further.  I think it's a more hardcore dance record then "For Tonight" was.  Freestyle was still the sound on that one. CAN'T WAIT CAN'T WAIT GIMME YOUR LOVE  
The third hit in a row, Can't Wait hit #17 on the Billboard Dance Charts.

Here's an interview with our diva.

Even now Nancy does jingles.  She's quite happy to be able to work from home.

2001's Italian release For the First Time saw her getting dance-floor action once again.  Her voice is full and soulful.  She really shows on this track that she's a capable vocalist.

FOR THE FIRST TIME

Moody, Dark, early italo by Steel Mind

This italo track from 1982 has that Cosmic feel.  Kinda dark and not particularly danceable.  It definitely points you in the direction that the spacey italo disco from 1983 that I love so much will sound like.  BOSS MAN

Somebody somewhere must be glad that I'm under quarantine.  My pain could be your pleasure!

Agostino Presta as Ago in the best italo disco album ever recorded For You

repost with refreshed links
1982 Full Time Records Italy release Ago is one of my all time favorite Italo Disco releases.  I would venture to call it the best Italo Disco full album ever recorded.
I enjoy listening to it straight through, each and every track.  I can't say that for many albums.

Agostino Presta made a funky type of italo disco.  He quickly became one of the faces of italo disco and appeared on many t.v. shows around Europe.

Some of his notable releases after this delicious For You l.p. are Computer in my Mind and I Want You.  You Make Me Do It was recorded in the studio named Calieri in Bari, so unlike most Italo Disco this was a made in Italy doc from the Southern part of the peninsula.  It was a maxi single in 1981 so it's also one of the earliest releases of the genre.
Italian critics never embraced it but in any case it's considered one of the true classics of the italo disco genre.
 AN AGO ZIP




I wonder if this post will reach beyond the few typical Italo Disco fans on the site.  It's definitely worth a listen even for those that are not usually turned on to Italo Disco.  I think it's also quite demonstrative of what many called boogie in the early 80's.  I've even heard it called Modern Soul.

We can go to your house

In 1982 Maurice Massiah's sole album was released on Canada's Quality Records.

Maurice Zip
A couple songs got some play but only We Can Go to Your House inched it's way up to #33 on the dance charts.  He didn't have any more charted tracks after that.



I know it didn't get play anywhere where teenage me was dancing at the time.  But I'll bet it was hot at The Paradise Garage.

Just in time for Halloween Goblin Tenebre Remix Claudio Simonetti Italo Disco Gem

So you might not know that I your writer of Disco Vinyl is also a big horror buff.  So I thought I'd give you something in time for Halloween a bit different then my usual posts.  You can however consider this 1982 remix genuine Italo Disco.  In the lower part of the post where the rest of the soundtrack is you should probably find some value too.

TENEBRE REMIX



TENEBRE SOUNDTRACK WITH BONUS TRACKS

Music for Us by Blackway & Helene obscure early italo disco

A super rare collectible from 1982.

Music for Us is definitely an unusual song.

Music for Us

Unusual pronunciation, infectious beat, hook-laden and spacey.  Kitchen sink Italo Disco.
So rare and in demand it was repressed and remastered in 2014.  A limited edition reserved to only 200 copies.

Roman DJ Carlo Favalli, who produced this record, died under mysterious circumstances in Estonia in 1998.  His releases came out on seminal italo labels like Jumbo and House of Music.

One of the writer arrangers, Stefano Galante, has appeared on quite a few of my favorite italo disco songs, for instance Mr. Master's Dog in the Night and B.W.H. Stop/Livin' Up (the best double A side Italo disco record ever).

Electric Mind

Luciana Cirrillo and Michele Violante are Electric Mind.  A duo who have the honor of having one of the first records to be considered distinctly Italo Disco, 1982's Summing Up.

I think people who don't even necessarily like Italo Disco could appreciate Electric Mind.  Their tracks have a seriously funky groove.  This is not just frivolous music, this shit kicks!

Summing Up was one of those influential italo tracks that got played at WBMX in Chicago and on dance floors that would not have played most Italo.

What can I say? I love these songs a lot.  Two of their tracks that were released later in '84 and '85, I didn't even know until I checked them out on you tube.

ELECTRIC ZIP

They also have the distinction of being one of the few Italo Disco artists to have their tracks licensed and released in the states.

Italo Disco Lost in Space

The spacey super synthy vocoder filled style of Italo Disco is undoubtably my favorite.  This track from 1982 by Marzio Dance is very that.

This first release by Marzio Mugnaioni the resident DJ at Club Xenon in Florence is strange in that it's so slow I don't even hear how it could be danceable.  Sounds cool though, there is no doubting that.

Marzio returned to the genre in many incarnations and on many release but this gem was his first.

Please lord just transport me back one Saturday Night to the Xenon disco in Florence in 1982.  I would live!

THE ADVENTURE

MARZIO DANCE DEEJAY FACEBOOK PAGE

For Your Love by Klaudia (another Dora Carofiglio alias)

A one off Italo Disco project from 1982.  For Your Love was a super early project before the greater influx to Italo projects and space disco from 1982.

Dora Carofiglio went on to become one of the most prevalent voices of Italo Disco in the 80's.  Most well known as Valerie Dore and Novecento scoring huge crossover pop hits.

FOR YOUR LOVE