VINCE ALETTI's DISCO FILES FOREVER CAME TODAY

I finally got my hands on Vince Aletti's amazing book The Disco Files. It was originally only available via djhistory.com but now can be found in better bookstores. I got mine at the Barnes & Noble in Union Square. Kinda pricey for a paperback at almost $40.00 but it's chock full of information. A veritable disco bible.

Disco Files was edited by Frank Broughton & Bill Brewster who brought us their own phenomenal disco history book Last Night a DJ Saved my Life which I reviewed in a blog quite a while back. Vince Aletti is currently the Photography editor of New Yorker magazine but back in the day he wrote a column for Record World magazine entitled Disco File. In this column he wrote about new releases not unlike the dance column in Billboard magazine later written by Brian Chin, Bill Coleman, Larry Flick and others. He also was in regular contact with many of the most important d.j.'s of the period and printed their Top 10 lists and a national Top 20 compiled from these lists.

Some of the early contributors include John Luongo reporting from various clubs in Boston, Larry Levan from when he was spinning at Reade Street, Walter Gibbons from Galaxy 21, Bobby Guttardo from Infinity, Tom Savarese from 12 West, Jay Negron and Paul Salari from The Playhouse in the Bronx and many other important early Disco pioneers.

The early part of the book is particularly interesting because it documents how the 45 rpm 7" single was first used by DJ's. Some had the vocal versions on side A and the instrumental on side B or Part I on one side and Part II on the other. So DJ's had to be creative with two copies to extend the dancing experience. Album tracks started to be replaced by the first PROMO 12" singles in 1975. As these wider grooves provided for better and louder sound. There were even a few, now rare 45 rpm singles without the large hole in the middle like in this otherwise unavailable extended mix of Tavares classic from 1975 It Only Takes a Minute which I have in my Ebay store. Click the title of this blog to have a look.

Use of imports were also quite prevalent by DJ's always prepared to wow an audience with something fresh. Now it's simply become the standard for all successful DJ's to spin a great deal of imports. Also the first dj record pool in New York started by the Loft's David Mancuso began in June 1975 and featured Vince Aletti on it's board of directors. Many artists actually performed for these DJ's or did a meet and greet in the office. Some included Faith, Hope and Charity, The Ritchie Family and the then new artist Donna Summer.

One of the crucial disco records of 1975 was The Jacksons Forever Came Today which has remained virtually unknown to their pop audience. Between their 1974 smash Dancing Machine and their first singles on Epic in 1976 the Jacksons had a dry period on the U.S. pop charts.

FOREVER CAME TODAY JOHN MORALES M & M FOREVER MIX

Sometimes artists wish their songs would go away wished would go away

Canadian rocker Bryan A.'s debut single is a disco classic. He hates it. Previous to it's release he had been in a band called Sweeney Todd. Let Me Take You Dancing was co-written with Jim Vallance from the rock band Prism. The original version released in 1978 went nowhere. But the next year when legendary re-mixer John Luongo got his hands on it he sped up the vocals to near chipmunk style and it broke into the U.S. Disco charts managing to climb all the way up to #22. It's one of those disco happy songs that just makes you smile from cheek to cheek when you're out on the dance floor feeling oh so carefree. Unfortunately for Bryan it didn't make him very happy. Now he's mostly known for his work with animal rights group PETA. He hasn't had a hit single in years. Though he has recorded some of the schmaltziest pop ballads of the last century. I suggest he go for the Electronica sound like Madonna! Perhaps he can bring in Lady Ga Ga and record a duet. In this tasty zip I include both the vocal 12", the instrumental and a cool mix a Belgian buddy of mine Erwin did called the E man mix, an 8 minute remix. Erwin recently left us and just a couple weeks before I mentioned my intention to share his remix and so in his honor I am exposing him for the great talent he was. I also couldn't let you down by not letting you have the link to this 12" in my Ebay store. Unless of course it's sold by the time you pop over to check it out. Just click on the title of this blog and it will take you right there. It's even on sale at the moment.