YOU MUST FEEL THE DRIVE and TAKE A CHANCE BIZZY & Co.

Refreshed Links, Some new mixes added too

I've often said that 1983 was my favorite year for Italo Disco. 
uptown instrumental edit
BEN LIEBRAND'S SUPER LONG REMIX
cat instrumental
Frisco edit
FEEL THE DRIVE IS ITALO DISCO LEGENDARY

I had the fortune of being in the thick of it all with many many nights out at Roman clubs.

Feel the Drive by Doctor's Cat was also a big radio record.  A. Martinelli the writer, producer and mixer of this track has a prolific history in the genre.  As a matter of fact Aldo Michele Martinelli was involved with Cat Gang, Marinelli, Moon Ray, Raggio di Luna and Superbeat to name a few.

In this zip you can enjoy both sides of the 12" in .wav.

no bizzy import version
My favorite Martinelli is probably his collaboration with Tony Carrasco with Bizzy and Company's Take a Chance.
Kizzy
 This brilliant number was used as the theme for Amanda Lear's recent RAI t.v. show Cocktail D'amour.

original version by Material featuring Nona Hendryx

LOVE N' MUSIC RIS FEATURING CELESTE another classic ITALO DISCO gem by TONY CARRASCO

Love and Music is one of those more subtle Italo disco classics.  It doesn't smash you over the head on the first couple listens but later it gets under your skin.  And with a genius like Tony Carrasco behind it what would you expect?

Tony was behind lots of my favorite italo disco records especially Klein and M.B.O. of which he was a member and Plastic Mode and Moonbase and many others.  These acts were basically aliases for Tony.   Say Hi to Tony on his Facebook page TONY'S FACEBOOK.  I know I do.  I've been waiting for him to come to Rome to spin so we can meet up.

Now back to Love N' Music, it's so well loved that there was even a remix done in 2004 which was released on a Swiss label.  Still of course with the vocals by Celeste Johnson a model from Chicago who was first featured on this track and the later went on to release some singles as a solo artist.  A few of which are sung in Italian.  I like the way she glides between Italian and English on love n' music especially because Italian in Italo Disco is actually quite rare.  What's more this girl can sing.  The fun here is that she of course sings Italian with an American accent sort of a spin on the typical Italo Disco trait of English sung with an Italian accent.  A RIS ZIP  I should know after 17 years in Italy that a lot of Italians love the sound of Americans speaking Italian.  Though sometimes you can't tell if they are laughing with you or at you!

I might add that Love N' Music was featured on I Love Disco Diamonds Volume 22.  If you don't know the Disco Diamonds series I urge you to look into them.  They are without a doubt the very best collections of Italo Disco ever compiled on CD.  They are quite collectible but nowhere near the amount of $ it would cost you to get a lot of these gems on vinyl that they spotlight.

David Bowie Heroes given an Italo Disco makeover Big Ben Tribe

David Bowie's 1977 art-rock single from his Brian Eno, Berlin influenced period is a highly coveted 12" promo. But who'd have thought that it would have lent itself so well to the Italo Disco makeover it was given in 1983 by The Big Ben Tribe?

Well given that it was mixed by Italo Disco Mastermind Tony Carrasco the genius behind Klein M.B.O. and many other Italo Disco classics would be reason enough to give it a serious listen. The breezy, light and accessible disco sound and the highly capable and enjoyable female vocals gave Heroes a new life. Kudos to the Big Ben Tribe for having the audacity to give a David Bowie song a whirl.

Many Hi NrG covers of standards and rock songs are total crap compared to the super high quality production Heroes was given in 1983. Unfortunately Big Ben Tribe was sort of a one hit wonder act. Though they did have several other releases including Hot Love and Tarzan Loves the Summer Nights they did not equal the Italo Disco magic of Heroes again.

BIG BEN ZIP

The group followed Heroes up in 1984 with the campy Italo Disco tune Tarzan Loves the Summer Nights.  It's a super collectible hard to find twelve inch from the seminal italo disco label Gong.  I've included it in my zip of Heroes.