BOB WELCH - FRENCH KISS

Bob Welch was the son of a movie producer, born in Los Angeles in 1945 and raised in Beverly Hills. In the early 60's he studied in Paris and hung out with local musicians before returning to California in the middle of the decade to join multiracial group THE SEVEN SOULS. After the group folded he returned to Paris and formed another group HEAD WEST, before joining FLEETWOOD MAC in 1971.He recorded 5 LP's with the band, but left before the recording of their breakthrough self titled LP in 1975

Welch had contributed a lot to FLEETWOOD MAC in terms of performance and songwriting, so it wasn't difficult to land a record deal for his next project PARIS ,a hard rock power trio in which he was joined by ex-Jethro Tull bassist Glenn Cornick and former Nazz drummer Thom Mooney. The band released two moderately selling LP's in 75' and 76,but split soon after. Songs from an aborted 3rd LP would appear on the 1st Bob Welch solo release, the sublime rock/disco fusion FRENCH KISS in September 77'.The first 45 that was pulled from it ''EBONY EYES'' took off and the LP reached #12 on the Billboard album chart at the start of the following year



The LP is literally crammed with gems and stands as one of the greats of the the late 70's.It's follow up THREE HEARTS in 79' replicated the format, but was less successful artistically and in terms of sales. Bob continued to record, but nothing reached the peak of FRENCH KISS. Tragically he took his own life in 2012 while suffering from serious pain following spinal surgery

FRENCH KISS - SIDE ONE,TRACK 3 - HOT LOVE IN A COLD WORLD


FRENCH KISS - SIDE ONE,TRACK 6 - OUTSKIRTS


FRENCH KISS - SIDE TWO,TRACK 3 - CAROLENE


FRENCH KISS - SIDE TWO,TRACK 4 - DANCIN' IN OUR EYES

DOOLEY BOPPERS

THE DOOLEYS started out as a family showband in the late 60's and spent many years working in the VARIETY CLUBS of the UK. By 1975 they had added a couple of non family members, gained a recording contract and attracted some attention through performing the theme tune for the TV show ON THE MOVE.

The years of hard work finally paid off when they hooked up with the songwriting/production team of BEN FINDON and MIKE MYERS in 1977.Their breezy uplifting pop sound began to find it's way into the UK TOP 20 in the same year

The band were never a hip name to drop but it was odds on that their records would get the crowd bopping at DANCE HALLS and FUNCTION ROOMS back in the day. DENIM DISCO has four examples cued up, so roll back the rug and let the Dooley Hooley commence!

First up is ''THINK I'M GOING TO FALL IN LOVE WITH YOU''. Their first hit from the summer of 77'.A mid paced PHILLY DISCO styled shuffler with a catchy vocal melody, spot on harmonies and sweeping strings


''LOVE OF MY LIFE'' picked up where their first hit left off. Even more dizzy and exuberant than it's predecessor and their first TOP 10 entry in the same year


Their first 45 of 1978 ''DON'T TAKE IT LYIN' DOWN''. Even more DISCO punch was added to this one. It's an infectious dose of SUPER POP, but surprisingly it failed to shift units on the scale of the previous two


The band pulled out all the stops on ''WANTED''.A hook laden tour de force which sounds like ABBA mixing it up with ''THE SONG OF THE VOLGA BOATMEN''! They were rewarded with their highest chart placing when the record reached the number 3 spot in 1979

THE BAY CITY ROLLERS - YOU MADE ME BELIEVE IN MAGIC

Three years on from the first flush of 'ROLLERMAINIA' in the UK,THE BAY CITY ROLLERS were keen to build upon their NORTH AMERICAN success and enlisted producer HARRY HASLIN to work on their next LP ''THE GAME''.Haslin was born in PHILADELPHIA and had helped to swing DAVID BOWIE in the direction of SOUL/FUNK music when he worked on the song ''FAME'' {which became Bowie's first US hit}

The rollers had also dabbled in this direction with ''THE DISCO KID'' and ''DON'T STOP THE MUSIC'' that same year,but ''YOU MADE ME BELIEVE IN MAGIC'' would prove to be their but their big DISCO moment in 1977

Another figure from the Philly music scene LEN BOOTH was brought on board to provide the song which gave them a US #10 in Billboard in August of that year.





Len Booth was certainly a talented songwriter and released some worthy singles under his own name during the following couple of years.His 1978 release ''LOVE WON'T BE DENIED'' received a fair number of 'DISCO SPINS' in the UK and is still fondly remembered

STARS DISCO LIVERPOOL 1975

Found on YouTube: Four short clips of cine-film taken in STARS DISCO LIVERPOOL 1975.The comments under each clip were written by PETER STOW who shot the film


''I opened the Disco under The Centre Hotel in Lord Nelson Street in 1974. I ran it for 3 years.It was the first purpose built Disco in Liverpool''

The music track is: ROD STEWART AND THE FACES - YOU CAN MAKE ME DANCE,SING OR ANYTHING



''When I was the Manager I filmed this on cine film at the weekends and then showed it in a Tueday night quite hi-tec for those days''

The music track is: RALPH MCTELL - STREETS OF LONDON



''I filmed all this on a cine camera see if you can see your self let me know''

The music track is: SWEET SENSATION - PURELY BY COINCIDENCE



''The Stars Disco in the Centre Hotel Liverpool in 1975 love the fashion''

The music track is: HELLO - TELL HIM

LINK TO PETER STOWS YOUTUBE CHANNEL:
http://www.youtube.com/user/Bentleystow?feature=watch

THE HOLLIES - DRAGGIN' MY HEELS

Like many others THE HOLLIES were looking to the DISCO DANCE FLOOR for inspiration in 1976.They released a DISCO NOVELTY 45 called ''WIGGLE THAT WOTSIT'',but the song was evidently too great a departure from the HARMONY POP style that the group were known for and the record failed to click with the public.Ironically tucked away on the B-SIDE was an awesome tune that cleverly combined the great harmony vocals the band were known for with a DEEP/LATIN/ FUNK GROOVE


THE HOLLIES - DRAGGIN' MY HEELS



The song was included on the LP RUSSIAN ROULETTE which came out the same year and the group also laid down a brilliant upfront version of the song on the TV POP SHOW ''SUPERSONIC''.
Check it out here and listen in wonder at Pete Wingfield energetic runs on the white grand piano!


THE HOLLIES - DRAGGIN' MY HEELS - LIVE ON SUPERSONIC



So much for the UK record buying public then.''DRAGGIN' MY HEELS'' would surely have been added to the list of great records that never received their due recognition had it not been picked up and spun by taste making NEW YORK DJs:DAVID MANCUSO and LARRY LEVAN.Both were known for diggin' deep and seeking out music from around the globe.Many of the obscure and unusual discs they played crossed over to the playlists of DJs in the more mainstream clubs and as a result of their interest EPIC RECORDS in the US released an EXTENDED 12'' DANCE 'EDIT' of the song in 1977.


THE HOLLIES - DRAGGIN' MY HEELS - SPECIAL DISCO VERSION



The song never broke in a major way but over the years it's legend grew.In 1989 EPIC reissued the 12'' MIX as part of their ''MIX MASTERS'' series.In 1995 it appeared as a track on ''LOFT CLASSICS VOLUME 14'' and again in 2010 on the LP ''DOWN TO THE SEA AND BACK - THE CONTINUING JOURNEY OF THE BALEARIC BEAT''.The song certainly has a timeless quality about it.DJ LOUIE VEGA AND THE ELEMENTS OF LIFE have recently released a cover of the song with an arrangement and production that is near identical to the original!


Time waits for no one
And I wasted my time
Got to the crossroads
But took the wrong sign

I'd go too far
Didn't know how she'd feel
Stupid of me
To be draggin' my heels

Oh, oh, oh, draggin' my heels
Oh, oh, oh, draggin' my heels, heels

DISCO DONNY

In 1976 DONNY OSMOND released the ''DISCO TRAIN'' LP in an attempt to ride the early DISCO MUSIC gravy train.His solo career was on the wane by '76 and he was having to share some of the limelight with his sister MARIE.The record was seen as a chance to up his profile,but sales proved to be disappointing and it isn't remembered with great affection by the man himself.In his autobiography ''LIFE IS JUST WHAT YOU MAKE IT'' Donny quips that the train on the cover should have run him over and prevented him from recording it!

DISCO was starting to make serious inroads into the mainstream by '76 and more than a few pop performers began to incorporate disco elements in their music.With ''DISCO TRAIN'' Donny jumped wholeheartedly into the realm,or if we are to believe his later comments: pushed into it It would
be fair to say that the results were a bit hit and miss.How many songs with disco in the tile should
one LP contain? Well this one has three,which seems like two too many!

For me the standout tracks are the COUNTRY FUNK styled ''OLD MAN AUCTIONEER'',the single ''C'MON MARIANNE'' and a couple PHILLY SOUL influenced numbers in the form of ''DON'T NEED NO MONEY'' and ''NEVER GONNA LET YOU GO''.Cop an ear to the later two {via the clips below} and see what you think!


DONNY OSMOND - LET YOU GO


DONNY OSMOND - DON'T NEED NO MONEY

GLAMRACKET - A PROPER 70's GLAM NIGHT IN LONDON

GLAMRACKET is London's only strictly 1970's glam rock club night.A monthly event where BIBA BUNNIES in Sequins and Satin MOVE LIKE TIGERS ON VASELINE to the ART GLAM of BOWIE and SMOOTH SUEDES in Beagle Collared Shirts and Tanktops stomp their TIGER FEET to the GLAM POP of MUD.Everyone parties like it's 1973 and dances THE BUMP and THE JUKEBOX JIVE like they did in that dive down in DEVIL GATE DRIVE.

GLAMRACKET is held at THE BUFFALO BAR next to Highbury and Islington tube Station on the first Saturday of each month.Make it along and worship at the alter of all that is GLAM!

http://www.buffalobar.co.uk/

STOP PRESS!

Saturday 7th April 2012 {Easter Weekend} will be an XTRA SPECIAL night as DENIM DISCO will be joining the crew to man the decks for a short stint.

GET DOWN AND GET WITH IT and tell em' I sent ya!

GLAM MEETS MOTOWN - ''UP IN A PUFF OF SMOKE''

POLLY BROWN first came to the attention of the British public singinging with the group Pickettywitch who scored two big hits in 1970 with "That Same Old Feeling" and "(It's Like A) Sad Old Kinda Movie".

When the group struggled to match that early success songwriter/producer GERRY SHURY recorded a solo LP with Polly in 72.Dispite highlighting her wonderful voice {Shurly described it as "A cross between Diana Ross and Dionne Warwick"} the record lacked any material strong enough to make a HIT 45.

Then in 1974 Shurly hit gold when he wrote and produced ''UP IN A PUFF OF SMOKE''.The record posessed a strong MOTOWN like melody that recalled THE SUPREMES hits of the sixties and was propelled by a comtempry 'whompa whompa' GLAM BACKBEAT and bubbling SYNTHESIZER.Incredibly for a record which was seemingly perfect for the dancefloors of the early DISCO era it failed to crack the TOP 40 charts in the UK and stalled at number 43!

In the USA the story was different and the record was warmly recieved on the dance floor.It reached number 3 on the US DISCO CHART and went on to 16 in THE BILLBOARD HOT 100 in March 1975

MORE DENIM DISCO MIX

Tracklist:

01 - Gary Glitter - Rock And Roll Part Two
02 - Elektrik Cokernut - Jungle Juice
03 - Polly Brown - Up In A Puff Of Smoke
04 - Fox - S - S - S - Single Bed
05 - Stretch - Why Did You Do It
06 - 5000 Volts - Thunderfire
07 - The Alan Parsons Project - I Wouldn't Want To Be Like You
08 - East Of Eden - Jig - A - Jig
09 - Titanic - Sultana
10 - Cozy Powell - Dance With The Devil
11 - Boney M - Rasputin
12 - Sting -Thief Of Bagdad
13 - Jigsaw - Sky High
14 - Wings - Jet
15 - Rod And The Faces - You Can Make Me Dance Sing Or Anything
16 - Hot Chocolate - Every 1's A Winner
17 - T.Rex - Light Of Love
18 - Hello - New York Groove
19 - Kenny - The Bump
20 - Brendon - Gimmie Some
21 - The Peppers - Pepper Box
22 - Bryan Ferry - Re-Make Re-Model

More Denim Disco Mix by Denim Disco on Mixcloud

http://www.mediafire.com/?orqghw8z5wsbg7a

Floating Opera - Let's Streak

A MONSTER Glam Stomper from 1974!

The tune hinges on a KILLER Moog synth line and a RESURRECTION SHUFFLE style chant layered over a QUICK JOEY SMALL meets ROCK and ROLL PART 2 backbeat.

It was composed by Alan Hawkshaw and Ray Davies,both known for their involement with KPM Music and other Music Library labels throughout the 70's.Given this I think it's safe to asume that the band was a studio creation.

Hawshaw is notable for playing Hammond organ on numerous pop and library sessions.
He also played Moog synthesizer on the ROCK ON LP by David Essex in 1973 and composed the synth-moog-library album ARP ODYSSEY for KPM in '75.

DENIM DISCO MIX

Tracklist:

01 - Barry Blue - Do You Wanna Dance
02 - The Rah Band - The Crunch
03 - Floating Opera - Let's Streak
04 - Suzie Quatro - Your Mama Won't Like Me
05 - Alice Cooper - Billion Dollar Babies
06 - Eagles - Life In The Fast Lane
07 - 10 C.C. - Art For Art Sake
08 - Steely Dan - Josie
09 - Boz Scaggs - The Lowdown
10 - Daryl Hall And John Oats - Back Together Again
11 - Sweet - Fox On The Run
12 - Paper Lace - So What If I Am
13 - Alvin Stardust - Red Dress
14 - Mud - Moonshine Sally
15 - Sailor - Down By The Docks
16 - Abba - Gimmie! Gimmie! Gimmie!
17 - The Electric Light Orchestra - Last Train To London
18 - The Beach Boys - Here Comes The Night
19 - Theo Vaness - I'm A Bad Bad Boy

Denim Disco Mix by Denim Disco on Mixcloud

Download An MP3 Of The Mix {With Artwork} Here:

http://www.mediafire.com/?uug0rfbmu95993m