Disco is an up-tempo style of dance music (generally between 110 and 136 beats per minute) that originated in the early 1970s, mainly from funk and soul music, popular with audiences in larger cities all over the world, and derives its name from the French word discothèque (meaning a nightclub where the featured entertainment was recorded music), coined from disc + bibliothèque (library) by La Discothèque in Rue Huchette (Jones + Kantonen, 1999). Funk is a distinct style of music originated by African-Americans, e. ... For other uses, see Soul music (disambiguation). ... Events and trends Although in the United States and in many other Western societies the 1970s are often seen as a period of transition between the turbulent 1960s and the more conservative 1980s and 1990s, many of the trends that are associated widely with the Sixties, from the Sexual Revolution... A musical instrument is a device that has been constructed or modified with the purpose of making music. ... Events and trends Although in the United States and in many other Western societies the 1970s are often seen as a period of transition between the turbulent 1960s and the more conservative 1980s and 1990s, many of the trends that are associated widely with the Sixties, from the Sexual Revolution... Events and trends The 1980s marked an abrupt shift towards more conservative lifestyles after the momentous cultural revolutions which took place in the 1960s and 1970s and the definition of the AIDS virus in 1981. ... Bright disco is an extension of typical disco music, but with a strong 1980s touch. ... Eurodance is style of dance music, popular in Europe during 1990s. ... Italo disco is a style of electronic dance music that was popular during the 80s. ... A nightclub (often dance club or club, particularly in the UK) is an entertainment venue which does its primary business after dark. ... The following lists groups or individuals primarily associated with the disco era of the 1970s and early 1980s and some of their most noteworthy disco hits. ... Dance music is music composed, played, or both, specifically for social dancing. ... Events and trends Although in the United States and in many other Western societies the 1970s are often seen as a period of transition between the turbulent 1960s and the more conservative 1980s and 1990s, many of the trends that are associated widely with the Sixties, from the Sexual Revolution... Funk is a distinct style of music originated by African-Americans, e. ... For other uses, see Soul music (disambiguation). ... A nightclub (often dance club or club, particularly in the UK) is an entertainment venue which does its primary business after dark. ... Manufacturers put records inside protective and decorative cardboard jackets and an inner paper sleeve to protect the grooves from dust and scratches. ...

Origins

Like all such musical genres, defining a single point of its development is difficult, as many elements of disco music appear on earlier records (such as the 1971 theme from the movie Shaft by Isaac Hayes) (Jones and Kantonen, 1999). In general it can be said that first true disco songs were released in 1973, however, many consider Manu Dibango's 1972 "Soul Makossa" the first disco record (Jones and Kantonen, 1999). Initially, most disco songs catered to a nightclub/dancing audience only, rather than general audiences such as radio listeners, but there are many aspects proving opposite tendencies as well; Popular radio-hits were being played in discothèques, as long as they had an easy to follow rhythmic base-pattern close to 120 BPM (beats per minute). Celebrate the Century stamp: Disco Music (1999) http://www. ... 1971 is a common year starting on Friday (click for link to calendar). ... Shaft is a 1971 blaxploitation film which tells the story of a detective, John Shaft, who travels through Harlem, and to the Italian mob in order to find the missing daughter of a black mobster. ... Isaac Hayes Isaac Hayes (born August 20, 1942) is an influential soul singer. ... 1973 was a common year starting on Monday. ... Manu Dibango (born December 12, 1933) is a Cameroonian saxophonist and vibraphone player. ... A contemporary dancer rehearsing in a dance studio Dance generally refers to human movement either used as a form of expression or presented in a social, spiritual or performance setting. ...

Musical influences include funk, soul music, and salsa and the Latin or Hispanic musics which influenced salsa. Funk is a distinct style of music originated by African-Americans, e. ... For other uses, see Soul music (disambiguation). ... Salsa music is a diverse and predominantly Caribbean rhythm that is popular in many Latino countries. ...

Social trends that contributed to disco music include the surpassing of white people by racial and ethnic minorities, black and Hispanic people, in the purchasing of records and sound equipment, the increased independence of women in finance and leisure, gay liberation, and the sexual revolution. (Jones and Kantonen, 1999)

Brenton Monroe Wilson once used the term "DISCO" as an alternate meaning of cool.

Influential soul or funk records that influenced disco include:

• Sly and the Family Stone - "Dance to the Music" (1968), "Everyday People" (1968) (Jones and Kantonen, 1999)
• Stevie Wonder - "Yester-Me, Yester-You, Yesterday" (1969), "Superstition" (1972) (ibid)
• Incredible Bongo Band - "Bongo Rock" (1973) (ibid)
• Average White Band - "Pick Up the Pieces" (1974), "Cut the Cake" (1975) (ibid)
• James Brown - "Get Up Off of That Thing" (1975)

Philadelphia International Records defined Philly soul and help define disco (ibid) with records such as: Sly & The Family Stone, circa 1969. ... Dance to the Music is a 1968 hit single by the influential soul/ rock/ funk band Sly & the Family Stone for the Epic/ CBS Records label. ... Everyday People is the title of a 1968 song by the soul/rock/funk band Sly & the Family Stone. ... Stevie Wonder is a legend in rock and pop music history. ... The Average White Band (also AWB) is a Scottish funk and R&B band. ... James Brown is the name of several notable people: James Brown, soul and funk singer and bandleader, born 1933 James Brown, American TV personality, born 1955 James Brown, U.S. Senator from Louisiana (1766-1835) James Brown, British music journalist and magazine editor Jim Brown, né James Nathaniel Brown, American... Philadelphia International Records is a record label founded by Kenny Gamble and Leon Huff in 1971. ... For the American indoor football team, see Philadelphia Soul. ...

• Three Degrees - "When Will I See You Again" (1974) (ibid)
• Intruders - "I'll Always Love My Mama" (1973) (ibid)
• O'Jays - "I Love Music" (1975), "Love Train" (1972) (ibid)
• MFSB - "TSOP (The Sound of Philadelphia)" (1974) (ibid)

Pre/Early-disco TK Records tracks: Three Degrees is also a computer application The Three Degrees were an American all woman soul music group of the 1970s, fronted by Sheila Ferguson. ... The Intruders were a Philadelphia soul musical act, most popular during the 1970s. ... The OJays were a 1970s Philadelphia soul group, originally consisting of Walter Williams, Bill Isles, Bobby Massey, William Powell and Eddie Levert. ... MFSB (short for Mother, Father, Sister, Brother) were a loose conglomeration of studio musicians who provided backing tracks for dozens of seminal Philadelphia soul recordings in the 1970s, and later released successful songs and albums as a standalone recording act. ... TSOP (The Sound of Philadelphia) is a 1974 hit single by MFSB for the Philadelphia International label, which features vocals by The Three Degrees. ... TK Records was one of the record labels started by Henry Stone. ...

• Betty Wright - "Clean Up Woman" (1972) (ibid)
• George McCrae- "Rock Your Baby" (1974) (ibid)
• KC and the Sunshine Band - "Get Down Tonight" (1975) (ibid)
• KC and the Sunshine Band - "That's the Way (I Like It)" (1975) (ibid)

Early disco hits include: Betty Wright (born December 21, 1953) is a soul and R&B singer born in Miami, Florida. ... KC and the Sunshine Band is an American musical group. ... KC and the Sunshine Band is an American musical group. ...

• Harold Melvin & the Blue Notes - "The Love I Lost" (1973)
• Love Unlimited Orchestra - "Love's Theme" (1973) (ibid)
• The Jackson 5- "Dancing Machine" (ibid)
• Barry White - "Can't Get Enough of Your Love, Babe" (1974) (ibid)
• Shirley and Co. - "Shame, Shame, Shame" (1974) (ibid)
• Hues Corporation - "Rock the Boat" (1974) (ibid)
• LaBelle - "Lady Marmalade" (containing the lyric: "Voulez-vous coucher avec moi?") (1975) (ibid)
• Van McCoy - "The Hustle" (1975) (ibid)
• Silver Convention - "Fly Robin Fly" (1975)
• Andrea True- "More More More" (1975) (ibid)
• Dalida- "J'Attendrai" (the first french disco song and first hit in Europe) (1975) (ibid)

Harold Melvin & the Blue Notes were one of the most popular Philly soul groups of the 1970s. ... Barry White ( September 12, 1944 - July 4, 2003) was an American record producer and singer responsible for the creation of numerous hit soul and disco songs. ... The cover to the Jackson 5s first LP, Diana Ross Presents the Jackson 5, released on Motown Records in 1969. ... Barry White Barry White (September 12, 1944 – July 4, 2003) was an American record producer and singer responsible for the creation of numerous hit soul and disco songs. ... Labelle is a common family name in Québec, Canada. ... Voulez-vous coucher avec moi ce soir? is a French phrase. ... Left to right: Ramona Wulf, Penny McLean and Linda G. Thompson Silver Convention was a German disco recording act of the 1970s. ... Andrea True Andrea True (born July 26, 1943 in Nashville, Tennessee) is a former porn film star who was also a disco era singer. ... Dalida as shown on a French stamp issued in 2001 Dalida (January 17, 1933 - May 3, 1987) was an Egyptian-born singer, of Italian origin, making her career in France. ...

Popularity

1975 was the year when disco really took off, with hit songs like Van McCoy's "The Hustle" and Donna Summer's "Love To Love You Baby" reaching the mainstream. 1975 also marked the release of the first disco mix on album, the A side of Gloria Gaynor's Never Can Say Goodbye (Jones and Kantonen, 1999). Disco's popularity peaked in the so-called Disco era of 1977 - 1980, driven in part by the late-1977 film Saturday Night Fever. Disco also gave rise to an increased popularity of line dancing and other partly pre-choreographed dances; many line dances can be seen in films such as Saturday Night Fever, which also features the Hustle. 1975 was a common year starting on Wednesday (the link is to a full 1975 calendar). ... Donna Summer on the cover of her 1993 collection The Donna Summer Anthology Donna Summer (born LaDonna Andrea Gaines on December 31, 1948) is an American pop music singer best known for a string of disco music hits in the 1970s that earned her the title Queen of Disco. Summer... Gloria Gaynor (real name Gloria Fowles, born September 7, 1949) is a U.S. singer best-known for the disco hit songs I Will Survive (1979) and Never Can Say Goodbye (1973). ... Discothèque redirects here. ... 1977 was a common year starting on Saturday (the link is to a full 1977 calendar). ... 1980 is a leap year starting on Tuesday. ... 1977 was a common year starting on Saturday (the link is to a full 1977 calendar). ... Saturday Night Fever is a 1977 movie starring John Travolta based around New York discotheques of the disco era period, the associated music and dancing, and the subculture surrounding such. ... Line dance is a formation dance where a group of people stand in a line or in lines, and they all execute the same dance moves. ... The Hustle is a disco or nightclub partner social dance that was extremely popular in the 1970s. ...

In 1975, the pop star Dalida was the first to make disco music in France with her song "J'attendrai" that was a big hit there as well as in Canada and Japan in 1976. She also released many other disco hits between 1975 and 1981, including "Monday, Tuesday... Laissez-moi danser" in 1979, translated the same year as "Let Me Dance Tonight" for the USA, where she was their "French diva" since her late-1978 performance at the Carnegie Hall). Soon after Dalida's pioneering French disco work, other French artists recorded disco: Claude François, in 1976 with his song "Cette année-là" (a cover of The Four Seasons' disco hit "December 1963 (Oh what a night)"), then the famous "yé-yé" French pop singer Sheila, with her group B. Devotion, who had a hit even in the USA (and that was rare for French artists) with the song "Spacer" in 1979-1980. Many other European artists also recorded disco music. 1975 was a common year starting on Wednesday (the link is to a full 1975 calendar). ... Dalida as shown on a French stamp issued in 2001 Dalida (January 17, 1933 - May 3, 1987) was an Egyptian-born singer, of Italian origin, making her career in France. ... 1976 is a leap year starting on Thursday (link will take you to calendar). ... 1975 was a common year starting on Wednesday (the link is to a full 1975 calendar). ... 1981 is a common year starting on Thursday of the Gregorian calendar. ... 1979 is a common year starting on Monday. ... 1978 was a common year starting on Sunday (the link is to a full 1978 calendar). ... Carnegie Hall is a concert venue in Manhattan, New York City. ... Dalida as shown on a French stamp issued in 2001 Dalida (January 17, 1933 - May 3, 1987) was an Egyptian-born singer, of Italian origin, making her career in France. ... Claude François Claude François, born February 1, 1939 in Ismaïlia, Egypt; died March 11, 1978 in Paris, France, was a pop music singer. ... 1976 is a leap year starting on Thursday (link will take you to calendar). ... The Four Seasons can refer to: The annual cycle of the astronomical, geographic, and climatic phenomenon of season The Four Seasons, a singing group led by Frankie Valli; The Four Seasons, the collective name for four violin concertos by Antonio Vivaldi; The Four Seasons, the collective name for four tangos... Definition 1: Sheila is the stage name of a French pop singer whose real name is Annie Chancel (she is not related to Jacques Chancel, the TV host). ... B. Devotion was a dance group which accompanied Sheila during her disco comeback. ... 1979 is a common year starting on Monday. ... 1980 is a leap year starting on Tuesday. ...

Popular disco artists

Among the most popular disco artists of the 1970s were ABBA, The Bee Gees, Chic, Sister Sledge, The Jacksons, Donna Summer, Grace Jones, Stephanie Mills, Sylvester, Gloria Gaynor, Boney M, The Village People, K.C. and the Sunshine Band, Vicki Sue Robinson, MFSB, Loleatta Holloway, France Joli, Evelyn 'Champagne' King, Yvonne Elliman, Tavares, Salsoul Orchestra, Phyllis Hyman, The Emotions, Thelma Houston, Cheryl Lynn, Taana Gardner, The Trammps, Barry White, Silver Convention, and Dalida. However, many disco fans would agree that "for every chart hit pounded into the public's consciousness, fifty far superior tracks from all over the world were being played at some hard-to-find basement club" (Jones and Kantonen, 1999). Many non-disco artists, which included The Eagles, The Rolling Stones, The Clash, KISS, The Grateful Dead, Dolly Parton, Cher, Aretha Franklin, Cheap Trick, Isaac Hayes, David Bowie, Leif Garrett, Toto, Chaka Khan, Chicago, Electric Light Orchestra, The Pointer Sisters, Dusty Springfield, Frankie Avalon, Elton John, James Brown, Barry Manilow, Bette Midler, Prince, Carly Simon, Diana Ross, Olivia Newton-John, Earth, Wind and Fire, Rod Stewart, and many more discofied some of their songs. Even Queen attempted to emulate the bass guitar riffs of Chic in their hit Another One Bites The Dust. Blondie disappointed many of their existing New Wave fan base (including R.E.M.'s Michael Stipe) by releasing songs such as "Heart of Glass", though Debbie Harry and her band picked up an even larger fan base as a result. ABBA on the cover of their album The Definitive Collection (2001) ABBA were a Swedish pop music group; the most successful to date from that country. ... The Bee Gees: Maurice, Barry and Robin The Bee Gees were a British and Australian band, originally a pop singer-songwriter combination, reborn as funk and disco. ... Chic is an American band that was formed in 1975/76 by guitarist Nile Rodgers and bassist Bernard Edwards. ... Sister Sledge is an American musical group formed in 1972 and consisting of four singers, all of whom are sisters: Kim, Debbie, Joni, and Kathy Sledge. ... The cover to the Jackson 5s first LP, Diana Ross Presents the Jackson 5, released on Motown Records in 1969. ... Donna Summer on the cover of her 1993 collection The Donna Summer Anthology Donna Summer (born LaDonna Andrea Gaines on December 31, 1948) is an American pop music singer best known for a string of disco music hits in the 1970s that earned her the title Queen of Disco. Summer... Grace Jones (May 19, 1952) born Grace Mendoza, in Spanish Town, Kingston, Jamaica; 1948 and 1954 have also been listed as her year of birth) is a model, singer and actress. ... Stephanie Mills (born March 22, 1957 in Harlem, New York) is an African American R&B and soul singer and former Broadway star. ... Sylvester as a single name can refer to: Pope Sylvester I Pope Sylvester II Antipope Sylvester III Sylvester the cat Sylvester James, disco performer Sylvester is also the name of several places: Sylvester, Georgia Sylvester, West Virginia Sylvester, Wisconsin This is a disambiguation page — a navigational aid which lists other... Gloria Gaynor (real name Gloria Fowles, born September 7, 1949) is a U.S. singer best-known for the disco hit songs I Will Survive (1979) and Never Can Say Goodbye (1973). ... Boney M Boney M is a Eurodance and disco group, which was phenomenally successful during the 1970s. ... Village People were a disco band of the late 1970s. ... KC and the Sunshine Band is an American musical group. ... Vicki Sue Robinson (May 31, 1954 - April 27, 2000) was a US singer, most closely associated with the disco era of late 1970s pop music. ... MFSB (short for Mother, Father, Sister, Brother) were a loose conglomeration of studio musicians who provided backing tracks for dozens of seminal Philadelphia soul recordings in the 1970s, and later released successful songs and albums as a standalone recording act. ... France Joli is a French-Canadian singer, most known for disco hits. ... Yvonne Elliman album cover photo c. ... Tavares is a soul music supergroup comprised of five brothers from New Bedford, Massachusetts: Ralph, Tiny, Chubby, Butch and Pooch Tavares. ... Phyllis Hyman (6 July 1949 - 30 July 1995) was a soul artist. ... The Emotions were an all-female soul, disco, and R&B singing group that was most successful during the late- 1970s and 1980s. ... Thelma Houston Thelma Houston (born May 7, 1946) is a African-American R&B singer. ... The Trammps, based in Philadelphia, were one of the first disco bands. ... Barry White Barry White (September 12, 1944 – July 4, 2003) was an American record producer and singer responsible for the creation of numerous hit soul and disco songs. ... Left to right: Ramona Wulf, Penny McLean and Linda G. Thompson Silver Convention was a German disco recording act of the 1970s. ... Dalida as shown on a French stamp issued in 2001 Dalida (January 17, 1933 - May 3, 1987) was an Egyptian-born singer, of Italian origin, making her career in France. ... This article is about the country rock group called The Eagles. ... For other uses, see Rolling Stones (disambiguation) The Rolling Stones in 1964 The Rolling Stones are a British rock and roll band who rose to prominence during the mid-1960s. ... The Clash was a British punk rock group that existed from 1976 to 1985. ... The original line-up of KISS; from left to right, Gene Simmons, Ace Frehley, Paul Stanley and Peter Criss. ... Jerry Garcia later in life The Grateful Dead was an American rock band, which was formed in 1965 in San Francisco from the remnants of another band, Mother McCrees Uptown Jug Champions. ... Dolly Parton (born January 19, 1946) is an American country singer, songwriter and actress. ... Cher on the cover of her album Living Proof Cher (born Cherilyn Sarkisian on May 20, 1946) is an American actress and singer. ... Aretha Franklin Aretha Franklin (born March 25, 1942) is a gospel, soul and R&B singer born in Memphis, Tennessee. ... Cheap Trick is an American rock and roll band from Rockford, Illinois that gained popularity in the late 1970s. ... Isaac Hayes Isaac Hayes (born August 20, 1942) is an influential soul singer. ... David Bowie David Robert Jones (born January 8, 1947), better known as David Bowie, is a British rock and roll musician, actor, and artist who has had a profound influence on rock and roll from the 1960s to the present. ... Leif Garrett (born November 8, 1961) was an American singer and teen idol, born in Hollywood, California. ... Toto has several meanings: Toto was the name of Dorothy Gales dog in The Wonderful Wizard of Oz, played in the movie by Terry, a Cairn Terrier whose name was later changed to Toto. Totò was an Italian actor. ... Album cover of What Cha Gonna do for Me? Chaka Khan (born March 23, 1953) is the stage name of the American singer Yvette Marie Stevens. ... Chicago (officially named the City of Chicago) is the third largest city in the United States (after New York City and Los Angeles), with an official population of 2,896,016, as of the 2000 census. ... Electric Light Orchestra (ELO) was a successful Birmingham rock music group of the 1970s and 1980s. ... The Pointer Sisters was an American vocal group and recording act that achieved great success during the 1970s and 1980s. ... Dusty Springfield Dusty Springfield (April 16, 1939 – March 2, 1999) was a British singer, regarded by many as one of the finest white soul singers of all time. ... Francis Thomas Avallone (born September 18, 1939 in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania) was an actor and teen idol in the 1950s and early 1960s. ... Elton John Sir Elton Hercules John, CBE, is a highly successful British pop singer, pianist, and songwriter. ... James Brown, known variously as Soul Brother Number One, the Godfather of Soul, Mr. ... Barry Manilow in 1975 Barry Manilow in 1987 Barry Manilow in 1990 Barry Manilow in 2004 doing a MJ imitation during Copacabana Barry Manilow (born Barry Alan Pincus in Brooklyn, New York on June 17, 1943) is an American singer and songwriter. ... Bette Midler (born December 1, 1945) is a singer, actress and comedian. ... A prince (from the Latin princeps) is a male member of royalty or a royal family. ... Carly Elisabeth Simon (born June 25, 1945 in New York City) is an American musician who emerged as one of the leading lights of the early 1970s singer-songwriter boom. ... Diana Ross on the cover of her collection Diana Ross: The Ultimate Collection Diana Ross (born Diane Ernestine Earle Ross [1] on March 26, 1944 in Detroit, Michigan) is an African-American soul, R&B and pop singer and actress. ... Olivia Newton-John (born September 26, 1948) is a British-born Australian singer and actress. ... Earth, Wind & Fire was a legendary American funk band, formed in Chicago in 1969. ... Roderick David Stewart Roderick David Stewart (born January 10, 1945) is a British singer of Scottish descent. ... Queen is a British rock band which was popular in the 1970s and 1980s. ... Written by bassist John Deacon, Another One Bites The Dust is a funk-oriented rock song from the British group Queen. ... Blondie is a rock band that first gained fame in the 1970s and early 1980s. ... The term New Wave has been used to describe several movements in art. ... Michael Stipe (actual name John Michael Stipe, born January 4, 1960 in Decatur, Georgia) is the lead singer and frontman of rock band R.E.M. Stipe has become well-known (and occasionally parodied) for his mumbling style and complex, surreal lyrics, as well as his social and political activism. ... Debbie Harry on the cover of her collection Most of All: Best Of Deborah Harry (born July 1, 1945) is a Miami-born American rock and roll musician who originally gained fame as the frontwoman for New Wave band Blondie, which originated in the late 1970s and achieved commercial success...

Many disco novelty songs sold well and were popular. Rick Dees, at the time a radio DJ in Memphis, Tennessee, recorded what is considered to be one of the most popular parodies of all time, Disco Duck. Stars on 45 were the handiwork of Jaap Eggermont, a former rock drummer and producer. The series included remakes of songs by Stevie Wonder, The Beatles, The Rolling Stones, and many others mixed together over an unwavering bass beat. Rick Dees is a radio disc jockey who currently lives in the San Fernando Valley area, near Los Angeles, California, USA. Dees is best known for his syndicated radio show Rick Dees Weekly Top 40 and for the song Disco Duck. Dees was born Rigdon Osmond Dees on March 14... City nickname: The River City or The Bluff City Location in the state of Tennessee County Shelby County, Tennessee Area  - Total  - Water 763. ... Disco Duck was a satirical disco hit performed by Rick Dees and His Cast of Idiots and released in 1976. ... Stars on 45 were a Dutch novelty pop act that was briefly very popular in the UK, Europe and the US in the very early 1980s. ... Stevie Wonder is a legend in rock and pop music history. ... The Beatles (L-R, Paul McCartney, George Harrison, Ringo Starr, John Lennon), in 1964, performing on The Ed Sullivan Show during their first United States tour, promoting their first U.S. hit song, I Want To Hold Your Hand. ... For other uses, see Rolling Stones (disambiguation) The Rolling Stones in 1964 The Rolling Stones are a British rock and roll band who rose to prominence during the mid-1960s. ...

Veteran entertainers such as Ethel Merman, Barbra Streisand, Liza Minnelli, Mae West, Eartha Kitt, and Frank Sinatra jumped on the disco bandwagon just for publicity purposes. Drag queens Divine and Dame Edna Everage also recorded parody disco songs. Their efforts were only moderate. Ethel Merman (January 16, 1908 - February 15, 1984) was a star of stage and film musicals, well known for her strident voice and comic acting. ... Barbra Streisand Barbra Streisand (born April 24, 1942) is an iconic American singer and film actress, producer, and director. ... Liza May Minnelli (born March 12, 1946 in Los Angeles, California) is an American actress and singer. ... MAE-West is a major Internet peering point located in San Jose, California. ... Eartha Kitt, photographed by Carl Van Vechten, 1952 Eartha Mae Kitt, born January 17, 1927, is an actress and singer. ... Frank Sinatra in 1947 Francis Albert Sinatra (December 12, 1915 – May 14, 1998) was an American singer who is considered one of the finest vocalists of all time, renowned for his impeccable phrasing and timing. ... DONT STOP MOVIN Dont Stop Movin is a song which has been under two legions twice in the past 10 years, first in 1996 when Livin Joy had a hit with a song under the moniker. ... Dame Edna Everage is a character played by Barry Humphries. ...

DJs and Producers

Disco music diverged from the self-composed and performed rock of the 1960s, seeing a return (though not universally) to the influence of producers who hired session musicians to produce hits for different artists whose role was purely to sing and market the songs. This may explain some rock critics vitrolic hate of disco, as it lacks the same "cred". Top disco music producers/mixers included Patrick Adams, Biddu, Cerrone, Alec R. Costandinos, Patrick Cowley, Gregg Diamond, Bernard Edwards, Rick Gianatos, Quincy Jones, François Kevorkian, Meco Monardo, Giorgio Moroder, Tom Moulton, Kenton Nix, Boris Midney, Vincent Montana Jr, Bobby Orlando, Rinder and Lewis, Nile Rodgers, Gino Soccio and Michael Zager. However, what was seen by some rock critics and fans as a loss of authenticity and credibility may have marked not a return to producer driven music, but a return to listener driven music, as fans participated through dancing. Events and trends The 1960s was a turbulent decade of change around the world. ... Credibility is the believability of a statement, action, or source, and the ability of the observer to believe the above. ... Biddu, a music producer, worked with popular English-language disco and funk artists like Tina Charles (I Love to Love, 1976) and Carl Douglas (Kung Fu Fighting, 1974) during the 1970s. ... Cerrone (full name: Jean-Marc Cerrone) is a French singer and music producer born in Paris, and one of the best representatives of the European Disco. ... Patrick J Cowley (b October 19, 1950 Buffalo, New York - d November 12, 1982 San Francisco, California) Disco and Hi-NRG dance music composer and recording artist. ... Gregg Diamond (1949 - March 14, 1999) was a pianist, drummer, songwriter, and producer who was active in the jazz and disco music scenes of the 1970s. ... Bernard Edwards(1953-1996) born in Greenville, North Carolina was a bass player and producer, both as a member of Japan after complaining of stomach pain. ... Quincy Jones (born March 14, 1933 in Chicago, Illinois) is an American record, television and film producer, musician and songwriter. ... François Kevorkian, alias François K, (born January 10, 1954) is a French-born US DJ, remixer, producer and record label owner. ... Giorgio Moroder Giorgio Moroder (born April 26, 1940 in Ortisei, (Urtijëi in Ladin, St. ... Bobby Orlando, also known as Bobby O and known by his pseudo Orbob, is a New York based dance music artist and record producer. ... Nile Rodgers (born September 19, 1952) is a prolific guitarist and music producer. ...

Outside the recording industry proper many DJs, most of whom also eventually worked in studios as producers or mixers, were hugely influential. Records sales were often dependent, though not guaranteed by, floor play in clubs. Notable DJs include Jim Burgess, Walter Gibbons, Francis Grasso (Sanctuary), Larry Levan (Paradise Garage), Ian Levine (Heaven), David Mancuso (The Loft), and Tom Moulton. Francis Grasso is an American disc jockey from New York City, best known for inventing the technique of beatmatching which is the foundation of the modern club djs technique. ... Larry Levan stands at the crossroads of disco, house music and garage music. ... Ian Levine is a British songwriter and producer, a veteran of the music industry since the 1960s. ...

Backlash

Mainstream American popular culture briefly embraced disco. The popularity of the film Saturday Night Fever prompted the major record labels to mass-produce hits, turning the (largely European and largely Gay-influenced) genre from something vital and edgy into a safe "product" homogenized for the mass audience. Disco music had several years of popularity but the novelty faded and the public lost its taste for the genre.

Meanwhile, the original gay, black and euro artists continued to produce hits for dance clubs. Anti-disco sentiment was marked by an impatient return to rock (loudly encouraged by worried rock radio stations). The public seemed suddenly embarrassed by its brief flirtation with gay and black culture. Disco music and dancing fads were depicted as not only silly (witness Frank Zappa's satirical song "Dancin' Fool"), but effeminate. Frank Vincent Zappa (December 21, 1940 – December 4, 1993) was an American rock/jazz fusion musician, composer, and satirist. ... Sheik Yerbouti is a double vinyl live album by Frank Zappa featuring material recorded in 1977 and 1978, released on March 3, 1979 (see 1979 in music) and re-issued on May 9, 1995 (see 1995 in music). ... Effeminacy is character trait of a male showing femininity, unmanliness, womanliness, weakness, softness and/or a delicacy, which contradicts traditional masculine, male gender roles. ...

In Britain, however, during the same year as the first American anti-disco demonstrations, see below, The Young Nationalist publication of the British National Party reported that "disco and its melting pot pseudo-philosophy must be fought or Britain's streets will be full of black-worshipping soul boys," though this had been true for twenty years with many white male English teens considering themselves "soul freaks". Discothèque redirects here. ... The British National Party (BNP) is the largest political party of the far-right in the United Kingdom. ...

Disco's core audience

As the minority audiences that originally created and consumed disco watched its appropriation into the mainstream many of them changed their interests and affiliations to other forms of dance music, sometimes simply disco with a new name.

Rock vs Disco

Strong disapproval of disco among some rock fans, who perceived rock as more serious and valuable, existed throughout the disco era, growing as disco's influence grew, such that the expression "Disco Sucks" was common by the late 1970s. See suction for the meaning of sucking (e. ...

In 1979, Chicago rock deejay Steve Dahl, staged a promotional event with an anti-disco theme, "Disco Demolition Night", between games at a White Sox doubleheader. The event involved exploding disco records with a bomb, and ended in a near-riot. The second game of the doubleheader had to be forfeited. 1979 is a common year starting on Monday. ... Disco Demolition Night occurred on July 12, 1979 at Comiskey Park during a doubleheader between the Chicago White Sox and Detroit Tigers. ... Disco Demolition Night occurred on July 12, 1979 at Comiskey Park during a doubleheader between the Chicago White Sox and Detroit Tigers. ... Chicago White Sox American League AAA Charlotte Knights AA Birmingham Barons A Winston-Salem Warthogs Kannapolis Intimidators R Bristol White Sox Great Falls White Sox The Chicago White Sox are a Major League Baseball team based in Chicago, Illinois. ...

Descendents, influence, and revival

In the early 1980s, George Benson, Patrice Rushen, Brothers Johnson, Commodores, The S.O.S. Band, and many other artists created disco classics. After 1980, however, disco music morphed into other forms, including house and Hi-NRG. Events and trends The 1980s marked an abrupt shift towards more conservative lifestyles after the momentous cultural revolutions which took place in the 1960s and 1970s and the definition of the AIDS virus in 1981. ... George Benson (born March 22, 1943) jazz guitarist, singer and composer. ... Album cover of Straight from the Heart Patrice Rushen (born September 30, 1954 in Los Angeles, California) is an American R&B singer, songwriter, composer, and pianist. ... The Brothers Johnson is a band consisting of the musicians George Johnson (Lightnin Licks) and Louis Johnson (Thunder Thumbs). After touring with various artists like Bobby Womack and Billy Preston, Quincy Jones hired them for a tour in Japan and produced their debut LP Look out for Number 1, released... The Commodores was a highly successful soul/funk band in the 1970s. ... The SOS Band is an American musical ensemble, founded in Atlanta, Georgia in 1977. ... 1980 is a leap year starting on Tuesday. ... House music refers to a collection of styles of electronic dance music, the earliest forms beginning in the early- to mid- 1980s. ... Hi-NRG is a type of electronic dance music popular in nightclubs in the early 1980s. ...

In the 1990s a revival of the original disco style began and is exemplified by such songs as "Spend Some Time" by Brand New Heavies (1994), "Cosmic Girl" by Jamiroquai (1996), "Never Give Up on the Good Times" by The Spice Girls (1997), and "Strong Enough" by Cher (1998) who had also released disco songs in the seventies. Events and trends Technology Explosive growth of the Internet; decrease in the cost of computers and other technology Reduction in size and cost of mobile phones leads to a massive surge in their popularity Year 2000 problem (commonly known as Y2K) Microsoft Windows operating system becomes virtually ubiquitous on IBM... The Brand New Heavies are an acid jazz and alternative hip hop group formed in 1985 in Ealing, a suburb of London, England. ... Jay Kay (Image from Little L Videoclip) Jamiroquai is a British band led by lead singer Jay Kay (short for Jason Kay) and backed by bass and guitar players, drummers, and keyboardists. ... The Spice Girls were a British vocal girl band. ... Cher on the cover of her album Living Proof Cher (born Cherilyn Sarkisian on May 20, 1946) is an American actress and singer. ...

During the first half of the 2000s, there were disco releases by a number of artists including "Spinning Around" by Kylie Minogue (2000), "I Don't Understand It" by Ultra Nate (2001), "Love Foolosophy" by Jamiroquai (2001), "Murder on the Dancefloor" by Sophie Ellis-Bextor (2001), and "Love Invincible" by Michael Franti and Spearhead (2003). Major controversy over U.S. presidential election, 2000 September 11, 2001 Terrorist Attack on New Yorks World Trade Center and Virginias Pentagon killing over 3000 people. ... Kylie Minogue in the music video for Slow (2003) Kylie Ann Minogue (pronounced: , to rhyme with vogue) (born May 28, 1968) is an Australian singer and actress. ... Ultra Nate (originally from Baltimore) is a popular American house musician who is best known in her home country for her monsterous 1990s dance crossover smash, Free, which features the memorable chorus cause youre free/ to do what you want to do/ youve got to live your life... Jay Kay (Image from Little L Videoclip) Jamiroquai is a British band led by lead singer Jay Kay (short for Jason Kay) and backed by bass and guitar players, drummers, and keyboardists. ... Sophie Ellis-Bextor (born 10 April 1979) is a British singer. ...

Instrumentation

Instruments commonly used by disco musicians included the rhythm guitar, bass, strings (violin, viola, cello), string synth (a type of organ), trumpet, saxophone, trombone, piano, and drums (sometimes using an auxiliary percussionist as well as somebody on a drum kit). Most disco songs have a steady four-on-the-floor beat (sometimes using a 16-beat pattern on the hi-hat cymbal, or an eight-beat pattern with an open hi-hat on the "off" beat) and a heavy, syncopated bassline. Disco also had a characteristic electric guitar sound, usually from the heavy use of the wah-wah pedal. The classical guitar typically has 3 nylon and 3 nickel-wound strings. ... Fender Precision Bass Bass Guitar is a commonly spoken phrase used to refer to the electric bass and horizontal acoustic basses, a stringed instrument similar in design to the electric guitar, but larger in size, commonly fretted and sometimes fretless and with a lower range. ... The violin is a stringed musical instrument that has four strings tuned a perfect fifth apart. ... The viola is a stringed musical instrument which serves as the middle voice of the violin family, between the upper lines played by the violin and the lower lines played by the cello and double bass. ... A cropped image to show the relative size of a cello to a human (Uncropped Version) The cello (also violoncello or cello) is a stringed instrument and a member of the violin family. ... A classic FM synthesizer, the Yamaha DX7. ... Trumpeter performing with the United States Air Forces in Europe Band The trumpet is the highest brass instrument in register, above the tuba, euphonium, trombone, sousaphone, and french horn. ... Saxophones of different sizes play in different registers. ... The trombone is a musical instrument in the brass family. ... This article is about the modern musical instrument. ... A drum kit (or drum set or trap set - the latter an old-fashioned term) is a collection of drums, cymbals and other percussion instruments arranged for convenient playing by a sole percussionist (drummer), usually for jazz, rock, or other types of contemporary music. ... The hi-hat stand has changed little since its invention. ... An electric guitar is a type of guitar with a solid or semi-solid body that utilizes electromagnetic pickups to convert the vibration of the steel-cored strings into electrical current. ... Wah-wah is an imitative word for the sound of bending or altering musical notes to improve expressiveness, sounding much like a human voice saying the syllable wah for each note. ...

Generally, the difference between a disco, or any dance song, and a rock or popular song is that in dance music the bass hits "four to the floor", at least once a beat (which in 4/4 time is 4 beats per measure), while in rock the bass hits on one and three and lets the snare take the lead on two and four. (Michaels, 1990) Disco is further characterized by a sixteenth note division of the quarter notes established by the bass as shown in the second drum pattern below, after a typical rock drum pattern: Dance music is music composed, played, or both, specifically to accompany social dancing. ...

Download high resolution version (878x115, 4 KB)Characteristic rock and disco drum patterns Created by Hyacinth using Sibelius and Paint. ...

This sixteenth note pattern is often supported by other instruments, and may be implied rather than explicitly present, often involving syncopation. As a simpler example, bass lines often use the following rhythm: In music, syncopation is the stressing of a normally unstressed beat in a bar or the failure to sound a tone on an accented beat. ...

Download high resolution version (858x111, 3 KB)Characteristic disco bass rhythm. ...

Format

Initially singles were released on 7-inch 45-rpm records, 45s, which were shorter in length and of poorer sound quality than 12-inch singles. Tamla Motown was the first to market these through their Eye Cue label, but these and other 12-inch singles were the length of the original 45s until Scepter/Wand released the first 12-inch extended version single in 1975: Jesse Green's "Nice and Slow" b/w Sweet Music's "I Get Lifted" (engineered by Tom Moulton). The single was packaged in collectable picture sleeves, a relatively new concept at the time. 12-inch singles became commercially available after the first crossover, Tavares' "Heaven Must Be Missing an Angel." 12-inch singles allowed longer dance time and formal possibilities. (Jones and Kantonen, 1999) Alternate meanings: Single In music, a single is a short (usually ten minutes or less) record, usually featuring one or two tracks as A-sides, often accompanied by several B-sides—usually remixes or other songs. ... 45 is the natural number following 44 and followed by 46. ... rpm or RPM may mean: revolutions per minute RPM Package Manager (originally called Red Hat Package Manager) RPM (movie) RPM (band), a Brazilian rock band RPM (magazine), a former Canadian music industry magazine In firearms, Rounds Per Minute: how many shots an automatic weapon can fire in one minute On... (Redirected from 12 inch single) The 12-inch single gramophone record gained popularity with the advent of disco music in the 1970s. ... Tavares is a soul music supergroup comprised of five brothers from New Bedford, Massachusetts: Ralph, Tiny, Chubby, Butch and Pooch Tavares. ... The term musical form is used in two related ways: a generic type of composition such as the symphony or concerto the structure of a particular piece, how its parts are put together to make the whole; this too can be generic, such as binary form or sonata form Musical...

Discos

Open from about 1975 to 1980, Ones Discotheque at 111 Houston St. in NYC advertised itself as having the "world's biggest sound system". Tuesday nights were "reggae night". Studio 54 in New York is perhaps the best known of the 70s disco venues internationally. The disco song "Le Freak" by Chic includes the lines "So come on down/ To the 54/ Find a spot/ Out on the floor..." Here you will find interesting facts about Ones. ... Studio 54 was a legendary New York City disco located on West 54th Street in Manhattan. ... Chic is an American band that was formed in 1975/76 by guitarist Nile Rodgers and bassist Bernard Edwards. ...

Other notable discos:

• 12 West
• Heaven
• The Loft
• Paradise Garage

The Paradise Garage disco is a notable club in the history of modern nightclub culture. ...

Samples

• Download sample of Chic's "Good Times", a number one hit disco song from 1979.

Chic is an American band that was formed in 1975/76 by guitarist Nile Rodgers and bassist Bernard Edwards. ... 1979 is a common year starting on Monday. ...

Radio

Currently, most radio stations that play dance music or 70s-era music will play this music at some point in their playlists. A good example of this is Club Classics on Heart 106.2 in London on Friday and Saturday nights. Here, you end up with some of the songs that best illustrate the disco style as well as newer dance songs.

See also

Wikiquote quotations related to:

Disco

• List of disco artists
• Saturday Night Fever - 1977 film about New York's disco sub culture.

File links The following pages link to this file: Charles Farrar Browne Definitions of music Edmund Spenser Floccinaucinihilipilification Main Page James Cagney Plautus Rosencrantz & Guildenstern are Dead Thomas J. Watson William Penn Pericles Hyman G. Rickover Julian of Norwich Wikipedia:About Eric Gill Main Page/Temp Virginia Satir Raymond Williams... Wikiquote is a sister project of Wikipedia, using the same MediaWiki software. ... The following lists groups or individuals primarily associated with the disco era of the 1970s and early 1980s and some of their most noteworthy disco hits. ... Saturday Night Fever is a 1977 movie starring John Travolta based around New York discotheques of the disco era period, the associated music and dancing, and the subculture surrounding such. ...

Sources

• Michaels, Mark (1990). The Billboard Book of Rock Arranging. ISBN 0823075370.
• Jones, Alan and Kantonen, Jussi (1999). Saturday Night Forever: The Story of Disco. Chicago, Illinois: A Cappella Books. ISBN 1556524110.