Disco

:"Discothèque" redirects here. For the U2 song, see Discothèque (song).

Origins

As with 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 film 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).

Related Topics:
1971 - Shaft - Isaac Hayes - 1973 - Manu Dibango - Dancing - Radio

~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~

Musical influences include funk, soul music, and salsa and the Latin or Hispanic musics which influenced salsa.

Related Topics:
Funk - Soul music - Salsa

~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~

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)

~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~

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), "Family Affair" (1971)
• Friends of Distinction - "Grazing in the Grass" (1969)
• Stevie Wonder - "Yester-Me, Yester-You, Yesterday" (1969), "Superstition" (1972) (ibid)
• Isaac Hayes - "Shaft" (1971)
• Incredible Bongo Band - "Bongo Rock" (1973) (ibid)
• Eumir Deodato - "Also Sprach Zarathustra" (1973)
• Average White Band - "Pick Up the Pieces" (1974), "Cut the Cake" (1975) (ibid)
• James Brown - "(Get Up I Feel Like Being A) Sex Machine" (1970), "Get Up Off of That Thing" (1975)

Philadelphia International Records defined Philly soul and help define disco (ibid) with records such as:

Related Topics:
Philadelphia International Records - Philly soul

~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~

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

Pre/Early-disco TK Records tracks:

~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~

• 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:

~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~

• Harold Melvin & the Blue Notes - "The Love I Lost" (1973)
• Love Unlimited Orchestra - "Love's Theme" (1973) (ibid)
• The Jackson 5- "Dancing Machine" (1974) (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)
• Commodores - "Machine Gun" (1974)
• 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 Connection- "More More More" (1976) (ibid)
• Dalida- "J'Attendrai" (the first french disco song and first hit in Europe) (1975) (ibid)