Disco: Encyclopedia II - Disco - Origins

Disco - Origins

As with all such musical genres, defining a single point of disco's 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).

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

Soul and funk records that influenced disco include:

• The Supremes - "You Keep Me Hangin' On" (1966), "Reflections" (1967)
• 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" (1968)
• Jackson 5 - "I Want You Back", "ABC", "The Love You Save", "Mama's Pearl" (1969-71)
• Stevie Wonder - "Yester-Me, Yester-You, Yesterday" (1969), "Signed, Sealed, Delivered, I'm Yours" (1970), "Superstition" (1972), "Higher Ground" (1973) (ibid)
• Diana Ross - "Ain't No Mountain High Enough" (1970)
• 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, Get Into It, Get Involved" (1971), "Get Up Off of That Thing" (1975) (ibid)

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

• The Three Degrees - "When Will I See You Again" (1973) (ibid)
• The Intruders - "I'll Always Love My Mama" (1973) (ibid)
• The O'Jays - "Love Train" (1972), "For the Love of Money" (1974), "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), "That's the Way (I Like It)" (1975), "(Shake Shake Shake) Shake Your Booty" (1976) (ibid)

Early-disco hits include:

• Harold Melvin & the Blue Notes - "The Love I Lost" (1973) (ibid)
• Love Unlimited Orchestra - "Love's Theme" (1973) (ibid)
• The Jackson 5- "Dancing Machine" (1974) (ibid)
• Barry White - "I'm Gonna Love You Just a Little More, Baby" (1973), "Can't Get Enough of Your Love, Babe" (1974), "You're the First, the Last, My Everything" (1975) (ibid)
• Shirley and Co. - "Shame, Shame, Shame" (1975) (ibid)
• Hues Corporation - "Rock the Boat" (1974) (ibid)
• The Commodores - "Machine Gun" (1974) (ibid)
• Frankie Valli - "Swearin' To God (1974)
• Dalida- "J'Attendrai" (the first French disco song and first hit in Europe) (1975) (ibid)
• LaBelle - "Lady Marmalade" (1975) (ibid)
• The Four Seasons - "Who Loves You" and "December '63 (Oh What A Night!)" (1975) (ibid)
• Silver Convention - "Fly Robin Fly" (1975), "Get Up and Boogie" (1976) (ibid)
• Andrea True Connection- "More More More" (1976) (ibid)

Adapted from the Wikipedia article "Origins", under the G.N U Free Docmentation License. Please also see http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki