4/8/2023 0 Comments Disco demolition nightIt was the unofficial theme song of The Loft, a favorite of The Paradise Garage’s famous DJ Larry Levan, and fans of FX’s POSE will remember Pray Tell insisting the song be played nonstop at the balls for weeks, because it reminded him of the simpler, carefree years before the AIDS epidemic hit the community. MFSB’s “Love is the Message” (on Gamble & Huff’s Philadelphia International) became a favorite of the early disco set. A few more layers on the instrumentation. Philly soul was soul with a kick – a little extra percussion. Philly Soul architects Kenny Gamble and Leon Huff are also credited as laying the foundation for the early disco sound. By the time “Love’s Theme” hit radio, it had already been in the clubs for about six months. That big sweeping sound he created with the 40-piece Love Unlimited Orchestra was a trademark of early disco songs. The OG Barry White’s “Love’s Theme” (which Barry composed and arranged please put some respect on his name), is considered one of the first “disco” hits. The proto-disco sounds that bridged the gap from soul to disco are largely attributed to two sources. James Brown’s bandleader Fred Wesley once called disco “funk with a bow-tie.” It was smoother and more polished than funk, but more complex than straight soul. Disco evolved from black and latin sounds funk and soul with driving rhythm and layered instrumentation and production. What we overlooked for years in disparaging convos about disco is that it was our music. These first parties also broke some of the earliest disco hits, before they were called “disco.” The drugs and free love of hippy culture carried over to the scene, but there was usually no alcohol, until 54 opened. Gay, Black, Hispanic, Latinx and some straight folks partied together all night, literally. Underground dance clubs like the Paradise Garage followed, niche community havens that served as an escape from the political and fiscal turmoil of the decade. Studio 54 cranked that exclusivity up to create the velvet rope and table service scene we know today. The Loft was the beginning of NYC disco club culture, and of the guest list-only nightspot. Mancuso’s parties were primarily meant as a safe space gay men, but attendance grew to anyone else who wanted to commune through dance. On Valentine’s Day 1970, DJ David Mancuso threw an invite-only party at his downtown loft which turned into a weekly event, and eventually one of NYC’s hottest nightspots, The Loft. The rock and roll and protest music of ‘60s counterculture gave way to something new, especially in major urban metros: dance music. The “end” of the civil rights movement with the 1968 signing of the Civil Rights Act, the Stonewall Rebellion and subsequent repeal of a NY law forbidding men to dance with each other, and the rise of the women’s liberation movement changed the social conscience first in major cities, and soon the country. In the early ‘70s, marginalized communities were gaining voice and visibility. Questlove Credits K-Ci And JoJo's "All My Life" And Shaggy's "It Wasn't Me" For Saving His Career
0 Comments
Leave a Reply. |
AuthorWrite something about yourself. No need to be fancy, just an overview. ArchivesCategories |