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The disco

Disco has changed. What has forever been defined by the glitter-ball aesthetic of Saturday Night Fever, has, slowly opened its arms to embrace a world of different musics, loosely connected by the idea, feel or groove of &#;disco&#;. Fuelled by voracious selectors and intrepid reissue labels bringing back 12&#;s from Beirut to Port Of Spain, our understanding of the genre has become all the richer.

We are not trying to re-write the canon here, simply add to it. And with a term as slippery as &#;disco&#; have set a few ground rules to help you navigate the list. First up, as the original 12&#; format, its that which we&#;re limiting ourselves to here, reluctantly excluding a wealth of incredible album-only tracks and 7&#;s that frankly warrant a round-up in their own right. Bollywood disco, a vast industry but almost exclusively released in LP format, is one such casualty.

As far as dates go, we&#;re talking exclusively here about the decade between and (although the odd track may have been penned before or released after), and are happy to include records that sail close jazz and soul at one end and RnB, funk and boogie at the other. Nu-disco or anything that could possibly fall under this category is therefore also out.

In treading a different path you may also find that a few widely acclaimed superstars have had to make way for some lesser known gems, but every time have sought to make the case for inclusion.

Dig in.

The Gap Band

Outstanding

(Total Experience Records, )

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If its influence on samplers is anything to go by, ‘Outstanding’ is a certified classic; Ice Cube, Biggie, Mary J Blidge, Madonna, Ashanti have all taken bites out of this soul boogie bomb. The instrumental is great ammunition for your disco blends.

MFSB

TSOP (The Sound Of Philadelphia) / Love Is The Message

(Philadelphia International Records, )

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Possible the biggest underground hit in NYC&#;s late ’70s disco scene, for many this is the Paradise Garage anthem. MFSB’s album by the same name &#; which also features Soul Train theme &#;T.S.O.P.’ &#; was a landmark release for the Philly soul movement. (Side note: MFSB stands for &#;Mother Father Sister Brother&#;.)

Michael Jackson

Rock With You

(Epic, )

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You can’t have a disco list without some MJ and it&#;s got to be a slice of Off The Wall. Jackson and Quicky Jones at the peak of their powers, the album has a funky undercurrent that&#;s clubby, yet plenty soulful; best captured ‘Rock With you’ whose wickedly sly groove would be imitated but never bettered for years to come.

Harari

Party

(A&M records, )

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It’s a testament to the timeless nature of this groove that you might have heard it played out in more than one places. Thank South African afro-rock outfit Harari for ‘Party’, which resonated so loudly it made the American Disco Hot in ’

Banda Black Rio

Miss Cheryl

(RCA, )

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The Carioca soul merchants roll out the horns for a 12” that does disco the only way the Brazilians know how. One of any number of contenders for this list, their ’77 debut Maria Fumaca has just been reissued on vinyl.

Peter Brown

Dance With Me / For Your Love

(Columbia, )

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&#;Dance For Me&#; may be a pretty straight forward disco soul jam, but the real fire here is on the B-side. &#;For Your Love&#; is a synth-heavy, slo-mo monster with lazy vamps and stabs to die for. Proof you don’t need to drive fast to get noticed.

Sister Sledge

He&#;s The Greatest Dancer / We Are Family

(Cotllion, )

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Written by the Edwards/Rogers dream team for the We Are Family! album, this is still one of the biggest jams out there, and one that rightly earns its place. Check out Al Foster’s ‘She’s The Greatest Dancer’ cover (sadly not on 12”) too for the leftfield vote. Name-dropping Gucci and Fiorucci, it was also incidentally one of the first tracks to feature brand names. A more dubious legacy perhaps…

Thelma Houston

You Used to Hold Me So Tight

(MCA Records, )

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This Terry Lewis and Jimmy Jam-produced track proves that the duo are right up there in R&B history. That post-disco, electric bassline, those chords, the background vocals that sound like they’ve been rewound; it clicks expertly with Houston’s sizzling pipes.

Ashford & Simpson

Found A Cure / Stay Free

(Warner Bros. Records, )

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Husband-and-wife songwriting-production team Ashford & Simpson dominated the ‘70s with their sophisticated blend of upbeat soul and righteous undercurrents. The A-Side on this 12&#; was a number 1 hit but nothing quite compares to the spectacular ‘Stay Free’. RIP Nick Ashford.

The Whispers

And The Beat Goes On

(Solar, )

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They might be called The Whispers but nothing about these gentlemen is quiet. Everyone knows ‘And The Beat Goes On’ &#; a chart topper and a Grand Theft Auto favourite &#; but don’t forget to flip it over the churning, bass-weight disco of ‘Can You Do The Boogie’

Gary’s Gang

Let&#;s Lovedance Tonight

(CBS, )

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Like the best edits, Danny Krivit’s job on ‘Let’s Lovedance Tonight’ cuts all the juiciest dance floor sections &#; that organ-heavy groove, killer breaks and a lazy sax line &#; together. Still, the original full vocal version is pretty rad and if you’ve got a double copy, you know what to do…

David Joseph

You Can&#;t Hide (Your Love From Me)

(Island, )

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A founder member of Brit funk pioneers Hi-Tension, David Joseph pursued a solo career in the ‘80s and had immediate success with ‘You Can&#;t Hide’. Larry Levan remixed the track, stripping it back and slowing it down, but this is one of those rare cases where the original tops Larry’s mix.

Guy Cuevas

Ebony Game

(Gaumont Musique, )

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This monster 12” from the Cuban-born musician straight out of the Arthur Russell school of left-field disco earned Cuevas two more bites at the cherry on Island Records, but nothing hit the fragile heights of &#;Ebony Game&#; and its wonky, cosmic chorus.

Chaka Khan

I Feel For You

(Warner Bros, )

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A track that bridged so many worlds, Chaka Khan’s Prince cover was not only a massive funk & RnB tune, but managed to doff a cap to early hip hop, and ‘70s disco in the same motion. Grandmaster Flash and Stevie Wonder feature heavily on a crossover hit that is one of the latest 12”s featured in this list.

Earth, Wind & Fire

Let’s Groove

(CBS, )

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At the peak of “Disco Sucks!” backlash, Earth, Wind & Fire battled changing waters with this wicked boogie belter. ‘Let’s Groove’ signalled a new era for the band, mixing the live soul of their 7-inch past with synthesised funk and vocoder robotics.

Cassiano

Onda

(Polydor, )

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A diggers grail, this cut from Brazilian soul legend Cassiano’s Cuban Soul 18 Kilates was part of the new wave of laid back boogie making waves a long way from the Copacabana. Simplicity personified, let the hook take you there.

Lord Shorty

Sweet Music / E-Pee-Tee

(Shorty, )

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An archetypal island disco get-down from the Trinidadian calypso and soca giant. One dug straight out of T&T by Sofrito years ago, that rightfully earns Shorty the title of both ‘the father of soca’ and ‘The Love Man’.

Luther Vandross

You&#;re The Sweetest One / She&#;s A Super Lady

(Epic, )

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By the time Luther arrived on the scene, disco was a full-blooded mainstream monster, but while &#;Never Too Much&#; will always hold a place in our hearts, pick your way through Vandross’ saccharine catalogue and you’ll find this gem, tucked away on Forever, Always, For Love. It didn’t try to change the world, but then disco didn’t always have to.

Gwen Guthrie

Seventh Heaven

(Garage Records, )

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Not immediately released as a 12”, this Larry Levan classic appeared on a Padlock mini-LP in and featured the best of the Compass Point dream team – Wally Badarou on keys and Sly & Robbie on drums and bass. Dubbed-out, downtempo bliss that took the sound to a new place completely.

The Rolling Stones

‎Miss You (Special Disco Version)

(Rolling Stones Records, )

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&#;The song &#;Miss you&#; was never meant as a disco song at all; that harmonica isn&#;t exactly disco, right?” Whatever Jagger says, clearly what was going on in the discotheques made it on to this record. The &#;Special Disco Version&#; brought the band into the club for the first time and set the blueprint for remix 12”s by pop and rock acts.

Tony Orlando

Don&#;t Let Go / Bring It On Home To Me

(Elektra, )

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A Paradise Garage classic back in the day, the man with the third-best moustache in the business dropped ‘Don’t Let Go’ on the brilliant Elektra imprint back in A guaranteed mid-tempo party starter.

Central Line

Walking Into Sunshine

(Mercury, )

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Whether you take the Larry Levan edit or not, Central Line’s start-of-the-summer jam, is another mid-tempo boogie affair with an intro worth the entry fee alone.

Marvin Gaye

A Funky Space Reincarnation / Got To Give It Up

(Motown, )

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The band sets a groove that never lets up and Marvin, with his wicked falsetto vocals, rides like a pro surfer. The very essence of cool distilled into one slab of wax, this was a direct influence on MJ’s ‘Don&#;t Stop Til You Get Enough.’

Marcia Maria

Amigo Branco

(Capitol, )

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Only ever released as a promo 12” this is one of those increasingly valuable Brazilian boogie holy grails that’s about as gorgeous an example of the MPB-meets-disco sound that has obsessed selectors across Europe and the US in recent years. Arranged by Brazilian disco don Lincoln Olivetti, whose sparring partner Robson Jorge contributes the guitar parts.

Giorgio Moroder

Chase

(Casablanca, )

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Midnight Express was Giorgio Moroder first score. Director Alan Parker wanted a song like ‘I Feel Love’ and Moroder came back with this dark, moody, throbbing instrumental. Like the Donna Summer classic, ‘Chase’ was a textbook moment in the develop of hi-NRG.

Rim & Kasa

Too Tough

(Sum Sum Records, )

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Recently reissued by BBE, rags to riches afro-disco originator Kim Kwaku Obeng taught all the musicians in his band to follow his unique James Brown-meets-highlife sound, holding a tight groove for their hypnotic riffs and in-the-pocket-solos. &#;Love Me For Real&#; is the kicker here, the bonkers vocals sounding like some kind of proto hip-hop meets gospel chorus.

George Duke

Brazilian Love Affair

(Epic, )

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The Duke could have any number of hits on this list (&#;Reach Out&#; was edged at the last), but if we’re going definitive you can’t look beyond &#;Brazilian Love Affair&#;, the coolest, funkiest 7 minutes you’re likely to hear. Impossible to categorise, the funky dancefloor gem features the touch of Brazilian legend Airto on percussion.

Tullio De Piscopo

Stop Bajon

(Bagaria, )

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The great drummer of Italo disco Tullio De Piscopo’s &#;Stop Bajon&#; was a staple at Baldelli’s Cosmic Club and has since become something of a Balearic anthem. One of the most infectious grooves in this list, and a tracks that wears Italo’s light-hearted sensibility with style.

Le Pamplemousse

Do You Have Any? (Ya Know Where I Can Get Some)

(AVI Records, )

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El Coco hand a hand in arranging Le Pamplemousse and you can hear the similarities. Mid-tempo groover ‘Do You Have Any’ is utterly addictive and kinda silly, whilst things slow down just a lil&#; on the B-Side.

Cerrone

Hooked On You

(Black Sun, )

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With that mighty, mighty Jocelyn Brown vocal, ‘Hooked On You&#; is a highlight from Cerrone’s vast and oft louche back-catalogue. A guaranteed party-starter, there’s a reason the original will set you back three digits&#;

Seawind

What Cha&#; Doin&#;

(A&M records, )

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Hawaiian disco dons Seawind didn’t just make breezy island music – although if it had been released on 12” &#;Free&#; would certainly have made the cut. Here it’s all slap bass and horn stabs on a funky MJ tip.

T-Connection

Do What You Wanna Do / Got To See My Lady

(T.K. Disco, )

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Straight out of funky Nassau, Bahamanian outfit T-Connection scored a #1 hit on the US Hot Dance Music/Club Play Chart with &#;Do What You Wanna Do&#; back in for Henry Stone and Steve Alaimo’s TK Disco label. A funky dance floor hit, the percussive break down is one of the finest of the decade.

Chic

Le Freak

(Atlantic, )

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Chic was an unstoppable disco force. Of the many monster hits &#; ’Good Times’, ‘I Want Your Love’, ‘Everybody Dance’ &#; ‘Le Freak’ is the slinkiest. Recorded after Nile Rodgers and Bernard Edwards were refused entry from Studio 54, the Freak out! refrain was originally written as Fuck off!

Ja-kki

Sun&#; Sun&#; Sun&#;

(Pyramid, )

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Walter Gibbons may be credited for mixing the world’s first commercially available 12” in the shape of Double Exposure’s &#;Ten Percent&#;, but his role on Ja-kki’s goofy &#;Sun…Sun…Sun&#;&#; is less obvious. Uncredited, but stamped with all of Gibbons’ trademark unpredictability, it’s a wild 9-minutes of repeated refrains that ratchet up the tension to nowhere, in frenzied looping dance with itself.

Love Committee

Law And Order / Just As Long As I Got You

(Gold Mind Records, )

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The Warehouse, Paradise Garage, Muzik Box, Zanzibar… this Salsoul staple got heavy plays everywhere; with its creeping bassline, majestic brass, strings, keys and chilling vocals, it’s easy to see why! Mixed by NYC disco legend Walter Gibbons.

The Droïds

(Do You Have) The Force

(Barclay, )

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Inspired by Star Wars, in French synth pop duo Droids released their one and only album Star Peace and this space-suited, playfully kitsch 12”. As Bernard Fevre says, “it’s a bit like Jean-Michel Jarre crossed with an alien from Mars.”

Mathematiques Modernes

Disco Rough

(Celluloid, )

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French synth provocateurs Mathematiques Modernes took disco to the outer reaches on this 12” from ; a great example of the Europeans turning to the avant garde. A stand-out track on punk-funk label Celluloid and a demanding dancefloor hit.

Loleatta Holloway

Love Sensation

(Gold Mind Records, )

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As much as we love Shep Pettibone’s version for Salsoul, there’s no beating Tom Moulton’s original mix. Like Holloway’s other hit ‘Hit and Run’, ‘Love Sensation’ has been sampled endlessly but most obviously on the italo-house staple ‘’Black Box &#; Ride On Time’ which preserved her timeless acapella for a whole new generation.

Attitude

Love Me Tonight

(Atlantic, )

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Another on the RnB end of the spectrum, Attitude were born out of electro-soul outfit The System and released a sole LP on Atlantic in , that spawned this monster 12”. Full of heart-ache, it’s dripping in disco nostalgia, and plays like an end-of-nighter for the whole era.

Will Powers

Adventures In Success

(Island, )

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Island’s Compass Point studio bashed out its fair share of dubby disco oddities during the ‘80s but none more unique than Will Powers’ self-esteem pep ‘Adventures In Success’. A leftfield disco oddity that will leave you feeling like a champion.

Cloud One

Atmosphere Strutt

(P&P Records, )

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The inaugural P&P 12” and an underground classic, Cloud One’s &#;Atmosphere Strutt&#; was a killer Patrick Adams production straight out of the NYC disco downtown. Spaced-out disco that survived the cull into obscurity, it stands out for the wild synth line that was way ahead of its time.

Taana Gardner

Heartbeat

(West End Records, )

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Taana Gardner’s sole LP on West End spawned a number of 12”s, none more important than ‘Heartbeat’. A slo-mo affair that typified some of the post-disco tendency to strip back the glamour in favour of simpler constructions. Kenton Nix’s touch is all over this one, responsible for the equally list-worthy ‘There’s Never Been (No One Like You).’

Herbie Hancock

Stars In Your Eyes

(Columbia, )

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Herbie Hancock’s adventures in disco were hit and miss, but when he got it right, boy did it groove. And &#;Stars In Your Eyes&#; is the pick of the bunch – a perfectly sprung slice of late night nostalgia.

Carmen

Time To Move

(Presents Records, )

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With its tough, plugged-in beat and hint of heartbreak freestyle, ‘Time To Move’ is super infectious; a guaranteed floor move. It’s also a difficult one to catch, often trading for three figures, but was given a proper reissue a few years ago.

Eddie Hooper

Pass It On

(HCH Records, )

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An island disco bomb rescued a few years back by Soundway, the calypso groove and cosmic phazer is a killer combination that practically opened the whole world to the joys of Caribbean space disco. Not on the original 12” Soundway’s reissue also contains the unmistakable ‘Tomorrow’s Sun’.

Bumblebee Unlimited

Lady Bug

(red Greg Records, )

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A real stinger from disco production super-group of Patrick Adams, Greg Carmichael and Leroy Burgess, &#;Lady Bug&#; was a cult classic, taken from the group’s only LP, and the pick of Groove Line’s recent heavyweight reissues. Mythical stuff.

Melba Moore

You Stepped Into My Life

(Epic, )

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The Bee Gees had to make this list somewhere, so why not being covered by disco diva Melba Moore and her popping version of ‘You Stepped Into My Life’. There are a full seconds of groove before Melba’s vocals send the whole thing into a state of delirium, but it’s worth the wait.

Kabbala

Ashewo Ara / Voltan Dance

(Red Flame, )

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Founded by Ghanaian brothers Michael & Isaac Osapanin, London-based afro-funk outfit Kabbala dropped two killer disco 12”s on Red Flame back in the early ‘80s, and we’ve plumped for &#;Voltan Dance&#; for this list. Backed by the much remixed &#;Ashewo Ara&#;, &#;Voltan Dance&#; is a lilting, versatile number that you’ll struggle to even find on YouTube.

Man Friday

Love Honey, Love Heartache

(Vinylmania, )

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When the NYC Peech Boys came to an end, Man Friday became Larry Levan&#;s new project. Their post-disco/pre-house debut single ‘Love Honey, Love Heartache’ brings synth bass, FX and dub echoes together under the disco ball in one of the finest productions from the Levan arsenal. Released by the legendary Vinylmania.

William Onyeabor ‎

Good Name / Let&#;s Fall in Love

(Wilfilms Records, )

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How Nigeria’s most elusive musician got hold of all those synthesizers, no one really knows, but they certainly fell into the right hands. Released in , both tracks, heavy with Afro-conscious lyrics about value and soul, are propelled by electro-funk throbs and squelches, pre-empting the rise of the machines in what remains some of the most invigorating dancefloor music ever made.

Cheryl Lynn

Got To Be Real

(CBS, )

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On her debut single, Lynn not only proved she had a cracking set of windpipes, but she also managed to pull off chart success in what is undoubtedly one of the defining tunes of the era. The track was part-composed by keyboardist David Paich of Toto, for whom Lynn later recorded the vocal on ‘Georgy Porgy’.

Imagination

Changes

(R & B Records, )

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British disco dons Imagination released &#;Changes&#; in , split between the final track of their second LP and the B-side, the equally smooth ‘So Good, So Right’. The former become a hit with Larry Levan, remixed on Nightdubbing the following year. One of the UK’s most accomplished contributions to the down-tempo boogie canon.

Erotic Drum Band

Love Disco Style / Jerky Rhythm

(Prism, )

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Hammond stabs and tidal percussion carried this instrumental from DJ tool to peak time dance floor weapon. The first 12” release on Prism, the Peter Di Milo-led outfit specialized in minute percussive jams that were known for whipping the Paradise Garage into a frenzy.

Claudja Barry

Sweet Dynamite / Love For The Sake Of Love

(London, )

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A cornerstone of DJ Harvey’s apocryphal Sarcastic Disco mix, Claudja Barry’s &#;Love For The Sake Of Love&#; was the b-side to the London single &#;Sweet Dynamite&#;. A slo-mo disco anthem with the most yearning string arrangement of the decade.

Patrice Rushen

Haven’t You Heard

(Elektra, )

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Patrice Rushen got her first record deal with the jazz label Prestige Records in , aged 20, releasing three albums on a fusion tip before moving over to Elektra to fully explore her funky side. Tracks on Pizzazz and Straight from the Heart were staples on New York&#;s more discerning s dancefloors; none more than the utterly irresistibly ‘Haven’t You Heard’.

Instant Funk

Got My Mind Made Up

(Salsoul Records, )

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Founded by the the Cayre brothers, Salsoul issued hundreds of disco 12”s over its original decade long reign. This club classic was one of the label’s biggest releases, topping both the disco and R&B charts and climbing to 20 on the Billboard Hot in It’s still kickin’ today.

Loose Joints

Is It All Over My Face

(West End, )

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Of all Arthur Russell’s twisted disco cuts, this stands proud as his most anthemic. Its insanely funky, minimal proto-house percussion and sleazy, double-entendre lyrics &#; Is it all over my face?/You caught me love dancin &#; created an instant classic and it has endured ever since.

Orlando Julius

Disco Hi-Life

(Jofabro, )

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If there’s one record from west Africa that captured the disco wave it’s this bomb from Orlando Julius. It’s been a long time since this was a rarity, but still stands head and shoulders above the rest for its prescience and ultimate good-time feel. Strut recently got the man out of retirement for an LP with the Heliocentrics, where it emerged that Julius may well have had a hand in penning ‘Going Back To My Roots’, which features far higher up this list.

George Benson

Give Me The Night

(Warner Bros. Records, )

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With disco’s decline in the late ‘70s, ‘Give Me The Night’ was one of the genre’s last singles to hit big. The Quincy Jones-produced track remains one of Benson’s finest moments. &#;Cause there&#;s music in the air and lots of loving everywhere.

Slick

Space Bass

(Fantasy, )

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The title doesn’t disappoint: ‘Space Bass’ is a fine specimen of intergalactic disco with ectoplasmic mono-synth lines and paranormal incantations. The perfect soundtrack for Saturday night on the floor, or for an acid trip indoors.

Ron Hardy

Muzic Box Classics V3

(Partehardy Records, )

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Two tracks that prove Ron Hardy worked magic behind the decks and the reels. If you thought &#;Let No Man Put Asunder’ was already rockin’, just try Ronnie’s edit. And then flip it over for his take on ‘No Way Back’, which burns and burns until the chorus sears at the halfway house. Pure fire.

Hamilton Bohannon

Let&#;s Start The Dance

(Mercury, )

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After drumming for Jimi Hendrix and Stevie Wonder and band leading for Motown, Hamilton Bohannon went solo. His unique brand of disco &#; characterised by funky wah-wah guitars, long drum breaks and thudding bass &#; is best realised on the Carolyn Crawford-starring ‘Start The Dance’, though the lesser-heard ‘Coming on Strong’, also released on Mercury in , is a close second.

Jean Carn

Was That All It Was

(Philadelphia International, )

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Philly Intl. darling Jean Carn began her career recording spiritual jazz with her then husband Doug, but truly found her voice on Gamble & Huff’s legendary imprint. &#;Was That All It Was&#; is the pick of the bunch – the crystal clear claps, shining in restrained glory against those gorgeous string arrangements Philadelphia International made their own.

Tim Maia

Sossego / A Fim De Voltar

(Atlantic, )