I have a few boxed sets of disco music from the 70s and they pretty much contain the same songs. You know “More, More, More,” “I Love The Nightlife,” “Best of My Love,” “Got To Be Real,” etc etc
Recently on YouTube I ran across a disco song called “Doctor’s Orders” by Carol Douglas and it is very good. And I’ve never heard it before.
I was just wondering if anyone else can tell me about some good and under-rated disco songs. You know ones that aren’t already well known. It doesn’t have to be from the 70s just “disco-ish.”
Anything by Amii Stewart. She specialized in disco cover versions of classic rock songs: “Great Balls of Fire,” “Knock on Wood,” “The Letter.” Very complex and original instrumentation. Also the Moroder-Summer pairing produced some great timeless classics: very moody and complex also.
“Never Can Say Goodbye,” for which I prefer the Gloria Gaynor version. Man, she had the voice…and the song is really well-engineered! Not that this youtube is hi fidelity or anything…
Written by Clifton Davis—remember him, from “That’s My Mama?”
Also, “Turn the Beat Around” by Vicki Sue Robinson
As I recall, the Saturday Night Fever soundtrack had some very good disco on it. I once spun this record at a party in 1978 and got a lot of attention It’s not bad, actually.
Lately I absolutely love disco. I love the recent revival it’s been having in dance music. Here are some of my favorite songs. The sound of these is not exactly pure 70’s nostalgia, but it’s still upbeat and has the funky basslines that I love. Also, strings.
I don’t know if they qualify as underrated, but my favorite disco tunes are “Don’t Leave Me This Way” (Thelma Houston) and “Love Hangover” (Diana Ross).
Does this include “I Feel Love”? That’s always been my favorite disco song, but I don’t know if it’s underrated.
(Of course, the main thing I know Moroder from is the version of Metropolis he scored, which was the most complete version until the Kino version was released not long after I bought my copy.)
Dunno how rated they are, but Giorgio Moroder did some really great productions besides the brilliant I feel love, like chase and evolution (which is something like 18 minutes long, but I couldn’t find a stream). At his best he’s merging synth rock/pop stuff with disco and a dose of acid house (in the late 70s!).
Arthur Russell’s (as Dinosaur) “Kiss me again.” There’s a 12-minute extended version of it out there that’s one of the most transcendent, epic things I’ve ever heard.
Don’t Leave Me This Way Love Hangover Knock on Wood
These were HUGE hits, reaching number 1. I’ll check out Stewart’s other songs
Thanks for the suggestions, I’ll have to check them out. I COMPLETELY forgot “Smoke From A Distant Fire,” I instantly remembered it from when I was young. I’ll have to check it out
Dr. Buzzard and the Savannah Band were a law unto themselves, hitting in 1976 with a blend of disco, Cab Callaway and Cole Porter. Supposedly they had the top disco album of that year.
This is I’ll Play the Fool in which the singer declares she’s so deeply in love that she’ll be going back to school, “…just to get my equivalency diploma.”
Eventually parts of the band reformed as Kid Creole and the Coconuts.
It’s not bad, actually.