Disco
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2008-07-15T16:02:27Z
24.33.89.113
/* Chart-topping songs */
{{dablink|This article is about the music genre. For other uses, see [[Disco (disambiguation)]]}}
{{intro-toolong}}
{{Infobox Music genre
|name=Disco
|bgcolor=gold
|color=black
|stylistic_origins=[[U.S.]]/[[Canada]]: [[Soul music|Soul]] and [[Funk]]. <br />{{nowrap|[[Europe]]: [[French pop music|French]] & [[Italian popular music|Italian]] [[Pop music|Pop]], [[Eurovision Song Contest|Eurovision]]}}<!-- if you are going to add genres, add them within the {{nowrap|<<TEXT HERE>>}} -->
|cultural_origins=[[United States]]: [[New York City]]/[[Los Angeles]]/[[Atlanta]] Early 1970s
[[Canada]]: [[Toronto]]/[[Montreal]] Early 1970s
[[Europe]]: The [[Eurovision]] Song contest
|instruments= [[Violin]], [[Harp]], [[Cello]], [[Double bass]], [[Acoustic Guitar]], [[Electric guitar]], [[Bass guitar]], [[Piano]], [[Electronic keyboard|Keyboard]], [[Drum kit|Drums]], [[Drum machine]], string section, horn section, orchestral solo instruments (e.g. flute)
|popularity=Most popular in the mid to late 1970s
|derivatives=[[Post Disco]], [[Hi-NRG]], [[House music]], [[Eurodisco]], [[Space Disco]], [[Italo disco|Italo Disco]], [[Disco house]], [[Disco electro]], [[Silent disco]], [[Techno]], [[Trance music|Trance]], [[Old school hip hop]], [[Crunk]]
|subgenrelist=Subgenres
|fusiongenres=[[Dance-punk|Disco-punk]]
|regional_scenes= In US: [[New York]], [[Philadelphia]], [[Atlanta]], [[Miami]], [[Los Angeles]]. In Canada: [[Toronto]], [[Montreal]], [[Vancouver]]
|other_topics=[[Discothèque]] [[Nightclubs]], [[Disco orchestration|Orchestration]]<br>[[List of disco artists|Disco artists]]}}
'''Disco''' is a [[genre]] of dance-oriented music whose origins, like other genres of music, are hard to place at a single defining point. In what is considered a forerunner to disco style clubs in February 1970 New York City DJ [[David Mancuso]] opened [[The Loft]], a members-only private dance club set in his own home.<ref>[http://www.empsfm.org/exhibitions/index.asp?articleID=128 empsfm.org Past Exhibitions]</ref><ref>[http://www.discomusic.com/101-more/7124_0_7_0_C/ discomusic.com Timeline]</ref> Most agree that the first disco songs were released in 1973, but some claim [[Manu Dibango]]'s 1972 [[Soul Makossa]] to be the first disco record.<ref name=origins>[http://www.experiencefestival.com/a/Disco_-_Origins/id/1328269 Disco origins]</ref> The first article about disco was written in September 1973 by [[Vince Aletti]] for [[Rolling Stone Magazine]].<ref>[http://query.nytimes.com/gst/fullpage.html?res=9C04EFDF163AF933A25751C1A9649C8B63&sec=&spon=&pagewanted=1 ARTS IN AMERICA; Here's to Disco, It Never Could Say Goodbye], The New York Times, December 10, 2002]</ref><ref>[http://www.jahsonic.com/VinceAletti.html Excerpt from first article about disco]</ref> In 1974 New York City's [[WPIX-FM]] premiered the first disco radio show.<ref>[http://www.discomusic.com/101-more/7124_0_7_0_C/ discomusic.com Timeline first disco radio show]</ref>
Musical influences include funk, soul music, and salsa and the Latin or Hispanic musics which influenced salsa.<ref name=origins/> The disco sound has a soaring, often reverberated vocals over a steady [[four-on-the-floor (music)|"four-on-the-floor"]] beat, an [[eighth note]] (quaver) or sixteenth note (semi-quaver) [[hi-hat]] pattern with an open hi-hat on the off-beat, and prominent, [[syncopated]] [[bass guitar|electric bass]] line. Strings, horns, electric pianos, and electric guitars create a lush background sound. Orchestral instruments such as the flute are often used for solo melodies, and unlike in rock, [[lead guitar]] is rarely used.
Well-known late 1970s disco performers included [[Bee Gees]], [[Donna Summer]] and [[The Jacksons]]. Summer would become the first well-known and most popular female disco artist, and also played a part in pioneering the electronic sound that later became a part of disco (see below). While performers and singers garnered the lion's share of public attention, the behind-the-scenes producers played an equal, if not more important role in disco, since they often wrote the songs and created the innovative sounds and production techniques that were part of the "disco sound".<ref>[http://www.allmusic.com/cg/amg.dll?p=amg&sql=77:16. allmusic<!-- Bot generated title -->]</ref> Many non-disco artists recorded disco songs at the height of disco's popularity, and films such as ''[[Saturday Night Fever]]'' and ''[[Thank God It's Friday]]'' contributed to disco's rise in mainstream popularity and ironically the beginning of its commercial decline. However, disco was very important in the development of [[Hip hop music]] (especially the subgenres of [[crunk]], [[snap music|snap]], and [[hyphy]]), British [[New Wave music|New Wave]], and disco's direct descendants: the 1980s and 1990s dance music genres of [[house music]] and its harder-driving offshoot, [[techno]].
===Role of producers and DJs===
Disco has its musical roots in late 1960s soul, especially the [[Philadelphia soul|Philly]] and New York soul, both of which were evolutions of the [[Motown sound]]. The Philly Sound is typified by lavish [[percussion instrument|percussion]], which became a prominent part of mid-1970s disco songs. Music with proto-"disco" elements appeared in the late 1960s, with "[[Tighten Up (Archie Bell & the Drells song)|Tighten Up]]" and "[[Mony, Mony]]", "[[Dance to the Music (song)|Dance to the Music]]" and "[[Love Child]]" . Two early songs with disco elements include [[Jerry Butler (pooer)|Jerry Butler]]’s 1969 "Only the Strong Survive"<ref>[http://www.discomusic.com/101-more/7124_0_7_0_C/ "Only the Strong Survive"]</ref> and [[Manu Dibango]]'s 1972 "[[Soul Makossa]]" . The term ''disco'' was first used in print in an article by [[Vince Aletti]] in the [[September 13]] [[1973]] edition of ''[[Rolling Stone]]'' magazine titled "Discotheque Rock '72: Paaaaarty!"<ref>[http://www.jahsonic.com/VinceAletti.html Vince Aletti]</ref>
The early "disco" sound was largely an urban American phenomenon with such legendary producers and labels such as SalSoul Records (Ken, Joe and Stanley Cayre), Westend Records (Mel Cheren), Casablanca (Neil Bogart), and Prelude (Marvin Schlachter) to name a few. They inspired and influenced such prolific European dance-track producers such as [[Giorgio Moroder]] and [[Jean-Marc Cerrone]]. Moroder was the Italian producer, keyboardist, and composer who produced many songs of the singer [[Donna Summer]]. These included the 1975 hit "Love to Love You Baby", a 17-minute-long song with "shimmering sound and sensual attitude". Allmusic.com calls Moroder "one of the principal architects of the disco sound".<ref>[http://www.allmusic.com/cg/amg.dll?p=amg&sql=11:jpfqxqw5ldte~T1 Giorgio Moroder] Allmusic.com</ref>
The disco sound was also shaped by the legendary [[Tom Moulton]] who wanted to extend the enjoyment of the music — thus single-handedly creating the "[[Remix]]" which has influenced many other latter genres such as [[Rap]], [[Hip-Hop]], [[Techno]], and [[Pop music|Pop]]. DJs and remixers would often remix (i.e., re-edit) existing songs using reel-to-reel tape machines. Their remixed versions would add in percussion breaks, new sections, and new sounds. Influential DJs and remixers who helped to establish what became known as the "disco sound" included [[David Mancuso]], [[Tom Moulton]], [[Nicky Siano]], [[Shep Pettibone]], the legendary and much-sought-after [[Larry Levan]], [[Walter Gibbons]], and later, New York–born Chicago "Godfather of House" [[Frankie Knuckles]]. Disco was also shaped by nightclub DJ's such as Francis Grasso, who used multiple record players to seamlessly mix tracks from genres such as soul, funk and pop music at discoteques, and was the forerunner to later styles such as hip-hop and house.
===Chart-topping songs ===
The [[Hues Corporation]]'s 1974 "[[Rock The Boat]]", a U.S. #1 [[single (music)|single]] and million-seller, was one of the early disco songs to hit [[#1]]. Other chart-topping songs included "[[Walking in Rhythm]]" by [[The Blackbyrds]], "[[Rock Your Baby]]" by [[George McCrae]] and "[[Love's Theme]]" by [[Barry White]]'s [[Love Unlimited Orchestra]]. Also in 1975, [[Gloria Gaynor]] released the first side-long [[disco mix]] [[vinyl]] [[album]], which included a remake of [[The Jackson 5]]'s "[[Never Can Say Goodbye]]" and two other songs, "[[Honey Bee]]" and "[[Reach Out (I'll Be There)]]". Also significant during this early disco period was [[Miami]]'s [[KC and the Sunshine Band]]. Formed by [[Harry Wayne Casey]] ("KC") and Richard Finch, KC and the Sunshine Band had a string of disco-definitive top-five hits between 1975 and 1977, including "[[Get Down Tonight]]", "[[That's the Way (I Like It)]]", "[[(Shake, Shake, Shake) Shake Your Booty]]", "[[I'm Your Boogie Man]]" and "[[Keep It Comin' Love]]".
[[The Bee Gees]] used [[Barry Gibb]]'s [[falsetto]] to garner hits such as "You Should Be Dancing". In 1975, hits such as [[Van McCoy]]'s "[[The Hustle (song)|The Hustle]]" and [[Donna Summer]]'s "[[Love to Love You Baby]]" and "[[Could It Be Magic]]" brought disco further into the mainstream. Other notable early disco hits include [[The Jackson 5]]’s "[[Dancing Machine]]" (1973), [[Barry White]]’s "[[You're the First, the Last, My Everything]]" (1974), [[LaBelle]]’s "[[Lady Marmalade]]" (1974), [[The Four Seasons (group)|The Four Seasons]]’ "[[December, 1963 (Oh, What a Night)]]" (1975), [[Silver Convention]]’s "[[Fly Robin Fly]]" (1975) and [[The Bee Gees]]’ "[[Jive Talkin']]" (1975). [[Chic (band)|Chic]]'s "[[Le Freak]]" (1978) became a classic and is heard almost everywhere disco is mentioned; other hits by Chic include the often-sampled "[[Good Times (Chic song)|Good Times]]" (1979) and "[[Everybody Dance]]" (1977). Also noteworthy are [[Cheryl Lynn]]'s "[[Got to Be Real]]" (1978) and [[Walter Murphy]]'s various attempts to bring [[classical music]] to the mainstream, most notably his hit "[[A Fifth of Beethoven]]" (1976).
The rich orchestral acompaniment that became identified with the disco era conjured up the memories of the Big Band era which brought out several artists that recorded and disco-ized some Big Band Music
including Perry Como, who re recorded his 1929 and 1939 hit, Temptation in 1975 as well as some unlikely Country artists such as Bill Anderson ( Double S) and Ronnie Milsap (High Heal Sneakers).
Even the I Love Lucy theme wasn't spared from being disco-ized.
Prominent European [[Pop music|pop]] and disco groups were [[Luv']] from the Netherlands and [[Boney M]], a group of four West Indian singers and dancers masterminded by West German record producer [[Frank Farian]]. [[Boney M]] charted worldwide hits with such songs as "[[Daddy Cool]]", "[[Ma Baker]]" and "[[Rivers of Babylon]]." All three charted in the [[United States]]. In France, [[Dalida]] released "[[J'attendrai]]", which became a big hit in [[Canada]] and [[Japan]].
===1978–1980: mainstream popularity===
The release of the film and soundtrack of ''[[Saturday Night Fever]]'' in December 1977, which became one of the best-selling soundtracks of all time, turned disco into a mainstream music genre. This in turn led many non-disco artists to record disco songs at the height of its popularity, most often due to demand from record companies who needed a surefire hit. Many of these songs were not "pure" disco, but were instead rock or pop songs with disco overtones. Notable examples include the Grateful Dead's Shakedown Street (1979), [[Helen Reddy]]’s "[[I Can't Hear You No More]]" (1976), [[Marvin Gaye]]’s "[[Got to Give It Up]]" (1977), [[Charo]]'s "Dance a Little Bit Closer" (1977), [[Barry Manilow]]’s "[[Copacabana (At The Copa)]]" (1978), [[The Rolling Stones]]' "[[Miss You (The Rolling Stones song)|Miss You]]" (1978), [[Dolly Parton]]'s "[[Baby I'm Burning]]" (1978), [[Rod Stewart]]'s "[[Da Ya Think I'm Sexy?]]" (1979), [[Wings (band)|Wings]]’ "[[Goodnight Tonight]]" (1979), [[Barbra Streisand]]'s "The Main Event/Fight" (1979), [[Ann-Margret]]'s "Love Rush" (1979), [[Kiss (band)|Kiss]]' "[[I Was Made for Lovin' You]]" (1979), [[Electric Light Orchestra]]’s "[[Shine a Little Love]]" (1979), [[Isaac Hayes]]' "Don't Let Go" (1980), [[The Spinners]]' "[[Working My Way Back To You]]" (1980) and [[Queen (band)|Queen]]'s "[[Another One Bites The Dust]]" (1980).
[[Image:Saturday Night Fever2.jpg|thumb|right|Bootleg "Saturday Night Fever" [[Stereo 8|8-Track]] album cover from the 1970s]]
Disco hit the airwaves with [[Marty Angelo]]'s ''[[Disco Step-by-Step Television Show]]'' in 1975, Steve Marcus' ''Disco Magic/Disco 77'', Eddie Rivera's ''Soap Factory'' and [[Merv Griffin]]'s, ''[[Dance Fever]]'', hosted by [[Deney Terrio]], who is credited with teaching actor [[John Travolta]] to dance for his upcoming role in the hit movie ''[[Saturday Night Fever]]''. Several parodies of the disco style were created, most notably "[[Disco Duck]]" and "[[Dancin' Fool]]". [[Rick Dees]], at the time a radio DJ in [[Memphis, Tennessee]], recorded "Disco Duck"; [[Frank Zappa]] parodied the lifestyles of disco dancers in "Dancin' Fool" on his [[Sheik Yerbouti]] album.
==The "disco sound"==
The "disco sound" while unique almost defies a unified description as it was an ultra-inclusive art form that drew on as many influences as it produced interpretations. Jazz, Classical, Latin, Soul, Funk, and new technologies just to name a few of the obvious were all mingled with aplomb. Vocals could be frivolous or serious love intrigues all the way to extremely serious social conscious commentary. The music tended to layer soaring, often reverberated vocals, which are often doubled by horns, over a background "pad" of electric pianos and wah-pedaled "chicken-scratch" ([[palm mute]]d) guitars. Other backing keyboard instruments include the [[piano]], string synth, and electroacoustic keyboards such as the Fender Rhodes piano, Wurlitzer electric piano, and Hohner Clavinet. Synthesizers were also fairly common in disco, especially in the late 70's. The rhythm is laid down by prominent, syncopated basslines played on the [[bass guitar]] and by drummers using a [[drum kit]], African/[[Latin percussion]], and [[electronic drum]]s such as Simmons and [[Roland Corporation|Roland]] [[sound module|drum modules]]). The sound was enriched with solo lines and harmony parts played by a variety of orchestral instruments, such as [[harp]], [[violin]], [[viola]], [[cello]], [[trumpet]], [[saxophone]], [[trombone]], [[clarinet]], [[flugelhorn]], [[French horn]], [[tuba]], [[English horn]], [[oboe]], [[flute]], and [[piccolo]].
Most disco songs have a steady [[four-on-the-floor (music)|four-on-the-floor]] beat, a [[quaver]] or semi-quaver [[hi-hat]] pattern with an open hi-hat on the off-beat, and a heavy, syncopated bass line. This basic beat would appear to be related to the Dominican [[merengue]] rhythm. Other Latin rhythms such as the rhumba, the samba and the cha-cha-cha are also found in disco recordings, and Latin [[polyrhythm]]s, such as a rhumba beat layered over a merengue, are commonplace. The quaver pattern is often supported by other instruments such as the rhythm guitar and may be implied rather than explicitly present. It often involves [[syncopation]], rarely occurring on the beat unless a [[synthesizer]] is used to replace the bass guitar.
In 1977, [[Giorgio Moroder]] again became responsible for a development in disco. Alongside [[Donna Summer]] and [[Pete Bellotte]] he wrote the song "[[I Feel Love]]" for Summer to perform. It became the first well-known disco hit to have a completely synthesised backing track. The song is still considered to have been well ahead of its time. Other disco producers, most famously Tom Moulton, grabbed ideas and techniques from dub music (which came with the increased Jamaican migration to NYC in the seventies) to provide alternatives to the four on the floor style that dominated. [[Larry Levan]] utilized style keys from dub and jazz and more as one of the most successful remixers of all time to create early versions of [[house music]] that sparked the genre <ref>{{cite book
| last =Shapiro
| first =Peter
| title =Modulations: A History of Electronic Music
| publisher =Caipirinha Productions, Inc.
|date=2000
| location =
| pages =254 pages
| id =ISBN 0819564982 }} see p.45, 46</ref>.
===Production and development===
The "disco sound" was much more costly to produce than many of the other popular music genres from the 1970s. Unlike the simpler, four-piece [[Band (music)|band]] sound of the [[funk]], [[soul]] of the late 1960s, or the small [[jazz]] [[organ trio]]s, disco music often included a large pop band, with several chordal instruments (guitar, keyboards, synthesizer), several drum or percussion instruments (drumkit, Latin percussion, electronic drums), a [[horn section]], a [[string orchestra]], and a variety of "classical" solo instruments (e.g., flute, piccolo, etc.).
Disco songs were [[arranging (music)|arranged]] and composed by experienced arrangers and [[orchestration|orchestrators]], and producers added their creative touches to the overall sound. Recording complex arrangements with such a large number of instruments and sections required a team that included a [[Conductor (music)|conductor]], [[copyist]]s, [[record producer]]s, and [[audio engineering|mixing engineers]]. Mixing engineers had an important role in the disco production process, because disco songs used as many as 64 [[sound recording|track]]s of vocals and instruments. Mixing engineers compiled these tracks into a fluid composition of verses, bridges, and refrains, complete with [[orchestral build]]s and [[break (music)|break]]s. Mixing engineers helped to develop the "disco sound" by creating a distinctive-sounding [[disco mix]].
Early records were the "standard" 3 minute version until [[Tom Moulton]], came up with a way to make songs longer, wanting to take a crowd to another level that was impossible with vinyl discs of the time (which could usually hold no more than 5 minutes of good-quality music). With the help of José Rodriguez, his remasterer, he pressed a single on a 10" disc instead of 7". They cut the next single on a 12" disc, the same format as a standard album. This method fast became the standard format for all DJs of the genre.<ref>http://www.disco-disco.com/disco/history.shtml</ref>
Because record sales were often dependent on floor play in clubs, [[DJ]]s were also important to the development and popularization of disco music. Notable DJs include Rex Potts (Loft Lounge, Sarasota, FL), [[Jim Burgess (producer)|Jim Burgess]], [[Walter Gibbons]], [[John "Jellybean" Benitez]], Richie Kaczar of [[Studio 54]], Rick Gianatos, [[Francis Grasso]] of Sanctuary, [[Larry Levan]], [[Ian Levine]], Neil "Raz" Rasmussen & Mike Pace of L'amour Disco in Brooklyn, Preston Powell of Magique, Jennie Costa of Lemontrees, Tee Scott, John Luongo, Robert Ouimet of [[The Limelight]], and [[David Mancuso]].
The 12-inch single format also allowed longer dance time and [[musical form|format]] possibilities. In May, 1976, [[Salsoul Records]] released [[Walter Gibbons]]' remix of [[Double Exposure (band)|Double Exposure]]'s "[[Ten Percent (song)|Ten Percent]]", the first commercially-available 12-inch single. {{fact|date=July 2008}} [[Motown Records]]’ "Eye-Cue" label also marketed 12-inch singles; however, the play time remained the same length as the original 45s. In 1976, Scepter/Wand released the first 12-inch extended-version single, [[Jesse Green]]'s "Nice and Slow." This single was packaged in a collectible picture sleeve, a relatively new concept at the time. Twelve-inch singles became commercially available after the first crossover, [[Tavares (music group)|Tavares]]' "Heaven Must Be Missing an Angel."
==Disco club scene and dancing==
By the late 1970s many major US cities had thriving disco club scenes which were centered around [[discotheque]]s, nightclubs, and private loft parties where [[DJ]]s would play disco hits through powerful [[PA system]]s for the dancers. The DJs played "...a smooth mix of long single records to keep people 'dancing all night long'".<ref>[http://www.unesco.org/courier/2000_07/uk/doss13.htm The Body and soul of club culture<!-- Bot generated title -->]</ref> Some of the most prestigious clubs had elaborate lighting systems that throbbed to the beat of the music.
Some cities had disco dance instructors or dance schools which taught people how to do popular disco dances such as "touch dancing", "the hustle" and "the cha cha." There were also disco fashions that discotheque-goers wore for nights out at their local disco, such as sheer, flowing [[Halston]] dresses for women and shiny polyester [[Qiana]] shirts for men with pointy collars, preferably open at the chest, often worn with double-knit suit jackets.
Some notable professional dance troupes of the 1970s include [[Pan's People]] and [[Hot Gossip]]. For many dancers, the primary influence of the 1970s disco age is still predominantly the film Saturday Night Fever. In the 1980s this developed into the music and dance style of such films as ''Fame'', ''Flashdance'', and the musical ''A Chorus Line''.
===Drug subculture===
In addition to the dance and fashion aspects of the disco club scene, there was also a thriving drug subculture, particularly for drugs that would enhance the experience of dancing to the loud music and the flashing lights, such as [[cocaine]] <ref>Gootenberg, Paul 1954-
- Between Coca and Cocaine: A Century or More of U.S.-Peruvian Drug Paradoxes, 1860-1980
- Hispanic American Historical Review - 83:1, February 2003, pp. 119-150. He says that "The relationship of cocaine to 1970s disco culture cannot be stressed enough; ..."
- </ref> (nicknamed "blow"), amyl nitrite "[[poppers]]" <ref>Amyl, butyl and isobutyl nitrite (collectively known as alkyl nitrites) are clear, yellow liquids which are inhaled for their intoxicating effects. Nitrites originally came as small glass capsules that were popped open. This led to nitrites being given the name 'poppers' but this form of the drug is rarely found in the UK The drug became popular in the UK first on the disco/club scene of the 1970s and then at dance and rave venues in the 1980s and 1990s. Available at: http://www.drugscope.org.uk/druginfo/drugsearch/ds_results.asp?file=%5Cwip%5C11%5C1%5C1%5Cnitrites.html</ref>, and the "...other quintessential 1970s club drug [[Quaalude]], which suspended [[motor coordination]] and turned one’s arms and legs to [[Jell-O]]."<ref>www.americanheritage.com/articles/magazine/ah/1999/7/1999_7_43.shtml - 76k - </ref> According to [[Peter Braunstein]], the "[m]assive quantities of drugs ingested in discotheques produced the next cultural phenomenon of the disco era: rampant promiscuity and [[public sex]]. While the dance floor was the central arena of seduction, actual sex usually took place in the nether regions of the disco: bathroom stalls, exit stairwells, and so on. In other cases the disco became a kind of 'main course' in a [[hedonism|hedonist’s]] menu for a night out."<ref>Peter Braunstein. Available at: http://www.americanheritage.com/articles/magazine/ah/1999/7/1999_7_43.shtml</ref>
Famous disco bars included the very important Paradise Garage as well as "...cocaine-filled [[celebrity|celeb]] hangouts such as [[Manhattan]]'s [[Studio 54]]", which was operated by [[Steve Rubell]] and [[Ian Schrager]]. Studio 54 was notorious for the hedonism that went on within; the balconies were known for sexual encounters, and drug use was rampant. Its dance floor was decorated with an image of the "Man in the Moon" that included an animated [[cocaine spoon]].
==Decline in popularity and backlash==
{{see|Disco Demolition Night}}
The popularity of the film ''Saturday Night Fever'' prompted major record labels to mass-produce hits, a move which some perceived as turning the genre from something vital and edgy into a safe "product" homogenized for mainstream audiences. Though disco music had enjoyed several years of popularity, an anti-disco sentiment manifested in America. This sentiment proliferated at the time because of oversaturation and the big-business mainstreaming of disco. Worried about declining profits, rock radio stations and record producers encouraged this trend. According to [[Gloria Gaynor]], the music industry supported the destruction of disco because rock music producers were losing money and rock musicians were losing the spotlight.<ref>http://www.emplive.org/exhibits/index.asp?articleID=622</ref> Many [[hard rock]] fans expressed strong disapproval of disco throughout the height of its popularity. Among these fans, the slogan "Disco Sucks" was common by the late 1970s and appeared in written form in places ranging from tee shirts to graffiti.{{Fact|date=May 2008}}
Disco music and dancing fads began to be depicted by rock music fans as silly and [[effeminate]], such as in [[Frank Zappa]]'s satirical song [[Sheik Yerbouti|"Dancin' Fool"]]. Some listeners objected to the perceived sexual promiscuity and illegal drug use (e.g., cocaine and Quaaludes) that had become associated with disco music. Others were put off by the exclusivity of the disco scene, especially in major clubs in large cities such as the Studio 54 discotheque, where [[bouncer]]s only let in fashionably-dressed club-goers, [[celebrity|celebrities]], and their hangers-on. Rock fans objected to the idea of centering music around an electronic drum beat and synthesizers instead of live performers. Some have contended that there was also an element of bigotry to the anti-disco backlash; in his book ''A Change Is Gonna Come'', [[Craig Werner]] wrote, "the attacks on disco gave respectable voice to the ugliest kinds of unacknowledged racism, sexism and homophobia."<ref>[http://www.independent.co.uk/news/world/americas/disco-inferno-680390.html Disco Inferno], Daryl Easlea, ''[[The Independent]]'', December 11, 2004</ref>
To further complicate matters, several prominent rock bands recorded songs with disco influences, such as [[Rod Stewart]]'s "[[Da Ya Think I'm Sexy?]]" (1978), [[The Rolling Stones]]’ "[[Miss You]]" (1978), and [[Kiss (band)|Kiss]]'s "[[I Was Made For Lovin' You]]" (1979). Though these fusions of rock and disco were initially met with critical{{Fact|date=December 2007}} and commercial acclaim, many of the bands were subsequently viewed as "[[sell-out]]s". Since the advent of disco and dance music, rock music has absorbed many of the rhythmic sensibilities of funk-influenced dance music, while nevertheless retaining a distinct sound and audience culture.
Some historians have referred to [[July 12]], [[1979]] as "the day disco died" because of an anti-disco demonstration that was held in Chicago. Rock station DJs [[Steve Dahl]] and [[Garry Meier]], along with [[Michael Veeck]], son of [[Chicago White Sox]] owner [[Bill Veeck]], staged ''[[Disco Demolition Night]],'' a promotional event with an anti-disco theme, between games at a White Sox doubleheader for disgruntled rock fans. During this event, which involved exploding disco records, the raucous crowd tore out seats and turf in the field and did other damage to [[Comiskey Park]]. It ended in a riot in which police made numerous arrests. The damage done to the field forced the Sox to forfeit the second game to the [[Detroit Tigers]] who won the first game. The stadium suffered thousands of dollars in damage.<ref>http://findarticles.com/p/articles/mi_kmtpp/is_200407/ai_n6834125</ref>
The television industry — taking a cue from the music industry — responded with an anti-disco agenda as well. A recurring theme on the television show, ''[[WKRP in Cincinnati]]'' contained a hateful attitude towards disco music. The anti-disco backlash may have helped to cause changes to the landscape of [[Top 40]] radio. Negative responses from the listenerships of many Top 40 stations encouraged these stations to drop all disco songs from rotation, filling the holes in their playlists with [[New Wave (music)|New Wave]], [[punk rock]], and [[album-oriented rock]] cuts.<ref>For example, [[WLS]] in Chicago, KFJZ-FM (now [[KEGL]]) in [[Dallas, Texas|Dallas]]/[[Fort Worth, Texas|Fort Worth]], and [[CHUM-AM]] in [[Toronto]] were among the stations that took this approach. Although WLS continued to list some disco tracks, such as "[[Funkytown]]" by [[Lipps Inc.]], on its record surveys in the early 1980s, it refused to air them.</ref>. Indeed, [[Jello Biafra]] of [[anarcho-punk]] band [[The Dead Kennedys]] likened disco to the [[cabaret]] culture of [[Weimar Germany]] for its apathy towards government policy and its escapism (which Biafra saw as delusional). He sang about this in the song Saturday Night Holocaust{{Fact|date=March 2008}}, the B-side of the song [[Halloween (Dead Kennedys song)|Halloween]].
It should be noted that, unlike in the U.S., there was never a focused backlash against disco in Europe, and discotheques and club culture continued longer in Europe than in the US.
It was during this backlash and decline that several record companies were folded, reorganized or sold. [[TK Records]] closed in 1981. [[ABC Records]] was sold to [[MCA Records]] in 1979 which shut down the label. [[Casablanca Records]]' founder [[Neil Bogart]] was forced out in 1980 by label owner [[PolyGram]]. [[RSO Records]] founder [[Robert Stigwood]] left the label in 1981.
==From "disco sound" to "dance sound"==
The transition from the late-1970s disco styles to the early-1980s dance styles was marked primarily by the change from complex arrangements performed by large ensembles of studio session musicians (including a horn section and an orchestral string section), to a leaner sound, in which one or two singers would perform to the accompaniment of synthesizer keyboards and drum machines.
In addition, dance music during the 1981-83 period borrowed elements from blues and jazz, creating a style different from the disco of the 1970s. This emerging music was still known as disco for a short time, as the word had become associated with any kind of dance music played in discothèques. Examples of early 1980s dance sound performers include [[D. Train]], [[Kashif]], and [[Patrice Rushen]]. <ref>These changes were influenced by some of the notable R&B and jazz musicians of the 1970s, such as Stevie Wonder and [[Herbie Hancock]], who had pioneered "one-man-band"-type keyboard techniques. Some of these influences had already begun to emerge during the mid-1970s, at the height of disco’s popularity.
Songs such as [[Gloria Gaynor]]’s "[[Never Can Say Goodbye]]" (1974), [[Thelma Houston]]’s "[[Don't Leave Me This Way]]" (1976), [[Donna Summer]]’s "[[Spring Affair]]" (1977), [[Rod Stewart]]’s "[[Do Ya Think I'm Sexy?]]" (1978), [[Donna Summer]]’s "[[Bad Girls (song)|Bad Girls]]" (1979), and [[The Bee Gees]]’ "[[Love You Inside Out]]" (1979) foreshadowed the dramatic change in dance music styles which was to follow in the 1980s. </ref>
During the first years of the 1980s, the "disco sound" began to be phased out, and faster tempos and synthesized effects, accompanied by guitar and simplified backgrounds, moved dance music toward the funk and pop genres. This trend can be seen in singer [[Billy Ocean]]'s recordings between 1979 and 1981. Whereas Ocean's 1979 song
''American Hearts'' was backed with an orchestral arrangement played by the Los Angeles Symphony Orchestra, his 1981 song ''One of Those Nights (Feel Like Gettin' Down)'' had a more bare, stripped-down sound, with no orchestration or symphonic arrangements. This drift from the original disco sound is called [[post-disco]].
During the early 1980s, dance music dropped the complicated melodic structure and orchestration which typified the "disco sound." Examples of well-known songs which illustrate this difference include [[Kool & the Gang]]’s "[[Celebration (song)|Celebration]]" (1980), [[Rick James]]’ "[[Super Freak]]" (1981), [[Grace Jones]]'s "[[Pull Up to the Bumper]]" (1981), [[Carol Jiani]]'s "Hit N' Run Lover" (1981), [[Laura Branigan]]'s "[[Gloria]]" (1982), [[The Pointer Sisters]]’ "[[I'm So Excited]]" (1982), [[Prince (musician)|Prince]]’s "[[1999 (song)|1999]]" (1982), [[The Weather Girls]]'s "[[It's Raining Men]]" (1982), [[Madonna (entertainer)|Madonna]]’s "[[Holiday (Madonna song)|Holiday]]" (1983), [[Irene Cara]]’s "[[Flashdance (What A Feeling)]]" (1983), [[Angela Bofill]]'s "Too Tough" (1983), [[Miquel Brown]]'s "[[So Many Men, So Little Time]]" (1983), [[Michael Jackson]]’s "[[Thriller (song)|Thriller]]" (1983), [[Jocelyn Brown]]'s "Somebody Else's Guy" (1984), and [[Klymaxx]]'s "Meeting in the Ladies Room" (1984).
===DJ sets/mixes===
The rising popularity of disco came in tandem with developments in [[turntablism]] and the use of records to create a continuous mix of songs. The resulting [[DJ mix]] differed from previous forms of dance music, which were oriented towards live performances by musicians. This in turn affected the arrangement of dance music, with songs since the disco era typically containing beginnings and endings marked by a simple beat or riff that can be easily slipped into the mix.
===Early hip-hop, electronica and rap===
The disco sound had a gigantic influence on early [[hip-hop]] and [[rap]]. Most of the early rap/hip-hop songs were created by isolating existing Disco bass-guitar lines and dubbing over them with MC rhymes. [[The Sugarhill Gang]] used Chic's "Good Times" as the foundation for their 1979 hit "[[Rapper's Delight]]", generally considered to be the song that first popularized hip hop in the United States and around the world. In 1982, [[Afrika Bambataa]] released the single "[[Planet Rock (song)|Planet Rock]]," which incorporated electronica elements from [[Kraftwerk]]'s "[[Trans-Europe Express (album)|Trans-Europe Express]]" and "Numbers." The "Planet Rock" sound also spawned a [[hip-hop]] electronic dance trend, which included such songs as [[Planet Patrol]]'s "Play At Your Own Risk" (1982), C Bank’s "One More Shot" (1982), [[Shannon (singer)|Shannon]]'s "[[Let the Music Play (song)|Let the Music Play]]" (1983), [[Freeez]]'s "I.O.U." (1983), [[Midnight Star]]'s "Freak-A-Zoid" (1983), and [[Chaka Khan]]'s "[[I Feel For You]]" (1984).
===House music===
{{main article|House music}}
House music is the direct heir apparent of Disco. A large number of disco performers and musicians have stated it was the same thing with a different name. Some might agree that record producers and synthesizer pioneers such as the American [[Patrick Cowley]] and Italian [[Giorgio Moroder]], who both had a number of hit disco singles such as Moroder's "From Here to Eternity" (1977) and Sylvester's "You Make Me Feel (Mighty Real)" (1978) and "Hills of Katmandu" (1978) influenced to some degree the development of the later electric dance music genres such as [[house (music)|house]] and its offshoot [[techno]]. Both early/proto House music and its stripped down offshoot ''techno'' rely on the repetitive bass drum rhythm and hi-hat rhythm patterns introduced by disco. However, as House music evolved over time, the productions became more lush with productions maintaining soulful vocals while re-introducing live instrumentation and live complex percussion mixed with the electronic drums and synthesizers — basically coming full circle back to the Disco musical ideals with a contemporary edge to them. Techno became more mechanical and devoid of organic flourishes, relying more on instrumental compositions or with minimal synthesized vocals.
Early house music, which was developed by innovative [[DJ]]s such as [[Larry Levan]] in New York and [[Frankie Knuckles]] in Chicago, consisted of various disco loops overlapped by strong bass beats. House music was usually computer-driven, and longer segments were used for mixing. Clubs associated with the birth of house music include New York's [[Paradise Garage]] and Chicago's [[Warehouse (nightclub)| Warehouse]] and The Music Box.
===1990s and 2000s "disco revival"===
In the 1990s, a revival of the original disco style began to emerge. The disco influence can be heard in songs as [[Gloria Estefan]]'s "[[Get On Your Feet]]" (1991), [[Paula Abdul]]'s "[[Vibeology]]" (1992), [[Whitney Houston]]'s "[[I'm Every Woman]]" (1993), [[U2]]’s "[[Lemon (U2 song)|Lemon]]" (1993), [[Diana Ross]]'s "[[Take Me Higher]]" (1995), The [[Spice Girls]]’ "[[Who Do You Think You Are]]" (1997) and "[[Never Give up on the Good Times]]" (1997), [[Gloria Estefan]]'s "[[Heaven's What I Feel]]" (1998) & "[[Don't Let This Moment End]]" (1999), [[Cher]]’s "[[Strong Enough (Cher song)|Strong Enough]]" (1998), and [[Jamiroquai]]'s "[[Canned Heat (song)|Canned Heat]]" (1999).
The trend continued in the 2000s with hit songs such as [[Kylie Minogue]]’s "[[Spinning Around]]" (2000) and "[[Love at First Sight]]" (2002), [[Sheena Easton]]'s "Givin' Up, Givin' In" (2001), [[Sophie Ellis-Bextor]]'s smash single [[Murder on the Dancefloor]] (2002), [[S Club 7]]'s singles [[Don't Stop Movin' (S Club 7 song)|Don't Stop Movin']] (2001), [[Alive (S Club song)|Alive]] (2002) and [[Love Ain't Gonna Wait For You]] (2003), The Shapeshifters' "Lola's Theme" (2003),[[Janet Jackson]]'s "[[R&B Junkie]]" (2004), [[La Toya Jackson]]'s "[[Just Wanna Dance]]" (2004), and [[Madonna (entertainer)|Madonna]]’s 2005 album ''[[Confessions on a Dancefloor|Confessions on a Dance Floor]]'' echoes traditional disco themes, particularly in the single "[[Hung Up]]," which samples [[ABBA]]'s "[[Gimme! Gimme! Gimme! (A Man After Midnight)]]."
In the mid-late 2000s, many disco-influenced songs have been released, becoming hits, including [[Ultra Nate]]'s "Love's The Only Drug" (2006), [[Gina G]]’s "Tonight's The Night" (2006), The Shapeshifters' "Back To Basics" (2006), Michael Gray's "Borderline" (2006), [[Irene Cara]]'s "Forever My Love" (2006), [[Bananarama]]'s "[[Look on the Floor (Hypnotic Tango)]]", [[Dannii Minogue]]'s "[[Perfection (song)|Perfection]]" (2006), [[Akcent]]'s "Kings of Disco" (2007), the [[Freemasons (band)|Freemasons]] "Rain Down Love" (2007), [[Claudja Barry]]'s "I Will Stand" (2006), [[Suzanne Palmer]]'s "Free My Love" (2007), [[Pepper Mashay]]'s "Lost Yo Mind" (2007) and [[Sophie Ellis-Bextor]]’s "[[Me and My Imagination]]" (2007) [[Maroon 5]]'s "[[Makes Me Wonder]]" (2007) [[Justice]]’s "[[D.A.N.C.E.]]" (2007). Music producer, [[Ian Levine]] has also produced many new songs with such singers as George Daniel Long, [[Hazell Dean]], [[Sheila Ferguson]], [[Steve Brookstein]] and [[Tina Charles]] among others for the compilation album titled, ''[[Disco 2008]]'', a tribute to Disco music using original material.
In recent years, artists such as [[Ali Love]] and [[Hercules and Love Affair]] have revived the disco sound.
==See also==
{{wikiquote}}
* [http://www.discomusic.com/charts-more/2664_0_8_0_C/ 700 DJ Certified Top Disco Dance Songs]
* [[Saturday Night Fever]]
* [[Disco orchestration]]
* [http://rightonband.com/ Right On Band]
* [[Funk]]
* Lists of disco artists: [[List of disco artists (A-E)|(A-E)]], [[List of disco artists (F-K)|(F-K)]], [[List of disco artists (L-R)|(L-R)]], [[List of disco artists (S-Z)|(S-Z)]]
* [[Disco punk]]
* [[Motown Sound]]
* [[Number-one dance hits of 1978 (USA)]]
* [[Number-one dance hits of 1979 (USA)]]
* [[Philadelphia International Records]]
* [[Philly soul]]
* [[Soul music]]
* [[TK Records]]
* [[African American music]]
==References and notes==
{{reflist}}
* Michaels, Mark (1990). ''The Billboard Book of Rock Arranging''. ISBN 0-8230-7537-0.
* Jones, Alan and Kantonen, Jussi (1999). ''Saturday Night Forever: The Story of Disco''. Chicago, Illinois: A Cappella Books. ISBN 1-55652-411-0.
* Article on the [http://blogcritics.org/archives/2007/09/19/163620.php 30th Annversary of Saturday Night Fever DVD], re-mastered by writer John Reed.
==Further reading==
* Brewster, Bill and Broughton, Frank (1999) ''Last Night a DJ Saved my Life: the History of the Disc Jockey'' Headline Book Publishing Ltd. ISBN 0-7472-6230-6
* Lawrence, Tim (2004) ''Love Saves the Day: A History of American Dance Music Culture, 1970-1979''. Duke University Press. ISBN 0-8223-3198-5.
* Angelo, Marty (2006) ''Once Life Matters: A New Beginning''. Impact Publishing. ISBN 0961895446.
* Shapiro, Peter (2005) ''Turn The Beat Around - The Secret History Of Disco''. Faber And Faber. ISBN-10 0865479526 ISBN-13 978-0865479524
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