Payola Shocker: J-Lo Hits, Others Were 'Bought' by Sony.

[Meffy]

Don't forget "Boogie on Your Face" by Bill Cosby, from "Disco Bill." (No fooling.)

[Bruce Bartlett]

Better still, it was even given it's own credit on the liner notes of SNF, credited to a Bernard Lupe (Lupe/Loop....geddit ?). allegedly, a huge amount of calls were received from people looking to book Bernard for their sessions !! LOL

Oh, I can just imagine... "wow... he keeps perfect time!"

Seriously though, all that done not to be clever, but because they were recording in a remote location, had a tight deadline to meet, and suddenly found themselves without a drummer. Just goes to show how necessity is the mother of invention.

[crimsontider]

Personally, I hate genres. I just love music.

I am not saying anything about how white people can't do this or that, just that disco was a black and gay thing first and foremost. That's not my opinion, that's fact.

What does this have to do with if the Bee Gee's were disco or not? You are trying to point out that since they are not black or gay, then that is evidence that their music was not Disco, even though it was structured like disco. Exclusion for something they have no control over.

What I was really trying to get across was that the Bee Gee's were not representative of the true essence of the genre we call disco. Bruce's post puts it much better than I maybe did.

I'll just say in closing that your "true essence" statement shows where we differ. The ingredients you are talking about include skin color and background.

[AdInfinitum]

I wonder if the the Brothers Gibb would be willing to return all the f'ing money that they earned from SNL in exchange for undoing the connection to disco forced on them. I think probably not.

[Failed Muso]

[crimsontider]

I wonder if the the Brothers Gibb would be willing to return all the f'ing money that they earned from SNL in exchange for undoing the connection to disco forced on them. I think probably not.

Only Maurice:!:

[Bruce Bartlett]

I wonder if the the Brothers Gibb would be willing to return all the f'ing money that they earned from SNL in exchange for undoing the connection to disco forced on them. I think probably not.

Maybe they would. Remember that, after the backlash in late '79, they were utterly ridiculed and their music banished for a good 20 years in North America. The very mention of their name made people snicker with the memory of the white outfits and tacky gold medallions (which, BTW, appear to be back in style as long as you call them "bling"). They continued to produce good pop, but their name was so tarnished here that most of their success came from the songs which they wrote for other artists. Even now, after all they've done, most people think of them as "disco" and shut their ears. They could quite possibly have had a much more profitable and respected career if they hadn't been pigeonholed into a genre which they never really were to begin with.

[herodotus]

The very mention of their name made people snicker with the memory of the white outfits and tacky gold medallions .

Actually it was the screeching falsetto voices that all of my friends were snickering at.

I of course, abstained loftily from such cheap laughs.

[Hink]

I wonder if the the Brothers Gibb would be willing to return all the f'ing money that they earned from SNL in exchange for undoing the connection to disco forced on them. I think probably not.

I doubt SNL (saturday night live) paid them much...now SNF...that's a different story...

[Meffy]

SNL -- The Disco Brothers. Whaddaya want for nothing? Velour biiiis-CUIT!

[Hink]

The very mention of their name made people snicker with the memory of the white outfits and tacky gold medallions .

Actually it was the screeching falsetto voices that all of my friends were snickering at.

I of course, abstained loftily from such cheap laughs.

I didn't...but on the other hand I was a huge Queen fan (still am)...I will admit I had to defend that once or twice...

[herodotus]

The very mention of their name made people snicker with the memory of the white outfits and tacky gold medallions .

Actually it was the screeching falsetto voices that all of my friends were snickering at.

I of course, abstained loftily from such cheap laughs.

I didn't...but on the other hand I was a huge Queen fan (still am)...I will admit I had to defend that once or twice...

Queen used falsetto with self deprecating humor.

And they were also really phenomenally talented, at least by the standards of commercial rock. I mean, how many bands do you know that could pull off 'The prophet song' even with digital editing and midi?

But they did it ON TAPE!! They played or sang every note in real time.

[wwwill]

...however not being a fan of disco I will say that last paragraph is uncalled for, racist and absurd....should I not like Living Color, or Tony Mcalpine...or perhaps dislike Thin Lizzy? Sorry but there is no room in my world for bigots....

Woah there Hink, that was not a racist remark, nor was it absurd. Disco was a musical movement dominated in almost every way by black artists. Ask anyone around at the time. Very much like rap and hip hop, if you will. That's not racist, that's fact. And as with those genre's, Disco was taken on by a huge amount of white artists that used it to be more "hip" and "of the time". That's not racist, that's fact. The interpretation of Disco by many white artists watered down the rawness of the black variations. This was mainly done to make Disco more acceptable to the mass record buying public.

So, far from being racist, I was trying to emphasise how Disco, like so many other genre's was ripped out from the underground and made "nice" for the masses.

You can like whoever you like musically. I am white and my favourite artist is Prince. I love music, no matter who it is made by.

Do not accuse me of being racist when that is the very last thing I am.

well I dont know you and I always give someone the benefit of the doubt, however I think "white it up" was a poor choice of words...yes it's true that disco was more black then, and when I was in the service no doubt you had a good idea what "color" a barracks room was by the music...but that wasn't 100%. IMO the rooms shouldn't of been that way, but that's how it was in the 70's.

TBH I'm a big hockey fan, love the game...and again, it's sad but true...but there was a long period of time where the was not a black man on the ice...if someone said hockey was good until they blacked it up I would react exactly the same way.

Sorry for any mis-understanding, but it is a sore nerve for me...I think if we stopped calling people black and white and tried using their names instead, the world would be a more friendly place...that's one thing I like about here, with a few exceptions I'm not sure of the ethnic background of anyone here...and I dont care, everybody is the same...

Sorry to beat a dead horse but maybe there is some perspective necessary.

Hink I understand that you hate to associate music with ethnicity/culture. I agree that music is universally loved by all kinds.

But this is the think that makes you have to recognize these trends:


None of these women are Jocelyn Brown, the main vocalist on this project.



Neither of these women is Norma Jean.

Putting white faces on black music is a rich tradition, I can recall a Nat King Cole album cover and an Etta James cover that did not have either of them on it. Although they had the nice suburban white face to represent the peace.

Now. I know this will get me flamed, but...

I think it's OK to make judgements based on race/culture. After all, if I'm in a new city and I want Asian food I won't be going to Gomez and Sons Fiesta. Same way if I'm in the mood for a tostada I wouldn't walk into Pacific's Three Happiness.

The problem in my mind is when we combine judgements with negativity: I hate ALL blacks, ALL mexicans steal, ALL white people smell like dog when they get wet, ALL Germans are Nazis. This is no good. Respect of all peoples' cultures requires some sort of prejudice. I wouldn't recommend to someone who is following a strict kosher diet to get a cheeseburger (Isn't there a kosher rule about mixing meet and dairy?).

You are correct Hink in that we must learn accepptance in our world, now more than ever. In your example of hockey, what SOME in the music industry has been doing is using black talented hockey players while they wear a white mask.

Since I'm on a roll...

Genres are very relative. If I say I love jazz what does that mean? Do I like Charlie Parker or Kennny G; Gershwin or Roy Ayers? There are so many forms of jazz: fusion, big band, ragtime, orthodox, new age.

Disco actually refers to the place where you would go, not necessarily the type of music you would hear in that place. Many old skoolers still refer to extended 12-inch mixes as the disco mix, even if the song was created yesterday. So to say disco sucks is wrong. As many have stated in this thread, what you hate is the commercial saturation of '70s dance/disco; especially to revive a floundering or talentless career. Record companies are largely clueless; this is what makes the payola story a non-story. Who really believes that some music exec is on the cutting edge of trends. Most labels don't want to take a chance on something untested. And when a format has proven to have a following , it's usually too late as all the real talents usually get snatched up and you are left with a lot of copycat "me too" groups.

In closing

Music will always be exploited as long as the main distribution channels are controlled by a handfull of organizations. Of course the market is upper-middle class suburban teens/young-20s: maybe white, black, orange, purple; nut most certainly green $$$$. They can afford to buy 1 CD for the house and 1 CD for the car changer and all ther peripheral posters, t-shirts, trading cards and the like.

This is why I listen to news radio.

BTW sory for the lousy images. I can't fit a whole album cover on my scanner.

[Hink]

Hink I understand that you hate to associate music with ethnicity/culture.

no that's not true, I don't believe music should be judged in that manner...culture especially is a big part of music...but once a genre starts to evolve it will likely appeal to more then just the culture that started it...I don't think it's fair to discrimante against those who enjoy the music of a culture other then their native culture or even sub-culture. Once a genre becomes globalized if you will, I would like to think that we could feel free to enjoy, perform and create that music...that's why "white it up" bothered me...let's not judge on that, let's accept it as another interpretation...not flame it because the artist isn't the right race or color...

[wwwill]

I agree. I should clarify. I think you don't like to associate people that LISTEN to a certain type of music with a certain ethnicity/culture.

Just because you are not a middle easterner doesn't mean you aren't allowed to enjoy/make middle eastern music.

Albeit that if you are not in tune with that culture your attempts to ake that type of music my be considered less "authentic". This is where the problems arise.