Its Disco Saturday for the 3rd weekend of June 2011.
Opening the disco blog we celebrate birthdays. This week we highlight two birthdays.
It is a safe bet that most of you may not know who recorded some disco tracks before bigger fame as a TV mom.
Phylicia Ayers-Allen was born June 19, 1948. When she married Amhad Rashad in 1985 she became one of the rare popular celebrities to change her public name to her match her married name. Most when they get married keep the name they are known professionally as their stage name.
Phylicia reached her greatest fame as "Clair Huxtable" on "The Cosby Show" but she has disco roots. She recorded her own music and was married for years to Victor Willis, a member of The Village People during that groups highest success.
Here is one hard to find example of Phylicia's disco music from her 1978 album honoring Josephine Baker.
There were other recordings on YouTube from time to time but they are not available at the time of this blog post. But Happy birthday to Phylicia Ayers-Allen-Rashad on June 19th.
As for her former husband's group The Village People. You won't see much of their music on this blog simply because most of their music through YouTube isn't allowed for embedding on blogs and websites. Artists, recording and publishing companies do own the rights to the music and can dictate how they can be used. So if they don't allow it, you won't see it here. And it is very possible that anything already posted here might not be available at a later date.
Having said that, let get back to the music that we can hear for Disco Saturday
This week's second birthday honoree is Lionel Richie who's birthday is June 20, 1949
His group during the Disco Era of course would be The Commodores and there surely were many a "Brick House" on the dance floor.
Lionel Richie and The Commodores were also in a Disco era feature film, "Thank God Its Friday"
The Commodores hit single from the movie soundtrack was "Too Hot To Trot"
Also on the soundtrack and starring in the movie was Donna Summer with her song "Last Dance"
Oh but that isn't the last dance. Disco Saturday has more!
"Lets All Chant" by The Michael Zager Band
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This one is a favorite you will hear occasionally in its entirety on "Feel The Spin", a great music program hosted by Larry Flick on SiriusXM satellite radio's "OutQ" channel. A Donna Summer Suite "Once Upon A Time.. Rumour Has It / I Love You / Happily Ever After".
By all means, check out Larry's show. It's definitely worth your time on Sunday afternoons. Click on Larry Flick's name to follow him on Twitter or click the link on the right side of this page for "Feel The Spin" blogs that will include a song list.
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One long set of Donna Summer requires equal time. Here is a long set of Gloria Gaynor's mid 1970's finest. "Never Can Say Goodbye" "Honey Bee" "Reach Out I'll Be There" and "If You Want It (Do It Yourself)"
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And since I am in the mood this week for the LONG sets. And I must include something out of Philadelphia. "Love Is the Message" by MFSB is clearly one of the best dance tunes of the 1970's from one of the best collection of musicians from the decade and beyond. Any long and lush recording of theirs under any identity is a treat to the ears.
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And to close out this week's Disco Saturday, we get long and funky. "Not just knee Deep" by Funkadelic and featuring the vocals of the late Phillippe' Wynne formerly of The Spinners.
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