It's been a hot July. Well it's always a HOT July. Temperatures in the 100's for much of the country but even temps in the 80's and 90's for some in the inner city can be hard to bear. So hoping you are staying cool out there. As you sit with a cool drink and a fan blowing a breeze on you this week's "Disco Saturday" will be in the 80's and 90's. Starting with a one hit wonder who's lead singer had slightly greater success on her own.
"Keep In Touch (Body to Body)" by Shades of Love (1982)
The lead singer of Shades of Love was Me'lisa Morgan
"Fools Paradise" by Me'lisa Morgan (1986)
Me'lisa's first solo hit was a remake of Prince's "Do Me Baby" but in the early 90's she had an upbeat cover of Al Green's "I'm Still In Love with You"
When I heard the Shades of Love song today I was driving through the tiny town of Sharon Georgia. So for that I offer a few Sharons for you to dance to.
"I Specialize In Love" by SHARON Brown
"Can You Handle It" by the late SHARON Redd (1982)
A now couple songs from the late great Gwen Guthrie that remind me of my time living in New York City in the early and mid 1980's. And I remember those HOT summers in the city. Air Conditioning was GOLDEN especially when you were too poor to have it in your own room at home and the best you could do was put a fan in the window and sit by that window at night switching back and forth between WBLS & 98.7 Kiss on the radio. There was musical pleasure with the pain of heat in the summer.
"It Should Have Been You" by Gwen Guthrie
"Seventh Heaven" by Gwen Guthrie
"Peanut Butter" by Gwen Guthrie
And a few more selections you might have grooved to back in the 80's.
"Party Lites" by Slave (1981)
"Over Like A Fat Rat" by Fonda Rae (1981)
"One More Shot" by C-Bank
And we close out this 80's edition of "Disco Saturday" with Joyce Sims
"All and All"
Stay cool this hot summer of 2011. Next week "Disco Saturday" may recognize a milestone birthday in a disco way. Come back to the blog to find out what that means.
Showing posts with label NYC. Show all posts
Showing posts with label NYC. Show all posts
Saturday, July 30, 2011
Wednesday, July 13, 2011
The New York Blackout 1977
Where were you when the lights went out in New York City on July 13, 1977?
They called it a BLACKOUT
I was a child growing up in South Florida with relatives living in New York. I remember watching favorite TV shows like "Welcome Back Kotter" and "Baretta" when suddenly there was a "special report" from the network news telling viewers nationwide that the electricity had gone out in the New York area.
During the overnight hours of July 13Th, 1977 and into the next day as people were stuck in elevators and on subways, looting ensued in many areas and there were hundreds of fires. It was chaos for some and in my own family there was a birth. One of my relatives gave birth to a baby girl on what was supposed to be a night of celebration of her mother's birthday. Now grandmother and granddaughter share the same birthday. Today that entire segment of the family lives in Virginia and in the 1990's another child was born on this day.
It's easy for me to remember the day for its infamy and the birthdays in my family. And there is a favorite disco song about that day by one of the legendary Disco groups, The Trammps.
"The Night The Lights Went Out" was released within a couple months of the 1977 Blackout and proved to be a regional hit especially in the disco clubs. But also to the real fans of The Trammps over the years who listen beyond their big hit "Disco Inferno".
The Trammps "Disco Inferno" would become a huge hit into the next year from the massive success of "Saturday Night Fever" which hit movie screens later in 1977.
Local news report as the lights returned to New York City.
They called it a BLACKOUT
I was a child growing up in South Florida with relatives living in New York. I remember watching favorite TV shows like "Welcome Back Kotter" and "Baretta" when suddenly there was a "special report" from the network news telling viewers nationwide that the electricity had gone out in the New York area.
During the overnight hours of July 13Th, 1977 and into the next day as people were stuck in elevators and on subways, looting ensued in many areas and there were hundreds of fires. It was chaos for some and in my own family there was a birth. One of my relatives gave birth to a baby girl on what was supposed to be a night of celebration of her mother's birthday. Now grandmother and granddaughter share the same birthday. Today that entire segment of the family lives in Virginia and in the 1990's another child was born on this day.
It's easy for me to remember the day for its infamy and the birthdays in my family. And there is a favorite disco song about that day by one of the legendary Disco groups, The Trammps.
"The Night The Lights Went Out" was released within a couple months of the 1977 Blackout and proved to be a regional hit especially in the disco clubs. But also to the real fans of The Trammps over the years who listen beyond their big hit "Disco Inferno".
The Trammps "Disco Inferno" would become a huge hit into the next year from the massive success of "Saturday Night Fever" which hit movie screens later in 1977.
Local news report as the lights returned to New York City.
Saturday, July 02, 2011
Disco Saturday: Liberty and the freedom to dance
This week's Disco Saturday celebrates Liberty and the Freedom to dance your ass off.
Happy 4th of July weekend to everyone in the United States.
Happy Birthday in heaven to the great Phyllis Hyman (7/6/1949-6/30/1995)
"Heavenly"
Also happy birthday in heaven to Gene McFadden (July 2, 1948 – January 27, 2006), half of the team McFadden & Whitehead as legendary songwriters with Victor Carstarphen at Philadelphia International. One of their disco gems here is "Tell The World How I Feel About Cha' Baby" by Harold Melvin & The Bluenotes
"Sing A Happy Song" by The O'Jays
"Over and Over" Sylvester
"There But For The Grace of God" by Machine
"Any Love" Rufus Featuring Chaka Khan
"Shine On Silver Moon" by Marilyn McCoo and Billy Davis Jr
Billy Davis celebrated a birthday recently and it was also his wedding anniversary to Marilyn McCoo. Both the same day, June 26th.
This was their entry in the Disco genre.
"Don't You Want My Love" by Debbie Jacobs
"This Time Baby" by Jackie Moore
And in closing, Disco Saturday would be remiss to not offer a congratulations to the Disco fans of New York State who happen to be Gay or Lesbian as the state of New York legalized their right to marry. There have been celebrations for the past week from Gay Pride and many weddings are being planned as New Yorkers enter the Fourth of July holiday weekend and the official start of marriage equality in the coming weeks.
Here are two disco-ish songs in your honor.
The vocal version of "Loves Theme" by Love Unlimited
And
"I Love New York" by Steve Karmen
Happy 4th of July weekend to everyone in the United States.
Happy Birthday in heaven to the great Phyllis Hyman (7/6/1949-6/30/1995)
"Heavenly"
Also happy birthday in heaven to Gene McFadden (July 2, 1948 – January 27, 2006), half of the team McFadden & Whitehead as legendary songwriters with Victor Carstarphen at Philadelphia International. One of their disco gems here is "Tell The World How I Feel About Cha' Baby" by Harold Melvin & The Bluenotes
"Sing A Happy Song" by The O'Jays
"Over and Over" Sylvester
"There But For The Grace of God" by Machine
"Any Love" Rufus Featuring Chaka Khan
"Shine On Silver Moon" by Marilyn McCoo and Billy Davis Jr
Billy Davis celebrated a birthday recently and it was also his wedding anniversary to Marilyn McCoo. Both the same day, June 26th.
This was their entry in the Disco genre.
"Don't You Want My Love" by Debbie Jacobs
"This Time Baby" by Jackie Moore
And in closing, Disco Saturday would be remiss to not offer a congratulations to the Disco fans of New York State who happen to be Gay or Lesbian as the state of New York legalized their right to marry. There have been celebrations for the past week from Gay Pride and many weddings are being planned as New Yorkers enter the Fourth of July holiday weekend and the official start of marriage equality in the coming weeks.
Here are two disco-ish songs in your honor.
The vocal version of "Loves Theme" by Love Unlimited
And
"I Love New York" by Steve Karmen
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