Disco | Boogie Vinyl 363 Items

For its new release, the Parisian crew Discomatin picked a lesser known banger of the boogie era, Maudit DJ by Clara Capri. Produced in Belgium by Jay Alansky with lyrics written by his sidekick Jacques Duvall, this EP brings together an Italo discoesque bassline surrounded by shiny synths and irresistible guitar licks. On top of that, Clara Capri sings with a high-pitched voice. Maudit DJ is a real celebration of the nightlife.
Fortunately, it’s brought here with all 3 versions transferred from the original tape masters: the extended “Version Longue” with its great introduction sounding like strong early house, the shorter “Version 45 Tours” if you’re in a hurry and, last but not least, the instrumental version for those too shy to play the vocals.
But let’s head back to the 80’s: Jay Alansky and Jacques Duvall are having a real success. They just produced famous Belgium female artist Lio’s first hits and have access to Dan Lacksman’s studio in Brussels - member of Telex with Marc Moulin. During this euphoric period, they met Clara Capri, a young Italian girl really crazy about Disco, swearing only by Giorgio Moroder or Chic.
Her two buddies decide to concoct her a real hymn to the dancefloor. For them it sounds like the perfect time, considering the duo always dreamed of being like a shadow production team, just like Motown’s very own Holland-Dozier-Holland. With a great care to the production and the sound and with the best technologies from the era, they managed to create this French dance music attempt, at a moment when nobody was speaking about French Touch.
Thanks to Discomatin, it’s now available to the real connoisseurs with an exclusive insert which contains lyrics, again with fantastic illustrations from french artist Camille de Cussac.

Since 2019 the collective of Parisian partygoers, Pardonnez-Nous, have decided to launch their own label. Just like their parties, their goal is to shine a light on dancing music.
Constantly looking for new tracks to enlighten the dancefloors, their outings are in line with the vision of deejaying defended by its founders. Finding forgotten pieces that are the geneses of dance music and mixing them with more contemporary sounds. Re-editions, edits, remixes or original productions the label doesn’t just stick to one style but aspires to represent all the music of partying!
For its 1st release, the label strike hard and unearthed a quite surprising hidden track by one of the most famous band from the French Islands.
La Compagnie Créole: born in 1975, this mythical band known by all the francophones will be remembered by future generations, thanks to all those super hits spread over the course of 23 albums, mixing music from the Antilles, Guyane and popular tunes from the French metropole.
Amongst all those classics, making people dance in all the French ballrooms, one stands out: A.I.É, written by Daniel Vangarde in 1987, his Creole lyrics and melodies have won over the entire francophone diaspora, as well as the rest of Europe and North America.
From then on, in 1988, a NY DJ, known by the name of Larry Levan, produced a remix of this track for the soundtrack of the film Sweet Lies. A mix not released, which remained relatively unknown up to this point. “Pardonnez-Nous” (Excuse us), but here it is.

Charly Kingson, (ps. for Charlie Kingue Soppo) is a legend of afro-funk who managed to shake the entire continent up with his infamous 1978 LP, Born In Africa. Often forgotten when conversations turn to Afro-dance, and the likes of Tony Allen or Fela Kuti, he has been an incredible source of inspiration to many musicians exploring the funkier side of jazz-dance, and this album itself goes way beyond any traditional notion of tropical discotheque. "Born In African" itself is a funky groover for the dancefloor and here is the original 1982 Remix, made by Dutch legendary percussionist Eddie Conard available again, featuring “Nimele Bolo” on the flip-side. Released in 1982 on Ariola/Fleet, but also pressed on the original Fleet label. The latter (remarkably with identical catalog-number) never saw daylight. But, we got them all! All in all, this hard to find 12” (at Discogs copies on the Ariola/Fleet label go for around 250 euro) was recently re-discovered, and now you can finally enjoy it again.

Killer official reissue of this fabulous UK Boogie track produced by the great
Eric Matthew during 1986!! Limited to 300 copies only!

The 12" vinyl Sugar "Happy Anniversary" from 1983, reissued under the name Pure Natural Project!

Mother’s I’d Like To Funk are back with another sizzling hot re-issue, this time straight from Denmark. Danish pop group “Boulevard” released an obscure LP back in 1981, called “American Dream”. This official re-issue features the street funk anthem “Ready For Your Love” on the A Side, with a special “Synthphonic” Dub version on the B Side (previously only available on the album) This special 7’ version is guaranteed to light up any dance floor.

Limited edition of 300 copies in vinyl reissue at 180 grams."Music Is My Sex" is to be inserted in the Italo-Disco trend of the early 80s, but also with a nod to Funk and Disco Music from overseas. The use of the Nile Rodgers-style guitar completes a rhythmic base in which the bass is played on the synthesizer, while the melodic lines are entrusted, in addition to the voice, to the electronic keyboards. Three members of Phono sang the various verses, while the bridge was entrusted to a carpet of keyboards. The keyboardist and arranger Paolo Biasich, a great fan of electronics, had built some synthesizers (also used by Giorgio Moroder) used in the song at his home. The piece, with the kick drums played in quarters and the sound dubbed with a synthetic sample, recorded in Sandy Dian's studio in Gambellara (close to Vicenza), was conceived to make people dance, while the text by the eclectic author and dee-jay Art De Rosa was a declaration of love for the music that goes around ("around and around") and that "gives us more", coming to compete with sex . The vocal version on the A side of the vinyl is joined by an instrumental version on the flip that ends with a piano solo. Limited edition of 300 copies in vinyl reissue at 180 grams.

Francesco Puccioni "born genius" in Florence, Mike Francis "becomes legend" in Rome. Deeply inspired in his adolescence by the emerging movements of North American soul, country and West Coast music and by artists such as Marvin Gaye, Stevie Wonder and James Taylor, Francesco began to compose refined songs with radiant energy every day. From the first acoustic gestures performed with the guitar, always keeping compositional creativity and improvisation under his arm, he enters the unexplored waters of Italian disco music. This slow and inexorable transformation allowed him to create in 1981 with the Metropole group (with Al Festa and Claudio Giusti, all still in their twenties) the international disco hit "Miss Manhattan", a true piece of proto-Italo-Disco! A year later the young Florentine singer-songwriter wrote two evocative soul-disco songs produced by Paul & Peter Micioni, published by Best Record and performed by a certain Mike Francis (!). This is the birth of the stage name which will forever accompany the musician who became a fundamental reference of the experimental Italo-Disco "scene", then soon recognized worldwide. This coveted 12" vinyl reissue comes out with the same Best Record commercial cover as 40 years ago and with the same 'red sticker'. And finally we have the juicy reissue of "Nightime Lady" and the more appetizing and danceable "Love Has Found You", both perfectly remastered by Dom Scuteri, excellent in obtaining an impeccable sound recording, even eliminating some imperceptible defects of the original master tape. Therefore a super reissue (in limited edition) to listen to everywhere with the smart phone and to dance with joy and elegance at any type of party.

The Emotional Rescue reissue series of Noel Williams aka King Sporty working with other artists and singers on the Konduko label's roster comes to completion with the deep funk disco of The Prolifics' Boy Child.

Formed in 1970 as part of "Senator" Nolan Jones' New Orleans soul and funk label Hep' Me Records, the bands early deep southern soul saw them release a series of 7"s for Hep' Me and Avco, plus an Xmas single for EMI and the minor hit A Place Called Home, recorded at the infamous Musle Shoals studios, backed by the Rhythm Section band who, from the early 60s, turned out hit after hit, from When A Man Loves A Women to Brown Sugar.

Landing on the newly inked Drive label, set up in '72 by Henry Stone as a sub label of his burgeoning T.K Records empire, their developing move in to funk saw them featured alongside Funky Nassau, Jimmy Castor and Peter Brown. It is here the connection with Noel Williams was formed. While putting together the "Konduko Six Pack" showcase album, the band were invited to the Miami Sound Studios for sessions that brought us both title cut Boy Child and the accompanying You Got Me.

All brass and claps, Boy Child is as funky as Williams got, backing the groups soul vocals, a story of first born's energetic path in life and a mothers love. The backing from Deep Rockers band bring the swing, the trippy keys and wide bottom end has made this a secret drop for many. You Got Me on the other hand is true King Sporty, a driving 9-minute disco boogie cut, where the warm harmonies lay down this uplifting, killer dance floor stop.

To close, the flip is again given over for reinterpretation, welcoming back Felix Dickinson to expertly cut, loop and dub. A special personal song for Dickinson, his subtle extension teases the intro for DJ play, before letting things fly - "the little show-off" as the song notes. With a near 30-year DJ and production career in place, his Discomix is a fitting way to complete this cycle of reissues of this benchmark label, for now.

Two Velvet Hammer heaters reissued officially for the first time since 1977, 45 years since their original release this time on limited edition red vinyl. An essential slice of Chicago history via Soozi Records, ‘Party Hardy’ is a gorgeous disco groover whilst the B, ‘Happy’, is the ultimate feel-good modern soul classic and about as anthemic as they get. The appeal of this record knows no limits, whether you’ve heard it once or one hundred times. With mint originals being virtually impossible to get your hands on and 2nd hand copies that do come up, clocking in at £250+, this is a reissue which will please many a music lover. Red 7" vinyl in black sleeve.

Limited edition transparent blue vinyl reissue of a slice of 1978 modern soul brilliance from Philly’s Breakwater in the form of ‘No Limit’. Original copies of the Arista promo-only 12 inch trade hands for over £200 on the second-hand market and the mighty Mike Maurro has been given the keys to those cherished stems, providing an exquisite multi-track edit in true Maurro fashion. Extended, teased and tweaked in all the right places for an 8-and-a-half-minute version of this complete classic. The B side houses the much sought after, 12 inch extended version, from the super rare promo-only Arista release. Essential Breakwater business. Arista Disco picture sleeve, transparent blue vinyl.

New York boogie royalty right here, the holy trinity of The Fantastic Aleems, Leroy Burgess and John Morales. ‘Get Down Friday Night’ is a stone-cold classic, the Aleem twins taking care of the music, the legend Leroy behind the mic and mixed by the master Morales. Reissued for the first time since it’s 1982 release, it’s been a perennial underground club hit for 40 years and rightly deserves a home in every collection for that reason alone. Limited edition Green vinyl Green label version

Time for some rare late 70s soul royalty out of Memphis, Tennessee, a top rung rarity on the collector scene, Coco & Ben - Good Feelin'. Ben Robinson was recently tracked down by friends of the label Daniel Mathis and Robert Garcia, lucky for the world he was still sitting on the tapes for this slightly longer take (as well as some unreleased tracks) allowing us to cut this disco floater as a nice loud 12" for the first time, now sounding better than it ever has, don't sleep on the flip either. Utterly essential record.

Produced by George Nowak, a German musician who ended up in the Cayman Island in 1971, aka the Barefoot man. “What a heat” is a dreamy slow paced disco cruise (with obvious reggae influences) highly suggestive of the beautiful nuances that might be part of West Caribbean island life. With the opportunity of more playtime allowed on the 12” format, an attempt at further prolonging this dreamy feeling is made with an extended edit. On the B-side, a Calypso bonus beats style edit by Castro takes a few bars of the original B-side “Phyllip's Calypso” and turns it into a tripped out dubby dacefloor DJ tool. Original artwork with commercial advertisements on the backside. Faithfully restored and remastered for your listening pleasure.

**7" vinyl in printed house-bag w/ Postcard insert**
Freestyle dig out another rarity in the form of a DIY brit-funk 7" from Highway Motion aka David Humphrey (a session drummer who played with Sparks, and with PiL on the iconic Metal Box LP & Death Disco 12"). Tinged with raw post-punk edge and 70s library music-style synth leads, this 45 is quite simply massive amounts of fun.
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David Humphrey's professional career as a drummer began aged 19 with Public Image Ltd, providing some of the drum tracks on their iconic Metal Box album and Death Disco single. Humphrey would then go on to work with Mike Oldfield and then Sparks, playing with the latter on their Number One Song in Heaven tour, Top of The Pops and recording sessions for Beat the Clock and Tryouts for the Human Race (those sessions were included and featured in Edgar Wright's recent film 'The Sparks Brothers).
In 1980, Clap Hands and Double O One Disco were recorded under the name 'Highway Motion' - intended by Humphrey as "raw experimental tracks" they were both laid down on a 4-track and subsequently released on the DIY Star Records imprint. Rough, grooving, candid and playful; these two tracks seem to somehow simultaneously meld the burgeoning brit-funk sound of the early 80s with a riotous post-punk edge, along with a good dollop of synth-led library music.
Following it's release David formed the group Reflex, recording and releasing the Funny Situation 7" in 1981 - forming the only other title in the Star Records catalogue. A more straight-up brit-funk dancer yet still pressed and sold in small quantities, Funny Situation became a sought-after record on the second hand collector's market, and finally saw reissue last September 2020 on the start-up Paint A Picture label - garnering plays from from Gilles Peterson on BBC 6 Music and Worldwide FM, StreetSounds radio and reaching No 1 in Juno records Chart. David has now started to working on new music using the name Davey H, and released his first new material in decades recently on Six Nine Records.

The unique sounds of Ray Phiri's Stimela are showcased on this gem of a 12” EP from 1986. It was originally released only in South Africa on Gallo / CBS Records, although a 12" featuring the track 'I Hate Telling A Lie' was previously released on Plum Records in 1983. It has now become a sought-after item due to its addictive and original-sounding Balearic disco / cosmic boogie-esque nature.

Stimela were a popular and successful Mbaquanga / fusion outfit led by the guitarist, vocalist, songwriter, producer and arranger Ray Phiri; who was previously a member of the legendary band The Cannibals. The musicians would go on to gain global fame after featuring on Paul Simon's iconic 'Graceland' album and the mega tour that followed.

Kicking off the EP is a magical track that floored us from the first moment we heard it and one that has since become a Mr Bongo firm favourite. ‘I Hate Telling A Lie’ is a slow, infectious building groove that sits somewhere between lowdown jazz-funk, soul, reggae and gospel with shades of new wave pop and Balearic. It’s a truly stunning track that is hard to pigeonhole and all the better for it.

Another highlight from the EP is the monster instrumental, synth-boogie sound of 'I Love You'; championed by DJs such as Jeremy Spellacey (Crown Ruler). This hypnotic groove bubbles to perfection and is a slo-mo chugger extraordinaire.

We hope you dig it as much as we do.

It comes as no surprise to discover we are massive fans of Marcos Valle here at Mr Bongo, but this forgotten and obscure gem from the Brazilian maestro has proven to remain elusive to us until very recently.

'Girassol' is a lost Brazilian-boogie stunner from 1983. It was originally released as an ultra-rare promo only 7”. Composed by Marcos Valle, Paulo Sérgio Valle and Ribeiro José Francisco, this all-too-short nugget (under 2 minutes) was recorded and pressed on the Valle, Ribeiro & Associados Ltda. imprint for Rede CB De Supermercados. It was a promotional item to be distributed to customers of a supermarket chain as a gift. Due to not having any conventional distribution channels this resulted in the 7" becoming a slippery customer to find.

It’s a smooth AOR / Brazilian boogie joint with an uplifting chorus. The vibe is reminiscent of the much loved ‘Estrelar' era of Marcos Valle’s glorious recording career, and certainly one for fans of the Lincoln Olivetti, Robson Jorge production sound.

"Another Italo Disco Pearl, Vega Synthauri! One the most spontaneous and genuine tracks of the first half of 80s. The song, written by composer Daniele Pace (co-author Corrado Conti), is a futuristic and galactic dance floor piece with a heavy rhythmic focus where the main melodic line has a classical music feel to it. A lovely combination! This track by Donna Laser is one of the most significant electronic tracks of the entire Italo-Disco scene even beyond the mid-80s, was arranged by the talented Mark Owen (aka Marco Colucci). His synthesizer skills are a true art! This release was mixed at the renowned Trafalgar Recording Studios of Rome by Gaetano Ria, one of the most accredited technicians of the country in that period. "Grace Kelly's Song" on the flip is a very beautiful quiet nostalgic piece, that could fit perfectly into an Italian dramatic film of the late 70s or early 80s, a cute and delicate track to unwind after the monster killer on side A! Masterpiece created by the young visionary DJ Marco Marati. Stunning release!"

"Worthy re-issue of obscure Trouble in Side, which is a one-off studio project entirely written, sung and arranged by Luigi Della Ragione. "Zulu Rap" represented a surprising alternative to the typical Italo-Disco sound perceived in Naples and around in the early 80s. This little-known production has some interesting arrangements, mostly in the short version, where the drum work out raised below, reminiscent of "Love Hangover" by Diana Ross. Actually at that time the Dance Music Report, in its 'Import' column wrote that the "intro" of the 'Alcoholic Version' was reminiscent of Madonna's "Holiday". while the 'Chinese Version' was inspired by a song from the Tears For Fears. Some of this news may pique the curiosity of DJs and collectors and provide enough motivation for the current reissue which faithfully reproduces the three 1984 versions as well as the original noteworthy cover artwork. If that wasn't enough: the B side of the original record had an extra track not listed, with the hand drums on a slower and unrelated "Zulu Rap" drum beat which is around 120 BPM, while the drums of the bonus track is about 113 BPM. A little more inside info... the beautiful Maria Chiara Perugini (aka Clio) is part of the choir vocals. She was part of the Airport label for the recording of her first solo song "Eyes". A historical re-release"

/ long version

Incredibly it’s 45 years since this timeless 45 first surfaced. But it’s only now that it’s become a dazzling duet...

UK record producer and songwriter Ian Levine cut his chops in 1976 linking up with Chicago studio wizards Paul Wilson and Danny Leake and cutting stunning Northern Soul tailor made with Windy City vocalists Barbara Pennington, LJ Johnson and Evelyn Thomas.The singles caused a sensation by giving the young producer his debut hits in the UK pop charts. Enthused by this success, Ian got back together with producer and songwriter Leake (who later worked with Stevie Wonder) and arranger Wilson (he went on to link up with Jerry Butler) and the trio masterminded a truly epic gem aimed at the booming USA Disco scene - Barbara Pennington’s 24 Hours A Day.

The incredible production. opus - complete with a stunning diva lead vocal, incredible scurrying strings,and an irresistibly catchy song that sounded like it was the equivalent of Ashford & Simpson on steroids -became me a massive disco anthem when released on the United Artists label. It was loved so much on both sides of the Atlantic that Ian uses the same backing track some time later to record a male vocalversion for AVI by LJ Johnson. Compared to the all conquering Barbara Pennington gem it went under the radar of everyone except the disco cognoscenti, despite being rather good in its own right.Now after tracking down the original 24 track studio masters, the two versions have been remixed by Paul Mooney to create a unique boy-girl duet.It sounds like it should have been done in the first place, and dare we say even better than the original “solo” versions.

The instantly recognisable, Northern / Modern Soul crossover, Rare Pleasure – Let Me Down Easy, featuring the entrancing Sandy Barber on lead vocals, gets a much-welcomed official reissue on 7" for RSD. A classic in it’s own right, alongside being expertly sampled by David Morales for the house anthem ‘Needin’ U’, original’s trade hands for £100+ so an official reissue is long overdue.