Disco | Boogie Vinyl 312 Items

Nino Lepore hails from South Italy, and is best known for his self-titled LP from 1986, as well as for his uncredited work on Dancer Record. The 'Chok Musik' 12" from Best Record Italy focuses on two productions from his sole LP, and in the titular track, sexualized funk basslines join a disco drum strut, as guitar riffs shimmer and brass and string orchestrations swirl deliriously between filmic romance and symphonic madness. And after a breakdown into percussive chaos, smooth piano solos alternate with passages of sizzling sax. As for "Bad Time," an introduction of decaying gongs leads to a broken beat groove, with strings evoking atmospheres of exotic noir and horns soloing softly over subdued funk bass motions and distant flashes of guitar. There are jazz rock breakdowns into liquid riffing and flamboyant brass, and during handclap climaxes, horns swell towards the sky.

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.

Full colour picture sleeve - officially licensed and remastered 12 inch reissue. Seen as one of the sparks that ignited the bridge between the Brit-Funk and UK Disco styles, Touchdown's 'Ease Your Mind' is a British classic from back in '81. Released on the iconic, influential and original UK dance music label Record Shack from the minds of Jeff Weston and Northern Soul, Blackpool Mecca and Wigan casino DJ/Promoter/icon, Ian Levine.

Black 7" dinked centre hole vinyl. Fully remastered reissue with replica artwork of this super sought after slice of 1980’s disco, 'Rockin – Poppin Full Tilting' celebrating the 40th anniversary of it's original release. A classic in it's own right, Midland brought it back to the forefront of people's minds, expertly sampling it in the 2016 summer anthem ‘Final Credits’, leaving many scrambling to find an original copy of the 7 inch. And with prices in excess of £125 it's high time an official reissue came around.

The third installment of this reissue series brings us the dreamy sounds of Kip Carmen & Danny Horton, two seasoned musicians telling us the story about a very special island. At the time of recording in 1980, Kip had already enjoyed a successful career in the entertainment industry after getting signed to Hi Records in Memphis and working together with artists such as Al Green and Jimmy Allen Smith. He then teamed up with Danny and a few other musicians starting a residency at the Long Island night club 'The Lion's Cage' where they played every Sunday night. Originally released on 7" only, the two songs have now been restored from the original master tapes and are pressed on a 12" including a previously unreleased extended version containing a part that was originally left out.

Upstairs, a band from Frankfurt, Germany was active from 1977 to 1983. Though considering themselves mainly a rock group, the band incorporated elements of funk, jazz rock and disco into their music. On their rare and privately released debut album “It’s Hard To Get In The Showbiz” from 1980 they created something that could be called Germany’s definite answer to AOR, yet still with an edgy and unique krautrock flavor. The album starts with "Wontcha Try," a track where core songwriter, guitarist and lead singer Helmer Sauer is telling the story about being dismissed from his job: "They tried to tell me in a fucking gentle way, that the time had come to kick me…". Sauer serves more personal, hard-edged lyrics on the album as well. On "Happy Hooker," for example, he tells the story of a working girl in the red light milieu: "The job is as hard that you really can never imagine, she serves for the money, degradin' herself in a way - if you'd know how she's feelin' you wouldn't laugh at all". An empathetic view on the subject of prostitution rarely heard at that time. But aside from the profound lyrics and songwriting, the album has a lot to offer on the groovy side of things. With catchy bass lines, rhythm guitar, Fender Rhodes, Moog synthesizer, Clavinet and swift crisp drumming "It's Hard To Get In The Showbiz" is one of the best examples of late 70s flavored funky rock from Germany. Additional to the aforementioned "Wontcha Try" another DJ delight should be "Make Your Steps On Better Lines" which showcases a superb synth line and disco funk flavors. We also get the slick mellow latinesque AOR grooves of "Get On A Plane" as well as the now-classic "You're Just Yourself", which marks the most soulful track of the LP. As followers of our label are already well aware, "You're Just Yourself" was featured on the compilation, "Boogie On The Mainline – A Collection Of Rare Disco, Funk And Boogie From Germany 1980-1987" from 2018. The band mainly performed locally and never really had ambitions to release their music on a bigger label. Too bad that Upstairs only released this one album. Of course, the highly sought-after original pressing is almost impossible to find nowadays. Therefore, we are proud to finally make this record available again after 40 years for a reasonable, regular LP price. Only 300 copies of the carefully re-mastered repress have been produced, and included is a printed lyrics insert identical to the original. As this is already the 10th release on our label we want to thank you for your support! Stay tuned for more hidden gems unearthed by The Artless Cuckoo.

/ he's the greatest dancer

Pure unadulterated boogie fire from the Gold Mink vaults, which combined the power of James Bedford with the production genius of Roy Ayers back in ’81. With original copies trading hands for £150+ it’s high time a remastered and officially licensed reissue came around. A firm favourite of the likes of Mr Scruff and Sadar Bahar, ‘Just Keep My Boogie’ is that uplifting slice of boogie that is a tried and tested dancefloor bomb. The brightest of funk keys dance around delicious little guitar licks as those infectious vocals burrow their way into your brain.

Dinked 7". Wow, this one's a biggie! Some smoothed out modern Soul for the discerning right here... dig it! Released in 1980 Charles Johnson's "Baby I Cried, Cried, Cried / Never Had A Love So Good" is a formidable double-sider, the A-side is a sweet slow jam where Charles lays it on the line in true grown man's fashion over a slick backdrop that is not a million miles away from some Philly style loving. The B-side is the big one though, a proper modern dancer, lovely production and the band is fully in the pocket. Drop this one and watch the dance light up, real music for the dancefloor! This particular 45 has long been a collectors item, and on a good day it can fetch hundreds on the Soul scene. This is a fully legit reissue, and features the classic golden Alston label artwork. A truly beautiful record, with each side primed to be played at the right time. Don't sleep!

This 2020 re-issue sees all tracks cut again from the official studio files, ensuring both audio quality and originality. Soweto Soul Orchestra is produced and composed by Sipho "Hotstix" Mabuse, whose importance to South-Africa's music scene can hardly be underestimated. Being a formative member of The Beaters, which was later renamed Harari, he toured Africa extensively and even hit the American charts with their "Party" single. After Harari split in 1982, Sipho went solo and scored another hit with "Burn Out", which could be heard in every township, and produced and recorded for Hugh Masekela and Miriam Makeba among others. The Soweto Soul Orchestra project boasts a variety of funky tracks, all marked with that jazzy South-African sound. The stand-out tune on this one, for us, is the epic 8 minute long cosmic disco cover of "Hang em High", the original soundtrack for the eponymous classic Western movie.

Taana Gardner's s/t NYC disco classic from 1979 is celebrating its 40th anniversary! Happy birthday! Nicely repressed, remastered and spread across 2 x 12" sides of wax we have this mammoth, benchmark record back on the streets.

Premonition or Premonitions (they were known as both) is a new york disco / Soul / Funk group you probably have never heard of, we have an LP coming soon but while we wait in our flats and houses here is a reissue of their rarest (it's all rare) Disco 45 flipped with an Excellent mid-tempo floater which is 100% my bag. Let's face it, you are going to like one of these sides so get it done.

The Star Beams album is a bit of an enigma. When we first came across their epic dance-floor monster 'Disco Stomp’ it was on a Disco Calypso compilation, so we assumed it originated from the Caribbean. Years later we worked out how wrong we were and that this nugget was actually from South Africa and taken off an ultra scarce album on JAS Pride records from 1976. The next problem was tracking down an original copy and we don’t think we’ve ever seen our Bongo team member Gary Johnson as happy as the day he turned up clutching a copy under his arm.
'Play Disco Specials' was produced by Ray Nkwe who also worked with Mankunku Quartet and The Soul Jazzmen, with all writing credits on the album going to Ray, the recording credited to engineer Robin Ritchie and the artwork to Carol Knowles. Other than this, the personnel of the record remains a mystery, but sometimes a bit of mystery is a good thing.
Aside from the disco-jazz-funk of 'Disco Stomp’, which has found it’s way into the DJ sets of Theo Parrish, 'Play Disco Specials’ will appeal to fans of The Star Beams South African contemporaries The Drive, Batsumi and Pacific Express.

Be With hereby presents aural perfection. Don’t let the title mislead you, “Much Too Much” by Sass has just the right amount of everything, whether you’re talking about the vocal or the instrumental. And that’s as true now as it was when it was originally released back in 1982. In 1981 The Jack Sass Band, as they were known, were still working the NYC club circuit. Along with the likes of Change, The BB & Q Band and High Fashion, they were part of the Little Macho Music phenomenon and that’s how they ended up in an 8 track studio on 7th Avenue near 20th Street, where Little Macho recorded demos.

The third release 2020 of Best Record Italy is finally coming out with the 12" Vinyl De-Luxe of Dr. TOGO "Be Free" . Two untouched and untouchable original versions from 1982 produced by Gigi Figini and mixed by unforgettable Leonardo "Leopardo" Re Cecconi. Vocals by great Glen White, born Glenn Edritch White, fantastic performance!

Jake Sollo (Born in Nigeria as Nkem Okonkwo) started his career in the 1960s as a member of The Hykkers, a popular band that drew large audiences across the country (even during the turmoil of the Biafra civil war). After The Hykkers disbanded, Jake joined the Aba-based super-group The Funkees…a musical outfit turned into instant superstars due to the State Broadcasting Service's heavy rotation of their demo tracks. The Funkees became a phenomenon that spread across the country fast (and eventually to England where they were championed by the legendary John Peel). By 1976, due to creative and personal tensions, The Funkees slowly started disintegrating. Jake Sollo was soon offered the golden opportunity to join the ‘crème de la crème’ of Afro-rock groups: Osibisa. Jake’s distinctive rhythm guitar graced their hits, but his tenure with them was short-lived…in 1977, Sollo and two other members left the band because of financial disagreements.

Jake Sollo quickly moved on and did just fine after his experiences with said bands…he got steady work as a session musician and became a hot producer in the London scene. Eventually, that chapter came to a close as well (with budgets and visas to record in the UK becoming increasingly scarce at this point). Jake returned to Nigeria where he started recording and producing albums, during this period he became the MOST in-demand producer in Nigeria.

Sollo’s specialty was bouncy ‘high-gloss’ boogie (though he occasionally produced artists in other genres as well). Regardless of which style he was working in, a ‘Jake Sollo production’ was always instantly recognizable and his records’ main sonic signature was probably the distinct sound of the Prophet "V" synthesizer (a hot piece of hardware that was transforming music in Europe and America). Rumor has it that Sollo owned one of the two only Prophet synthesizers present on the African continent (the other one belonging to William Onyeabor). Without exaggeration and according to his peers…Jake was the hottest and most prolific music producer in Nigeria between the late 1970s and mid 1980s.

Next to his productions for other artists and major labels like EMI & Polydor, Jake Sollo would go on to record a total of three astonishing albums: ‘Coming Home’ (1977), ‘Show Me How’ (1979) and ‘Boogie Legs’ (1980). Boogie Legs would be Sollo’s final album, his career was cut short when he tragically died in a car accident in 1985…depriving the world of what no doubt would have been decades of more innovative and creative music.

On Boogie Legs, the listener is treated to Jake Sollo’s trademark sound with touches of pop, plenty of African groove disco, moments of psychedelic reggae, chattering guitars, mad synth skills and fat angular basslines … all bound together with Jakes distinctive guitar playing and smooth production. A triumphant album that combined the raw power from his roots with the slick tricks he learned in London. Also featured on these recordings are some ‘all-star’ guest appearances by musicians from the likes of Trevor Murrell (Kim Wilde, Sade) and Ray Carless (Maxi Priest, Adele).

Boogie Legs is a sexy monster of an album that shows off Jake Sollo as the multi-instrumentalist extraordinaire and Apostle of Nigerian music he was…the sound of an artist at the height of his power, with a career that came to an untimely end…but leaving us with a BIG legacy.

Tidal Waves Music now proudly presents the first ever vinyl reissue of Jake Sollo’s ‘Boogie Legs’ album (originally released in 1980 on Taretone). This rare Nigerian record (original copies tend to go for large amounts on the secondary market) is now finally back available as a limited vinyl edition (500 copies) complete with the original artwork.

Second release from Royer Records. This very hard to find disco holy grail is finally back on the shelves for the first time since 1978. "Super-Disco" is the first ever release from Cameroonese artist Pierre Tchana. A 2 tracker holding the dancefloor filler "Soul Disco" on face A while the flip hold a more afro-rock tune called "Get Up Dance" .
This comes pressed on an heavy 12" and in limited quantity.

Another rare gem from Record Shack gets its first officially licensed 12” release – the absolutely killer early ‘80s jazz funk tinged, boogie bomb from The Oceans – ‘Bad Guy, Good Guy’, fully remastered for maximum audio pleasure.
With the release only ever being a whitelabel there was much confusion over the correct titling due to the stamp simply stating ‘Pacific Dream’, however the actual track titles are those housed on this release - ‘Bad Guy, Good Guy’ and the instrumental ‘Synth Good Guy’. Those original whitelabels command prices of up to £120 and it’s no surprise when you hear those infectious guitar riffs blended with buoyant synth flurries and sensuous vocal harmonies. For those that would rather leave the vocals at bay, the B side houses the instrumental mix in all its glory. A radiant release that still sparkles as bright as it did back in 1980 – an essential buy!

/ love is the answer / soul cha cha

Brit Funk at it's best! The 1981 classic Index - 'Starlight', that commands prices of up to £85, gets a much deserved and long-awaited, remastered reissue.
A melding of genres, that incorporated elements of funk, disco, soul and jazz, Brit Funk harnessed a raw energy bubbling up in the UK scene through the late ‘70s & ‘80s. Index 'Starlight' is a prime example of this spirit. Timeless in its makeup, glistening keys, full-frontal basslines and bold funk guitars give the foundation for those divine male and female vocals to sweep over.
Take to the B side for 'The Break' version leaving the vocals at bay and letting the exquisitely arranged instrumentation work the dancers into a frenzy. Favoured by everyone from Four Tet and Motor City Drum Ensemble to Gilles Peterson and DaM-FunK for its extended grooves and uninterrupted breaks, it's a Brit Funk bomb if there ever was one. A must for any discerning digger out there, this deserves a place in every collection!

Exclusive edition on golden vinyl limited to 100 copies worldwide. Only available through hhv.de

Killer disco-boogie-funk from 1982! Featuring Italo-Disco legend SANGY (Firefly) and co-produced by Tony Valor.
Originally released in the US on the Chaz Ro label with generic sleeve, here’s the first ever vinyl reissue with new artwork.

London’s new reissue label Discs of Fun and Love are excited to announce DFL001 - a reissue of Rochelle Raboüin's modern soul rarity "This Is My Year".
Originally recorded in 1977 at Malaco Studios and Sound City this still relatively unknown modern soul dancer is ready to light up dance floors, with the smooth downtempo flip side perfect for the afters. Once a singer in the Earl White Revue, Rochelle had her moment on this beautiful crossover record. After talking to some of the top modern soul DJs across the world, this record still seemed illusive for the deepest of diggers.
The record has been remastered by Grammy nominated mastering house the Carvery.
Discs of Fun and Love is a reissue label run by DJs and diggers Miche (Spiritland’s programmer) and Frederika (a resident at Spiritland).

Tyree Glenn Jr. is no new name in the Tramp family. He is featured on both "Can You Feel It" Modern Soul/Disco comps and not to forget the Tramp 45rpm single release of two LP-only tracks (check his James Brown cover of "Superbad"!).
"Jealous Love" and "Beautiful Woman" were originally released on a superrare german 33rpm single EP from 1984. The first 150 copies come with a picture sleeve, so those who purchase it quickly may be lucky and get one of those!

Limited to 500 numbered copies. Originally released in 1982.

Reissue on black vinyl limited to 200 copies.

Originally recorded and mixed at “If Walls Could Talk” Studios, NJ (now Taylor-Made Productions, NJ), produced by Herbie Pabst, Glenn Taylor and Barry Byrne, mastered and pressed at Europadisk, NY, Reach Out For Your Life and Oh So Hard made their debut in 1986. Released at the time when the arrival of CD’s predicted the end of vinyl, the songs retained their popularity throughout the years in the US and overseas.
DJ’s in the clubs of Europe and Australia have been spinning Reach Out For Your Life and Oh So Hard on their turntables, leading to the current re-release of this 12 inch EP. Re-mastered by Don Grossinger and pressed by Stereodisk, NJ for Blue Earth Vinyl LLC.
A true Renaissance Man, Herbie has a done it all from building houses and recording studios to cultivate apple orchards and wild honeybees to acting in independent films, developing a following as a headshot photographer, to writing and producing music that has stood the test of time.
With the resurgence of vinyl Herbie’s passion for music drove him to rediscover the songs he had previously produced in the 80s and re-master and re-release them to the new and exciting audience of today. He continues to produce music and at the same time create dramatic works of abstract art that have been shown in galleries and serve as the cover for this most recent 12 inch release, “Reach Out For Your Life”. Herbie lives in Caldwell, NJ with his artwork, his music and his desire to share his creations with the world.

Daughter of the mighty George Kerr, Sandy set the scene alight in ’82 with the explosive classic, ‘Thug Rock’. Badass slap basslines, zapping synths, ethereal pads and Sandy’s iconic rap were a timeless recipe of pure ‘80s, boogie-infused power that’s blasted from many a boombox, sung on all manner of club systems and sound tracked endless open road cruises over the years.
Released on the South Carolina label Catawba Records, two prolific duos blessed ‘Thug Rock’ alongside Sandy and co. Her father, who produced for the likes of Alice Clark and The O’Jays and Sugarhill wizard, Reggie Griffin, headed up the production and arrangement, with ever-dependable M&M aka John Morales & Sergio Munzibai taking the reins on the mix. Their combined talents can be heard in the tangible weight of the track, each element getting the space it deserves to facilitate that crystal-clear clout - from the huge bass riffs and sublime keys, to the punchy drums and Kerr’s infectious rap. An earworm if ever there was one!
Take to the flip to find the much in-demand dub version, echoing out choice snippets of Sandy’s rap to focus in more on that killer boogie-funk groove. Original copies are tough to come by in the UK, so an official reissue will be music to many an ear.

Soundway Records presents the official vinyl release of George & Glen Miller’s 1979 hit “Easing” - encapsulating late 70s New York in its blend of disco, soul and Caribbean soca.
Restored, remastered and cut loud for the dancefloor, the 12” single features the original vocal on the A-side and the essential instrumental on the flip.
The Miller brothers’ musical journey began in Trinidad and Tobago in the early 70s. During their teenage years they formed The Groovy Millers - a five piece band made up of George, Glen and their three siblings. After a chance meeting with Lord Shorty, they went on to collaborate with one of the Soca stars of the time and firmly plant their feet in the Soca scene of the musically rich Caribbean island.
Of the five siblings it was George and Glen that pursued a career in music, and in the late 70s the two brothers made the move to North America to develop their music style. Disco dominated the airwaves at the time and a studio session with the prolific Frankie McIntosh resulted in the masterpiece that is Easing. Drawing influence from the blossoming disco and soul scene, George and Glen added Caribbean flavour to the New York sound to startling effect. Soft, subtle keys and guitars are punctuated with layered trumpet and violin riffs, complimenting George’s silken, restrained vocal. Frankie McIntosh’s arrangement shines through with what might be his finest work, placing this track on the mantle with other New York classics of the time.

2024 repress.
This release comes on 180g vinyl. If ever an album could transport you to the hazy sunshine and imagined halcyon paradise of Southern California in the mid-1980s, could capture the early evening warmth of hanging at an inclusive boogie jam as it approaches “magic hour” in Santa Ana or Anaheim, then it’s Vaughan Mason and Butch Dayo’s Feel My Love. A brilliantly produced deep slung, low rider funk classic originally released on Salsoul in 1983.

This reissue comes on 180g. Arabian proto-disco album by Fairuz’s son and his uncle. Right Track is a specialized music label based in Beirut - Lebanon. As an IFPI certified member they are the exclusive Licensee and distributor of multiple international and regional labels in addition to a range of Lebanese Artists. From Omar Khorshid’s arabian-funk to Fairuz’s eerie songs, from Ziad Rabani’s proto-disco to lebanese traditional Wadih Al Safi compositions, Right Track is committed to re-releasing the Immortal Arabic music repertoire on 180 g vinyls, delivering the highest possible quality from remastered audio to satisfy the demanding audiophile connoisseurs.

An official reissue of the collectable Disco 12 inch version of the two standout tracks from Lonnie Liston Smith’s 1978 LP ‘Exotic Mysteries’ remastered and released for RSD.
One side the cosmic, jazz-infused disco sounds of ‘Space Princess’ and the other housing the effortlessly beautiful smoothness contained in ‘Quiet Moments’.

Matasuna Records presents another treat with its latest release: an official reissue with two songs of the US funk band "Calender". Both tracks are available on a 12" Maxi-Single for the first time. In addition to the mastered original versions, this EP features great reworks by two of our favorite producers: Mexican disco edit king "Hotmood" and the highly acclaimed Matasuna artist "Voodoocuts".
The band "Calender" from New Jersey was founded in the 70s by Paul Kyser. Besides his activities as songwriter, arranger and producer he set up his label Pi Kappa Records. The band's only album "It's a Monster" was released on this label in 1976 and has grown into a legendary status over the years and is appreciated by fans and collectors alike.
The opener "Hypertension" is a disco banger par excellence. Kyser's sophisticated arrangements merge thrilling grooves, elegant strings, varied funk elements and soulful vocals to a great and unique joint for every dancefloor. It's very pleasing that the song doesn't get overloaded or cheesy, as it's often the case in disco music.
Hotmood transfers the track, which was created more than 3 decades ago, into the present time. His great disco edit focuses on the instrumental parts of the original. Thanks to his clever arrangement, a tension curve is constantly built up without seeming repetitive.
On the flipside, "Ritmo Latino" takes a different musical direction. As the name suggests, there are all kinds of Latin American influences to be heard: the brass section, rhythm parts, piano sounds and the grooving bass line, which goes straight into the veins. Nevertheless, the song is also strongly rooted in funk & jazz and inspires its listeners with its unique character.
Voodoocuts rework comes up with a monster broken beat and gives the song a dancefloor friendly structure with its new arrangement. Especially the killer break part in the middle of the song will not only make B-Boy hearts beat faster! Additional instruments, samples and effects give the rework an individual and autark touch and prove once again impressively that Voodoocuts is setting the bar higher and higher with his productions.