Disco | Boogie Vinyl 418 Items

‘And The Beat Goes On’ remains unpublished for 33 years until when Devil Dee decides to bring it to light by exploiting his own talent and that of the jazz-blues singer Joan Faulkner, former supporting voice of Boney M and Milli Vanilli, also known by her stage name ‘Dee-Vah’. Yes, Devil Dee is Davide Mancori - a cinematograph, son of filmmakers, with a flattering career as a club-dj from 80s-90s onwards - who lovingly produced the track which differs considerably from most of the vinyls released by Best Record. ‘And The Beat Goes On’, written in Germany in 1989 by Leonie Gane and Ryan Paris, detaches itself from most European and American productions, but winking at the "boogie" made in USA thanks to the soulful contribution of Joan Faulkner ‘The Voice’, at that time defined by the music producer Frank Farian "The best black voice in Europe!".

Nobody is worried doing a ‘step back’ laying the crucial foundations again for an evolutionary thrust of the disco-music - identical to projects that emerged in the 2nd half of the 70s - because at the same time, still for certain themes, this is a ‘step forward’ for the ’Italic vein’ movement which at the end of the 80s was been considered obsolete, defunct. In fact, the track is also referring to the latest Italo-Disco which entirely covered the scene of the 1980s with furious activity.If the meeting between Devil Dee and the famous interpreter of ’Dolce Vita’ creates the alchemy, the explosive mix is completed with the precious work of Marco Magrini, the last of the brood, but already important DJ-remixer. His extended and re-edited version is sublime, certainly more exciting to listen to than to describe it. The arrangement by Pierluigi Cerin and the executive work of Claudio Casalini close the magic circle

Five friends and a great singer from Indiana to fill the dance floors all over Europe, while the images of the provocative and surreal video-clip capture the audience by splitting in two. There are those who do not want to see certain issues publicized and those who appreciate their cheekiness, such as Best Record which by publishing the vinyl celebrates the 40 years of activity, with the aim of making ‘And The Beat Goes On’ one of the most covered and danceable songs of the year.

"There was no internet, no cell phones. We didn't have streaming services, cable television, or even VCRs. People in Portland were out to see music seven nights a week"

In 1982, it seemed club nightlife in downtown Portland had reached its zenith. Musicians could make a living in a multitude of clubs throughout the city. And they made music on their own terms. Calvin Walker's recollection above speaks to the sovereignty of an independent community devoid of the recording industry's bottom line.

Lights Out gained traction when Pleasure wasn't in the studio or on the road. They were led by Pleasure's trumpeter Tony Collins, whose agenda involved prodding his group with gnarled fusion covers, complex horn arrangements, and masterful wardrobe flexing. "We wanted to be better at what we did," claims Collins. "Everybody grew."

But even with platinum level players holding recording contracts a la Fantasy Records, Lights Out struggled to find bookings in Portland's white-owned club circuit. "There were rules to these things and you had to play by them," remembers Walker. "They had to push up against that."

"I remember it being tough to get this band booked on the West side of the Willamette River back then," remembers bassist John Mazzocco. "When Peter Mott at Last Hurrah called to book us on a Tuesday, I was elated."

Knee-deep in the jazz fusion sound made popular throughout the city, Lights Out soon evolved into a synthesizer-fueled funk group fronted by vocalist Andy Stokes and featuring guitarist Greg "Gee Mack" Dalton. It's this era of Lights Out that made converts of the haters and annihilated 800-capacity dancefloors. It’s this era of Lights Out that is being celebrated on this release.

Recorded in 1982 at Wave Sound Studios - a facility that housed local punk acts such as The Wipers and The Rats - the material on this LP was intended as a demo for Solar Records. As a touring trumpeter for The Whispers, Collins was to pass the reel up the chain. When Solar fumbled it, Collins and Dalton left Portland for Los Angeles signaling the end of the group.

Forty years later, the legacy of this canonical Stumptown act has been remembered in devastating detail. The vinyl package includes a 12-page booklet of the band's oral history and deluxe archival photography. With tape restoration and mastering by Gus Elg, this painfully obscure recording has been waxed and buffed by one of the reissue industry's greatest.

Lights Out personnel have since made waves beyond the Pacific Northwest. Collins founded NDN Records in Atlanta. Andy Stokes has received the Grammy nod, releasing singles with Snoop Dogg and Battlecat. John Mazzocco toured with John Lee Hooker and was recently inducted into the Oregon Music Hall Of Fame. Damian Dillon went on to a successful radio career in Germany. And Greg Dalton has sessioned relentlessly, working with everyone from Patrice Rushen to Kamasi Washington to Tupac.

As Stokes puts it, "Being in this band gave me the strength to branch out. You don’t just do that by yourself. You have a family. This a family.” credits released July 15, 2022

Limited to 100 handnumbered copies. Better be fast!

Mike Maurro is back at it. Taking the keys to the Philadelphia International Records vault and plucking out two certified classics The O'Jays - I Love Music and Harold Melvin & The Blue Notes feat. Teddy Pendergrass - Wake Up Everybody to give them a little Maurro re-edit magic. Officially licensed and taken from the master tapes, Maurro extends each track in all the right places, looping sections up, echoing elements and keeping everyone calling out for more. Uplifting music for the soul, given a new lease of life.

If you live anywhere outside of Richmond Virginia you may have never heard of Sharpp. The group formed in the early 80s consisting of high school friends led by keyboard player Josh Fertel. They played cover songs mainly, performing around the fan, and at high school dances. With some gig money they managed to record two original titles at the defunct Harbor Sounds Studios. That would be their sole output, released locally on a 7” single, handed out to band members, friends and fam.

Italo disco meets Balearic ethno-funk in the third installment of re-edits from DJ collective Siffleur. Side A is your leftfield, sensual 80s nostalgia, your introspective, post-multiverse ‘club tropicana’. Side B will take you on a dreamy night-journey through city streets where love is a pink neon light.

Precious gems mined from a wall of vinyl. Cut, polished and mounted for maximum love.

Black vinyl, insert

Giorgio Moroder in Finland

The pioneer of electric pop music, Giorgio Moroder (born April 26, 1940 in Ortisei, Italy) is an internationally acclaimed songwriter and producer who left his trace also in Finnish popular music. Several Moroder’s compositions and productions were released in Finland with Finnish lyrics in the 1970s and 1980s, when Moroder had his most creative peak. This compilation includes twelve Finnish Moroder-covers from early bubblegum pop to electronic disco.

Giorgio Moroder began his musical career as a singer. He gained success performing bubblegum pop in the late 1960s. He wrote some of his hits himself, but he also sang songs written by others. During his singer years he succeeded with songs Looky Looky (1969) and Son of My Father (1971). The latter became well known also in Finland, where it was covered by one of the most famous Finnish singers in 1960s and early 1970s, Ilkka Lipsanen alias Danny. The song found its way to Finland via Britain, where British band Chicory Tip had covered it first and made it to the charts with the song.

Danny was not the only Finnish singer in the early 1970s who looked at Moroder’s repertoire when searching for good songs. Koivistolaiset was a singing and dancing duo of sisters Anja and Anneli Koivisto who were well-known celebrities in 1970s Finland. They released Moroder’s composition Good Grief Christina as On siitä aikaa in 1973. This song was also discovered from Chicory Tip’s repertoire.

Cheerful and danceable bubblegum pop was an early 1970s phenomenon and in Finland it was the most popular music played in discos during those years. In the mid-1970s the style called disco music was born and the popularity of bubblegum pop faded. Also Moroder quit writing bubblegum pop and got interested in disco and electronic music. Synthesizer and drum machine technology developed and created new possibilities for producing electronic disco that can now be seen as proto-techno.

Virve Rosti was one of Finland’s most popular disco and pop singers in the late 1970s with her strong soulful voice. Rosti’s fourth solo album in 1979, Oon voimissain, was packed with her versions of late 1970s disco hits like Ring My Bell, I Will Survive and Knock On Wood. The album included also two Moroder’s compositions originally released by American disco group The Three Degrees, Antaudun (Giving Up, Giving In) and Ohari (The Runner). Both are excellent cover versions compared to the originals, even though the long instrumental section in the middle of The Runner is cut to a shorter one in the Finnish version. Rosti’s singing performance is also high quality.

Among Rosti one of Finland’s most popular female disco singers was Mona Carita, whose second album in 1980 was called Soita mulle and named after her cover version of Moroder’s composition Call Me, originally released by Blondie in the same year. Mona Carita’s version with lyrics by Raul Reiman is still among the best known Finnish disco and pop covers of the era.

Moroder’s most creative era ended in the early 1990s, though he has returned to music business within the last ten years. Finnish record producers also began looking in other directions when searching for songs. During the 1980s it became less and less popular to make Finnish cover versions of international hits. There were several reasons for this, from the improving quality of Finnish compositions to improvement of Finnish people’s understanding of other languages. When the audience began to understand the English lyrics of international songs, there was no need to make Finnish versions of them anymore. However, Moroder’s work is still recognized and played frequently today, and the same goes with the best Finnish cover versions of his compositions.

Renowned around the world for his iconic sound, disco legend “t-groove” teams up with one of the greatest street drummers of all time, George Kano, to form the foundation of an 18 man jazz-funk-disco experience! Moody but sweet. Soulful and groovy. Recorded live, these ten songs are perfect whether you’re in the club or sitting in your favorite armchair. The only certainty? You won’t be able to stop yourself from dancing like nobody’s watching.

The independent label Six Nine Records Ltd. UK, based in Newcastle upon Tyne, proudly presents the astonishing Tracy Cruz and her first release on the label! A double A side record with both the original mix of “Find A Way” and a boogie-fied edit of the same from the genius that is Yuki “T-Groove” Takahashi! Definitely not to be missed as it is a limited UK press with full colour printed picture cover.

Sophie Lloyd returns to Classic Music Company for another stunning soulful delivery, this time teaming up with Faithless vocalist Pauline Taylor on ‘Angels By My Side’. Much like Sophie’s previous works on Luke Solomon’s imprint, this record brims with the same joyous energy sure to uplift, as live recorded strings, horns and keys give an added richness to the release. With Sophie’s Classic debut ‘Calling Out’ a modern day dancefloor anthem with 10 million streams and counting, and her latest offering garnering early support from the likes of NYC legend Danny Krivit, there is no doubt ‘Angels By My Side’ will follow suit as an essential record for discerning selectors.

Twisted percussion-forward kosmiche club brilliance from Düsseldorf’s Niklas Wandt. Stepping cosmic house, new beat hypnotism, tribal piano breakdown madness & wavey vocoded synth make up the four track EP for the Animals Dancing imprint’s first release of the year.

The underground music scene in Asia has experimented a notorious rise in the last years, Taiwan, Indonesia, Thailand or South Korea are more inside the radar than ever, contributing actively with amazing djs and super talented producers; creating an effervescence subculture where to keep an eye on. Multifaceted producer Mogwaa is not an stranger anymore, awarded in 2021 with best electronic album of the year in South Korea, his versatility and skills have found a place in labels as "Klasse Records", "Spring Theory" or Sound Metaphors' "Bless You" among others. We are glad to present one of the most awaited records on MM Discos; “Del Mar” is a bliss of fresh air, a story about all this little things that make us dream everyday. “The Sea” as the main actor of the movie orchested by Mogwaa and supported by crackles, waves and little islands where to get lost in.

Mike Maurro does it again. Another slice of Philadelphia International Records gold from the legend Lou Rawls, officially licensed, taken from the master tapes and given that signature Maurro touch. Two all-time classics ‘You'll Never Find Another Love Like Mine’ and ‘See You When I Git There’ re-worked for the modern dancefloor.