Disco | Boogie Vinyl 465 Items

The 1980s were an epoch of upheaval and rapid change in South Africa. The decade began with the country’s apartheid government fighting to maintain its institutionalized racial segregation in the face of global protests and demands for the release of human rights activist Nelson Mandela, who had been jailed since the early 1960s. By 1990, Mandela was free, and apartheid was on the way to being dismantled. On the music front, things were changing too; At the beginning of the decade, the main music style of black South Africans was the jazzy indigenous jive of mbaqanga, a provincial style that had held its place as the sound of South Africa since Mandela was first imprisoned. By the end of the decade, South African music stars were making international waves with bubblegum, a flashy variety of Afro-techno-pop. In Saturday Night: South African Disco POP Hits, Cultures of Soul explores this period of change, and the intermediary forms that filled the gap between mbaqanga and bubblegum. The years when South African musicians and producers wrestled with the incursion of foreign disco and formulated their own style of homegrown disco-pop. Starting from the early 80s, when bands like Varikweru, Black Five and Soundburger essayed local attempts at boogie and jazz-fusion, through experiments like the Madonna-cloned diva Margino, who domesticized the burgeoning Italo-disco and NYC electro sounds, up through the massive breakthrough of Brenda and the Big Dudes, who arrived at the right mix between native and international influences to point the way forward for South African pop. The sound on these records is ostensibly familiar, drawing heavily on models from the 1980s dance culture in Europe and America, but if you listen closely enough you can hear the distinct South African-ness of it all—from the deep, burbling basslines, the brightly hypnotic melodies, and chant-like lyrics—and with sounds as intoxicating as these, you will sure want to listen closely. And often!

Dark Entries is pleased to announce a deluxe reissue of Sexual Harrassment’s 1983 opus I Need A Freak. Lynn Tolliver, DJ/Program Director at Cleveland’s Wzak, adopted the pseudonym David Payton in order to keep his musical endeavors separate from his public persona. Sexual Harrassment (misspelled deliberately) was formed as a concept band, with members selected based on appearance and choreographic skill rather than musical ability. Tolliver’s explicit lyrics focused on the central themes of desire and sexual relations. Working at a studio in Akron, he recorded an album of quirky-yet-lurid electro funk, which was released on Heat Records. Tolliver remarks, “I learned as a youngster, sex sells! The things that are rated the worst – violence, horror and sex – are the things people want to see or hear about.” I Need a Freak was a surprise hit, selling over 100,000 copies. I Need A Freak is presented here for the first time on double LP, pressed at 45 rpm for maximum DJ-friendliness. While the album’s naughtier moments seem quaint by contemporary standards, the fusion of lo-fi funk and disaffected vocals still stuns today. On the eternal electro-raunch anthem “I Need a Freak”, minimalism serves to highlight the lasciviousness of the deadpan lyrics, which were inspired by Lourdes Figueroa, Tolliver’s girlfriend at the time. Tolliver’s whimsy shines on tracks like “If I Gave You a Party” and “K.I.S.S.I.N.G.”, which contrast nursery rhyme structures with decidedly R-rated lyrics. “Exercise Your Ass Off” lampoons the home exercise craze, but with a more-than-suggestive sexual bent. Also included are two bonus cuts, “We Want Prince” and “These Are The Things That I Like”, previously released as singles in 1984 and 1986, respectively. “We Want Prince” is both a homage to the Purple one and a gentle satire of obsessive fandom. I Need A Freak has been remastered by George Horn at Fantasy Studios. The album comes in a gatefold sleeve featuring the original artwork. Included are lyrics, photos, and liner notes by Lynn Tolliver and drummer Dale Jackson. Tolliver’s sly provacateurship is best captured by the quote: “It’s funny – without sex, mankind is dead, yet we hide the very thing we need.”

As head of Italian (centric) Slow Motion label (and international artist sister imprint, Wrong Era), and through his own productions and remixes, Franz Scala has been pioneering the retro-futuristic aesthetic of club culture weaving together elements of proto-house, wave and Italo for the nuovo contemporary dancefloor long before it’s current vogue. Now alongside Bordello A Parigi, and supported by Sameheads, Slow Motion presents Scala’s Mondo Della Notte. This is part 1 of the album, which is also available as 2LP bundle.

As head of Italian (centric) Slow Motion label (and international artist sister imprint, Wrong Era), and through his own productions and remixes, Franz Scala has been pioneering the retro-futuristic aesthetic of club culture weaving together elements of proto-house, wave and Italo for the nuovo contemporary dancefloor long before it’s current vogue. Now alongside Bordello A Parigi, and supported by Sameheads, Slow Motion presents Scala’s euphoric debut album Mondo Della Notte. A homage to the world of the night where Franz plies his trade. Solid production and understanding of the various references informing the contemporary dancefloor imbues this set with a quality of permanence. Each track clocks-in at around the seven minute mark accommodating all Scala’s retro influences providing the space for walls of sounds to expand and unfold along these infectious rhythm voyages.

Under their one-off disco moniker, Leroy Burgess & The Fantastic Aleem Brothers produced this 1980 dancefloor wonder that finally gets its first deserved re-issue to celebrate its 40th anniversary. Remastered with love and respect and pressed on limited 7" vinyl for the true collectors.

More glorious heat from the vaults of NYC's Disco powerhouse - P&P Records! One of many labels operating under the equally legendary tutelage of Patrick Adams and Peter Brown, two truly colossal figures in NYC's music scene, the P&P records catalogue is still fascinating underground dance music lovers to this day. Covering a wide range of styles including Gospel, early Rap and Disco the label's output continually finds its way into the playlists of respected DJ's and selectors across the globe. This latest repress from the vaults is a real biggie - a true NYC underground disco Classic!

The Uptown Funk Empire’s album The Empire Strikes Back was released in the year 2009 and it has quickly become a sure value of the modern Soul-Funk scene. This album composed and produced by Bruno Hovart aka Patchworks still sounds really funky 10 years after its initial release. The success of its 2019’s reissue confirmed that it got a timeless flavor. The full-length version of this album contained 16 tracks in the CD & Digital format but for technical reasons only 10 tracks were included in the vinyl edition. And due to public demand, we are now happy to release the missing tracks in vinyl with an exclusive track, the rightly titled « Party ». The Empire Strikes Back Again, so let’s have an other funky good time with Uptown Funk Empire… Tracks as « Boogie », « You’ve got to have Freedom » or « N.O.W. » have now become anthems. They have brought back the Funk to the dancefloors from around the world and this with the help of Dj’s such as Kerri Chandler, Moodyman, Joey Negro, Ashley Beedle, Tony Humphries, Mr V, Dj Simbad, Femi Fem, Dj Cam, Dj Bobbito, Jazztronik, Recloose, Rich Medina, Rainer Truby, Kid Loco, Yam Who, Mad Mats, Dj Kawasaki, Dj Junior…just to name a few. But this album is not only dance-floor oriented, one important part of its charms is due to a bunch of good ballads and tasty down tempo tracks as: « I’m A Manchild », « I Guess That You Don't Mind », « Celestial Blues », « Please Mister Postman » playlisted by radios as Jazz Fm, Bbc6, Radio Nova, Kcrw, Deutschland Radio Kultur, Couleur 3, Wbai, FM4, KX Radio, Superbly FM…and enjoyed by a lot of Soul Boys & Girls in their bedrooms. And last but no least, the Uptown Funk Empire’s track « I’m A Manchild » was included in the soundtrack of the film « Focus » with Will Smith…and it was greatly cool for a funky cat to have shared a movie with the Prince of Bel Air ! This album is a pleasant proof that funk & soul Music can always sounds good & alive in our time, once again thanks to Patchworks and its Uptown Funk Empire alias.

Aldorande is back! The French Jazz-Funk quartet returns with a strong new EP “Summer Body / Breakfast in Space” widening its musical universe to join the Favorite Recordings’ 2020 Disco Jazz-Funk series.
After their first eponymous LP released in June 2019, our explorers strike again with two club-friendly compositions joining the dots between Jazz-Funk and Disco/Boogie. Recorded with great care, reflecting Favorite Recordings’ journey towards the authentic analogue sound, both tracks coming with a Charles Maurice dub versions. With this new musical space trip, Aldorande confirmed – if needed – their solid position at the heart of the French jazz scene: a great appetizer before their upcoming 2nd album to be released later this year.
A-side opens with “Summer Body”, a boogie banger driven by a magnetic bassline, surrounded by lush synthesizers and catchy backing vocals arranged in the tradition of the best Brazilian songs. On the B-side comes “Breakfast in Space”, a sort of cosmic opera. The slap bass and drums set up a P-Funk foundation. On the top, Aldorande put psychedelic vocal lines making the whole journey a definitive trip into funkiness.
Behind Aldorande, you will find a team of great musicians including bandleader and founder Virgile Raffaëlli on bass (Setenta, Camarão Orkestra), Florian Pellissier on keys (Iggy Pop, Guts, Setenta, Cotonete,…), Mathieu Edward on drums (Chassol, De La Soul) and Erwan Loeffel on percussion (10LEC6, Camarão Orkestra). For this new EP, always looking for more funk into their groove, they’ve been joined by French guitarist Farid Baha (Cotonete, Camarão Orkestra).

SOL DISCOS is extremely happy to introduce the second volume of their Message In Our Music compilation series, selected by WAXIST. This album is the result of more than two years of work in researching the original recordings, the artists involved & licensing the different songs. Focusing once again on the Modern-Soul genre, the album brings back to light eight extremely rare songs from the mid-70's to the mid-80's, all officially licensed.
From the heavy synth Gospel Boogie of Sharnell Morton's "You Are My Shining Star", to the magnificent Network & Co private Disco "Spirit Of The Boogie", most of these songs are highly difficult to find on their original format, not to mention at a decent price. Direct Connect Shun’s "He's No Good" records have been destroyed in a flood, and the few copies which have sold on the Internet reach the 3 figures price tags for example. Also, the album is proud to introduce to a wider audience some lesser known but exceptional recordings such as Janice "Nikki" Harrison's "Magic of Love", which is taken from a Broadway musical produced & composed by Ted Wortham - who also composed for Philadelphia International Recordings artists such as Teddy Pendergrass, Anthony White or Jean Carn.
Message In Our Music Vol.2 has been fully remastered, and features interview based liner notes, along with never seen before pictures of the artists selected.

Here four classic studio experimentations conceived by Harry Thumann former owner and main engineer of Country Lane Studios based in Munich, Germany: the home of the glorious munich-sound during the disco era. Many strong songs where produced here, so this EP represents the evolution in sound during that era mid-seventies early eighties.

The first in a new collaborative series between Theo Parrish & Prime Direct Distribution unearthing some of Theo’s most sought-after edits, backed with the fully licensed original, both remastered and cut loud on either side of a 12 inch. Kicking things off we have one of Theo’s most treasured cuts, his ‘Ugly Edit’ of Made In USA - Never Gonna Let You Go, bootlegged endlessly in the past and racking up prices of up to £144 on Discogs it’s a high time an official reissue came around.
As iconic an edit as they get, ‘Never Gonna Let You Go’ encompasses everything great about Theo’s energy behind the decks - extending grooves for longer than anyone else even dare, working the EQ’s like a god and throwing in a bit of that raw magic that only he knows how. Taking the original’s sumptuous breakdown, Theo works it into a spirited, high energy disco workout looped into a near 10-minute stomper, big on the bass and brass fire whilst leaving the vocals at the door.
On the B side the original ’77 Made In USA version is laid out in all it’s glory. Funk powered, horn-laden disco goodness with breath-taking vocals from the Stateside troupe.

The first official reissue of ‘Good Lovin’’ – a modern soul dancer with a killer groove, heavy low-end, delectable string & horn trade-offs and the husky tones of the inimitable Al Mason, that blew up on the scene in 1980 and now commands eye watering prices between collectors. This dinked 7 inch comes backed with ‘We Still Could Be Together’ off the original promo 12 Inch, with both tracks fully remastered and officially licensed for the first time since its original release.
‘Good Lovin’’ stormed dancefloors back in the early ‘80s taking Al’s undeniable, raspy vocal prowess and stirring it up with an energetic combination of funk guitars, full frontal basslines, on-point harmonies and a perfectly arranged string and brass section. It’s been a rare treasure on the second-hand market with original copies trading hands for £400 so an official reissue will be music to many an ear.
The B side, ‘We Still Could Be Together’, is an emotive ballad filled to the brim with Mason’s tangible passion alongside smoky pianos, cinematic strings and velvety backing vocals. A slow stepper with a bittersweet message behind it.

Another classic Cosmic Chronic from a few years back, rounding out the end of an era for the Miami imprint. Re-mastered by Stan Getz. Machine Gun Boogie b/w Sophia.