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Wildblood finds disco "S, super special!"

D.I.S.C.O.

Kate Wildblood

Friday, 25 September 2009

Disco. No.1 in a series of Iove affairs with music.

Way back when, probably just after stereophonic sound was born, I made my way into the world. And a soundtrack duly followed. It was no ABBA lyrical thing, my mother wasn’t saying I was a dancer before I could walk or that I could sing long before I could talk but there was a fascination. A vinyl fascination. I became obsessed with early Motown tunes. The Motown Gold series first got me hooked and although I appreciated the drama of tunes like Yvonne Fair’s ‘It Should Have Been Me’, it was the funk of tunes like Stevie Wonder’s ‘Superstition’ that really pulled my strings. And so those strings became disco as Stevie lead to Chic and Donna Summer lead to the Love Unlimited Orchestra, Fern Kinney, Karen Young, Melba Moore and Silver Connection. I was lucky. Me ma had good taste!

And those early tunes have followed me every since. Earlier this month in an attempt to raise cash and free space, we raided the loft and the shelves in an attempt to clear out some vinyl. An impossible task made easier only by the proof after proof of my addiction to disco strings. “That’s so Wildblood,” said the regal Queen Jo over and over again as I tried to relegate tunes to the sell / donate piles covering our dining room floor. A bouncy bass and a set of sweet strings saved many a tune. (Sorry Oxfam!)

And even now as the tunes roll in via download or post the same process occurs. Track 6 is okay, track 7 will do, track 8 yes, yes! Listen to those strings, that funk, that disco feel. That’s the business. That’s a keeper.

And it’s a disco feel I’m so chuffed to see is filtering through once more. The sequins are slowly coming out of the closet again. Last years achingly cool Nu Disco has returned. Only this time the producers and consumers of Nu Disco have raided the archives and found the gems that inspired the disco in Nu. This time there’s no wrapping it up it electronically and calling it “oh so 21st century”. This time there’s a movement towards to the history of disco. And I’m loving it.

And with the likes of Horse Meat Disco at the helm and event’s like the forthcoming Southport Weekender’s massive disco extravaganza (Paradise Garage & Studio 54 here we come!) and some inspiring DJ’s including Dave Kendrick and Severino our sequined future looks secure. The cheese is gone but the groove that inspired me to dance all the way through a 12inch of the Gibson’s Brother’s ‘Cuba’ for 10p way back when, (I’d never seen a 12inch before and Mum bet I couldn’t make it to the end!) is back. And our chance to go deeper into disco’s rich and diverse history is here. Seek out the rarities, embrace the new takes and dabble a little. Disco is back my dears, minus the cheese and I for one am totally disco-delighted! Flares optional of course!

www.horsemeatdisco-thealbum.com
www.southportweekender.co.uk

‘Disco Discharge’ a series of 4 including ‘Classic Disco’, ‘Disco Ladies’, ‘Euro Disco’ and ‘Gay Disco’ & ‘HI NRG’ out now on Harmless Records