As Prince said, “I think I wanna dance!” Sometimes in the weekly Mix Six shuffle it’s easy to forget the lasting impact of disco on the culture at large. Go to any wedding reception where there’s a DJ who can read the crowd, and soon enough you’ll be hearing some of the tunes featured here.
Disco was certainly loved Á¢€” but also hated Á¢€” when it originally surfaced in the popular culture of the ’70s. Many were praying that disco would ultimately implode and go away … forever!
Wrong! Hahaha.
“Jupiter,” Earth, Wind & Fire
The horns, the harmony, and the badass funk of it all. There’s just something about these EWF albums of the mid- to late ’70s that’s pure funk gold. Can I get a “Hell, yeah?”
“I Want Your Love,” Chic
While Chic certainly had some powerhouse talent who formed the backbone of this band Á¢€” Nile Rogers, Bernard Edwards, and Tony Thompson Á¢€” their music didn’t really branch out beyond what you hear here. However, when they hit on a groove, like they do with this song, it’s just sublime.
“Every 1’s a Winner,” Hot Chocolate
What’s that you say? You wanted “You Sexy Thing”? Get outta here. With the awesome fuzz-guitar hook, this song put the “hot” in Hot Chocolate.
“I’m Coming Out,” Diana Ross
Michael Jackson, is that you? Nope it’s the biggest asshole/diva in the music biz. You say you don’t know what I’m talking about? Well, you have to read Matthew Bolin’s “When Good Albums Happen to Bad People.” While you’re there, check out the original mix of this song produced by (wait for it!) Nile Rogers and Bernard Edwards.
“Open Sesame,” Kool & the Gang
I remember listening to the double-cassette Saturday Night Fever soundtrack over and over for this very song. Okay, really it was just the opening of this song that I played over and over. Call me weird, but when you’re 11 years old, bored, and prone to doing stupid things like quoting Star Trek lines to your older brother ’til he hits you … okay, I’m stopping now ’cause this is not leading to a happy place for me.
“Last Dance,” Donna Summer
What did you think I was going to put at the end of this Mix Six Á¢€” “Stairway to Heaven”?
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