The Red Room

N.O.I.A. - The Rule To Survive (Looking For Love) (1983)

2009-04-29T20:49:00.000-07:00

Wonderful italo track from '83 (though it takes about a minute to get cooking) from N.O.I.A.
F.Y.I. - This is a group with a Klien & MBO connection...make sure you read the in depth bio here. The cover is a bit "Country Life"esque too if you catch my reference.

The sequenced bass parts get me every time. Looking for love!

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Gift Of Dreams - Mandroid (1982)

2009-04-29T20:34:00.000-07:00

Rock solid jam from '82! Mandroid

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Jam & Lewis - In The Studio

2009-04-29T20:27:00.000-07:00

Bad ass! (Sorry they didn't allow embedding)

Behind The Scenes
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qFOGfzApO3c

The Final Track
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=d1cvnGQ-Je0

The Seebach Band - Bubble Sex (1977)

2009-03-16T20:58:00.000-07:00

Tommy rocks it again, ALMOST with a little mega man 2 bubble man edge... (btw that MM song rules too)
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Kasso - Dancing On The Beach (1984)

2009-03-16T20:47:00.000-07:00

NOTE, FOR SOME REASON THIS POSTED AS ONLY 1 MINUTE LONG. THATS BEEN FIXED...

This b-side I love more than the A. Another very pretty italo track, much in the same vein as Tea For Two.

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Pierre Moerlen's Gong - Time Is The Key (1979)

2009-03-16T20:40:00.000-07:00

Astral-slowgroove-fastsynth-jazz freak out into the stars. This song is so great, and SO short it begs to be listened to on repeat at least 5 times straight. I'm serious...

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Tommy Seebach - Hit (1981)

2009-03-16T20:37:00.001-07:00

Tommy rocks it as usual. Killer sequenced groove with those oh-so-lush and trippy harmonies with majestic pianos.
Enjoy! "Ohhhh Yeaaah!"

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Phyllis Nelson - I Like You (1985)

2009-03-16T20:33:00.000-07:00

This song is soooooo damn good! Killer pop tune with bad ass High NRG mid-80s vibe, some nice "Relax"esque digital bass groove going down. "I Like Yooooou!"

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Time And Love - Tea For Two (1984)

2009-03-16T20:22:00.000-07:00

Killer bass-synth groove italo meets pretty pop song with a sprinkle of the classic H20 feel.

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RSS Feed Fixed

2009-03-11T20:39:00.001-07:00

Back up and running! Lots of good music coming soon...

Secret Service - Let Us Dance Just A Little Bit More (1985)

2009-02-19T21:22:00.000-08:00

Love Love LOVE this Secret Service song. Sweeping and beautiful.

This is one of many wonderful songs by this excellent early 80s synth pop band from Sweden. Definitely do your homework and check out their other great albums and other 12"s too!

You might already know "Flash In The Night" which of their biggest hits (and used for a great climax to one of the RR's favorite movies of '08, Låt den rätte komma in aka Let The Right One In, check it out!)

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Nona Hendryx - Transformation (1983)

2009-01-28T07:35:00.000-08:00

Here for you is one of my favourite discoveries from the NYC trip. Nona Hendryx - Transformation, killer slow-jam-groove with tons of killer moody vibes, textures, some intense lyrics & great production that is to be expected from the GREAT Material.

"Cash a check, change your sex"
Play it loud!!!

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Georgie Red - If I Say Stop, Then Stop! (1985)

2009-01-27T08:50:00.001-08:00

Great electro-funkish track from Georgie Red. Jams hard!

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Mr. B - Ibiza Goodbye (1988)

2009-01-27T07:56:00.000-08:00

Put this in the "been wanting to post for about a year" category along with many others. From Mr. B circa '88, is this ZYX release, a very pretty instrumental dance track. Hope you like...

In other news, just got back from a few days in NYC, and got TONS of great music I look forward to sharing. (see photo)

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Zaine Griff - The Scandinavian (1980)

2009-01-08T07:53:00.000-08:00

Cool bowie-ultravoxish track from Zaine Griff circa 1980. Produced by Bowie/T-Rex producer Tony Visconti and... If I recall correctly, I think all the synth work is done by (now big-time composer) Hans Zimmer.

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(is zShare not working for everyone else?)

Aax Donnell & Eric Malone - Golden Cage (1986)

2008-12-22T12:00:00.000-08:00

Awesome italo boogie! Great chord progression & love that slow, cow bell fueled groove too! (great hair too)

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A Split Second - Flesh (1986)

2008-12-22T11:34:00.000-08:00

Some killer Belgian goth-dance for you from A.S.S. Great synth work, track and production. Killer bass groove!

"Flesh"

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The Korgis - Young 'n' Russian (1979)

2008-12-14T12:33:00.000-08:00

Love this. Every little detail and tone is just right (much like tons of tracks by The Korgis)

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New York Models - Love On Video (1985)

2008-12-13T07:43:00.001-08:00

Super rare + super good + produced by Mr. "O"

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Primal Scream - Higher Than The Sun (12" mix) (1991)

2008-12-12T14:58:00.000-08:00

Slow-jam-electro-sample-psychedelica! A classic!

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Trisomie 21 - Djakarta (1984)

2008-12-11T14:03:00.000-08:00

Great moody wave-ish track from Trisomie 21 off their Passions Divisées LP circa ‘84, France.

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Tom Hooker - Real Men (1985)

2008-11-25T09:57:00.000-08:00

Tom Hooker does a dance song about how football is for the REAL MEN, knocks off a bit of Yaz(oo), and comes out with a hit...

PS - Lots of great things coming from the R.R. soon, just looking for the tiiiiiiiiiimmmmme!

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Awesome Footage Of The Day

2008-11-15T21:53:00.001-08:00

AFOTD:

Great track!, love those agressive arpeggio sequences that keep jumping in and out. Great performance...

Spooky Voice - Killing Myself (1986)

2008-11-05T07:51:00.001-08:00

12" cover post of the year?

mike on the tele

mike has his way with the ladies

For you today is an extra-awesome and moody vocoder filled track (the instrumental mix has loads of it). Surprisingly it seems to be not very well known (this should have and could have charted high on on the CBS...RIP). Also, this track is produced by none other than the great love spy himself, Mike Mareen. Released on Night'n Day Records circa '86.

But hang tight... lets not let the music get all the glory. Look at that cover! Might be a Red Room contender for 12" cover post of the year (with i only dance for money getting second, of course). Complete with a bloody bullet hole turned into letting along side 80s strip mall glamour shot photo. Very nice!

1 - Spooky Voice - Killing Myself
2 - Spooky Voice - Killing Myself (Radio Version)
3 - Spooky Voice - Killing Myself (Instrumental Version) LISTEN TO THIS ONE FIRST!

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Secession - The Magician (The Pecky Plus Mix) (1987)

2008-10-29T22:41:00.000-07:00

Secession, a band with many, many great tracks and not nearly as well known as they should be. Hopefully this changes that for some of you. Here, a favorite "The Magician"

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AFOTD:

Hubert Kah - Limousine (1986)

2008-10-29T22:34:00.000-07:00

A bit cheesy but rocking wave track from Hubert Kah, circa '86. Hope you enjoy...

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Lindsey Buckingham - Trouble (1981)

2008-10-29T22:19:00.000-07:00

F.Mac'er, Lindsey Buckingham put out a brilliant slice of restrained wave-pop-soft rock on his '81 solo record "Law & Order". Another classic... (but of course Peter Green is still the best F.Mac member there ever was)

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Wild Swans - Bible Dreams (1988)

2008-10-29T22:16:00.000-07:00

Continuing the "wave" here is something by the great Wild Swans, leaning torwards a bit on the alternative rock side. Classic track...

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Cetu Javu - Have In Mind (Extended) (1988)

2008-10-29T21:30:00.000-07:00

The best song Depeche Mode (n)ever wrote. This has been another infinite repeat track in the Red Room this month...

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Awesome Footage Of The Day

2008-10-28T22:28:00.000-07:00

AFOTD:

The Red Rooms "love is alive" for this track and performance, Gary W. gives us reason to forgive every sin dream weaver commits in a blistering 3:40. Serious chops and groove all around!

B-Movie - A Letter From Afar (Big Mix) (1984)

2008-10-11T21:08:00.000-07:00

Continuing on the wave-ish theme, here is another dance-floor-destroyer. Can't count how many time this has been played in the Red Room this week. 50? 100? 2000? The point being its an incredibly good track that doesn't get old easy. I think ill listen again.

A few things to look forward to:
1) killer drum-bass-synth groove
2) simmons fills that would make make p.lion proud
3) that wave-new-romantic vocal delivery that eternally kicks ass
4) excessive use of fake hand claps
5) great songwriting
6) a jellybean production
7) a "big mix"
8) a snake-charmer bass solo

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Europeans - Recognition (1983)

2008-10-03T11:24:00.000-07:00

Another great New Wave track for you. Could not find this anywhere online, so fresh off the R.R. turntable, now here it is.

Wiki says:
"The Europeans were a British group formed in 1981. They released three albums, none of which achieved much in terms of chart position. The band are perhaps best known for their lead vocalist and keyboard player Steve Hogarth who went on to greater things as vocalist with Marillion."

The Red Room says:
"Killer song! Check it out now... super cool synth bass, vocals, horn blasts!"

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Cafe Society - Knight Rider (1984)

2008-10-03T10:47:00.000-07:00

By request, here is the b-side to Cafe Society's killer "Somebody To Love" 12". You can find the previously posted A side here. For now here is side B. Yes, its called Knight Rider, and NO it has nothing whatsoever to do with certain dude(s) and their car. What it does have is a really loud kick drum (a little too much so), some strange campy synth accordion and pretty cool chord changes, reminding the Red Room of something ala Focus's Moving Waves album.

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Orchestral Maneuvers In The Dark - Telegraph (Extended Version) (1983)

2008-10-02T20:40:00.000-07:00

Orchestral Maneuvers In The Dark, aka OMD. Wow, what a brilliant band.

One of the Red Rooms all-time favourites. Yes they got less obscure and kraftwerk inspired and more pop as they progressed, but each LP never failed to have a gem or two. But of course, the first four albums are the best...

This month its time to switch it up a bit at The Red Room. New Wave will be the focus this month... got lots of things waiting on the Red Room turntable to share, most much more obscure than this, however, this track is F'ING AWESOME!!!! Especially this extended mix. Puts chils up the RR's spine every time.

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Electric Theatre - The Clown (1984)

2008-09-21T11:35:00.000-07:00

Here is another great Electric Theater track, a follow up to the previously posted "Ballet Dancer".

Not quite as epic as the previous, but still great and a nice new-wave edge. The Clown!

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Lama - Nineteen Ninety Three (1983)

2008-09-21T11:17:00.000-07:00

Here is another (and only other) song by Lama. You can find their other track previously on the R.R. here.

For today, is "Nineteen Ninety Three", a great forlorn dance track w/ electronic leanings all about the uncertain future, not-so-many years to come from that '83 release date...

Hope you love it as much as the Red Room...

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(DivShare coming back soon...)

Figures On A Beach - Breathless (Razormaid mix) (1984)

2008-09-02T21:46:00.000-07:00

Super-hard rocking track from Figures On A Beach via Detroit, Michigan USA in 1984. Surprisingly Euro considering the sound/time/location. Produced by Don Was of Was Not Was (or wtf?) fame. One of the better Razormaid mixes too!

Enjoy...

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Oviformia SCI - Teletipo (198?)

2008-09-01T21:37:00.000-07:00

Here we have some super-good & super-obscure new wave / minimal electro from Madrid, Spain act Oviformia SCI (aka Oviformia Sequential Circuit), circa early 80s. Great track with some nice unusual string melodies that have an almost eastern touch set along to a serious Kraft inspired production. Not much more known or to be said, but here is a rip from the ultra-rare 7" of "Teletipo"

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Also, check out the killer video, with a nice awkwardly-brilliant Kraftwerk vibe:

Paul Sharada - Keep Your'e Love Alive (12") (1985)

2008-08-29T22:30:00.001-07:00

Here is a killer and SUPER catchy italo 12" from Paul Sharada via the Il Discotto Productions label, circa 1985. Dude on the cover definitely doesn't sound like the voice on the song! But anyway, great high energy track and dangerously catchy horns and chorus. You will be humming this for the next month, so be aware!

A/B side of vocal and instrumental cuts included, 256kbs of course.
Keep You're Love Alive!!!

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Divine - You Think Your'e A Man (1984)

2008-08-29T21:19:00.000-07:00

(As if you needed it) another reason how Divine is equal parts seriously awesome and ridiculous.

LOVE IT. Those weird up-down choir synths get stuck in the Red Rooms head for long periods of time. This "performance" and arrangement of the track are top-notch.

Isinglass - Miscellaneous Tracks (198?)

2008-08-19T14:05:00.000-07:00

Here we have a super-excellent band, great songs, and killer vibe for days.

The only thing the R.R. knows about them is this:
"Isinglass is the solo effort from Jerry Arobas, one of the founding members of MWH"

Mr. Internet doesn't seem to know much more...
A Downright SHAME

no song name known:

songs about burning pictures are always cool:

Also, be sure to check out the gold mine of great videos from the defuct Montreal Musi-Video program HERE.

Phil Lynott - Yellow Pearl (Midge Ure Remix) 1980

2008-08-12T12:38:00.000-07:00

Here is a thoroughly awesome synth & vocoder filled track by none other than Phil Lynott of Thin Lizzy (remixed by Midge Ure of Ultravox). Comes of something like waveish-italo meets Bowie meets Ultravox. The R.R. just can't stop listening!

Also, extra PS:
All posts, from here on out will be 256kbs and above MP3s exclusively (this included).

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Rondò Veneziano - La Serenissima (Theme From Venice In Peril) (1983)

2008-08-03T00:11:00.000-07:00

Reverbi

Been meaning to put this one up for ages, and with Terry's great post on a 2008 cover version of this track, might as well got ahead with the original.

With a baroque-electro-disco-meets-classical vibe and a melody that just won't leave you for weeks, producer Gian Piero Reverberi led band Rondò Veneziano and recorded this wonderful track in 1980-81. It was then released as a single in '83 gaining some chart success too. More on that and Rondò Veneziano here.

Also of note, Reverbi composed a particular spaghetti western soundtrack, where one of his themes you probally will recognize, considering it was recently lifted to make up 90% of a recent super-hit song (skip to the 0:22 mark)

For now, robots with empty and shiny faces, white wigs and edwardian get-up have something killer for you to hear...

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...and to top it off, what a great video!

Patrick Cowley - Rare Remixes & Collaborations

2008-08-02T20:23:00.000-07:00

The Cowley Produced Paul Parker

OK... super-special treat for you Red Roomers! 17 tracks of hard to find / get / discover Patrick Cowley remixes and collaborations from his prime! There is some seriously great stuff in here.

Also to report, be on the look out for a special Red Room 1st birthday post next week as we close in on & celebrate 365 days of The Red Room.

In the meantime, get your groove on with:
Patrick Cowley - Rare Remixes & Collaborations

Part 1:
1. Carl Carlton - Baby I Need Your Loving (1981) - 5:52
2. Jeannie Tracy - Time Bomb (1982) - 6:09
3. L.T.D. - Back In Love Again, Again (Version 1) - 4:42
4. Lipps Inc. - Funkytown Revival (Cowley remix / Viteritti edit) - 7:53
5. Loverde - Die Hard Lover (1981) - 7:07
6. Michele - Disco Dance (Cowley Remix) - 13:47
7. Tantra - The Hills Of Katmandu (Cowley Megamix 12”) - 16:21
8. Two Tons Of Fun - I Got The Feeling (Cowley Remix) (1980) - 7:13

Part 2:
9. Fever - Standing In The Shadows Of Love (1979) - 7:06
10. Hot Posse - An American Dream - 6:22
11. L.T.D. - Back In Love Again, Again (Version 2) - 4:37
12. Passengers - Hot Leather (Cowley Remix) (1980) - 11:54)
13. Paul Parker - Pushin Too Hard - 5:54
14. Sarah Dash - Low Down Dirty Rhythm (1983) - 6:42
15. Sarah Dash - Lucky Tonight (Extended Mix) (1982) - 5:57
16. Sylvester - Don't Stop - 6:50
17. Tantra - Hills Of Katmandu (Automatic Record 12" Remix) - 6:25

(be sure to turn up the Hot Leather remix and Time Bomb the loudest!)
Get Part 1! and Get Part 2! (ZShare)
or
Get Part 1! and Get Part 2! (DivShare)

Vivien Vee - Alright / Sex Appeal 12" (1984)

2008-07-29T12:07:00.000-07:00

Claudio Simonetti production, hard-to-find-online 12" of Vivien Vee's bluesy italo jam, "Alright" w/ B-Side "Sex Appeal". Great stuff!

This one goes out to Young Monday w/ a big thanks to GGR.

Tracklisting:

A		Alright (6:56)
B		Sex Appeal (6:45)

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Eric - Boy Or Girl (1984)

2008-07-29T11:48:00.000-07:00

Today we have Eric's "Boy Or Girl", produced and written by Bobby O and straight off the "O" copy machine circa 1984. Very reminiscent of O's other productions (no surprise there!), including Native Love and of course a little Blue Monday sound going on there too. Fun track nonetheless...

"Boy or Girl... Which One Are You?"

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Riz Ortolani - Il Corpo Di Linda (1977)

2008-07-15T14:48:00.000-07:00

The Moroder-Summer-esque Yellow PJs:

Here is a very Moroder-Summer-esque jam, early italo from 1977. This time, from a Italian thriller film (The Case Of) The Girl With the Yellow Pajamas" aka La Ragazza dal pigiama giallo (1977).... a great track and a departure from the usuall kind of track that accompanies such films (though staple composers in the genre such as Goblin, Stelvio Cipriani, Morricone and 0thers are more-often-than-not superb!)

Composed by EuroCult composer Riz Ortolani, and not to disapoint!!! (The full soundtrack even feature some, unfortunatley mediocre Amanda Lear sung tracks). The Red Room is a big fan of the Giallo (italian for "Yellow") genre in general.

Get your italo-thriller-synth-disco-jams on now!
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...and a bonus, some prime Giallo imagery:

death walks at midnight:

death walks at midnight

blood and black lace:

bloody moon:

deep red... aka profondo rosso:

suspiria:

deep red... aka profondo rosso:

bay of blood:

the fifth cord:

The Red Room Mixtape v.1 - Europe Endless

2008-07-02T08:22:00.001-07:00

(new-agey electronic-cosmic-sequencer-BLISS)

Here it is, The Red Room’s very first themed-mixtape which has been titled “Europe Endless” aka volume 1. The Red Room has been putting this one together for a while, picking the perfect little pieces of new-agey electronic-cosmic-sequencer-BLISS to warp your mind.

If like the R.R., you can’t get enough of this kinda stuff — the cosmic music ala Tangerine Dream, Ashra Temple, and beyond, this is for you.

Included here are 14 tracks carefully picked and blissed-out-to-the-sun, not to disappoint. THE RUNDOWN:

1. Juillet Que Je Sais D' Elle (edit) / Lard Free 3:48
2. Pinnacles (edit) / Edgar Froese 4:15
3. 8 07 / Global Communication 8:07
4. Lacrime Di Re (edit) / Popol Vuh 2:20
5. Pain (edit) / Klaus Schulze 4:42
6. Les Chantes Magnetiques Part I (edit) / Jean-Michel Jarre 4:58
7. Communiqué: Approach Spiral (edit) / K.S. & Michael Shrieve 7:52
8. White Eagle / Tangerine Dream 4:35
9. Flying At Sunset / Elektriktus 3:39
10. Floe (edit) / Keith Emerson 3:50
11. Tiny Geometries (edit) / Ray Lynch 2:50
12. Terra Incognita / Mythos 4:32
13. Silver Cloud / La Dusseldorf 8:06
14. Endless Endless / Kraftwerk 0:56

So... what are you waiting for?
Turn your step-sequencer to 11 and enjoy!

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Awesome Footage Of The Day

2008-06-26T11:11:00.001-07:00

AFOTD:

Vivien Vee - Blue Disease (1983) + Claudio Simonetti Interview (2008)

2008-06-25T14:28:00.000-07:00

two of the coolest: Simonetti & Argento

Sorry for the lack of posts lately... but rest assured, I have a good pile of stuff waiting to be posted. For those so inclined (or curious) to care about whats been distracting me, you can read/listen on here. In the meantime, down to business...

Bill over at the lovely DJ History tipped me off to this freshly conducted interview they did with the one and only Claudio Simonetti. This is the only recent interview with him I am aware of pertaining to his classic italo productions, (later era Goblin, Vivien Vee, Crazy Gang, etc.) so its good to see his hindsight in this matter .

First, a very Crazy Gang-ish track he did for Vivien Vee, Blue Disease.

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...and read the full interview here:

Claudio Simonetti

Born into a musical dynasty, Claudio Simonetti's career was dramatically launched when his young band Goblin were chosen to produce the soundtrack for Italian horror auteur Dario Argento's latest flick (Argento is pictured right with Simonetti). Profondo Rosso went on to sell three million copies and the band also scored his next soundtrack, the classic Suspiria. After discovering disco, Simonetti made an array of classic records under a variety of names from Easy Going to Capricorn, before returning to movie scoring in the mid-1980s.

I believe your father was also a composer, is that right?
Yes yes, my father was very well known in Italy. He was very famous. He was a musician and also a TV entertainer during the 60s and 70s he worked a lot on the TV as a showman. More than a musician. His name was Enrico Simonetti.

Was that an influence on you growing up?
Yes, I was born in Brazil and because my father worked for 15 years in Brazil, he was also very popular there. So when I was born, I was born into a musical world, because of my father. He never said you have to study musuic but when I was eight years old I started playing piano. When I started at eight I was not very interested in studying music seriously. I listened to the bands of the Sixties like the Beatles and Rolling Stones, I was a kid during that period and I loved them so I started playing guitar in a small band.

This was in Italy or Sao Paolo?
No Italy, I came back to Italy when I was 12. I arrived here and started studying when I was 13 or 14. So I decided to be a musician. So my father said, ‘OK, you can be a musician but it’s better if you study’. So I studied composition and piano at the Conservatore Saint Cecilia. But during that period I played with many bands so I studied classically but I played a lot with bands in the underground. That’s how I came to play with my band Goblin later. Cherry Five was actually the same band as Goblin, more or less. It was a record we recorded before we did Profondo Rosso and [film director] Dario Argento chose us to do the soundtrack for this after listening to what we were doing in the studio with Cherry Five. But when we recorded Profondo Rosso we changed the name to Goblin. So the album that was released later, but we actually recorded first, was done under the name Cherry Five. I don’t know why they chose this name, it’s a mystery. We were never contacted about it. Before this, I had a band called Ritratto di Dorian Grey [Dorian Grey’s Picture]. I was a big Oscar Wilde fan. It was one of my favourite books so I chose the name.

How did you meet Dario Argento?
When he came to shoot Profondo Rosso he was looking for a rock band to appear in his film. We were lucky because when we were recording the Cherry Five album we signed a contract with the same label that my father was signed to. And this label was also same label that released Dario Argento’s music. So he asked Carlo Bixio, the producer of Cinevox Records, and he said, ‘Oh I have Enrico Simonetti’s son’s band!’ So Dario came into the studio to listen to our music and he loved it. So he gave us the chance to do the soundtrack. He was very brave because we had only just turned 20 and were very young. He was a very big, famous director. We were lucky to find Dario but he was lucky that he found the right band. Profondo Rosso sold 3m. copies.

You seemed to be experimenting with electronic music and sounds from quite an early age. Even Goblin is very electronic sounding. When did you start dabbling with electronic keyboards?
I was always a fan of electronic music. My first Moog, the Mini-Moog, I bought in 1972 so I was one of the first keyboard players in Italy playing synthesiser. I had a lot of synthesisers later. You can hear it in Goblin stuff and for Suspiria we used the big Moog, Robert Moog’s1500 Moog. We had to rent this Moog because it was so expensive. ELP's Keith Emerson used it. I saw a concert of his recently and he still uses the same big Moog. It’s unique. Emerson has the original one. They were very expensive to buy. It cost maybe £20,000 at the time. So we rented it and a technician came and I told to him what to do and he programmed it for me. Even now I’m very happy with Suspiria; maybe it’s the Goblin masterpiece. We did a lot of research for this soundtrack. We used this big Moog, but we also used ethnic instruments, like tabla, bazouki and dobro. We used a lot of stuff to record it and three months recording it.

Is it true you recorded the Suspiria soundtrack without first seeing the movie?
No we did just demos before. We read the script but Dario uses the music just for ambience you know. But actually when the film was finished the music was completely different from the demos. So nothing remained from those demos.

You had a very unique disco sound, was that deliberate or was it just the way it came out?
Firstly, I was born in Brazil so the Brazilian rhythm and sound is in the music everywhere. I’d grown up with this in my blood, even if I play rock. When the 70s progressive rock era finished, after the split of Goblin, I met a producer, Giancarlo Meo, and with him we decided to make disco music. At that time, especially in the middle seventies and the end of the seventies, disco was full of orchestration, choirs etc. I loved this music, it was very powerful. In the seventies if you wanted to do arranging for disco you had to be a musician, otherwise you couldn’t write or play. It was a very nice period for me. I have great memories of this period. I changed my lifestyle completely, coming from rock bands to becoming a disco producer. I spent five or six years like this I decided to change, after Phenomena, in 1984. I decided to write just soundtracks and make rock music again.

Were you going to discotheques in the early 1970s?
Yes. One of the most famous clubs was Easy Going in Rome. It’s where I met the resident DJ Paul Micioni. We start to make productions together with Giancarlo Meo. We did the Easy Going albums. I also found Vivien Vee in the same discotheque. So this discotheque was one of the first I went to in Rome. It’s where I found the disco life! We had also another one, before, called Jackie O in Rome. Paul did a lot of productions after and some very good ones. He worked with Amii Stewart and many others.

Do you remember the music he was playing at Easy Going?
All the 70s and 80s music like Cerrone and Moroder, stuff like that. Many kinds of music. But very full of orchestration. Donna Summer, Aretha Franklin.

What disco groups or producers inspired you?
I enjoyed a lot of Moroder. He was one of the first electronic producers. He made a lot of Donna Summer records. I remember I loved I Feel Love, it was completely electronic. This was the kind of disco I loved. But I also loved Barry White. His productions were great.

What background did Giancarlo Meo have?
When I met him he was not from a musical world. He was a businessman. He worked a lot with Italian fashion. But he decided he wanted to do this and be a record producer. When I met him he had finished recording a small production. When we met together, Paul Micioni and Giancarlo, we decided to do an Easy Going record. It was the first time in Italy anyone had done this. There had maybe been the brothers LaBionda, but they were recording on a German label. But actually in Italy no one was producing this music when we decided in 1978 to make this record. Many Italian producers told me I was crazy for doing this: “It’s Americans who do this not Italians!” So Easy Going was probably the first album. The only other guy was Mauro Malavasi, he recorded under the name Macho at the same time and then Change and others. I never met him, I don’t know him personally. I think I spoke to him once by telephone. I know his musicians and I have played with some of them but I never met him.

Is it true you recorded demos for English groups in London in the early 1970s?
No we [Goblin] lived in London for almost one year and we made some demos there. We had an American singer living in London and we recorded some demos with him. These were the same demos that we brought to Italy that eventually became the Cherry Five album; but he never sang on the Cherry Five album he left before. His name is Clive Haynes. He now lives in America and is a very good painter.

Once you’d started to make disco records did you go to a lot of discos in Italy?
Yes especially in Rome. We had a lot of discos there. Everywhere you go in Italy, France, Germany there were people dancing. I have great memories of that period. With Giancarlo, we recorded some records in Madrid, New York and Philadelphia. It was fun.

Do you remember where you recorded in New York and Philly?
I did the second Easy Going album Fear at the Power Station. I recorded the brass and background choir at a studio in Philly but I can’t remember the name.

Around that time you did some session work with Herbie Mann didn’t you?
Yes. A friend of mine was producer for Atlantic and I met him in New York. Someone bought the rights to release Baby I Love You in America. A producer wanted to make a new version so when I arrived in New York with the 24-track I met A&R man Silvio Tancredi and I became his friend and we recorded this version; straight after when he was recording the Herbie Mann album he mentioned to Herbie that he knew a good Italian musician.

What were your favourite discos?
I loved Studio 54 and Xenon in New York.

Were you aware of DJs like Mozart and Baldelli in the early 1970s?
Yes but I never worked with them.

Were you conscious of the sound you had created that became known as Italo-disco?
Maybe now I know this and I can feel it. At the time I didn’t know. We recorded a lot of music that had global appeal. Maybe now I feel we invented something but at the time…. It’s like spaghetti westerns… there were many directors who were inspired by this. A lot of Italian disco was imitated. Now I know this. In the 1980s, I had no idea. It was the same with Goblin. We never felt we were one of the most powerful horror bands. Now I know.

Was Easy Going a touring band as well or just a studio project?
No I never played I just arranged it. Most of the concerts were just playbacks with the singers.

Did you have any idea how big your records were in the US?
No. In 1979, we came to the US with Vivien Vee when we had some success with Give Me A Break. It was in the Billboard charts. I realised she was very famous there. It was strange, especially for her, because she’s Italian, and she spoke very bad English. She just sang in English because she learned it, but she actually had difficulty to speak with people in America. Many times I saved her because people would talk to her and she had no idea what they were saying. I’d say, “No no no Vivien Vee she doesn’t talk to anyone!” Later she did learn to speak.

Vivien Vee originally came from Trieste, one of the northern cities. She came on holiday to Rome and me and Giancarlo met her and he became her boyfriend. When we decided to record a new album we found an Italian-American singer who was a model. I wrote this song Give Me A Break and she said she liked it so we went to record it. Although she was a model she sang very well. Anyway, her name was Carol and she totally disappeared. We never saw her again. So we had the studio and we needed a girl, so Vivien said, “Well, I sing but only Italian songs”. So I did a demo with her. And she had this low voice. We loved this voice. We called an English teacher and coached her through the song.

Did you realise that your music had had such an impact in Chicago and Detroit?
No because I never went there, but occasionally someone will say, “Oh your music was a big influence”.

Do you remember recording things like Do It Again by Easy Going?
Oh yeah. We recorded that album here in Rome in one studio. Not very big but it was quite expensive. It was very good for a disco sound. They recorded mainly TV shows and orchestras there. We tried to record here because it had a very good sound for drum and bass. We recorded this album live with many nusicians. One of the guys from Goblin played on one song, Fabio Pignatelli, on Suzy Q.

You used Walter Martino for a lot of the drums as well didn’t you?
Walter Martino was our first Goblin drummer. Fernando Fera played in some songs. He was Dorian Grey’s guitar player. And I used the brass section from a TV orchestra.

Did you use drum loops as well as live drummers?
It depended. We used real drums until the early 80s. After the Linn arrived and others we preferred to use drum machines. If you listen to the big bands of the Eighties most of them used drum machines. The English sound especially. Keyboards like the DX7: it’s the master. It was the first midi keyboard. You can recognise the early Eighties because of the sound of the DX7.

A lot of the musicians you used had English names. Were they American or British musicians?
No. We changed the names! It’s like the ’60s when they shoot spaghetti westerns they just changed the names, even Sergio Leone had a different name. That’s because if we had told the people it was an Italian production nobody would trust that it was good, because no one had done it. It was very funny. Simon Pouds, for instance, is me.

Did you and Giancarlo Meo work well together, because you made a lot of great music?
He was a producer but he also had a good ear; he would say this is good or this is not good. But normally he was the businessman of the company and I was the music producer. He organised contracts, distribution, but he was a good talent scout. He’s found a lot of good artists. Even after we split. He’s one of the biggest producers of independent labels. He sold millions of copies of many artists.

How do you view the music now you look back at it?
I like it. Sometimes I hear the old records and I like it, because it has its own story. Now I think I could maybe do it better, but I love that Eighties sound. The instruments and moods are different now. I love almost of all of what I did.

© DJhistory.com

Interviewed by Bill Brewster by phone from Harlesden to Rome, 17.4.08

Xalan - I Only Move For Money (1984)

2008-05-22T08:37:00.001-07:00

Here is a great italo-esque track coming to you today from Spain ala 1984 from Xalan. Such a great track (big thanks to Ben for turning me on to this). And what a 12" cover too!?!?

Get it:
zShare / DivShare

Zombi Holocaust - Nico Fidenco (1979)

2008-05-19T15:05:00.000-07:00

This soundtrack is rocking my world, I know it will rock yours too. Very Goblin-esque. Lots of strange synth textures and a little italo thrown in for good measure from eurotrash composer Nico Fidenco. Bottom line though, great witting and definitely above and beyond from what you usually get with this kind of fare.

PS... Sleezy Listening is a great new blog on the scene, definitely worth checking out!

Get It!

Bamboo - Spaceship Crashing (1979)

2008-05-08T08:13:00.000-07:00

When a song is about a spaceship, you know its has a good chance of being good. When its about a spaceship crashing, you know its going to ROCK. Bamboo produced by Kurt Hauenstein of Supermax. (S.U.P.E.R.M.A.X.!!)

Get It:
DivShare / Zshare

Laurie Anderson - O Superman (1981)

2008-04-30T11:05:00.000-07:00

One of the coolest (and scariest) songs ever... Not your typical #2 chart smasher.

Get it:
Zshare / DivShare

M&H Band - Popcorn (1987)

2008-04-29T14:47:00.000-07:00

The song Pop Corn (originally written + released by Gershon Kingsley) was first released on a gimmicky moog synth showcase record and has since had countless cover versions of it done (i estimate by the time M&H covered the song in '87, this was around the 60th). M&H Band (aka Mark Holiday) did such a kick-ass version, as far as I am concerned, this is the ONLY VERSION. Nothing gimmicky about it.

Get it:
Zshare / DivShare

DATA - Opera Electronica (1981)

2008-04-23T08:39:00.001-07:00

(Sailor)

DATA is the brainchild of Norwegian musician / songwriter / producer Georg Kajanus, who was mosty notably responsible for 70's band Sailor and for producing Peter Godwin's "Images Of Heaven" (excellent track!).

His band DATA fromed in 1980 consisting also of vocalist sisters Phil and Frankie Boulter and released their debut album in 1981 titled Opera Electronica. This is the title (& closing) track from that LP. Coming off something like Queen meets Kraftwerk meets Wendy Carlos, the track is a sweeping electro-classical ride and lots of fun... It was also featured as the music for an award winning short film titled "Towers Of Babel".

Get It:
Zshare / DivShare

Entourage - Ta 'nite (Extended) (1988)

2008-04-17T15:31:00.001-07:00

Super cool, minimal High NRG track from Entourage (their only release i know of) released by the great JDC Records circa 1988.

Definitely a little bit Lime sounding. Great track!

Get it:
Zshare / DivShare

John Carpenter - The Bank Robbery (1981)

2008-04-17T11:37:00.000-07:00

John Carpenter's soundtracks kick serious ass. Very simple, stripped down...
A little bit of DMX, a little guitar, a little Prophet 5 and JC makes some magic.

Nuff Said.

Get it: Zshare / DivShare

Robotic Dancing Competition (1983)

2008-04-14T20:58:00.000-07:00

Too cool:

Can anyone name that song?

B.W.H. - Stop (1983)

2008-04-11T14:54:00.000-07:00

STOP whatever you are doing and listen to this at LEAST 3 times in a row

Get It:
DivShare / Zshare

L.A. Messina - My Illusion (Wawa Version)

2008-04-11T14:12:00.000-07:00

Sorry for lack of posting.
Hope this makes up for it... Such and epic and beautiful italo track. Don't really know anything about L.A. Messina other than that he did a few other releases, one called "Day Dream" too. The low impassioned vocals are classic. A great song all around.

Hope this brightens up your day...
Get it:
DivShare / Zshare

Angie St. Philip - Light Up My Heart 12" (1985)

2008-03-27T08:26:00.000-07:00

I just picked up this 12" for .99 cents a few weeks back and its worth every penny and more. This track was produced by Theo Spagna (of Cyber People and Fun Fun fame). I love the strangely voiced vocals and big, epic italo production. A bit cheese, but thats what makes some of these italo tracks rock so hard of course. Be sure to check out the remix first (done by Pete Russo)!

Funny enough too, when doing some research on this track I found listings of "Angie St. Philip", "Angie St. Philips" and just plain "Angie", all releases which seem to be the same track released on different labels.

"Light Up---Light Up---Light Up---L-L-L-L-Light Up!”

Get it:
A1) Remix (DivShare / Zshare)
B1) Original (DivShare / Zshare)
B2) Dub (DivShare / Zshare)

Q-Feel - Dancing In Heaven (1983)

2008-03-22T19:00:00.000-07:00

Not many songs are are as perfectly arranged and as rapturous as this one.
Too bad their LP was not nearly as strong as the single.

"Quick, Slow, Quick, Quick, Slow"!!
Get it: (Radio Edit)
DivShare / Zshare

Freddie Mercury - Love Kills 12" (1984)

2008-03-14T09:21:00.000-07:00

Did you know that for Freddie Mercury of Queen, his first solo release was a track produced by Giorgio Moroder & long time Queen producer Reinhold Mack?

Well, in 1984 a re-released version of the 1927 Fritz Lang classic, Metropolis was put out with a colorized version of the original film (shame on you!) and a soundtrack produced my Moroder.

If this is new to you... YOU are in for a treat. This track rocks hard!

Get it: (Extended 12" Mix)
DivShare / Zshare

Plus the Radio Mix:
DivShare / Zshare

Plus the B-Side: (Rotwangs Party — Robot Dance by Moroder)
DivShare / Zshare

Plus on of my all time favorite songs and videos,
from Queen during the same era (written by their drummer).
Oh shit this is good:

The Twins - Ballet Dancer (1983)

2008-03-10T14:00:00.000-07:00

I can't believe that I put off posting some of The Twins music until now. So infectiously good, raw & polished at the same time, the melodies are so super-catchy & unbelievable great. Yet another track that beckons to be played really, really loud.

More Twins posted soon, in the meantime here a Red Room favorite "Ballet Dancer"

"You make art with twirls and spins... can't wait til the show begins"
Get it:
DivShare / Zshare

You can't deny how bad-ass they are:

Yoh Yo - Desire (Exotic & Erotic Mix) (1987)

2008-03-06T09:00:00.000-08:00

The Canadian Yoh-Yo, who I previously posted with the track "The Main Attraction" is back with another floor burner, this time a cover of Bobby O's "Desire" as originally done by Roni Griffith.

Yoh Yo - Desire (The Exotic & Erotic Mix) (1987)
Get it:
DivShare / Zshare

Parisfal - Carillon (English Version) (1985)

2008-03-06T08:39:00.000-08:00

Another great italo track...
"Carillon! Carillon!"

Get it:
DivShare / Zshare

Café Society - Somebody To Love (1984)

2008-02-26T14:04:00.000-08:00

For some reason all the best tracks for me seem to come from '83-84. Another case in point...

"Somebody To Love" is a cover version of the famous song by Jefferson Airplane.
And a kick-ass version at that. Café Society, a mostly studio band, "were one of the most successful white South Africa acts of the mid-80's."

"The band, featuring Julia Jade Aston of the defunct Working Girls, is the brainwave of multi-instrumentalist singer and producer Costa Anadiotis, formerly of Fantasy, once one of Johannesburg's foremost club dance rock bands." (Top 40 magazine, September 1985)

Don't You Want
Somebody to Love?

Electric Theatre - Ballet Dancer (Night Version) (1983)

2008-02-25T22:38:00.000-08:00

It starts with machine-gun hand claps, and just keeps getting better!
The ominous choir synth, octave bass and evil chord stabs sit perfectly with haunting vocal and synth melodies on top. Completely ass-kicking.

Co-produced & written-By - R.C. Charly
Producer - Jason Stokes

Little Blonde Ballet Dancer,
I Once Was Confused By You

Elvin - You Set My Heart On Fire (1986)

2008-02-25T22:24:00.000-08:00

Such a great rapturous track...With this b-side much hotter than the a-side, Elvin sets the turntables on fire.

D.F. & Pam - On The Beat (1983)

2008-02-25T22:19:00.000-08:00

Here is yet another great epic italo track.

D.F. & Pam are right On The Beat.

Annie Annn - Night In The City (1985)

2008-02-25T22:18:00.002-08:00

Excellent italo from the swede Annie Anner.

Night In The City!

Man 2 Man - Male Stripper 12" (1986)

2008-02-25T08:41:00.000-08:00

Here is one of my all-time favorites. Man 2 Man produced by Mann Parrish (he has some really great solo productions I will try and post soon.)

This one is about as heavy as they get.
Find a really good sound system and turn it WAY, WAY UP!

Man 2 Man - Unisex Haircut (Bobby O demo) (1983)

2008-02-25T05:45:00.000-08:00

Big thanks for Gavin for turning me onto this one...

This is a demo produced by Bobby O for Man 2 Man (who did the all-time-awesome "Male Stripper", which I'll post later).

This track almost has a Gary Glitter chanting vibe to it (damn, i love that G.G. song...think i need to remix it). Except, other than the rough and hard synth groove (a bit more raw that most O productions) the benign chant of "Unisex Haircut" rings over and over. Strange and lovely.

UNISEX... HAIRCUT!!!

Cliff Turner - Burning Love (Extended) (1986)

2008-02-21T00:06:00.000-08:00

Love this track. Released by the infamous ZYX records in 1986, classic italo all the way.

Burning Love!

Dance Department - Paradise (1986)

2008-02-20T23:56:00.000-08:00

Not much to say about this one other than its very "O-ish" and rocks hard.

Paradise Is Half As Nice!

Depeche's Cover - Nodisco (1985)

2008-02-20T23:26:00.000-08:00

Here is a cool little italo cover of Depeche Mode's track "Nodisco" which originally appeared on their Vince Clarke penned debut album Speak and Spell.

In this case, its Produced and mixed by Molteni Flavio and Max Baffa. Arranged by R. Lajolo.

Enjoy!

Rose Laurens - American Love (1986)

2008-02-11T08:56:00.000-08:00

A great melodic and moody track from Rose Laurens:

American Love (Extended Mix)

Azul Y Negro - The Night (1982)

2008-02-11T08:04:00.000-08:00

A classic track from Azul Y Negro (Carlos Vaso & José Antonio Álvarez) of Spain:

The Night (12" mix)
The Night (Radio mix)

PS:

Klaatu - Calling Occupants Of Interplanetary Craft (1976)

2008-02-10T12:31:00.000-08:00

Here is a not-so-disco track, but a killer one nonetheless.
Very Beattle-ish I am sure you will agree, released by Canada's Klaatu in 1976 on their great 3:47 EST record.

Calling Occupants Of Interplanetary Craft!

David Storrs - Dancing On The Planet (1984)

2008-02-07T09:47:00.000-08:00

Here is a great (mostly) instrumental and vocoder jam for David Storrs circa 1984 on the great JDC Records.

D-D-D-Dancing On The Planet

Lisa - Rocket To Your Heart (Hot Tracks Remix) (1983)

2008-02-04T11:03:00.000-08:00

Not many tracks can go on for 9 minutes straight at rock as hard as this Hot Tracks
MIX

Lana Pellay - Pistol In My Pocket (1986)

2008-02-04T10:54:00.000-08:00

Great hi-nrg track from Lana Pellay. The lyrics crack me up, totally ridiculous. The groove is awesome. Cheesy synth distorted guitar adds to the tongue -in-cheek fun.

Is That Pistol In Your Pocket? (The Nick Mix)

Nick John - Lost In A Dream (The Nick Mix) (1987)

2008-02-04T10:39:00.000-08:00

Here is a great later era Megatone release, "Lost In A Dream" by Nick John.
A great, solid track all the way through its 7 and half minutes.

...No Doubt About It Baby

PS-
Speaking of Dreams, does anyone have "The American Dream" by The Big Smoke to post? Been looking for it.

Laser Cowboys - Ultra Warp (The Final Conflict) (1984)

2008-02-01T14:12:00.000-08:00

Track of the week alert!

This track has been in constant rotation in the Red Room this week.

If you recall, I posted a disco Ennio Morricone track a little bit back. Well, this time the awesomely named Laser Cowboys have turned Ennio Morricone's haunting "Man With the Harmonica" into a Giorgio Moroder-esque jam ala The Chase.

Ultra Warp!
PS - Be sure to see the masterful Once Upon a Time Out West if you never have.

Bonus:

Laser Cowboys - Theme From Knight Rider (1989)

George Monroe - I'm Not In Love (1989)

2008-02-01T14:00:00.000-08:00

Here is a cool mellow dance version of 10cc's classic "I'm Not In Love" (be sure to read that previous link!)

Released as a limited pressing in '89, this was George Monroe's only official release.

Big Boy's Don't Cry
Big Boy's Don't Cry

The music of Patrick Cowley

2008-01-30T08:45:00.000-08:00

Patrick Cowley at the desk of The Automat studios, San Francisco

Patrick Cowley and Paul Parker

Hats off to the one-and-only Patrick Cowley. In the ubiquitous and sometimes anonymous sounding landscape of synth heavy dance music, his music always managed to be unmistakably his own and full of exciting new soundscapes at every turn.

Patrick Cowley was born in Buffalo, New York in 1950 and during his teenage years became a successful drummer with local bands. In 1971, at the age of 21, Cowley moved to San Francisco to attend the City College of San Francisco where he studied music, specifically the use of synthesizers. Cowley honed his sound during much of the 70s to culminate with releasing a few classic records of his own while producing and remixing other artists including Slyvester, Paul Parker, Donna Summer, Tantra and many more.

Sadly, as Cowley continued to peak his remarkable talents, he died an untimely death on November 12, 1982 at just 32.

Here is to the late, geat Cowley:

Mind Warp

Tech-No-Logical World

Megatron Man

Sea Hunt

Hot Leather
(The Passengers - Patrick Cowley mix)

I Need Somebody To Love Tonight
(Sylvester produced by Patrick Cowley)

BONUS
a great Cowley cover by Mother F., released in 1981
Menergy
(Instrumental mix)

The music of Lime

2008-01-26T12:26:00.000-08:00

(above) The real Lime(above) The touring Lime

In the cluttered landscape of 12" singles, Lime is one of the few that actually put out full LPs... and several great ones at that.

Lime consisted of husband and wife team Denis and Denyse LePage. Denis had done many years work previous producing several killer tracks, some of which I have posted on the Red Room before. With Lime though, the LePage team branched out to do their own act. With a unique trademark style, Lime mixed the synth heavy aspects of the dance early 80's with many acoustic percussion elements, wurlitzer electric pianos, and many layers and textures in a style unique to themselves. The strong songwriting abilities, production, playing, syncopation and melodies are apparent album after album. (Lime II and III are Red Room favorites) Vocally, Denis had a low raspy voice set along side Denise's betty-boop high which made an unmistakable match.

Also of note, as Denis and Denise were of an older age and with Denis focus being on production, once the demand for a touring Lime grew, they hired a young duo of "stunt doubles" who in their place would tour about the discos of the day and pose as the real Lime, singing on top of the studio backing tracks.

Enjoy!

Your Love (Remix)

On The Grid (Extend)

Rendezvous On The Moon

Unexpected Lovers

Guilty

Babe We're Gonna Love Tonight

I Don't Wanna Lose You

You're My Magician

The music of Bobby "O" Orlando

2008-01-24T08:32:00.000-08:00

One of my favorites from the world of dance music, is without doubt Bobby O.

Bobby O put out hordes of tracks from the early to mid-to-late eighties under his own name and also under various guises and as well as by producing other "acts" which were often not much more than him with a few singers.

Sounds like he is/was quite the eclectic character. Also, that he kept recycling his own ideas from song to song and act to act as well as knocking off various hits of the day adds to the charm for me.

So, here it his, a sampling of some of my "O" favorites:

All People Are The Same

She Has A Way (12" Version)

I'm So Hot For You (12" Version)

Take A Chance On Me

Mixed Up World

Danger (The Flirts)

Desire (Extended Mix) (Roni Griffith)

Love On Video (New York Models)

One More Chance (Pet Shop Boys, early Bobby O mix)

Newcleus - Automan (1984)

2008-01-24T08:07:00.000-08:00

Very killer break track from Newcleus. Such a groove!

Instrumental
and
Vocal
mixes included!

Jo Squillo Eletrix - Avventurieri (1983)

2008-01-23T17:29:00.000-08:00

UPDATE:
Big thanks to micha and crux, here are two seperate rips of this track to choose from. One is clocking in at 119BPM, the other at 123. I haven't checked the pitch/key so not sure what is "correct", but anyway, take your pick and enjoy this
Wonderful...Song

Also:

Rudy & Co. - Mama Radio (1985)

2008-01-22T11:14:00.000-08:00

Here is another italo track, this one from Rudy & Co. (aka Rudy Corradi).
Been playing this one all the time lately, it rocks super hard! Great synth stabs and deadpan "ma-mama radio" vocals.

I'm sure you will love it too.

Paul Rein - Lady O (1986)

2008-01-22T11:07:00.000-08:00

Here is a Swedish release from Paul Rein, put out in '86. Very catchy track... beware the synth bass rocks HARD on this one!

Azoto - Disco Fizz (1979)

2008-01-22T11:01:00.001-08:00

Here are two early italo disco tracks (leaning on the DISCO side of italo) form the amazingly bad-ass Azoto off their '79/'80 LP Disco Fizz.

It doesn't get much better than
Exalt Exalt
or
Anytime or Place

Music Service - Another Song 12" (1984)

2008-01-22T10:47:00.000-08:00

Short but sweet... A great italo track from Music Service thats been getting lots of play lately.... Instrumental and Vocal mix included.

People Like Us - Midnight Lover (1986)

2008-01-18T07:48:00.000-08:00

OK, lots to post... I have about 50 tracks I REALLY would like to get up, just trying to make the time.

This one rocks hard and should hold you over though, a track released in '86 from the awesomely-named People Like Us. A great heavy dance track. Awesome breaks, arts, great vocals.... Kind of sounds like Popcorn a bit too by M & H Band which can't hurt you a bit.

Essentially,
a floor burner!

Thanks To...

2008-01-14T15:00:00.000-08:00

Disco Delivery and T.M.L. for some nice words...

Got some good posts coming this week. Stay tuned!

Paul Lekakis - Boom Boom (1986)

2008-01-12T08:32:00.000-08:00

Here is a very typical sounding S.A.W. song (but oh how I still love them) with a super-catchy yet cheesy vocal delivery and just SLIGHTLY suggestive lyrics... 1986 music production all the way too with Hi-NRG kick drums and digital bass synth.

Boom Boom (Lets Go Back To My Room) was at #1 for 4 weeks in Australia and looks like was written by some great italo producers. Apparently Paul was discovered when modeling in Italy in the 80s according to wikipedia.

Included are 5 versions:
Boom Boom (Radio Edit)
Boom Boom (Radio Extended)
Boom Boom (12")
Boom Boom (12" Remix)
Boom Boom (Club Mix)

PS- I'm trying Div Share for a while. Zshare is getting to be a little insane with ads, pop-ups, soft porn explosions, etc... Feedback?

This also is rocking the Red Room at the moment:

Yoh-Yo - The Main Attraction (1985)

2008-01-10T23:57:00.000-08:00

I just can't get enough of this wonderful High-NRG flavored disco track produced and co-written by Allan Coelho of Tapps circa '85. All the bass drum and hand-clap mechanical overload you could hope for along with a great melody that just sticks in your head for years...

Comin' Up, It's The Main Attraction!
(and the side B remix too...)

Den Harrow - Broken Radio (1985)

2008-01-06T08:15:00.000-08:00

“Attention, the invaders are coming this way.
The only known weapon is to project LOUD DANCE MUSIC!"

Enjoy and happy new years!