Disco Playlist: Thelma Houston: “Don’t Leave Me This Way”
Thelma Houston’s “Don’t Leave Me This Way” starts seductively slow through its intro and first verse, only to be offset by a powerhouse chorus. These slow and fast moments create a beautiful balance, all while showcasing Houston’s passionate vocals to convey that necessary tone of desperation. Musically, the disco era embraced violin and bass as prominent instruments, and this track features both, providing another merge of classical meets club. Yet it’s when the tambourine comes in at the outro that the song is at its fullest, a perfect companion to the drums, poppin’ bass and Houston’s commanding vocal run.
Disco Playlist: Donna Summer: “Spring Affair”
From “the first lady of love,” for the first day of spring, take a listen to Donna Summer’s “Spring Affair.” Released in 1976, it was part of her Four Seasons of Love album. The Giorgio Moroder/Pete Bellotte-produced track is the best way to welcome the new season.
Disco Playlist: Vicki Sue Robinson: “Turn the Beat Around”
Vicki Sue Robinson shines as a vocalist on 1976’s “Turn the Beat Around,” but the spotlight gets put on musicians and their instruments. From horns and violins, to the guitar scratch and percussion, even the flute player is given rock-star status, the song is a celebration of all the components that go about creating a sound that “carries all the action.” It’s a latin-disco classic, made all the more fun by attempting to sing along to Robinson’s rapid-fire vocals, and lyrics such as “syncopated rhythm” and “rat tat tat…”
Timeless from “Time Life”
An infomercial can easily pull you in, especially when it’s one of those 30-minute “Time Life” music collections honoring the “Soul of the ‘70s.” The format, with its montage of short performance clips, mostly from vintage “Soul Train” episodes, just works to keep the attention after that initial allure—and of course most of the credit goes to isolating those catchy sound bites from some of the best R & B, soul, funk and disco productions. One in particular stood out: “(Every Time I Turn Around) Back in Love Again” by the band, L.T.D., fronted by Jeffrey Osborne. The singer’s distinct vocal clarity on top of a tight horn section, a pre-chorus popping bass chord, guitar scratch, tambourine, and soulfully angelic female backing vocalists are the ageless components.