Tunes Du Jour Presents Disco

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This fall marks fifty years since Billboard magazine began publishing its disco chart, an acknowledgment of a genre that danced its way into the hearts of millions. Disco music, with its infectious rhythms and vibrant energy, was more than just a soundtrack for nightlife; it was a cultural phenomenon rooted in the experiences of Black, Latinx, and gay communities. The genre’s pulsating beats and soulful melodies offered an escape, a place where people could come together and express themselves freely on the dance floor.

Disco’s origins can be traced back to the dance halls of New York City, where marginalized communities created spaces for celebration and expression. Early tracks like The Trammps’ “That’s Where the Happy People Go” and Shirley & Co’s “Shame, Shame, Shame” laid the foundation for what would become a global movement. These songs, along with others from the era, were not just about the beats but also about creating a sense of community and shared experience on the dance floor, where people from all walks of life could come together and express themselves freely.

Black artists played a central role in shaping disco’s sound and message. Chic’s “Le Freak” and Sister Sledge’s “He’s the Greatest Dancer” brought sophisticated grooves that transcended race, while Marvin Gaye’s “Got to Give It Up” and Diana Ross’s “Upside Down” combined soul with danceable rhythms, pushing the genre into mainstream consciousness. The smooth yet dynamic production styles and vocals showcased a depth that went beyond the glittering surface often associated with disco.

Latinx influences also left an indelible mark on the genre. Songs like “Turn The Beat Around” by Vicki Sue Robinson and “Cherchez La Femme” by Dr. Buzzard’s Original Savannah Band infused Latin rhythms with disco beats, creating a vibrant and eclectic sound. This cross-pollination of cultures on the dance floor reflected the diversity of the communities that embraced disco, making it a genre that celebrated inclusivity long before it became a mainstream value.

As we commemorate fifty years since Billboard recognized disco’s impact, it’s important to remember that disco was more than just a moment in time. It was a movement that broke down social barriers and created a space where joy and liberation could thrive. Whether it’s the enduring appeal of “Stayin’ Alive” by the Bee Gees or the timeless groove of KC & the Sunshine Band’s “That’s the Way (I Like It),” disco’s legacy lives on, reminding us of the power of music to unite and uplift.

Tunes Du Jour Presents 1978

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The year 1978 was a pivotal moment in music history, showcasing a striking contrast between the mainstream hits dominating the airwaves and the underground sounds bubbling beneath the surface. This year offered a rich assortment of genres, from disco and pop ruling the charts to punk and new wave carving out their own rebellious niches.

Disco was undoubtedly the dominant force in popular music. The Bee Gees’ “Stayin’ Alive” became an anthem of the era, while Chic’s “Le Freak,” A Taste of Honey’s “Boogie Oogie Oogie,” Donna Summer’s “Last Dance,” and Alicia Bridges’ “I Love the Nightlife (Disco ‘Round)” kept the dance floors packed. Even rock legends like the Rolling Stones couldn’t resist disco’s pull oor, as evidenced by their hit “Miss You.”

But 1978 wasn’t all about disco. Pop music thrived with ABBA’s timeless “Take a Chance on Me” and Electric Light Orchestra’s upbeat “Mr. Blue Sky.” Queen’s anthemic “We Are the Champions” became a staple at sporting events worldwide. In R&B, the Commodores’ soulful ballad “Three Times a Lady,” Funkadelic’s anthemic “One Nation Under a Groove,” and Chaka Khan’s empowering “I’m Every Woman” showcased the genre’s range. The soundtrack to Grease, featuring John Travolta and Olivia Newton-John’s “You’re the One That I Want,” dominated both radio and cinema.

While mainstream pop and disco ruled the charts, a counter-cultural revolution was taking place in underground venues. The Clash’s “(White Man) In Hammersmith Palais” blended social commentary with irresistible hooks, while the Buzzcocks’ “Ever Fallen in Love (With Someone You Shouldn’t’ve)” captured the essence of punk’s raw emotional energy. The Undertones’ “Teenage Kicks” embodied the unbridled spirit of youth, and Siouxsie & the Banshees’ “Hong Kong Garden” showcased the emerging goth-punk sound. Public Image Ltd.’s self-titled track “Public Image” signaled the evolution of post-punk.

1978 also saw the emergence of artists who defied easy categorization. Kate Bush’s haunting “Wuthering Heights” introduced a unique voice to the pop landscape, blending literary references with art-rock sensibilities. Kraftwerk’s “The Model” pushed the boundaries of electronic music, influencing countless genres in the decades to come. Patti Smith’s “Because the Night” (co-written with Bruce Springsteen) bridged the gap between punk poetry and mainstream rock. The year also saw reggae making inroads with Althea & Donna’s “Uptown Top Ranking,” while Randy Newman’s misunderstood “Short People” showcased his brilliance in crafting satirical, thought-provoking pop.

Looking back, it’s clear that 1978 was more than just a year of disco balls and safety pins. It was a time of musical diversity and innovation, where chart-toppers and underground icons coexisted, each pushing the boundaries of their respective genres. From the dancefloor anthems to punk’s raw energy, from synth-pop’s early days to reggae’s growing influence, 1978 offered a rich and varied soundtrack that continues to resonate today. This dynamic interplay between mainstream and alternative sounds would continue to shape the musical landscape for years to come, making 1978 a truly unforgettable year in music history.

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Your (Almost) Daily Playlist (7-11-20)

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Inspired by the July 11 birthdays of Suzanne Vega, Lil’ Kim, The Paragons’ John Holt, The Nitty Gritty Dirt Band’s Jeff Hanna, Peter Brown, Red Peters, Bonnie Pointer, Thurston Harris, Peter Murphy, Andrew Bird, the Murmurs’ Leisha Hailey, and Mel & Kim’s Mel Appleby; and the July 10 birthdays of Pet Shop Boys’ Neil Tennant, Mavis Staples, Arlo Guthrie, John Whitehead and Eileen Rodgers.

Ringo + Alicia

It’s Alicia Bridges’ Birthday And I Need To Dance!

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Ringo + Alicia
“I will never do a disco album. I’d prefer to do deodorant commercials. I didn’t sing since I was ten years old so I could stand up like a moron and go ‘Getfunkynow, getfunkynow, getboogie-woogie, getfunkynow’.”
– Alicia Bridges, Sounds magazine

Alicia Bridges. You know, the lady who sang “I love the nightlife, I gotta boogie on the disco round.” She co-wrote that song as well. That record is a disco classic, peaking at #2 on the Billboard Disco chart. It crossed over to the pop chart, hitting #5, and the r&b chart, where it reached #31. It was Bridges’ only top 40 hit on any chart. Nowadays she shills for Arrid Extra Dry. Not really.

Today, Alicia Bridges turns 63 years old. Friday is dance day at Tunes du Jour, and we’ll celebrate Ms. Bridges’ birthday with a playlist she’s bound to hate, full of disco hits, kicking off with “I Love the Nightlife (Disco ‘Round).” Getboogiewoogie!

Oh, and what is a disco round?


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It’s LGBT Pride Month And I Need To Dance!

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Because there are millions of people who tell us we shouldn’t be who we are because it doesn’t conform to who they think we should be;

Because this “government of the people, by the people and for the people” often isn’t for all the people;

Because “All men are created equal” doesn’t include those in the LGBT populations per many politicians and their constituents;

Because our Pride parades are attended not only by LGBT peoples are their allies, but by “counter protestors” who shout hateful rhetoric through megaphones in the name of religion, as these self-proclaimed Christians have no place better to be on a Sunday morning;

Because LGBT youth represent 7% of the youth population, while LGBT homeless youth make up 40% of the homeless youth population;

Because LGB and questioning youth are four times more likely to attempt suicide than non-LGB youth;

Because queer youth need to see there are many people like them;

Because if we don’t celebrate who we are, then we tacitly say we are not worthy of celebration and things are fine as they are, neither of which is true;

Because there is strength in numbers;

Because in many parts of the world one is killed for the suspicion of being gay or lesbian;

Because in many parts of the world it is illegal and/or dangerous to show your LGBT pride;

Because nobody should live in fear of expressing their authentic self, including the asshats who attempt to intimidate us from doing so;

Because it is empowering to be able to express one’s sexuality or gender identity in a supportive environment;

Because coming together brings about positive change;

Because while marrying someone of the opposite gender has been legal throughout US history, the right to marry someone of the same gender is coming on just one year;

Because we still have a ways to get to before we reach true equality, and we’ve come too far to stop now;

Because it’s fun!;

Because diversity should be celebrated;

Because pride is respect for yourself and you deserve respect;

Because men in Speedos;

Because despite all of the bull feces, we persevere. That is why

We still need LGBT Pride Month celebrations.

Here is your expanded soundtrack:


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It’s Friday And I Need To Dance!

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“If disco had stuck around, we don’t how much less terrorism we might have in the world now.”
– Gloria Gaynor

Recently, Bono, the singer with U2, made headlines when he suggested that to fight ISIS we send comedians to entertain them, which is his stupidest idea since foisting U2’s most recent album on unsuspecting people by automatically including it in their iTunes libraries. Talk about a sneak attack!

To her credit, Gloria Gaynor didn’t go as far as suggesting we deploy KC & the Sunshine Band to the Middle East. She merely wondered aloud if more disco equals less terrorism.

She may be onto something. Case in point – I listen to a lot of disco, and I’ve never killed anyone.

Do you need more evidence? I’ve gone to many a classic disco night, and I’ve yet to witness a single beheading.

People have claimed that playing heavy metal albums backwards reveals satanic messages. You know what happens when you play a Village People album backwards? It sounds exactly the same!

To do my part in fighting terrorism, I present to you some of my favorite disco tunes of all time, with “all time” meaning the years 1975 thru 1979. To show how serious I am in this fight against evil, today’s playlist includes twenty-five songs instead of the usual twenty. You’re welcome.


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It’s Friday And I Need To Dance!

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Jada Pinkett Smith announced that she is boycotting the Academy Awards this year due to the lack of diversity among the acting nominees. I’m sure that will put a huge dent in the show‘s ratings, as the 40 million people who tend to tune in to the telecast do so to see Jada Pinkett Smith. Following in Pinkett Smith’s footsteps, Spike Lee and Pinkett Smith’s husband Will Smith announced that they were joining in the boycott.

The issue is that out of twenty nominated actors and actresses, twenty are Caucasian. At first glance that doesn’t appear to be very diverse. At second glance, it’s still not diverse, but a boycott is not going to bring about the change that is needed.

Granted, the conversation about the lack of diversity among the nominees needs to be had. The Motion Picture Academy needs to step up its efforts to expand its membership beyond white men, who at this time overwhelmingly make up its ranks.

However, the Academy Award nominations are the result of the actual problem, which is the lack of diversity involved in the movies being made by Hollywood. Movie studios and production companies need to be engaged in the diversity conversation. They’re the ones making the majority of films from which the Academy chooses the nominations. While Caucasian men make up the majority of ticket buyers, serving other demographics adds to a studio’s bottom line. Remember how shocked everyone was when the Sex & the City movie proved a box office bonanza? It’s a movie with female leads that sold tickets primarily to women moviegoers and grossed over $400 million, and it isn’t even good!

Women like to see their lives on the screen. So do African Americans. And Latinos. And people of Asian descent. And gay people. And trans people. And older people. And so on and so on.

Seeing one’s life on the screen means more than merely seeing people of one’s race or ethnicity or gender or sexual orientation on screen. As the conversation surrounding this year’s nominees focuses on race, let’s look at some recent black nominees.

During the past decade, Chiwetel Ejiofor and Lupita Nyong’o were nominated for portraying slaves. Denzel Washington was nominated for his role as an alcoholic drug-abusing pilot. Octavia Spencer and Viola Davis were nominated for playing maids. (Spencer won, but Davis lost to Meryl Streep’s portrayal of Margaret Thatcher. Yes, the Iron Lady won over the lady who irons.) Mo’Nique won for her portrayal of an abusive mother. Forest Whitaker won for playing a corrupt, human rights-abusing dictator. Barkhad Abdi was nominated for playing a pirate. Ruby Dee was nominated for playing the mother of a drug kingpin.

Also nominated was Gabourey Sidibe for her portrayal of an African-American teenager who is repeatedly raped by her father and abused by her mother and others. That performance lost to Sandra Bullock’s portrayal of a nice, white lady who takes in a troubled African American teen.

Other characters portrayed by recently nominated white folks include Colin Firth as a king with a speech impediment, Eddie Redmayne as a brilliant scientist, Benedict Cumberbatch as a brilliant computer scientist, Leonardo DiCaprio as a stockbroker, Patricia Arquette as a loving mother, Sandra Bullock as an astronaut, Daniel Day-Lewis as the U.S. president who freed the black slaves, Robert Downey Jr. as a white actor portraying a black man, and Christoph Waltz as a bounty hunter who emancipates and mentors a black slave. I’m not going to go through every white nominee; we’ll be here all day!

From the examples given, eagle-eyed observers may notice the types of parts for which black actors and white actors get nominated for Academy Awards. Lee and the Smiths are not wrong in saying there is a problem here that needs to be fixed.

Joining the boycott are Curtis Jackson, star of such not-Oscar nominated films as Get Rich or Die Tryin’, Home of the Brave and Righteous Kill. Under his nom de rap 50 Cent, Jackson posted on Instagram a plea for Chris Rock to step down as the award show’s host. The same request came from Tyrese Gibson, star of such not-Oscar nominated films as The Fast & the Furious, 2 Fast 2 Furious, The Fast & the Furious: Tokyo Drift, Fast & Furious, Fast Five, Fast & Furious 6, and Furious 7.

Calvin Broadus, under his nom de rap Snoop Dogg, posted a video on Instagram that said “Fornicate the Academy Awards,” though not in those exact words. Broadus was not nominated for his role in The Wash, in which he stretched his acting chops by portraying Dr. Dre’s weed-smoking best friend. That film has an 8% on Rotten Tomatoes.

Until a few minutes ago I thought The Wash was a remake of the seventies movie Car Wash, which has an 86% rating on Rotten Tomatoes. Per Wikipedia, The Wash is an original movie written and directed by Mark Jordan under his nom de rap, DJ Pooh.

While the soundtrack of The Wash didn’t produce any Billboard Hot 100 hits, the soundtrack to Car Wash did. It was on January 29, 1977, that its theme song hit #1, an incredible feat given it’s a song about a car wash. Amazingly, the song holds up to this day.

Friday is dance day at Tunes du Jour. Our playlist kicks off with Rose Royce’s “Car Wash.”


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Throwback Thursday – 1978

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Just how popular were the Bee Gees in 1978? So big that they accounted for two percent of the record industry’s profits that year.

On January 1, 1978, the trio, made up of brothers Barry, Maurice and Robin Gibb, were at #1 with “How Deep is Your Love,” which the three performed, wrote and co-produced. It stayed on top for three weeks. In February they returned to the #1 position with “Stayin’ Alive.” That stayed at #1 for four weeks. It was knocked from the top spot by “(Love Is) Thicker Than Water,” performed by Andy Gibb, younger brother of the Bee Gees. “Thicker Than Water” was co-written and co-produced by Bee Gee Barry Gibb. “Thicker Than Water” was knocked from the top spot after two weeks by “Night Fever,” performed, written and co-produced by the Bee Gees. That song remained at #1 for eight weeks, only to be knocked from the top by “If I Can’t Have You,” performed by Yvonne Elliman and written and co-produced by the Bee Gees. Starting in mid-June, “Shadow Dancing,” written by the Bee Gees and Andy Gibb, co-produced by Barry Gibb, and performed by Andy Gibb went to #1 and stayed there for seven weeks. In late August Frankie Valli had his first #1 single in three years with “Grease,” written and co-produced by Barry Gibb.

Not everything they touched hit #1 that year. “Emotion,” written by Barry and Robin Gibb, co-produced by Barry Gibb and performed by Samantha Sang, peaked at #3 in March 1978. It was kept from #1 by “Night Fever” and “Stayin’ Alive.”

The album from which “Night Fever,” “Stayin’ Alive,” “How Deep is Your Love” and “If I Can’t Have You” were taken is the soundtrack to the film Saturday Night Fever, which spent 24 weeks at #1 and became the largest-selling album in history at that time. It remains the only soundtrack to have spawned four #1 singles. It could have been five if the Bee Gees’ version of their composition “More Than a Woman” had been released as a commercial single. Instead, the Tavares version of the song, which also appears on the soundtrack, was the single and became a top forty hit. Saturday Night Fever became the first soundtrack album to win the Grammy Award for Album of the Year. The Bee Gees also won Grammy Awards for Best Pop Performance by a Duo or Group with Vocals (both “How Deep is Your Love” and “Stayin’ Alive”) and Best Vocal Arrangement for Two or More Voices (for “Stayin’ Alive”), and Barry Gibb, along with Albhy Galuten and Karl Richardson, won Producer of the Year.

In 1978 the Bee Gees were connected with another high-profile movie project: Sgt. Pepper’s Lonely Hearts Club Band, in which they starred and performed on the soundtrack. Though Robin Gibb hit #15 with the film’s “Oh! Darling”, the album and film were considered flops.

The relative failure of Sgt. Pepper’s notwithstanding, the Bee Gees remained huge throughout 1978. Their blend of pop, soul, and dance music gave them mass appeal. Besides hitting #1 on the pop charts, “Stayin’ Alive” and “Night Fever” were top ten hits on the r&b and disco charts.

Tunes du Jour celebrates Throwback Thursday this week with the music of 1978. The Bee Gees may have dominated the mainstream, but as you’ll hear, rumblings of new and exciting permutations of rock & roll were rumbling under the surface.

We’ll kick off today’s playlist with the song that went to #1 in the UK, Canada, Australia, the Netherlands, Italy, Mexico, New Zealand, South Africa and the US.


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