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Track Listings
| Disc: 1 | |||
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| 1. Love's Theme - The Love Unlimited Orchestra | |||
| 2. Backstabbers - The O'Jays | |||
| 3. Law Of The Land - The Temptations | |||
| 4. Soul Makossa - Manu Dibango | |||
| 5. Black Skinned Blue Eyed Boys - The Equals | |||
See all 21 tracks on this disc
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| Disc: 2 | |||
| 1. The Hustle - Van McCoy | |||
| 2. Get Down Tonight - KC & The Sunshine Band | |||
| 3. Never Can Say Goodbye - Gloria Gaynor | |||
| 4. It's In His Kiss - Linda Lewis | |||
| 5. Forever Came Today - Jackson 5 | |||
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See all 16 tracks on this disc
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| Disc: 3 | |||
| 1. Don't Leave Me This Way - Thelma Houston | |||
| 2. Let No Man Put Asunder (It's Not Over) - First Choice | |||
| 3. Cocomotion - El Coco | |||
| 4. Love In C Minor - Cerrone | |||
| 5. I Feel Love - Donna Summer | |||
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See all 14 tracks on this disc
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| Disc: 4 | |||
| 1. Vertigo / Relight My Fire - Dan Hartman | |||
| 2. After Dark - Patti Brooks | |||
| 3. The Runner - The Three Degrees | |||
| 4. Take That To The Bank - Shalamar | |||
| 5. Dance With You - Carrie Lucas | |||
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See all 13 tracks on this disc
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Product Description
Review
In the last couple of years consumers have been treated to several very good disco compilations and mixes, such as the fine Disco Discharge and Horse Meat Disco sets. This has coincided with an upswing in the general perception of the music, with contemporary artists like Aeroplane and Lindstrom opening the genre up to new ears. It has earned the right to be taken seriously. But how did we get here? This release provides the answers.
These 64 tracks detail the journey of the magic, the development of disco’s journey from its roots in funk and soul, from its imperial phase of the late-70s through to the 80s. It’s lovingly compiled by Mark Wood and features new interviews from key artists such as Candi Staton, Giorgio Moroder, Tom Moulton and Patrick Adams, as well as commentary from a host of DJs and fans such as Arthur Baker and Luke Howard. It’s utterly glorious.
Disc one includes tunes every self-respecting DJ should fill a floor with: the Philly soul of The O’Jays’ Backstabbers, The Temptations’ Law of the Land, the Commodores’ Machine Gun and Rare Earth’s Get Ready. These appear alongside early crossover hits, such as the first disco chart-topper Rock You Baby. Disc two sees the stars of the genre emerge, collecting cuts from KC and The Sunshine Band, Gloria Gaynor and Kool & The Gang beside classics from Linda Lewis, Tavares and The Trammps.
Disc three compiles top-notch tunes as Chic’s Dance, Dance, Dance; Bohannon’s Let’s Start the Dance; Thelma Houston’s Don’t Leave Me This Way; and Donna Summer’s genuinely life-changing I Feel Love. Disc four has Teena Marie, Shalamar, Dan Hartman and – oh my – Casanova by Coffee and Slick’s Space Bass. With everything in its original single or album version, this set offers over five hours of ecstasy for the ears. Plus it’s one of the few box sets you could happily play each disc of again and again.
A Complete Introduction to Disco is the key text of what was an incredible period of music’s history and should really be on the national curriculum – it’s that good. This is an essential addition to any collection. Amazing barely begins to cover it. --Ian WadeFind more music at the BBC This link will take you off Amazon in a new window
CD Description
A Complete Introduction To Disco is a beautifully packaged, four-disc set tracing the rise and rise of the genre through the ten-year period 1970-1980. Thoroughly researched and chronologically sequenced it charts disco’s development from its roots in the Motown, funk and Philly soul of the late-60s/early-70s into an unstoppable world-dominating musical force.
Based on actual club playlists and DJ charts from the time, A Complete Introduction To Disco positions the pioneering landmark records alongside overlooked classics. Along the way, disco’s big name acts--from Grace Jones and Barry White, to Donna Summer, Sylvester and Kool & The Gang--rub shoulders with the era’s powerhouse producers and remixers, including Giorgio Moroder, Chic, Patrick Adams, Tom Moulton, Bohannon and more.
The package’s lavish 36-page booklet contains scores of photos, an introductory essay by Tom Moulton (hot-shot disco producer and pioneer of the extended remix), plus a comprehensive history of the disco genre by renowned UK disco expert Wayne Dickson. Each of the set’s 64 songs is accompanied by full annotations from disco’s superstars, past and present including Giorgio Moroder, Jody Watley, John Morales, Arthur Baker, Candi Staton, Mark Moore, Bobby Eli and many more.
Based on actual club playlists and DJ charts from the time, A Complete Introduction To Disco positions the pioneering landmark records alongside overlooked classics. Along the way, disco’s big name acts--from Grace Jones and Barry White, to Donna Summer, Sylvester and Kool & The Gang--rub shoulders with the era’s powerhouse producers and remixers, including Giorgio Moroder, Chic, Patrick Adams, Tom Moulton, Bohannon and more.
The package’s lavish 36-page booklet contains scores of photos, an introductory essay by Tom Moulton (hot-shot disco producer and pioneer of the extended remix), plus a comprehensive history of the disco genre by renowned UK disco expert Wayne Dickson. Each of the set’s 64 songs is accompanied by full annotations from disco’s superstars, past and present including Giorgio Moroder, Jody Watley, John Morales, Arthur Baker, Candi Staton, Mark Moore, Bobby Eli and many more.
Customer Reviews
Most Helpful Customer Reviews
17 of 17 people found the following review helpful
By Curmudgeon
Format:Audio CD|Amazon Verified Purchase
As the BBC review says, amazing. This compilation is the best-ever overview of a sprawling genre; it covers just about every subgenre that developed from - and contributed to - the multi-headed beast known as DISCO.
The chosen tracks are a discophile's dream. The first disc opens with Barry White's "Love's Theme", the first disco instrumental to top the charts in 1974, but much of the material stretches back as far as the late 60s. Several of the early tracks are rock or funk or soul-based, but all contain the seeds of disco's hi-hat and four-to-the-floor. By the end we're firmly in disco territory with George McCrae's seminal "Rock Your Baby (Parts 1&2)" and Shirley & Company's earth-shaking "Shame, Shame, Shame".
Disc Two catapults the listener into disco's first great creative peak: the mid-70s. Gloria Gaynor, The Jackson 5, Dr. Buzzard, Van McCoy created a sonic palette of sweeping strings, dance rhythms and wailing divas uniquely of its time, and now timeless-sounding. Eurodance began its ascendency as the electronic future beckoned.
The fact this is chronologically charted makes it a great listen. Compiler Mark Wood really knows his disco history and, although the disco narrative is now becoming a little fossilised, he's produced a thoroughly entertaining mix: I've been playing this nonstop.
The packaging is superb: a compact, full colour, glossy hard-back book with 36 pages of lavish photos and annotations for every track - famous performers, producers and scenesters all comment on their favourite tracks, as well as release dates and chart positions.
In short, it's a great compilation; it gets many more things right than wrong. My only slight disappointment is it's not mixed - at least, more tightly segueing tracks would have been truer to the disco experience than the standard 2-second interval between tracks.
The chosen tracks are a discophile's dream. The first disc opens with Barry White's "Love's Theme", the first disco instrumental to top the charts in 1974, but much of the material stretches back as far as the late 60s. Several of the early tracks are rock or funk or soul-based, but all contain the seeds of disco's hi-hat and four-to-the-floor. By the end we're firmly in disco territory with George McCrae's seminal "Rock Your Baby (Parts 1&2)" and Shirley & Company's earth-shaking "Shame, Shame, Shame".
Disc Two catapults the listener into disco's first great creative peak: the mid-70s. Gloria Gaynor, The Jackson 5, Dr. Buzzard, Van McCoy created a sonic palette of sweeping strings, dance rhythms and wailing divas uniquely of its time, and now timeless-sounding. Eurodance began its ascendency as the electronic future beckoned.
The fact this is chronologically charted makes it a great listen. Compiler Mark Wood really knows his disco history and, although the disco narrative is now becoming a little fossilised, he's produced a thoroughly entertaining mix: I've been playing this nonstop.
The packaging is superb: a compact, full colour, glossy hard-back book with 36 pages of lavish photos and annotations for every track - famous performers, producers and scenesters all comment on their favourite tracks, as well as release dates and chart positions.
In short, it's a great compilation; it gets many more things right than wrong. My only slight disappointment is it's not mixed - at least, more tightly segueing tracks would have been truer to the disco experience than the standard 2-second interval between tracks.
1 of 1 people found the following review helpful
By radiojock
TOP 500 REVIEWER
Format:Audio CD|Amazon Verified Purchase
Oh, this is lovely. When this CD set came, I thought they'd sent me something else for it was packaged as a book! I unwrapped it to find the most delightful presentation case. I will repackage the CDs, being very fussy. (I don't like one disc sitting atop another. However, that's a small matter). Meanwhile, the case opens up to reveal a stunningly beautifully written and produced booklet which reveals a DJ's delight with notes on record labels and many other things to fill up air time to present the music with if that's what you do! I can't wait to take this little lot to my hospital radio station this weekend to give folks a bit of a presentation of one of the most delightful music genres ever to come my way. I'm almost fifty, riddled with arthritis, yet this music still makes me want to dance!
What a delight Amazon's music store has turned out to be. The product was packaged so well there were no concerns over contents' damage. It simply couldn't have happened. I'm absolutely thrilled, after reading the sleeve notes; now I'm off to play the discs:)
Fave track? Well, I'm delighted that George McCrae's Rock Your Baby is there amongst so many others, but Slick's Space Bass gives me goosebumps. The sound they called 'Disco' is so musically expressive. I love it. At the end of the booklet, you're told that this beautiful music should have been given a beautiful name. I couldn't agree more.
What a delight Amazon's music store has turned out to be. The product was packaged so well there were no concerns over contents' damage. It simply couldn't have happened. I'm absolutely thrilled, after reading the sleeve notes; now I'm off to play the discs:)
Fave track? Well, I'm delighted that George McCrae's Rock Your Baby is there amongst so many others, but Slick's Space Bass gives me goosebumps. The sound they called 'Disco' is so musically expressive. I love it. At the end of the booklet, you're told that this beautiful music should have been given a beautiful name. I couldn't agree more.
Format:Audio CD|Amazon Verified Purchase
As a child of the Sixties, I will always have a soft spot for Disco, not only the music but also the scene and what it represented, this is one of the best compilations that brings the period to life, it is not necessarily comprised of the most popular songs, what it is, is a passage through the disco era, its history, styles and beats, it is also great value for money.
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