Lisa's Nostalgia Cafe--1970s Dance & Disco Scene


The disco phenomenon started in New York's gay and black clubs, where pulsating dance music and flamboyant fashions were the rule. Around 1977, it showed signs of dying, but was brought back to life briefly with the release of Saturday Night Fever. The movie itself was based on a 1976 magazine cover story titled "Tribal Rites Of The New Saturday Night." Tribal Rites Of The New Saturday Night Disco-Disco Disco History 101 Disco Museum music & extended mixes In the early 1970s, individual songs were released on 45 RPM records. In dance clubs, DJs became adept at creating extended dance mixes by playing two copies of the same song back to back without a discernable break. This was very difficult to do. Clearly, a better way was needed. In 1975, after experimenting with extended 7-inch and 10-inch formats, the 12-inch single was developed. At first, these extended mixes were distributed as promotional copies for radio and club use only. In 1976, they became available to the general public. The hottest DJs in the late 1970s created their own original mixes by combining and overlapping musical styles, sound effects and recorded speeches. Their simple turntables were becoming elaborate production studios, and their mixes were evolving into what would later become known as house music. 12-Inch Singles Top 500 Disco Songs Of All Time 70s Dance Music	-----	the atmosphere A night at the disco was all about glamour. Girls whirled around the dance floor in their slinky disco dresses. Guys sported gold chains and their best polyester shirts. Everyone's hair was blow-dried to perfection. In the 1970s, recreational drug use went hand-in-hand with the glamorous party lifestyle. In the back room, fashionable people were partaking of fashionable drugs like cocaine and quaaludes. The decor was futuristic, with flashing colored lights, a twirling mirrored ball, a lighted dance floor, lots of chrome and maybe a fog machine. If you found romance under that mirrored ball, your night was complete.
dancing Popular dances in the 1970s included the Robot, Electric Boogaloo, Bump, Bus Stop, Hustle and Locking. There were actually several versions of the Hustle, including the Street Hustle and Latin Hustle. In the 1960s, partners usually danced without touching each other. In the 1970s, the Hustle marked the return of "touch dancing." The Robot, Electric Boogaloo and Locking were variations of the same theme. The Robot and Locking used precise snapping movements, while the Electric Boogaloo used smooth movements to simulate the pulse of an electric current along a wire. If you wanted to learn the latest steps, you could buy an instructional book or record, or take a disco dancing class at the local park district. In the clubs, partner dances and line dances were equally popular. Hustle FAQ About The Hustle Learn Disco Steps! The Bus Stop Locking
the hot spots Most clubs were located in the city, where they sported futuristic names like The Odyssey, The Galaxy and Infinity. The most famous disco was New York's Studio 54, which opened in 1977. During its short life, the club became famous for its celebrity clientele, its party atmosphere and for the hordes of people clamoring for admittance. Studio 54 closed in 1980 after the original owners were arrested and charged with skimming the profits. In small towns, any club that installed strobe lights and a mirrored ball could call itself a "disco." Even the local motel lounge was guilty of this.		New York City Studio 54.....(1) (2) (3) 2001 Odyssey The Loft Starship Discovery The Limelight Xanadu Paradise Garage Xenon Sybils Chicago Cinderella Rockefella Faces The Warehouse Los Angeles The Circus Odyssey Xanadu Over The Rainbow San Francisco Trocadero Transfer The Endup Street Swing Disco Directory Clubs Of The Disco Era Disco Clubs


	disco artists Some artists, like Donna Summer and the Village People, first gained popularity performing disco music. Others, like the Bee Gees, successfully made the transition from other musical forms. There were artists, like Rod Stewart ("Do Ya Think I'm Sexy"), who gave it a try but didn't do all that well. And some...well, let's just say that when we look back, all we can say is "what were they thinking?" Unlikely Disco Artists Disco Savvy Disco Museum Artists Visit my Recording Artists page for all my 1970s musician links!
disco MIDIs Disco Inferno The Trammps, 1977 I Feel Love Donna Summer, 1977 A Fifth Of Beethoven Walter Murphy, 1977 Copa Cabana Barry Manilow, 1978 Staying Alive The Bee Gee's, 1978 Y.M.C.A. The Village People, 1978 I Will Survive Gloria Gaynor, 1979 Do Ya Think I'm Sexy Rod Stewart, 1979	Roller disco was also popular in the late 1970s


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