Million Dollar Orchestra, Ashford & Simpson and other new/upcoming disco releases..

It's been a while since I've done one of these, but there's a small crop of exciting disco releases from this past week and coming this month that I just had to mention. At the end of the list, I also decided to put a few things from last year that I missed out on, so without further ado..

January 15th:


Al Kent Presents The Million Dollar Orchestra - Better Days (BBE)
buy @ CD UNIVERSE | AMAZON.COM | AMAZON.CO.UK | DUSTY GROOVE
While there's quite a bit of buzz going around about this, I thought I might as well do my part and spread the word about what is perhaps one of the most exciting disco releases to come along recently (that's not a reissue or compilation, for that matter). With all the interest in disco, and how well referenced it has become, there's probably no better time than now to resurrect the disco orchestra ...

That said, while I've always felt it would be nearly impossible to truly recreate the sound and feel of classic disco today, particularly the classic sounds of Salsoul, The Crown Heights Affair, P&P and other earlier disco of the mid-70's, this album certainly comes as close as possible. Produced and concieved by Al Kent of Million Dollar Disco, those who are familiar with the rarities on the MDD "Disco Demands" compilations will likely have a good idea of the feel on here.

Having recorded the album with real strings and real musicians in a real analogue studio no less, the sound here, held down by some awesome bass playing, percussion and string sweetening manages to sound lovingly authentic without sounding dated. Although while somewhat short of the heights of, say, the grandaddies of disco orchestras - MFSB and The Salsoul Orchestra, they've captured a groove on here that retains a certain rawness, while capturing the rhythm, elegance and warmth of classic disco.. Better Days, indeed.

The return of the disco orchestra? We'll see. Nevertheless, a record that's both welcome and overdue...

To hear a sample of the tracks, go to the Million Dollar Disco website, the BBE website or the Million Dollar Orchestra's Myspace page where they have a great medley of tracks off the album. Personal favourites: "Get It Boy," "Canal Street Bus Stop" and "Feel The Music."
MILLION DOLLAR ORCHESTRA @ MILLION DOLLAR DISCO
MYSPACE - MILLION DOLLAR ORCHESTRA
MILLION DOLLAR ORCHESTRA - BETTER DAYS @ BBE
MILLION DOLLAR ORCHESTRA - BETTER DAYS @ DISCOMUSIC.COM


VA - Disco Not Disco: Post Punk, Electro & Leftfield Disco Classics 1974-1986 (Strut)
buy @ AMAZON.COM | AMAZON.CO.UK | CD UNIVERSE | DUSTY GROOVE
The official and welcome return of Strut Records and their highly regarded disco-not-disco series of avant-garde, leftfield disco.. Strut have set up a nice micro site to promote this @ http://www.disco-not-disco.com/ where you can hear full samples of several tracks. Perhaps a tad too leftfield for some at times, the selections are nevertheless always interesting and revealing. Given the impressive list of compilations Strut brought out during their initial four year run, it's great to see them back.
STRUT RECORDS
STRUT RECORDS (1999-2003) @ JAHSONIC
STRUT RECORDS @ DISCOGS

January 23rd:


The Trammps - S/T (1975, Golden Fleece / 2008, Epic)
buy Japanese reissue @ HMV.CO.JP | CD UNIVERSE | DUSTY GROOVE
buy the regular reissue @ CD UNIVERSE | AMAZON.CO.UK | AMAZON.COM
A Japanese paper sleeve/mini LP reissue of their first album for the Golden Fleece label. There was initially a reissue of this album in 2002 by Epic/Sony in the US, which had unfortunately gone out of print not too long ago. Produced by Ronnie Baker, Norman Harris and Earl Young (AKA B-H-Y) this is a great, soulful disco record filled with the classic Philly sound. The 2002 US reissue included three bonus tracks, but this Japanese reissue includes a fourth, "Promise Me" (later included on PIR's cash-in album "Disco Champs"). Admittedly this Japanese reissue is somewhat exorbitantly priced, so aside from the used copies of the earlier out-of-print US reissue, a good alternative would be the UK release of the regular edition, which it seems was put back in print late last year.
THE TRAMMPS - S/T (REVIEW) @ ALL MUSIC GUIDE
THE TRAMMPS - S/T (2002 CD REISSUE) @ DISCOMUSIC.COM
BAKER-HARRIS-YOUNG @ DISCOGS

February 26th:


Ashford & Simpson - The Warner Brothers Years: Hits, Remixes & Rarities (Rhino)
buy @ CD UNIVERSE | AMAZON.COM | AMAZON.CO.UK | DUSTY GROOVE
Although lamentably, the CDs of A&S's Warner albums have been out of print for some time now, this set is a definitely a welcome release. Compiled by Johnny De Mairo and enthusiastically endorsed by Nick & Val themselves, "Hits, Remixes & Rarities" is a two disc set with the originals in disc 1 and remixes on disc two. Thankfully much more than your average hits compilation, over half of the tracks on the first disc are 12" Versions, most remixed by Valerie's brother Jimmy Simpson and some released on promo only and notoriously hard to find. Case in point: track one - "Over & Over" and track four - "One More Try." Promo copies of the latter in particular have been known to fetch up to $500 even up to $700 on eBay. Curiously, the 12" version of "One More Try" was earlier set to be included on the Joey Negro compilation "Soul Of Disco, Vol. 2" (2006, Z Records) but to the disappointment of fans, apparently pulled from the tracklisting at the eleventh hour. I guess we now know why...

As an added bonus to the 12'' versions, the second disc includes remixes and re-edits by the likes of Dimitri From Paris, Joey Negro, Joe Claussell, John Morales and classic disco mixmaster himself, Tom Moulton.

It certainly seems promising that Warner went as far as to issue a press release to promote this release as a "reintroduction." Is a comeback on the horizon, perhaps? Regardless, a must-have if there ever was one!

Update: Release date pushed back from January 29th to February 26th

Note: The artwork was apparently revised not too long before this writing, included here are the two versions released..
REUTERS - LEGENDS ASHFORD & SIMPSON RELEASE ULTIMATE COMPILATION
ASHFORD & SIMPSON @ DISCOGS
ASHFORD & SIMPSON @ ALL MUSIC GUIDE
SUGAR BAR NYC

Been Missed:

December 19th:


Aretha Franklin - Jump To It (1982, Arista / 2007, BMG Japan)
HMV.CO.JP | AMAZON.COM | EBAY
Aretha Franklin - Get It Right (1983, Arista / 2007, BMG Japan)
HMV.CO.JP | AMAZON.COM | EBAY
Another group of Japanese reissues, this time of some of The Queen's early 80's Arista albums. Out of the six that have been reissued (all her 80s Arista albums except for her 1980 self-titled), of note are the first two, the couple of albums produced by the late, great Luther Vandross. In my opinion, some of the brightest moments of her Arista years before it all went to crap by the end of the decade ("Through The Storm" anyone?). Although not disco per se, the sly, sassy groove of "Jump To It" was her biggest dance hit in the US and undoubtedly one of her greatest moments of the 1980's. There are some other choice funky, post-disco boogie treats on both albums such as "Get It Right" and "Every Girl Wants My Guy," which is a particular favourite of mine.

An earlier remaster was released in the US by Arista/BMG in the late 90s, along with a brief run budget-reissue in 2004 by Sony/BMG in the UK. I believe both those editions are now out of print, leaving these as the most current editions. Also packaged in a paper sleeve/mini LP style.
ARETHA FRANKLIN @ WIKIPEDIA
ARETHA FRANKLIN - JUMP TO IT LP (REVIEW) @ ALL MUSIC GUIDE
ARETHA FRANKLIN - GET IT RIGHT LP (REVIEW) @ ALL MUSIC GUIDE

October 29th:


VA - Deep Disco Culture, Vol. 2 (2007, Suss'd)
buy @ AMAZON.CO.UK | CD UNIVERSE | DUSTY GROOVE | SOUNDS OF THE UNIVERSE
Brought to you by the same folks behind the Salsoul Flavas compilations, comes a second set of rarities in their Deep Disco Culture series. Apparently quite an emphasis on P&P material on here, but there are quite a bunch of rarities aside from that such as the instrumental of Azoto's "San Salvador," and the Patrick Cowley mix of Tantra's "Hills of Katmandu" to name a couple. Most places online appear to be out of stock as of this writing, so hopefully that'll be rectified shortly..
VA - DEEP DISCO CULTURE (2 CD) @ DISCOGS

CATEGORIES: REISSUES & RELEASES, NUDISCO