A revolution so secret, even its participants were unaware of it..

A friend had recently told me about a new disco documentary premiering at this year's Toronto International Film Festival this past Saturday (thanks Oliver!). While he wasn't entirely convinced, and despite the decidedly mixed reviews, I decided that if it was a documentary and it was about disco (and in my own backyard, no less), I had to go see it.

Toronto filmmaker Jamie Kastner's current film (Kastner was previously behind the docs Kike Like Me and Recessionize! For Fun and For Profit!) The Secret Disco Revolution is largely based around some of the key premises around two of the more recent revisionist histories about disco, Peter Shapiro's "Turn The Beat Around: The Secret History of Disco" and more pointedly, Alice Echols' "Hot Stuff: Disco and the Remaking of American Culture" (she not only gets a lot of screen time, the poster art also matches her book) that Disco was not a throwaway fad, but really the soundtrack to a cultural revolution and the liberation of blacks, gays and women. While it seems fitting to have a documentarian use Echols and Shapiro's books, which are some of the most compelling works of disco scholarship in recent years; Kastner doesn't quite seem to agree entirely with their conclusions, spending approximately half of the film presenting them, and the other half sending them up. While that may seem like a cold splash in the face to some disco enthusiasts (myself included), and something of a Jamie Kastner signature judging from his earlier films, it actually becomes one of the film's stronger points. The way, however, in which he often presented many of those points, was not.

  The "Revolutionaries"

Using three Mod Squad style "disco revolutionaries", clad in nearly every single retro disco party costume cliché you can think of (dollar store afro, check! moustache and open-chest with heavy medallions, check!, glitter and blue eye-shadow, check!) to satirically tie together the history of disco, (their adventures narrated by actor Peter Keleghan), the film's main framing device was a total dud. While one can appreciate wanting to bring a sense of fun and levity to a documentary about disco; it not only seemed to generate more eye-rolls than laughs, but detracted, more than anything, from the otherwise serious exploration of the subject and the legitimate questions the film raises.

Henri Belolo 

On the positive side, the best parts of the film lie largely in the deftly employed goldmine of archive footage and the interviews which cover a broad spectrum of disco personalities, from mix masters Tom Moulton and Nicky Siano, to Gloria Gaynor and Thelma Houston repping the divas, to industry figures like Vince Aletti and Larry Harris to name only a few. Kastner's interview with Village People producer Jacques Morali's business partner and co-producer Henri Belolo is especially illuminating, coming across as the most articulate and insightful of all the interview subjects. The way the film presented the absurd gulf of contradictions between Belolo's take on the Village People's subversive gayness and that of the present group members' is undoubtedly one of the highlights (or lowlights, depending on your perspective). Another one of the film's more clever and pointed moments comes when Kastner brings Echols' and Shapiro's conclusions, namely the question of the political and revolutionary aspects of disco directly to the interview subjects whose answers seem to range from outright bewilderment (Thelma Houston and Martha Wash) to hostility (Harry Wayne Casey and the Village People). (For the record, Belolo, once again, came through with the most perceptive answer here).

  The Village People

Kastner also gets points for not only bringing forth and giving ample time to Shapiro's and Echols' theories, but in also bringing up some of the contradictions that exist between their ideas and the reality of disco. For example, while disco was a genre that represented a new freedom for blacks, gays and women; as a largely producer driven genre, how come it seemed to represent the very opposite for many of its artists? Also, for a genre that represented liberation and inclusion, how does one explain why and how did Studio 54, one of its ultimate cultural representations, symbolize such a crass and superficial exclusivity? All valid questions, which the film doesn't necessarily answer; Kastner seems to content to leave that for the viewer (although I suppose you could reply to the former with a treatise on rockism, but that's another documentary).

Open questions aside, one problematic aspect of the film were some of its rather stark omissions. Perhaps a reflection of the filmmakers' outsider perspective (Kastner admitted he wasn't really a disco fan going into the project) though not, in this case, to the film's benefit. Can one really bring up black and gay liberation in disco and not even briefly touch on Sylvester? (An omission which an audience member pointed out in the Q&A). As well, can one bring up Studio 54 these days, but not, say, Larry Levan and the Paradise Garage as a counterpoint? While oft-referenced in its own way, Levan and the Garage are arguably more influential as a touchstone of the disco movement among current generations of listeners, than 54 ever was. Perhaps they felt they had sufficiently covered a 54 counterpoint with the inclusion of Siano and the accompanying Gallery footage. Though whatever the rationalization, it still felt like a missed opportunity in highlighting one of the more compelling cases of disco's enduring presence.

Thelma Houston 

Imperfect as it is, Secret Disco Revolution at the very least does an adequate job of bringing together some different perspectives and some new ideas about disco to a general (read: non-fan) audience. The more discerning of disco denizens will likely be disappointed that the film, despite heavily referencing Shapiro and Echols' works, doesn't quite live up to either of them (less Disco Mod Squad and more footage and conversation, perhaps?). While not necessarily making up for its shortcomings, the interviews and often times incredible archive footage will probably be just enough for more disco-inclined viewers to chew on.

A note about the premiere: One of the film's main interview subjects, Thelma Houston was in attendance and dutifully delivered a rousing rendition of "Don't Leave Me This Way" at the end of the Q&A. Houston had the audience on their feet, waving their hands and (like the two ladies beside me) marveling at how strong and clear she still sounds (and that was singing to a track, hardly the best showcase for even the greatest of singers). Dare I say, the lady sounded so impressive; if one didn't know better, you would have thought she had recorded that song yesterday. The full Q&A and performance was recorded on video, so hopefully that will show up on the TIFF site in the near future. In the meantime, here's some amateur audience video (not mine) of Thelma's performance (thanks for the tip-off, Javier!)


Thelma Houston Sings at TIFF 2012
Uploaded by nice1dave

For those in the Toronto area who wish to see it, The Secret Disco Revolution will be screening a second time on Thursday, September 13th at 3 pm, at the Bloor Hot Docs Cinema.


PREVIOUS RELATED ENTRIES:
AND PARTY EVERY DAY.. (TUESDAY OCTOBER 6, 2009)
VINCE ALETTI'S DISCO FILES (WEDNESDAY FEBRUARY 4, 2009)
THE GODFATHER OF DISCO (FRIDAY JUNE 15, 2007)
THE QUEENS OF DISCO WITH GRAHAM NORTON ON BBC ONE (WEDNESDAY MARCH 8, 2006)

LINKS:
THE SECRET DISCO REVOLUTION - A JAMIE KASTNER FILM (OFFICIAL WEBSITE)
FACEBOOK: THE SECRET DISCO REVOLUTION
680 NEWS: INTERVIEW WITH JAMIE KASTNER, "THE SECRET DISCO REVOLUTION"
 TRIBUTE.CA: JAMIE KASTNER & THELMA HOUSTON INTERVIEW - THE SECRET DISCO REVOLUTION (SEPTEMBER 7, 2012)
 NOW TORONTO - TIFF GUIDE: THE SECRET DISCO REVOLUTION - REVIEW (BY RADHEYAN SIMONPILLAI)
EXCLAIM.CA - TIFF REVIEWS: THE SECRET DISCO REVOLUTION (BY DANIEL PRATT) (SEPTEMBER 6, 2012)
CULTURALMINING.COM - DANIEL GARBER INTERVIEWS JAMIE KASTNER ABOUT HIS NEW TONGUE-IN-CHEEK DOCUMENTARY (SEPTEMBER 7, 2012)
CANADIAN DISCO DOCUMENTARY THE SECRET DISCO REVOLUTION DEBUTS AT TIFF (BY CASSANDRA SZKLARSKI) (SEPTEMBER 7, 2012)
CTV NEWS - NEW TIFF DOC ASKS: DID DISCO TOUCH OFF A CULTURAL REVOLUTION? (SEPTEMBER 8, 2012)
 CBC MUSIC - TIFF 2012: BEHIND THE SECRET DISCO REVOLUTION (BY VISH KHANNA) (SEPTEMBER 7, 2012)
MSN CANADA - ENTERTAINMENT: FILMMAKER KASTNER OUTLINES DISCO'S SECRET HISTORY (BY SEÁN FRANCIS CONDON) (SEPTEMBER 6, 2012)
 XTRA: TIFF PREVIEW - THE SECRET DISCO REVOLUTION (INTERVIEW WITH JAMIE KASTNER) (SEPTEMBER 4, 2012)

CATEGORIES: VISUAL DISCO, ARTICLES & RAMBLINGS

BBC Radio 2: Classic Singles - I Feel Love

Listen: BBC Radio 2: Classic Singles - I Feel Love
Just a couple of things to acknowledge before 2007 draws to a close. First of all, Donna Summer, the Queen of Disco herself turns, believe it or not, 59 on the 31st. Although some of her fans on the message boards out there might fuss about her weight and her wigs lately and, perhaps rightly, lament her recent snub by the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame; by all accounts, at nearly 60, the lady still sounds remarkable in concert. Not to mention, if there was ever a poster girl for "black don't crack," she'd be it.

Secondly, although I'm around eight months late for this, her seminal classic, one of the most iconic Summer/Moroder/Bellotte compositions, "I Feel Love" also turned 30 this year.. Although it was an anniversary that went relatively unacknowledged, its influence certainly has not. Reportedly called "the sound of the future" by Brian Eno upon hearing it for the first time, "I Feel Love" was one of the touchstones of not only disco, or even Donna Summer's career, but of the pop music landscape in general. Along with all the other groundbreaking electronic records of its time, its success seemingly opened the floodgates for all manner of electronic experimentation (and imitation) on the dancefloor and beyond, solidifying the legacy of its producer Giorgio Moroder, perhaps just as much, if not moreso than Donna herself. Arguably much of what could be considered 'electronic music' today owes a debt to its legacy...

Released in May 1977 and included on Donna's "I Remember Yesterday" (1977, Casablanca) LP, "I Feel Love" was, in my opinion, the one shining moment on what was likely the weakest of Donna's otherwise excellent string of disco concept albums. Although not necessarily a bad album, one couldn't help but feel that the whole time travel/nostalgia concept probably sounded much better on paper than on record. Between the cover and its unflattering deer-in-headlights photo of Donna, and a largely unconvincing mish-mash of disco styled nostalgia, "I Feel Love," the album's 'song of the future', with its powerful, pulsing sensuality, placed right at the end of the record, effectively obliterated everything else..

Granted, most people reading this are likely well aware of its significance, so consider this a little bit of preaching to the coverted, so to speak.. However, in honour of its 30th anniversary, I thought this might be a good opportunity to put up the audio from the Classic Singles documentary on "I Feel Love" by the good people at BBC Radio 2. The broadcast, which originally aired November 2005 (which I'd been holding on to ever since), runs approximately 30 minutes and gives what is probably one of the most recent and comprehensive overviews/tributes to this song that I know of. Hosted by the one and only Alison Goldfrapp, herself no stranger to the Moroder influence, the program runs like a documentary on not only the influence and making of "I Feel Love" itself, but also of Giorgio and his evolution as a producer up to that point.

Although not nearly as detailed and in-depth as Radio 2's "The Record Producers" doc on Nile Rodgers from nearly a year ago, they manage to cover a good bit of ground in its 30 minutes, with much of the program being devoted to Giorgio speaking in his own words. Although unfortunately Donna herself didn't take part in it, they included some choice confessionals from the likes of Jimmy Sommerville, Debbie Harry and the Scissor Sisters' Ana Matronic, who manages to sneak in the best quote in the whole thing. I'm sure they could have easily gone an entire hour, but even within the 30 minutes, Giorgio still manages to shed some light on some pretty interesting points regarding the making of "I Feel Love" and his own feelings about its influence..

Although it has been argued that Giorgio could have had anyone sing "I Feel Love" and made it a hit, given the feel of Donna's essential yet often dismissed vocal stamp combined with her immense popularity at the time, it's doubtful whether any other combination could have made quite the same impact or created the same magic. Although not among her most explicit, "I Feel Love" still remains one of Donna's sexiest moments on record, with the effortlessly sensual caress of her voice providing the perfect counterpoint to the cool, mechanical precision of the music. Aside from groundbreaking, it's nonetheless a wonderfully sublime moment of shiny, glittering electro-eroticism; the hypnotic, throbbing pulse of its unforgettable bassline resonating today, just as it did thirty years ago.

Also, just in case anyone's in need of additional visual aid after all that, here's a wonderful vintage live performance of "I Feel Love," complete with synths and robot dance:




Donna Summer - I Feel Love (Live)
Uploaded by DonnaSummerVEVO

..and here's yet another, more recent (and more polished) live performance from her 1999 VH-1 "Live & More..Encore" special:




Donna Summer - I Feel Love (Live & More..Encore! - 1999)
Uploaded by EndlessDonna

PREVIOUS RELATED ENTRIES:
DISCO DELIVERY #40: MUNICH MACHINE - A WHITER SHADE OF PALE (1978, CASABLANCA) (SUNDAY APRIL 29, 2007)
BBC RADIO 2 - THE RECORD PRODUCERS: NILE RODGERS (SATURDAY JANUARY 6, 2007)
NEW DEAL FOR DONNA (THURSDAY AUGUST 3, 2006)
DISCO DELIVERY #14: SUZI LANE - OOH LA LA (1979, ELEKTRA) (SATURDAY APRIL 8, 2006)
DISCO DELIVERY #5: GIORGIO MORODER - FROM HERE TO ETERNITY (1977, OASIS/CASABLANCA) (FRIDAY FEBRUARY 3, 2006)
DONNA SUMMER - I GOT YOUR LOVE (MONDAY JANUARY 16, 2006)

PURCHASE:

DONNA SUMMER - THE DANCE COLLECTION CD (INCLUDES 'I FEEL LOVE' 12'' VERSION)
CD UNIVERSE | AMAZON.CO.UK | AMAZON.COM

DONNA SUMMER - BAD GIRLS (DELUXE EDITION) (2 CD) (INCLUDES 'I FEEL LOVE' 12'' VERSION)
AMAZON.COM | CD UNIVERSE

LINKS:
DONNA SUMMER TRIBUTE SITE
DONNA SUMMER - I FEEL LOVE @ WIKIPEDIA
DONNA SUMMER - I FEEL LOVE 12'' @ DISCOGS
DONNA SUMMER - I FEEL LOVE (PATRICK COWLEY REMIX) 12'' @ DISCOGS
DONNA SUMMER - I FEEL LOVE (PATRICK COWLEY REMIX) 12'' @ DISCOMUSIC.COM
DONNA SUMMER - I FEEL LOVE (REVIEW) @ ALL MUSIC GUIDE
DONNA SUMMER - FEEL LOVE @ ROLLING STONE
DONNA SUMMER - I REMEMBER YESTERDAY LP @ DISCOGS
DONNA SUMMER - I REMEMBER YESTERDAY LP (REVIEW) @ WARR.ORG
GIORGIO MORODER @ WIKIPEDIA
GIORGIO MORODER INTERVIEWS
GIORGIO MORODER @ ALL MUSIC GUIDE
AND WE DANCED - I FEEL LOVE
SONGFACTS - I FEEL LOVE

CATEGORIES: MINI DELIVERIES, ARTICLES & RAMBLINGS, INTERVIEWS, DISCO NEWS, VISUAL DISCO

The Godfather of Disco

Edit: official site URL corrected (6/15/07)

The buzz has really started to build (see some of my fellow bloggers) on this new doc by Gene Graham on co-founder of legendary disco independent West End Records, philanthropist, Paradise Garage backer and all-around disco pioneer, Mel Cheren.. In more recent years, the publishing of his autobiography "Keep On Dancin': My Life And The Paradise Garage," the relaunching of West End as an active label and his ongoing philanthropic efforts have done a great deal to solidify his legacy and contributions to disco and beyond.. Although I haven't actually posted any West End material yet, I'm a big fan of their output. Being one of the few disco independents still at it today; out of respect for them, so far I've taken their personal appeals for listeners not to file-share to heart, and besides, they offer much of their classic and current catalogue as digital downloads on their site anyway. So needless to say, in light of all that, I've been a little hesitant to post any of their material on here.

As a child, one of my earliest and fondest disco memories was dancing my lil' butt off to Karen Young's "Hot Shot" and trying (badly) to imitate those explosive, kick-ass ad-libs of hers.. I absolutely couldn't get enough of that song! Later on, I'd become familiar with much more of their excellent output, especially through their Larry Levan releases: "Classic West End Records Remixes" (1999, West End) and "Live At The Paradise Garage" (2000, West End/Strut). Those two sets in particular, were and still are very special to me, having played a huge part in my serious introduction to disco.. Perhaps one of these days I'll do a much more in-depth appreciation post about West End. As far as the documentary itself goes, here's an excerpt from one of the press releases out there:

The Godfather of Disco is a feature-length documentary based on Mel Cheren's powerful autobiography, My Life and the Paradise Garage: Keep On Dancin'.

Through a series of interviews with a who's who of the dance music community, The Godfather of Disco (G.O.D.) follows the arc of Mel's life to examine the early 70s musical and cultural currents that gave birth to disco; West End Records' contribution to that scene; and the rise of the Paradise Garage.

From that cultural heyday, the film then charts the onslaught of HIV/AIDS, its impact on New York City, and Mel's heroic efforts in the face of an epidemic through his work for Gay Men's Health Crisis and 24hrs for Life/LIFEbeat.

Mel has been there, done that, and lived to tell the tale. And, rest assured, he still does it all today. The Godfather of Disco makes a compelling case for how one's man's musical vision and AIDS activism helped push gay sensibilities into the greater culture--and how our world is better for it.

Pioneer. Activist. Survivor. Mel Cheren is The Godfather of Disco.

I'm not sure if this'll come up here to Canada anytime soon (or anywhere near me, for that matter), but so far it seems to have gotten some high praise from audiences and critics alike since it's premiere at the 2007 Minneapolis/St. Paul International Film Festival, where Gene Graham won the Emerging Filmmakers Award and more recently at NewFest, the New York LGBT Film Festival.. Currently making the rounds on the festival circuit, the doc includes interviews from figures like Vince Montana, Jr.; Louie Vega, Louis Benedetti, Barbara Tucker, Kevin Hedge, Ultra Naté, Randy Jones and Junior Vasquez, just to name-drop a few of them..

Anyway, this is definitely one documentary that I've got to see sometime.. Hopefully "Godfather of Disco" will be making it to a festival near you. Either way, even if it doesn't, there should be a DVD release to follow..

In the mean time, check out the trailer below for a little preview:


Godfather of Disco Trailer
Uploaded by pepsounds

If you still want to see more, check out the official website www.thegodfatherofdiscodoc.com (link corrected) for further video previews, press reviews and screening information..

For further info on Mel Cheren, check out his bio at the West End Records website..

PREVIOUS RELATED ENTRIES:
DEEP CUTS (APRIL 18, 2007)

LINKS:
NEWSWIRE: "GODFATHER OF DISCO" PRESS-RELEASE
SFWEEKLY.COM: LIFE AFTER DARK - MEL CHEREN'S ETERNAL DANCEFLOOR (BY TAMARA PALMER) (WEDNESDAY JUNE 13, 2007)
GODFATHER OF DISCO @ FRAMELINE31 (SAN FRANCISCO INTERNATIONAL LGBT FILM FESTIVAL)
GODFATHER OF DISCO OFFICIAL SITE
WEST END RECORDS/MEL CHEREN INTERVIEW @ DISCO-DISCO.COM
MEL CHEREN INTERVIEW @ UNDAGROUND ARCHIVES
WEST END RECORDS
NEWFEST 2007 BLOG: FILMMAKER INTERVIEWS - GENE GRAHAM
GENE GRAHAM ONLINE

CATEGORIES: DISCO NEWS, VISUAL DISCO

BBC Radio 2 - The Record Producers: Nile Rodgers

BBC Radio 2’s hour-long documentary on Nile Rodgers, originally broadcast last Monday January 1st is now (finally) available online.

This last show is the latest installment in their ‘Record Producers’ series, hosted by Richard Allinson and Steve Levine. I’ve been listening to it for the last couple of days and for anyone else out there who's a Chic fan, like myself, it's well worth a listen or two, or three..

For this program, Nile Rodgers had given the BBC exclusive access to some of his multitrack masters here, most notably for Chic’s “Le Freak” and “Good Times.” They then proceeded to deconstruct the masters, analyzing and isolating some of those small, but key elements which made those records as classic as they are.



BBC Radio 2 - The Record Producers: Nile Rodgers

Just being able to hear them isolate the drums and bass of “Le Freak” alone was worth the price of admission (which in this case is free, but certainly feels much more exclusive). Listening to Nile talk about the concept behind “Good Times” while hearing it's string, guitar and bass parts by themselves only affirms why "Good Times" is one of their most, if not one of the most iconic records of that time.

If I'm not mistaken, this is possibly the first time the Chic sound has been taken apart, analyzed and put back together in this way. After 1979/1980, being one of the biggest victims of the disco backlash, hearing a program like this certainly speaks to the respect and credibility they’ve gained over the past 30 years or so.

Although I’m focusing on Chic, Nile Rodgers’ career, of course, went well beyond; recovering from the disco backlash to become one of the hottest producers of the 1980s. The last part of the program goes past his 'Chic Organization' work with Bernard Edwards and into many of those landmark solo productions, like David Bowie’s “Let’s Dance,” Duran Duran’s “Notorious,” and naturally, Madonna’s “Like A Virgin.”

Music aside, hearing Nile’s commentary and his many personal anecdotes was the other major highlight of the program. Hearing him tell his tales of working on the Sheila & B. Devotion album as well as his own personal interactions with Diana Ross and David Bowie is just about as entertaining as the songs themselves.

For anyone wants to hear more, Nile Rodgers was previously interviewed by BBC in January 2005, for Radio 4’s “Front Row.” On this particular show, they touched on some other elements of “Good Times” and the Chic sound which weren’t discussed on this latest ‘Record Producers’ program. The Front Row broadcast is still available for listening on the Front Row website (fast forward to 13.10 on the Real Media file).

LINKS:
BBC RADIO 2 - THE RECORD PRODUCERS: NILE RODGERS (JANUARY 1, 2007)
BBC RADIO 4 - FRONT ROW: INTERVIEW WITH NILE RODGERS (JANUARY 6, 2005)
WIKIPEDIA - NILE RODGERS
DISCOGS - NILE RODGERS
ALL MUSIC GUIDE - NILE RODGERS
ALL MUSIC GUIDE - CHIC THE CHIC TRIBUTE
 WIKIPEDIA - CHIC
CHIC INTRODUCTION AND PICKS

PREVIOUS RELATED ENTRIES:
DISCO DELIVERY #2 - NORMA JEAN WRIGHT - NORMA JEAN (1978, BEARSVILLE)
UPCOMING RELEASES & REISSUES (CHIC AND MORE!): (DECEMBER 1, 2006 - JANUARY 22, 2007)
UPCOMING REISSUES & RELEASES (APRIL 25-MAY 30)


CATEGORIES: INTERVIEWS, DISCO NEWS