Rock Band's Worst Attempt At Disco

(actually, the red hot chili peppers' entire catalog might qualify.)

New Order's "State of the Nation."

xp (i was referring to my own previous post)

All the time, Stormy. Next time you're in Miami we'll go (and "Miss You" is the real dancefloor filler here).

Do Ya Think I'm Sexy - Rod Stewart

I happen to agree with Stormy: "Emotional Rescue" is almost as good as "Some Girls," because most of the tracks are SG outtakes.

Yeah, this stumped me, too. They are both great.

*Emotional Rescue* is the most underrated Stones album ever (and maybe even *better* than *Some Girls.*)

Well, on the one hand you had a band who'd always had a connection with funk, and on the other you had a big nosed knobhead who forsook his classic rock past in order to cash in on fad of the times. So, I agree with ffirehose.

"Is It Love" on its own isn't that dreadful. It's only painful in context with the rest of Gang of Four's catalog (though I'd sooner listen to Hard than Mall).

And how is Gang of Four's quest for filthy lucre any purer than Rod Stewart's?

By the way, I'll take "Young Turks" or "Some Guys Have All The Luck" over Hard-era G of 4.

The same way unrequited love has a fancier, more romantic sheen than the love that's actually done been gotten.

These groups and singers think that they appeal to everyone
By singing about love because apparently everyone has or can love
Or so they would have you believe anyway
But these groups seem to go along with what, the belief
That love is deep in everyone’s personality.
I don’t think we’re saying there’s anything wrong with love,
We just don’t think that what goes on between two people
Should be shrouded with mystery.

this herbie hancock album has some disco moments on it that are totally grinworthy. so much fun. vocoder disco funk. "I Thought It Was You" is wonderful

http://image.allmusic.com/00/amg/cov200/dre600/e693/e693524o2nz.jpg

So, the question is, who would you rather be seduced by on the dance floor - Jon King or Rod Stewart? Walter Benjamin or Bruce Willis?

What about "Infatuation"?

I'll forgive the disco "Here Comes The Night" by the Beach Boys just because it so came out of left field, sticks out as a very large thorn in bright fluorescent velvet motley in the Beach Boys' discography that it's at least somewhat charming, *and* is faithfully a full blown out orchestrated dive-in-the-deep-end 10 minute disco song that adhered to the popular 12" format, instead of being a half-ass 3 minute "let me dabble in this hip club trend" throwaway. Thank you, Bruce Johnston, for the idea and then realising your full vision of le grand schlock! :) (I mean, I like it, but it completely ruins the continuity of even the L.A. Light Album, which I think is overcriticized by BB fans, even ignoring "Here Comes The Disco")

oh, i forgot to mention (if it matters to you), that Jay Dee sampled it for Slum Village's "Fantastic Vol2"

It was a very conscious attempt at disco, to cash in on the then still-hot 1979 disco market, methinks.

An attempt which, despite any misgivings 25 years after the fact, clearly worked very well. Fastest-selling single in Warner Brothers history up to that point; topped the charts in 11 countries, UK & US included.

However, Rod also lost a plagiarism lawsuit over the song to Brazilian Jorge Ben, so it wasn't all good for the Rodster.

An attempt which, despite any misgivings 25 years after the fact, clearly worked very well. Fastest-selling single in Warner Brothers history up to that point; topped the charts in 11 countries, UK & US included.

Yup, true. The single was a cash-in, certainly -- which qualifies as a concerted attempt. There's a hilarious review of the single in that Worst Rock N' Roll Records book.

But there are cases that are more borderline.. David Bowie's "DJ" or "Fashion". What about the Giorgio Moroder produced Sparks albums? Are those necessarily attempts or just borrowing elements? One's attempt could be seen as a cash-in. (Then again, I don't think too many people would consider any of these examples as "worst" though)

Also, The Stones were good at disco.
Go listen to "Emotional Rescue" again. I think that'll change your mind.

Luckily, they were coming to their own on the "The Works" album again.

SO CLOSE, but so bad. "From obscurity - to me lo dy"

the FUCK outta here with that shit lolol

C90:Disco Rock

Other great disco selloutz: James Brown's disco version of "Sex Machine"; Can's "I Want More"; Blondie's "Heart of Glass"

I'll forgive the disco "Here Comes The Night" by the Beach Boys just because it so came out of left field, sticks out as a very large thorn in bright fluorescent velvet motley in the Beach Boys' discography that it's at least somewhat charming, *and* is faithfully a full blown out orchestrated dive-in-the-deep-end 10 minute disco song that adhered to the popular 12" format, instead of being a half-ass 3 minute "let me dabble in this hip club trend" throwaway. Thank you, Bruce Johnston, for the idea and then realising your full vision of le grand schlock! :)

on the money. (How have I not heard this song before?)

I recall we have the opposite thread to this, rock bands doing good disco. search function isn't helping.

C90:Disco Rock

never understood why the massively catchy, hook-filled 'Do Ya Think I'm Sexy' gets so much hate. I guess you had to be there, or something?

cuz it's a piss-poor ripoff

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=v3xFKwH-EwI

nah.

if every time a song borrowed a melodic motif from another was a "rip-off"...

i'd call it inventive reuse

Stewart admits "unconscious plagiarism" of the Ben Jor tune in his 2012 autobiography, which cannot be true since he learned about this tune during a visit to Rio de Janeiro with local music producer Luiz Fernando Borges, who took Stewart to a Jorge Ben Jor concert where they were playing this song

Stewart also lost a lawsuit over it

what point are you trying to make? what cause are you taking up?

so they borrowed a melody? whether or not that's actionable has nothing to do with whether it's a good song. stewart and the musicians added plenty of their own hooks, anyway.

It's one of the reasons people hate on it. You asked!

Then there's the rockist "betrayal of his roots" angle. Plus disco afficionados viewing it as an interloper's cynical cash-in.

Not saying i agree w all those. Altho i do think the ben tune is better.

yeah the rockist element of the criticism makes me want to roll my eyes.

musicians steal stuff from each other all the time. it's no big thing. in fact, it's essentially how music develops.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6Vn--qcqxXI

he didn't even need to rip anything off, the real hook is the awesome high-pitched strings/synth line. maybe he ripped that off from somebody.

Almost every song mentioned at the start of its thread is great. And Geir is also OTM, Play That Funky Music is dire.

*This thread

the real hook is the awesome high-pitched strings/synth line. maybe he ripped that off from somebody.

Indeed he did:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=K_XBXtkd76k

Stewart admits "unconscious plagiarism" of the Ben Jor tune in his 2012 autobiography, which cannot be true since he learned about this tune during a visit to Rio de Janeiro with local music producer Luiz Fernando Borges, who took Stewart to a Jorge Ben Jor concert where they were playing this song

Just curious why this is a contradiction.. He heard the song at a show, it stuck in the back of his head, later he unconsciously rewrote it - isn't that what he's admitting?

I don't hear what Stewart took from the Ben song but that's me.

"Hot" is a bigger instance of theft than "Blurred Lines."

I don't hear what Stewart took from the Ben song but that's me.

1'35 into the song

Didn't Magma do something very Disco sounding in the late Seventies?

The Hollies : "Wiggle That Wotsit"

Is there a similar existing topic for "Rock Band's Worst Attempt at "Electronica""?

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_4l9bv5rEmk

wow, the rip from bobby womack is even more brazen than the one from jorge ben.

one of my favorite discoveries in recent years is this track from ex-uriah heeper david byron:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7kF2GOClM9c

it's like a great lost boney m song...

musicians steal stuff from each other all the time. it's no big thing. in fact, it's essentially how music develops.

of course, this is indisputable. In the particular case of "Do Ya Think I'm Sexy", though, it doesn't seem like anything significant is being developed, it's a pretty lazy mishmash of elements from other/better songs. (That James Brown song is also p sad imo)

xp

We've discussed this before, I thought Womack lifted it from a Brazilian song?

By the way, all sorts of crazy opinions in this thread.

Strike that, just checked in the Womack thread.

Stars on 45

actually the mashup of the jorge ben hook (which is transformed significantly, I think) and the womack string part is pretty inventive, i think.

that's my favorite jorge ben album.

it has umbabarauma on it. which would probably be on a list of my top 100 songs. if such a list existed.

Didn't Magma do something very Disco sounding in the late Seventies?

"Retrovision", maybe?

fyi: sandy nelson's disco album is killer. worth it just for this alone:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rQncC3xE234

goddamn: Gillan and Glover sound like they've heard Graceland, but I bet you the producer made a "I feel love" track for Byron. Those are awesome finds!

"Dya Think I'm Sexy" reconsidered as early mash-up track