Keep the Disco Beat Alive

The French Kiss group judging from the album back cover, Panic! (Polydor, 1979), consisted of Yvette Johnson, Lamarr Stevens and Muffi Durham, an actress whose credits seem to fall around 1980. Aside from Stevens, it is not certain who else sang, but their image and their names on the back cover are the closest thing to the music credits on the album. The rest of the music on the album is attributed, quite anonymously, to "The Simon Orchestra". However, the credits for "Disco Mix Consultants" are quite plentiful in contrast, and each track on the album is credited to a different mixer. Among the accredited 'mixed consultants', Gary Blair, featured on the first Arpeggio LP, is credited for mixing the title track, and Will Crocker, a much more prolific name who has participated in quite a few Disconet mixes, is credited the mix of "Mischief". overall production is credited to Simon Soussan. Without a doubt of all the tracks that appear on this album ...

THE RECORD MIRROR (UK) – 1977 KC and the Sunshine Band: “I’m Your Boogie Man” (TK Records XB 62167). “Maybe a nice dance record, more thought has been put into the sound, but it’s still manufactured. Typical of so many mindless disco singles. I suppose disco records serve their purpose…”

Chanson was a male disco/R&B duo from the late ’70s that consisted of bassist James Jamerson Jr. (born James L. Jamerson II on August 24, 1957 in Detroit, Michigan) and guitarist David Williams (born on November 21, 1950 in Newport News, Virginia). The duo took their name from the French word for “song.” James was the son of legendary Motown sideman James Jamerson. During the early ’70s, he became an in-demand session bassist. David began his professional music career with The Dells, but put his music career to join the Army. After a stint with Tyrone Davis, David took a job playing with The Temptations’ road band where he and James brainstormed the idea of forming Chaison. They later began working on tracks together and gained a record deal with Ariola Records America. In 1978, they released their self-titled debut album; it’s unknown how or if the album made the charts at all. The lead single from the album, “Don’t Hold Back” became a hit, peaking at #11 on Billboard’s National D...

 ABBA's original from 1980 with weak europop beats While Debbie Sims' 1998 disco remake of their original has more fascinating, strong disco rhythm  

The Dutch singer Theo Vaness is better known to insiders as the singer of the pop band The Shoes. With the title As long as it's love he succeeded in 1979 as a solo artist in a dance floor anthem. He brought more songs on the market, but was never able to build on the success of the first single. I have Theo Vaness in my collection because of his typical, pounding disco sound. No one else but himself brought the disco music across better than him.