Casablanca Records was a record label founded in 1973 by Neil Bogart. The label was the home to such acts as Kiss [not included on this collection], Donna Summer, The Village People and Parliament among others. The label flourished during the Disco Era, but was eventually swallowed up into Mercury Records and later the Universal Music Group. Casablanca Records was primarily responsible for many of the dance hits of the 70’s and early 80’s.
Disc 1:
Love To Love You Baby [Donna Summer]—-Perhaps the signature song of Summer, this release helped to establish her career and also helped to introduce the concept of the 12″ single. Putting Summer’s sexuality of full display, the song feature minutes of moans and ecstatic sounds that leaves the listener only imagining what was going on. I have heard many mixes of this track…one lasted a full 22 minutes. This is a classic introduction to the Disco scene. Marvelous. This mix last for an incredible 16 minutes!!!
Funkytown [Lipps, Inc.]—-Riding high on the charts for weeks and weeks, this was by my understanding, released on the revamped Casablanca label before it completely disappeared from sight. This is a nice synth driven single that took over the world for a brief time. You can never forget where you were when you first discovered this track…the cowbell…the synth line, the contagious key snip and the auto-tune vocal transfixed me for months. This is fun, uncomplicated and full of energy…everything required in 1979 for a huge worldwide smash.
Tear The Roof Off The Sucker [Parliament]—-Bringing more funk than legally allowed to the dance floor, Parliament was a ‘family’ and the chorus of voices only solidifies the idea. The beat still sounds like gritty urban life and smells of block parties and non-stop jams. A wonderful piece of history.
Take Me Home [Cher]—-Still a classic and still featured in her live appearances, this kind of started the whole thing for Cher. We in the ‘community’ embraced Cher for her flamboyance and outlandish costumes. Whenever I hear this single, I think of Will & Grace….funny how minds work. This is a nice disco infused joint that still sounds fresh and accessible to me.
I Feel Love [Donna Summer]—-Proving that she was far more than a one hit wonder, Summer teamed with Georgio Moroder could do little wrong in the mid to late 70’s. This is a huge dance floor single that literally made Summer a star and Casablanca a boatload of Cocaine money!!! If you seek the definition of Disco, this is at the forefront of the explanation. Running at almost 9 minutes, this allows the signature synth line [often repeated in many, many Dance songs] to wander, explore and find its way back home again. Summer delivers a dreamy and relaxed vocal that just urges you to sway and worship the lights and swirling balls catching them. Magnificent….and a great mix of the track.
Romeo And Juliet [Alec R. Constandidos]—-A French session player and musician, Alec hit big in the mid-70’s with his Euro-Disco ode to love. The track is high energy, has some nice ‘disco strings’ on it and a beat that is undeniable. The session singers sound generic, but manage to create a huge dance floor filler that reeks of excess and drugs….fantastic!!!
Ain’t Nuthin’ Gonna Keep Me From You [Teri DeSario]—-Best known for her duet with K.C. & The Sunshine Band [Yes, I'm Ready], this track…written by Barry Gibb is a high energy and fun song that includes all the cliché’s of Disco…the thump-thump-thump, the swirling strings…the lyrics of love and the search for it. how could you go…this is great, although i doubt many people heard it outside os the bars. The Gibb sound is all over this track.
In The Navy [The Village People]—-If there was ever a band ‘made’ for the Gay Community this would be it. Dressed in flamboyant and stereotypical costumes, the group lasted for two records of hits and then managed to eeek out a living in one form of the other for the next nearly 4o years. This track is so embarrassingly gay that it is hard for me to even listen to…this is everything i try not to be…but I embrace the history…as Stonewall and the NY scene was opening up the closet even more, this helped some but ultimately only gave the straight community more fodder to fight us with.
My Baby’s Baby [Liquid Gold]—-An in-studio creation of above DJ Constandidios, this seemed a pretty common practice back in the days when groups really did not tour. when this practiced resurfaced in the early 90’s it caused problems….i.e. Milli Vanilli. This is another generic track that manages to be huge and expected in the swirl of 12″ singles that were being pressed at the time. This has a great bass and synth line…strings that remind of early Barry White and a vocal that is unremarkable, but acceptable. Most of the song has a strong Urban beat but it is a sure dance floor filler…this is grand upon the chorus and full of energy.
Find My Baby [Cameo]—-With a galloping Disco Beat and a descending bass line, the song is a classic group effort that reeks of early day urban dance music. This is wonderfully under-produced and the result is raw and pure…you can not help but fall in love with the musical simplicity and the marvelous blend of vocal harmonies. This is nice!!!
I Found Love [Now That I Found You] [Love And Kisses]—-Probably better known as a sample used by Heavy D. in the 90’s, you can detect the basic elements in this original and you have to wonder at the same time of the genius of producers and writes to pick out tiny samples from such a huge song and build a new one around it. This is another studio created dance record that is a generic flood of vocals all coming together to create a fun record that you can dance to. Nice, but nothing special.
***1/2 out of 5
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