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Proto-disco (1970-1975)

Parent categories: proto- - disco

Related: funk

Disco from the pre-twelve inch single era

Steppin' (1974) - The Fatback Band

CD compilations discography: Super Rare Disco (1997) - Various

Before the term disco existed, the phrase discotheque records was used to denote music (45s and album tracks) played in New York private rent or after hours parties like the Loft and Better Days. The records played there was a mixture of funk, soul and European imports. We will call this genre of music proto-disco. These proto-disco records are largely the sort of records that Kool Herc played in the early hip hop scene.

Examples of those early "disco 1" tracks that had a particular groove and sound that made them a hit on New York discotheques like the Loft, was Soul Makossa, The Bottle and Love is the Message.

The disco DJs had to make do with 7" 45rpm records or LP records, because the first twelve inch recordings only appeared in 1975.

My personal favourite record of the early seventies is 'The Player' by First Choice (1974), it has one of the nicest breaks ever. [Next >>]

Proto Disco Classics

  1. I'll Bake Me a Man - Barbara Acklin (Brunswick, 1973)
  2. If You Love Me Like You Say You Love Me - Betty Wright (Alston, 1972)
  3. Black Skin Blue Eyed Boys - Equals (Shout, 1972)
  4. Rain - Dorothy Morrison (Elektra, 1971)
  5. Fencewalk - Mandrill (Polydor, 1973)
  6. Street Dance/Njia (Nija) Walk (Street walk) - The Fatback Band (Perception, 1973)
  7. Sultana/Rain 2000 - Titanic (Epic, 1972/1973)
  8. Dust Yourself Off and Try It Again - Beautiful Zion Choir (Myrrh, 1973)
  9. You're the One - Little Sister (Stone Flower, 1970)
  10. Music For Gong Gong - Osibisa (Decca, 1971)
  11. I Got It - Gloria Spencer (Jay Walking, 1971)
  12. Girl You Need a Change of Mind/Date With the Rain - Eddie Kendricks (Tamla, 1972)
  13. You Sure Know How To Love Your Man - Willie Hutch (Motown, 1974)
  14. Think (About It) - Lyn Collins (People, 1972)
  15. I Like What I Like - Everyday People (Paramount, 1972)
  16. Twenty-Five Miles/Running Back and Forth - Edwin Starr (Gordy, 1969)
  17. Feel the Need in Me - Detroit Emeralds (Westbound, 1972)
  18. Giving Up - Zulema (Sussex, 1973)
  19. Doing it to Death - Fred Wesley & The J.B.'s (People, 1973)
  20. Melting Pot - Boris Gardiner Happening (Dynamic, 1973)
  21. Beggin' - Timebox (Deram, 1968)
  22. Woman/Wild Safari - Barrabas (RCA, 1973)
  23. The Bottle - Gil Scott-Heron (Strata-East, 1974)/Brother to Brother (Turbo, 1974)
  24. I Can Understand It - The New Birth (RCA, 1973)/Valentinos (Atlantic, 1973)/Kokomo (Columbia, 1975)
  25. Pursuit of the PimpMobile - Isaac Hayes (Enterprise, 1974)
  26. Take Off Your Make-up - Lamont Dozier (ABC, 1973)
  27. Love and Happiness - Al Green (Hi, 1972)
  28. Main Line - Ashford & Simpson (Warner Bros., 1974)
  29. Armed and Extremely Dangerous/Smarty Pants - First Choice (Philly Groove, 1973)
  30. Zing Went the Strings of My Heart - The Trammps (Buddah, 1972)
  31. Who is He And What is He to You - Creative Source (Sussex, 1974)
  32. Life and Death in G & A - Abaco Dream (A&M, 1969)
  33. Half a Cup - Reggie Gardner (ABC, 1974)
  34. We the People - Soul Searchers (Sussex, 1972)
  35. Crazy 'Bout My Baby - Bonnie Bramlett (Columbia, 1973)
  36. Getting Together - Brothers Guiding Light Featuring David (Mercury, 1973)
  37. Sweet Charlie Babe/Time - Jackie Moore (Atlantic, 1973)
  38. What Goes Around (Comes Around) - Black Ivory (Kwanza, 1974)
  39. Soul Makossa - Manu Dibango (Atlantic, 1973)
  40. Good Things Don't Last Forever - Ecstasy, Passion & Pain (Roulette, 1974)
  41. Koke - Tribe (ABC, 1973)
  42. Pull Yourself Together - Buddy Miles (Columbia, 1974)
  43. Papa Was a Rollin' Stone - The Temptations (Gordy, 1972)
  44. Under the Influence of Love - Love Unlimited (20th Century, 1973)
  45. Little Bit of Love - Brenda & The Tabulations (Epic, 1972)
  46. And You Call That Love - Vernon Burch (75)
  47. Ask Me - Ecstacy, Passion & Pain (74)
  48. Brazil - Ritchie Family (75)
  49. Breaking Out All Over - Lamont Dozier (73)
  50. Brother's Gonna Work It Out - Willie Hutch (73)
  51. Call Me Your Anything Man - Bobby Moore (75)
  52. Casanova Brown - Gloria Gaynor (75)
  53. Change With The Times - Van McCoy (75)
  54. Checkmate - Barrabas (75)
  55. City Country City - War (72)
  56. Crystal World - Crystal Grass (75)
  57. Dance And Hum Along - Jackson 5 (73)
  58. Do It Anyway You Wanna - People's Choice (75)
  59. Do The Bus Stop - Fatback Band (75)
  60. Eleanor Rigby - Wing & A Prayer (75)
  61. Erucu - Jermaine Jackson (Instr.) (75)
  62. Expansions - Lonnie Liston Smith (75)
  63. Face The Music - Dynamic Superiors (75)
  64. Foot Stompin' Music - Bohannon (75)
  65. Free Man - South Shore Commission (75)
  66. Give It Up Or Turn It Loose - James Brown (69)
  67. Give Me Your Love - Sisters Love (73)
  68. Got To Get A Knutt - New Birth (73)
  69. Helplessly - Moment Of Truth (75)
  70. Hi-Jack - Herbie Mann (75)
  71. I Can Understand It - Bobby Womack (72); he also played
  72. I'll Do Anything For You - Barry White (75)
  73. I'm In Heaven - Touch Of Class (75)
  74. It Only Takes A Minute - Tavares (75)
  75. It's Just Begun - Jimmy Castor Bunch (72)
  76. Law Of The Land - Undisputed Truth (73)
  77. Look Me Up - Blue Magic (73)
  78. Love & Happiness - First Choice (73)
  79. Love Don't You Go Through No Changes On Me - Sister Sledge (74)
  80. Love Is The Message - MFSB (74)
  81. Make Me Believe In You - Patti Jo (75)
  82. Mellow Blow - Barrabas (75)
  83. Melting Pot - Booker T. & MGs (71)
  84. Messin' With My Mind - Labelle (75)
  85. Mirrors Of My Mind - Jackson 5 (74)
  86. Mister Magic - Grover Washington, Jr. (75)
  87. Move Me No Mountain - Love Unlimited (74)
  88. Peace Pipe - B.T. Express (75)
  89. Peanut Vendor - Ritchie Family (75)
  90. Put The Music Where Your Mouth Is - Olympic Runners (74)
  91. Rock Steady - Aretha Franklin (71)
  92. Salsoul Rainbow - Salsoul Orchestra (75)
  93. Save Me - Silver Convention (75)
  94. Somebody's Gotta Go - Mike & Bill (75)
  95. Sugar Pie Guy - Joneses (74)
  96. The Family Tree - Family Tree (75)
  97. The Player - First Choice (74)
  98. Walk On By - Gloria Gaynor (75)
  99. Waterbed - LTG Exchange (74)
  100. Corazon - LTG Exchange (7x)
  101. What Can I Do For You - Labelle (75)
  102. Where Do I Go From Here - Supremes (75)
  103. Cymande - Bra

Underground Music in the Seventies

What was underground music like in 1970?

Basically R and B, what they called R and B. Anything that was danceable, it's hard to categorize individually. The crossover music was there. Also there was the influence of stuff like the Stones, Zeppelin, Brian Auger, groups like that, there was a good amount of crossover music, it certainly wasn't looked at as disco. [Then] disco happened. I think part of what happened was the twelve inch came in. Deejays would take a record like Scorpio which has a nice little drum thing in the middle, and take two forty fives and they would keep going back and forth and they would expand the time on the thing. And that became the twelve inch. -- David Mancuso

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