1977 music
Related: music - 1977 - 1970s - 1970s music
Jamie Reid artwork for the Sex Pistols, 1977
Funkentelechy Vs. the Placebo Syndrome (1977) - Parliament [Amazon.com] [FR] [DE] [UK]
The Garage and the Warehouse
The Paradise Garage opened in 1977
Two clubs open their doors: the Paradise Garage in New York and the Warehouse in Chicago. The first would 10 years later give its name to a musical genre garage and the other to house.
See also: clubs
Kraftwerk and hip hop
Kraftwerk had an immediate impact on black dance music: as Afrika Bambaataa says in David Toop's Rap Attack, "I don't think they even knew how big they were among the black masses back in '77 when they came out with 'Trans-Europe Express.' When that came out, I thought that was one of the best and weirdest records I ever heard in my life." --John Savage, The Village Voice Summer 1993 "Rock & Roll Quarterly" insert.
"Planet Rock" (Afrika Bambaataa) was the one of the first electro tracks. Based on a sample from German rock group Kraftwerk (Trans-Europe Express). --http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hip_hop_music#Electro [Dec 2004]
Punky Reggae Party (1977) - Bob Marley
While in exile in London [1977], Bob Marley was introduced to punk bands, such as The Clash. Inspired by their efforts to expose various oppressive tactics used against racial minority groups, the fusion between punk and reggae was imminent. The result was the recording of 'Punky Reggae Party' with producer Lee Perry at the helm. A live version was recorded and released on Babylon By Bus.See also: Bob Marley - punk - reggae
Punk's breakthru [...]
In the summer of 1977, Time and Newsweek informed their readers of a new subculture, called "punk," that had emerged at a few rock clubs in the United States and Britain. It was a style of exuberant ugliness. Men and women alike wore short hair that had been cut seemingly at random, and dyed unnatural colors. Flesh was pierced in sundry locations, at times with safety pins. Punk bands had names like the Dead Boys or The Clash. The music was very loud, very fast, and seldom involved more than three chords. Dancing was spasmodic. Spitting was common. -- Scott McLemee
Wackies
The 1977 opening of a diminutive record shop at 4731 White Plains Rd. in New York City marked the foundation of the first essential reggae studio/label in the United States, Wackie’s House of Music. Founded by Jamaican producer Lloyd “Bullwackie” Barnes, Wackie’s House of Music was a haven for aspiring reggae artists, helping not only to support reggae artists, but also to establish a reggae sentiment in the United States. --Craig Terlino in http://www.weeklydig.com/dig/content/2633.aspxSee also: Wackies Records
Disco [...]
- Roy Ayers - Running Away
- Kraftwerk - Trans Europe Express
- Munich Machine - Get on the Funk Train [Giorgio Moroder]
- Francine McGee - Delirium (RCA)
- Gil Scott-Heron - We Almost Lost Detroit
- Alfredo De La Fe - Hot To Trot
- First Choice - Doctor Love
- Loleatta Holloway - Hit & Run
- Aquarian Dream - Phoenix
- Salsoul Orchestra - Magic Bird Of Fire
- Universal Robot Band - Dance & Shake Your Tambourine
- Stevie Wonder - As
- Norman Connors - Once I've Been There
- Minnie Riperton - Stick Together (Ext. Mix)
- Moment Of Truth - Chained To Your Love
- Silvetti - Spring Rain
- Salsoul Orchestra - Run Away
- Teddy Pendergrass - You Can't Hide From Yourself
- Teddy Pendergrass - The More I Get, The More I Want
- Thelma Houston - I'm Here Again
- Double Exposure - My Love Is Free
- War - Galaxy
- Harvey Mason - Till You Take My Love
- Sylvester - Over And Over
- Pam Todd & Love Exchange - Making Love
- Originals - Down To Love Town
- Faze-O - Riding High
- Barry White - It's Ecstacy When You Lay Down Next To Me
- Al Hudson & The Partners - Spread Love
- Ingram - Mi Sabrina Tequana (My Sister's Daughter)
- Bob Marley - Jammin'
- Airto Moreira - Celebration Suite
- First Choice - Let No Man Put Asunder
- Seven Deadly Sins - Lust (Rinder and Lewis)
- Kellee Patterson - Turn on the Lights
- Chi-Lites - My First Mistake
- Dennis Mobley & Fresh Taste - Superstition
- La Vie En Rose - Grace Jones
- Flash Light - Parliament
CDs
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Funkentelechy Vs. the Placebo Syndrome (1977) - Parliament [Amazon.com] [FR] [DE] [UK]
On this follow-up to Mothership Connection, George Clinton uncharacteristically sticks to the same funk-disco formula. Unlike most sequels, however, this 1977 work is nearly as compelling as the original. Check your brain at the door while Clinton feeds you infectious dance rhythms and irreverent lyrics that fuse anthemic chants with bizarre fairy tales and stream-of-consciousness ramblings. On "Wizard of Finance," Parliament returns to melodic 1960s soul while Clinton's hysterical lyrics are backed by soulful doowop-style vocals. "Flash Light" became a huge dance-floor hit but actually pales in comparison to the rest of the grooves. With talents including Bernie Worrell, Maceo Parker, and Fred Wesley on board, it's no wonder the profunk forces defeat the antifunk contingent. --Marc Greilsamer, amazon.com - Salsoul Orchestra - Magic Journey [Amazon US]
The Salsoul label was primarily an outlet for the smooth, orchestral disco of producer/arranger/composer/vibraphonist Vincent Montana, Jr. , and when The Salsoul Orchestra weren't backing up other artists (including Charo) they recorded on their own. Montana got his start doing sessions for Philly soul producers, and he adapted that lush style to disco, adding Latin motifs and textures. When he's on, he's terrific, but unfortunately most of the time he's not on, either cranking out perfunctory disco-by-numbers or reaching beyond his subgenre and falling on his face. Jahsonic's Meta Soul site contains a lot of useful information on the Orchestra and Montana's other work http://www.warr.org/salsoul.html [...] - III (Supernature) (1977) - Cerrone [Amazon US]
1. Supernature 2. Sweet Drums 3. In The Smoke 4. Give Me Love 5. Love Is Here 6. Love Is The Answer
Easily the most consistently good Cerrone album: this is what we really shook our groove things to back in the 1970's. Enough has already been said about Supernature, but the compelling rhythms of Give Me Love are usually overlooked and Love Is Here must have spawned a million self-help books-you can't do anything other than dance and smile to this wonderful tune. If you love this, you must find Don Ray-Got To Have Lovin' --Tom Wilson for amazon.com - Chic (1977) - Chic [Amazon US]
1. Dance, Dance, Dance (Yowsah, Yowsah, Yowsah) 2. São Paulo 3. You Can Get By 4. Everybody Dance 5. Est-Ce Que C'Est Chic 6. Falling in Love With You 7. Strike up the Band The eponymous album from Chic is not an especially strong lp, nor does it contain any must-have tracks (although the sensuous and sexy warm weather instrumental "Sao Paulo" comes close). It has two fairly good dance tracks, the singles "Dance Dance Dance" and "Everybody Dance." It is the only Chic album in which a third producer was involved with Rodgers and Edwards. It also appears to have been a fairly hasty affair, cobbled together after the surprise success of "Dance Dance Dance." It is worthwhile, however, from the point of view that it represents in chrysalis stage the talents of one of the most incredible bands in popular music since the big band era. The first single showed them showcasing the bassline in ways that didn't electronically alter it, as had been the practice in pop music. The second single, written by just the duo of Rodgers and Edwards, showed a leap forward in arrangement and songwriting. It represents the springboard into their stronger subsequent work, first with departing vocalist Norma Jean Wright on her self titled album, and then on the classic C'est Chic and Sister Sledge albums. --disco75 for amazon.com [...] - No Agreement - Fela Anikulapo-Kuti & The Egypt 80 Band [1 CD, Amazon US]
Too many people have focused on the beautiful simplicity of the lyrics that make up the masterpiece No Agreement. And they would not be wrong. When Fela moans, 'My Mama talk, Your Papa talk', you know Baba 70 is feeling the pain for his people. Our ignorance...our ignorance. Yet it is Dog Eat Dog that even more of us have casually ignored simply because it is an instrumental. Dog Eat is an absolute masterpiece. Playing this track for the first time in 10 odd years was like the feeling you get when you unwrap delicious smelling moin-moin from its fresh green leaves. It is pure class. It is Baba at his band-leader best. It was recorded back in the days when he still had to vocally instruct Africa 70 but that notwithstanding it's still all about very tight musical arrangement. Improve the quality of your life and listen with intent. It would have got five stars but then what would you give Palava, Yellow Fever, BONN, Shuffering & Smiling, Unknown Soldier? You have to understand... - Abami Eda for amazon.com [...]
1. No Agreement 2. Dog Eat Dog - Police and Thieves - Junior Murvin - Lee Perry production [Amazon US]
1. Roots Train 2. Police & Thieves 3. Solomon 4. Rescue Jah Children 5. Tedious 6. False Teachin' 7. Easy Task 8. Lucifer 9. Workin' in the Cornfield 10. I Was Appointed A terrific slice of roots reggae, and one of the greatest works to come out of the Black Ark. At first, the rest of the album seems overshadowed by two giant tunes, "Police & Thieves" and "Roots Train", but you soon realize that most - if not all - of the album is equally strong. Junior's unearthly falsetto voice rides high on top of Perry's thick and smoky rythyms. Killers include "Police & Thieves" (surely one of the greatest and most poignant reggae songs ever), the stand up and sing "Roots Train", and the deadly "Lucifer". Mick Sleeper for Ethernal Thunder [...] - Heart of the Congos - Congos - Lee Perry [Amazon US]
Track Listings Disc: 1 1. Fisherman 2. Congoman 3. Open up the Gate 4. Children Crying 5. La Bam-Bam 6. Can't Come In 7. Sodom and Gomorrow 8. Wrong Thing 9. Ark of the Covenant 10. Solid Foundation 11. At the Feast 12. Nicodemus Disc: 2 1. Congoman [12" Mix] [12" Mix] 2. Congoman Chant 3. Bring the Mackaback 4. Noah Sugar Pan 5. Solid Foundation [Disco Cork Mix] [Disco Cork Mix] While I don't know if this album "makes a collection" or what not, it is certainly one of my faves to session with and is also super-strong, musically speaking. Excellent production (by the Congos)and of course the Lee Perry/The Scientist synthesis on mixing are simply sublime. It is a shame the Congos specifically and reggae in general is relegated to such a subsecondary position of interest in the musical world. This music and the amenities that go with it are truly the healing of the nations. spliffasaurus for amazon.com [...] - Richard hell and The Voidoids - Blank Generation [Amazon US]
If the title track didn't sum up an entire generation, it certainly captured the frazzled swagger of early punk rock. Launched from New York City's famous C.B.G.B. nightclub, the Voidoids released this debut in 1977, around the same time as Television's Marquee Moon. A rewrite of an old cornball Beat song, "Blank Generation" echoes the Sex Pistols's cries of "no future." "Love Comes in Spurts," the 1977 album's other classic, is a double-entendre both playful and menacing. The rest is the sound of Hell's nervous voice rubbing up against Robert Quine's equally nervous electric-guitar playing and an unyielding rhythm section. -- Steve Knopper for amazon.com [...] - Marquee Moon (1977) - Television [Amazon.com]
A classic bit of punk rock from 1977, that classic year of punk. Whereas most of this New York City group's peers turned up the distortion, revved up the tempo, and stripped their songs down to tight three-chord anthems, Television did something startlingly different. Tom Verlaine and Richard Lloyd allowed themselves the space to develop clean, powerful, unexpected guitar leads. To top it off, Verlaine's songs were thought-provoking, memorable, danceable, and unlike anything else going. "Prove It" was the hit in England, but independent radio stations wore the grooves down on the title cut, "See No Evil," and the stunningly brilliant "Friction." --Percy Keegan for amazon.com -
Trans-Europe Express - Kraftwerk [1 CD , Amazon US]
1. Europe Endless 2. The Hall Of Mirrors 3. Showroom Dummies 4. Trans-Europe Express 5. Metal On Metal 6. Franz Schubert 7. EndlessIt's ironic that electronica's forefathers include two German bands whom, at least on the surface, were polar opposites. On the one hand, there was Can--shaggy, Stockhausen-trained advocates of trance improvisation--and on the other, Kraftwerk: clean-cut control freaks and masters of the pristine machine groove. Yet, even at their most robotic, Kraftwerk manages to locate the soul of the machine, as they demonstrate throughout this 1977 outing. Hell, the mannequin manifesto "Showroom Dummies" alone is worth the price of admission. For a band so closely tied to technology, it's a testament to Ralf and Florian that their music continues to sound fresh more than two decades down the autobahn. --Bill Forman
- King Tubby Meets Rockers Uptown - Augustus Pablo [1 CD , Amazon US]
1. Keep On Dubbing 2. Stop Them Jah 3. Young Generation Dub 4. Each One Dub 5. 555 Dub Street 6. Brace's Tower Dub 7. Brace's Tower Dub No 2 8. King Tubby Meets Rockers Uptown 9. Corner Crew Dub 10. Skanking Dub 11. Frozen Dub 12. Satta DubFirst of all shout out to Rockers crew. Second, the amazon review says that King Tubby was the same person as Glen Adams which is not true. King Tubby's real name was Osbourne Ruddock although he did mix an album called termination dub that was comprised of music produced by Glen Adams. Regardless, the album is an absolute classic-probably one of the top three dub albums from the roots era along with Super Ape by Lee Perry and any number of King Tubby albums from this same time period. Much respect to both Augustus Pablo. and King Tubby-their music will forever be influential and loved. austin harclerode for amazon.com
- Sex Pistols - Never Mind The Bollocks ... [1 CD, Amazon US]
Recognizing that there's no such thing as bad publicity, manager-Svengali Malcolm McLaren molded the Pistols into the most confrontational, nihilistic band rock & roll had ever seen. Propelled by Johnny Rotten's maniacal vocals, Steve Jones's buzz-saw guitar, and (most importantly) bass player Glen Matlock's hook-filled compositional skills, the Pistols' early singles "Anarchy in the U.K." and "God Save the Queen" defined the raging style of British punk. By the time they recorded their lone 1977 album, Matlock had been bounced, replaced by the image-correct but utterly untalented (and ultimately group-dooming) Sid Vicious. Not a 10th as good as the singles, the album nontheless remains a bile-filled emblem of the times. --Billy Altman [more ...] - Dance & Shake Your Tambourine - Universal Robot Band [Amazon US]
When he wasn't writing funk history with his band Kleeer, Woody Cunningham also played on sleazy disco classics like Candido's 'Thousand Finger Man' or 'Dancing and Prancing'. Very Lofty, indeed. More recently he released 'Delicious' in a real Kleeer style and 'Ooh with you' on which he 'ooohwed' with ex-Kleeer member Paul Crutchfield. His latest release is the solo-album 'Never Say Never' by which you finally understand where the title on top of this table came from. Kleeer enough. [This album is very hard to find on vinyl] [...]
Slave (1977) - Slave
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Slave (1977) - Slave
[CD, Amazon US]
[FR] [DE] [UK]
Where do I start? These guys were genius' to be as young as they were to record music like this. You can't forget the bicycle horn they used on a few of there songs (very unique). "Slide", in my opinion was their best song. Whatever you do, get this Cd before it's no longer available...and hope they put the other albums on cd. --Randy D. Smith for amazon.com