When I was in high school, there were 2 types of people. Those that danced and loved disco, and those that were haters.

My mother (pretty sure she will laugh at this post) owned some Donna Summer albums that weren’t bad and I loved the random song by Patrick Hernandez called “Born To Be Alive”

and some K.C. and the Sunshine Band, BUT “Saturday Night Fever” was like audio acid rain. I’m not proud of it, but largely I fell into the hater category.

There seemed to be a huge divide between disco people and everyone else. Remember Steve Dahl and Disco Demolition Night?

Yeah, I just said no to Disco.

However, over the years, my stand against disco has softened. I recall many years ago I came across a long mix of songs and dialogue from “Saturday Night Fever” and found myself (gasp)… enjoying it. I think I blogged about it at some point. I think it was the culture of disco that I objected to more than anything else. The slacks and big hair and open collars and spandex and just the whole scene, but the music started to get stuck in my head. Police whistles and all.

Then recently I came across DJ Muro on Mixcloud. He is a mixer from Japan and I played one of his mixes as a palate cleanser from the reggae that I had been listening to all day. This was the mix:

I was blown away. I started sampling more DJ Muro. There was funk and soul and… some disco. Then I came across the mix of his called “Disco!Disco!Disco!”. If you can’t get to it on Mixcloud, you can find it here on Soundcloud:

I LOVED it. There was a liberal smattering of funk and the disco songs were surprisingly fantastic. Not the crap that I typically associated with 70’s disco. This actually, I am afraid to say, led me down the path of finding straight up disco mixes.

What has happened to me??

Try these:

Past Mike is so sad for me, but Current Mike is chair dancing to all of these songs. It’s magical.

On one of these mixes I heard “Disco Inferno” by The Trammps. I actually smacked my hand to my head. I remember when this song was on the radio and I hated it. Today… I am ashamed to say that I got out of my chair in the music room and danced. I don’t dance well and it was short lived, but I actually got up.

Interestingly, you can draw a lot of comparisons between disco and the reggae soundstation and steppas mixes I have been listening to. There is a heavy funk beat and delicious bass lines that runs through both types of music. Not sure both camps would agree necessarily, but I think I hear it. It isn’t a huge progression in my mind. That is no excuse however, I know.

A few days ago I listened to Marilyn Manson all day, thinking maybe I could snap myself out of it. Sometimes I get on a kick for some type of music and fall deep but a few days away from it give me perspective and I laugh at myself and move on.

It didn’t work.

Today I started listening to the Mixcloud series by D.J. Mr. Blondie (out of Venice Italy) called “The Golden Age of Disco” Volumes 1 – 5. Start here:

Say whhaaattt !

Remember the song “Disco Train” by Dance Reaction? How about “U Can Do” by Alkalino? “Let’s Start The Dance” by Hamilton Bohannon? “Chains” by Bionic Boogie?

Are hand claps an instrument?

Sigh.

This is happening.

I know that Dalton would have given me endless crap for this, he would NEVER have gotten on board and probably would have suggest that I spend some quality time with Judas Priest or Metallica instead, and I don’t know what Alan will think if he reads this, and I’m a little worried what my wife will think, but if I don’t make her listen to it, she will likely continue to love me. We have vows after all.

Besides… confession is good for the soul.

I like Disco.

I like Disco.

I like Disco.

God help me I like Disco.