SOUL JAZZ BOOKS - "DISCO: An Encyclopedic Guide To The Cover Art Of Disco Records"

[Philles/Motown Gary]

For the benefit of those who may not be aware of this, last week, I discovered one of the most impressive coffee-table books I’ve ever seen. Published by Soul Jazz Books [[November 30, 2014), it’s titled, "Disco: An Encyclopedic Guide To The Cover Art Of Disco Records". This sucker is huge – Hardcover, 12" x 12", 383 pages, 1 ½ inches thick, and printed on high-quality glossy paper. [[Believe me when I say it’s physically heavy, as it weighs in at nearly 7 lbs.!) Professional and attractive as can be, it features more than 2,000 [[yes, two-thousand) album-cover designs, as well as more than 200 12" disco-single sleeves from the various record companies, released during the disco era from the early 1970's through the mid-1980's.

The majority of the book lists the dance-related record companies in alphabetical order, chapter by chapter, including a biography of each label, ranging from AVI Records up through and including West End Records, including Ariola, Black Sun, Butterfly, Casablanca, Delite, Emergency, Fantasy and WMOT, Malligator-Crocos, Matra, Montage, OUT, Philadelphia International, Prelude, Salsoul, SAM, TK, Unidisc, Uniwave, Vanguard, and Venture labels in between. The album-cover photo images for Philadelphia International and Salsoul Records alone are staggering! Just when you think you’ve already got it all, I even learned of a few releases which were completely new to me. Really cool stuff!

My copy arrived just a few days ago via Amazon [[U.S.) The only disappointment that I’ve encountered so far is that, when the book first arrived, I headed first thing for the chapter on Motown. Imagine my shock when it wasn’t there, as Motown contributed a ton of music during the Disco era. Come to find out, the chapters in the main section of the book are for Disco record companies which were formed during the Disco era, which is precisely what this book is about. Motown, as I soon discovered, is in the after-thought chapter titled "Atlantic, Motown, And Other Labels". Having already established themselves as major-league music makers, Atlantic and Motown didn’t qualify; although, had I published the book, Motown and Atlantic would be listed right up there amidst the other Disco labels from A-Z. Other than that, I’m pleased as punch with this delightful discovery.

There is also a chapter devoted to 12" sleeves released by each record label. This, I’m pleased to say, does indeed include Motown and Atlantic. It’s interesting to note that Motown issued their 12"-Single dance releases on 5 different 12" jackets throughout the Disco era, the most recognizable, of course, being the 12" two-toned blue Motown record-label jacket with the 6-inch-high map of Michigan and the huge red, orange, yellow, and green "MOTOWN DISCO" lettering catching the eye, while clarifying "Long-Playing 12" Disco Single" at the bottom.

Among the many musicians featured here are Bohannon, James Brown, Jocelyn Brown, Cerrone, our own Dennis Coffey, Donna Summer, Chic, Fatback Band, Gino Soccio, Giorgio Moroder, Gloria Gaynor, Grace Jones, Isaac Hayes, Kool And The Gang, DC LaRue, Loleatta Holloway, MFSB, Ohio Players, Salsoul Orchestra, and The Trammps, among countless others.

All in all, this is a fascinating book, presented by Disco Patrick and Patrick Vogt including a Foreword by Tom Moulton and Nicky Siano, and an Introduction by Claes "Discoguy" Widlund. Many of the photos of the album covers are 16 to a page, whereas some pages are four large album photos to a page or even full-page photos. In some cases, the album-cover reproduction is a full, two-page spread. Some of the album covers from the disco era were much more, shall we say, "risque" than I had remembered. Might be a good idea to tuck that coffee-table copy away when your mother or grandmother come for a visit! Just a suggestion!

Oh, did I mention that the total price for this super book at Amazon is a mere $33.71? [[I couldn’t believe it! I would have expected to pay anywhere from $50-$100, considering all that you get.) As a collector, I love this book and I can’t recommend it highly enough. If you love the Disco era, this book is for you.

http://www.amazon.com/Disco-Encyclop...n+encyclopedic