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    The Disco Charts - Part 2

    i decided to split these into separate posts, as the initial post for Sup 75 content on the charts was already quite long.

    with Sup 75, you had a rather schizophrenic array of songs charting on 1 regional [[given, a big region of stores) store chart listing.

    With IGLMHDTW it was much more focused

    one interesting note with the disco charts is that sometimes it just lists an entire lp - like Donna Summer Seasons of Love or DR The Boss. that means that djs were using pretty much all of the tracks on the album.

    also, by this time the charts were expanding to include LA/San Diego audience response and some other markets.

    Walking was released in March and then did nothing on the charts until very late April. It was co-listed with HE first on the Melody Shop Store charts in Brooklyn, LI and Queens.

    The next week it lists at the HE full lp. then pretty much just goes to IGLMH.

    unlike any of the Sup 75 tracks, Walking broke out into other markets across the country, based on audience response in clubs.

    LA and San Diego - peaked at #5 and charted for 14 straight weeks.

    NYC peaked at #3 and charted for 13 weeks

    Boston, DC, toronto - these other cities only appeared occasionally in Billboard, not every week. so we can't tell the duration of charting or how it did overall. but was listed in each city.

    other NYC stores - unlike Sup 75, Walking also charted in some of the other big regional stores around NYC besides Melody.

    oddly enough, there are no listings for Walking in San Fran!! not sure where all our dancing queens were! lol but nothing

  2. #2
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    Quote Originally Posted by sup_fan View Post
    i decided to split these into separate posts, as the initial post for Sup 75 content on the charts was already quite long.

    with Sup 75, you had a rather schizophrenic array of songs charting on 1 regional [[given, a big region of stores) store chart listing.

    With IGLMHDTW it was much more focused

    one interesting note with the disco charts is that sometimes it just lists an entire lp - like Donna Summer Seasons of Love or DR The Boss. that means that djs were using pretty much all of the tracks on the album.

    also, by this time the charts were expanding to include LA/San Diego audience response and some other markets.

    Walking was released in March and then did nothing on the charts until very late April. It was co-listed with HE first on the Melody Shop Store charts in Brooklyn, LI and Queens.

    The next week it lists at the HE full lp. then pretty much just goes to IGLMH.

    unlike any of the Sup 75 tracks, Walking broke out into other markets across the country, based on audience response in clubs.

    LA and San Diego - peaked at #5 and charted for 14 straight weeks.

    NYC peaked at #3 and charted for 13 weeks

    Boston, DC, toronto - these other cities only appeared occasionally in Billboard, not every week. so we can't tell the duration of charting or how it did overall. but was listed in each city.

    other NYC stores - unlike Sup 75, Walking also charted in some of the other big regional stores around NYC besides Melody.

    oddly enough, there are no listings for Walking in San Fran!! not sure where all our dancing queens were! lol but nothing
    Oh Sup, we, uh, I mean, they were definitely filling the floor at Buzzby's on Polk St. in SF whenever WALKING got played !! I know, as I witnessed it !


    ---- Oh to have visited Washington DC in the week of June 19, '76 when the most popular plays of the night at the discos there were as follows:



    Top Audience
    Response Records In Washington, D.C. Discos
    This
    Week:

    1 I'M GONNA LET MY HEART DO THE WALKING -The Supremes- Motown
    2 HEAVEN MUST BE MISSING AN ANGEL - Tavares- Capitol
    3 WHERE THE HAPPY PEOPLE GO -The Trammps -[[all cuts, LP)
    4 LOVE TRILOGY -Donna Summer -Oasis [[all cuts, LP)
    5 TEN PER CENT -Double Exposure -Salsoul [[disco version)
    6 CATHEDRALS -D.C. Larue- Pyramid [[LP)
    7 LOVE HANGOVER -Diana Ross -Motown
    8 TURN THE BEAT AROUND -Vicky Sue Robinson -RCA
    9 PARTY LINE /CALL ME- Andrea True Connection -Buddah [[LP)
    10
    THIS IS IT -Melba Moore -Buddah




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    well during this time, billboard didn't consistently publish the chart listings for San Fran. LA and NY were always there. DC was a lot too. sometimes Boston. sometimes SFO. on occasion there was a Houston. Wasn't until Sept 76 that they published all of the top markets every week


    and YAAAASSSSSS!!!! imagine the floor of sweaty shirtless men in DC with that song lineup. You could simply just start with #1 and work your way down the list. talk about an excellent disco song list

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    Quote Originally Posted by sup_fan View Post
    well during this time, billboard didn't consistently publish the chart listings for San Fran. LA and NY were always there. DC was a lot too. sometimes Boston. sometimes SFO. on occasion there was a Houston. Wasn't until Sept 76 that they published all of the top markets every week


    and YAAAASSSSSS!!!! imagine the floor of sweaty shirtless men in DC with that song lineup. You could simply just start with #1 and work your way down the list. talk about an excellent disco song list
    Yes Sup , except I would point out that you have the wrong imagery as to what you would have experienced at this point in time at a disco. In these earliest times we dressed up , not down. Disco going, particularly as a Friday/ Saturday night occurrence, was one of of being out on the town , and the goal was to look nice and impress.

    Later as some clubs stayed open all night , and the floors got bigger and the venues were more crowded and hotter and the music's BPMs sped up [[[[as did the dancers )), it became more routine to be in levis and shirtless by midnight....
    I always felt this evolution lessened the overall experience , although I was guilty as charged ....


    And yes a stellar list. CATHEDRALS should have gotten split billing in Billboard with this song from the same album. It got the heck played out of it:



    The charting of what got played and where wasn't a perfect science.
    Last edited by Boogiedown; 08-31-2020 at 01:02 PM.

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    love your memories!!

    did you hear the Sups much in the clubs? my fav of their disco tracks is Let Yourself Go. I think if 1) motown had really done Walking justice with a 12" and more promotion and 2) they had use LYG as the lead single off MS&S and 3) had a very focused and heavy promotion of it, i think it would have done excellent


    In Billboard, there's also a lengthy chart showing the top songs played at top radio stations in big cities and key markets. During this time they would designate a song with a "D" if it was a crossover song coming from Disco. these charts only showed the top 3 or 5. with Love Hangover, you had the D next to the listing.

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    Quote Originally Posted by sup_fan View Post
    love your memories!!

    did you hear the Sups much in the clubs? my fav of their disco tracks is Let Yourself Go. I think if 1) motown had really done Walking justice with a 12" and more promotion and 2) they had use LYG as the lead single off MS&S and 3) had a very focused and heavy promotion of it, i think it would have done excellent
    I agree 100%. It's odd to me that Motown would rekindle their relationship with the Hollands , assign them to one of their most legendary acts [[brands), and then not get behind it full force.
    They must have seen value in the commissioning-- and as a disco assignment --, because they returned to the joint venture and with them doing more of the same for the next round that became MS&S. [[ I wonder who chose who?) They seemed to have learned from HIGH ENERGY though, placing longer cuts on the MS&S LP. I question if they supplied the record pools with promo packaging?


    I would be lying Sup, if I said I remember hearing much of the Supremes in the clubs I frequented other than IGLMHDTW, but that was likely just a matter of personal taste. YOU'RE MY DRIVING WHEEL was OK and seemed to be the cut I heard most , but it wasn't a song that I would elbow my way onto the dance floor for. lol.



    In Billboard, there's also a lengthy chart showing the top songs played at top radio stations in big cities and key markets. During this time they would designate a song with a "D" if it was a crossover song coming from Disco. these charts only showed the top 3 or 5. with Love Hangover, you had the D next to the listing.
    That's right ! Thanks for reminding me about that! Billboard was very good to disco. Credit that mostly to Bill Wardlow.
    Also side note: did you notice that Billboard for the longest time listed the song as LET YOUR HEART DO THE WALKING ....I wonder if that was a Tom Moulton error.....
    Last edited by Boogiedown; 09-02-2020 at 04:47 PM.

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    oh yes! i had to read the lists carefully so i wouldn't accidentally miss it!! lolol if i remember correctly, the various weeks of the charts sometimes had various versions of Walking's title

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    Quote Originally Posted by Boogiedown View Post
    And yes a stellar list. CATHEDRALS should have gotten split billing in Billboard with this song from the same album. It got the heck played out of it:

    I bought 8 [[or maybe 9) of the 10 titles mentioned in that list.

    The CATHEDRALS listing cites the LP, not just the title song. I love that whole album, especially Deep, Dark Delicious Night. I played it last year after not hearing it for decades - still wonderful.

  9. #9
    I was too young to go to anybody’s club at this time, but I’m catching the resurgence. I am one of the two newer members of Double Exposure. We’ve been on the bill recently with Tavares, the Trammps and Melba Moore. The responses are great! Folks are really into the disco music. These songs jump!

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    Quote Originally Posted by kpitt1204 View Post
    I was too young to go to anybody’s club at this time, but I’m catching the resurgence. I am one of the two newer members of Double Exposure. We’ve been on the bill recently with Tavares, the Trammps and Melba Moore. The responses are great! Folks are really into the disco music. These songs jump!
    Good for you! Hope it is enjoyable. Is Earl Young touring with you as a Trammp??

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    Quote Originally Posted by johnjeb View Post
    I bought 8 [[or maybe 9) of the 10 titles mentioned in that list.

    The CATHEDRALS listing cites the LP, not just the title song. I love that whole album, especially Deep, Dark Delicious Night. I played it last year after not hearing it for decades - still wonderful.
    I'm pleased you responded JohnJeb. When I saw CATHEDRALS on the Washington DC list , I realized that's one I hadn't heard in a long long while .That lead to listening to DEEP DARK DELICIOUS NIGHT,which prompted me to link it here although I was asking myself why I was doing it .....I doubt anyone here knows it , perhaps I'm one of all of ten people the world over that even remembers it .....oh well I'll post it for snickers. So thanks for letting me know it resonated with you !
    The problem with DDDN is that false ending in the middle that creates a silence that is way too long. By the time the song starts up again, the floor is emptying, and once that happens the departers aren't going to change their minds even if they realize the song isn't actually over. No DJ likes to see the floor clear. That is the only disco song of the genre that I can think of that gave that clever trick a try ....
    Last edited by Boogiedown; 09-07-2020 at 12:23 AM.

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