Dec 10, 2010

RhoDeo 1010 Grooves

Hello, and now it's time for Space Disco...The future was once again upon us after the dark days of Vietnam, the Oilcrises and those Airline hyjackings. And The Force was once again with us...somehow the real Star Wars message of love and peace got quickly overshadowed again and the empire is still striking back..happy ends are for the cinema..Let's not get to pessimistic..the music here is uplifting and could well give you some saturdaynight fever...tomorrow part 2

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Marc Cerrone (born 24 May 1952, Vitry-sur-Seine, near Paris, France) is a French disco drummer, singer-songwriter and record producer. He is one of the big names from the disco era, and has sold over thirty million albums and often performed in front of hundreds of thousands of people at huge concerts and events such as The 2005 Dance Party Live in Versailles and The 2000 Los Angeles Millenium Célébration where, at the request of the Mayor of Los Angeles, Cerrone staged the initials Hollywood and produced an exceptional opera. Also in 1989, he performed in the concert at Paris's Place de la Concorde for the celebration of the bicentenary of the Revolution in front of more than 600,000 spectators. In 1991 he performed a concert event for the launch of the first satellite TV HD in Japan (Tokyo). The French just love his self aggrandising streaks ( probably born out of guild for chopping their nobility and forgetting the top clergy).

At the age of 12, Marc started playing drums and listening to Otis Redding songs. At the age of 17, he convinced Gilbert Trigano to hire rock bands for his holiday clubs: Club Med (Club Mediterranée). Cerrone became the A&R scout for 40 Club Med vacation villages around the world, an amazing achievement that would set him on the path to fame and glory. His first recordings as a part of Kongas were released on Barclay Records, where he issued his first hit single, "Boom". He is most famous from the Kongas days for "Anikana-O", co-written and produced by Alec R. Costandinos. Based in Paris, Cerrone recorded, composed, and performed his solo debut "Love In C Minor", again with Costandinos. Released on his own Malligator imprint, and distributed by Warner Filipacci in France, it immediately shocked audiences with its controversial (naked women) cover. Cerrone continued using pieces of photographic and audio erotica when he released his second album, Cerrone's Paradise. It was recorded with Raymond Donnez, also known as "Don Ray", as part of his arrangement entourage.

His third album, Supernature (Cerrone III) sold over eight million albums worldwide. A departure from the lush orchestration with electronic instrumentation added to the mix, it was co-written by Alain Wisniak. The song "Supernature" has a sci-fi theme: it's about the rebellion of mutant creatures — created by scientists to end starvation among mankind — against the humans. It also featured "Sweet Drums", a three-minute-and-ten-second drum breakdown. The original French album cover was again different, having a gatefold opening with nudes in the centre.

After the success of Supernature (Cerrone III), Cerrone IV: The Golden Touch got great reviews in the US and Atlantic threw a party in New York City, October of 1978 that was one of the largest parties ever thrown for an artist up to that point in time. The Album was another Cerrone U.S. disco chart-topper. Driven by "Je Suis Music", "Look For Love", and the urban-slanted "Rocket In The Pocket", this album showed his fusion attributes, foreshadowing his future releases. Cerrone V marked a radical departure for the artist, where he made a full-fledged attempt to become the vocalist, "Rock Me" was the first single and, although clubs reacted fairly well, it did not reach the heights of his previous releases.

Another return to form was his tenth album, Where Are You Now?. Sung by American Carole Rowley and released on Malligator in France, Hi-NRG producer and mixer Ian Levine was tabbed to do the mix, prompting a 12" release on the Record Shack label. In 1984, "Club Underworld" was also released as a single, in both France and the United States. Cerrone's boutique label, Crocos, was the home to a number of independently produced projects. "Africanism" by Kongas, arranged by Don Ray, was an energetic fusion of tribal drum beats and emotive male vocals framed around a cover version of "Gimme Some Lovin'" by Traffic.

Don Ray created a furore with his dance-pop album Garden Of Love, which was written with Cerrone (Lene Lovich lyrics) , the entire album is considered a seminal classic. Hits such as "Got To Have Lovin'", "Body & Soul", and "Standing In The Rain" guided the album to #1 Stateside. In 1992 Cerrone's show "Dream" ran on Broadway at The Ed Sullivan Theater. By the 2000s, Cerrone's European success helped his 2002 hit "Hysteria", and the album become a success. On March 12, 2009 Cerrone released the album "Cerrone by Jamie Lewis" for free on his website. He stated that "music is condemned to be free and that it is necessary to find other solutions to make revenues" (hear, hear ). Meanwhile..Cerrone has won 5 Grammy Awards, some Golden Globes, awards from Billboard Disco Forum events, and gold and platinum discs.

Marc Cerrone is one of masters of the dancefloors pioneer of the musics of nightclubs from disco, dance music, techno, house, groove, garage and today Electro music. He is recognized by the professionals as one of the most influential musicians of the years 70. He is one of the French artists to have strongly contributed to the " French touch " glamour all over the world and particularly in the United States. Cerrone organizes regularly big events or 300 000 persons meet around his music, not just in France but in the US aswell. In 2005 he was promoted to the rank of Commandeur in the Order of Arts and Letters. He's been on the jury for the french version of X factor since 2009.

His latest album, Cerrone Symphony "Variations Of Supernature" reproduces and transfigures his major work, Supernature, 33 years after the original. Totally reorchestrated in a 12 acts / 40 minutes piece,"Variations Of Supernature is as innovative as the 1977 original was ! Back then, Cerrone had stunned both the medias and the artistic world by the philosophy of the lyrics and the quality of the production.... This visionary album was 33 years ahead of its time interrogation about environment issues and the responsibility of mankind over its home planet. In the vein of all the fabulous and spectacular concert-events he has produced around the world, his new challenge is to propose a unique and environment-friendly show entitled Supernature Symphony, where he will perform along with a symphonic orchestra and an electro band. The concert which took take place the 3rd of July in Paris - La Défense was the first step of a worldwide tour, including the cities of Los Angeles, London, Rome, Dubaï, Moscow… (the big numbers again).



Cerrone - III (Supernature) ( 77    228mb)

01 - Supernature (9:43)
02 - Sweet Drums (2:40)
03 - In The Smoke (5:33)
04 - Give Me Love (5:36)
05 - Love Is Here (3:40)
06 - Love Is The Answer (6:37)

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Meco (real name Domenico Monardo, born 29 November 1939) is an American record producer and musician, as well as the name of a band or production team based around him. Meco Monardo was born in Johnsonburg, Pennsylvania. His father played the valve trombone in a small Italian band, and through him Meco got his first musical education, his father convinced him that the trombone was the right instrument, and at nine that was the instrument which he was to stay with. At 17, he won a scholarship to the Eastman School of Music in Rochester, New York, which provided him with a solid classical and jazz music education. There, together with his two friends Chuck Mangione and Ron Carter, he started the Eastman School of Music Jazz Band. From 1965 to 1974 he worked as a studio musician. Originally not inclined towards pop music, Meco's heart changed when he heard Petula Clark's "Downtown". He began doing arrangements, as a session musician he played the trombone with acts like Tommy James, Diana Ross and David Barretto.

Around 1973, Meco, Tony Bongiovi, and a third person formed the production company Disco Corporation of America, and from 1974 to 1976 Meco worked as a record producer. The team of Meco, Bongiovi, Jay Ellis, and Harold Wheeler produced the 1974 Gloria Gaynor hit "Never Can Say Goodbye" On 25 May 1977, Meco watched the feature film Star Wars on its opening day. By the second day, 26 May 1977, he had watched it four times, he then got the idea to make a disco version of the score by John Williams. He contacted Neil Bogart at Casablanca Records, but only after the original score had become a huge success did Bogart agree to help Meco realize his idea. Contact was established with Millennium Records, then a Casablanca subsidiary, and this became Meco's first record company. Here Meco rejoined with Tony Bongiovi and he was also able to bring in Harold Wheeler who had also been part of the team behind "Never Can Say Goodbye" in 1974, Lance Quinn was also part of the Meco team. In a matter of just three weeks they arranged and recorded Star Wars and Other Galactic Funk. Although the album was nominated for "Best Instrumental Pop performer" in 1977.

In the fall of 1977, Meco's second album was released. It was another rearranged science fiction movie soundtrack, Encounters Of Every Kind, based on John Williams music for the movie Close Encounters of the Third Kind, from which three singles were released: "Topsy", "Meco's Theme", and "Theme From Close Encounters". Meco's third album came in early 1978, and this time it was the music from The Wizard Of Oz which got transformed into a disco album by the same name, as Meco described: "It is my best work bar none." From this album came the hit single "Themes from The Wizard of Oz: Over the Rainbow/We're Off to See the Wizard".

Casablanca released the fourth Meco album, Superman & Other Galactic Heroes, featuring two hit singles, "Superman Theme" and "Love Theme From Superman". In 1979, the fifth album, Moondancer, was released, and with it the hit singles "Moondancer", "Grazing In The Grass", and "Devil's Delight". In 1980, Meco's sixth album, Music From Star Trek & Music From The Black Hole, was released, featuring the song "Theme From Star Trek". The movie Star Trek: The Motion Picture (1979) featured an original soundtrack composed by Jerry Goldsmith. The last album which Meco made for Casablanca, his seventh, which came out in 1981, was the soundtrack based American Werewolf In London. After this Meco's tenure with Casablanca was over, and he signed up with RCA Records.



Meco - Star Wars and Other Galactic Funk (106mb )

01 Star Wars (15:49)
~ Title Theme
~ Imperial Attack
~ The Desert & the Robot Auction
~ The Princess Appears
~ The Land of the Sand People
~ Princess Leia's Theme
~ Cantina Band
~ The Last Battle
~ The Throne Room & End Title
02 Other Galactic Funk (12:31)
03 Star Wars Theme - Cantina Band (3:47)
04 Star Wars Theme - Cantina Band (12" mix)


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“A Huge influence on bands like Daft Punk, SPACE sold 12 million records across 4 albums from 1977-81, and are sadly referred to as one of Europe’s great forgotten innovators of the 1970’s”

Space, formally Didier Marouani & Space, are a French electronic music band from the city of Marseille active from 1977 through 1980 and returning with on-stage remake performances since 1992. They are considered as one of the most notable artists of the short lived space disco music scene, and early pioneers of Eurodance electronica subgenre.

Space was founded in 1977 by Didier Marouani (also known as Ecama), Roland Romanelli, and Jannick Top. The first three albums — Magic Fly, Deliverance and Just Blue — were an immediate success (they sold over 12 million records all over the world).. Although Didier Marouani left the band in 1979, the other two members Roland Romanelli and Jannick Top released in 1980 the album Deeper Zone under the name of Space. Then Space officially split up in 1981.

In early 1980s Didier Marouani, with Janny Loseth of Titanic as lead vocalist, continued to perform and record under the titles of Didier Marouani & Space, and Paris-France-Transit due to release lawsuits. The name "spAce" was legally reacquired after some artistic copyright disputes around 1990, allowing musicians to re-release classic albums and give a European live cover tour in 1993. The first Space album in 21 years, Symphonic Space Dream was released in 2002. Their latest album “From Earth To Mars” was released earlier this year.

The song "Magic Fly" became number one in the world (in record sales, as well as radio and club parades). Together with Cerrone's "Supernature", it was the startsong of a new music genre called "Space Disco" Didier created this masterpiece on a Korg Syth, an Arp Odysse and later on a Prophet 5 synth. The French Foreign Trade Minister André Rossi awarded Didier many golden records for having achieved one of the most important successes within the French record industry..specially their great succes in the former Sovjet Union, where they are seen as real legends. (hmmm)



Space - Magic Fly (77    217mb)

01 - Fasten Seat Belt (6:01)
02 - Ballad For Space Lovers (2:19)
03 - Tango in Space (4:30)
04 - Flying Nightmare (3:25)
05 - Magic Fly (4:20)
06 - Velvet Rape (4:30)
07 - Carry On, Turn Me On (8:09)

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Hansjörg "Giorgio" Moroder (born 26 April 1940, Gröden, Súd-Tirol (german speaking region of Italy) is a record producer, songwriter and performer. His work with synthesizers during the 1970s and 1980s had a significant influence on New Wave, house, techno and electronic music in general. Moroder made his first steps in music bypassing his native country altogether, and making a name for himself in studios around Germany in the early 1970s, although he released small-batch singles simply as "Giorgio" as early as 1966, singing in Italian, English and German. He first came to prominence in 1969, when his recording "Looky Looky", released on Ariola Records, sold over one million copies, and was awarded a gold disc in October 1970. Often collaborating with lyricist Pete Bellotte, Moroder had a number of hits in his own name including "Son of My Father" in 1972 before releasing the synthesizer-driven From Here to Eternity, a notable chartbuster in 1977, and in the following year releasing "Chase", the theme from the film Midnight Express. All were hits in the UK, in the U.S. and across Europe, and everywhere the disco-mania was spreading.

He founded the former Musicland Studios in Munich which was used as a recording studio for artists including Electric Light Orchestra, Led Zeppelin, Queen and Elton John. He also created his own record label, Oasis Records, which later became a subdivision of Casablanca Records. Moroder became particularly well known for his work with Donna Summer ("I Feel Love" and Love to Love You Baby), In addition Moroder also produced a number of electronic disco hits for The Three Degrees, two albums for Sparks, and a score of songs for a variety of others including David Bowie, Irene Cara, Blondie, Japan, and France Joli...tomorrow more on Giorgio

A US-only release, Giorgio's "Music From Battlestar Galactica" album has not made history quite the way albums like From Here to Eternity and E=MC2 have. The main reason is the cheap attempt at cashing in on Meco's successful disco work-out of "Star Wars" by a similar treatment of "Battlestar Galactica", But then the sidelong track "Evolution" is a fantastic, dark instrumental that keeps developing from one incredible soundscape to another, the track is simply awesome, the most bizarre scary disco you'll ever hear.



Giorgio Moroder - Battlestar Galactica ( 78   209mb )

01 Battlestar Galactica Medley (16:19)
~ Theme From "Battlestar Galactica" (2:39)
~ Destruction Of Peace (2:41)
~ Transmitter - Part I (1:27)
~ Adama's Theme (1:25)
~ It's Love, Love, Love (3:56)
~ Transmitter - Part II (0:55)
~ Exploration (2:33)
~ Theme From "Battlestar Galactica" (0:40)
02 Evolution (15:18)

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2 comments:

Anonymous said...

Dearest Rho, would it be possible to upload FLAC encodes of both Space - "Magic Fly" and Giorgio Moroder - "Battlestar Galactica"?
Much thanks, as always, for your in-depth & far ranging posts.

Anonymous said...

Dearest Rho, much thanks for the wonderful re-upload - very much appreciated!
Much thanks yet again.