New REBEAT Magazine Article Posted: Disco Demolition Night
Hey Go Retro fans! My second published piece for REBEAT Magazine has been posted. This one is about Disco Demolition Night, which took place in July of 1979 (so 35 years ago.) Do you remember Chicago area DJ Steve Dahl and his attempt to snuff out disco? Have a gander and let me know (either here or there) what you think!
It took place on July 12th, 1979. And while some saw it as victory over Disco, it actually helped continue a perpetual fear of uniqueness by ostracizing the fringe element of blacks, Hispanics and gay/lesbian lifestyles. Rock (white supremacy) versus freedom of speech, religion and lifestyle.
ReplyDeletePam, congrats on your expanded role as writer on all things retro. I remember disco being popular when I was around 7 or 8 years old, but my teen years (when I really became aware of music) were after disco as a distinct music had passed from the scene. Any yet, there was much disco influence in the '80s (Michael Jackson and Madonna, to begin with), and I guess the whole antagonism to it doesn't quite resonate with me. (Of course, if there were a similar anti-rap rally, maybe I'd attend.)
ReplyDeleteIronically, the most appropriate song to play as a backdrop to this riot was... The Trammps "Disco Inferno (Burn Baby Burn)"!
Thanks Lazlo for the kind words! It's true, disco never really did die out...even today it has influenced Lady Gaga and other singers.
ReplyDeleteAh, I loved disco...don't ask me why. The dancing? The music? It was the whole package. Fun times, said the old person...
ReplyDeleteThanks for the post!
Cherdo
www.cherdoontheflipside.com
Interesting part:
ReplyDelete"Dahl also recorded a novelty song mocking the musical genre called 'Do You Think I’m Disco?' (a parody of Rod Stewart’s hit) about a disco dancer named Tony who eventually converts to rock and roll and melts down his gold jewelry to make a Led Zeppelin belt buckle. The song poked fun at fans of the disco culture and the men who frequented disco clubs with their chest hair-baring open shirts and perfect hair and the 'cold' women they hit on"
So "hair-baring open shirt"-wearing disco men are bad, but Led Zeppelin, with they open shirts and high-pitched voiced and super-tight pants are fine?
There really wasn't much difference between disco and rock, both were about glaming it up, and being showy and rebellious and even androgynous.
Punk and New Wave continued this tradition.
Funny enough, the "heirs" of Led Zeppelin, the hair metal bands of the 80's, would themselves be attacked and backlashed against by the Nirvana/grunge followers in the early 90's.
There are just some intolerant warped people out there (the Rolling Stones magazine crowd, I'd call them) for whom Rock=only good music=America=manly