Profile of an Originator: Cerrone

Before I talk about Cerrone, let me show you his album covers which are examples of 1970’s genius:

Alright then. To start off I have covered Cerrone before. You will find on this blog a review of the song “Hooked on You” which is in my opinion his greatest achievement. It has been a long time coming for Cerrone to be covered here. He was indisputably fundamental to laying a foundation for later electronic club music. Listen to the song “Supernature”. That shit came out in 1977 and it is so forward looking. The crazy thing about it too is that it touches on themes of environmentaldegradation and genetic engineering. Listen to the song “Got to Have Lovin’” he produced for Don Ray. That song may contain what is the greatest breakdown and buildup in Disco history. Listen to the song “Gimme Love”. When I hear that song I feel like hopping on a plane to a Mediterranean island and partying on the beach ’til the break of dawn. What I love the most about Cerrone is how he shows that a little Frenchman with a bit of talent can be a sex machine. That gives me hope.

Cerrone has made some awesome straight up Disco songs as well. “Midnight Lady” comes to mind. It starts off as just pure sweetness. Builds so sublimely with this two note thing from I don’t know what instrument. There is also the much recognized “Love in C Minor”. Some straight up epic disco clocking in at around 15 minutes. Like Moroder, Cerrone is really well recognized in certain circles but not by the wider electronic listening audience as a whole. I think he deserves props, not just for his more electronicky work, but for his more discoesque offerings as well. His disco work has a structure that can be unmistakeably linked to later music. The way he works his buildups and breakdowns must have caught the ear of later producers. There is so much attention to layering; adding things and taking them away. Music critics who think they know say disco is coming back (once again) and if that’s the case then we need to hear some Cerrone.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PDBG91hgW4Q

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=V112pTo–Js

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CiDjqpGHIzI

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=x2IGJVH2_80&feature=related

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yT0oLBWfekM

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pgS8HNGhFh4

Cerrone ft Jocelyn Brown – Hooked On You

Ah yes, little Cerrone the French disco/electro/house originator. Maybe I will do a profile on him one day. This is my favourite track of his. I discovered it during my italo/space disco phase about 3 or 4 years ago now. I like this track because it is a music of contrasts. It begins with this throbbing funky baseline and is really heavy and goes on like that with the appearance of trumpets and piano a little further in. Then all of a sudden it goes into a super discoesque section with violin and vocals and then goes back and forth for the song. As always with music it is hard to explain. Good song to like when you lust for a girl. Just listen to it. The video I found just has old Cerrone’s face and he seems to be wearing a jacket made out of grandma’s couch upholstery. Not exactly eye candy.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DpXhvaKgpHU

Profile of an originator: Giorgio Moroder

Maybe six or seven years ago I was becoming interested in early electronic music but I did not know where to look to get my fix. Sure, I knew about Kraftwerk. Everyone tells you how they were so instrumental and so groundbreaking and most certainly they were. Let’s admit though, most of their shit was undanceable other than a few tracks here and there (try dancing in a non-interpretive dance way to anything from Trans-Europe Express or Radio-Activity, just try). Then I stumbled into the wonderful world of Giorgio Moroder. I was already familiar with much of his work but not his name. I knew the ground-breaking Donna Summer song “I Feel Love”. I was a fan of the soundtrack for the movie “Scarface”. As I more deeply explored these works, I began seeing that same production credit reappear again and again: Moroder. So I decided to search and download songs under that name and it began. If you like electro and electro sounding house and disco well this is the father of it all. This guy was doing that stuff at least a decade before anyone else and well too. For those of you who are like me, musical archaeologists who enjoy peeling back the layers of sampled tracks and influences always delving deeper looking for the genesis of a sound, this man is an bona fide originator. Giorgio Moroder is important because he is the first “star producer” with a recognizable sound. I am willing to make the claim that without his work there would be no Italo Disco, no house, no electro and many other musical genres would have evolved in vastly different ways. It may appear as if I am overstating this man’s influence but a cursory listen to the songs provided below will make you understand that his influence cannot be overstated. If you want to understand why club music sounds the way it does, listen to the tracks below which span his work as a solo artist and producer of others:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=f4M0SU6alig

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5i3fQwL1EQM

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ap_2lkdRKF0

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=k8TBmeK9Abg

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=d_maPJx0xt8

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=s0FiS5e72ws&feature=related

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=24ip9f-WjxA

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0OU7Hka_–U

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=aoWYRPui-X0

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Cae4l5t20SA&feature=related

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mCifo0wCAeI

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1eO0atYnZUU&feature=related

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jGAJh5MB3CU&feature=related

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gJ6uegvAY6Q

And that isn’t even most of it.

Film Heads Up: Disco Dancer

Let me tell you about a Bollywood film called Disco Dancer. It is the most crazy damn thing you will ever see. I would describe it, but you need to see it to believe it. The most wonderful part of this film is that it has all the cheese of Bollywood but great music. How can you hate a film about disco dancing rivalries in India?  Another notable fact about this film is that is has the original version of the M.I.A. song Jimmy. Included below are some clips. They include some of the best fake guitar playing ever.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MCNJt2hvTjw

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yQmk3NKgNGQ&feature=related

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RfV11ExbXDo&feature=related

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wFyIq9gm9KY&feature=related