Don't Stop The Music (1980)
That sound that is the hook is soo good. I assume it's some kind of synth but I dunno it could be anything, maybe some kind of bass key-tar. Whatever it is I love it and why wasn't it used one thousand more times in the 80s? When the funky maestros hit upon something novel like that in the studio, it must have been hard to contain themselves because they would know immediately that it was gonna slay on the dance floor. Don't Stop The Music's not just about that hook-y new bass sound either, it's all the funky R&B goodness moving into the post-disco boogie era. All the elements coming together: Supreme synth action atop a to die for groove along with the swirling funky riffs, a conga break and even a chipmunk bit. Irresistible!
*This harbinger for the rest of the decade is another delightful platter that hit the top spot on the R&B chart in the USA. All these R&B number ones! It's all a coincidence. Every time I'm about to post a monster jam and quickly look up the chart history it turns out to be an ultimate smash hit. I should just get a hold of an R&B chart book documenting the late 70s and early 80s and actually go through all the chartbusters. But nah that would be a bit arbitrary and staid. I'll just keep up the random gold and see what happens.
Never stop the music...
...boogie with me all night.
I call this kind of thing "common groove" - R&Bsoulfunkdiscoclub music that went gold or platinum, topped the R&B charts, sometimes crossed into the pop ones (and in the UK almost always made the Top 20). Stuff that has zero collector value because too many copies were made and sold at the time and still exist in the world. And minimal snob value because it's not esoteric. But 9 times out of 10 it's better than the obscure tracks and the 'deep cuts'.
ReplyDeleteAs with this tune which I loved and bought at the time. That bass sound. SOS Band picked up on this vibe, didn't they, as did many others.
There's definitely something to that. I love and appreciate the comments sections to these videos as they've usually got really normal oldies getting nostalgic about the disco or often roller disco that they went to back in the day.
ReplyDeleteWell you're reading my next posts mind regarding that synth bass sound by mentioning SOS Band. The only other specific one I could think of off the top of me head was Rufus & Chaka Khan's Ain't Nobody.