There were so many songs that came my way over the past few weeks that are heavily influenced or inspired by the original disco music of the 1970’s, that I had to bundle them together for you, in an energy-filled Report this week. What’s been labelled as Nu Disco never really graduated to the big time over the past few years, but the way that some of this year’s producers are incorporating classic disco style in their songs could spark a very happy trend! You need to have lived through it, but disco music created some of the best times of people’s lives, and to be able to feel that again in today’s music is special. Coincidentally, today’s WORDLE game answer was DISCO (but I got it in five tries :P).
Among the features in the Report, you can check out my pick of the week, along with one from the host of online radio’s “Top 40 Timeline”, “Big Daddy” Russ Horton, plus “Modern Hype” online radio host Hunter Wilbur’s “Bop of the Week”. “The Musicman” James Rogers from online radio’s “3D Variety Show” has his Classic Five pop hits feature with some classics from 1979. I also have the list of songs that topped my chart at this time of year since 1998.
The BILLCS New Music Report is a work-in-progress and I welcome your suggestions so feel free to contact me at through my social media links right here.
REMINDER: Click the photo above the artist’s name and song title to hear the song or watch the video.
SPOTLIGHTING
STEVE ANGELLO, WH0, “What You Need”
Swedish House Mafia’s Steve Angello kicks off his new Size record label with a ferocious start with “What You Need”, in collaboration with masked British producers WH0. The song blends in a lot of contemporary elements with early 90’s eurohouse vibes. There’s a potent uncredited female vocal which sounds like a cross-between Tina Turner and Loleatta Holloway, and some orchestral synths which provide some genuine disco flair. Add a brisk pace and you have a masterful record that by all rights should be a club and festival smash and is totally unexpected, so make sure this one gets your full attention.
GATTÜSO, “Unstoppable”
The latest from New York-based, Israel-born dance producer GATTÜSO (aka Reem Taoz), “Unstoppable” (no relation to the Sia song) is one swirling, energetic firecracker. I’ve been hearing a lot of piano-led house lately and loving it, so it’s no wonder that “Unstoppable” stands out big time among today’s releases. The uncredited male vocal is infectious and affecting, giving the proper drive that the frenetic pace of the song needs. GATTÜSO has been on a splendid roll with recent releases “Out Of My Mind” and “I’ll Be There”, and next up is a collaboration with Laidback Luke.
SAM DICKINSON, “Falling”
UK singer/songwriter Sam Dickinson returns after a few years’ absence during which he evaluated what direction he was going into with his music. His songwriting is always of high calibre, he’s received oodles of praise from Graham Norton, and Sam’s been a regular visitor to this blog since the release of his debut album The Stories That Occurred 10 years ago. Happily, Sam continues in a dance music direction laid by previous singles “Diamond Skin” and “Carefree”, and “Falling” is a disco-flavoured house track with a vibrant synth hook, co-written with Adam Dixon, that would sound great in concert. Sam’s edgy, soulful voice matches perfectly with this genre and the unique sound of “Falling” is ear-catching, making it a good one to start off a club set. Sam’s got much more in store for us and “Falling” comes from his next album, Stories: The Collection, due in the Fall.
MICHAEL MEDRANO, “Disco Sleaze (Raw and Uncut)”
Perhaps when L.A.’s Michael Medrano and his fans gave him the moniker of “disco dad”, they were a touch ahead of the game, given the other disco and retro-flavoured songs that are included in this week’s report. Michael’s been making disco-flavoured songs for the last few years now, so a likeable song from him called “Disco Sleaze” isn’t unexpected. He follows up his recent album LoveSexDrugs with an entertaining and extended redux of one of its tracks, now with the subtitle “raw and uncut”. And “Disco Sleaze” is grittier, dirtier and well-hung 😛 in its new version, which improves immensely on the previous version, which isn’t anywhere near as playful. “Disco Sleaze (Raw and Uncut)” is a winner, so put on your platform shoes or cowboy boots with pride, and get down and boogie or whatever you might do!
FEATURING
DISCO DOM, YUNG BAE, “Be The One”
Disco Dom is another side to France-born, Miami-based producer Dombresky, who made a fast rise from remixes to concert sellouts at the end of the last decade. In the 1970’s there was a lot of great disco music that came out of France, so Disco Dom reaches back into his heritage to put his own spin on it with “Be The One”, the ‘A’ side to his release called Inferno No. 1. And to partner up with Oregon-born Yung Bae, a producer who I saw perform last year in Miami, is simply kismet. Yung Bae (who has another collaboration coming with Nile Rodgers) has a lot of disco up his sleeves too, and the audience last year ate it all up. “Be The One” employs uncredited Gospel-flavoured vocals against a surprisingly traditional disco arrangement that recalls specifically 70’s French acts like Voyage and the late Patrick Juvet. “Be The One” is a lot of fun, if a little on the repetitive side, but the spirit of disco lives on in songs like this.
OLD JIM, VICTOR PERRY, “Beat It”
To get your first question out of the way, yup, this is a cover of Michael Jackson’s classic. And while Italian producer Old Jim fashions a creditable contemporary arrangement for the song, its secret weapon is NYC-based singer Victor Perry, whose voice hasn’t sounded better! I’ve written before how much at times Victor can sound like Michael, and by covering “Beat It” the resemblance continues at its strongest without entirely trying to copy him throughout the song, so still sounding like Victor in the process. But the critical parts of the song where Michael’s voice is needed are impressive and well-represented by Victor. It’s hard to slay a somewhat “untouchable” classic like this and give it new wings but Old Jim and Victor Perry’s take on “Beat It” goes down just fine.
JRDN, “What Do I Got To Do”
The return of the soulful voice of Toronto-based, Halifax-born JRDN has been a welcome surprise so far in 2023 starting with his previous release “Call My Name”. JRDN’s first Canadian successes occurred before The Weeknd arrived on the scene, and songs like “What Do I Got To Do” can easily co-exist next to The Weeknd’s hits on the radio. “What Do” moves along briskly to make you dance, and relies heavily on JRDN’s striking falsetto. I’ve long thought that Canada needs to do a better job with promoting its talented R&B singers who have somehow ended up in the shadow of The Weeknd’s success despite their unique talents. Even before The Weeknd, singers like Melanie Fiona also had to go to the US to get recognized before receiving similar acknowledgement at home. “What Do I Got To Do” has fortunately popped into Canada’s Top 40, so I’m hoping it continues another string of hits for JRDN.
BEN DAVIDSON, “Wow”
It’s a pleasure to be writing about Scotland’s Ben Davidson after a while with his new house-flavoured pop single “Wow”. Continuing a collaboration with producer Dan Scholes, Ben gives one of his best vocals in the anthemic “Wow”. He can sit up in his head voice like some of the best of ’em, and here he delivers a joyous song in “Wow” that is quite the bouncy, memorable bop. I’ll be exceedingly happy if Ben continues to pump out songs like this one.
BILL’S NEW MUSIC PICK OF THE WEEK
My New Music Pick of the Week is a 5-7 minute radio segment that airs more than 30 times/week on online radio stations around the world.
“Blame Brett” is the #1 Canadian alternative radio smash from Toronto quartet The Beaches
“BIG DADDY” RUSS HORTON’S PICK OF THE WEEK
“Big Daddy” Russ Horton is the host of the “Top 40 Timeline” radio program and owner of online stations Radio GTA, Halton Hills Radio Online, & FM108.ca. You can hear my Retro Pick of the Week every week on the “Top 40 Timeline”!
L.A. based rock trio TV Girl with “Shame”
HUNTER J. WILBUR’S BOP OF THE WEEK
Hunter J. Wilbur is the host of the online radio shows “Modern Hype” and “Addictive Energy” which can be heard on several online stations including Classic Hits Canada.
Philadelphia producer Sauniks teams up with Arkansas’ Skyline Drive for the electronic ballad “Nightlight”
“THE MUSICMAN” JAMES ROGERS’ CLASSIC FIVE
“The Musicman” James Rogers is the owner and host of The 3D Variety Show heard Tuesdays on Planet Radio Canada. The Classic Five is “pop music 101” of the post-Beatles era – classics you need to know! Each title is linked to a Spotify stream of the song.
Supertramp – The Logical Song
Doobie Brothers – What A Fool Believes
Chic – Good Times
The Knack – My Sharona
Eagles – Heartache Tonight
25 YEARS OF BILLCS TOP 30 #1’s
Songs that rocked my personal chart at this time during the last 25 years. Interestingly, 8 of these songs were my #1 songs of their respective years.
2022 DAYDREAMING Harry Styles
2021 SIDEWAYS Illenium, Valerie Broussard and Nurko
2020 RAIN ON ME Lady Gaga & Ariana Grande
2019 GOOD THINGS FALL APART Illenium & Jon Bellion
2018 BROKEN LOVE The Him featuring Parson James
2017 ATTENTION Charlie Puth
2016 SO BAD Brandon Skeie (now Brandon Colbein)
2015 I WANNA BE (FREE) Brandyn Burnette
2014 ELECTRIFY THE NIGHT House Rockerz & Davis Redfield featuring Carl Man
2013 VOCAL Pet Shop Boys
2012 DREAMS ARE GOLD DATABOY
2011 FLESH Simon Curtis
2010 A NEW WORD TO SAY Bright Light Bright Light
2009 MANNEQUIN Noah
2008 AFTER TONIGHT Justin Nozuka
2007 STEP INTO THE LIGHT Darren Hayes
2006 IS IT ANY WONDER Keane
2005 MJB DA MVP Mary J. Blige featuring The Game
2004 SATELLITE Oceanlab featuring Justine Suissa (Oceanlab is Above & Beyond)
2003 AS THE RUSH COMES Motorcycle (aka Gabriel & Dresden)
2002 GOTTA GET THRU THIS (D’n’D radio mix) Daniel Bedingfield
2001 CALIFORNIA Rufus Wainwright
2000 DRIFTWOOD Travis
1999 THE CUP OF LIFE Ricky Martin
1998 EVERYBODY HERE WANTS YOU Jeff Buckley
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