Disco Flashback
Thank you, Cape Cabaret!
As someone in his early-sixties, disco was music that was ever-present in my life and culture in the 1970’s and 80’s. It bridged the gap between FM album-oriented-rock of the early 1970’s and punk in the late 1970’s. It was both revered and maligned.
Who remembers Steve Dahl of Chicago radio station WLUP, a/k/a The Loop? Dahl organized a “Disco Sucks” rally at Chicago’s Comisky Park, home of, at the time, the lowly White Sox, on July 12, 1979. SIDE NOTES: The Sox had some of the best uniforms. The team offered 98-cent admission for anyone who bought a disco record which would be blown up between games of the doubleheader scheduled for that day against Sparky Anderson’s Detroit Tigers. The stadium was packed. The biggest crowd the White Sox had seen in quite some time. Needless to say, the second game was never played as the gimmick went awry, the field was stormed by drunken revelers who bought (allegedly) 50-cent or one dollar beer and was also so carved up by the explosion that it rendered the field unplayable.
Who remembers Studio 54? Anyone reading this ever get inside the hallowed dance floor at the midtown Manhattan palace? Many did and it quickly became the Mecca of dance music, partying til the break of dawn and sheer debauchery. While getting in was a battle, once inside, the music took over and you were transported to heights rarely experienced by the average human being much less the average extra-terrestrial.
During high school, our school was divided by music. The “rock heads” hung out on one side of the school while the “disco heads,” or sometimes known as “zipperheads,” hung out on the other side. The rocker side featured jeans, t-shirts, long hair, dungaree jackets with rock band paintings on the back and WPLJ or WNEW. The disco side was all about cars (mostly Cadillacs) blasting music, polyester, pushback hair-dos, gold chains, WKTU (Paco) or WBLS (Frankie Crocker).
Once I hit legal drinking age, which would have been 18 at the time (It changed to 21 in 1984), I began hitting places like The Arena on Fresh Pond Road in Ridgewood and Paleds on Queens Blvd. I would throw on my polyester pants and button down shirts with the buttons opened to just above my belly. The shoes were always shiny and even had a small platform. Of course, we learned this from watching Tony Manero (a/k/a John Travolta) in Saturday Night Fever. From there, we proceeded to get into as much trouble as we could. I’ll spare you the details.
Fast forward to July 3, 2026. I’m visiting my mother, sister and brother-in-law in Florida. My sister tells me we are going to “Disco Night” at a place called Cape Cabaret in Cape Coral, Florida. She tells me to trust her as they’ve done it before and had a blast. Even my 87-year-old mother came to experience the fun. Once inside, I was briefly transported back those days in those disco clubs as well as the bars I frequented to dance. I was even a DJ at one of those bars in my 20’s.
It wasn’t the music that transported me back to those days. It was the dress, a/k/a costumes, that people showed up wearing. Bright colors, paisley, and, YES, polyester. There was wigs, neon glasses, high heels, short dressed, one woman in a costume resembling those worn by Donna and the Dynamos in Mamma Mia. It was definitely worth going and dancing to all the great memories that flooded my body.
Let’s not, however, forget the great music that came out of that time. No matter what you might think of the music, there was a plethora of exhilarating music that emerged from that era. Here are four songs that the DJ played that night, plus one I requested but did not hear (explanation coming below) that brought back the most memories for me. ENJOY!!
T-Connection - At Midnight
The long percussive intro was the hook. It’s what got us dancing.
Information on T-Connection can be found HERE.
Musique - In The Bush
HHHMMM, wonder what this song is about!!!
Information on Musique can be found HERE.
Gary’s Gang - Keep On Dancing
This band actually was nearest to our hearts as they were from Queens, New York. This was not their only single. Information on Gary’s Gang can be found HERE.
Gino Soccio - Dancer
Canada makes its way onto the list with this number from Gino Soccio. I must admit that this one caught me by surprise. I didn’t immediately remember the name of the artist, but I knew the song. Once I looked it up, the name came back. I specifically remember having this 12 inch single in my collection to play at the bar I dee-jay’ed. Information on Gino Soccio can be found HERE.
and
Bryan Adams - Let Me Take You Dancing
Here’s the one that you will never find a video for. It’s been released on a few compilations, but THAT’S IT!! In 1978, Bryan Adams, then 19-years-old, and Jim Vallance, his longtime writing partner, wrote the track “Let Me Take You Dancing.” It went to number 22 on the disco charts. Currently, while not impossible to find, the record is rare. Here is what Wikipedia says:
The John Luongo 12” remix of “Let Me Take You Dancing”, was released on CD in 2002 as part of compilation album Disco Box Vol 2: Disco Heat.[1] The extended version (6:15) of “Let Me Take You Dancing” is available on the 1994 Hot Classics 12 CD. A shortened version (3:04) of “Let Me Take You Dancing” is available on the 1993 continuous mix CD, The Dance Classic Showcase Volume 1 (mixed by D.J. John Daru).
Currently, the only method to acquire “Let Me Take You Dancing” or “Don’t Turn Me Away” is by purchasing the original record. Also, the only method to acquire the instrumental version of “Let Me Take You Dancing” is by purchasing the record of the John Luongo 12” remix, which is the “B” side of said record.
Discogs had only 28 copies of the single available. The price is very reasonable. Most can be purchased for at or below $10.
Be aware that Adams wants nothing to do with the record. He does not acknowledge it. Videos of the song are monitored and immediately removed. It’s not available on Spotify or Apple Music. In any case, it’s a song that has been on my radar for many years. It’s a song that will forever have a place in my music library.
The legacy of disco continues even today. The genre has not gone away. Bands like Chromeo and Neil Frances continue to carry the flag in 2026. this night brought back plenty of memories for me. I even hit the dance floor on several occasions. My knees will not allow me to do what I did in 1986, but I can still feel the music and move my hips. I may look like Seinfeld’s Elaine at times but who cares.
Thank you all for reading my post and, hopefully, tuning in to the show. Two-week archived shows are available on the KUPR website. Click the photo below and it will help you.
My show airs Wednesdays from 2-5pm Mountain Time with a replay Saturday mornings from 4-7am MT. I also host the Friday Happy Hour on the final Friday of each month from 4-7pm MT. All shows air on 99.9 KUPR LP FM out of beautiful Placitas, New Mexico.
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Until we meet again, I hope that all remains well in your corner of the universe. Let’s all take care of and respect each other because time is short and life is precious. Be sure to express your love to those who matter to you most and it only takes three simple words: I - LOVE - YOU.
Take care everybody.