Discussion: Modern Disco is Back (Feb 8, 2002)

Disco is back! Awesome modern disco songs

"67.193.76.195" writes:

Hi everyone,
It's good to see Jamiroquai's "You Give Me Something" on the Top 20 of the USDanceRadio.com chart for the last few weeks! What do you think of the following modern disco songs? I highly recommend them. I feel dance music is best when it uses real instruments - real guitars, real basses, real violins - and that's what the disco sound is about! These songs should be all over dance radio playlists.

"Love Foolosophy" by Jamiroquai (2001)
"Main Vein" by Jamiroquai (2001)
"Little L" by Jamiroquai (2001)
"Murder on the Dancefloor" by Sophie Ellis-Bextor (2001)
"Ooh, C'mon" by The Company (2000)
"Should I Let Him Go?" by The Company (2000)
"Groovejet" by DJ Spiller featuring Sophie Ellis-Bextor (2000)
"Never Been Kissed" by Kristine W. (2000)
"I Don't Understand It" by Ultra Nate (2001)
and there are lots of others

Here are some disco songs with real string instruments:

The Company: The following string players performed on their songs
"Should I Let Him Go?" (2000) and "You Turn My World Around" (2000): Lori
Presthus on cello, Leslie Hirsch on viola, Aaron Meyer on violin, and Adam
LaMotte on violin. They are members of the Portland Philharmonic in
Oregon. Strings arrangement on the former by Bradley Swanson, and on
the latter by Bryan Everett and Bradley Swanson.

Sophie Ellis-Bextor: Sophie's song "Murder on the Dancefloor" (2001)
includes strings by the Wired Strings, led by Rosie Wetter. The Wired
Strings are a British-based female quartet.

Ultra Nate: "I Don't Understand It" (2001) has strings arranged and
conducted by Janson and Janson which were recorded in Stockholm, Sweden.
"Dear John" (2001) has the participation of the Urban Soul Orchestra and
excerpts from El Coco's "Dancing in Paradise". The orchestra's string
players are Ivan Hussey and Adrian Bradbury on cellos, Jake Walker on
viola, and a trio of violinists (Stephen Hussey, Richard George, Fiona
McCapra).

Fantastic Plastic Machine: Some of the disco songs (2001) were recorded at
Sigma Sound Studio in Philadelphia with some session players on strings
who once were members of Salsoul and the Sound of Philadelphia.

Disco 2000s

Discussion: My Take on Clear Channel

My take on Clear Channel and other biggies over the next few years.

"205.124.123.2" writes:

Here's my take on Change Channel and others over the next few years:

-Sadly deregulation is inevitable. The attornies at CC will nag and nag until it happens. Figure on early next year to see something really happen at the FCC.

-Clear Channel's stock will continue to drop.

-To save money talent will consolidate over this year. Expect to wake up to "the KIDD" or "Dees". Exceptions may be Matty (boston), Elvis Duran (new york), etc.

-Ratings will drop in large/medium markets where there is other talent to compete. (Hey Jay Towers holds up pretty well in Detroit for 'DRQ)

-As ratings drop, revinues will drop.

-As revenues drop, the dividend drops -- the stock drops (get the idea?)

-Clear Channel files for bankruptcy, stations auctioned off to Cox, Citadel, ABC, Infinity, Emmis, etc.

-Some of these companies will have the same trouble eventually ending in a distrabution of stations to several companies in all markets, instead of three or four.

-Then some "Randy Michaels" will start a new "evil empire." - (and history repeats itself)

Bottom Line: Radio is dependant on local talent. A large company really can't own more that 25 stations. If they own more, they can't get enough $$$ and can't keep the quality up, and they become losers in the ratings, which results in loss of the green stuff that makes executives happy.

You're thoughts?

Re: My take on Clear Channel and other biggies over the next few years.

"152.163.213.47" writes:

I don't think the FCC is going to be so quick to jump at more deregulation. There's a crisis in confidence in deregulated corporate America right now; its name is Enron.

And the smart ones in the Senate and the House who have been calling for investigations of Clear Channel via Justice realize (I think) that there's more than just a bit of Enronism in the CCU hierarchy. Not to mention megalomania, sexism, and more. CCU is prime (yes, I went to law school) for some gut-wrenching verdicts against it, ranging from sexual discrimination to antitrust violations; the only thing the company can hope to do is stall, stall, stall so all the verdicts don't hit them at the same time. (If the plaintiffs would go class action, CCU could get screwed right out of business.) CCU's insistence that it "plays by the rules" may go over well within the company, but too many outside influences now realize -- they BEND the rules to fit their liking.

Look what happened to Mel Karmazin at Viacom, and Sumner Redstone is not known as a gentle giant. If CCU thinks it can thrive on a Karmazin corporate culture, it's in for a crash.

Of course, CCU is delusional enough to think so. My prediction? They'll hire Mel when Viacom is done with him -- and THEN, the destruction of 1,500 radio stations will really begin.

Until about five years later, when lawsuits, degrading economies of scale, and falling stock prices force Cheap Channel to sell stations left and right. Hence, depressing license prices nationwide, hence, forcing CCU even farther down the hole.

And Randy Michaels will, by then, have pulled the ripcord on his golden parachute, just like Ken Lay and Jeffrey Skilling and all the Enron execs did. Who will get hurt? The employees that kept the stations running day in and day out, the average stockholder, and ... the listening public.

Kinda makes you realize how out of touch corporate top brass really is. Then again, greed works wonders on limiting how many radio stations one can rape in the long run.

Re: My take on Clear Channel and other biggies over the next few years.

"63.21.73.94" writes:

Like the old saying-"The more things change,the more they stay the same",eventually the Democrats will get back in control of both houses and at that time would'nt be suprised to see some action,in not only putting on the brakes but as I said even a roll-back of at least a portion of this de-regulation.

Even if this does happen-it will not be overnight & don't forget-Clear Channel,COX,Viacom,Infinity all these big players don't have all their eggs in just ONE Basket.So I disagree with the DOOMSDAYERS but I do expect some roll-back at some point in the not too distant future.