Disko Ed Ease

Since listening to the compilation ‘Disco Jazz’ I have been completely transformed. I used to not like big orchestras that tried to be hip at all. Often there was a disinterested older conductor in front who seemed to wonder what the orchestra was doing. A show orchestra symbolized older gentlemen who played on autopilot. But upon closer inspection, some songs turn out to be extremely well put together. The arrangements are particularly inventive in a number of orchestras and the melodies are not easy to hum. Moreover, many of those pieces swing through the roof! Music on the border between disco and easy listening and made with the right wink.

Unfortunately, the names of the orchestras do not appear to be that original, because they do not go much further than the name of the leader (Kai Warner, Peter Thomas and of course the inevitable James Last), but a good exception to this is the Erotic Drum Band. I imagine that to be very different from the drum band that used to march down our street... :-) A close second is Señor Coconut & his Orchestra.

By the way, funky easy listening seems somehow typically German, because many of the orchestras mentioned come from Germany, even Señor Coconut! His real name is Uwe Schmidt and, like many Germans (especially after WWII), he moved to South America. In Chile he made Latin covers of Kraftwerk classics in a particularly clever and humorous way. A feat that he later repeated a few times, including with 'Beat it' and other eighties hits.

Tracklist:

Quincy Jones – A Taste Of Honey (1962)
Serge Gainsbourg – Couleur Café (1964)
Señor Coconut & His Orchestra – Beat It! (2004)
MFSB – Plenty Good Lovin’ (1976)
Dee Dee Sharp Gamble – See You Later (1980)
Erotic Drum Band – Action 78 (1978)
Anvil Band – I’ll Be True (1977)
Kimiko Kasai – Killing Me Softly With His Song (1984)
Billy Jackson & The Citizens' Band – Tenderly (1976)
Patrick Williams - Come On And Shine (1978)
Eddie Drennon – Disco Jam (1978)
Jan Delay – Disko (2009)
Jackson 5 – It's Great To Be Here [Kenny Dope Remix] (2003)
Ju-Par Universal Orchestra – Beauty And The Beast (1976)
Love Unlimited Orchestra – After Five (1983)
Dr. Buzzard's Original Savannah Band – Sunshower [Disco Edit] (1976)
Kai Warner & His Orchestra – On The Road To Philadelphia (1976)