Blur - There's No Other Way

Blur...what can I say? A band located in London, England with Damon Albarn (vocals), Graham Coxon (guitar), Alex James (bass), and Dave Rowntree (drums). Todays feature post, which is now widely critisized as a "Plastic Mancherster sounding song", was their second single from the LP Leisure and their first top 10 in England. In the US, barely cracking the Top 100, it reached #82.

Yet in the clubs, it heated up the dance floor. As their first chart appearance on the Dance chart, it peaked at #15, while spending 10 weeks on the chart. Both of today's posts were taken from the US 12" single on SBK 19747

Purchase the original 12" single here

There's No Other Way (Red Sleeve Mix) 5:01
There's No Other Way (Rock Mix) 5:36
Charted on November 9, 1991. Spent 10 weeks on the chart and peaked at #15

Check out the video for this on YouTube

EBN/OZN - AEIOU Sometimes Y

EBN/OZN consisted of two males from New York. On synthesizer was Ned Liben (aka EBN) and the vocals were by Robert Rosen (OZN). They met when a friend of Rosen's girlfriend intorduced them.

In the early 80's, they started going to clubs together and listening to different types of dance music. Then got a record deal with Elektra with the release of their first single AEIOU Sometimes Y. An album, Feeling Cavalier, soon followed and their follow-up was released called Bag Lady (I Wonder). Soon after the album release, the duo went their seperate ways.

Liben went on to work with Scritti Politti and Rosen formed a studio group before leaving music altogether to become a screenwriter. In 1998 Liben died of a heart attack.

Today's post includes both of their songs to reach Billboard's dance chart.

Purchase the original 12" single here

AEIOU Sometimes Y (Long Version - Vocal) 7:38
Charted on July 30, 1983. Spent 10 weeks on the chart and reached #20

Check out the video for AEIOU here

EBN/Ozn - Bag Lady (I Wonder)

Purchase the original 12" single here

Bag Lady (I Wonder) (Extended Version) 6:35
Charted on March 3, 1984. Spent 8 weeks on the chart and reached #36
P.S. - Contact me if anyone has the Late Nite Version

Boys Don't Cry - I Wanna Be A Cowboy

On December 28, 1985, Boys Don't Cry made their first, and only, appearance on Billboard's Hot Dance/Disco charts with a silly little song called I Wanna Be A Cowboy. Even though they only spent one month on the chart and reaching the #44 position, many people recognize this song song since it peaked at #12 on the Pop chart.

I don't know too much about this band other than they originated from England. Boy's Don't Cry (consisted of Nick Richards on vocals, Nico Ramsden on guitar, Brian Chatton on keyboards, Mark Smith on bass and the rhythm guy was Jeff Seopardi. They were discovered by the now famous Paul Oakenfold, who at the time was a talent scout for Profile Records.

The video for this song featured Lemmy from Motorhead (of all people). It is sooooo Kooky that it worth watching. Watch it here

I'm posting the Original 12" version from Profile 7084

Purchase the original 12" single here

I Wanna Be A Cowboy (12" Saddle Mix) 6:05

Double Exposure - Ten Percent

This is the first "Commercially Available" 12" single produced. I felt it would be a great way to start this new blog.

Double Exposure was a disco group out of Philadelphia featuring James Williams, Leonard "Butch" Davis, Charles Whittington and Joseph Harris. They formed in 1968 under the name of United Image. As United Image, they recorded for Stax Records in the early 70's and released "African Bump". They then signed to Salsoul Records, thanks to their friend Norma Harris, who also produced their first three albums with Salsoul.

Ten Percent is the first release off their album Ten Percent. It charted on Billboard Hot Dance/Disco chart on April 17, 1976 and reached the #2 position. It stayed there for 6 of the 18 total weeks it spent on the chart. It is also the first of 5 songs to make the Billboard Hot Dance/Disco chart.

Purchase the original 12" single here

Ten Percent (Walter Gibbons Mix) - 9:45

Please tell me you comments/thoughts/reactions on this song.

Just Starting

This is my new blog!!!! Dance lovers are some of the most passionate and active fans in all of music. Whether you're a fan of classic disco, new wave, post-punk, techno, rave, house, acid, electronica, trip-hop or any of the other numerous permutations of the above, it is my sincere hope that you will find this blog an invaluable spot in your favorites list.

During the summer of 1974, Billboard magazine started reporting on the large number of new discotheque clubs opening around the US. These clubs attracted a huge youth following with such songs as "Rock The Boat" by Hues Corporation and "Rock Your Baby" by George McCrae. (These two songs are often cited as the first commercially successful "DISCO" singles.) The first chart to appear in Billboard was October 26, 1974 and was based on audience response in New York clubs. That chart eventually splintered into a rotation of charts from other cities as well including but not limited to Atlanta, LA, San Fransisco, and Chicago. On August 28, 1976, Billboard introduce their first "National" chart called National Disco Action Top 30. This became a Top 40 chart on September 11, 1976, then to a Top 60 chart on April 7, 1979. The next week they released a Top 80 chart and continued this until September 8, 1979 with the Disco Top 100. Eventually it got reduced to a Top 50 chart on March 16, 1985 and has been that way until the present.

With this blog, I will start posting the songs that charted on the various Billboards Hot Dance/Disco Charts between 1974-2004. Also included will be little tid bits of each song. Hope you will find this blog one of your favorites and it is my sincere hope that it will satisfy your hunger to find out more about dance music and it's ever-evolving styles.

The first post will be here on Monday July 16, 2007. Please stay tuned.