Let the celebrations begin! Well, actually the parties started on December 1st really, however now it’s officially Christmas Eve. That means it’s time to crack open the champagne, fire up the fire, get the disco ball spinning and put some Flashback Christmas Medleys on the stereo. These are some of the best holiday disco arrangements I’ve heard and they’re so sparkly sounding that they’ve inspired me to wear full sequins tonight (like I wasn’t going to anyway!). Wishing all the fabulous Sparkle Soldiers everywhere a dazzlingly magical Holiday!
No- it’s not Friday because everyone knows Friday is Sparkle Video Day! Today’s post is about last weekend, which I spent at my good friend R. Wayne’s exclusive and rustic summer house in the country. It’s so nice to leave the cell phones and internet behind and get away to enjoy nature and all that other natural stuff that goes along with it. However, there’s one thing I refuse to give up no matter where I am and that’s a dance party complete with disco balls and gobs of glitter. The best part is that these dance parties are old school which means vinyl only, as nothing sounds as great as good old fashioned records.
Back to the point anyway.. last weekend I discovered a treasure among treasures in the record bin- the “Thank God It’s Friday” soundtrack! I already have the movie in my DVD collection, but seeing and touching this piece of history was like discovering the holy grail. This album is the perfect example of why vinyl was, and still is, so much better. First, there’s the album art which includes inner sleeve covers for each of the three discs (2 plus 1 bonus disc!), all covered with various disco-tastic images from the movie. Then, as a favor to all the DJ’s out there, the BPM for each track is noted for seamless mixing. This album has so many classics on it such as the self titled theme song by Love and Kisses, Patti Brooks’ legendary “AfterDark” and “Last Dance” from our queen, Donna Summer. However, my new obsession is Sunshine‘s “Take It To The Zoo” , which is one sexified, hypnotic track, especially when they sing, “It’s fridaaay night.. thank GAaawwd”.
Lastly, the best and most dazzling thing about record albums is the additional stuff they used to put inside them and this one had a fabulous but forgotten gem- an order form for official TGIF merchandise! It’s been laying inside the album since 1978- a little sparkling time capsule just waiting for Da General to find it, break it free and let if be loved all over again. Sometimes, I just look at it and touch it. Other times I go full-blown fantasy and contemplate if I want to order the gold necklace or the satin jack. Maybe even throw in some disco wrist bands. Then again, for these prices, I could buy it all and why not? After all… More is More!
This past Monday was my birthday and also the release date of “Escape Machine” and might I say, what a fabulous coincidence! In fact, at first listen it was exactly like eating a piece of deliciously rich chocolate cake when that magical first bite sends shivers down your spine and jolts of electricity through your heart. It’s still that way no matter how many times I play it and that’s because Sare Havlicek has left no frequency untouched on his latest concoction of sounds. If I had to choose only one word to describe how it makes me feel, I would say “happy”, however there’s no way for me to choose one favorite track so here’s a small glittering taste.
The journey begins with “Diamondback, Pts. l & ll” which leads with an orchestrated string open that sounds like the beginning of a classical serenade and then KABLAM! You are in space transport! From there, the experience is a dazzling combo of Sare’s trademark cosmic instrumentals mixed with super catchy and hypnotic vocals and then sprinkled with a bit of funk. Singer Hannah Mancini takes “Vibe OnYou” to a special place I like to call “the love child of Chic and Lisa Stansfield” and.. guess what? There’s boys! Yes, male vocals are also included this time around featuring Mitja and Charlie Denholm which add some new layers to Sare’s “cake”. Perhaps it falls under the TMI category, but “White Noise Voice” gives me tingles in all kinds of places and speaking of tingles, if this was the 70’s “Burning Hot” would surely be on the soundtrack to one of those disco-tastic disco porn movies. “Sense Station” kicks major-bass-ass and “12Fingered Chime” takes me instantly to a hot summer night on a rooftop party watching the sun go down surrounded by good friends with smiling faces, sparkley cocktails in hand and makeshift dance floor going strong. In other words, happy.
Why settle for the same old Christmas carols when you can be drinking hot glog to Disco Noel? No matter what holiday you celebrate, here are some tracks to get the mirror ball rolling!
Wishing Sparkle Soldiers everywhere a fabulous, tipsy and jewel encrusted holiday!
Just uncovered from the crypt, this vintage video of Hot Blood’s “Soul Dracula” has arrived just in time to celebrate All Hallows Eve. In my opinion, Vampires don’t seem all that different from humans, except that they drink blood, but really- that’s it. After all they take long disco naps so they can wake up refreshed and ready to dance and party, all the while making glamorous use of their capes, nibble on some party treats, then dance some more until right before sun up. I could hang.
His album “Toscana Nights” released in July of last year is still in heavy rotation at mine because it’s a dazzlingly solid journey through the galaxy set to our much beloved disco beat and perfect for dancing under laser beams and smokemachines. Tonight, Sare Havlicek is taking his newest trip through space on pure.fm with the first of his new monthly radio shows called “Disco Recreation”. There is no other kind of recreation as far as I’m concerned so I’ve cleared my schedule and so should you. By the way, speaking of clearing schedules… stay tuned for more fabulous news coming soon regarding all of the above and gobs of SPARKLES.. but in the meantime, enjoy one of my favorite tracks!
Recently, I had the pleasure of watching “The Stud”, a disco-tastic film released in 1978 which stars Joan Collins as a married, wealthy and bitchy woman who enjoys fabulous clothes, dancing at the disco and sex, sex and more sex. The other main character in this marvelous time capsule is Tony, who runs her nightclub and also is her lover, but at the same time sleeps with pretty much everyone (ahhh the 70’s!). It would be hard not to enjoy a movie set up on this alluring premise, but what’s even more exciting is the music starting right from the opening sequence with a dazzling orchestrated theme song by the Biddu Orchestra. Some other classics on the soundtrack are “Native New Yorker”, “Let’s GoDisco”, “That’s The Way I Like It” and the overly fabulous “Cocomotion”. It also looks like we’re not the only ones who like both kinds of music, rock n’ roll and disco, as hits like “Love Is The Drug” and “Love is Like Oxygen” are also included. I guess great minds really do think alike!
This track is on FA-FA-Fire!!! I was truly having a sluggish morning until I put on “InThe House” and now I’m on top of the world. It’s all because Dimitri from Paris serves the most glamorous sex-tastic version of the Chaka Khan’s “Any Love” that I’m not sure whether to rip my clothes off or keep getting dressed and go to work. Alas, Sparkle Outfits don’t pay for themselves so off I go, but with a much bigger smile on my face.
This has got to be the most fabulous album cover of all time. For this 1978 release, Motown Sounds went with the most dazzling concept that could soon be a reality, that is, if we demand it. After all, NASA is already working on Space Beer for space travel, so wouldn’t the most logical means of getting to that party be this glorious transparent vessel complete with light-up dance floor and gobs of dancing partygoers? Although, it’s hard to tell from this illustration where the bar is, but I can assure you it’s there because this album is delightfully sparkly and filled with my favorite kind of disco. You know, the orchestrated strings and percussion arrangements layed over a classic disco beat that I simply gag over kind- just perfect for a trip through the universe! Oh.. and if you’re worried about what to say to any loved ones you might be leaving behind on this journey, just take a line from one of the tracks on this album:
“It’s not that I don’t love you, it’s not that I don’t care.. it’s just that you don’t like to party like I do babe”
“Mindwarp” is the only word I can use to describe the experience of going to my local Post Office, the most dysfunctional and unorganized in the land. However, nothing can stop me from shipping dazzling care packages of glitter and sparkly lipgloss to those in need. My secret weapon? Patrick Cowley– his sextastic dance tracks always get me through my mission and my iPod is locked, loaded and ready for action!
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