Since his return to making music again with ‘Racer’ in 2013, GIORGIO MORODER has been in demand as a DJ.
This has been thanks to his glorious catalogue of productions spanning over five decades.
Despite this, the ever modest three-time Oscar and four-time Grammy Award winning Italian from South Tyrol has downplayed his role as an electronic music innovator and disco pioneer.
Having once stated that ’74 Is The New 24’, the 78 year old brought his first ever live tour to London’s Hammersmith Apollo for what was billed as ‘A Celebration of the 80s’, but which actually covered material from 1969 right up to the present day.
Leading a 13 piece ensemble comprising of a five piece band, a string quartet and four vocalists, the evening began senza il Maestro with the exotic if haunting overtones of ‘(Theme From) Midnight Express’, the 1978 track which as good as invented the currently fashionable Synthwave sub-genre.
But if that was an unexpected if welcome introduction to proceedings, when Moroder finally took his place on the stage behind a Minimoog, no-one was quite prepared for the amusing Schlager Kasefest of his 1969 million selling European hit ‘Looky Looky’! “It paid my rent for four years” he endearingly quipped, effectively preparing the audience for a fabulous glitterball evening that was firmly aimed at the populist vote and not intended to be taken too seriously.
As a producer known predominantly for working with female vocalists like Donna Summer, Chris Bennett, Debbie Harry, Irene Cara, Terri Nunn, Britney Spears, Sia and Kylie Minogue, a fine British threesome in Amy Diamond, Shanice Steele and Raya Clark had been assembled to do justice to vintage disco numbers such as ‘Love To Love You Baby’, ‘Bad Girls’ and ‘On The Radio’.
Steele was particularly impressive on the Donna Summer material and a rapturous ‘Flashdance… What A Feeling’ while Diamond held her own on ‘Right Here Right Now’ and ‘Take My Breath Away’, although the latter was slightly let down by the band with the song’s iconic synthetic fretless bassline virtually inaudible. But that was the only time the band faltered as they successfully grooved on DAFT PUNK’s ‘Giorgio By Moroder’ and kept a strict metronomic tempo on ‘Chase’.
Fairing less well however was flamboyant Dutchman Simon Feenstra; although he pulled off the rockier voice required on ‘Danger Zone’ from ‘Top Gun’, his conventional approach was unsuited to the unique monotone forever associated with ‘Together In Electric Dreams’ courtesy of Phil Oakey while perhaps surprisingly, he was underwhelming on ‘Never Ending Story’ with both tunes saved by enthusiastic crowd singalongs.
Moroder took his turn on the microphone again with the hypnotic throbbing electro of ‘From Here To Eternity’ with dazzling neon visuals to boot while for the rest of the show, he happily acted as cheerleader and watched his ensemble perform his work while occasionally banging a tambourine or phrasing on his vocoder.
He then gleefully told the story of how he invented “the sound of the future” as David Bowie and Brian Eno labelled it as he went through the component parts of Moog, white noise, Farfisa organ and bass drum that formed ‘I Feel Love’ with his band before a euphoric and powerful rendition of the song that indeed changed music and still sounds like the future over 40 years on!
The closing section of the show saw Moroder play tribute to his departed friends Donna Summer and David Bowie with their heavenly voices making their presence heard on versions of the Gothic drama of ‘Cat People (Putting Out Fire)’ and Jimmy Webb’s heartfelt epic ‘MacArthur Park’. Appropriately ending the main set with ‘Last Dance’, Moroder wasn’t done yet as he left his pulpit to join his singers at the front of the stage for some ‘Hot Stuff’, before a rousing instruction to all those present to ‘Call Me’.
As far as hits were concerned, GIORGIO MORODER delivered, although those who were hoping for more “electronic live to digital” or cooler soundtracks like ‘Metropolis’ or ‘Scarface’ will have been disappointed, while ‘Love’s Unkind’ and ‘No1 Song In Heaven’ were notable absentees in a very crowd pleasing setlist.
Yes, perhaps proceedings occasionally bordered on cruise ship cabaret, but from the minute Moroder went “OOM-MOW-MOW, PAPA-OOM-MOW-MOW” on ‘Looky Looky’, his intent was to entertain and have a lot of fun.
The man has nothing more to prove and is now touring because he really wants to, so mission accomplished. Appropriately for a gentleman totally free of ego, tonight it was Moroder’s songs that were the stars of his show.
Popular music has been effectively mining the Moroder legend since 1975, so it is only right for him to have a platform to remind the world where it all came from. And as the majority of those attending left the Hammersmith Apollo with big smiles on their faces, it was a truly enjoyable reminder.
Now ain’t that what it’s all about??
GIORGIO MORODER 2019 live dates include:
Brussels Ancienne Belgique (9th April), Brussels Ancienne Belgique (10th April), Berlin Tempodrom (12th April), Düsseldorf Mitsubishi Electric Halle (13th April), Frankfurt Jahrhunderthalle (14th April), Amsterdam Paradiso (15th April), Moscow Crocus City Hall (13th May), Vienna Gasometer (14th May), Budapest Papp Laszlo Arena (15th May), Milan Teatro Ciak (17th May), Florence Nelson Mandela Forum (18th May), Rome Auditorium Parco della Musica (19th May), Amsterdam Paradiso (21st May), Paris Grand-Rex (22nd May), Copenhagen Store Vega (24th May), Odense Tinderbox Festival (29th June), Brussels Summer Festival (16th August), Biddinghuizen Lowlands Festival (17th August)
As long as there has been a music business, artists and producers have been tinkering with their work.
While often, it’s the single version made for mass consumption through radio play that remains superior and best loved, there are occasions when the album take reigns supreme due to the freedom to work on a larger easel without commericial considerations or radio play constrictions.
Often there’s a track that is the obvious standout on the long player, but sometimes it can be of a structure that is considered too long for peak time radio where instant gratification is the key. On other occasions, the vision of the track for album consumption is reconsidered following an earlier short form release produced on a more limited budget.
So as a companion list to the earlier 25 Single Versions That Are Better Than The Album Versions listings feature and restricted to one track per artist, here are 25 Album Versions That Are Better Than The Single Versions presented in chronological and then alphabetical order…
GIORGIO From Here To Eternity (1977)
Despite being a hit single, ‘From Here To Eternity’ was actually something of a disjointed disco medley, throwing in a section of the album track ‘Utopia – Me Giorgio’ halfway through. The full six minute ‘From Here To Eternity’ from the long player of the same name was a futuristic slice of electronic dance perfection, with Giorgio Moroder steadily building on his throbbing synth backbone and layers of vocoder punctuated by the steady beats of drummer Keith Forsey.
The original Fast Product single version of ‘Being Boiled’ from 1978 had its own charm, recorded as mono demo which was subsequently released. However, having signed to Virgin Records and with a budget behind them, Messrs Marsh, Oakey and Ware took the opportunity to update their calling card with producer John Leckie for the ‘Travelogue’ album to more fully realise its funky overtones inspired by FUNKADELIC. The end result was fuller and more dynamic.
Available on THE HUMAN LEAGUE album ‘Travelogue’ via Virgin Records
‘Ghosts’ had been an unexpected singles success for JAPAN in 1982 and Virgin Records wanted more of the same with ‘Nightporter’, despite it being already two years old and with the previously unreleased song ‘Some Kind Of Fool’ in the vaults. Trimming the solemn seven minute ivory laden Satie homage was always going to be difficult and the horrific radio edit butchered out the lengthy if vital instrumental climax of melancholic Oberheim OBX strings. Less really does mean less…
The album version of ‘I Travel’ was only four minutes in the first place, yet original label Arista Records felt the need to chop the track on both single edits it released and neuter its impact. SIMPLE MINDS never fully realised their potential until they signed to Virgin Records and ‘I Travel’ heralded a futuristic art rock phase where the band’s Germanic influences, coupled to synthesized disco aesthetics of Giorgio Moroder, found favour at clubs like The Blitz.
Available on the SIMPLE MINDS album ‘Empires & Dance’ via Virgin Records
Whether ‘Autobahn’, ‘Radio-Activity’, ‘Showroom Dummies’, ‘Trans-Europe Express’, ‘Neon Lights’ or ‘The Robots’, the sheer average length of a KRAFTWERK track made them difficult to apply to the single format and ‘Computer Love’ was no different. A beautifully melodic piece that predicted internet dating and stretched to just under seven minutes with its glorious second half synth solo in its album version, it was like the reel of the film was missing in its edited form.
Available on the KRAFTWERK album ‘Computer World’ via EMI Records
A UK Top 20 single for BLANCMANGE in 1983, ‘Waves’ was remixed and given an orchestral treatment arranged by Linton Naiff, but it strangely detracted from the bare emotion of the song. Sounding like Scott Walker fronting OMD, with a more basic synthesized construction and a sombre detuned brass line allowed to breathe at the song’s conclusion, the album version sans orchestra was much better. However, the original cut has yet to be reinstated on reissues of the parent long player ‘Happy Families’.
Available on the BLANCMANGE album ‘The Very Best Of’ via Music Club Deluxe
Originally recorded for a 1980 single on Mute Records in more of a band format featuring guitar and hand-played synths, ‘Kebab Träume’ was subsequently reworked by DAF in a more superior fashion under the production supervision of the legendary Conny Plank for their third and final Virgin-era long player ‘Für Immer’. Transforming into something much heavier, the memorable if controversial line “Deutschland, Deutschland, alles ist vorbei!” had more bite on this album version also issued as a single.
Available on the DAF album ‘Für Immer’ via Grönland Records
Sweden’s LUSTANS LAKEJER came to international attention when their third long player ‘En Plats I Solen’ was produced by Richard Barbieri of JAPAN. With its synthesized atmospheres and art funk aspirations not that far off DURAN DURAN, ‘Läppar Tiger, Ögon Talar’ was one of the album’s highlights. But for the later single version produced by Kai Erixon, the band opted for a more laid back swing arrangement punctuated by a brass section, which frankly was not as good as the original.
Available on the LUSTANS LAKEJER album ‘En Plats I Solen’ via Universal Music
The single version of ‘We Take Mystery’ which was Gary Numan’s last UK Top 10 hit was too short and the extended 12 inch version was too long, which left the album version from ‘I, Assassin’ as the best take of the song. With its crashing Linn Drum snap and fretless bass with live percussion syncopating on top, this was a dancefloor friendly excursion which concluded with a marvellous additional rhythm guitar breakdown from fretless bassist Pino Palladino.
Available on the GARY NUMAN album ‘I, Assassin’ via Beggars Banquet
Remixed by John Luongo for single release, ‘The Anvil’ ended up as a B-side but while the sound of metal-on-metal was added, it somehow had less presence than the original album version. Possessing far Teutonic tension with some superb guitar work from Midge Ure, metronomic drumming courtesy of Rusty Egan minus his hi-hats, Dave Formula’s superb screaming ARP Odyssey complimented Steve Strange’s tale of debauchery for one of the best ever VISAGE tracks.
Available on the VISAGE album ‘The Anvil’ via Cherry Pop
By 1982, John Foxx has rediscovered his love of early PINK FLOYD, THE BEATLES and psychedelia which manifested itself in ‘Endlessy’. Based around a tom heavy Linn Drum programme, deep cello samples and sitars, it was an interesting if messy experimental romp. Come his third album ‘The Golden Section’ recorded under the helm of producer Zeus B Held, the new version, also released as a revisionist single, was much more focussed with an accessible uptempo electronic euphoria.
A sub-ten minute progressive epic was never going to work as an edited single and with ‘And That’s No Lie’, that’s exactly what happened. The original album version was HEAVEN 17’s ambitious adventure in sound and fusion that threw in everything from abstract sonic experiments, jazz piano, Fairlight samples, the gospel voices of ARFRODIZIAK and an orchestra, plus some excellent live bass and guitar work from John Wilson and Ray Russell respectively.
Available on the HEAVEN 17 album ‘How Men Are’ via Virgin Records
ARCADIA was Simon Le Bon, Nick Rhodes and Roger Taylor’s attempt to be JAPAN during the DURAN DURAN artistic hiatus, but many of the songs from the short-lived side project were smothered in a pond of self-indulgence. One of the highlights though was ‘The Flame’, basically ‘A View To A Kill Part 2’. However for its single release, a neo-acapella intro was applied rather than the frantic percussive beginning of the album version which robbed the song of its tension and impact.
Having got DIVINE into the UK charts, Stock Aitken & Waterman gave the same treatment to DEAD OR ALIVE, scoring a No1 with ‘You Spin Me Round’. The resultant album ‘Youthquake’ had a number of excellent tracks including ‘My Heart Goes Bang’ which was ripe single material. But the single remix by regular PWL associate Phil Harding was horrible, throwing in the kitchen sink with voice cut-ups and an overdriven rhythm section which drowned out any merits the song originally had.
Available on the DEAD OR ALIVE album ‘Youthquake’ via Sony Music
Inspired by a News Of The World headline, ‘Bizarre Love Triangle’ is one of the best loved NEW ORDER tunes. The rugged self-produced original version that appeared on the ‘Brotherhood’ album was a glorious electronic number with a slight mechanical offbeat and space for Hooky’s distinctive bass. But the version released for 45 RPM consumption was a frustrating, four-to-the-floor remix by Shep Pettibone which took all the character out of the song with a barrage of overdriven percussive samples.
Available on the NEW ORDER album ‘Brotherhood’ via Warner Music
Although ‘Living In Another World’ was the best song on ‘The Colour Of Spring’, it was always going to be a tall order to successfully cut its seven minutes in half for single consumption! A fine progressive combination of synthetic strings, piano, Hammond organ, hypnotic bass, acoustic and electric guitars, percolating percussion and harmonica, the TALK TALK sound would have been nothing however without the anguished vocals of Mark Hollis and the production skills of Tim Friese-Greene.
German trio CAMOUFLAGE had a hit with ‘The Great Commandment’ all over the world including the US, with only Britain remaining ambivalent to their industrial flavoured synthpop. As with many singles of the period, it clocked in at just over three minutes but sounded rushed. Come the debut album ’Voices & Images’ and ‘The Great Commandment’ was more fully realised, allowing space to prevail in the one of the best DEPECHE MODE tracks that the Basildon boys never recorded.
Available on the CAMOUFLAGE album ‘Voices & Images’ via Metronome Music
Enigmatic Glaswegian trio THE BLUE NILE were never an easy sell to the wider marketplace and the Bob Clearmountain single remix of ‘Headlights On The Parade’ was hopeless, with over a third of the emotively atmospheric number absent for the sake of radio play. The centrepiece of the brilliant ‘Hats’ album, its haunting piano, swaths of synths and a collage of modulated sequences needed a full six minutes to truly convey its solemn drive and rainy cinematic melodrama.
Available on THE BLUE NILE album ‘Hats’ via Epstein Records
Subsonically remixed by Andrew Weatherall with a distinct chilled-out flavour and an additional vocal from Sacha Souter for single release, the brilliant album version of ‘Floatation’ had a more rigid KRAFTWERK feel echoing elements of ‘Tour De France’. And as the track drew towards the home straight, Julian Stringle’s clarinet brought to mind the aesthetics of Dave Ball’s previous residency in SOFT CELL. But while those woodwind textures were present in the single, they were less effective overall.
Available on THE GRID album ‘Electric Head’ via Cherry Red Records
Partly inspired by a quote about Zelda Fitzgerald, novelist and wife of author F Scott Fitzgerald which stated “she refused to be bored chiefly because she wasn’t boring”, ‘Being Boring’ is one of PET SHOP BOYS’ best songs, reflecting on Neil Tennant’s youth and the loss of a friend who died of AIDS. While the single itself was almost five minutes long, the superior album version featured a fabulous intro that steadily built with a lilting synth bassline and wah-wah guitar that made the most of the song’s elegiac aura.
Available on the PET SHOP BOYS album ‘Behaviour’ via EMI Records
A tedious rockist statement by DEPECHE MODE when reworked by Butch Vig for single release, the lengthy original album version of ‘In Your Room’ was widescreen magnificence with a tense percussive drive courtesy of Alan Wilder who only played what was needed, adding a second simplistic drum passage in the final half for extra weight. A fine example of how feel is more important technique, current DM drumhead Christian Eigner managed to mess up his opportunity to shine on this during the ‘Global Spirit’ tour.
The second LADYTRON album ‘Light & Magic’ is probably best known for its lead single ‘Seventeen’, but opening its second half was the brilliantly propulsive ‘Evil’. An obvious single, when remixed by noted dance producer Ewan Pearson, it was filled out with extra string synths and made more contemporary. The track lost its appealing spatial dynamics and grunt while the way in which the vocals of Helen Marnie were mixed more than muted her charm.
Available on the LADYTRON album ‘Light & Magic’ via Nettwerk productions
ARTHUR & MARTHA were Adam Cresswell and Alice Hubley; their debut single ‘Autovia’ was the first release on Happy Robots Records in 2008 but when it came to recording the album ‘Navigation’, the incessant Doctor Rhythm drum machine was given a more hypnotic Motorik makeover which ironically gave the track more drive. Meanwhile, there was an extended end section which allowed for some cosmic Theremin and synth wig-outs between the pair not unlike STEREOLAB meeting NEU!
Available on the ARTHUR & MARTHA album ‘Navigation’ via Happy Robots Records
From MESH’s best album ‘Automation Baby’, the wonderfully metronomic ‘Adjust Your Set’ with its personal relationship commentary in a technology dominated world was one of its many highlights. Given a more orchestrated remix by Nico Wieditz for the MaBose Radio-Edit with a much busier electronic bassline along the lines of ‘Enjoy The Silence’, while this single version had more obvious presence, it lacked the eerie cinematic Morricone-esque air of the album original.
‘Ocean’ was already dramatic perfection as the best track on the seventh GOLDFRAPP album ‘Silver Eye’, but for the single version, it was felt a contribution from a former member of the Mute family was needed. While Devotees were wetting themselves over Dave Gahan appearing on a more obviously electronic sounding track again, his faux bluesy drawl was something of a mismatch next to the breathy angelic tones of Alison Goldfrapp. Gahan may be from Essex but he is certainly no Alison Moyet.
Available on the GOLDFRAPP album ‘Silver Eye’ via Mute Artists
It’s interesting to think that when Bernard Sumner and Stephen Morris were in their 20s, NEW ORDER gigs would be around three quarters of an hour! But with both now in their 60s, the band are onstage for close to 2 hours and 20 minutes!
The pair with younger founder member Gillian Gilbert and new recruits Phil Cunningham and Tom Chapman played their only UK gig of 2018 at London’s Alexandra Palace and delivered a superb show that acknowledged their history, one which a number of their contemporaries could learn from.
Alexandra Palace is an iconic building, full of prestige as a live venue, but its practicalities are hindered by limited public transport access and with a standing capacity of 10000, a stage so low that anyone under 5 foot 11 inches automatically has a restricted view! Luckily, NEW ORDER’s live presentation with its vibrant widescreen visuals more than compensated.
Opening with ‘Singularity’, footage compiled from Mark Reeder’s documentary ‘B-Movie: Lust & Sound in West-Berlin 1979-1989’ complimented the track’s rock electro tension before the quintet launched straight into ‘Regret’; welcomed back like a lost friend, the 1993 hit single had not been in the NEW ORDER live set during their last UK tour in 2015 or the ‘So It Goes..’ synth orchestra shows.
Appropriately for Remembrance 100 weekend, a superb ‘Love Vigilantes’ was dusted off while there were even bigger surprises with ‘Ultraviolence’ from ‘Power, Corruption & Lies’ set to stark images of bullets and a blistering version of ‘Disorder’, the JOY DIVISION song which opened the now classic 1979 debut long player ‘Unknown Pleasures’.
2001’s ‘Crystal’ naturally came accompanied by the promo video from which THE KILLERS got their name. Meanwhile a rendition of ‘Academic’ from the ‘Music Complete’ comeback highlighted how impressive the ‘Akademixx’ reworking by Mark Reeder for his ‘Mauerstadt’ collection was, as NEW ORDER’s own take now came over as slightly underwhelming.
The glorious ‘Your Silent Face’ with its serene neo-classicism was a highlight, illustrated by a ‘Dallas’ style montage which drew cheers as each starring band member’s name was flashed onto the screen.
On the whole, the very bright visuals based around geometric shapes and specially filmed life sequences were magnificent, although at times, the unnecessary use of lyrics on some of the projections bordered on karaoke unless they were prompts for Bernard Sumner.
There was the old jibe that Ringo Starr was not even the best drummer in THE BEATLES and Bernard Sumner is known not to be the best singer in NEW ORDER, but he has learnt to use his limitations well over the years. Tonight, his vocals were as wayward and vulnerable as ever; part of the omnipresent charm of NEW ORDER, while there were a few missed cues too, one thing that was obvious was his enthusiasm and that he was throughly enjoying himself.
Introducing the Italo House flavoured ‘Tutti Frutti’ as “quirky”, NEW ORDER launched into a sensational electronic disco extravaganza akin to an over 50s rave, although there were plenty of youngsters in the audience who knew ALL the words!
The baroque sex anthem ‘Sub-Culture’ combining the best elements of the original ‘Low-life’ version and the John Robie remix triggered massed dancing, as did a Richard X assisted update of ‘Bizarre Love Triangle’ segueing into the dreamily emotive ‘Vanishing Point’, one of the stand-outs from 1989’s ‘Technique’.
The only misstep of a wondrous setlist was an electronic take on ‘Waiting For The Sirens’ Call’, the transformation of a classic NEW ORDER guitar driven number not working at all. But victory was snatched back by ‘Plastic’, with the hypnotic sequenced influence of Giorgio Moroder reflected by a spectacular road trip of flashing nocturnal illustrations.
The mighty triad of ‘The Perfect Kiss’, ‘True Faith’ and ‘Blue Monday’ rewarded the audience while with a steady introduction comprising of the string quartet motif from Lou Reed’s ‘Street Hassle’, ‘Temptation’ saw the song’s memorable chant reprised by all present like some communal hymn.
It was a long energetic evening that ensured the crowd were exhausted so despite somewhat muted calls for an encore, NEW ORDER returned for a JOY DIVISION triathlon beginning with ‘Atmosphere’.
Using David Bowie and Giorgio Moroder’s ‘Cat People (Putting Out Fire)’ as a re-arranged first section, there were roars of approval as the forever looming figure of singer Ian Curtis appeared on the screen. An emotional ‘Decades’ from ‘Closer’ and its sonic grandeur set to archive footage of Manchester was the evening’s pièce de résistance while ‘Love Will Tear Us Apart’ sent people home with strength through joy, despite the song’s sad backstory.
Yet another band who are better than the current live incarnation of DEPECHE MODE, NEW ORDER win on many points thanks to a drummer in Stephen Morris who actually knows how to play along to electronics, a guitarist in Bernard Sumner who can play a variety of styles without lowering to blues noodling plus the use of original sounds synonymous with the songs, like the Oberheim DMX on ‘Blue Monday’ and the synthetic clap on ‘Decades’.
And that’s without mentioning an inventive setlist of not just hits and tracks from the most recent album ‘Music Complete’, but songs from the early days of JOY DIVISION, not just one but four fan favourites from the classic albums, singles that weren’t hits and sensational visuals that impacted all of the audience and were not just seen by a privileged few.
Now just imagine for a moment DM actually giving some thought of making that effort and doing the equivalent…
‘Education Entertainment Recreation’, the live recording of this show is released by Rhino as a Bluray film + 2CD plus audio 2CD, 3LP and download on 7th May 2021
The recent documentary ‘Italo Disco Legacy’ and its accompanying soundtrack allowed a much maligned if cultishly celebrated form of electronic pop to be artistically re-evaluated.
Arguably pioneered by Italian producer Giorgio Moroder via his various projects using the then-new sequencer technology, Italo Disco coincided with the growing use of synthesizers, vocoders and drum machines within dance music and became a distinct sub-genre with its own electro heart.
Despite its name, Italo Disco was not strictly a native affair; the form became a stylistic phenomenon in territories such as Spain, Greece and France, parts of the USA such as New York and Los Angeles, Sweden and Germany.
In fact, it was the German record label ZYX Music who coined the term “Italo Disco” and were particularly key in taking the music out of Italy, leading it to become a rogue gene in House music before eventually mutating into Eurodance.
One of the countries not to truly embrace Italo Disco was the UK where club audiences preferred the more soulful adrenalin rush of HI-NRG. However, it literally came in through the back door when it was a key influence in the music of PET SHOP BOYS and NEW ORDER, particularly in their use of very Eurocentric octave shift basslines and easy-to-dance-to beats.
Highlighting the British hypocrisy of only accepting Italo Disco provided it was fronted by the aloof cool of a Neil Tennant or a Bernard Sumner, in a 1986 issue of Record Mirror discussing PET SHOP BOYS’ ‘Suburbia’, the reviewer confessed: “Despite the fact that I love the PET SHOP BOYS as much as I loathe MODERN TALKING, I have to admit that musically, they’re not that different!”
One key aspect of Italo Disco was that the majority of its artists used very English names in an attempt to hide their origins. However, the charming accents often captured an amusing vocal detachment while the frequent “woah-oh” refrains, abundance of catchy melodies and timing mistakes also contributed to its escapist appeal.
Italo Disco went global with Laura Branigan whose two biggest hits ‘Gloria’ and ‘Self Control’ were covers of Italian artists Umberto Tozzi and Raf respectively, while Samantha Fox and Sabrina were two of the more noticeable figures in pop who used it as a springboard for their own high profile careers.
Providing the soundtrack to many a Mediterranean summer holiday, the zenith of Italo Disco’s ubiquity (and some would say banality) was probably Baltimora’s ‘Tarzan Boy’, the worldwide hit fronted by the late Northern Irish model Jimmy McShane, although the lead vocals were performed by one Maurizio Bassi in a practice that was exploited frequently by the sub-genre’s producers.
Longevity was very rare in Italo Disco, so its history is represented more by a number of great records rather than great artists, although several such as Fancy, Savage, Bobby O and Ryan PAaris have entered into music folklore.
Latterly, Anglo-Argentine duo HEARTBREAK revived the form with a much harder sound and KNIGHT$ has added his own Home Counties take on the form labelled as “Britalo”. Meanwhile Italo Disco’s continuing influence can be heard within most types of modern electronic music including synthwave.
In these darker, more turbulent times, the sunnier disposition of Italo Disco is just what the Doctor Rhythm ordered. So here are 25 nominally Italo Disco flavoured tracks which have brought a smile to ELECTRICITYCLUB.CO.UK’s face. With a restriction of one track per artist in chronological and then alphabetical order, this list is likely to upset purists… 😉
KLEIN & MBO Dirty Talk (1982)
KLEIN & MBO were formed by Italian producer Mario Boncaldo and American arranger Tony Carrasco. Like a blueprint of early house music, their rhythmically hypnotic neo-instrumental ‘Dirty Talk’ with its orgasmic vocal interludes by jazz singer Rossana Casale proved to be a big influence on NEW ORDER for ‘Blue Monday’. Meanwhile Miss Kittin & The Hacker covered it in 1998.
Available on the KLEIN & MBO single ‘Dirty Talk’ via Tirk Recordings
Bobby Orlando is credited as one of the founding fathers of Hi-NRG dance music thanks to his work with Divine, but operating at a more disco friendly 122BPM, ‘I’m So Hot For You’ was ‘Don’t You Want Me?’ taken on a New York subway ride with its rolling bass lines and Latin beats. The track was later sampled in 2003 for ‘Da Hype’ by Junior Jack.
Available on the BOBBY O album ‘The Best Of’ via High Fashion
THE FLIRTS were an interchangeable girl trio of one redhead, one blonde and one brunette under the control of Bobby Orlando, whereby those who did the personal appearances had no relation to those who had sang on the tracks. ‘Passion’ was a favourite of PET SHOP BOYS that it was the inspiration for ‘In The Night’ while FELIX DA HOUSECAT ripped it off for ‘Silver Screen – Shower Scene’.
A Canadian disco producer of Italian heritage, Gino Soccio’s finest moment came with ‘Remember’, a pulsating sequencer assisted number featuring some vocoder augmentation and the sexy nonchalant voice of Marie-Line Vasseur over a fabulously retro-futuristic string machine. Ahead of its time, this was a forerunner of what was to emerge as Electroclash.
Available on the GINO SOCCIO album ‘Face To Face’ via Rhino Atlantic
A project helmed by Maurizio Cavalieri who had been a member of the Italian group FIREFLY and co-written with Giorgio Stefani, ‘Spacer Woman’ featured a mysterious Gina X styled lead vocal over some electro break beats that unlike other Italo Disco recordings, used more colder synth sounds that were more associated with UK acts like THE HUMAN LEAGUE.
Available on the CHARLIE single ‘Spacer Woman’ via Mr Disc
Canadian Corey Hart is best known for ‘Sunglasses at Night’, a catchy tune with its characteristic synth arpeggio, rock guitar and cryptic lyrics apparently inspired by the studio personnel wearing sunglasses protect their eyes from the air conditioning positioned above the control desk! The song was covered in an Electroclash vein in 2001 by Tiga & Zyntherius.
Available on the COREY HART album ‘The Singles’ via EMI Music
The project of Italian duo Flavio Vidulich and Giorgio Bacco (hence the moniker), the futuristic robotic vocoder opera of ‘Take A Chance’ had a subtle tinny banality that made it extremely appealing. PET SHOP BOYS borrowed its feel for the early B-side ‘A Man Could Get Arrested’ while it use of minimal rhythmic guitar and sequencers clearly had an effect on NEW ORDER’s Bernard Sumner.
Available on the MR FLAGIO single ‘Take A Chance’ via The Saifam Group
Ivan was the stage name of Spaniard Juan Carlos Ramos Vaquero and he naturally found a home for his music in Spanish speaking territories like Mexico, Colombia, Ecuador and Chile. The sunny octave vibe of ‘Fotonovela’ with its bells, strings and accordions was to be his greatest moment; indeed the Greek production duo who produce MARSHEAUX are named after this song.
Available on the IVAN album ‘Lo Mejor De’ via Sony Music
Italian musician and singer Pietro Paolo Pelandi named himself P.Lion thanks to only having Ps in his name while with his aristocratic background, his family coat of arms was a lion. The optimistic synth brass laden ‘Happy Children’ was to be his biggest song, becoming popular in France and later in the colder climes of Sweden where Italo Disco was to find an unexpected audience.
Born Maurizio Dami, the Italian electronic musician was a founder member of the quirky art cabaret trio named AVIDA. ‘Problèmes D’amour’ with its clattering drum machine, swirling analogue synths and cutesy female voiced counterpoints found a cult audience. Later working in soundtracks and world music, Dami continues making electronic dance music in the present day.
Available on the ALEXANDER ROBOTNICK single ‘Problèmes D’Amour’ via Materiali Sonori
While his real name was Fabio Roscioli, his huge hit ‘La Dolce Vita’ was written and produced for him by Pierluigi Giombini, who not only wrote songs exclusively in English but was keen to move the established Italian singer away from rock. Paris recently returned to the spotlight with ‘Love On Ice’ in collaboration with Johan Agebjorn and Sally Shapiro, a song from the soundtrack for the Swedish thriller ‘Videomannen’.
Available on the RYAN PARIS album ‘The Best Of’ via Dvmor
Despite having a long music career which continues to this day, Tuscan native Roberto Zanetti is still best known for debut single ‘Don’t Cry Tonight’, a moody slice of disco lento that was hugely successful across Europe. One notable fan was Chris Lowe, who used the song to open his playlist in PET SHOP BOYS ‘Back To Mine’ mixtape collection in 2005.
The alluring tones of Valerie Dore were masterminded by producer Roberto Gasparini and fronted by Monica Stucchi who lip-synched on public appearances to the vocals of Dora Carofiglio on the first two hits ‘The Night’ and ‘Get Closer’. Stucchi herself voiced her recordings after 1986 and continues performing as Valerie. Meanwhile ‘Get Closer’ itself was covered by Marc Almond with STARCLUSTER in 2016.
Available on the VALERIE DORE album ‘The Best Of’ via ZYX Music
Under the stage name of Fancy, Manfred Alois Segieth cut a striking androgynous figure within Italo Disco, scoring an international hit with the extremely saucy ‘Slice Me Nice’. The German born Spaniard even made headway in the US Billboard Dance Charts in 1985 with ‘Chinese Eyes’ and ‘Come Inside’, while ‘Bolero’ hit the top spot in Spain.
Originally released on Milan’s Discomagic Records, ‘Butterfly’ was Moroder influenced Italo Disco with an oriental flavour and a catchy refrain derived from Puccini. It’s so obscure that there is virtually no information about it, although it was written by Ronald Hanson, Michele D’Alessandro and Massimo Parretti while progammed by Piero Cairo. ZYX Music dug it out for a compilation in 2010.
Available on the OP.8 single ‘Butterfly’ via ZYX Music
Raffaele Riefoli actually lived in London before starting out his musical career. He scored a domestic hit with his co-write ‘Self Control’, but hit paydirt when it was covered by Laura Branigan. ‘Black & Blue’ was one of the highlights from his debut album which featured all the then-modern technological trimmings which wouldn’t have sounded out of place on PET SHOP BOYS’ Spaghetti Records imprint.
Available on the RAF album ‘Self Control’ via East West Italy
The vehicle of Italian singer Maria Chiara Perugini, the sophisticated and stylish aura of Clio’s ‘Faces’ was written and produced by Roberto Ferrante who later founded Planet Records. With its pretty colourful melodies and punchy rhythms, it could have been mistaken for early Madonna. The track was covered by Canadian synth duo ELECTRIC YOUTH in 2011.
Singer and actor Fabrizio Rizzolo was the man behind the ice and ‘Talking To The Night’ was apparently composed and written in just a few minutes, using just about every Italo Disco cliché in the book, especially with its “woah-oh” vocals. A limited edition 12 inch issued on ZYX Music played from the label outwards! He later co-wrote ‘Never Be Lonely’ for Gloria Gaynor and continues a successful career in Italian TV.
Sensing he could achieve another massive hit if the song had an extremely handsome frontman, Fancy made the idea reality when Indiana-born model Grant Miller-Benton was introduced to him by DIVINE. Produced by Fancy under his Tess Teiges moniker, Miller scored a debut hit in Germany when it was released by ZYX Music.
Caroline Catharina Müller was a German domiciled Dutch pop singer who was a member of the girl group OPTIMAL. Spotted by Dieter Bohlen of MODERN TALKING, he signed her to Hansa Records and launched her solo career. A breathy vocal and an enticing lead synth line plus a fabulous catchy chorus laced with orchestra stabs ensured that ‘Cause You Are Young’ was a big European hit.
Available on the CC CATCH album ‘The 80’s Album’ via Edel Records
Hailing from Peterlee in County Durham, Cliff Richard fan and model Edward Huntington sought fame and fortune as a pop singer in Italy. Discovered by Baby Records, they took him to Milan to record the catchy ‘USSR’, written by the same production team behind Den Harrow. Released in the rest of Europe by ZYX Music, the song unexpectedly became a hit in the Soviet Union.
Available on the EDDY HUNTINGTON album ‘Bang Bang Baby’ via Baby Records International
Comprising of ridiculously tanned singer Thomas Anders and musician Dieter Bohlen, MODERN TALKING’s overtly catchy melodic tunes like ‘Cheri Cheri Lady’ and ‘Brother Louie’ ensured they were simultaneously the most successful and most hated pop duo in West Germany. Bohlen later gained notoriety as a judge on ‘Deutschland Sucht Den Superstar’, as Germany’s answer to Simon Cowell.
Sweden’s Paul Rein was their home grown Italo Disco star and ‘Lady-O’ showed that cold weather and dark nights was no barrier to producing upbeat electronic dance music. He has since continued a career as a songwriter for artists like Christina Aguilera, Jessica Simpson and Mandy Moore, but perhaps as a reaction to his fame, his daughter Joanna is now making waves in EBM, having opened for DAF in 2016!
Available on the PAUL REIN album ‘Communicate’ via 22:22 Music
Federico Di Bonaventura began his music career with a 4 track cassette machine, a Roland Juno 60, an Oberheim DX and a passion for NEW ORDER. ‘Winds of Change’ was a rousing Italo Disco track with cowbells and big digital drums. He continues making music today with Paolo Gozzetti as ITALOCONNECTION who have remixed THE HUMAN LEAGUE, HURTS and KNIGHT$ amongst others.
A play on the Italian word “denaro” meaning money, this project was the brainchild of producers Miki Chieregato and Roberto Turatti. Fronted by fashion model Stefano Zandri, it was American singer Tom Hooker who provided the voice on ‘Don’t Break My Heart’. Despite Zandri admitting in 2012 that he did not sing on any of the records, he continues to appear as Den Harrow after taking singing lessons.
‘Rodney’s English Disco’ is RODNEY CROMWELL’s first new body of work since his critically acclaimed debut album ‘Age Of Anxiety’ in 2015.
Although its themes were heavy, the album was perfect those who like their synthpop lo-fi but with tunes. With four new songs plus some accompanying remixes, a sombre mood continues to loom in his discothèque, perfect fodder for his battered armoury of Moog, Korg, Roland and ARP synths accompanied by a Boss DR-55 rhythm box.
Driven by a meaty electronic bassline and metronomic backbone, the marvellous vocoder-laden ‘Comrades’ has a really chilling Cold War atmosphere, bathed in an ensemble of sweeping synth oboes and cosmic string machines. Rich with melody and a panoramic resonance, RODNEY CROMWELL surreally captures the sound of Giorgio Moroder played through a Soviet Foxtrot submarine intercom system.
Continuing the solemn Cold War metaphors, ‘Barbed Wire’ adds live bass and guitar to the crisp template in a take on JOY DIVISION if Stephen Morris had actually been a drum machine, as supposed to trying be one, the end result coming over like one-time Factory Records signings THE WAKE. Meanwhile, the neo-instrumental ‘Technocrats’ throws in some piercingly creepy organ chords and a stuttering vox machina sample robotically repeating the title.
There’s a bit of an early OMD feel on ‘Dreamland’, a bitter reflection on domesticity and failed relationships with a life of Chinese remedies, herbal teas, taking Diazepam and going to Homebase now over.
“Why did you have to leave? We had such a charmed life!” mourns Rodders amongst the catchy burst of synthetic rimshot and haunting strings.
The winter of discontent backing is made even more malcontent by some Hooky bass, although a surprise is sprung with a warm cascading synth line to close…
‘Rodney’s English Disco’ happily and robotically wallows in its misery. Oddly, one can be quite happy dancing to something quite miserable.
RODNEY CROMWELL continues the ‘Ohm From Ohm’ tour with THE FRIXION, NATURE OF WIRES and VIEON, dates include: London The Islington (10th May), Coventry In Music & Arts (11th May), Southend Railway Hotel (12th May) – tickets available from http://www.ohmfromohm.co.uk
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set to stark images of bullets and a blistering version of ‘Disorder’, the JOY DIVISION song which opened the now classic 1979 debut long player 
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comeback highlighted how impressive the 
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version and the John Robie remix triggered massed dancing, as did a 
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and its sonic grandeur set to archive footage of Manchester was the evening’s pièce de résistance while ‘Love Will Tear Us Apart’ sent people home with strength through joy, despite the song’s sad backstory.
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