Jean Carn, “Was That All It Was” (Philadelphia International Records)
From the opening conga, sin drum and the drop of the bass line, this is quite possibly my favorite record of all time, and one that I never get tired of listening or dancing to. An instant floor filler, anyone who can't get moved by its emotional intensity and melodic magic is an idiot! Jean's voice is so wonderful and she was so well at home on Philadelphia records. Her back catalogue on that label is full of some real gems and there is a song for every moment. Whether you're happy, heart broken, lost or ecstatic, there is a Jean Carn song for every occasion.
Change, “A Lovers Holiday” (Warner Bros)
So many amazing songs by Change to choose from but this one has been a constant at the club and another of those records that is a real barometer for the success of the party. If people aren't dancing to this one then you might as well pack up and go home and save yourself the hassle. How can anyone not feel the bassline and the vocal workout that, amongst others, Luther Vandross and Jocelyn Brown are giving you. I think the album that this cut is taken from has to go down as one of the best albums of all time. Some legendary cuts on there include the well known 'Angel In My Pocket and the title track 'The Glow Of Love' but also include cuts like 'Its a Girls Affair' which are just as good.
Gino Soccio, “Try It Out” (Atlantic)
Another of those artists whose records have been a constant at the club over the last seven years. The French Canadian disco superstar up there with his European counterparts such as Cerrone is a firm favorite at Horse Meat Disco. Whether it’s this supremely funky track or the equally funky “Its Alright” to the more electro sounds of “Remember” or the classic floor filler “Dancer”, Our Gino is always honoured at the club and wherever we play. He's a kind of bridge between the soulful sounds of New York and the more electronic sounds of Eurosdisco.
Sheryl Lee Ralph, “In The Evening” (Arista)
So iconic that it made it on to the first compilation on Strut. It became a firm favorite at the club due to all the gays loving it, but also the fact that straight people would come running up to the booth to find out what it was. A pop record rather than an underground disco record, it just goes to show that you don't have to dig too deep to find a classic or a real gem that has a connection with the people at the club. After all the sentiment is what we all feel about dancing. 'In the evening the real me comes alive'!
Gregg Diamond, “Hot Butterfly” (Polydor)
Its easy to overlook Gregg Diamond as a producer as he's not as familiar to people as others but for me he is in the top 3 best producers of all time and limitless back catalogue to delve into and wealth of wonderful records in there. Amazing dancefloor hits such as “Fess Up To The Boogie”, “This Side Of Midnight”, “Fancy Dancer”, “Risky Changes”, and “Danger”. The list can go on and on but for the purpose of this piece I've chosen “Hot Butterfly”. A perfect example of what an end of the night record should be about. Effortlessly sexy and subtle its Luther Vandross's vocals again which makes this record soar. Not even coming in at 100bpm this record gets people dancing.
Donna Summer, “Lucky” (Casablanca)
They just don't make voices like this any more. Gaga, take note. You will never be as fierce as Donna, nor have the voice or songs to stand the test of time. “I Feel Love” is played by house heads, techno DJs and at weddings and bar mitzvahs. How many artists can lay claim this? Taken from Bad Girls, an amazing album in its entirety. While the album is probably more well known for the pop smashes “Bad Girls” and “Hot Stuff”, every track is a killer and that for us makes it one of the best disco albums of all time. Anyway I've chosen “Lucky”. Produced by Girogio Moroder, who clearly had to make a cameo on this list in some form. We re-edited this track to great acclaim and although its hard to pick a favorite track from this album its definitely up there. The distinct synth and electro sounds that are so very Moroder work so effortlessly with the calibre of Donna's voice.
