I loved your post. A couple of years ago, I posted a Substack about a trip to Coney Island during my first summer in NYC in 1974. My clearest memory from that subway ride was hearing both "Rock the Boat" and "Rock Me Baby," coming out of competing radio speakers. But the essay also touched on the fact that it was the beginning of disco without being called disco. I invite you to read it and check out the mix when you have the time. https://robinhall.substack.com/p/summer-of-1974-nyc?r=2lgxk&utm_campaign=post-expanded-share&utm_medium=web
Thanks, Robin. I was actually a bit surprised I hadn’t come across it elsewhere. But then again, the journey I’m taking with The Twelve Inch is a little different from most books and articles about dance music history.
Many of those zoom in on a particular period, artist or genre, and they often do an amazing job. What I’m trying to do is tell the whole story and explore the connections in between. History is messy. It rarely fits neatly into clear boundaries or convenient categories.
With The Twelve Inch, I want to give that messiness room to breathe, and give myself the freedom to discover how all these threads connect. That’s part of what makes this journey so fascinating to me.
Thanks for reading and for taking the time to react.
Just read it (and shared it), Robin. It’s wonderful. As a European, I try to get as close as possible to the New York that features so prominently in my stories because, in many ways, it was the epicentre of it all. But reading about it through the eyes of someone who was actually there and experienced it firsthand, that’s something else entirely.
Great stuff. Thanks for reading, reacting, and sharing your own story. Moments like these are exactly why I started building this community on Substack in the first place. So thank you for that.
I’m listening to your mixtape right now. Mine comes with a mixtape as well, although I suspect you’ve already spotted that. The funniest part? The first two songs are exactly the same 😁. Some records simply belong to the summer of 1974.
Pe, this was fantastic. You could teach music history at academic level. I mean it. You have the scientific rigour of a historian, a three-dimensional reservoir of knowledge (books, boardrooms, dancefloors), and the passion of a storyteller. Your work is incredible.
I loved the track, which I didn’t know. But what fascinates me the most is your ability to tell stories. I could read you and listen to you every day.
Wow, Andy, that’s such a wonderful compliment. Thank you. Thank you for reading, for your support, for your encouragement, and simply for being here. I really, really, really appreciate it.
First off, great to see you today! Missed you at some of these online meetings! Second, I remember what a big hit "Rock the Boat" was and how it just was a cool pop song. I'm sure no one saw it as the beginning of a major movement but it was! I also recall learning the bus stop dance to it when I was in junior high school! So fun!
Likewise, Dan. It’s not always possible for me to attend with my job, but this Friday it was, which made it all the more enjoyable.
And that dance… I should really look it up. I’ve heard of it before, but I can’t quite picture the moves. Was it something that belonged specifically to that period, or did people keep doing it to other songs later on as well?
Thanks for reading, and wishing you a great weekend!
It was specific to that period but I think in the 90s morphed in the Electric Slide. The are different variations of it online too! If I ever see you in person I will do it for you!
You’re touching on a very interesting point, Kevin. My understanding has always been that, in a historical context, especially when writing about the disco era, both dancers and clubgoers are perfectly acceptable. Readers generally understand from the context that we’re talking about people on the dancefloor, not professional dancers.
That said, I hadn’t used clubgoers very often because I suspected it was a more modern term, reflecting how clubs have become a much bigger part of our culture and society than they were back then. But your comment prompted me to dig into it a bit further, and I discovered that clubgoers also appears regularly in contemporary sources and other historical works on the period.
So I’ll definitely be using it more often going forward. Thanks for reading, and thanks for making me look into it!
I could be misremembering this, but I recall reading (in one of Joel Whitburn's books on hit singles) that in the early "dreadful" recordings of the song, Ann Kelley sang the entire song, choruses and verses alike. But she just couldn't get the meter quite right on the verses, so Fleming Williams took over. That might be a cover story, though, as I've also read that there was some worry about the "hit potential" of a female-led song.
Indeed, John, Fleming wasn’t initially destined to be the singer. It’s his version that became the one we all know because, quite simply, it was the best. He seemed to understand the rhythm and phrasing of the lyrics far better than Ann Kelley.
It could also be that they had doubts about releasing a female-led version. After all, this was before the breakthrough of female disco voices such as Gloria Gaynor and Donna Summer.
Hi Pé, another great episode. Incredibly educational to read how disco originated. And that disco didn't just appear out of nowhere.
I only knew this song in the version by Forrest from 1983. Never knew the original was much older. And I have to say that I think the original sounds better, more soulful.
Yesterday at the local flea market I managed to pick up the LP "Rockin' Soul" for 3 euros. Rock the Boat naturally couldn't be missing from my collection. The guy even said, "Do you like obscure soul?" To which I replied, well, this is one of the defining records for the development of disco... as I heard from a certain someone:-)
Haha… great story. I also loved the fact that he called it “obscure soul.” 😁
Anyway, I’m really glad I could fill in some of the blanks surrounding this song, Paul, and perhaps even inspire you to go and discover the album and the original version. That’s exactly what this community is all about.
This Friday, things are going to be a bit more playful, with another deep dive into my record boxes featuring five synth-funk tracks.
Thanks for reading and taking the time to react, Paul. I’m always glad to read your comments. Have a great rest of the week!
Another fantastic piece Pé! I can only imagine the amount of research that goes into these articles and I feel privileged to be one of the beneficiaries of such great writing.
The more I read, the more I realize how much the DJs and dancers played a part in the development of disco. I know you make that point all the time, but for some songs, like this one, it just feels that much more powerful. That such a seemingly unsuccessful song made it popular with the DJs and dancers in the clubs on the opposite side of the country from where it was made is fascinating to me.
In Britain in the early seventies, discotheques were spreading fast through the provinces and the term "disco dance record" was already in use in the music press. However, the phrase did not refer to tracks by black musicians, but to stomping guitar driven glam pop singles by the likes of Mud, Sweet, Slade and Suzi Quatro. In rock circles, these teen records were disparagingly referred to as "computerpop", but young white kids, especially girls, loved dancing to them. This phase in the development of dance music in the UK was largely overlooked once "disco" came to be defined primarily as black music.
FYI, out this month is Funk Is Its Own Reward by Lloyd Bradley, the story of African American music and culture between 1968 to 1978, which should be of interest as it features artists like Barry White, George Clinton, The O'Jays, Fatback Band and Kool and the Gang and covers subjects such as black radio in the US , the influence of jazz on the development of funk and the growth of the self contained black group.
You’re touching on something incredibly interesting, Paul. A while ago, I had a discussion with a reader from Europe who argued that the term “disco” was actually coined in Europe. My immediate reaction was, “Surely not.” But whenever someone presents an argument backed by more than his own opinion, it’s always worth doing a bit more digging.
What I discovered was that he wasn’t entirely right, but he wasn’t completely wrong either. I’ll definitely be coming back to this in a future post because it’s a fascinating story in itself. What you describe here mirrors the situation in continental Europe remarkably well.
These kinds of exchanges are exactly what I hope to build here: a community where we can share our knowledge and impressions, but above all our love for this music. I always enjoy reading your reactions, Paul.
And thanks for the tip about the book. I bought it immediately. I was halfway through another book on funk, but it simply wasn’t very good, so I abandoned it. This one seems far more substantial.
Have a great start to the week, Paul, and thanks again for reading and taking the time to react.
I loved what they wanted to name their group. That was hysterical.
The groove of these songs, Rock the Boat and Rock Your Baby, are great but their melodies are such earworms I can't get them out of my head. I had to deliberately not play the song or it would be playing in my head all weekend.
I don't remember hearing Soul Makossa but what a great dance song.
As you say, it so interesting where innovation comes from in the music and dance worlds.
Thanks, Ellen. When I read the story behind the name, it made me smile too. It perfectly matches my sense of humour. 😁
And yes, they really are earworms. Both of them. That’s why I found the producer’s reaction a little pedantic.
This week’s B-side is free, by the way. I think you’ll especially enjoy the section on David Mancuso’s playlist, as well as the part where I explore a few other contenders for the title of “the first ever disco record.” The opening sections focus more on the story of disco itself, but if you scroll down, you’ll quickly get to those two parts. I have a feeling you’ll discover quite a few more surprising tracks there. 😁
Anyway, thanks for reading and taking the time to react. Have a wonderful weekend!
Thanks Ben. Bad Luck is indeed another strong contender, but it’s part of the Philadelphia International catalogue, and that entire catalogue was probably the single most important driving force behind early disco. The song also holds an extraordinary record. It spent an incredible 11 weeks at No. 1 on the US dance charts, more than any other record of that era. It’s a reminder of just how dominant the Philly sound was in shaping what disco would become.
I loved your post. A couple of years ago, I posted a Substack about a trip to Coney Island during my first summer in NYC in 1974. My clearest memory from that subway ride was hearing both "Rock the Boat" and "Rock Me Baby," coming out of competing radio speakers. But the essay also touched on the fact that it was the beginning of disco without being called disco. I invite you to read it and check out the mix when you have the time. https://robinhall.substack.com/p/summer-of-1974-nyc?r=2lgxk&utm_campaign=post-expanded-share&utm_medium=web
Great mixtape and wonderful images, Robin! Thanks so much for sharing. Really enjoyed both.
You are the only other person who has pointed out the similarity in the two songs.
Thanks, Robin. I was actually a bit surprised I hadn’t come across it elsewhere. But then again, the journey I’m taking with The Twelve Inch is a little different from most books and articles about dance music history.
Many of those zoom in on a particular period, artist or genre, and they often do an amazing job. What I’m trying to do is tell the whole story and explore the connections in between. History is messy. It rarely fits neatly into clear boundaries or convenient categories.
With The Twelve Inch, I want to give that messiness room to breathe, and give myself the freedom to discover how all these threads connect. That’s part of what makes this journey so fascinating to me.
Thanks for reading and for taking the time to react.
Just read it (and shared it), Robin. It’s wonderful. As a European, I try to get as close as possible to the New York that features so prominently in my stories because, in many ways, it was the epicentre of it all. But reading about it through the eyes of someone who was actually there and experienced it firsthand, that’s something else entirely.
Great stuff. Thanks for reading, reacting, and sharing your own story. Moments like these are exactly why I started building this community on Substack in the first place. So thank you for that.
I’m listening to your mixtape right now. Mine comes with a mixtape as well, although I suspect you’ve already spotted that. The funniest part? The first two songs are exactly the same 😁. Some records simply belong to the summer of 1974.
Pe, this was fantastic. You could teach music history at academic level. I mean it. You have the scientific rigour of a historian, a three-dimensional reservoir of knowledge (books, boardrooms, dancefloors), and the passion of a storyteller. Your work is incredible.
I loved the track, which I didn’t know. But what fascinates me the most is your ability to tell stories. I could read you and listen to you every day.
Wow, Andy, that’s such a wonderful compliment. Thank you. Thank you for reading, for your support, for your encouragement, and simply for being here. I really, really, really appreciate it.
Have a fantastic weekend! 😊
First off, great to see you today! Missed you at some of these online meetings! Second, I remember what a big hit "Rock the Boat" was and how it just was a cool pop song. I'm sure no one saw it as the beginning of a major movement but it was! I also recall learning the bus stop dance to it when I was in junior high school! So fun!
Likewise, Dan. It’s not always possible for me to attend with my job, but this Friday it was, which made it all the more enjoyable.
And that dance… I should really look it up. I’ve heard of it before, but I can’t quite picture the moves. Was it something that belonged specifically to that period, or did people keep doing it to other songs later on as well?
Thanks for reading, and wishing you a great weekend!
It was specific to that period but I think in the 90s morphed in the Electric Slide. The are different variations of it online too! If I ever see you in person I will do it for you!
Haha… that promise alone is worth booking a trip to Chicago! Thanks, Dan. Have a great start to the week!
FYI, people who go to the clubs to dance are usually referred to as clubgoers.
When you say the word ”dancers”, it implies you are talking about professional dancers.
You’re touching on a very interesting point, Kevin. My understanding has always been that, in a historical context, especially when writing about the disco era, both dancers and clubgoers are perfectly acceptable. Readers generally understand from the context that we’re talking about people on the dancefloor, not professional dancers.
That said, I hadn’t used clubgoers very often because I suspected it was a more modern term, reflecting how clubs have become a much bigger part of our culture and society than they were back then. But your comment prompted me to dig into it a bit further, and I discovered that clubgoers also appears regularly in contemporary sources and other historical works on the period.
So I’ll definitely be using it more often going forward. Thanks for reading, and thanks for making me look into it!
I could be misremembering this, but I recall reading (in one of Joel Whitburn's books on hit singles) that in the early "dreadful" recordings of the song, Ann Kelley sang the entire song, choruses and verses alike. But she just couldn't get the meter quite right on the verses, so Fleming Williams took over. That might be a cover story, though, as I've also read that there was some worry about the "hit potential" of a female-led song.
Indeed, John, Fleming wasn’t initially destined to be the singer. It’s his version that became the one we all know because, quite simply, it was the best. He seemed to understand the rhythm and phrasing of the lyrics far better than Ann Kelley.
It could also be that they had doubts about releasing a female-led version. After all, this was before the breakthrough of female disco voices such as Gloria Gaynor and Donna Summer.
Hi Pé, another great episode. Incredibly educational to read how disco originated. And that disco didn't just appear out of nowhere.
I only knew this song in the version by Forrest from 1983. Never knew the original was much older. And I have to say that I think the original sounds better, more soulful.
Yesterday at the local flea market I managed to pick up the LP "Rockin' Soul" for 3 euros. Rock the Boat naturally couldn't be missing from my collection. The guy even said, "Do you like obscure soul?" To which I replied, well, this is one of the defining records for the development of disco... as I heard from a certain someone:-)
On to the next episode!
Haha… great story. I also loved the fact that he called it “obscure soul.” 😁
Anyway, I’m really glad I could fill in some of the blanks surrounding this song, Paul, and perhaps even inspire you to go and discover the album and the original version. That’s exactly what this community is all about.
This Friday, things are going to be a bit more playful, with another deep dive into my record boxes featuring five synth-funk tracks.
Thanks for reading and taking the time to react, Paul. I’m always glad to read your comments. Have a great rest of the week!
Another fantastic piece Pé! I can only imagine the amount of research that goes into these articles and I feel privileged to be one of the beneficiaries of such great writing.
The more I read, the more I realize how much the DJs and dancers played a part in the development of disco. I know you make that point all the time, but for some songs, like this one, it just feels that much more powerful. That such a seemingly unsuccessful song made it popular with the DJs and dancers in the clubs on the opposite side of the country from where it was made is fascinating to me.
Thanks, Mark. That’s such a wonderful compliment. I’m happy to have you here and truly grateful for your support. Have a great week!
In Britain in the early seventies, discotheques were spreading fast through the provinces and the term "disco dance record" was already in use in the music press. However, the phrase did not refer to tracks by black musicians, but to stomping guitar driven glam pop singles by the likes of Mud, Sweet, Slade and Suzi Quatro. In rock circles, these teen records were disparagingly referred to as "computerpop", but young white kids, especially girls, loved dancing to them. This phase in the development of dance music in the UK was largely overlooked once "disco" came to be defined primarily as black music.
FYI, out this month is Funk Is Its Own Reward by Lloyd Bradley, the story of African American music and culture between 1968 to 1978, which should be of interest as it features artists like Barry White, George Clinton, The O'Jays, Fatback Band and Kool and the Gang and covers subjects such as black radio in the US , the influence of jazz on the development of funk and the growth of the self contained black group.
You’re touching on something incredibly interesting, Paul. A while ago, I had a discussion with a reader from Europe who argued that the term “disco” was actually coined in Europe. My immediate reaction was, “Surely not.” But whenever someone presents an argument backed by more than his own opinion, it’s always worth doing a bit more digging.
What I discovered was that he wasn’t entirely right, but he wasn’t completely wrong either. I’ll definitely be coming back to this in a future post because it’s a fascinating story in itself. What you describe here mirrors the situation in continental Europe remarkably well.
These kinds of exchanges are exactly what I hope to build here: a community where we can share our knowledge and impressions, but above all our love for this music. I always enjoy reading your reactions, Paul.
And thanks for the tip about the book. I bought it immediately. I was halfway through another book on funk, but it simply wasn’t very good, so I abandoned it. This one seems far more substantial.
Have a great start to the week, Paul, and thanks again for reading and taking the time to react.
I loved what they wanted to name their group. That was hysterical.
The groove of these songs, Rock the Boat and Rock Your Baby, are great but their melodies are such earworms I can't get them out of my head. I had to deliberately not play the song or it would be playing in my head all weekend.
I don't remember hearing Soul Makossa but what a great dance song.
As you say, it so interesting where innovation comes from in the music and dance worlds.
Thanks, Ellen. When I read the story behind the name, it made me smile too. It perfectly matches my sense of humour. 😁
And yes, they really are earworms. Both of them. That’s why I found the producer’s reaction a little pedantic.
This week’s B-side is free, by the way. I think you’ll especially enjoy the section on David Mancuso’s playlist, as well as the part where I explore a few other contenders for the title of “the first ever disco record.” The opening sections focus more on the story of disco itself, but if you scroll down, you’ll quickly get to those two parts. I have a feeling you’ll discover quite a few more surprising tracks there. 😁
Anyway, thanks for reading and taking the time to react. Have a wonderful weekend!
I'll definitely check out the B-side post, so thanks for flagging it up.
You have a great weekend too, Pe!
Fabulous Pe. Thanks for this. I had no clue. Always loved the song though.
Thanks so much, Tamara, for reading and taking the time to react. I really appreciate it. Have a fantastic weekend! 😊
My pleasure Pe, you too.
Interesting article. I'd suggest "Bad Luck" by Harold Melvin is another contender.
Thanks Ben. Bad Luck is indeed another strong contender, but it’s part of the Philadelphia International catalogue, and that entire catalogue was probably the single most important driving force behind early disco. The song also holds an extraordinary record. It spent an incredible 11 weeks at No. 1 on the US dance charts, more than any other record of that era. It’s a reminder of just how dominant the Philly sound was in shaping what disco would become.