DISCO FIRE [1978]

For their fifth "Disco"-titled release, K-Tel rolled out yet another double album complete with gatefold tutorial for the Hot Chocolate:


Disco Fire has 24 songs spread out over four sides with an even six tracks per side.  When HERC first got the album in early 1979, he knew all but four of the songs - being a thirteen year old severely hampered his disco going experience.  There are a combined eleven Number One songs from the R&B and Disco singles charts but only two chart-toppers from the Pop chart.  Six songs missed the Top 40 on the Pop chart which should knock down an otherwise promising score on the K-tel Scale.

Disco Fire [1978]
K-tel Scale:
22.77
Billboard Top 40s
PopR&BDISCOACCBWLS
Dance, Dance, Dance (Yowsah, Yowsah, Yowsah)Chic66167
It's Ecstasy When You Lay Down Next To MeBarry White415717
Theme Song from "Which Way Is Up"Stargard211122418
Devil's GunC.J. & Co.3621
Two Hot For LoveT.H.P. Orchestra413
Star Wars Title ThemeMeco1861812
I Feel LoveDonna Summer69344
Flash LightParliament161153
Boogie ShoesK.C. & the Sunshine Band352933
Gonna Fly Now (Theme From "ROCKY")Rhythm Heritage41
You Keep Me DanicngSamantha Sang34
I Can't Stand The RainEruption1830619
Disco InfernoTrammps1191823
Keep It Comin' LoveK.C. & the Sunshine Band213622
DazzBrick31753
Risky ChangesBionic Boogie411
Dance Across The FloorJimmy "Bo" Horne388
Don't Let Me Be MisunderstoodSanta Esmeralda1541420
Best Of My LoveEmotions111111
Running AwayRay Ayers Ubiquity411914
Ma BakerBoney M4131
Chattanooga Choo ChooTuxedo Junction32518
Let's All ChantMichael Zager Band3615125
Dance With MePeter Brown854811

As suspected, those six non-Top 40 songs took their toll; factoring them out and running the album as having eighteen songs instead of twenty-four, Disco Fire could have scored a respectable 31.00, good enough to crack the Top 10.  The big surprises for HERC were the four Adult Contemporary Top 40 songs.


The double album was also released as a twin 8-track set with a different running order yet still apparently "a continuous disco" mix or as continuous as 8-tracks can be. In 1979, each record was released separately as Disco Fire Vol. 1 (TU 2590-1) and Disco Fire Vol. 2 (TU 2590-2).  The Canadian version of Disco Fire (below) features one less song per album side for a total of twenty tracks, including just eight that were on U.S. edition.


1 comment:

  1. I want a copy of the new "LET'S DISCO" dance instruction book from K-TEL. Gotta have it!

    One moment please...

    Copy procured on eBay. :-)

    ReplyDelete