Funk Deli’s Disco December Christmas Special - Disco Gives Birth to House Music
December 25, 2007 10:19 pm Funky Books, Funky Education, Funky Videos, Welcome to the Disco
Holiday cheers to all. We’re nearing the end of our Disco December month, and it’s time to throw down a music history post to explain how disco gave birth to house music.
Here it goes…
So a gay guy and a black dude walk into a warehouse….just kidding! Well, actually that’s not too far off. Here’s the short version.
Larry Levan started spinning disco records together at those crazy Paradise Garage parties in New York.
Soon after Disco Demolition Night (when white kids killed disco at a White Sox game), Chicago started developing a new, electronic, drum-machine happy sound.
Frankie Kunckles brought his gay-friendly crate of thumping disco tracks to Chicago and the kids got into it. Stuff like “Let No Man Put Asunder” from First Choice (off the Salsoul disco label) rocked the Warehouse in 1983.
Soulful, bangin’ disco tracks collided with wtf-sounding beats from Jesse Saunders, Farley Jackmaster Funk and a bunch of other DJs, remixers and record producer types in Chicago.
All the kids wanted to buy the records that were playing at the Warehouse in Chicago, and after some abbreviating –- the house music label was born.
In Detroit, Juan Atkins (/Cybotron), Derrick May and Kevin Saunderson originated a techno touch alongside the Chicago house music sound.
Look — there’s a video on it – Pump Up the Volume - a documentary that outlines the history of house music’s muddied origins. From swinging disco tracks to squelching experimental knob-turning to the base kick of techno’s first producers, this three-part video has it all. Special thanks to the fine people at ToTheDisco.com for pointing this vid out.
Pump Up The Volume - History of House Music - Part 1
Part 1 starts with Larry Levan and the Paradise Garage and goes through the early house music scene in Chicago.
Pump Up The Volume - History of House Music - Part 2
In Part 2, you can learn about how Brits got hold of the stuff and used their Northern Soul infrastructure and connections in Ibiza to club the music out to the Euro masses. Detroit’s take on house also gets attention.
Pump Up The Volume - History of House Music - Part 3
Part 3 takes you through some of the more recent house music scenes, you know — all that splinter faction definition label stuff. Anything Goldie says is hilarious, and Armand Van Helden seems like a pretty chill dude.
Sure, these Google vides don’t offer the best presentation. And yeah, some of the music you’ll hear is a bit wack, but this documentary from 2001 is a bridge that connects the house music of today to the disco classics of yesteryear.
If you want to learn more about this documentary, check out the “Pump Up the Volume” companion book at Amazon.com.
