March 23, 2011

Paler Shade of White Compilation BONUS TRACK: Sage - I'm Alive


Here is a track that I should have added to the compilation but didn't, so I am offering it as a bonus track, it fits in perfectly with rest of the music and fits all the criteria for the comp, I have no idea how I forgot to include this. So anyway, instead of re-upping and redoing the entire thing, Ive decided to post this as a bonus track and you can decide to amend the comp or not.

SAGE - I'M ALIVE (Head Records 1977)
Link to mp3

March 5, 2011

Headlamp Shovel and Secret Histories Presents: A Paler Shade of White - Forgotten Sounds from Disco Crazed Suburbia. 1975-82

Yes friends I am posting my first compilation, notice I did not say mix or mixtape, because it is not in a mixed format, but a true comp format, giving you the entirety of each track, the photo of the album the track came from, and maybe a little minor history attached. I'm really not that into the idea of making 'race' a theme for a compilation, but it came about organically and as I became more and more intrigued by these long forgotten private press, or 'real people' disco/funk LPs by the various family band/nightclub act/studio musician entities that created them, I noticed a few things... first an inordinate amount were all white bands, and second they had a unique sound and style that was similar to each other. I previously shared one of the most famous of the 'genre,' the Family Tree album, doing a cover of Barry White's 'never gonna give you up,' which is a perfect example of what I was looking for for this comp. So in essense its more like a collection of tracks by bands in a similar vein to the Family Tree: A group of early twenty somethings that got together who liked the idea of being in a band more than the idea of making music or being an 'artist'. But its not all novelty folks. Admittedly, a lot of the tracks are mainly just interesting from the novelty/collector obscurist standpoint, but honestly there are some true gems on here. Stuff that just doesn't sound like anything else but each other. Take for instance the epic lp and somewhat underground legend by Bob Chance, the track I feature is 'Broken,' equally italian library funk/lofi outsider weirdness and synth disco. Then there is Ernie Story's 'Disco City' another equally fantastic track, but this time its an uptempo disco ripper with lofi intensity and earnest singing that tantalizes. And of course the highly sout after Pazazz track that is an absolute killer of modern soul disco. I'm not gonna go into all the tracks that are great here, jjust take my word for it. I hope you enjoy it. Below is a tracklist and some of the album photos, in the rar are all of them and even a couple others I was going to use but didnt. Also at this point please don't ask for the entire albums, be happy with the comp, its standalone, most of the albums have no other good songs anyway. And thank you to Nordine for his 2 contributions, much appreciated.













TRACKLIST:

1. The Zaras - The Best Years of My Life
2. Pazazz - So Hard To Find
3. DC and Company - Let's Dance the Night Away
4. Bob Chance - It's Broken
5. The Shelters - Make it With You *(thank you Nordine)
6. George Morin - Keep On Dancing
7. Family Tree - Never Gonna Give You Up
8. Ernie Story - Disco City *(thank you Nordine)
9. Transistor Jet - Love Inside of Sound
10. Chris Meyer - You Can Dance With Me
11. Mike DeLeon Band - Once in a While
12. Tampa - Don't Fight the Feeling
13. Organisation C - Viens Tourner
14. Paul Tanner - Fly Away