Martha Wash, Kylie & Me, and the Death of The Dance Machine

This is the first time on my blog that I am announcing, at last after a long time planning it, I have retired from my office job to be full-time Buddy Beaverhausen! Writing and blogging are what I  can devote my time towards. And, of course, going to events especially if red carpet, lights and lots of press cameras are involved! I find myself at a time of life now composed of multi-tasking and, equally, multi-napping.

First, let me just say that I do see eye-to-eye with Madonna on one thing: ageism. When Radio 1 in the UK snubbed playing "Livin' for Love" (the only really good track off the new album), Madonna said we've made progress "in other areas - civil rights, gay rights - but ageism is still an area that's taboo and not talked about and dealt with.” Hear, hear, old girl!

I'm old enough to recall with joy a happy time in my life that included tuning into Chuck Barris' The Gong Show before bedtime with my ex. We loved the appearances of Gene, Gene, The Dance Machine and his stiff, crazy and robotic dance moves. He made us laugh. Gene was a stagehand at NBC before appearing on The Gong Show and, more importantly, the first African-American member of the International Alliance of Theatrical and Stage Employees, Local 33. Eugene Patton was 82 at the time of his passing. 

Giorgio Moroder's "Right Here, Right Now" is a super upcoming dancefloor smash, certainly, with Kylie Minogue on vocals. There will be no shortage of diva-driven disco for this year's Pride festivals!

Not all the remixes of the song are successes and, frankly, I prefer playing Moroder's original extended mix. Mark Roberts' Ultimix dampens down the NRG but there's worse from Felix Da Housecat, Mr Moustache, Ant Larock, Dj Sneak (who are some of these people?!) Kenny Summit, Felipe de Lima. However, I did enjoy 7th Heaven's club mix. Very upbeat.

Martha says "Everybody dance now" once more for producer Tony Moran. Actually, her lyrics are "I want to see you dance" on Billboard's upwardly mobile new dance hit, "Free People." Tony just had a Billboard smash with the fabulous Debby Holiday (an update of "I Like You") and sure knows how to fashion a sound that will make you want to get up and shake your groove thing.

Again, the original Tony Moran/Warren Rigg Global Mix is best. The Cruelty remix is too funky, Giuseppe D too chunky. Actually, most of the mixes available failed to impress with the exception of Yinon Yahel's big-room, Junior-esque house version.

"Free People" is another positive anthem from Ms Wash, very much in her element here as she belts out a feel-good song about loving yourself and expressing it on the disco floor. Just like Gene Gene.

Exclusive Q&A with Martin Degville of Sigue Sigue Sputnik

Martin Degville graciously agreed to this interview courtesy of Sobel Promotions. The '80s icon is back via hot, brand-new remixes of "Love Missile F1-11" from Sobel and a fresh new European tour. Hopefully, he'll also arrive on our shores. It was wonderful to hear his responses and, believe me, he does not hold back. Thank you, Martin.

Dj Buddy Beaverhausen: Welcome, Martin Degville. It is a pleasure to be able to conduct this interview with you. I understand that, before Sigue Sigue Sputnik, you had a successful career as a clothing designer in fashionable Kensington Market, London. Could you describe your designs at the time?  

Martin Degville: Yes they were extremely wild for that time; my early collections were based around great iconic movie stars like Jayne Mansfield and Marilyn Monroe with some Star Trek influences thrown in for good measure. I had a vision of all my women looking ultra glam and powerful-looking, very edgy with slut appeal; I also had a turnstyle at the shop entrance so that anyone over a size 10 could not get in.

DBB: Oh, my! How was it that you were approached about being in the band, Sigue Sigue Sputnik? And do you recall your first gig at the time?  

MD: Tony James, the founder of Sigue Sigue Sputnik and Magenta Divine, our p.r. at the time would hang out every Saturday at the shop. He mentioned he was looking for a vocalist for a new band he was creating and asked me if I knew any singers. Of course I jumped in and said you are looking at one. I lied all the way through to our first rehearsal which was a disaster but I had the look and attitude he was looking for. Our first gig was a small venue outside of London, it was awful as we were not all accomplished musicians and we got thrown offstage. [Laughs.]

DBB: "Love Missile F1-11." It was a huge New Wave hit in '86 and Sigue Sigue Sputnik had three top 40 singles in the Uk total. Was it a surprise to you that Sputnik took off and became such a very big success? 

MD: No, not really as, since the demise of punk the music scene became very safe and pop-orientated with the likes of Duran Duran and Culture Club, Sputnik exploded with a new electronic rock n roll sound with a unique image and attitude. It felt like being in the Sex Pistols. We also used one of the world's top producers, Giorgio Moroder, who took our original demos and turned them into worldwide hits.

DBB: I was a huge Ferris Bueller's Day Off fan.  How did "Love Missile F1-11" get chosen for the soundtrack and how did it feel for you to have your song in such a major movie of that era? 

MD: Yes, one of my fave movies also; I love the shower scene [laughs], I think it embodied and set the scene for the whole movie. I think the producers contacted EMI at the time for permission to use the track.

DBB: I'm also a big Giorgio Moroder fan, so I have to ask you what it was like working with him on "Love Missile" and to share, perhaps, any special memories of the occasion.  

MD: Giorgio was so cool! A real gent, he still had the original synth he wrote for "I Feel Love," which happenened to be a mistake as the synth wouldnt work correctly and so created the famous disco riff. After we finished mixing the tracks at his L.A. studio, he held a huge party for us at his fabulous mansion where I met Donna Summer and Sparks. I seem to remember he was always with many beautiful women.

DBB: "Love Missile F1-11" is about to receive remixes via Barbara Sobel and Sobel Promotions, and some of the biggest mixers have signed on to mix it.  Why do you think the time is right for bringing "Love Missile F1-11" back to the dancefloors?  

MD: Yes, all the mixes are sounding quite fantastic and I have to say a massive thank you to Barbara for making this possible. "Love Missile" is a very simple song with a great beat and bassline, of course it also has a great tune and melody and this transfers to a dance groove really well. The chorus shoots it up and is also very emotive and a great crowd-pleaser. I also think it's time to get this great classic tune over to a different generation.

DBB:What was it like touring internationally during the '80s, hearing your songs on the radio and at clubs? To be interviewed by NME, Rolling Stone, and all the perks that go with fame?  

MD: The tours were hectic and sometimes uncontrollable. Quite often we all were out of it due to the constant partying that goes with it; it was so hard to say no. We also felt on top of the world and somewhat invincible but it was worth every moment. It was also fabulous that our songs got heavy coverage in clubs and radio airplay. I guess, really, it went to our heads too quick and too often, the huge success opened gateways to meet other famous artists and musicians, plus free entries to clubs/ restaurants/ holidays and most things we asked for, really, of course it was, looking back, all fake and that everyone else wanted a piece of the action. I had a feeling then that it wouldn't last, our rise to fame came to quick and the star would burn out just as fast.

DBB: "Success": Sigue Sigue Sputnik produced by Stock Aitkin Waterman. Seems an unlikely pairing (though I have to admit I rather like it). Any memories, thoughts about that experience, working with SAW at the time?  

MD: Yes, I hated what they did to the song. It was supposed to be a kind of merge between the Beastie Boys, The Beatles and the Sound of SSS, but when we arrived at the studio, they played us a Donna Summer backing track and we walked out. A huge fight continued and at the very end, it was left to the sound engineer and us to finish the track. EMI also took out the guitar parts which we had to fight for to get back in the original release. It was a disater and signed the death toll for Sigue Sigue Sputnik; after all we were a futuristic electronic rock band, not a number on a conveyer belt churned out by the "Hit Factory."

DBB: Music is ~ has been ~ such a big part of my life; I suppose it's that for most people. I'm always curious, interviewing artists, particularly singers, what pop songs and/or musical artists influenced them growing up. And now, naturally, I pose that question to you. 

MD: Well, through my childhood I really only listened to Elvis Presley, Frank Sinatra. Eddie Cochran and a host of other musical icons from the 50's. I then had a strong interest in Northern Soul, then it was Glam Rock, T Rex and Roxy Music; my biggest hero was Bowie and he changed my life. I was also very heavily into the Punk scene.

DBB: You have recorded several David Bowie songs. Can you please tell the importance of David Bowie to you both personally and professionally?  

MD: Well, David Bowie was, and still is, unique and it seemed he had just arrived from another planet to save rock n roll. His influences are everywhere; not just his music but his forever-changing imagery, his lyrics were also so brilliant and visionary, he also recorded a fantastic version of "Love Missile," which was such a great honor for me. I burst into tears when i heard it. [Grins.] He was also on the short list as one of the producers for "Flaunt It." I often wonder to this day what may have happened if this had gone ahead.

DBB: You are now called Sigue Sigue Sputnik Electronic. Why?
MD: Well, the sound is still very electronic sounding so I just added that at the end!

DBB: What do you think about the idea of pop music being a great uniter for humanity that transcends national boundaries, barriers and politics?  

MD: Well ,music is one factor that holds no boundaries and has the ability to unite people regardless of color, sex or religion; Band Aid was a great example of this.

DBB: How has your fashion designer background influenced your look?  What other artists and/or designer's influence your sense of style.  What is your inspiration and how do you come up with your unique ideas regarding fashion?   

MD: Yes, I always felt this desire to look different and stand out from the crowd from an early age. I started to design my own clothes for club and weekend parties and it really took off from there. I used to get orders from friends and eventually, due to demand, I opened a shop to sell them. I created the look of Sigue Sputnik and also styled many other people like Boy George, Adam Ant and Siouxie Sue from The Banshees, plus lots of American rock bands and English boy bands, my inspirations came from the Bazaare looks from the 50's and 60's old hollwood. The 1920's 30's 40's. I also love Jean Paul Gaultier  and Thierry Mugler, anything thats outlandish and original catches my eye. Vivienne Westwood is cool.

DBB:  What is your favorite song from your catalog of recordings either with SSS, SSSE or solo?

MD: My personal track of all time is "Rocket Miss USA." I love the bass riff and its very dark  

DBB: I know that you are touring.  Can you please tell us about your upcoming tour dates and how is touring now different from in the 80's?  

MD: Well,  I play mainly in Europe and to smaller venues apart from the big festivals which I love doing; the shows are still as extravagant and colourful and wild as way back in the 80's but not on that scale. It is, however, great fun to play with different musicians and to see old fans and new alike at the shows, it's my passion to play live and i still get a huge buzz from doing so. Maybe one day the original band will reform for a one-off show. Who knows what life holds for anyone!

DBB: Martin, thank you so much for your time doing this Q&A with me. It was such a privilege. As I pride myself on reaching an international readership, what last shout-outs, if any, might you have for all your fans around the world? 
MD: Long live the sound of Sputnik! After all, we invented the future!! God bless you all... Love, Martin Degville!

Exclusive Q&A with Producer Joseph Borg of Les Grooves

It is always such a pleasure to conduct an interview with contemporary talent in the dance music world who have such a strong, defined aesthetic. Exactly why this Q&A with Montreal's Joseph Borg was a joy for me! Please check out his fantastic new album, Les Grooves, available at Beatport, iTunes, Amazon and Juno. Thanking Barbara Sobel of Sobel Promotions for arranging this Q&A.

Dj Buddy Beaverhausen: Hello, Joseph, welcome to our Q&A for Leave It to Beaverhausen, Our City Radio and Dance World Radio.
Joseph Borg: Thanks it is really great to be here!



DBB: I understand you currently live in Montreal by way of Toronto. Where were you born and raised?
JB: I was born and raised in Toronto. But I never really felt I belonged there. After 10 months in Montreal it feels more like home than Toronto ever did.



DJBB: What kind of music did you listen to growing up and what music influenced you? What music influences you now?
JB: Strangely, the music that inspired me as a child wasn't any of the precursor electronic music that you might think such as Depeche Mode, New Order or other early electronic bands. I was always really into classic rock music like Zeppelin, Hendrix, The Doors, Cream, Jefferson Airplane, Black Sabbath and Deep Purple. In fact, I still love all that stuff. If you listen to my music you can really hear the influence of that early rock music. Oddly enough, those recordings are still my greatest inspiration in electronic music. Sure, it sounds nothing like that modern beats you will hear in clubs, but since it is so close to my heart it really sparks my creativity every time. I just chose electronic music because I love the amount of freedom you have, and the fact that you have total control over the sound spectrum without involving other musicians.



DBB: Your new album, Les Grooves (Alpha Milk Recordings; being promoted by Sobel Promotions), has recently been released, so let's focus on that for now. "I don't want to just make another bunch of club anthems here. I have been there already, and although I think I will do more of that in the future, this time I really wanted to shed any kind of template. Experiments like these are what contributes to an artist’s growth," you've said. What made you decide to make this kind of artistic departure? A virtual leap into the blue, no?
JB: Well, I have done this a couple times before so its not really into the blue. Ten years ago, I recorded an album called Away under the Hibernate alias, released under System Recordings. It was EDM, sure, but it was radically different from anything else that was – or is – out there. It really combined many different elements just like Les Grooves does. I just feel that every once in the while I have to take my skills and make music that is MY music, not just me imitating some genre, or expanding on a genre slightly. It is important to do and I think every real artist has to do this a few times. The Beatles did it with Sgt. Pepper and now I am doing it with Les Grooves.



DBB: I was very impressed by the eclectic nature of Les Grooves and its striking variety of electronic music. Did you intentionally set out to display your mastery of various genres with this effort?
JB: I wouldn't say that, no. I don't try to impress with versatility. I just have it, and it comes out with the expression. I have a broader music background than most folks, so when I want to make a statement, I call upon various aspects of it. Not to show the world how well-rounded I am, though. I do it because I feel like that is what a musician should do: create something new and make a statement.



DBB: The kind of trancey, noir-ish qualities of "Alive and Free,""Coming" and "Smooth Ride" are undoubtedly cinematic in style. I can easily imagine them as part of a soundtrack for a film by Cronenberg or David Lynch. Well crafted and beautifully soulful, really. What inspired them? And is film scoring one of your ambitions at this stage of your career?
JB: Thank you! I'm blushing. Yes I DEFINITELY want to score a film or three. I would drop everything to do that in a heartbeat. That is just something I feel I would really excel at.
DBB: I think you would, too.  
JB: Interesting question. "Alive and Free" was actually inspired by the death of a Canadian actor. For the life of me, I cannot recall his name right now as he was not a massive celebrity. This question is uncannily applicable though because both "Coming" and "Smooth Ride" ARE actually soundtrack songs... but for films that have not been made yet. I am in the process of writing two scripts which I plan to turn into movies one day, and both scripts were literally born out of those two melodies. One script is called Smooth Ride and the other has no name yet. Throughout the films – if they ever get made – there are many different variations of those two songs. The entire plot, all of the characters, and all of the photography exploded out of the embryo of those melodies. Music really, REALLY inspires me to create motion picture ideas.



DBB:  I have to say I found all Les Groove's tracks to have a theatrical quality. "Le Burlinage," for example, has a nice, lounge flavor and "Sexy Bitch" is distinctly designed for dancefloors. And yet, I could also imagine them in the background of those settings within a film. "With You I Dive" and "We Love Darth Vader," likewise, had cinematic qualities to them, in my opinion. Was that something you had in mind when you conceived this album as a whole? Or is it just that way to my ears?
JB: Neither. I don't set out to make cinematic music - it just happens - and you are certainly not the first to notice the phenomenon. If I had a half penny for every time someone says that, I could probably buy into Universal Studios. There is just something about that way I work musically that results in a cinematic tone. I just make things flow in dramatic way. There is nothing choppy about my approach, and it is filled with a ton of real life emotion because I apply my experiences to my music. This is what gives the music that motion picture vibe. 



DBB: One thing I have to say is that I had fun listening to your album. It's not always that way. "Fun" isn't always easy to sustain over an entire album. Yet yours does that. It's buoyant, playful and full of surprises. Like the '80s New Wave quality of "Paradise." What inspired that?
JB: Ha. Buoyant eh? Cool. Yes, I try to make my music animated. Most EDM producers just try to create digital ear candy but I try to give my music a soul of its own using covert measures. I think that soul is what creates the buoyancy you are observing. I really love that compliment! Playfulness is definitely something I experimented with on this collection, and something I never really touched on in previous efforts. Everything I had ever done was always really intense, so I wanted to incorporate some humor on this album. "Paradise" wasn't really inspired by anything in life. Oddly enough, it was a new filter box I had just purchased:  the NIIO Analog Iotine Core Dual Filter Bank. This thing is pure analog and it just sounds so sick. I was coming up with strange, quirky sounds that I had never heard before with it, and those sounds eventually became "Paradise." Every single sound except for the bassline (made on a vintage minimoog through a phase pedal) and the vocals was created using this filter bank. As you can se,e I am very old school!

DBB: When it comes to movie scores, Joseph, what are some of your favorites?
JB:  Good question... and an easy one. Anything by Ennio Morricone.
DBB: I just knew it!
JB: "The Good, the Bad, and the Ugly" was amazing, as well as the rest of the "Dollars Trilogy." For the era, I also enjoyed his work on The Untouchables. I just love his use of distortion on natural sounds on the earlier soundtracks. Giorgio Moroder is also pretty amazing, and I loved his work on Scarface.



DBB: Les Grooves stands out in its singularity and uniqueness. I don't think you'd be able to release something like this today if you were working for a major label. What are your thoughts of creating and performing as an independent artist on an indy label?
JB: It is great because you can do whatever you like without people breathing down your neck with completely asinine perceptions of what creativity is supposed to be. The downside, of course, is lack of funds to get the music to reach people's ears. Major labels spend too much time searching for artists who conform, but what they should be doing is throwing around their money to influence the masses to open their minds a bit. It is possible, but most people working there are just lazy, weak and too afraid of losing their jobs.



DBB: You're a veteran of the progressive house music scene. What do you think of the state of dance music today and of the current club scene?
JB:  I think it is too conformity based. Too much stuff just sounds the same. As I said above, people are just too afraid to stick their heads out and really create something different. Gear and software today has the capability of really making some interesting sounds, and I would like to see producers approach that endless abyss with more of what I refer to as "the responsibility of the artist to push boundaries."



DBB: Fantastic, I wish you all the best in making a difference and I support it. Thank you, Joseph Borg, for sharing your thoughts with us. I highly recommend Les Grooves to discerning dance music fans around the world. Any last shout outs? And what are your plans to conquer the dance music world at this point?
JB: Just more of the same. I plan on creating unique, passionate music that use electronic          instruments to create something with a soul. Thank you for having me! Shout outs to Ennio Morricone and Giorgio Moroder!

Call Me: 34th Anniversary

Giorgio Moroder informs us that today (February 1st) is the 34th Anniversary of the song "Call Me" by Blondie. Moroder produced the single that came off the soundtrack for the film American Gigolo.

"Call Me" was #1 for six weeks on Billboard's Hot 100 chart, was that chart's #1 hit of 1980, and also went #1 in the UK and Canada, becoming an international sensation. It was Blondie's second #1 single and the band's biggest hit.

Moroder originally asked Stevie Nicks to write and sing a theme song for the movie he was scoring but she declined. The producer then turned to Blondie and the rest is, as they say, disco history.

In 1988, Ben Liebrand remixed "Call Me" for the Once More Into the Bleach Blondie remix album. A single version of that mix was released and the song received a new wave of popularity at the clubs.

Loving Donna Summer Too Much?

Maybe holiday-timed releases are loving Donna Summer a little too much. As in smells like exploitation spirit this season!

Love to Love You Donna is the much-anticipated release on the Universal/Verve label serving up 13 remixes of some of the deceased diva's legendary songs. It does offer an update of the Queen of Disco's legacy for today's dancefloors.

It kicks off with the divine "Love to Love You, Baby" mix by the fantastic Chris Cox that perfectly preserves the integrity of the Giorgio Moroder/Pete Belotte original while creating a more contempo, upbeat and exciting sound to put us in a gotta-dance frame of mine. No way club and partygoers are going to stay on their asses once this is played, djs.

The second track on the album is the Duke Dumont deconstruction of "Dim All The Lights." Not good. But it's followed by the Frankie Knuckles/Eric Kupper "Hot Stuff" with hot keyboards putting it across for some lounge action if not intended for big room dj'ing. Album version clocks in at 6 minutes.

Afrojack's "I Feel Love" offers us a nice, 6-minute bit of updated electronica against Donna's distinctive vocals from this iconic song. On the other hand, the Benga work-over of the same song is more than a tad bit dirge-like and boring. Believe you me, it takes some kind of talent to make this number a big bore but somehow Benga managed it. No excuse to have a 7:15-minute track on this collection of this dross.

Jacques Greene's handling of "On the Radio" is likewise glum. It actually offended me on an aesthetic level. Luckily, it's followed up with a freestyle version of "Last Dance" by Masters At Work that really works and restored my faith in this collection.

Chromeo & Oliver have their fingers on the trigger for a happy-house mix of "Love Is in Control," already out to djs in an extended mix. The album version is just a 4-minute version of this song but it's distinctly a highlight. Holy Ghost's "Working the Midnight Shift" re-do is also a fairly inspiring and upbeat job of delivering the song to 2013 clubgoers and Donna fans.

Gigamesh's "Bad Girls" remix is a commendable remix but will hardly supplant the original version of the song in anyone's mind. Still, give it a spin, toot-toot beep-beep. "MacArthur Park," as remixed by Laidback Luke sounds impatient and clumsy as it gallops along loudly. Hot Chip's dub edit of "Sunset People" lost me at the starting gate.

The album ends in class and style, however, with "La Dolce Vita" mixed by Giorgio Moroder. 

The Boston Globe wrote: "Donna Summer was known as the “Queen of Disco,” but the Boston native was successful in several formats... the focus of “Love to Love You Donna"... is squarely on Summer’s triumphs under the glittering mirror ball." Yes, indeed.

Universal/UMC/ Spectrum in the U.K. have released Donna Summer: I Feel Love The Collection, as well. It gathers 19 of the diva's hits (radio edits) including the rarity, "Theme from The Deep" and '80 favorites like "Unconditional Love" and "She Works Hard for the Money." It also includes a second disc of seven extended 12" mixes, as well, that should impress fans.

EXCLUSIVE Q & A with BOB ESTY Part 2: From Munich to Key West

Young, mod Bob

Bob Esty is truly a legend in his own time. A producer, songwriter and arranger who worked with Casablanca Records from 1977 to 1980, he has collaborated alongside major divas like Donna Summer, Cher, Barbra Streisand, Martha Wash, Raquel Welch and many more. It is my sincerest pleasure to have spoken with Bob over the phone when he generously consented to give me the following, exclusive interview. I have divided it into parts for easier reader consumption and digestion because it is such a delicious treat. 

In Part 2, Mr E talks more about Donna Summer, Paul Jabara, Giorgio, Germany, Roberta Kelly, Soul Divas and much more!

Dj Buddy Beaverhausen: Bob, could you tell us more about going to Munich to work with Giorgio?

Bob Esty: Paul Jabara also came to Germany to spend a week in Munich. And we had a good time. Paul took me to a gay bar. It was Oktoberfest and I speak a little German. Paul didn't have a date and I saw a guy who was straight out of a Tom of Finland illustration! That kind of body. Honestly!

DJBB: [Laughs] Oh, wow!

BE: He wore a t-shirt with a rolled up sleeve over a pack of cigarettes. And he didn't speak any English....

DJBB: Even better!

BE: Later, he guided me through Oktoberfest. Paul was beside himself; not very happy.

Now, as far as my work there, in Munich, the orchestrations were done; the only thing left were the back-ups. Donna sang the lead vocal, one side a night in four nights, in Giorgio's Musicland studios in a building called the Arabella House. I had my keyboard there, in my hotel room,  so I could write and orchestrate.

At about 2 a.m. on the first night, I stepped into the studio and heard Donna's vocals for Once Upon a Time. Towards the end of the album, Donna sounded like a young girl. [Priceless Bob Esty impersonation of what that sounded like. We both laugh.] I thought: "What happened with her voice?"

I said to Giorgio Moroder, the next day: "I hope this was just a test." Giorgio said he thought the vocal was fine. "Two takes!" is all he said. And she didn't sing everything needed. We had to add more background vocals. By the time we finished the album and I heard the next three sides, Donna sounded like the Donna I knew from "Last Dance."

Donna, Giorgio

DJBB: So, it was really repaired in the mix?

BE: Yeah! Exactly! And Pete Bellotte came in to do a guitar overdub.

DJBB: Cool.

BE: Then Giorgio said to me, in his German/Italian accent, during the middle of Once Upon a Time: "Do you like gospel-disco?" I said, "What is that??" He replied, "Do you know 'Oh, Happy Day'?" I loved that song. I grew up with it! Giorgio said, "Oh, you have to meet Roberta Kelly because she wants to do gospel disco and you can be my co-producer." Roberta was born Catholic in L.A.! So, singing gospel was a stretch for her.  I did a guide vocal that Ms Kelly mimicked. I love soul! So, I impersonated Aretha Franklin and all the soul divas I love.

DJBB: Bob, your guide vocals are classic! You could put an album together of those, I swear!

You won a Platinum Award for "Take Me Home," a Gold Award for "The Main Event", Multi-Platinums for "The Very Best of Cher" and "A Night at Studio 54," a Clio for "Pumping Up." Where do you keep all your awards?

BE: They were stolen.

DJBB: [Gasps] Oh, no!

BE: A friend of mine produced a show called Sisterella, and it was produced by Michael Jackson and company. It was performed in Pasadena, I think in 1996. They wanted me to be the musical director of the German version. And, because I love Munich and music, I thought, "How can I not go?"

So, I was away for a month and 1/2. I rented out my place in the Valley, with a studio in the back, while I was gone. Ultimately five months in Germany and Austria. Meanwhile, the person in my house was like a bull in a china closet! He had a "guest" over my place who stole everything!

DJBB: Oh my God! How awful!

BE: Yeah, and I came back to being evicted because he hadn't forwarded the rent.

Thank God he left my posters! And that's when I moved down to Key West.

More to come in Part 3 of my interview with Bob Esty. You won't want to miss what he says about Martha Wash, Cher and Dusty Sprigfield!

Below, Roberta Kelly & "Oh, Happy Day" courtesy of Bob:

EXCLUSIVE Q & A with BOB ESTY Part 1: Once Upon a Time with Donna Summer

Bob Esty is truly a legend in his own time. A producer, songwriter and arranger who worked with Casablanca Records from 1977 to 1980, he has collaborated alongside major divas like Donna Summer, Cher, Barbra Streisand, Martha Wash, Raquel Welch and many more. It is my sincerest pleasure to have spoken with Bob over the phone when he generously consented to give me the following, exclusive interview. I have divided it into parts for easier reader consumption and digestion because it is such a delicious treat. 

In Part 1, Mr Esty discusses his early days with Casablanca, working with Donna Summer, Paul Jabara, Giorgio Moroder, Neil Bogart and more. Please also check out Bob's Facebook Page: "Disco Citizens -- The Work of Bob Esty!" His guide vocals and the special remixes there are amazing! https://www.facebook.com/pages/Disco-Citizens-The-Work-of-Bob-Esty/428987683811992?fref=ts

Dj Buddy Beaverhausen: Hi, Bob, and thank you so much for taking the time to do this Q&A with me. I am thrilled you're doing this.

Bob Esty: Thank you.

DJBB: I recently saw that someone posted at DiscoMusic.com: "Bob Esty never seems to get deserved credit." I certainly believe that's true, and people on that thread seemed to agree as well. I noticed that you don't have a Wikipedia page, and I couldn't find a Bob Esty web page either. Is this all by some grand design?

BE: I think it's because most of the people I worked with were [already] very famous. Giorgio Moroder had an exclusive contract with Donna and he may not have been completely happy with the fact that my name is on the 12" of "Last Dance." He went to Neil Bogart [founder of Casablanca Records]'s office and said he wanted my name removed.

Paul Jabara never credited me for co-writing "Last Dance." I did the hook and the bridge. The rest was by Paul. The original version of the song was recorded by Paul, on his piano, in Puerto Rico, with Donna Summer in the bathroom. She was [virtually] trapped, so she said, "Oh, I'll do it!" So Paul went to Neil Bogart. I had to create an arrangement because the original was not very good. I had arrange the hell out of it! And I modeled it on Diana Ross' "Ain't No Mountain High Enough" because I loved what Nick Ashford and Valerie Simpson did with that arrangement.

So Casablanca liked what I did. We did a demo with me on piano and Donna singing the whole fucking thing! And at the end of it, she said, "Thank you very much!" Neil Bogart liked what I did but Giorgio didn't like the song. He was not there for the recording. It was recorded in one day. He barred me from the vocal session that night. And ultimately he took my name off the record. So, that was basically the first time I ever "produced" anything.

But, after that, Giorgio did hire me to do Once Upon a Time [the album] in Germany. That was the first time I [officially] produced. It was July 1977. He let me do what ever I wanted. And I do, so much, appreciate Giorgio -- who is an outstanding talent -- for thinking about me and having me aboard to work on Once Upon a Time.

Once Upon a Time's theme was about Cinderella but no one had written the lyrics yet. So I sang a "la la la" melody thing for the whole album for Donna who was then on the road. Giorgio spent just one night each for all four sides. When Donna recorded the first side, she was in her Donna voice, which I love. It was a transitional vocal album for her. "Last Dance" was not released yet.

The summer before I went to Germany, I had produced two more songs for Thank God It's Friday with Paul [Jabara], one of which was featured in the movie. It's called "Trapped in a Stairway," which I wrote with him in August 1977. At the time, Paul told me, "The director of this movie has never done a movie let alone a musical!" Paul had the idea he could do his number coming down the stairway like Fred Astaire. The director had never even heard of Fred Astaire! So that was X'd.

And when "Last Dance" was sung by Donna, they took out the ballad [portion] because they didn't know if the clubs would like it.

DJBB: Ballad openings and bridges in classic disco songs really became a trend during that period. And you spearheaded that at Casablanca. You set that trend!

BE: Yeah. We were hoping it would be successful but nobody knew. It hadn't been played by djs yet. When I first heard the single of "Last Dance," I went to Neil Bogart's office because he picked the wrong ending! The stronger ending, high note and everything else was on our second vocal. Neil said to me, "Oh, it doesn't matter! It's going to be a hit anyway!"

DJBB: While we're talking about Casablanca, have you read Larry Harris' And Party Every Day? [A scandal-filled tell-all about Casablanca Records.]

BE: I never read it. When I signed my contract with Casablanca on December 31, 1977, I'd already done many productions for Casablanca and Larry was their lawyer. I had a list of what I did before signing but Larry said, "Uh, you can't do that. We own everything." Back then, I didn't know jack.

That was a good introduction to my musical career!

More to come in Part 2 of my interview with Bob Esty. You won't want to miss what he says about Cher and so much more! Meanwhile, enjoy the official Casablanca video of "Last Dance" posted below:

Nina Hagen's Scary New York

New York City can be scary, especially when none other than the scary Nina Hagen evokes its name. In this Giorgio Moroder-produced dance hit from 1983, Nina's operatic voice and punk 'tude tells us we are going into the night on a dizzying disco round ("The newest club is opening up!"). It's October, it's Friday, it's time to dance, with Halloween on the horizon at weekend's end. A perfect tune for my Halloween Countdown and for any Halloween party because, on any given night, New York City is a town full of tricks and treats. There are the rats, dehumanized zombie commuters, bugs, raving psychos and so much more!