DISCO FOR CHILDREN

The success of the "Mickey Mouse Disco" album led Disney to release many products related to it. In 1981, they released a "Mickey Mouse Disco Record Tote".

Also in 1981, Vogue Dolls released a Sasson-styling Ginny doll with, as the box states, "Free Bonus disco rollerskates included".

Here are disco songs featured on the American television show "American Bandstand" in 1981: "Celebration" by Kool and the Gang (January 10 program) and "All-American Girls" by Sister Sledge (April 11 program).

The only disco song featured on the American television show "The Midnight Special" in 1981 was "Celebration" by Kool and the Gang (January 30 program).

Here are disco songs featured on the American television show "Soul Train" in 1981: "It's Not What You Got (It's How You Use It)" by Carrie Lucas (February 7 program), "Breaking and Entering" by Dee Dee Sharp Gamble (February 14 program), "Make That Move" by Shalamar (February 28 program), "I'm Talking 'Bout You" by A Taste of Honey and "Overnight Sensation" by Jerry Knight (March 7 program), "Love Somebody Today" and "All-American Girls" by Sister Sledge (March 14 program), "She's a Bad Mama Jama" by Carl Carlton (September 26 program), "The Real Thing" by the Brothers Johnson (October 10 program), "Give Me the Night" by George Benson (November 21 program), and "Yesterday Once More/Nothing Remains the Same" by the Spinners (November 28 program).

Here are disco songs featured on the German television show "Musikladen" in 1981: "All-American Girls" by Sister Sledge and "Hot Love" by Kelly Marie (March 19 program), and "Just for You" by Spargo (October 15 program).

Viola Wills sang "If You Could Read My Mind" on the American television show "Solid Gold" in 1981.

Marie Osmond performed George Benson's "Give Me the Night" in electro-disco style on her television show "Marie" in 1981 (January 2 program).

Irene Cara sang "Fame" on live television at the 23rd Annual Grammy Awards on February 25, 1981, backed by a very disco version of her song backed by an orchestra that included strings. Stephanie Mills' disco song "Never Knew Love Like This Before" won awards for "Best Rhythm and Blues Song" and "Best R&B Vocal Performance, Female".

Music De Wolfe (De Wolfe Library) released the production music LP "Great Occasion" in England in 1981. It included two disco songs: "Disco Strings" and "Good News". The music was intended for use as background music for film, television, radio, and advertising. The players were in the International Studio Orchestra conducted by Nigel Hess.

        In 1981 there were a lot of other great dance songs but they weren't very disco, in my opinion, because they are heavy on synthesized imitations of real instruments - instead of the traditional strings, bass, and guitar combo - and overall don't have a disco sound and/or structure. The following songs are too electronic-sounding to be considered disco and/or have beat patterns that aren't disco: "Turn Your Love Around" by George Benson (#5 Pop in the USA in February 1982, #1 R&B in the USA), "Disco Train" by Dance Reaction, "Do You Love Me?" by Patti Austin (electro-R&B), "Exalt-Exalt" by Azoto (italo-dance/electro-dance), "Flashdance...What A Feeling" by Irene Cara (electro-dance), "Can't Shake Your Love" by Syreeta (electro-dance), "Tell Me That I'm Dreaming" by Was (Not Was), "Slide" by the Rah Band, "Dancin' the Night Away" by Voggue (Hi-NRG), "Hit 'N' Run Lover" by Carol Jiani (a.k.a. Uchenna Ikejiani) (Hi-NRG), "Mercy" by Carol Jiani (Hi-NRG), "You're My Magician" by Lime (Hi-NRG), "Agent 406" by Lime (disco-influenced electro-dance), "Love Dance" by Mystery, "Hold On to This Moment" by Mystery (disco-influenced electro-dance), "Menergy" by Patrick Cowley (techno), "Baby I Don't Know" by Kryptonite (electro-dance), "Fight Back" by L.A.X. (electro-dance), "You're the Kind of Girl I Like" by Kwick (electro-R&B-dance), "Never Give You Up" by Sharon Redd (#20 Pop in the U.K. in November 1982), "Now I Have Everything" by Fantasy, "A Little Bit of Jazz" by Nick Straker Band, "Aah Dance" by Fine Quality featuring Cuz, "Rock Radio" by Gene Dunlap featuring the Ridgeways, "Still in the Groove" by Ray Parker Jr. and the Raydio, "Move Your Sexy Body" by Pure Gold, "Feel My Love Tonight" by Stacy Lattisaw, "Drum Affair" by Bill Summers and Summers Heat, "You Can" and "Fire in My Heart" by Madleen Kane, "Dynamite" by Karen Young, "Watch Out" by Brandi Wells, "(Knockout) Let's Go Another Round" by Inner Life (electro-dance), "Live It Up" by Inner Life (electro-R&B-dance), and "The Things You Get Me To Do" by the Players Association. Some borderline disco songs with real instruments (including, in most cases, a bass guitar) accompanied by prominent synths (but no strings) I've marked as "electro-disco".
        Dynasty's "Here I Am" (#26 R&B in the USA in July 1981) is a funky R&B song which would be disco except for all the extra beats. "Be My Lady" by Kool and the Gang is an up-tempo song that fits into the R&B-dance category because it lacks the disco beat pattern. Same with "Let Somebody Love You" by Keni Burke. "Rapture" by Blondie (#1 Pop in the USA in March 1981) is like a mellow form of disco but towards the end Blondie starts rapping, so this is really a dance-rap hybrid. "Disco Dream" by Mean Machine is pure rap, despite the title, and was released in the summer of 1981. Fans of old-school rap and disco might also enjoy this year's "Bumblebee Rap" by Bumblebee Unlimited, "Poverty" by the Master Rappers, and "Can You Move?" by Modern Romance, which have a funk foundation. Also very good is the disco-backed rap song "Do It Any Way You Wanna" by Mike "T". "Heartbeat" by Taana Gardner, which reached #6 on the U.S. Disco chart in May 1981, can be considered either funky disco or garage. The great "Funky Sensation" by Gwen McCrae is another garage classic with a slower tempo than disco but some violin flourishes; it reached #22 R&B in the USA in September 1981. I'd class "Let's Go Dancin'" by Sparque as garage, too - it has that same West End Records funky dance beat and sound with electronic backing. "Come Let Me Love You" by Jeanette "Lady" Day is another garage classic; the main chorus of it is disco. Also look for "Get Down Friday Night" by Fantastic Aleems featuring Leroy Burgess. The ultra-funky "Dyin' To Be Dancin'" by Empress has only a vague disco feel and should also be considered a garage song. "Everybody Needs Somebody Sometime" by Ann-Margret is a garage track with a non-disco beat and electronic violin-sounding backing, though it also features real bass, guitar, and trumpets. "Poyson" by Gwen McCrae could be considered funk-dance or maybe garage but is slower than disco. "Caribbean Disco Show" by Lobo is a medley of 5 Caribbean song covers accompanied by trumpet, computerized basslines, and a disco beat.
        "The Disco Scene" by Yellow Cat, "Starpoint's Here Tonight" by Starpoint, "Gigolette" by Ozone feat. Teena Marie, "Keep on Dancin'" by Ozone, "Possessed" by L.A.X., "It's Winning Time" by Klique, "Spirit of the Dancer" by Evelyn "Champagne" King, "Nobody Else" by Karen Silver, "Work that Sucker to Death" by Xavier, "Everybody Get on Up and Dance" by T.S. Monk, "Evolution Orange" by Earth, Wind and Fire, "Let's Funk Tonight" by Blue Feather, and "Take It Off" by Chic are funk songs. "Dance, Prance, Boogie" by Delegation and "Pull Up to the Bumper" by Grace Jones are funk-dance. "Gigolo" by Mary Wells is funk-dance with a rap segment. "There It Is" by Shalamar (#5 Pop in the U.K. in 1982), "Superfreak" and "Give it to Me Baby" by Rick James, and "Take My Heart (You Can Have It If You Want It)" by Kool and the Gang (#17 Pop in the USA in December 1981 and #1 R&B; #29 Pop in the U.K. in March 1982), "We Call it the Box" by Bill Summers and Summers Heat, "Funtaztik" by Edwin Birdsong, "Boogie's Gonna Get Ya" by Rafael Cameron, "Call Me" by Skyy (#3 Dance in the USA in January 1982; #26 Pop in the USA in March 1982, #1 R&B in the USA), "Freaky Dancin'" by Cameo, "Heart, Heart" by Geraldine Hunt, "Shout About It" by Lamont Dozier, "I'm Gonna Miss Ya" by Aaron Broomfield, "I'm in Love" by Evelyn "Champagne" King, "It's Your Night" by Ray Parker Jr. and the Raydio, "Searching to Find the One" by Unlimited Touch, "Something About You" by Ebonee Webb, "I'll Do Anything for You" by Denroy Morgan, "I Must be Dreaming" by Wanda Walden, "You are the One" by AM-FM, "P.S." by Dolly Dots, "Keep on It" by Starpoint, "This Beat is Mine" by Vicky D (#42 Pop in the U.K. in March 1982), "Let's Celebrate" by Skyy (#16 R&B in the USA), "I Love You More" by Rene and Angela, "I Just Want to be Your Lover" by Starpoint, "Make Up Your Mind" by Aurra, "Hit and Run" by Bar-Kays, "Funky Bebop" by Vin Zee, "This Must be Heaven" by Jerry Carr, "Walking into Sunshine" by Central Line, and "Feelin' Lucky Lately" by High Fashion are electro-funk. "Let Your Body Go" by the Players Association and "I'm Glad That You're Here" by Alphonse Mouzon are jazz-funk.
        "Ultimate Warlord" by the Immortals and "Native Love" by Divine are Hi-NRG. Secret Weapon's "Must Be the Music", which reached #24 Pop in the USA in January 1982, doesn't have a disco beat (and has a rap section in it, too). Billy Ocean's "Nights (Feel Like Getting Down)" and Change's "Miracles" are danceable R&B. "It's You" by Afterbach is R&B. The incomparable "I Can't Go For That (No Can Do)" by Hall and Oates is electro-R&B. "You'll Never Know" by Hi-Gloss (#12 Pop in the U.K. in 1981) is disco-influenced soul. "Walking on Thin Ice" by Yoko Ono (#35 Pop in the U.K. in March 1981) and "Playing for Time" by Madleen Kane are rock-dance. "Are You Lovin' Somebody" by Debra Dejean and "The Freeze" and "To Cut a Long Story Short" by Spandau Ballet are electro-rock-dance. "Disco Skate" by Ranking Joe is reggae. Gayle Adams's "Baby I Need Your Loving", a cover of the Four Tops' 1964 classic, combines Motown and disco elements. The Royal Philharmonic Orchestra released "Hooked on Classics", a classical medley with disco beats, in 1981, and in January 1982 it reached #10 on the American Pop chart. Then in 1982 the London Symphony Orchestra released another orchestrated medley with disco beats, this time "Rock Classics (Medley)", side one of "Hooked on Rock Classics".

Much Respect to Record Companies that Kept Disco Alive in the Early 1980s

Disco Music released before 1981:

Disco Music released after 1981: