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FR Diving Into Disco
Join Claude, a dedicated disco enthusiast, in “Diving into Disco,” a series exploring the rich history and cultural depth of disco music. This journey challenges common misconceptions, highlighting the genre’s intricate arrangements and influential sonic elements. The series links disco to pivotal socio-cultural movements, including the Stonewall riots and gay liberation, underscoring its significance beyond mere dancefloor trends. Prepare to uncover the true essence of disco, a genre deserving of greater recognition in music history, far beyond just Saturday Night Fever and glittering mirror balls. Get set for an enlightening disco adventure!
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Diving Into Disco – Rediscovering the Soul of a Generation
Claude Lemaire kicks off his seven-part series Diving into Disco by defending disco’s cultural legitimacy and sonic richness, while tracing its roots in gay liberation and challenging its enduring underappreciation among audiophiles.
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Diving into Disco, Part 7 — Psychedelic Soul
As protests raged and culture shifted in 1968, soul and funk artists like James Brown, The Temptations, and Marvin Gaye redefined Black music with psychedelic grooves, political messages, and genre-breaking experimentation.
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Diving into Disco, Part 6 — Psychedelics and Funkydelics
Motown met the Summer of Love in 1967 with “Reflections,” as psychedelic soul emerged—while Sly & the Family Stone’s electrifying debut laid the groundwork for funk, disco, and the future of R&B.
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Diving into Disco, Part 5 — Going to a Go-Go
As Motown icons the Supremes and Temptations battled for chart dominance in 1966–67, psychedelic soul and funk pioneers like Sly Stone and James Brown began reshaping the sound of Black music—with drum breaks, distortion, and fire.
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Diving into Disco, Part 4 — Funk and Memphis Soul
James Brown’s funk revolution redefined rhythm, shifting focus to the downbeat groove in hits like “Papa’s Got a Brand New Bag.” Meanwhile, Otis Redding, Sam & Dave, and Eddie Floyd shaped soul’s evolution, fueling disco’s dancefloor legacy.
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Diving into Disco, Part 3 — The Motown years
From jump blues and Ray Charles’s boundary-breaking “What’d I Say” to the polished hits of Motown and gritty grooves of Stax, this sweeping history traces soul music’s rise—and disco’s roots—in a racially and musically transformative America.
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Diving into Disco, Part 2 – Uncovering the Roots of Dancefloor Magic
Tracing disco’s roots back to slave songs, chain gangs, and swing countercultures, the article shows how rhythm evolved into a movement — one made possible not by concerts, but by records and multitrack recording.