The second part of the vinyl plus CD of Love Saves the Day: A History of American Dance Music Culture, 1970-1979, is available for pre-order! The pre-release has been brought forward to coincide with Bandcamp’s offer to waive the fees it charges to artists/labels as a gesture of support during the pandemic, https://daily.bandcamp.com/fea…/bandcamp-covid-19-fundraiser
The music selections and liner notes are inspired by the eponymous book I published back in early 2004. The first major history of 1970s dance culture in the United States, Love Saves the Day argued for the still-ridiculed phenomenon of disco to be taken seriously and for the all-but-ignored pre-disco period of the early 1970s to be recognised for its formative contribution to the reimagining of the dance floor as a sonically and socially radical space.
At the heart of book stands David Mancuso, whose profound influence on the progressive turn in dance floor culture remained wholly unrecognised when I conducted the first of 22 interviews with him in April 1997. Positioning David at the centre of the narrative challenged existing narratives about the evolution of dance culture, including the argument that disco emerged on Fire Island, and that the true pioneers of contemporary dance culture were Frankie Knuckles and Larry Levan. Sixteen years later, I stand by the argument I made about David.
Part two of the vinyl features several records that could be heard regularly at David’s Loft parties along with tracks selected by Armando Galvez, Richie Kazcor, Ron Hardy, Nicky Siano. The cover of the second vinyl compilation features David Rodriguez, an unheralded pioneer and larger-than-life personality, standing in the Limelight DJ booth with three friends. It’s one of my favourite photos in the book.
“Mary, don’t ever cut off the words,” Rodriguez instructed Siano as the then up-and-coming DJ went about honing his technique at the Gallery. “If you’ve got to cut off the words, wait until they’ve finished the sentence. And it’s got to blend. You really want to hear the first note of the next record and the last note of the last record. If you can’t hear that last note, you want to hear the first note, and if you can’t hear either one, then make sure that you’re not chopping through any words. And you can tell a story: you can link all your love records together…’’ I continue to cherish these stories of passion and technique, of affinity and creativity.
It was a privilege to write Love Saves the Day—a book that I didn’t set out to write but needed to be written. It was a privilege to work with Ken Wissoker and the team at Duke University Press, who supported me at every stage of the research and writing process, never suggesting I should make the book more obviously marketable—because who on earth would want to read a 500-page book about the formative years of DJ culture? And it’s been a privilege to with Brian Morrison, Dan Hill and the team at Above Board, because they’re the guys who have enabled this release to finally happen and to do so without compromise.
Vinyl part 2: https://reappearingrecords.bandcamp.com/…/love-saves-the-da…
CD: https://reappearingrecords.bandcamp.com/…/va-love-saves-the…
Vinyl part 1: https://reappearingrecords.bandcamp.com/…/love-saves-the-da…
Artwork: Carlotta Balestra Lawrence // instagram cbl_art
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