You know that real good mood I have been in the last two Fridays we met, where everything was awesome and I was lost in the music? That all came to a screeching halt earlier today when I put on Europa for the first time. The fifteenth volume in the Disco Discharge series is a return to the Euro Disco or more specifically the Italo-Disco of the 1980s. With the exception of the two songs I was familiar with going into this morning's failed dance session, none of the 24 songs on Europa made any sort of impression. I take that back. I did think that the drum machine pattern that is heard at the beginning of Dr. Groove's "Freak It Our Mr. DJ" sounded like the drum machine that kicks off New Order's dance-club classic "Blue Monday" but that's it. All but one of the songs on Europa date from 1982-1988 with the lone exception being from 1990. As I've said before, this Italo-Disco stuff just ain't my thing and that's not a knock just a stated preference. That being said, there is but one volume left to cover in the Disco Discharge series after this so on with the show.
Don't you think the Eighties had some interesting graphical trends? You probably recognized the songs I said I was familiar with going into Europa by their cover art included in the gallery. Of course I'm talking about Taco's updating of "Puttin' On The Ritz" from 1982 and Baltimora's call to the dance floor "Tarzan Boy" from 1985, both of which are presented in their extended versions from their respective twelve inch singles, pictured below in an exclusive photo from deep inside the Hideaway Audio Archives. Coincidentally, these two songs are the only two that made Billboard's Disco/Dance Chart. Though I failed to notice any tell-tale pops or clicks, choosy listeners claim that the version of Taco's tune on Europa is actually a vinyl rip rather than sourced from a master tape. In case you were wondering (like I was), Taco turned 60 in 2015 while the face and most likely voice of Baltimora, Jimmy McShane succumbed to complications from AIDS in 1995 at the far too young age of 37.
| year | title | artist | Billboard Disco Chart | |
| 1982 | Puttin; On The Ritz | Taco | 6:03 | 37 |
| 1986 | Hey Hey | Radiorama | 5:55 | - |
| 1985 | Say You'll Never | Lian Ross | 6:56 | - |
| 1985 | Hey Mr. DJ | Loco Loco | 6:20 | - |
| 1982 | Africa (Voodoo Music) | Rose Laurens | 5:15 | - |
| 1985 | Around My Dream | Silver Pozzoli | 5:40 | - |
| 1985 | Tarzan Boy | Baltimora | 6:15 | 6 |
| 1985 | Waiting For Heaven | Diviacchi | 6:46 | - |
| 1990 | To Be Or Not To Be | Jock Hattle Band | 6:20 | - |
| 1986 | Fly To Me | Aleph | 6:43 | - |
| 1983 | Go Go Yellow Screen | Digital Emotion | 8:33 | - |
| 1987 | I'm Gonna Go | Jago | 5:12 | - |
| 1986 | Go Go Dynamo | Cleo | 6:16 | - |
| 1986 | Don't Talk About It | Swan | 6:10 | - |
| 1985 | Mr. Fantasy | Lee Marrow | 5:20 | - |
| 1985 | Bolero (Hold Me In Your Arms Tonight) | Fancy | 5:45 | - |
| 1987 | Talking To The Night | Brian Ice | 6:00 | - |
| 1985 | Oh Mama | Lili & Sussie | 6:26 | - |
| 1988 | Living In Japan | Fun Fun | 5:15 | - |
| 1988 | Tell Me The Reason | Alan Barry | 6:12 | - |
| 1988 | Need Your Passion | Sweet Connection | 8:43 | - |
| 1982 | Upside Down (Dizzy Does It Make Me) | Vanessa | 6:57 | - |
| 1984 | Freak It Out Mr. DJ | Dr. Groove | 5:12 | - |
| 1983 | Get Ready | X-Ray Connection | 6:59 | - |
Disco Discharge? This volume shoulda been titled Disco Disappointment. [rimshot]
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