Thursday, February 11, 2010

Mirror


I'm of the vintage where disco was king. And this Theme Thursday is "Mirror"

Oh yeah . . Saturday Night Fever was top of the pops when I was in my late teens, and the disco fever took us all for a good five years. We knew we Should Be Dancin'

We used to go to our local club one Friday a month and dance our little fluffy hair-doo's off. They were the days of constant beats, high pitched voices, schoozhy hairdos, massive earrings, wide belts, platform heels and hair combs with pretty dangly bits of gold. We had dusky eyes and thick lashes, too much blush and luscious lips - 'Pot o Gloss' went everywhere with us, Jean Nate was the splash-on cologne of preference or a little patchouli on the pulse points. Girls went to the loo in bunches, boys minded the handbags. And all the time, that disco ball kept spinning, making our schparkly bits twinkle and pulsing to the beat.

Yep it was raining men beneath that mirror ball. We Turned the Beat Around and did Anything For You. We Had to Have Your Love and occasionally pulled out the Bus Stop and the Hustle. We were Born to Be Alive, we thanked God it was Friday and That's The Way aha aha we liked it! We were Walking on Sunshine and knew it was a Love Thing. And when the night was drawing to a close, disco made us Feel Brand New as we were Slaves to the Rhythm . . . all under the gaze of that shiny disco ball! Can you believe she's 60! Biatch!




The voice, is Steve Lipson, one time Rolling Stone Producer, Trevor Horn, his partner in crime and co-writer of this fab song.

Can't remember how to do it . . .here's a quick lesson: (Sorry Ebs!)




49 comments:

  1. Anonymous7:53 pm

    Love all the references luv! Too bad I've lost my vid player tho' :(

    Disco mirror balls; perfect tkae on the theme :)

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  2. Those were the days, eh? Crazy dances, crazy clothes, crazy music, crazy hook-ups. I could still dance the night away if I wanted, I just can't be bothered, I'd rather immerse myself in a good book.

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  3. Last week when I was visiting a friend at the senior citizens' hall, I noticed they still have one hanging from their ceiling. What I wouldn't give to see an 80-something group disco dancing the night away.

    Great theme post, Baino. Terminated but Stayin' Alive.

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  4. wow, sounds like you lived it up! I can just imagine all the big hair!

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  5. Wow, does that bring back memories of watching my sister getting ready to go out dancing -- *hours* with the curling iron, and oh that red polyester jumpsuit she had! By the time I was old enough to get into the clubs, music had moved on. I still have my Abba and Jackson 5 albums (and no more mono record-player-in-a-carrycase to play them on. *sigh*)

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  6. I hated those dances. The girl next door went at least three times a week and pestered me to go with her. I gave in about once every three months. Not me scene at all.

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  7. nice. had my fun out on the dance floor in my day...unreneath that disco ball...

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  8. Ah, that disco ball. Fab. And pot o' gloss and Jean Nat-ay? We had that here too--sooooo iconic, both of those! My first makeup was pot o' gloss.

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  9. Aaah! I love disco of course and I was at the disco every Saturday night and later when I immigrated to the US, I spent all the money I earned dining at Tavern On The Green and then dancing at Studio 54. I was broke but I was dancing! Disco was so cool!

    My favorite version of Slave to the rhythm is by Shirley Bassey.

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  10. great post!!!! love it!!!

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  11. Oh, gosh, I'm a tad older than you. Seems I was pregnant practically the whole decade of the '80s. I lived it vicariously through the TV, with my feet up.

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  12. Hmmm... Well, I'll tell you; this video pretty much sums up my take on disco. Heh, heh!

    BTW, mirror ball started out in the 1920s; they were big hits in Prohibition-era nightclubs.

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  13. When you were on the disco dance-floor, I was doing "The Bump" in my friend's basement - practicing for when we would finally be let loose, but by then, we were pogoing to punk and skipping to ska.
    I had Pot o'Gloss and (mom's) Pot o' Shadow (in metallic blue!). It was Jean Nate or Love's Fresh Lemon!

    Loved this trip back in time.

    Grace Jones is 60????!!!!

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  14. P.S. Close your eyes...can't you just taste that gloss? (Dipping my finger into that memory. Thanks.)

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  15. I still dance now - whenever I get the chance and I love an empty dance floor!!!

    Its the disco-hip the next day that bothers me!!!

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  16. after all these years, disco STILL sux... BIG TIME :P lol

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  17. OMG, I STILL dance like that. bwaaahahaaa!

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  18. Oh, the memories jarred loose by this post... lol..

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  19. The Boss got one of those disco balls for Christmas from colleagues - I mean, what more inappropriate gift can you find for someone moving to an 18th Century deanery?

    Disappointed you didn't pick out Gloria Gaynor's 'I will survive'. Do you remember the video? The dancer on roller skates.

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  20. And leisure suits abounded!

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  21. This post brings back memories of a skinny John Travolta in Saturday Night Fever. He looked spectacular in that white suit.

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  22. Oh yeah! We must be about the same age ;-)

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  23. LOVED IT!!
    I did a BIG share of dancing...loved that PURE ABANDONMENT...miss it sometimes but kiddos tell me I should NOT go back at my age!!
    ;)

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  24. That is the best collection of disco alls i have seen in a long time. Who can resist a little Saturday Night Fever :)

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  25. Excellent use of references. I was there! I even found an old polyester disco shirt at my Dads the other day. Scary!

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  26. Nice the way you incorporated so much music here...Happy TT!

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  27. Finnish Disco Dancing?

    Now, thanks to you, I've seen everything! ;-)

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  28. Mirror sequins on the skirt?

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  29. SNF - my all time fav movie

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  30. Ah, the disco ball! One of the greatest inventions ever made!

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  31. I knew you were disco. ;)

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  32. Pot-o-gloss - yessss!

    By my teens it was Howard Jones, doing the pogo to Madness and pashing at the blue light disco. Nowhere near as much fun as your disco days methinks!

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  33. I loved 80's music! Still do. I never was a disco girl,sadly, I did my pretend dancing at home, alone, while the kids were in school. Can't stand patchouli though. To me it smells like unwashed people wearing mothball stored clothes. (sorry to all patchouli lovers out there). More than one or two breaths of that stuff can kick off an asthma-type reaction for me, so I carry my inhaler with me every day at the checkout, because an occasional customer does wear it.

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  34. Subby . . .who uses videos? Get a cheap DVD from Aldi or Costco. I likes shiny things!

    Oh Nick, I bet you can still do the Bus Stop!

    Actually the mirror ball at the top Ronda was one at a recent gig that Adam played. Enhanced by lazerrrrrrs

    I still have big hair Tom. Thank God for the GHD and bobby pins!

    GAH I'd forgotten jumpsuits. I never had one but my SIL at the time loved the things. I still reckon today's 'house' music is very disco just with a sub woof thump.

    Grannymar! How can you not love to boogie.

    Cut some grooves Bri?

    Haha . . hard to believe it was such a new thing Leah. Loved it. Not sure the boys were that keen on greasy lips.

    Oh Ces, now you're showing off Studio 54? How glam.

    Thanks Nanny and welcome aboard.

    Willow I doubt it. If anything I think you're younger. It was probably 1978- 1982. I had my first in 1984 and it was all over but the shoulder pads by then.

    Haha . . I remember the bump too Poetikat. Expert I was. Then I also had an 'alternative' side and fancied a few not so disco tunes. Jerry Rafferty's Baker street had such a long LP that you had time for a quick bit of hanky panky without having to turn the record over.

    Kate, I'm no dancer these days . . but sometimes have a party for one at home!

    Haha . . .Cali of course you mean Grace Jones?

    Noni I think most of us are the same vintage

    Ian . . didn't you see my previous post? I popped a vid of "I Will Survive" in there from Pricilla Queen of the Desert.

    Leisure suits? What were they Steph?

    Great movie wasn't it Jan?

    Carolina we are. Although if I was in the Netherlands, I'd be at Lowland Festival every year. Disco or not.

    Oh bugger the kids. All they do now Jill is stand in front of a stage pointing their fingers.

    Jasmine, I'm sure there were many many more but how many can you pop in a post?

    Haha . .I remember those too VE. The 'body shirt'

    Same to you e . . .even in a wheelchair you can boogie!

    Nanc . . welcome over. Well if you need to learn how to do it right, those two can bust some moves.

    Kris .. I was tempted to post the Mighty Boosh Mirror Ball Suit

    Well I'm not sure about 'all time' Mim but you weren't cool unless you had the soundtrack on vinyl.

    I agree Cat. I'd love one.

    God Plugger! I remember Howard, Blinding Me with Science! Well you're a little younger than I so there was pashing but no blue light!

    River we were just lucky that the local club put on a regular disco night. Much fun we had oldies and younglings together. Patchouli was my 'Indian' phase. Very uni studentish. My mother used to ban burning patchouli incense in the house for the same reason.

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  35. Hahaahahaha!!! The disco dancing tutorial is priceless! If I remember rightly, my own version of disco dancing (a LOT earlier than yours, since I, like Willow, was pregnant during the eighties) was a lot more energetic and considerably untidier than theirs, but it was fun. Aah, Friday nights at the Factory Hall! It smelled of dusty old wood and the WI, but it was all we had.

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  36. God, I hated the whole disco scene! Even at that time I was just into good old rock music!

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  37. But that video of 'I will survive' is heresy!

    There is only one version:

    http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZBR2G-iI3-I

    ;-)

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  38. Yeah!I love this post!Groovy!:)

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  39. Fortunately punk came and took me away from all that but how cool is Grace Jones? Whatever she is putting in her cereal, share it around. I'm just not sure that a fascinator is meant to go on your face through.

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  40. the disco ball! One of the greatest inventions ever made!

    Work From Home

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  41. Anonymous3:48 pm

    Love the music and the dance! I still like today's dance music...Lady Gaga, Beyounce...it's fun!

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  42. I was 16 when Saturday Night Fever was in the theater..

    I was part of the disco era.. the clothes..the hair...lol..(but secretly in love with country music; only one of those channels in nyc).

    I did love the song Born to be Alive.. I danced at a feast in the most horrid outfit..and thought I was super cool but also very shy/and self-conscious at the same time.. (the teen years .. basically were confusing.. lol)

    wow .. this back memories.. great theme for Mirror.

    Thanks for visiting my blog. lol.. I always wanted a demo job of handing out food.. I can't work in an office setting (I do have a college degree but poo to that..). lol

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  43. I love to dance , not necessary disco! lol

    Mine is here

    http://justmeshakirack.blogspot.com/2010/02/mirrors-of-my-life-thursday-theme.html

    HAPPY VALENTINE'S DAY!
    and
    GONG XI FA CAI!
    (means WISHING YOU PROSPERITY! in Mandarin, Chinese)

    hugs
    shakira

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  44. I Always Wanted A White Suit Like John Travolta.& Never Did Get One (*sighs*).Grace Can Still Cut It Though.

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  45. ah - but did you have Tiger Feet?

    i loved that one - possible even with no dancing ability

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  46. haha - just watching that 2nd vid.
    priceless

    i could see the Fast Show doing this, did you see the Fast Show?

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  47. this video is just too much...

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  48. I love to dance but my husband does not, so we don’t. What is the style now? Do you know? An updated disco version?

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  49. Anonymous3:33 am

    Thank you so much for this post. I'm going to a 70s night this coming weekend, and now, thank God, I know what to wear and how to move. I remembered it as the decade that taste forgot - apart from guilty pleasures like the Horslips - but now this Finnish couple has brought all the wonder flooding back.
    Weren't they style advisers to Starksy and Hutch?

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