Disco Party

Description

Mr Bongo presents the reissue of one of the rarities from the famous and now extremely scarce TSG Records label, born of a tax scam. This label with a murky past was run by Lloyd Price and is said to have had ties to boxing promoter Don King. The album in question, Reality’s Disco Party, is a striking journey through 70s funk, made for the dancefloor, and the early days of disco. In mid-70s Manhattan, Dr. Otto Gomez and a group of New York musicians, including Tony Dixon, Norman Drayton, Tony Dupree, Al Jones and Fred Nanton, were invited to record for composer and producer Billy Nichols. They recorded one Nichols track and a few group compositions, paid as session musicians, and thought no more of it. The tapes caught the attention of Lloyd Price, who struck a deal with Nichols without Gomez or the other band members knowing. Price then pressed the album and released it in 1976 on a newly created subsidiary label, TSG Records, which would later be recognized as one of the fraudulent labels in the 1970s US tax-scam system. These labels were created to exploit a loophole in the US tax system, inflating production costs and losses that investors or the parent label could deduct from their taxes. Records released on these labels were never intended for commercial success. They were generally produced in extremely limited runs and received no promotion or distribution. As a result, many of these records quickly fell into obscurity, becoming mythical among DJs and collectors. Unfortunately, this meant that artists like Dr. Otto Gomez and his friends never got the chance to showcase their album and their talent at the time. In fact, it was only when Jazzman contacted them for the 2022 reissue that Dr. Otto Gomez learned of the album’s existence and discovered its story. Disco Party is a true time capsule where 70s instrumental funk blends with early disco sounds. These minimalist, groovy tracks are made for the dancefloor. The ever-present bass and drums drive the album forward. Funky, infectious guitar riffs, along with a bright horn section, subtly weave through the productions. Among the standout tracks are the catchy and festive “Let’s Party People,” the disco confidence of “Reality,” and “Disco Party (Let’s Have A),” with its wah-wah groove and percussion break, which would have fit perfectly on the soundtrack of a blaxploitation film of the era. What makes this record so sought after is not only its rarity, but above all the fact that it is a superb example of mid-70s funk and disco, firmly aimed at the dancefloor.