FLOW BACK IN TIME: SEQUINS AND SPIKES

By Barbara Aiken

Ah, the 1970s; filled with disco balls and black leather. Do you fall into the disco camp or the punk camp? Perhaps you liked both. Where did these iconic styles of music originate, what influenced them and who are the music makers that pushed these styles to prominence?

Disco music, from the French discotheque – a club at which people dance to music spun on a turntable – was huge in the 1970s. Emerging from New York City and Philadelphia, the craze caught on throughout the country. Disco focused on relationships and love and, of course, dancing. You’ll remember John Travolta in “Saturday Night Fever,” this film catapulted disco into the mainstream. Prior to its release disco was not well received.

Recorded tracks at disco clubs were often lengthened by disc jockeys to 10 or 12 minutes to provide for a frenzy of dancing out on the floor under a glittering disco ball. Music from such well-known artists as Donna Summer – “Love to Love You Baby” (1975), Gloria Gaynor – “I Will Survive” (1978), Abba – “Dancing Queen” (1976), Bee Gees – “Stayin’ Alive” (1977), KC and the Sunshine Band – “Get Down Tonight” (1975), and the Village People – “YMCA” (1978), were huge hits with young, energetic dancing crowds.

Disco has a rhythmic, driving beat with repetitious lyrics, yet has an orchestral quality. Many musical instruments were used, such as synthesizers, horns, guitars, and the heartbeat of disco, drums, all which provided the foundation for this energetic music, which ruled supreme for a decade. It begged people to move and get on the dance floor to groove to the music.

Like brightly-hued, Fiesta Ware developed in 1936 and sold widely during WWII as a way to spread a little joy in dark times, disco emerged as a venue for escape during the difficult times of the ‘70s. During this era, war was raging, political scandals headlined the newspapers, unemployment and crime rates were up. What a lovely way to escape all the negativity by writhing and sweating in a sequined gown, or a three-piece suit at the disco club. Makeup for the ladies was glittery and shiny, wigs were a way to change up your look, and jumpsuits, hot pants and platform footwear were the rage. Guys got their moves on wearing tight, white or brightly colored bell-bottom pants with flamboyant shirts unbuttoned to the waist revealing a chain and a medallion. “Saturday Night Fever” had much to do with influencing the fashion of the era. Under the strobe lights of a discotheque, escape was possible for a few hours.

On the darker side, punk was emerging in London and New York City. This music is unfiltered, aggressive, and confrontational with a fast beat, screamed lyrics and is usually shorter in length than the average track. Punk has a “do it yourself” element that doesn’t rely on musical perfection. The instrumentation was lean compared to disco, often just drums and guitars. It began to take off as a revolt to the more mainstream sounds of disco. You may recall the Sex Pistols formed in London, England in 1975, led by Johnny Rotten (John Lydon) as vocalist. Sid Vicious (John Ritchie) joined the band in 1977, replacing Glenn Matlock as bass guitarist, and that same year they released “God Save the Queen.”

The Ramones out of New York City were a major American influence on the punk rock scene in 1974. Joey Ramone (Jeffrey Hyman) was the lead singer for such songs as “Rock’n’ Roll High School.” Patti Smith – “Because the Night” (1978) and Blondie – “X Offender” (1976), were also part of the punk rock movement, and all played at the famed hole in the wall venue CBGB’s in Manhattan, now closed.

Punk appealed to those who didn’t quite fit in, the outsider and those with a rebellious, antiestablishment spirit. Many young people were disillusioned, angry and had a dim view of the world. A number of them turned to punk rock as an outlet for their feelings. The music brought like-minded people together and served as the glue to give them strength.

A night out at a punk rock venue was a shoulder to shoulder sea of young people hopping up and down like pogo sticks and thrashing out as best they could to the raw beat of the punk sound, and mosh pits emerged. Unlike the more polished and glam atmosphere of Studio 54 for the disco crowd, CBGB’s punk venue was a gritty, raw scene. The walls of the punk scene were plastered with stickers from the many acts that had graced the stage, graffiti, and last year’s beer stains. Punk venues were dark, seedy places where coed punk fans were decked out in black leather, torn T-shirts, clunky boots, heavy chains, spikes, and black or primary color wild hair, including mohawks. Women wore pale makeup, black smudged eyeliner and black or deep red lipstick. Men also sported black eye makeup and sometimes black or red lipstick. The fashion statement of punk culture was in your face defiance.

Which was your cup of tea during the 1970s era of sequins and spikes? It was a time of dramatic contrasts as evidenced by the wide divide between disco and punk. Many people chose one or the other to cope with the stresses of the time. Music has a way of providing an escape or comfort zone during the trying times we all live through. Whether disco or punk, these very different music genres enable feelings of pleasure to rise, stress to tone down and may serve as a distraction from the world around us.

Get out your disco records, dust off your Doc Martins and recall the Me Decade of the 1970s.

Barbara loves many music genres. She has a special affection for heavy metal and hard rock. Barbara’s son, a drummer, played at the iconic CBGB’s in 1998 at age 16. Contact Barbara at [email protected].