Twostepcublog

" You Should Be Dancing " was the biggest club hit from the "kings of disco", the Bee Gees . First appearing on their album Children Of The World before being included in the soundtrack to Saturday Night Fever , the single, charting on its own, spent seven weeks at #1 on Billboard magazine's Disco/Dance Tracks chart in 1976. The song also topped the American pop Hot 100 for a week, and climbed to #4 as their first to reach the magazine's R&B chart.

" Nothing Breaks Like A Heart " is the new single from British DJ/producer Mark Ronson , from his upcoming fifth studio album. It features vocals from Miley Cyrus , who takes us on a joyride in this music video...

Friday's here, and it's time to run down my top 100 tunes from the previous week. Panic At The Disco stick around for a second week at #1, while Calvin Harris and Sam Smith (pictured above) dance on into the top three. Songs from Halsey, Kip Moore, and Blake Shelton make the biggest jumps (moves of 10+ places are highlighted in red ), while former big hits from Cole Swindell, Charlie Puth, Dennis Lloyd, Weezer, John Mayer, and Alessia Cara drop off the list. Be gone, leftovers! This Week        Song/Artist (last week's position in parentheses) ---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- 1. High Hopes - Panic At The Disco (1) 2. Happier - Marshmello & Bastille (4) 3. Promises - Calvin Harris & Sam Smith (5) 4. Natural - Imagine Dragons (2) 5. She Got The Best Of Me - Luke Combs (9) 6. Hangin' On - Chris Young (8) 7. Better Now - Post Malone (3) 8. Rich - Maren Morris (12...

" Baby I'm Yours " - Shai from the album ...If I Ever Fall In Love (1992) Billboard Hot 100 peak: #10 (three weeks) Weeks in the Top-40: 20 Today's song of the day comes from the soul vocal group Shai , who had already scored back-to-back top ten pop hits with the a Capella gem " If I Ever Fall In Love " and " Comforter ", the latter in the spring of 1993. The third single from the record was the midtempo and middle-of-the-road number "Baby I'm Yours". Written by the act's Marc Gay and Carl Martin, the track gave the quartet a hat trick from their debut... "Baby I'm Yours" became Shai's third (and last) top ten pop hit in September of 1993. The song also climbed to #19 on Billboard magazine's R&B chart. Internationally, the record went to #40 in New Zealand. A fourth release from If I Ever Fall In Love , the ballad " Together Forever ", missed the pop chart, but managed to go to #...

" Do It Any Way You Wanna " was a hit single for the Chicago duo Cashmere. Appearing on their debut album Let The Music Turn You On , this slice of early electro-funk was the pair's biggest hit, climbing to #21 on Billboard magazine's Disco/Dance chart, and #35 on their R&B chart in 1983.

" I Don't Wanna Fight " - Tina Turner from the album What's Love Got To Do With It (Original Soundtrack) (1993) Billboard Hot 100 peak: #9 (one week) Weeks in the Top-40: 17 Today's song of the day comes from music legend Tina Turner , who was still riding the wave of her amazing comeback in the 1980s by the end of the decade, with her triumphant anthem " The Best " and followup " Steamy Windows " reaching the American top-40 in 1989. Tina began the 90s with a retrospective of mostly her work in the past decade, Simply The Best . But while she included new material, with four tracks reaching the top-40 in the UK (one of them, "Way of the World", peaked at #13), in the U.S. she had zilch such success with any of that, and the hits set itself didn't even make the top half of the albums chart here. But that year also saw her (along with ex-husband Ike) get inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall Of Fame, and by 1993, she was pe...

"Zodiacs" is a track from disco singer Roberta Kelly 's album Zodiac Lady . Released in 1977, the album with featured cuts " Funky Stardust " and " Love Sign " along with "Zodiacs" climbed to #24 on Billboard magazine's Disco/Dance Tracks chart. Kelly's previous hits single " Trouble-Maker " spent two weeks at #1 on that list the year before.

" She Makes Me " is the new single from British pop singer Rick Astley . It's the fourth release from his album Beautiful Life , and in the video, he's the awkward 50 year old I feel to be, all for a special reason revealed at the end. Simply charming song from the " Never Gonna Give You Up " rickroll guy.

" I'm Gonna Be (500 Miles) " - The Proclaimers from the albums Sunshine On Leith (1988) and Benny & Joon (Original Soundtrack) (1993) Billboard Hot 100 peak: #3 (one week) Weeks in the Top-40: 16 Today's song of the day comes from the Proclaimers , who are fronted by Scottish twin brothers Craig and Charlie Reid. Hailing from the Edinburgh suburb of Leith, the pair started the band in the early 1980s, but didn't get their break until the later half of the decade. After touring with British rockers (and pre-Fatboy Slim gig) the Housemartins, they released their debut album, This Is The Story , in 1987. The breakthrough single, " Letter From America ", was a topical look at the plight of the underprivileged in their country who were forced out of their homes by landowners and left the country for the West. Despite the sad story, their earnest and bright performance chimed with the British Isles, climbing to #3 in the UK and #2 in Ireland. The...

" 212 North 12th " is a track from the studio band for the disco label Salsoul Records, the Salsoul Orchestra. Appearing on their 1979 album Street Sense , it charted with the title track on Billboard magazine's Disco/Dance Tracks chart reaching #40. By the way, the address refers to that of the legendary Sigma recording studio in Philadelphia, where the production team of Gamble and Huff set up shop, and where David Bowie's classic Young Americans album was made.

" Out Of Our Heads " is the new single from British boy-band legends Take That . It's the first release from their new retrospective Odyssey , which is on track to becoming the #1 selling album in the UK this week. Originally a five-piece with Robbie Williams and Jason Orange, the current lineup of Gary Barlow, Mark Owen, and Howard Donald will be going on tour next year.

" If I Had No Loot " - Tony, Toni, Toné from the album Sons Of Soul (1993) Billboard Hot 100 peak: #7 (three weeks) Weeks in the Top-40: 17 Today's song of the day comes from the R&B group Tony, Toni, Toné , whose second album The Revival knocked a chart "grand slam" with four #1 hits on Billboard magazine's R&B chart, with two of them reaching the pop top-40: " It Never Rains (In Southern California) " and the top ten " Feels Good ". In 1993, the trio of Rafael Saadiq, D'Wayne Wiggins, and Timothy Riley returned with their third disc, Sons Of Soul . Alluding to their soul roots based on other acts before them, the disc was meant to sound more organic and less polished, like a lot of the overproduced new jack swing records that were out at the time. The first single from the set was the midtempo loose flow of "If I Had No Loot". Not aping the usual canned new jack beat prevalent at the time, the band used ...

" Serpentine Fire " was a single from the R&B/funk collective Earth, Wind & Fire. Appearing on their 1977 album All N' All , the jam never made Billboard magazine's Disco/Dance Tracks chart, but ended up spending seven weeks at #1 on their R&B chart, while peaking at #13 on the American pop Hot 100. It was written by the band's Maurice and Verdine White along with Sonny Burke, while Maurice handled the production. And as a bonus, here's the extended "disco" version...

" Love No Limit " - Mary J. Blige from the album What's The 411? (1992) Billboard Hot 100 peak: #44 This week's "robbed hit" comes from R&B/hip-hop singer Mary J. Blige , whose groundbreaking debut album What's The 411? had already spun off three top-40 pop hits with " You Remind Me ", her remake of Rufus and Chaka Khan's " Sweet Thing ", and the top 10 smash " Real Love ", as well as a top ten R&B hit that missed the top-40, " Reminisce ". The fifth release from the record would be the mid-tempo quiet storm jam "Love No Limit". Written by Kenneth Greene with producer Dave Hall, the jazz-inflected single was a natural for urban radio stations... While "Love No Limit" climbed all the way to #5 on BIllboard magazine's R&B chart, spending almost seven months on the list, the single stopped a few notches from the pop Top-40 in June of 1993. Next up came her collab...

" Hometown " is the new single from "out" country artist Brandon Stansell , who went from dancing behind Taylor Swift to starting his own music career in front of the mic. From his stellar Slow Down album that was released last year (seriously, go pick it up), the song now sports a new and powerful video that depicts a slice of country life where LBGTQ kids are shunned by their own families, leaving them to build new ones to nurture themselves. When country music advertises itself as the genre that "tells stories", yet whose radio stations are inundated with bro posturing and come-on tags, this type of song is exactly what true country is about. Telling stories about all kinds of people in the South (and all over, for that matter).

" Slam " - Onyx from the album Bacdafucup (1993) Billboard Hot 100 peak: #4 (one week) Weeks in the Top-40: 14 Today's song of the day comes from the rap group Onyx , who came together in Queens in the late 1980s as a trio of Fredro Starr, Suave, and Big DS. Run DMC member Jam Master Jay helped them procure a contract with the label his group was on, Profile, adding Fredro's cousin Kirk Jones (aka Sticky Fingaz) to the act. Recording their first album Bacdafucup , which was released in 1993, Onyx took the attitude and anger from punk and rock and applied it to the hip-hop sound to set themselves apart from the rest of the rap pack. Their first single from the record, " Throw Ya Gunz ", was their first to make the charts, going to #61 on Billboard magazine's R&B chart and #81 on the pop Hot 100, but it was a bit too aggressive without a hook to grab attention of the masses. But with their follow-up single, that would all go away as "Sla...

" On Broadway " was a track from jazz-soul artist George Benson 's live album Weekend In L.A. that was released as a single in 1978. The song, originally a sweet doo-wop number from the Drifters , was transformed into a ten-minute jam by Benson and his band in concert.  It went to #7 on the American pop chart, and #2 on Billboard magazine's R&B genre chart, but never made the Disco/Dance tracks chart, even though it got substantial play in nightclubs nationwide...

Belgian singer Ellie Delvaux, who performs under the moniker Blanche , represented her country at the Eurovision Song Contest in 2017, where her entry " City Lights " ended up in fourth place. I wasn't really a fan of her live performance, but I thought the song showed she had potential as a recording artist. She's had a couple of minor hits in Belgium since, but now is back with a single that best shows her true promise. " Moment ", produced by Rich Cooper, will appear on her upcoming debut album...

" By The Time This Night Is Over " - Kenny G with Peabo Bryson from the album Breathless (1992 Kenny G) and Through The Fire (1994 Peabo Bryson) Billboard Hot 100 peak: #25 (one week) Weeks in the Top-40: 7 Today's song of the day comes from soft jazz saxophonist Kenny G , whose Breathless album had already scored a top-40 pop hit in the spring of 1993 with the instrumental " Forever In Love ". The second release from the record featured vocals from soul veteran Peabo Bryson , who had just come off a #1 pop hit that same spring with his song from Aladdin , " A Whole New World ". "By The Time This Night Is Over", a midtempo love ballad written by Michael Bolton with song doctors Diane Warren and Andy Goldmark, put the pair back on mainstream radio... "By The Time This Night Is Over" reached the American Top-40 in July of 1993. The song spent two weeks at #1 on Billboard magazine's Adult Contemporary (or "eas...

" I Love The Nightlife (Disco 'Round) " was the big hit single from disco singer Alicia Bridges . Appearing on her self-titled debut album in 1978, the song spent two weeks at #2 on Billboard magazine's Disco/Dance Tracks chart, as well as reaching #5 on their pop Hot 100 list. Alicia, an open lesbian, was nominated for a Grammy Awards for best female R&B vocal for the record, which Donna Summer won for "Last Dance". The song got new life when it appeared in the movie The Adventures Of Priscilla, Queen Of The Desert in 1994.

" Whoot, There It Is " - 95 South from the album Quad City Knock (1993) Billboard Hot 100 peak: #11 (one week) Weeks in the Top-40: 16 Today's song of the comes from the "bass" hip-hop act 95 South , who named themselves from the highway that traverses their hometown of Jacksonville, Florida. Rappers "AB" Artice Bentley and "Daddy Black" Carlos Spencer, the pair released their debut single "Whoot, There It Is" in the spring of 1993. Originally a local hit, especially in strip clubs, its rep traveled north, where it happens a sidejobbing strip club DJ in Atlanta, Cecil Glenn, put together a group, Tag Team, to record a single with the name " Whoomp! (There It Is) " which sounded a lot like the 95 South record (albeit with a different sample and lyrics). Even though 95 South's was released a couple months before Tag Team's, it was the latter that had the earlier promotion nationwide and in such the edge in ...

" Thank God It's Friday " was the theme to the movie starring Jeff Goldblum and Debra Winger in 1978 at the height of the disco boom. Performed by the studio group Love & Kisses, who were put together by producer Alec Constandinos, who had many acts (including under his own name) releasing songs through the era, the song along with the soundtrack album spent six weeks at #1 on Billboard magazine's Disco/Dance Tracks chart. Along with "TGIF", Donna Summer, who also appeared in the film, was on the chart credit with "Last Dance", as well as Pattie Brooks with "After Dark", and Sunshine with "Take It To The Zoo". The single also climbed to #22 on the American pop chart and #23 R&B.

" Sincerity Is Scary " is the new single from the British modern rock band the 1975 . It's the fourth preview single from their upcoming album A Brief Inquiry Into Online Relationships which is coming out on November 30. The music video is an elaborate dance routine as Matty Healy shuffles his way through a film set in such a fashion not seen since Janet Jackson's " Alright " in the 1990s. I have high hopes that this will end up on my year-end list of favorite albums, and the group deserve all the attention they accrue. Current radio single " Love It If We Made It " is current in the top 20 on Billboard magazine's Alternative Rock radio chart.

Friday's here, and it's time to run down my top 100 tunes from the previous week. Panic At The Disco takes over on top of the chart, while Marshmello and Bastille (pictured above) race into the top five. Former big hits from Drake, the Backstreet Boys, Anne-Marie, Kygo/Miguel, and VASSY/Lodato drop off my list, while songs from Lauren Daigle, Dan + Shay, and Shawn Mendes/Zedd make the biggest leaps (moves of 10+ places highlighted in red ). Now eat up all that leftover turkey! This Week             Song/Artist (last week's position in parentheses) ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------ 1. High Hopes - Panic At The Disco (2) 2. Natural - Imagine Dragons (1) 3. Better Now - Post Malone (3) 4. Happier - Marshmello & Bastille (9) 5. Promises - Calvin Harris & Sam Smith (7) 6. Tequila - Dan + Shay (4) 7. All My Friends - The Revivalists (5) 8...

" Lately " - Jodeci from the album Uptown MTV Unplugged (1993) Billboard Hot 100 peak: #4 (two weeks) Weeks in the Top-40: 22 Today's song of the day comes from the R&B group Jodeci , whose groundbreaking debut album Forever My Lady had landed them five hit soul singles, with two of them reaching the pop top 40: " Forever My Lady " and " Come And Talk To Me ", the latter just missing the top ten in the summer of 1992. In the start of the following year, Jodeci joined fellow Uptown Records labels artists Mary J. Blige, Father MC, Christopher Williams, and Heavy D for a special "acoustic"- style R&B throwdown that was edited down for an album Uptown MYV Unplugged . In addition to those two top-40 hits along with the ballad "Stay", which peaked at #41, Jodeci performed a cover of a Stevie Wonder song that had never reeieved the attention it deserved. "Lately", written and produced by Wonder on his 1981 album...

To honor Thanksgiving, instead of serving up my normal "Disco Dessert", I'm pulling out a deep cut ballad from one of the biggest acts in the genre, Sister Sledge , with their non-album track " Thank You For Today ". Released in 1976, the song never made the pop chart, and only rose to #78 on Billboard magazine's R&B list, but this sweet slow number is the perfect end to today. Cheers.

Hey guys, I'm taking the day off from the bloggie (well, TBH I'm at work today), but instead of a song of the day, here's a song to take to heart today, from the Brothers Osborne's album Port Saint Joe .  Happy Thanksgiving.

While the disco classic " Love Is In The Air " from Australian singer John Paul Young was having success internationally, another version of the song from Canadian artist Martin Stevens was released to capitalize on the local market, which granted special privileges and increased airplay from homegrown acts. His version never made the disco charts in America, but it managed to climb to #19 on the official Canadian singles chart in 1978, and appeared on his self-titled debut album.

" Worst Nites " is the new single from modern rock band Foster The People . It follows " Sit Next To Me ", which is on track to be in the running for the top song of the year in my personal chart countdown, which will be arriving in the middle of December. Meanwhile, this gem features a music video that I have to give warning to coulrophobics. The song is so far just a stand-alone single...

" Can't Get Enough Of Your Love " - Taylor Dayne from the album Soul Dancing (1993) Billboard Hot 100 peak: #20 (two weeks) Weeks in the Top-40: 9 Today's song of the day comes from dance-pop singer Taylor Dayne , whose booming voice was instantly recognizable and powered into seven consecutive top ten hits on Billboard magazine's pop Hot 100 chart (with an eighth just missing by a couple of notches). In the spring of 1990 she went all the way to #1 with the ballad " Love Will Lead You Back ", expanding her range as well as her audience, while the album it came from, Can't Fight Fate , also scored with " With Every Beat Of My Heart ", " I'll Be Your Shelter ", and " Heart Of Stone ". In 1993, Dayne returned with her third release on Arista Records, Soul Dancing , but instead of rolling out another club banger (like album opener "I'll Wait"), label chief Clive Davis had her cover a smooth disco...