MUSC 2019 Lecture Notes - Lecture 16: Ethel Merman, Bee Gees, Village People
Lecture 16 - Disco (End), Punk
April 17, 2018
1:11 PM
Saturday Night Fever (1977)
• A drama film about disco
• Music is by the Bee Gees
• It "macho-izes" disco to make "macho" people like disco
• Ethel Merman gets a disco album
• Popularized disco - everyone tries to get famous by disco because it's ubiquitous
Song: "Stayin' Alive" - Bee Gees
• 4 on the floor bass drum
• Pulsating hi-hats
• Disco strings - gives a lush richness
The Village People
• Producer - Jacques Morali
o French producer
o Fell in love with the Philly Soul
o Moves to New York, becomes a regular at Studio 54
• Studio 54
o Venue for many gay people
o "Anything goes" atmosphere
o Many rich, high class people went there
• Located in Greenwich
o The site of the urban folk revival
o A musically talented area
• Members represented a particular gay stereotype regardless whether or not they are
o Projects gay identity
o During this time, coming out as gay was pretty much a death sentence
o Nobody thought they could be gay because they were projecting so much "gayness"
• YMCA
o Aka. Young Men's Christian Association
o A fitness association
o A haven for gay men where they could feel safe regardless who they are
• Song: "YMCA"
o 4 on the floor
o Mainstream white, heterosexual people didn't understand what the song was about, and
they still liked the song
o Celebrates gay identity
• Song: "In the navy"
o Talking about hard times in life - in a minor key
o Chorus - talking about how everything is okay in the Navy - in a major key
o People didn't realize how it was celebrating gay identity
find more resources at oneclass.com
find more resources at oneclass.com
