Monday, August 31, 2015

W.O.C.K On Vinyl - Mad Disco: Disco Suicide (1980)

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Before things get too serious here at Rock On Vinyl, I thought it might be fun to post a song / album at the end of each month, that could be categorized as being either Weird, Obscure, Crazy or just plain Korny
   
Still lampooning your favourite TV shows, satirising popular movies and lambasting popular junk culture. With over 50 years experience in the field of satire you think these idiots would know better! With so much popular culture in their face they are a difficult group to reach and even more difficult to influence because of their curious/cynical approach to consumer products and entertainment.
One magazine that stands out in this market segment, and has been influencing generations of teenagers since 1978 in Australia, is Mad Magazine. In fact the original import goes back to the 60s and Mad's influence is just as fresh today as it ever was. This zany publication takes a satirical sword to everything

For a complete run down on the history of the MAD magazine, see dtmagazine.com


This month's W.O.C.K on Vinyl looks at a flexi disk that was released with a MAD Magazine back in 1980.  The magazine itself was unique in many respects. It was the only issue of MAD without a number or cover date. It was the only issue of MAD devoted to a single subject to contain it’s own 33 1/3 floppy record. It was the only 32 page MAD ever published. And it’s the only issue of MAD to ever have: “MAD DISCO as an idea conceived by Dick DeBartolo” on the contents page. 

So here’s the back-story as told by Dick DeBartolo, MAD's Maddest Writer

I loved Disco.  Heck, I loved it so much I built a disco right inside my 50 foot houseboat complete with “infinity floor’, fog and bubble machines. And talk about a tough “door policy”. The only way to get into Disco Dick’s was to know it existed!
Meanwhile at MAD I wrote a lot of disco satires, which just kept piling up on the editor’s desk. Finally I told MAD Publisher Bill Gaines that if we didn’t do something with them soon, disco would be on its way out. So we could use all the material at one time, Gaines asked if I could get some of the other Usual Gang of Idiots to contribute enough to make MAD’s first (and only) Special Edition. I said I could, and I did! So MAD Disco was born. Features include: MAD'S Disco Owner of the Year / A MAD History of Dancing /MAD'S Disco Mother Goose Rhymes /Slipped Disco – The complete Disco Magazine /Don Martin's Guide to Disco Sounds / "Six Minutes" Looks at Disco.
 A 30 minute 331/3 rpm Flexi Disc titled "Mad Disco” was bound inside. It was a floppy vinyl record – with an emphasis on Flop.  Songs included:   "Disco Suicide"   /   "Sorry, No Words"  / "This Time, This Night" / "Barely Alive" / “The Disco Clap" / And a Disco Version of the World Famous MAD Song: "It's A Gas" -  Lyrics by Dick DeBartolo, Music By Norm Blagman PLUS: Music & Lyrics for all the songs (except It’s A Gas) are also in this issue! 

I just love MAD's theme track "It's A Gas" and the belches throughout the song can only place this disc in the Crazy and Korny categories. 
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Tracklist
A1     Disco Suicide

A2     Sorry, No Words
A3     This Time, This Night
B1     Barely Alive
B2     The Disco Clap
B3     It's A Gas


MAD Link (67Mb)
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6 comments:

  1. You mad cheeky boy, must be September fools Day, cute Gopher on the link log in page!!!

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  2. I can't seem to get to the download page on this one. The link takes me to the Deposit Files page but only a log in to upload, not download???

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  3. Thanks Aussie, all good. I always look forward to your new finds.
    Mark

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  4. I've still got my MAD disco record. I don't know what happened to the magazine though..
    I didn't think anyone else was MAD enough to still have this record.
    Thanks for the memory.

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  5. Many, many thanks for the great rip of the flexi - I have heard two or three rips of this over the years and this is by far the best I have heard -absolutely mint.

    Also thanks for the large scan of the magazine cover!

    Though this was obviously a satire on disco (at the very moment when the 'disco sucks' meme was at its height) - many fans of 70s disco, myself included have a real fondness for this record - the music itself is excellent and the tracks often surface on disco mix compilations - perhaps that explains the relatively high price for the magazine.

    I have never actually read this particular issue of MAD so if anyone ever comes across a scan of it, it would be great if they could post a link.

    I'm just beginning my journey into the WOCK and what a way to start! You sir, are a star!

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