This week we lost one of the true, original disco DJs, Tony Smith. If you hop over to my Instagram profile, you can read about the time I randomly met Tony in NYC, when he had just gotten back into DJing after taking a hiatus away from the decks. I can’t stress just how nice he was to me that night, and how his genuine love for the music came through in his playing.
Tony was the resident DJ at Barefoot Boy, later Xenon, and Funhouse, among others. He was also a good friend of the eccentric DJ/production genius, Walter Gibbons. Most recently, Tony had been holding it down on SiriusXM Studio 54 radio, where he would do a live program where he mixed classics seamlessly. RIP Tony Smith, a true legend of disco.
All of the tracks on this mix (except one) come directly from Tony’s top 10 lists sent to Record World Magazine, which were published in Vince Aletti’s anthology “The Disco Files 1973-78.” These are all tracks he played at Barefoot Boy, or Xenon, or Magique. It was a pleasure mixing them together to honor his memory.
Tracklist for May 5, 2021
01 :: The Trammps – That’s Where The Happy People Go [Atlantic]
02 :: Freddie Perren – 2 Pigs And A Hog [Motown]
03 :: Thelma Houston – I’m Here Again (Edit By Mr. K) [Most Excellent Unlimited]
04 :: Barbara Pennington – Twenty-Four Hours A Day [United Artists Records]
05 :: Vicki Sue Robinson – Turn The Beat Around [RCA Victor]
06 :: Anthony White – Block Party [Salsoul Records]
07 :: Voyage – Lady America [TK Disco]
08 :: Musique – In The Bush (Special Disco Re-Mix) [CBS]
09 :: BT Express – Peace Pipe [Soul Jazz Records]
10 :: LaBelle – Messin’ With My Mind [Most Excellent Unlimited]
11 :: Demis Roussos – L.O.V.E. Got A Hold Of Me [Mercury]
12 :: Lenny Williams – You Got Me Running [ABC Records]
13 :: Jimmy Bo’ Horne – Get Happy [TK Disco]
14 :: JĂ KKI – Sun…Sun…Sun [Pyramid]
15 :: Universal Robot Band – Dance And Shake Your Tambourine [Red Greg Records]
16 :: Andrea True Connection – More, More, More [Soul Jazz Records]
17 :: Silver Convention – Fly, Robin Fly [Midland International]
18 :: Donna Summer – Love To Love You Baby [Casablanca]
19 :: Stevie Wonder – Ordinary Pain [Motown]
20 :: Diana Ross – Love Hangover (1st Take Remix) [JVS Records]
21 :: The Salsoul Orchestra – Nice ‘N’ Naasty [Salsoul Records]
22 :: Juggy Murray Jones – Inside America [Garage Classics]
23 :: Tasha Thomas – Shoot Me (With Your Love) (Vocal) [Atlantic]
24 :: Edwin Starr – Contact [20th Century Fox Records]
25 :: Double Exposure – Ten Per Cent [Salsoul Records]
26 :: The O’Jays – I Love Music [Philadelphia International Records]
27 :: Bambu – I Don’t Wanna Lose It [Zebra Records]
28 :: People’s Choice – Here We Go Again [TSOP]
29 :: Peaches & Herb – Shake Your Groove Thing [Polydor]
30 :: Double Exposure – My Love Is Free [Salsoul Records]