Monday 11 October 2010

Dance to the Disco



When I was a kid I loved to skate. It was a real treat going to the Saturday morning roller discos way back in 87. I used to go with three other kids — and their mum would take us.
There would be a morning class, for which I graduated through 3 levels.




We then spent the rest of the morning skating to the sounds of Michael Jackson, Billy Ocean, Kylie Minogue, Cheap Trick, Queen, you name it.
When a romantic song played the main lights would go out, and the effect lights kicked in, and the centrally located disco ball illuminated the room — it was pure magic.
There would also be a dance competition (with or without skates) to “Walk the Dinosaur”, “The Birdie Song”, and “Time Warp”. I once won a bag of Fantails.
Eventually though those days ended. I jumped on the inline skate bandwagon. But was sorely disappointed, as my old roller skating skills and tricks could not be applied to the inlines.
After a few years I wanted to return to the roller skates, but by then I was in my teen years and it felt like my 80s dream was finally over.
That was a fair while ago, and I have long heard that disco is dead. Yet today, a quick glance at google images I type in ‘disco’ or even ‘roller disco’, and discover that it hasn’t entirely bitten the dust. I suspect, for some of the people who lived it, there is still something that lives on in their hearts.
With a bit more research, I came across sites selling skates — brand new. There are dance clubs around the globe that still offer roller disco nights. And there are [gasp] roller derbies again on the rise.
For your pleasure I have created a list of music and movies that fit the roller disco theme. You can have a disco themed party — celebrate the 70s or 80s at your discretion. Or if you are like me you’ll just combine and enjoy it all.




Disco (& Roller Disco) Film Marathon 


  • Roller Boogie (1979) 
  • Thank God It’s Friday (1978) 
  • Saturday Night Fever (1977) 
  • The Last Days of Disco (1998) 
  • Studio 54 (1998) 

70s Disco Music Mix
  • Don’t Leave Me This Way (Thelma Houston) 
  • I Will Survive (Gloria Gaynor) 
  • You Make Me Feel Mighty Real (Sylvester) 
  • Dance Dance Dance (Chic) 
  • Stayin Alive (Bee Gees) 
  • Please Don’t Let Me Be Misunderstood (Santa Esmeralda) 
  • You Sexy Thing (Hot Chocolate) 
  • Hot Stuff (Donna Summer) 
  • Disco Duck (Rick Dees) 
  • I Love the Nightlife (Alicia Bridges) 

80s Roller Disco Music Mix 
  • Don’t Be Cruel (Cheap Trick) 
  • Thriller (Michael Jackson) 
  • Crazy Little Thing Called Love (Queen) 
  • Nutbush City Limits (Tina Turner) 
  • The Time of My Life (Bill Medley & Jennifer Warnes) 
  • The Birdie Song (The Tweets) 
  • Time Warp (Rocky Horror cast) 
  • Walk the Dinosaur (Was, Not Was) 
  • When the Going Gets Tough, the Tough Get Going (Billy Ocean) 
  • Rockin Robin (Michael Jackson) 
  • The Loco-Motion (Kylie Minogue) 
  • Hungry Eyes (Eric Carmen) 
  • Ghostbusters (Ray Parker Jr)