Love is the Message: Dance, Music and Counterculture – Details, episodes & analysis

In this episode Jeremy and Tim complete our mini-series on the opening of Studio 54. They discuss links between underground and mainstream both generally and specific to 1977 NYC, consider the importance of celebrities to the Studio project, and interrogate the velvet rope. We hear about Bianca Jagger’s birthday party, spend more time thinking about Richard Long and his sound system designs, and ask who really is a native New Yorker?

We’ll be away for the summer holidays, but will be back with more music, sound systems and counterculture in September. For now, why not dig into our back archive of bonus episodes on by becoming a patron at patreon.com/LoveMessagePod

Produced and edited by Matt Huxley.

Tracklist:

Sweet Cream - I Don't Know What I'd Do 

Olympic Runners - Keep It Up 

Odyssey - Native New Yorker 

Le Pamplemousse – Le Spank 

The Trammps - The Night The Lights Went Out 

In this episode Jeremy and Tim walk us past the velvet rope and into opening night at Studio 54. They introduce us to Steve Rubell and Ian Schrager, the two businessmen who owned the club, as well as to the often overlooked Carmen D’Alessio, who’s taste and art world connections were crucial to the look and feel of the party. Through these characters and more we get to learn about the founding of Studio 54.

We also hear discussions on Muzak, eclecticism, returning champion Nicky Siano, and the aesthetics of ‘smoothness’. Tim and Jeremy interrogate the surprising links between Downtown and Midtown, explore how journalists tried to understand the Studio 54 phenomenon, and contemplate whether they even like disco anymore.

Produced and edited by Matt Huxley.

Tracklist:

The Ritchie Family - Brazil 

Anthony Whyte - Block Party (A Walter Gibbons Mix) 

Chic - Dance Dance Dance 

Santa Esmeralda - Don’t Let Me Be Misunderstood 

This is an excerpt from a patrons-only episode. To hear the whole thing and a lot more besides, head to Patreon.com/LoveMessagePod.

In this patrons’ episode we conclude our trio of episodes on Glam Rock.

Tim and Jeremy pick up where they left off with a walk on the wild side. This leads to a discussion of the relationship between Lou Reed, Bowie and Iggy Pop in the early 70s. They discuss the undisputed glam anthem Cum on Feel the Noize from Birmingham’s finest Slade, replete with its football terrace chant and fist-pumping energy. And on the mellower side, explore the idea of glam as torch song, with entries from international treasure Elton John and a return to the show for Roxy Music.

Jeremy and Tim conclude the episode with an acceptance of the might of Queen and a brief scintilla of postmodernism - much more of that to follow.

Produced and edited by Matt Huxley.

Tracklist:

Lou Reed - Walk on the Wild Side

David Bowie - Moonage Daydream

Slade - Cum On Feel The Noize

Suzi Quatro - Glycerine Queen

Elton John - Goodbye Yellow Brick Road

Roxy Music - In Every Dream Home a Heartache

Queen - Killer Queen

In the second episode of our third series, Tim and Jeremy describe a psychedelic aesthetic appearing in the transformative and rapturous musics of the American Black church, Rastafarian Jamaica and Nigeria, with reference to Gospel, Juju, Reggae and Funk. They counterpoint this with a strain of musical antipathy with roots in Plato and iterating in radical Protestant tendencies throughout history, while also pointing up the specific and slightly scary millenarianism to the utopias imagined through the tunes discussed.

Tim and Jeremy also spend a good amount of time on the West Coast Acid Rock scene, contemplating the edginess of the sound and it's representation of paranoid psychoactive experiences; the musical expressions of Caribbean Brits in the early '70s; and touch some more on Afro-Futurism, with specific reference to the playful childlike energy of space-facing Parliament-Funkadelic.

Tim Lawrence and Jeremy Gilbert are authors, academics, DJs and audiophile dance party organisers. They’ve been friends and collaborators since 1997, teaching together and running parties since 2003. With clubs closed and half their jobs lost to university cuts, they’re inevitably launching a podcast.  Produced and edited by Matt Huxley.

Tune in, Turn on, Get Down!

Tracklist:

Mahalia Jackson - A City Called Heaven
The Staple Singers - This May be the Last Time
The Voices of East Harlem - Shaker Life
Love - Revelation Santana - Toussaint L'Ouverture
Cymande - Dove
King Sunny Adé - 365 Is My Number / The Message
Nairobi Sisters - Promised Land
Parliament - Mothership Connection (Star Child)

and some reading for this week's episode:

Jayna Brown, Black Utopias: Speculative Life and the Music of Other Worlds, Duke UP 2021
Christopher Waterman, Juju: A Social History and Ethnography of an African Popular Music, University of Chicago Press, 1990
Craig Werner, A Change Is Gonna Come: Music, Race and the Soul of America, Canongate 2002

This is an excerpt of a full length episode currently only available to patrons. To become a patron and support what we're doing from £3 per month, head to www.patreon.com/LoveMessagePod.

In this patrons-only bonus episode, Jeremy and Tim have a conversation about what music has been on their turntables recently.  

In line with the themes of our new series, Tim and Jeremy have been on an Afro-Psychedelic tip recently. In this show they discuss the relational philosophies of early '70s anti-colonial Africa, the UK's brilliant current strain of psychedelic jazz, and link Floating Points' new release to Vangelis, prog rock and 'Hooked On Classics'.

We also hear excerpts from the only record Hendrix ever produced, consider the importance of vocal records to a party, and hear some sublime House selections to lift your spirits as the weather gets colder.  This is part of a rough series of more conversational, unplanned episodes reflecting on what's been on our record players recently and what we've been up to that we'll be releasing to patrons to say thank you for your support.

Produced and edited by Matt Huxley.  

The tracks discussed are:

Miriam Makeba - I'mm You'mm We'mm
Floating Points - Promises mvt. 4
Sly & the Family Stone - Everyday People
Bunn Debrett Quintet - Someday
Cat Mother & the All Night Newsboys - Track in A (Nebraska Nights)
Soma World - Want This (feat. Falle)
Phenomenal Handclap Band - Judge Not (Ray Mang Special Mix)
Guided Souls - Freedom's Light
Sofia Kourtesis - La Perla

Love is the Message returns with series 3! In our last cluster of episodes, Tim Lawrence and Jeremy Gilbert took a deep look at the musical, social and political currents flowing through New York City from the late '60s to around 1975. This time, they're turning their attention outwards, expanding their analysis of this crucial period of time to include South America, the Caribbean, West Africa and parts of Asia.

In this opening episode of the series, Tim and Jeremy are exploring American examples of Afro-Psychedelia. They begin by defining the term, alongside its close cousin Afro-Futurism. They then discuss the psychedelic experiences of a number of Black American musicians, and interrogate the often misrepresentative history of Black America's involvement in Acid culture. Taking in great musicians like Sun Ra and Hendrix, Tim and Jeremy talk about how both Ancient Egypt and outer space recur as images of alternative and utopian possibilities, and consider the esteem with which jazz musicians of the time held Indian Classical music. We end the show by thinking about the different yet huge legacies of John and Alice Coltrane as spiritual musical innovators.

Tim Lawrence and Jeremy Gilbert are authors, academics, DJs and audiophile dance party organisers. They’ve been friends and collaborators since 1997, teaching together and running parties since 2003. With clubs closed and half their jobs lost to university cuts, they’re inevitably launching a podcast.

Produced and edited by Matt Huxley.

We are committed to making Love is the Message free to everyone who wants it, but if you have the means, please become a supporter by visiting www.patreon.com/LoveMessagePod for as little as £3 a month so we can stay free.

Tune in, Turn on, Get Down!

Tracklist:

Sun Ra - Space is the Place
Robert Johnson - Crossroad Blues
Sun Ra - UFO
John Coltrane - Om pt.1
Jimi Hendix - Valleys of Neptune
Alice Coltrane - Journey in Satchidananda

This is an excerpt from a patrons-only LITM Extra episode. To hear the whole thing, as well as conversations between Tim and Jeremy about what they've been listening to, intermittent lectures, listeners' questions and more, visit www.patreon.com/LoveMessagePod to become a patron from £3 a month.

Continuing our ongoing patrons-only reading series, Tim picks up where he left off in his 2004 book 'Love Saves the Day: A History of American Dance Music Culture 1970-1979'. I'm sure you'll all have heard him reference the book the show, and many of you will have read it, so here we present a reading series of the book to compliment the Love is the Message project.

In Chapter 1 part 2, we hear about 'Le Club' and the first discotheques of New York; how a converted church came to be known as The Sanctuary nightclub, and how Francis Grasso scored the gig of DJing there; and we dig into the NYC underbelly to hear about the involvement of the Mafia in the gay bars and clubs of Manhattan.

Thank you for your continued support of the show - we couldn't do it without you.

Expect to hear much more from the book in the coming months, as well as more patrons-only content and a new series of the main show.

Tune in, turn on, get down!

This is an excerpt from a patrons-only episode. To hear the whole thing, along with accessing lots more LITM Extra content, go to www.patreon.com/LoveMessagePod to become a patron from £3 per month.

In this patrons-only episode of LITM Extra, Tim and Jeremy take questions from you, the listeners. They talk about the portrayal of disco as synthetic music, the misplaced protest of rock musicians and fans against the genre, and dig into the odd phenomenon of the novelty disco single.

Tim and Jeremy also share with us the system components David Mancuso used at the Loft, including amps, turntables and cartridges, and respond to the accusation of retro behaviour.

And to close out, we hear some of our favourite modern disco remixes and learn the how to talk about bangers in Seventies lingo.  

Tracklist:
Rick Dees - Disco Duck
Gorillaz - Dare (DFA Remix)
Sandy's Gang - Hungry (Sean P Re-edit)
Loose Joints - Is It All Over My Face (Kon's Duet Mix)
Sister Sledge - Lost in Music

We've unlocked this patrons-only bonus episode from August, in which Jeremy and Tim have a conversation about what music they're listening to at the moment. To hear more of these conversations, along with book readings, lectures, Q&As and (soon) interviews, become a patron from £3 per month by visiting www.patreon.com/LoveMessagePod.

Tim and Jeremy discuss New Orleans hip hop, big edits of legendary tunes, reissue culture, online digging, playfulness in music, and getting back into the saddle of DJing again.

This is part of a rough series of more conversational, unplanned episodes reflecting on what's been on our record players recently and what we've been up to that we'll be releasing to patrons to say thank you for your support.

The tracks discussed are:

Mario Rui Silva - Kazum-zum-zum
Sylvester & the Hot Band - Southern Man
The Invisible Session - People All Around the World, Can Make It
Butch - LSD-25
79ers Gang - 79ers Bout to Blow
Ash Ra Tempel - Ain't No Time For Tears (The Sacred Rhythm Mix)
Muckers - Out of County

If you like the clips we played, we'd encourage you to support the artists and buy the tracks, most of which are available on bandcamp, starting with Out of County! https://muckers.bandcamp.com/releases

Produced and edited by Matt Huxley.

This is the an excerpt from the audio of our first patrons-only 'Live Conversations' between ourselves and our patrons, which took place over Zoom on the 10th September. To hear the whole thing, and to participate in the next one, along with accessing lots more LITM Extra content, go to www.patreon.com/LoveMessagePod to become a patron from £3 per month.

Tim and Jeremy discussed and took questions on Acid, Ecstacy, and the 'downer' drugs; talked about the particulars of the Japanese listening bar culture and it's impact on both their own soundsystem and David Mancuso; and gave their top tip on what is the best amplifier for the Klipshorn speakers.

We also chatted about the role of early internet culture, hear a funny anecdote about David being trolled on Deep House Forum, and reflect more broadly on the Love is the Message project.

Produced and edited by Matt Huxley.

Tune in, Turn on, Get down!