David Shire (1977) Salsation - LOST 70s GEMS

A lesser known tune off the generation, scene defining Saturday Night Fever soundtrack is this David Shire instrumental of blaring horns, frenetic percussion, Zapata styled melodies and the usual urban Disco synth and sweeping string lines There is a traditional salsa beat to it all with the dancing rhythms of the horns and occasional flutes and electric pianos. Like a manifesto for the diversity of the Disco sound that could incorporate all ethnic music into a underlying rhythm, after all the album had great instrumentals far from the pop, rock and soul of the Bee Gees and Tavares with the Night on Disco Mountain. The latter a funkified adaption of a classic called Night on Blad Mountain, full of tom toms and cymbal driven groove to heighten the suite's doom laden original's strings. Later on there are some glassy synthesizers to mimic the stout, Russian melodies with modern zeal. The wah wah fills giving much needed colour to fill out the twirling and punching arrangements in much the same way Salsation mixes Disco strings to a vibrant salsa horn section.

It was truly universal music that was slammed by the homogeneous white Rock crowd who feel into more neater categories of New Wave and Arena in a post Punk deserted wasteland of the creativity of the the first half of 70s rock.