The tastemaker "minimix" accompanying my weekly substack newsletter. Read all about the iconic Telex track "Moscow Discow" and what ChatGPT had to say about Belgian disco (or should I say hallucinate). A fun story to start of the weekend (or whatever day or time period you read this 😄). The mix starts of with Moscow Discow in the combined French/English version, followed by "Cosmos Trip" by Dan Lacksman, one of the Telex members. "Cosmos Trip" dates from before Moscow Discow. You could consider it a previous version of the latter. The trio is completed by the Sparks. Enjoy

The Twelve Inch 109 : Moscow Discow : Disco/Eurodisco/Electro - 1979 - Beatmixed

The Twelve Inch series continues with this new episode. Hi-Nrg disco of 1979. Can you guess who sings the first song ?

The Twelve Inch 112 : Let Me Take You Dancing : Disco/Eurodisco/Hi-NRG - 1979

A thorough deep dive into the mid 80's dance pop. 
Featuring : Mylene Farmer/CC Catch/Jakie Quartz/Stephanie/Sandra/Alpaville/Hall & Oates/Fleetwood Mac/Madonna/Johnny Hates Jazz/Art Of Noise/Den Harrow/Hazell Dean/Broads/Genesis/Eurythmics/Robert Palmer/Bryan Ferry/Ken Laszlo/Wham

The Twelve Inch 88 : Tristana : Dance-Pop/Italo/Eurodance - 1986

The soundtrack to the story of Rick James, his 1985 hit "Glow", the evolution of funk music in the slipstream of disco and his rivalry with Prince.
This week's mix starts with three brilliant Rick James productions : Glow/Val Young's "Seduction" and The Mary Jane Girls with "Break It Up". There are some gems of mid eighties Synth funk with West Philips "I'm Just A Sucker For A Pretty Face" and Julia & Company's "Breakin' Down (Sugar Samba)". We end with Prince productions by Sheila E & Sheena Easton. This is eighties music at its best ! Enjoy !

Featuring : Rick James/Val Young/Mary Jane Girls/Alisha/Fox The Fox/Steve Arrington/Chico & Debarge/Julia & Company/West Philips/Change/Sheila E/Sheena Easton/Janet Jackson

The Twelve Inch 116 : Glow : Funk/Synth-Funk/Post-Disco - 1985

This week's Substack episode of "The Twelve Inch" recounts the story of Anne Clark and her iconic song "Sleeper In Metropolis"
I enjoyed making this week’s mix even more than usual, because it comes quite close to the sort of set I would play when dj-ing a party at the start of the eighties. It is a combination between New-Wave, Synth-Pop & Electro.

Featuring : Anne Clark/S.P.K./Man Parrish/Kraftwerk/Hipnosis/B-Movie/Shock/Simple Minds/A Flock Of Seagulls/Tears For Fears/The Human League/Quando Quango/Konk/E.S.G./Set The Tone/Yazoo/Klein & MBO

The Twelve Inch 121 : Sleeper In Metropolis : New-Wave/Synth-Pop/Electro - 1983

The soundtrack to my substack blog. Episode 115 is all about Adamski's "Killer" and the Acid-House Phenomenon. Want to know how Seal & Adamski got to make "Killer" a..well.. Killer (pun intended). And how they succeeded in getting to number 1 in spite of the moral outrage around Acid-House at that time ? Head on over to Substack (and subscribe so you don't miss the new episodes I publish every Friday).
This week's mix explores the club soundscape of 1990. Adamski & Seal start off and via the KLF, Utah Saints, Blue Pearl, Raze & Deee-Lite we eventually end up with U2 & Madonna !

The Twelve Inch 115 : Killer : Acid-House/House/Balearic - 1990

Another of my pure disco extravaganzas. If this doesn't make you move then you have a serious problem. Go see the doctor (or play the mix again)

Featuring : Wildflower/Montreal Sound/Ronn Matlock/TJM/Gary's Gang/Addrisi Brothers/Wild Fantasy/Cerrone/Ray Martinez/Erotic Drum Band/Boney M/Cozy Powell/Gloria Gaynor/Sticky Jones Gang/202 Machine/Kiss/Sabu/Witch Queen/Wings/Poussez/Sylvester/Ashford & Simpson/O'Jays

The Twelve Inch 87 : Reach Out I'll Be There : Disco/Boogie/Old-School - 1977

The BPM is 103 and we are at the end of the eighties. This means : funk, R&B, world music, hip-hop & house.

I start with the twelve inch version of “Are You My Baby”, followed by Sheena Easton’s funky “What Comes Naturally”. Prince '(Get Off) and his production “Martina’s Kitchen” by Martina are next. 

The mix has world music by Les Rita Mitsouko and Les Negresses Vertes. Hip-hop by De La Soul and The Beastie Boys and House by  William Orbit’s Bass-O-Matic, Madonna & Grace Jones. 

Feauturing : Wendy & Lisa/Sheena Easton/Prince/Martika/Janet Jackson/Diana Brown & Barry K Sharp/De La Soul/Beastie Boys/Les Rita Mitsouko/Les Negresses Vertes/Flowered Up/Bass-O-Matic/Aswad/Family Stand/Innocence/Madonna/Grace Jones

The Twelve Inch 123 - Are You My Baby : Funk/Hip-Hop/Old School - 1989

A deep dive in the post-punk/new wave/Synth-Pop from the US & Europe.
If you want to read the story behind "The Magnificent Seven" and how The Clash got their inspiration in New-York : https://thetwelveinch.substack.com/p/the-twelve-inch-114-the-magnificent

Featuring : The Clash/David Bowie/2 Belgen/Fad Gadget/Fun Boy Three/Talking Heads/Simple Minds/Dramatis/Liquid/Allez Allez/Gang of Four/Cabaret Voltaire/Yazoo/I-Level/The Quick/Spandau Ballet/52nd Street

The Twelve Inch 114 : Magnificent Seven : New-Wave/Post-Punk/Synth-Pop - 1981

This week’s mix takes you on a deep dive of the two disco characteristics. The first half hour is devoted to percussion heavy, latin influences disco tracks of 1977, kicking off with “The Bull”.  The selection goes as close as possible to its salsa origins with The Fania All Stars among the featured artists.

The middle section consists of two tracks from 1977 that announced the more minimal disco productions of the later disco years: a track of the Chic debut album and Bionic Boogie, the studio collective that helped introduce talents like Luther Vandross & Jocelyn Brown.

The second half hour is pure Philly Sound with the O’Jays, MFSB, Teddy Pendergrass, Harold Melvin & First Choice

Featuring : Mike Theodore Orchestra/David Shire/Fania All Stars/Fatback/Joe Bataan/Hot Ice/Baryl Cunningham/Red Point Orchestra/Freestyle/Chic/Bionic Boogie/O'Jays/Teddy Pendergrass/M.F.S.B./People's Choice/Salsoul Orchestra/First Choice/Harold Melvin & Blue Notes

The Twelve Inch 124 : The Bull : Disco/Latin Beats/Philly Sound - 1977

A full 1 hour Beatmix which ventures into the Synth-Pop, New Pop & New Wave genres of 1984 Britain
Featuring : Talk Talk/Culture Club/ABC/Robert Girl & Annie Lennox/Duran Duran/Drum Theatre/English Evenings/Human League/Bill Sharpe & Gary Numan/Torch Song/Freddie Mercury/Mike Mareen/Time Bandits/2 Belgen/Wet/Stephen "Tin Tin" Duffy

The Twelve Inch 105 : It's My Life : Synth-Pop/New Pop/New-Wave - 1984

It's DISCO MIX MONDAY !
An exploration of one the key elements of (early) disco : the "chicken-scratch rhythm" guitar sound. Dancing shoes on the ready ! Here we go !

Featuring : Boney M/Brothers/Southroad Connection/Tony Wilson/Salsoul Orchestra/Bebu Silvetti/Cloud One/George McCrae/Banbarra/Kc & Sunshine Band/Ohio Players/Michel Polnareff/Brenda & The Tabulations/Ashford & Simpson/DC Larue/Melba Moore/MFSB/The Dells/Eli's Second Coming/Charo/Rose Royce/Thelma Houston/Tavares

The Twelve Inch 85 : I'm Your Boogie Man : Disco/Boogie/Funky - 1977

“Heart of Glass” marks the beginning of an exciting journey through the evolving dance music landscape of 1979. It’s a dive into disco, but with a twist—funk-infused grooves that paved the way for the synth-funk explosion that followed in the years ahead.
Read my Substack column : https://thetwelveinch.substack.com/p/the-twelve-inch-126-heart-of-glass

This mix features legends like Chic, Shalamar, Stanley Clarke, Cheryl Lynn, Instant Funk, and Ashford & Simpson, capturing the essence of an era where funk and disco intertwined. I wrap it all up with one of my all-time favorite tracks from Rick James: "You & I." Prepare to groove!
Featuring : Blondie/Eddy Grant/Frisky/Real Thing/Loose Change/Stanley Clarke/Instant Funk/Cheryl Lynn/Joe Bataan/Charanga 76/Chic/Shalamar/Ashford & Simpson/Trussel/Damon Harris/Rick James

The Twelve Inch 126 : Heart Of Glass : Disco/Post-Punk/Funk - 1979

As summer 2024 begins to wind down (at least in the northern hemisphere), it feels like the perfect time to dive into the unique phenomenon of the “holiday hit.” Or how the power of European tourism became a musical conduit in the eighties. The millions of people, soaking up the sun in southern Europe brought the songs they've heard on their holidays home and created the segway for French & Italian dance to break through in the rest of Europe. In this week's Substack newsletter I tell the story of one of the best examples : Voyage Voyage by Desireless. In this week's mix you'll encounter many more examples of the songs that became souvenirs of the summer holidays.
https://thetwelveinch.substack.com/p/the-twelve-inch-127-voyage-voyage

Featuring : Desireless/Righeira/Magazine 60/Sabrina/Debut De Soirée/Images/Matia Bazar/Leopold Nord & Vous/Jeanne Mas/Niagara/Stephanie/Centerfold/Kim Wilde/Moses/Fun Fun/Den Harrow

The Twelve Inch 127 : Voyage Voyage : Eurodisco/Eurodance/Italo-disco - 1987

This week's newsletter on Substack is all about the eighties dance remixes of Paul McCartney. Our way into that story is his 1989 house twelve inch "Où Est Le Soleil". The accompanying mix explores the 1989 house scene further with a lot of work of the biggest remixers of the era : Shep Pettibone, Justin Strauss & Arthur Baker. It's a mix of well known tracks and some deep cuts !
https://thetwelveinch.substack.com/p/the-twelve-inch-130-ou-est-le-soleil

Featuring : Paul McCartney/Cathy Dennis/Narada Michael Walden/Yazz/The Jets/Sheena Easton/The Beloved/Boy George/Depeche Mode/Taylor Dayne/Jellybean/Marc Almond/Krush/E-Zee Possee/Information Society/Jack E.Makossa

The Twelve Inch 130 : Où Est Le Soleil : House/Eurohouse/Balearic - 1989

This week’s mix takes you deep into the world of early '80s electro, spotlighting an array of Arthur Baker's iconic productions and remixes. The first half hour is a masterclass in the art of the dub version, showing how these remixes were used to craft extended versions with fresh, inventive twists. The first six tracks seamlessly blend dub and extended versions, highlighting the creativity of this era. You'll also hear prime examples of electro’s influence on pop, including Robin Gibb’s "Secret Agent Man" and Arthur Baker’s powerful remix of Face To Face. Get ready for an electrifying journey through a pivotal moment in music history!
Read this week's Substack on New Order : https://thetwelveinch.substack.com/p/the-twelve-inch-131-confusion-new

Featuring : New Order/Jules Sheer/C-Bank/Shannon/Freeez/Jay Novell/Robin Gibb/Two Sisters/Tina B/Rama/C.O.D./Nairobi/Arthur Baker/Face 2 Face/Dan Hartman

The Twelve Inch 131 : Confusion : Electro/Freestyle/Old School Hip Hop - 1983

Every week’s mix is a joy to create, but this one was especially exciting for me. I have a deep love for the orchestral Philly era of disco, so putting together this setlist felt like a kid in a candy store. This week’s mix features some stellar examples of the Baker-Harris-Young collaboration, including Blue Magic’s “Let Me Be The One” and, of course, the iconic “I Love Music” by The O’Jays.

In the latter half, I’ve included fantastic tracks from the Salsoul era, led by Vince Montana, such as “Salsoul Hustle” by the Salsoul Orchestra, “You Know How Good It Is” (and believe me, I do) by Vince Montana himself, and one of his brilliant arrangements for 70s sensation, Charo. And if you thought the Philly Sound was limited to American disco, think again. Even Giorgio Moroder was inspired by it. Before his groundbreaking electronic work like “I Feel Love,” he produced Donna Summer’s version of Barry Manilow’s classic “Could It Be Magic.”

But more than anything, this mix is a deep dive into the lush, orchestral brilliance of the Philly Sound—a sound that many others would go on to emulate. So hop into my time capsule and join me on a journey back to the days of disco, before Saturday Night Fever hit the scene!

Read this week's Substack : https://thetwelveinch.substack.com/p/the-twelve-inch-132-love-epidemic

Featuring : The Trammps/Anglo Saxon Brown/Blue Magic/The O'Jays/Maynard Ferguson/Ritchie Family/King Erisson/Originals/Brown Sugar/Donna Summer/Barry White/John Davies/Charo/Vince Montana/Salsoul Orchestra

The Twelve Inch 132 : Love Epidemic : Disco/Boogie/soul - 1975

I set out to create a mix that captures the spirit of Rusty Egan’s playlists at The Blitz. While beatmatching and seamless mixing might not have been tools he used—or even had access to—at the time, the track selection is designed to transport you straight back to early '80s London.

The mix kicks off with a blend of the dub and club versions of "To Cut A Long Story Short," before diving into electro and early new wave staples. 

Rounding it out, there’s some disco flair with Gino Soccio (in French) and Telex, plus a few deep cuts from Cowboys International, Taxi Girl, and Planning By Numbers for those who love a hidden gem.

Featuring : Spandau Ballet/Alex Fergusson/Planning By Numbers/Yellow Magic Orchestra/Sergeant Frog/Gino Soccio/Ultravox/Richard Bone/Chabada/Joy Division/Vice Versa/Kevin Harrison/The B-52's/Visage/Taxi Girl/Thomas Leer & Robert Rental/Cowboys International/Telex/Robert Palmer/Devo/OMD/The Human League

The Twelve Inch 133 : To Cut A Long Story Short : New Romantics/New-Wave/Synth-Pop - 1980

1985 is a peculiar year for dance music. We are beyond the peak of new-pop and synth-pop. House wasn’t yet on the horizon and Freestyle only just started. A lot of the dance hits of the year were dance remixes of pop songs. You had some synth funk from the US and Italo disco. 

This week’s mix captures the essence of that era, featuring a mix of dance and Europop tracks, and finishing with some standout examples of Italo disco.

Read this week's newsletter on Substack : https://thetwelveinch.substack.com/p/why-did-duran-duran-split-at-the

Featuring : Arcadia/David Bowie/D.A.F./The Art Of Noise/The Thompson Twins/Danny Elfman/Propaganda/Icehouse/The Big Supreme/Living In a Box/New Order/Symphonia/Hot Cold/Lee Marrow/Miko Mission/Alphaville

The Twelve Inch 134 : Election Day (Arcadia) : Dance Pop/Italo/Synth-Pop - 1985

You might have guessed it 😁 It's Hi-Nrg disco time with the three main Tony Green productions of '79 to open the dance: “Come To Me” followed by “Hot Lover” by Tony Green’s own band U.N. and the Freddie James classic “Get Up And Boogie”.
The mix is a collection of well known Hi-NRG and club classics with some disco innuendo from Slick ("Sexy Cream".. hmmm what might they be talking about, I wonder ? 😁) and terrible French from Tasha Thomas. 

Read this week's Twelve Inch Newsletter telling the story of France Joli : https://thetwelveinch.substack.com/p/why-did-canadian-disco-queen-france

Featuring : France Joli/U.N./Freddie James/Donna Summer/Fever/Tom Moulton/Andy Williams/Cissy Houston/Carol Douglas/Tasha Thomas/John Davies & Monster Orchestra/George McCrae/Edwin Starr/Slick/Sylvester/Liquid Gold

The Twelve Inch Mixtape 135 : Come To Me : Disco/Eurodisco/Hi-NRG - 1979

This week’s mix takes you on a captivating journey through early 80s electronica, where synths and drum machines infused every (sub)genre of dance music. From funk (Cori Josias, Electric Funk) to pop (Madonna, Laid Back) and New Wave (Yello, Gary Numan, Nyam Nyam), the electronic sound defined the era.
Of course, Eurodisco also makes a strong appearance, with a generous serving of Italo. I’ve lined up some club classics, including “Passion” by The Flirts, “Mr. Game” by Klapto, and the brilliant “Dirty Talk” by Klein & MBO.
Read this week's substack : https://thetwelveinch.substack.com/p/from-copenhagen-to-the-club-scene
Featuring : Laid Back/Madonna/Digital Emotion/The Flirts/Styloo/Connie Case/Casco/Man Parrish/Klein & M.B.O./Nyam Nyam/Gary Numan/Elektric Funk/Yello/Capricorn/Klapto/The Human League/Vicious Pink/Cori Josias/Visage


The Twelve Inch 136 : White Horse : Electro/New-Wave/Italo - 1984

I’m diving deep into early '90s house music for this mix. 
As house music began to go mainstream in the early '90s, I focused on tracks where renowned artists from other genres made their initial forays into house. One standout is "All We Got (It’s Not Enough)," a favorite of mine and one of Michael McDonald's best tracks, remixed into a stunning house anthem.

The mix also includes big diva house tracks from icons like Janet Jackson, Madonna, and Mariah Carey, and I wrap it up with Aretha Franklin’s powerful rendition of “A Deeper Love” and Clivilles & Cole’s remix of Michael Jackson's "Black or White."

This week's substack : https://open.substack.com/pub/thetwelveinch/p/the-rise-of-show-me-love-how-robin?r=17kma7&utm_campaign=post&utm_medium=web&showWelcomeOnShare=true

Featuring : Robin S./Chic/Janet Jackson/Michael McDonald/Madonna/Clubland/The Strings Of Love/Arrested Development/2 In A Room/Sister Sledge/Mariah Carey/Aretha Franklin/Michael Jackson

The Twelve Inch 137 : Shows Me Love : House/Eurohouse/Dance-pop - 1993

Kick off this week’s Mix with three stellar examples of Michael Zager’s production magic : Cissy Houston’s “Think It Over”. Follow that with Zager’s iconic dancefloor anthem “Let’s All Chant,” and the Spinners hit “Working My Way Back To You/Forgive Me Girl.”

I’ve got some hidden gems like Taka Boom’s explosive “Red Hot”—she packs even more vocal firepower as her sister, Chaka Khan! Add in Bob McGilpin’s electrifying “Superstar” and Celi Bee & the Buzzy Bunch’s “Superman” (though not the superhero from the big screen ) : a mix that’s destined to keep you moving.

This week's Substack on Cissy Houston : https://substack.com/home/post/p-151207395?source=queue

Featuring : Cissy Houston/Michael Zager Band/Spinners/Meco/Celi Bee & Buzzy Bunch/Lenny Williams/Gene Chandler/Gary's Gang/Taka Boom/Ruth Waters/Brooklyn Express/Bob McGilpin/Diana Ross/Keane Brothers/Frantique/Abba

The Twelve Inch 138 : Think It Over : Disco/Eurodisco/Boogie - 1978

My weekly Substack writing is devoted to "I Love You", Yello & the emerging electro :
https://thetwelveinch.substack.com/p/yello-and-the-swiss-sound-revolution
But Electro wasn't the only thing happening in 83
This was the era when synthpop was surging in popularity across the UK, with its influence rippling throughout the rest of Europe. Major acts like Depeche Mode, Visage, Duran Duran, and The Human League were at the forefront of the scene.

Meanwhile, in Italy, where disco never truly faded, a new wave of 1980s disco emerged—what we now know as Italo disco. Artists like Scotch, Mike Mareen, and Stargo brought this fresh sound to life (good luck unraveling the meaning behind that Stargo track!). 

A perfect deep dive into one of my favorite years in music !
Featuring : Yello/Duran Duran/The Human League/Pete Shelley/Carlos Perón/Ellison Chase/Yellow Magic Orchestra/Visage/Torch Song/Chris & Cosey/Ronny/Scotch/Stargo/Depeche Mode/Winston Tong/Vivabeat/Mike Mareen

The Twelve Inch 139 - I Love You (I Do 😃) : Electro/Synth-Pop/Italo - 1983

This week’s playlist serves up a dose of Hi-NRG dance-pop, featuring a mix of European acts like Bros, Go West, and The Drum Theatre alongside a strong lineup of U.S. productions from 1985 and 1986. You’ll find some iconic hits, including Eaten Alive by Diana Ross & Michael Jackson, Blue Kiss by Jane Wiedlin, and the Shep Pettibone mix of Summer of Love by The B-52’s. For those craving deeper cuts, there’s music from Secession, EBN OZN, and Device to round out the mix.

The Twelve Inch 140 : Two Of Hearts : Dance-Pop/Freestyle/Hi-NRG - 1986

This week’s mix showcases the brilliance of “You Should Be Dancing” and its seamless fit with the disco era’s vibe. The track transitions effortlessly into one of 1976’s quintessential Eurodisco hits, Boney M’s “Daddy Cool,”
The heart of this mix, however, lies in the U.S. disco scene, with a strong focus on the Philly sound or Philly Influenced disco with the first hit of Chic, Carol Williams, Double Exposure and the Salsoul Orchestra.
Two standout tracks deserve special mention. First, Cameo’s debut hit, “Find My Way,” offers a glimpse into their early pure disco style, a far cry from the raw funk they later became famous for. Second, I’ve included a rare PAJ Disco mix of Jesse Green’s “Flip.” PAJ Disco, a Montréal-based collective of tape-cutting enthusiasts, reimagined tracks using only commercially available versions, crafting innovative remixes through meticulous tape editing.


The Twelve Inch 141 : You Should Be Dancing : Disco/Eurodisco/Hi-Nrg - 1976

This week’s mix kicks off with a medley combining both versions of Self Control, reflecting the transatlantic collaboration that defines the song’s story. Following this theme, the mix is split into two parts. The first half-hour dives deep into the Italo scene of 1983–1984, featuring a carefully curated selection of standout tracks from the era, including Baltimora, Savage, Decadence, and Gary Low, alongside Italo-inspired gems from Sandra and Sandy Marton.

The second half transitions to the U.S., showcasing the sounds shaping American club culture during the same period. This segment highlights artists like I-Level, Kajagoogoo (in its U.S. remix), Nolan Thomas, and Whodini, capturing the vibrant interplay between these two musical worlds.

The Twelve Inch 142 : Self Control : Italo/Europop/Electro - 1984

Exploring mid-80s Dance Rock has been a blast, and you might be surprised to discover that many tracks in this mix originally had twelve-inch versions.
The set kicks off with a blend of the club and dub versions of “Just Another Night,” followed by one of John Luongo’s outstanding twelve-inch mixes of Aerosmith’s “Dude Looks Like a Lady.” Other unexpected gems include the dance mixes of Genesis’ “Invisible Touch,” Sinéad O’Connor’s “Mandinka,” and Chris Rea’s “I Don’t Know What It Is But I Love It” (we love it too, Chris!).
We wrap things up with perhaps the ultimate example of Dance Rock: Pseudo Echo’s electrifying mid-80s take on the disco classic “Funkytown.”


The Twelve Inch 143 : Just Another Night : Dance-Rock/Dance-Pop - 1985

This week’s mix offers two distinct vibes. The first half kicks off with the iconic German mix of New Gold Dream and takes an electro-inspired journey featuring The Human League, Yazoo, Depeche Mode, and Kraftwerk. Track 4 is Heaven 17’s I’m Your Money from their debut album Penthouse & Pavement, a project shaped by producer Peter Walsh’s early brilliance.
The second half shifts gears into a more upbeat, pop-oriented sound with tracks from Culture Club, ABC, Modern Romance, Spandau Ballet, and Madness. A perfect blend of electro edge and pop charm!

The Twelve Inch 144 : New Gold Dream 81/82/83/84 : Post-Punk-Synth-Pop-Electro - 1982

This week’s mix dives headfirst into the shimmering world of disco and Hi-NRG, opening with “Born to Be Alive”—a quintessential end-of-the-’70s disco anthem. The first half-hour pays homage to tracks that share its DNA: European-produced grooves rich in electronic instrumentation, capturing the vibrant, synth-driven pulse of the era.
The electronic influence wasn’t confined to disco. It also seeped into the emerging post-punk dance scene, as showcased in Blondie’s iconic “Atomic” and the quirky brilliance of “Is There More to Life Than Dancing” by Noël, a mysterious and cheeky side project of the Mael brothers (better known as Sparks).
The mix builds to a euphoric finish with Peaches & Herb’s 1979 club hit “Shake Your Groove Thing,” Linda Clifford’s fabulous “Bridge Over Troubled Water”, and Frankie Valli’s timeless “Soul.”


The Twelve Inch 145 : Born To Be Alive : Disco/Eurodisco/Hi-Nrg - 1979

This week, we dive deep into the mid-’80s synth-funk sound crafted by the legendary Jimmy Jam and Terry Lewis. We kick things off with Janet Jackson’s empowering anthem, seamlessly paired with King MC’s answer song. The journey continues with another Jam & Lewis masterpiece, Keep Your Eye On Me, produced for Herb Alpert, Janet’s record label boss. Rounding out the opening trio is Janet’s brother Michael with his 1987 smash hit, Bad.
This mix showcases how the Jam & Lewis synth-funk style influenced music far beyond traditional dance tracks. Mid-’80s gems like Julien Clerc’s Bambou Bar find a perfect place here, alongside Sheena Easton’s Strut. And the set wouldn’t be complete without The Human League’s I Need Your Loving, yet another standout production by Jam & Lewis. Together, these tracks prove just how far-reaching and transformative their sound truly was.

The Twelve Inch 146 : What Have You Done For Me Lately : Funk/Synth-Funk - 1986

The mix kicks off in full 1979 disco mode, featuring Elton John and another Moroder production from the same era that deserves its own spotlight—Suzi Lane’s underrated album, which, despite hitting a commercial wall, is well worth exploring. Also in the lineup are Cerrone and the twelve-inch version of Beat The Clock by Sparks.
This week’s selection dives deep into the vibrant eurodisco sound with tracks like Tantra’s hypnotic rhythms and San Salvador by Azoto. Balancing the mix is a taste of American club staples, including hits from Ashford & Simpson, Sylvester, and Jackie Moore.
A special highlight goes to the incredible Ava Cherry with You Never Loved—a standout track and undeniably one of the finest disco anthems of 1979. Don’t miss song number five!


The Twelve Inch 147 : Victim Of Love : Disco/Eurodisco/Hi-NRG - 1979

We kick things off with Crucified by Army of Lovers, followed by extended twelve-inch versions of two other pop gems from the era: Adamski’s Space Jungle (the follow-up to Killer) and I’m Too Sexy by Right Said Fred.
From there, we dive into the more club-focused Balearic sounds of 1990/1991, featuring tracks by Clubland, Mantronix, Snap, and The Shamen. Along the way, we weave in a few mainstream hits in their club mix versions, like Call It What You Want by New Kids on the Block and the Balearic smash Right On Time by Blackbox.
We wrap things up with two absolute classics: I’m Gonna Get You by Bizarre Inc and the iconic anthem Techno Trance (also known as Yaaaah) by D-Shake.


The Twelve Inch 148 : Crucified : Balearic/Eurodance/House - 1992

Hi I'm PeDupre and I write a blog on the history of dance music on substack, one twelve inch at a time. 
The mixes are a deep dive into the club life of the past. An exploration through the different genres of the period. Only interested in a specific genre/period ? I have created handy playlists just for you !
All mixes are available. There are no exclusive mixes. You don't need to subscribe. I have added a link to show your appreciation and keep me going ! Thanks very much !

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