Love is the Message: Dance, Music and Counterculture

Latest Episodes:

What's In A Name? Disco Gets Genrified Sep 09, 2021

Show notes

In the final episode of our second series, Tim and Jeremy turn to 1974 to consider the emergence of disco as a discernible and self-conscious genre. Does genre allow people to define themselves through the music they listen to, and to consider themselves part of a (physical or imagined) community? Or is genre simply a cynical tool of division promoted by a rapacious media and music business that stifles creativity and interaction?

Tim and Jeremy also consider our present moment of algorithmic listening and Spotify playlists, the performance of sexual pleasure in music, Eurodisco, the importance of strings to the disco sound, and dip into their record bags for a selection of dancefloor fillers fit for this bumper 12" edition of the show.

We'll be taking a short break, but will be back in less than a month to begin a new series, leaving the Anglophone world for the shores of South America, the Caribbean and Africa. In the meantime, expect some more patrons-only content to tide you over.
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:
South Shore Commission - Free Man (Franscois K Remix)
Carol Douglas - Doctor's Orders
Disco Tex & the Sex-O-Lettes - Get Dancing
Gladys Knight - Make Yours a Happy Home
Eddie Kendricks - Date with the Rain
Ultra High Frequency - We're on the Right Track (Tom Moulton Remix)
Silver Convention - Fly, Robin, Fly
Shirley & Company - Shame, Shame, Shame
Ramsey Lewis - Sun Goddess

'Liberation Conversation' - Feminist Soul Sep 02, 2021

Show notes

In this week's episode Tim and Jeremy explore one of the most important musical currents of the early '70s, Feminist Soul. Beginning with Aretha Franklin, they situate the music of these powerful, articulate and conscious female performers within the Women's Liberation and Black Power movements, alongside the scholarship of Simone de Beuvoir and Angela Davis, and in relation to the girl groups of Motown and the mid-'60s.
Through lyrical, musical and cultural analysis, Tim and Jeremy also consider the explicit revolutionary subjectivity of Nina Simone, marvel at the potency of Marlena Shaw, and link these musics with the Loft, the Gallery, and the emerging Disco scene.
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:

Aretha Franklin - (You Make Me Feel Like) A Natural Woman
Nina Simone - Revolution
Spanky Wilson - Sunshine of Your Love
Marlena Shaw - Liberation Conversation
Marlena Shaw - Woman of the Ghetto
Little Sister - You're The One
The Three Degrees - Dirty Ol' Man
Labelle - What Can I Do For YOu
Betty Davis - They Say I'm Different
The Pointer Sisters - Yes We Can Can

LITM Extra - What We're Listening To, August '21 Aug 31, 2021

Show notes

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 they're listening to at the moment.

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.

Huh! Here Comes The Funk Aug 26, 2021

Show notes

In this week's episode Tim and Jeremy get ready to make you sweat with an extended length episode for maximum dancing. Starting with Soul Brother Number 1 James Brown, Tim and Jeremy chart this history of Funk, from its roots in Soul and R'n'B, via it's adoption by the Panthers and Black Power, and on to the psychedelia of Funkadelic. We also hear the source material of some of the most samples breaks ever, moonlight in some film criticism, and freak out to some serious lysergic experiences.

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:
James Brown - Say It Loud, I'm Black and I'm Proud
Marva Whitney - It's My Thing
Sly & The Family Stone - I Want to Take You Higher
Chigaco Transit Authority - I'm A Man
The Meters - Cissy Strut
Funkadelic - Free Your Mind And Your Ass Will Follow
The Lumpen - Free Bobby Now
Isaac Hayes - Theme From Shaft
The Undisputed Truth - Ball of Confusion
Lyn Collins - Think (About It)

Get Up! Disco Music 1973-75 Aug 19, 2021

Show notes

In this week's episode Tim and Jeremy consider the emergence of Disco as a recognisable and distinct sound in the period 1973-75. They grapple with the problems of codifying a genre, showing how genrefication can limit previously open spaces of possibility, and talk about to what extent the participants in the nascent scene saw themselves as part of a single project.
Tim and Jeremy also discuss the lush orchestrations of the Philly Sound, the machinic pulse of the four-to-the-floor drumbeat, the development of remix culture as a way of sculpting tracks more appropriate for the dancefloor, and finish up with the coronation of Gloria Gaynor as the first Queen of Disco. Plus: the Disco swear word!
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:

The O'Jays - Back Stabbers
Harold Melvin and the Bluenotes - The Love I Lost
Eddie Kendricks - Girl You Need a Change of Mind
MFSB - TSOP (The Sound of Philadelphia)
George McCrae - Rock Your Baby
Don Downing - Dreamworld (Tom Moulton Mix)
BT Express - Do It ('Til You're Satisfied) (Tom Moulton Mix)
Gloria Gaynor - Never Can Say Goodbye (Tom Moulton Mix)

Does It Make You Dance? Proto-Disco in the Early '70s Aug 12, 2021

Show notes

In this week's episode Tim and Jeremy consider the numerous musical and cultural currents of the early '70s that fed into the emergence of 'Disco' as a genre. They discuss the important antecedents of Soul and Rhythm and Blues, consider the yearning, future-facing qualities of Gospel, the musical influence of the Latin community in the city, and the imminent insistence of Funk.

Tim and Jeremy also consider the important role of romance, eroticism and sensuality on this developing musical form, discuss the appeal of longer tracks to dancers and DJs, and end with a friendly disagreement over that age-old question: what was the first disco record?
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:
Erma Franklin - Piece of my Heart
James Brown - Sex Machine
The Doobie Brothers - Long Train Runnin'
Curtis Mayfield - Move On Up
Joe Bataan - Latin Strut
Osibisa - Survival
Barry White - I'm Gunna Love You Just a Little Bit More, Baby
Ultra High Frequency - We're on the Right Track

Loft Culture Aug 05, 2021

Show notes

In this week's episode Tim and Jeremy are exploring the emergence of 'loft'-style living in downtown New York in the early '70s. Set against a backdrop of deindustrialisation and middle class flight to the suburbs, they detail how artists, bohemians and party hosts moved into these vacated loft spaces, affording them the space and time to exhibit their art and - crucially - throw parties.
Tim and Jeremy discuss David Mancuso's first party venue, at his loft space at 647 Broadway, along with some of the other parties which took his loft style, such as Nicky Siano's The Gallery and the more exclusive Tenth Floor. We hear some of the biggest records from these parties, consider the changing demographic makeups of their clientele, and finally ask: were these experiments in alternative styles of living inherently political, or were they opening themselves up to cooption by capital?
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:

Stevie Wonder - Living for the City
Barrabas - Wild Safari
Patti Jo - Make Me Believe In You
Brenda Holloway - Just Look What You've Done
The Temptations - Law of the Land
Suicide - Ghost Rider

Motown to Salsoul pt.3: Disco as Post-Fordist Entertainment Jul 29, 2021

Show notes

In this week's episode Tim and Jeremy finish their three-part overview of the transition from a Fordist to a Post-Fordist world by examining the period 1973-75. They cover the OPEC oil crisis, rising inflation worldwide, and the breakdown of the Bretton Woods Agreement, all of which served to puncture the post-war mood of endless growth and prosperity.
Tim and Jeremy also discuss the sense of pessimism that set into some music of the time, detail the emergence of the Salsoul label with its new dancefloor-focused sound, and bring some of Antonio Negri's ideas to bear, analyzing the pivotal role of workers and artists in forming a new culture.
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:

Roxy Music - In Every Dream Home a Heartache
The Joneses - Love Inflation
New York Dolls - Looking for a Kiss
The Supremes - Stoned Love
The SalSoul Orchestra - You're Just The Right Size
Archie Bell and the Drells - Dance Your Troubles Away

Motown to Salsoul pt.2: Music at the Birth of Post-Fordism Jul 22, 2021

Show notes

In this week's episode Tim and Jeremy continue their in-depth look at the economic, social and musical transformations of post-Fordism, focusing specifically on the years 1970 to 1972. They discuss the tedium, boredom and conformity many experienced during the post-war period, and the myriad ways people pushed back through art, inspired by a romantic vision of the expressive artist and new set of democratic demands from workers, hippies, black radicals, feminists and more.
We also hear about the resurgent economies of Japan and Germany, the ripple effects of the cybernetic revolution, the development of the Technics turntable, and the emergence of the synthesiser, and interrogate the charge that hippies should be held responsible for the advent of neoliberalism.
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:
Stevie Wonder - Big Brother
Isao Tomita - Imagine
Isao Tomita - Snowflakes Are Dancing
Giorgio Moroder - Automation
Soft Machine - The Soft Weed Factor
The JBs - Gimme Some More

Episode Zero Jul 19, 2021

Show notes

Love is the Message: Music, Dance & Counterculture is a new show from Tim Lawrence and Jeremy Gilbert, both of them 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.
Tune in, Turn on and Get Down to in-depth discussion of the sonic, social and political legacies of radical movements past and present, from the 1960s to today. Starting with David Mancuso's NYC Loft parties, we’ll explore the countercultural sounds, scenes and ideas of the late 20th and early 21st centuries.
Produced and edited by Matt Huxley.
Become a supporter by visiting our Patreon at www.patreon.com/LoveMessagePod

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