Blame It On The Boogie

What is boogie?

It is many things, and it has been with us for a long time, likely before we even had a word for it. Consider this graph:

As you can see, the word comes onto the linguistic radar in the early 1930s, in tandem with the boogie-woogie style of piano playing popular in that decade, and just keeps on rolling. It ebbs and flows — notice the pronounced dip in 1964; did the Beatles try to kill boogie? — but what we need to know is represented in this graph. Boogie is a feature of modern life. 

Over the decades, it has variously taken on meaning not just in the realms of music, but also, notably, in the realm of body movement. It has been a catch-all term for dancing as well as fucking, and probably all points in between. 

But boogie as it’s featured on this record refers to a particular style of music with a particular vibe that was originally made in the late ‘70s through the mid ‘80s. The name comes to us from the UK, somewhat retroactively, but even if the term is not familiar to you for this kind of music, the feeling will be. Boogie is big, uptempo, utterly danceable funk that feels exuberant, positive, sexy, and altogether wonderful. 

In terms of time/style, it’s post-disco, pre-house, existing in a time when hip-hop was still a novelty. In terms of place, the Brits have contributed an awful lot to boogie, but this record, compiled by the generous souls at Numero Group, showcases mainly stuff that came out of the great American Midwest — Chicago in particular. The music you hear on this LP would have been made in utter defiance to the infamous Disco Demolition Night at Comiskey Park in Chicago in 1979. 

Consider: Maxx Traxx, who lead off here with “Don’t Touch It,” were arguably Chicago’s biggest club band of the time. Home Boy And The C.O.L is the work of Chicago R&B journeyman Cecil Johnson Lyde Holden, whose life in music took him from doo-wop to the sophisticated funk you have here. Amongst the cognoscenti, Donnell Pitman is considered to be perhaps the greatest disco artist Chicago ever gave the world. 

What we have here is one of the very best kinds of records: An alternative history that focuses on human joy. But it’s way more than that. It’s a party in a can. It will brighten your day, and it will electrify your night. It’ll get you ready for the world. It’s not just funk. It’s not simply disco. 

It’s boogie. 

— Joey Sweeney

Note: These words originally appeared as the liner notes for the 48 Record Bar Record Of The Month for February 2024. To learn more about our ROTM program, click here.