Sylvester & Two Tons O' Fun- "Dance (Disco Heat)" Live 1978 [Reelin' In The Years Archive]
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- Опубліковано 30 вер 2024
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Singing live with no auto tune. True musicians.
Thank God we didn't have auto tune back then.
Notice he says “live in our studio” which is rare to have a live performance in the 70’s and he wanted to give them credit for being so good live.
Sylvester taken them to Church. He was ahead of his time. He needs a biopic film.
I would love to be in that biopic!
With Billy Porter as 'Sylvester'
For sure!
No he wasn't. What a load of nonsense. Did you hear that comment somewhere and now use it all over the place? He was of his time.
Sylvester was 30yrs ahead of his time. He would be a platinum selling artist with rock star status with that voice today.
And aids.
@@tonymckinney1355 🤷🏿♂Yep..that's what he...d⚰d of back n 89 or 90. As an OG I remember very well when that happened. Jermaine Stewart too but he was several years after him. He wasn't disco but he was a rainbow 🌈 boy.
Absolutely 💯
Sylvester was right on time.
Respectfully disagree. He was right on time, I was there.
I'm 63 & when I was just turned 17 I had thee honor of be in his inner circle San Fran no drug or nothing ugly he prayed alot & slyvester told me fashion pointers I've never forgot miss him a fabulous person we need more kindness in this world ❤
Yes, we do!!❤❤
I am 63 too, i remember getting down to this, 17 yrs old singing my heart out. The girks, 2 tons o fun were blody amazing too.
Really?? You knew him?? W😍W. 🖤🎵✌🏾
@@0mega.mechan1c. I was born & raised in San Francisco & met Àll kinds of walks of life I've been blessed!¡! Slyvester was 1 of many beautiful people
I've had thee honor to have
Met & learned from!!¡!
✌️💖 be well & kind
P S my first after school job was at a music promoters
Bill Graham he was san Francisco big man! I was 17 & bill offered me a job with a new project he was doing called MTV I would of been thee first V J on t v !¡!
I declined thee fear of fame wasn't for me!¡! 🫶
YOU are lucky. Wow, what a story . . . what an adventure!
R.i.p to Sylvester and Izora. Unmatched voices. I came upon this video after sitting in my car and Just Us came on by the Weather Girls. Martha is still here with us, and she deserves all her flowers, especially what she endured in the music industry.
They basically tried to make her into the black Marni Nixon.
May God Rest BOTH their souls, and Martha deserves every accolade available! Her voice is unmatched ❤
@@sweetblaqcoffey962 Isn't Martha gone on as well?
@@Attmay Now, are you referring to the fact that Marni was a "ghost singer?"
@@reformer6666 No, she's still with us.
They need to make a movie about this mans life its long over due. Who agrees with me?
That would be great! Who do you think would be best to play Sylvester?
@@notmebutyou8350 Im not sure really maybe Ru Paul
🌈 I Agree R.I.P.🙏🏾 Syl 💜
I completely agree. Sylvester was a true talented singer.
@@notmebutyou8350Big Freeda, Durand Bernard, Toderick Hall, Jontè Moaning, EJ Johnson(Magic Johnson's son), maybe even Saucy Santana!
There was a time you couldn't go to the Disco and not hear this song. RIP Sylvester
OMG! YES! I was too young, but I KNOW folks were SWEATING to this because it is SOO FUN and energetic!
Gotta love Merv for putting them on his show!
He'd better. He was gay too 😂
Merv. the Perv wanted to get with Denny Terrio . I just wonder ; was Merv a bottom ? @@joniwellman5111
He was known to be gay back then. I heard he had something going on with that guy who danced solo on that Solid Gold show Merv produced. Seemed like a nice man, never heard anything bad about him in the '70s.
Merv and Johnny put alot of people on back in the day.
Merv griffin was also gay
Good live performance no lip-synching... That is what I'm talking about! Pure energy. RIP Sylvester.
Literally this how did he not lip sync
Those women are also known as "The Weather Girls".
📻🎶It's Raining Men🎶📻
love them!
Maravillosas
@Gwendolyn Porter I only have a digital download :(
Right.
Halleluiah …
This is what missing in today’s music, energy and fun
U ain't Lying! ✔️❤😅🌞🌞❗❗❗❗❗❗❗❗☀️🌟🌞🥰😍🧡😍🥰😍😍🧡
And talent
And when music was about music, not looks and marketing.
Energy without the Fruit 😮
Yesss! And POSITIVITY!!! Everything doesn't have to be raunchy!
I was born in 1979 and as i get older i appreciate Disco. I love it.
Just alittle info for you. In 1979 that was the last great year of Disco. Donna Summer ruled 1979 with her Bad Girls album. Gloria Gaynor had a huge hit song "I Will Survive", Anita Ward had a hit titled "Ring My Bell" and Kool & The Gang had a big hit titled "Ladies Night". There were other hit songs and great songs in 1979. Those were the good ole days. I was 16 years old in 1979 and we were enjoying Disco and other categories of music.
Push Push in the Bush was the LAST full on disco song to be a hit ! @@deewoo2776
Sylvester, Martha Wash and Izhora Rhodes. As Sylvester once said on opening: These women can sing ya'll. Martha and Izora came up in the church and sang gospel long before they sang disco. If you ever saw them perform with Sylvester live, you knew what real singing was like. The house rocked.
Yes indeedy.
I wonder how Sylvester met the ladies. Did they all attend the same COGIC church? Or did they meet later on?
You also forgot Luther.
@@miguelestrada9206 True - although I wouldn't say he's from the same genre. But a genius nevertheless.
Luther was a backup singer for sylvester in the eighties
Martha Wash has one of the best voices on the planet. I thank God for having the opportunity to have been her drummer before I was ordained…✝️🙏🏾🎶👏🏽
She, Loleatta Holloway, and Jocelyn Brown were the featured voices on some of the hottest dance records of the '70s...
Blessings to you I had opportunity to be known
Though fame wasn't for me
🙏🏼🫶💜
The best female vocalist, her 'Taking away your space' blew my mind, ripped my heart out and shoved back in again. She blows every other diva outta the park.
You can hear the gospel in their voices! Sang y’all!!🎼🎶 RIP Sylvester
yep thought so - imagine if this gusto went into praising their creator; sad it went into tuneful but vapid disco.
@@oliviastar3812 No. It's no sad. They sang the genres and songs they wanted, just as anyone else would. There were no shortage of gospel groups or singers then, I'm sure the praise music would've been just fine.
I agree. There is an Unsung episode about Sylvester. He explained that his music has a gospel under tone. He grew up in the church and of course sang in the choir.
@@oliviastar3812 Aretha Franklin sang both Disco and Gospel music. Are you going to condemn her too?
They sung the shit out of this. Had me dancing and i cant even dance . They did that. Sylvester and the weather girls
Sylvester: very talented, iconic, ahead of his time. The world lost a Superstar.
he was not ahead of his time if you were a gay boy in 1978.
America was not ready for Sylvester. DISCO or Underground soul music....He was ahead of his time. RIP
Yes he was
America was ready for him. Please stop searching for "oppression". He had a gold album, gold singles, and five top 40 hits. And this was all in 1977---1986.
@@domarq don't deny there wasn't any. The chief motivator of the disco-backlash was homophobia and racism. Don't you recall? From what I found, he had 3 top 40 hits all in 1978. This was out of around 40 singles released over a 15 year period. Do You Wanna Funk, Don't Stop Like You, never hit the top 40. Those were three big songs for him but didn't chart.. en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sylvester_(singer)#Singles
@@bsquared4604 Ummm....again, you're reaching. There will always be discrimination. The question is: Could Sylvester flourish in China? Saudi Arabia!? NO. He was famous IN THE USA. And the latter songs you mentioned were in heavy rotation....IN BLACK COMMUNITIES (and certain cities). His song was also immortalized in the classic, box-office hit, "Trading Places (1983)".
I don't need the internet to "teach" me about something I (and millions of other people in my generation) remember.....in REAL TIME. Bill Clinton signed the "Defense of Marriage Act" and "Don't ask Don't Tell". He and Hillary were what you call "homophobic". But, did Rupaul emerge in U.S. pop culture, in 1992? ABSOLUTELY. Was Rupaul everywhere, from 1993-1999? ABSOLUTELY. So, despite all of our problems and differences......I (and MILLIONS of others) would trade THIS fascist era....for the 1980's and early 1990's ANY day.
@@domarq “certain communities” out “communities” such as the LGBTQ community existed on the fringes of society. Let’s not forget gay men were dying of AIDS (sylvester being a prime example). If you want to know what it was like back then go and watch pose
4:15 Queen Izora peeled the paint off the walls, did she not?!?! Rest in Melody! 👑
Yes indeed
She just did that as I read your comment. Made me tear up a lil bit
One of my favorite parts of the song.
Oh, this wonderful man and SINGER brought EVERYONE in the WORLD up and want to dance, move and just be happy.................Sylvester + Thank you ALL your music!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
RIP Sylvester. He was REMARKABLE!!!! I wish I had the opportunity to meet him.
I was lucky enough to see Sylvester perform live in 1984 at San Francisco Pride, I had just come out and felt I had discovered the new world!
Lucky duck!! ❤
I saw him perform at Greg's Blue Dot in Hollywood. I was in awe.
I'm old enough to remember Sylvester, a force of nature. Extremely talented. I don't know about anybody else but I love this era of music. It was just all about dancing and having fun. I wish it would come back. Long live Disco. Haha.
We were lucky to live it and survive it. What fun.
I wish it would come back as well
Me too!
@@cynthiagermaine1799me three🥳
@@slyslaughter5115 survive?
Watching this brought a big smile across my face. I'm a huge fan of Martha Wash & her previous groups The Weather Girls & Two Tons of Fun. So this was great to see Sylvester & Two Tons of Fun.
Good Evening They were class acts. I went to a 2 day lecture about Sylvester and met Martha Wash She was down to earth and it was revealed that she and Izora had planned to reunite for the Sylvester tribute concert after the lecture but sadly Izora died a month before the event.
Love it! Saw them several times back in the day when I lived in The Castro. He would perform at a bar called Elephant Walk on Sundays, his backup singers were still called Two Tons of Fun before they became The Weather Girls when they released It’s Raining Men. Fabulous times indeed. 💜💜💜
Sylvester was original, beautiful, and extremely talented 🤩
THIS WAS an AMMMMAAAAAZING Performance. I was jamming here at my desk and the spirit of Sylvester approved!!!!
Amen.
Sylvester was such a powerful force. RIP.
Amen
A hurricane on stage
IS. 📌
@@donovanyaards3172do... he's dead foo WAS
I used to dance to this in my teenage years. Even clean the house with disco music. It was fun. Memories come back when I hear disco music.❤❤❤❤❤❤
Cleaning to disco…so fast you were probably done in 15 mins 😂
This actually happened during my lifetime. I know all the words to Sylvester's music. And danced at the disco’s.
DISCO will never Die!!!!!!!!!!!!1
@@rosegardenia8588 A lot of my classmates died of aids. 😓 That was the era
Me too, but I was too young to go to discos but that's okay, I rocked along with the radio & knew every song, even the L.A. disco top 30 on Friday nights.
I did too. Saw him perform at Studio 54. Iconic. Was so excited to meet him. Those were the days. We partied!
OH MY! This gives gospel vibes. Their harmony is off the chain.❤
I didn't want this perforce to stop. The vocals, music, performance they were truly something special
❤
Amazing live version. The sax, the percolating synthesizers and Sylvester with the Two Tons of Love is too much! That’s ‘burning down the house’!
What a talented vocalist for that era. ✊🏼 God bless
No One can match him even today - 2024
I did he was beautiful spirit & soul pure love ❤
He was so original for backthen
@@annaritaranalli1791 His talent lives on !!
Sure
That was fun in those day's hope one day disco comes back , just with out the drugs im 54 and i bet even the youngsters will like it!!!!!
Disco never went anywhere and its still glorious
The music of Dua Lipa and Sam Smith is definitely a Disco sound.
Disco has already made a comeback. There are many artists doing disco stuff these days. Kylie Minogue's last album that came out in '20 called 'Disco' is ALL disco & is great. Madonna has done disco too. I could go on & on.
When its considered disco let me know!!!
@@mikebustillos1812 Did you see my comment above?
Thanks 😊
I was dancin in the disco heat, in San Francisco in the 1970’s.
Sylvester was such a part of the city.
What a time!
I was starting to think I had imagined Sylvester and Two Tons of Fun performing at Russian River in the early 80's.
Yessssss!!!
@@mossshady847
And live on stage in the middle of Market Street.
Sylvester doesn’t get any nearly enough praise for his work - was ahead of her time! 🖤
Live no less NO LYP SYNCHING!!!!
RIP SYLVESTER!
And without 🔊 tune
back in 1978 I was 18 yrs old I be jamming to Sylvester & 2 tons fun
Wow. Great stuff. You could power a small city on that kind of energy.
...it powers San Francisco STILL.....lol...
Sylvester what a gentle soul was he!
lol soooooo true
IZORA!!!!DAMN!!
Man, did they go off on Merv's show!!!! That performance was slamming!
the most impressive is that they allowed them to actually play live and thats insane
Sylvester was soooo fuckin amazing everyone jus seemed 2 turn a blind eye back then which was awesome cuz he deserved to be loved n admired ..way ahead of his time
Geez! This is LIVE! No tricks, no auto-tune. Just absolute, on-the-mark vocals and band. Amazing!
Hushhhhhhhssssss
Gawwdddd stop with this same tired comment. Say something of substance add to the discussion something that belays a vantage point that elaborates and shows real introspective thinking. Just saying that old music good new music bad sentiment is … just not helpful no necessary. All music has a place chill be more open minded or shhhhhhhhhh👋🏾🤷🏾♀️
Disco legends. Plain and simple. Absolutely love this live version. I’m digging the synthesize player 😍
He is (I think) Patrick Cowley, an artist and producer in his own right and loaded with talent.
Sylvester was a force to be reckoned with. His falsetto added a gospel feel to all of his songs. I always thought he should have done a gospel album, along with Izora and Martha whose vocals are some of the most powerful and effortless I have ever heard. I am always in awe how those two ladies, vocals just flowed from their bodies, so effortlessly and on pitch. The three of them together where amazing, and I enjoyed this video so much I have it on repeat in the morning as I get ready for work, because of the energy this song brings. It's so sad that Izora nor Martha, even Sylvester got the recognition they deserved, because of the weight and images that the industry are so zoned in on, that people like these three were not accepted nor worthy of the industry to promote them they way that they should, which is why so many GREAT TALENTS and ARTIST like them never get heard by the masses and so we end up with the trash we hear on the radio now....R.I.P. Izora and Sylvester, your music and vocals are not left in vain.....and Ms. Martha I hope she continues on her musical journey and wherever God leads her.
U MFS LOVE INVOLVING GOD IN BS STOP
04:16 "get on your feet and dance to the beat and dance". You go girl.
4:43
I'm gonna have to have a talk to him about that after the show
I loved Izora !!
Izora and Martha. You don't find better singers.
And Patrick Cowley
Thank you very much for sharing this. Martha & Izora rock !!!
SYLVESTER.
NUMERO UNO DE LA ETERNA ONDA DISCO, EN VIVO O EN AUDITORIO ESPECTACULAR VOZ.
CLASICO POR SIEMPRE.
REMEMBERING "SYLVESTER" JAMES
(September 6, 1947 - December 16, 1988)
(09/06/2021)
Rest in FABULOUSNESS!
I thought he was even younger
I remember back in the day dancing to this at a neighborhood disco. EVERYONE got on the dance floor when this song came on.
Nothing can be like this great song. Lots of talent and harmony, great voices and the best disco music ever💛💐💖
His live version of You are my friend will leave you in tears... its amazing
Yass, Them girls can sang ya'll! Izora an Martha's verses cuts me everytime. The 3 voices together sends chills. Definitely my fav version.
Just terrific. This is one of the best clips online to enjoy Sylvester, Two Tons O' Fun, and (I believe) the old Hot Band as backup in this great song. Many other UA-cam clips have them lip syncing, as required by the show they were on. In this one on The Merv Griffin Show, they are all clearly singing live, and you can appreciate the vocal blending the trio offered, as well as the powerful but brief one-line solos of Martha Wash and Izora Rhodes. The dance moves of the trombonists and others in the background are also caught here. Artists such as Sylvester and Donna Summer had a challenging time to translate their fully synthesizer-driven songs into live performance, circa 1977-1978 - so this clip shows how Sylvester & company chose to handle that. All in all, a great find!
Besides Sylvester, the ladyies are also awesome and, if you search on Internet for Martha Wash, you will be suprised by the many success tunes she contributed at, in '90s and also after (without forgetting...the Weather Girls) !
I always tipped my cap to Merv Griffin for going out of his way, to prioritize black talent, gay or straight, on his show. And it was sincere....I never felt like he was pimping "us". When I heard from, none other than Della Reese, say that she and Merv were great friends, going as far back as their days struggling and being broke, when they were trying to "be somebody" in NYC during the 50s, that resonated with me.
Easier than you think since Merv was gay himself.
I love ❤️ all of their energy. I wish today’s music was like this, but it’s not. This is real music
Sylvester. I hope you found peace. Thank you for all the great music and your strength.
Amazing live version. The sax, the percolating synthesizers and Sylvester with the Two Tons of Love is too much! That’s ‘burning down the house’!
RIP Sylvester and Ms. Rhoades...And Mama Martha is still doing it....God is Good
My baby!!!! Killing it once again. LOVE u Sylvester. RIP. Two Tons o' Fun can singgggg! Right on!!!!
Two tons of fun were great and they could hold their own. They didn't get their due. Would love to see a documentary on their life.
Sylvester was definitely ahead of his time. I hate AIDS
What a tasty slice of disco heaven. TV shows usually had you lip synch because they didn't have time to deal with screw ups- so you came on, sang and left, then next guest, etc. Shows like American Bandstand & Soul Train always had the singer lip synch because they had to film about 3 to 4 shows a day and it just made it easier to complete a day's work. This is a nice rare clip because there is very little footage of Patrick Cowley on synth/keyboards during a Sylvester performance. His playing comes in at 0:30 and also in the back on guitar is Sylvester's writing partner Tip Wirrick (the one on the right, closer to Patrick). How great is it to see the trio working their magic live?!
I was looking in the comments to see if that was Patrick Crowley. Thanks for the info. It is definitely great to see a live performance on a talk show.
@@bsquared4604 The one playing the synths is not Patrick, right? He appears at 5:00 standing on the right of the synth guy playing some other synths.
Sylvester and his girls Izora and Martha!❤❤❤ Synonymous with get your CLUB on. Gratefully, I'm from that awesome era! We and club hopped and danced all night tri state NY, Jersey, Philly💃🏿 🎉
I was at one of his shows in Frico it was amazing ❤😊😊😊😊😊😊😊😊
This performance got me off of the sofa to dance.
What an amazing human! Rest In Heaven Brotha!
Sylvester was the best Disco Queen.
HE WAS A MAN NO MATTER WHAT HE SAID OR U
Sylvester wasn't playing with the people amen suga.
I met Sylvester in a club (where he was performing)in 1983. Very nice person.
I love Sylvester!! So talented!!
IZORAH RHODES!!!!!
What a power and energy that you dont find anymore in todays dance music, pity. I bought in 1980 Two Tons O' Fun 1st solo album and I was sold right away. Ah good times....
Oh wow, this is wicked 🥰
Omg wow. Damn Sylvester, you were something else. Sylvester was and will forever be disco.
The Weather Girls!!!
I wish I was old enough back then to have seen a live performance. Rip 🙏🏽 y'all.
They sound good , oh yeah this is back when you really needed talent
And Patrick Crowley bless him .
They SLAYED, period! Izora had some MOVES!🥰
Please, make a documentary!
4:37 How not to love Sylvester, Izora and Martha?
Minute 4:17 back is Patrick Cowley?????
WOOOOOOW!!! Nice video bro
Yes, he is. very beautiful in white
@@psmaia82 I think he appears at 5:00 standing to the right of the guy playing the synths.
They're singing live - no lip-sync! ❤I'm going back to the '70s as soon as Apple creates a smart phone time machine.
I'm with you! 😂
Martha is so beautiful
Flamboyant 🦩 a❤nd exactly exuberant and extraordinary...yes he needs a movie 🍿🎥 or biopic.
When I was in high school during this year I had fake id's to get into all of the clubs in Atlantic City and the Chez also known as the Chez Paree would play 30 minute versions of this song and I remember this playing every time I went there.
You’re so lucky to have lived in those times. I wish I were alive in the 70s and was able to go to all the fun clubs and dance disco all night long. Seems like it was the most fun era ever.
I wish Disco would make a comeback in 2021!
With Lil Nas X at the helm!
Apparently you're not in tune w/the current music scene because disco has been back for about 5 years maybe more. Kylie Minogue did a whole album entitled 'Disco' in '20 (which is great), among other artists.
Apparently augusts1 thinks it is here where kylie minogue is considered disco i dont think sooo!!!you are thinking of the wrong era!!
@@augusts1 no matter what today's artists do, it'll never be the same.
@@mikebustillos1812 try giving it a listen before you make a judgement. You might be pleasantly surprised. I know I was & I'm not much of a Kylie fan.
Gotta say, Marth Wash was really pretty and hot even with her size. I'd date her.
0:49 that voice crack is legendary its the only time i heard sylvester struggle with falsetto
I don't think he cracked,his timing was off🤗
@@Saggfire777it was both it cracked and was off
@@adonaiyah2196LET US HEAR U SING MF U UA-cam MFS LOVE RUNNING YALL MOUTH BOUT NOTHING.. TRY PERFORMING NIGHT N NIGHT OUT DUMMY
I still listen to Sylvester's music to this day. He was an amazing singer along with the Weather Girls. May he RIP.
Omg almost NOTHING is live nowadays. Usually a backing track and microphone that lets the performer decide whether or not to sing live. Tracks nowadays are so over processed that it’s impossible to get it exactly right. I’m not knocking it, but there’s something so special about music in the pre-auto tune days!
They are KILLING it!
That man introcing Sylvester & The Two Tons of Fun-
Was Merv Griffin. He lived a full life, and, had _completely hid_ the fact that he too was gay.
That detail came out recently that he so somehow expertly hid his homosexuality.
This is just pure talent! I love how they really enjoying themselves!❤️❤️❤️
You better SANG Martha Wash!
Come thru Izora
This marvelous immortal trio accompanied on synthesizers by none other than PATRICK COWLEY!!
Thanks for mentioning him. He would've been another Giorgio Moroder if he hadn't died so young. I saw the female "Menergy" singers perform at Circus Disco in L.A. and it was one of the coolest performances I ever saw there.