I was devastated to hear about the passing of Loleatta Holloway this morning, who died of a heart failure at the age of 64. As one of the most distinctive voices of disco, Loleatta provided many, including myself, the soundtrack to many wonderful nights, with her voice leaving dance floors shaking and inspired. Best known for the extensively sampled 1980 hit ‘Love Sensation’ and many a Salsoul standard, Holloway’s powerful and unforgettable voice forged a memorable and magical chapter in dance music history.

So here’s to you Loleatta, there’ll never be another like you.

Loleatta Holloway (November 5, 1946 – March 21, 2011)

Loleatta Holloway – Catch Me on the Rebound (Walter Gibbons 12″ mix)

The Luv You Madly Orchestra was a special Duke Ellington disco tribute band put together by producer Stephen James. Their self-titled debut LP was released in 1978 on the legendary Salsoul, but today’s SOTD is all about Walter Gibbons’ exceptional mixing duties on the 12″ single ‘Moon Maiden’ and this, its b-side.

‘Rocket Rock’ is more conventional than ‘Moon Maiden’ but still has that weird and wonderful Gibbons’ touch. The cosmic strings and opulent percussion only show off a tiny part of Gibbons’ eccentric genius.

I could go on and on about Walter Gibbons today but I won’t, as the special guy deserves a much bigger feature than this. As one the unique talents of disco, Gibbons’ work through production to DJing has left an indelible mark on modern dance culture. As I mentioned before, a proper Walter feature (ho!) is probably in order. (I’ll start planning one asap). So go on, take a ride.

Luv You Madly Orchestra – Rocket Rock

Luv You Madly Orchestra – Rocket Rock