The album cover we’re sinking our teeth into this week (pun intended) is one of those strange disco one-offs. Disco Shitân is a project of Pino Presti, a Milanese maestro with a stellar résumé as a conductor, bassist, composer, arranger, and producer. Presti worked with nearly every major Italian star and collaborated internationally with legends like Gerry Mulligan, Quincy Jones, Shirley Bassey, and Wilson Pickett. In fact, Presti joined Pickett’s European tour after impressing the soul icon as a last-minute stand-in at the Sanremo Festival. In short, this week’s spotlight is on a musician of extraordinary pedigree.
In 1977, Presti recorded Disco Shitân, a track that exists in just two versions, neither of which gained much traction in the disco scene at the time. The extended version wasn’t even included on the original 12-inch release. The song is a slow-burning, tension-filled blend of electro, disco, and funk, packed with cinematic details and inspired by a traditional Lebanese rhythm. Recorded at Regson Studio in Milan, it features lyrics and vocals by Patrick Samson and clocks in at a modest 100 BPM—a tempo that didn’t exactly excite club DJs. Slowing down to that kind of tempo’s was only possible if your name was Donna Summer and you had recorded a respectable number of orgasms on a 15 minute extravaganza. Ideal for a toilet break. Disco Shitân couldn’t hold its own against Donna Summer. Sure, it’s sensual, but without the theatrics, and with its two versions clocking in at just 3 and 4 minutes respectively, it fell far short of the length needed to quality. I can imagine you thinking, “What a shame, especially with such a name…”😁
And what about the cover? Featuring a fierce, possibly terrified dog, it’s a head-scratcher. Was this meant to sell records, or was it simply a quirky artistic choice? Either way, Disco Shitân has since become a cult classic. Original 12-inch copies eventually fetched hundreds of dollars, leading to a limited re-release in 2016—just 300 copies, this time including the extended version. The track also became available digitally on Bandcamp.
Oh, and a fun fact: Pino Presti isn’t just a musical powerhouse. He’s also a fifth-degree black belt in Shotokan Karate, having trained with top Japanese masters. So, if trouble arises, Presti hardly needs the guard dog!
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Discover The Album Cover : Disco Shitân
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The album cover we’re sinking our teeth into this week (pun intended) is one of those strange disco one-offs. Disco Shitân is a project of Pino Presti, a Milanese maestro with a stellar résumé as a conductor, bassist, composer, arranger, and producer. Presti worked with nearly every major Italian star and collaborated internationally with legends like Gerry Mulligan, Quincy Jones, Shirley Bassey, and Wilson Pickett. In fact, Presti joined Pickett’s European tour after impressing the soul icon as a last-minute stand-in at the Sanremo Festival. In short, this week’s spotlight is on a musician of extraordinary pedigree.
In 1977, Presti recorded Disco Shitân, a track that exists in just two versions, neither of which gained much traction in the disco scene at the time. The extended version wasn’t even included on the original 12-inch release. The song is a slow-burning, tension-filled blend of electro, disco, and funk, packed with cinematic details and inspired by a traditional Lebanese rhythm. Recorded at Regson Studio in Milan, it features lyrics and vocals by Patrick Samson and clocks in at a modest 100 BPM—a tempo that didn’t exactly excite club DJs. Slowing down to that kind of tempo’s was only possible if your name was Donna Summer and you had recorded a respectable number of orgasms on a 15 minute extravaganza. Ideal for a toilet break. Disco Shitân couldn’t hold its own against Donna Summer. Sure, it’s sensual, but without the theatrics, and with its two versions clocking in at just 3 and 4 minutes respectively, it fell far short of the length needed to quality. I can imagine you thinking, “What a shame, especially with such a name…”😁
And what about the cover? Featuring a fierce, possibly terrified dog, it’s a head-scratcher. Was this meant to sell records, or was it simply a quirky artistic choice? Either way, Disco Shitân has since become a cult classic. Original 12-inch copies eventually fetched hundreds of dollars, leading to a limited re-release in 2016—just 300 copies, this time including the extended version. The track also became available digitally on Bandcamp.
Oh, and a fun fact: Pino Presti isn’t just a musical powerhouse. He’s also a fifth-degree black belt in Shotokan Karate, having trained with top Japanese masters. So, if trouble arises, Presti hardly needs the guard dog!
Listen to Disco Shitân in this week’s Twelve Inch disco mix Monday on mixcloud. It’s song n°6 !