"Disco Heaven" is a song from former
Frankie Goes to Hollywood singer
Holly Johnson, which was released in 1999 as the second single from his third studio album ''
Soulstream''. The song, written and produced by Johnson, reached No. 85 in the
UK Singles Chart.
Background
"Disco Heaven" is a song about the friends Johnson had lost to
AIDS
Human immunodeficiency virus infection and acquired immunodeficiency syndrome (HIV/AIDS) is a spectrum of conditions caused by infection with the human immunodeficiency virus (HIV), a retrovirus. Following initial infection an individual m ...
. Johnson told ''
The Guardian'' in 1999, "It's a song about remembering in a positive way your friends that aren't here any more. You know they're all there dancing together in disco heaven."
Music video
The song's music video was Johnson's directorial debut and his first video since 1994's "
Legendary Children". The video features cameo appearances from
Boy George as the ghost of
Leigh Bowery,
Jasper Conran as the late American designer
Halston,
Angie Brown (the song's backing vocalist) as herself, Jibby Bean as herself, Win Austin as
Grace Jones
Grace Beverly Jones (born 19 May 1948) is a model, singer and actress. Born in Jamaica, she and her family moved to Syracuse, New York, when she was a teenager. Jones began her modelling career in New York state, then in Paris, working for ...
, Trademark as
Andy Warhol, Nicola Bowery Roy as
Sylvester
Sylvester or Silvester is a name derived from the Latin adjective ''silvestris'' meaning "wooded" or "wild", which derives from the noun ''silva'' meaning "woodland". Classical Latin spells this with ''i''. In Classical Latin, ''y'' represented a ...
, Pinkietessa and Golden Boy. Dancers in the video included Faustos Danese, Charles Sebunya, Roberto Saraceno, Laura Hills, Melody Woodhead and Bev Jones. The video's choreography was handled by Les Child, who was assisted by Mark Tyme.
Speaking of the video to the ''
Sunday Tribune
The ''Sunday Tribune'' was an Irish Sunday broadsheet newspaper published by Tribune Newspapers plc. It was edited in its final years by Nóirín Hegarty, who changed both the tone and the physical format of the newspaper from broadsheet to tab ...
'' in 1999, Johnson said, "The video tries to recapture the feel of the Studio 54 disco days and it's about all the people of that generation who are now having a disco together in heaven." In 2010, Johnson said of his experience directing the video, "I loved it but it was exhausting, after producing the record, I was trying to promote it, release it, direct the video, it was all a bit too much for one person."
Critical reception
In a review of ''Soulstream'', Caroline Sullivan of ''
The Guardian'' noted, "By default, the best tracks are the campest: the nostalgic 'Disco Heaven' and 'Legendary Children'." Jon O'Brien of
AllMusic retrospectively wrote, "The retro stylings are more forgivable when Johnson's distinctive, powerful vocals and life-affirming lyrics are let loose on the dancefloor, with the infectious camp Euro-disco of "Hallelujah" and "Disco Heaven," the latter a joyous lament to the friends he lost to AIDS, and impossible to resist."
Track listing
;12" single
#"Disco Heaven (Wayne G's Heaven Mix)" - 7:03
#"Disco Heaven (Sicario Club Mix)" - 7:10
#"Disco Heaven (Frankie Says... Edit)" - 6:23
#"Disco Heaven (7" Version)" - 4:12
;CD single
#"Disco Heaven (Sicario Club Mix Edit)" - 4:15
#"Disco Heaven (Daz & Andy's Heavenly Remix)" - 6:59
#"Disco Heaven (Sicario Club Mix)" - 7:12
;CD single
#"Disco Heaven (Sicario Club Mix Edit)" - 4:15
#"Disco Heaven (Frankie Says... Edit)" - 6:23
#"Disco Heaven (Wayne G's Heaven Mix)" - 7:03
#"Disco Heaven (Sicario Club Mix)" - 7:12
;CD single (UK promo)
#"Disco Heaven (Wayne G's Heaven Mix)" - 7:03
#"Disco Heaven (Sicario Club Mix)" - 7:10
#"Disco Heaven (Frankie Says... Edit)" - 6:23
#"Disco Heaven (7" Version)" - 4:12
#"Disco Heaven (Sicario Club Mix Edit)" - 4:15
Personnel
* Holly Johnson - lead vocals, producer, engineer, artwork
* Angie Brown - backing vocals
* Gavin Landless, Mark Tucker, Simon Wilde - engineers
* Mike "Spike" Drake - mixing, production assistance
* Chris Toole - programming
* Nick Ingman - strings arrangement, strings conductor
Charts
References
{{authority control
1999 songs
1999 singles
Songs written by Holly Johnson
Holly Johnson songs