New sexual freedoms
In the first half of the 1970s, disco music was intended for Black, Hispanic, and gay minorities. It was very difficult for these individuals to frequent public spaces. For this reason, “private” venues were established where invitation-only parties were organized, where sex and drugs were consumed, and where disco was played. This marked the beginning of change, amidst growing tolerance and the advent of the contraceptive pill.
A new perception of sexuality increasingly emerged. Social interaction became more visible: the gay community created private clubs, basements, and lofts where they could express their sexuality. Some venues would be remembered specifically as places of free sex. One of the locations dedicated to this new trend was the Continental Baths.
The features of this venue included: a disco with a dance floor, a cabaret lounge, a sauna, rooms, and a swimming pool that could accommodate nearly 1,000 people, 24 hours a day. A gay guidebook described the Continental Baths as a place that “revolutionized the ritual of body care in 1970s New York.”
IN ITALY
In 1972, “Playboy” magazine was approved by the very strict censorship for Italian newsstands. The provocative book “Porci con le ali” (Pigs with Wings) was also published, while in the fashion world, designers ventured into the nude look: the first topless styles and hot pants appeared. In cinemas, the first erotic films like Deep Throat were released. It was the era of joyful sex.
IN THE USA
As in Italy, the disco industry in America also embraced the pairing of sex and music.
Donna Summer and Lady Marmalade sang of sex and hedonism. Record covers became increasingly suggestive and provocative: buyers were targeted with photos of the artist in very daring poses. This effectively generated a new and more complex pursuit of pleasure, which influenced future generations regarding sex and music. The emblem of the sexual component in disco is undoubtedly “LOVE TO LOVE YOU BABY,” the 1975 track by DONNA SUMMER, the “scandal record” featuring 16 minutes of simulated orgasm.
Shapiro: “Increasingly explicit sexuality and the breaking down of limitations on homosexual rights produced a vulgar machismo, especially among Black artists.” Homosexuality was not a phenomenon exclusive to disco; rock artists also built part of their persona by playing with the ambiguous nature of their image, such as DAVID BOWIE and ELTON JOHN. DISCO, in every aspect, was therefore linked to fun and happy sex. The song “I FEEL LOVE” expressed Movement, Escape, Fantasy, Physical Pleasure, and Sexual Gratification; it contained fake orgasms, entirely synthetic drum backings, and percussive effects—in short, a masterpiece of mechanical eroticism. Before then, no track had pulsed in such a visceral way.
