In some music-writerly way, ‘Good Times’ is the crossover point between disco and hip-hop. Well, it emerged at the fag-end of disco and has been sampled within an inch of its sharp-creased strides by every hip-hop cut this side of ‘Ice Ice Baby’ (and ‘Ice Ice Baby’). That’ll do for a theory.
With a bassline you could write books about – someone page Simon Reynolds – Nile Rodgers and B’nard Edwards fashioned a typically lush setting and got down to moving feet to a happier tomorrow. Forget all the bad stuff, “don’t be a drag – participate/Clams on the half-shell and rollerskates, rollerskates”. Junior was quick to pick out the salient point: “Are the rollerskates pink, white or blue?” I went for the populist answer and assured her they were pink. “Can I have pink rollerskates?” See how an idle query swiftly turns into a dive for the jugular? I think these are feminine wiles.
Watch out for that bassline.
Did she get the rollerskates? We must be told.
Not yet. I imagine it’s but a matter of time. Her mum’ll have to teach her though.