France Joli: Gonna Get Over You
France Joli’s funky pop overtakes one of Prelude’s biggest post-disco releases
By late 1980, Disco slid out of the conscious of mainstream America and was replaced by MTV, rock-pop and disco’s distant cousin, New Wave. Over-saturation was to blame and, indiscreetly, the gay and black communities were punished with fueled-up rock revellers promoting their “Disco Sucks” revolution. But the genre that lived and breathed funk and R&B, along with Europop’s sophistication, kept its wheels on the road in the underground clubs with popular N.Y.-based record labels like West End, Salsoul and Prelude.
The career of France Joli – a Prelude recording artist – peaked exactly when rumors started to swell over disco’s fate. At one point, the Canadian singer was becoming more popular than Donna Summer. Her disco classic, “Come to Me,” was her greatest shot to fame; earning her a Top 20 hit in 1979. After disco’s popularity weaned from the public eye, she managed to raise her profile once again with the funky pop of “Gonna Get Over You.” The song, found on 1981’s Now!, presents an glorious embodiment of what a timeless disco number should sound like. With Crown Heights Affair’s Ray Reid and William Anderson producing the record, the song grabs tight to sultry girl harmonies, a singable chorus and Joli’s pure vocals. And the production, worked with sonorous strings, Chic-inspired guitar riffs, and zesty horns, proved to be one of the last gasps of disco glory. Although it managed to soar to No. 2 on the U.S. Disco charts, its failure to dent the pop charts was enough proof on how disaffectionate mainstream pop was to disco music. Ironically, the same palette Joli used on “Gonna Get Over You” is the same disco magic and funky pop Madonna used on “Holiday.” Only major difference was that the Top 20 hit used more ’80’s electro pop.
I really prefer Joli instead Madonna