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The Popcorn, Golden Gate, The Champou, Boum Boum and the Viertap, ringing names on the Flemish disco-scene, were the founders of a unique style in music that appealed to thousands in the seventies and eighties.

Each weekend was a smashing feast in the famous and sometimes notorious discos; DJs could choose from a wide range of records of their own often completed with collector's items from Great Britain or the U.S.
Cherishing their singles and LPs, these DJs became authorities on this music-style.

Every week their public was enchanted by the sublime mix of fifties Doowop, Soul, Rhythm & Blues, the high shool sound of Anka, Sedaka and Rydell, and a spark of Cha Cha and Mambo. Later on Jamaican Ska, as an unseperable part of a successful oldies night, turned the place upside down : when dance flours were overcrowded, people climbed the counters to serve their purpose. What atmosphere !

Very soon this exceptional music coctail was called "Popcorn music" or "Popcorn Oldies" after a dancing "The Popcorn" in Vrasene (Flanders, Belgium).
It got started in 1969, only opened on Sunday afternoons, but attracted all kinds of people from all over the country and from abroad as well.

Popcorn fans were not interested in the disco which dominated the music scene at the time. Disco was all over the radio. Popcorn music however could only be heard in one of the few dancings in Flanders.

The Popcorn phenomenon remains firmly connected to a special dance style, a kind of soulswing, less explosive than rock'n 'role form the fifties, but more eligant and more ingenious than any kind of music. Many popcorn-freaks developed into real specialists on the dance-floor and turned it into a real spectacle.

Although "The Popcorn" in Vrasene is stil considered to be the starting-point of the music, we must give credit to Freddy Cousaert who in 1968 began some experiments with soul and rhythm & blues from the U.S. Other discos engaged themselves along these lines in the seventies. The fact that the music played in these places was not available in record shops, added to Popcorn's own character. The oldies market was born, DJs set out to find the ultimate single.

Since the notion "Popcorn Oldies" is connected to all music with that specific and typical rhythm, it is nevertheless difficult to name some performers in this kind of music. There are indeed numerous classics or numbers which were turned and tuned into a Popcorn. Who does not know "Sixteen Tons" by Louis Neefs, "I'm Crying In The Rain" by Major Lance, "You Beat Me To The Punch" by Mary Wells or "I Will" by Billy Fury. But also Gen have made "Popcorn"; And if one oldie did not fit the popcorn beat, the DJ could always tamper a bit with the record speed. Most of then performers however are only known to a few specialists.

Although a small number of discos continue to play only oldies this kind of music seems on the way down. But "Special Popcorn Nights" and oldies-parties are sill very much wanted. "Popcorn Time" is here again.!


Butte du site:

"By Michel Scarpone"
'Article appeared in "Discoveries" - American music magazine'.

The Belgian "popcorn" style began in 1968 in Oostende. There was a nightclub that was called "The Groove". The first notes of music came from this nightclub wich was called at that time "Soul Music". I was seventeen. I never heard such beautiful music. Now I'm 41 and I'm still crazy about that type of music, "The Oldies Popcorn" as we call this music in Belgium. At the time in the nightclub Groove the classics were : Billy Larkin - 'Hole In The Wall' and Leon Haywood - 'Soul Cargo'. Ska music was also played : Roland Alphonso - 'Doctor Ring Ding', 'Shake A Lady' and 'Song of My Father'. Even some instrumental music such as Ramsey Lewis - 'Wade in The Water', 'China Gate', Alvin Cash - 'Twine Time'.

In 1970 a new nightclub opened its doors, called "Dancing Popcorn", located in Vrasene.
It was the great beginning of a new style of music. This music was called 'oldies popcorn'. The collectors of Belgium Popcorn increased more and more. There were collectors of popcorn music in Belgium, then in France, then in Holland, now even in other countries. The popcorn style can't really be explained. It is the collectors themselves who created the style and it can change from year to year, but the most sought-after great classics are always the same. Here are some examples : Dick Baker - 'Heartless Lover', Jay Abbott - 'La Tanya', Johnny Barness - 'The Time Is Now', Mary Mazza - 'Cha Cha Italiano' and Ray Rivera 'Troubles Troubles'.

In the seventies about ten nightclubs began to play popcorn records! They were the best DJs in Belgium at the time, and some of them still play today. For the nightclub The Groove, the best DJ was Gilbert Govaert. At Popcorn the great DJ was Jeff Callebaut. In the Versailles Georges Toniotti was the top DJ. Two guys, Eddy and Kurt, were tops at Viertap. My brother Paul and I give people lots of enjoyment in many Belgian nightclubs. Sometimes we organize one or two evenings per year. Still today, after 25 years, the popcorn style is still around and the best records that can be heard are James Conwell on 4J; Jeff Lane - "Carmelita", Bruce Cloud - "Let Me Come Back Home", Kurt Harris - "Emperor Of My Babys Heart" - Douglas Banks - "Ain't that Just Like AWoman", also many by Major Lance and Billy Butler.

Dancing THE POPCORN Vrasene (Belgium)

 (No more existing as Popcorn~Dancing!)

Despite the release of oldies popcorn on compact disc, (about 30 so far) more than 1.000 collectors still look for original "Belgian Popcorn" classic singles. If you visit Belgium don't forget to go to a nightclub where you can hear Belgian Popcorn. People who really like 50s and 60s music can't miss this opportunity, because the popcorn music is something that you can hear and dance to in a nightclub and the atmosphere is super !

Michel Scarpone: "Ever since Doug Hanners began telling me about Belgium Popcorn Music, I'v wanted to know more. Thanks for giving us this brief history on the scene, Michel. No matter what you call it, your musical taste is pretty good.
Glad the scene is thrivine, both on vinyl and CD".