Frank DeCaro has a unique gift for turning nostalgia into an energetic call to arms. A vibrant storyteller with a career spanning decades in entertainment, DeCaro continues to radiate the infectious enthusiasm that made him a beloved presence on The Daily Show and Sirius XM. His latest book, Disco, Music, Movies, and Mania Under the Mirror Ball, is not just a chronicle of the 1970s disco era but a joyous reclamation of a genre that defined a generation.
DeCaro’s conversation on the MINDED Podcast was an illuminating dive into the origins and motivations behind his new work. “Disco was making a big comeback,” DeCaro recalls. “The more I looked, the more people were getting excited about it again.” What began as a personal collection of memorabilia—Snoopy disco sheets, a disco lunchbox—evolved into a deep exploration of disco's cultural resurgence. “It wasn’t just nostalgia,” DeCaro noted. “Disco had something important to say then, and it still does today.”
The book is not merely a celebration of the music itself, but of the larger cultural movement disco represented. As DeCaro describes, disco provided anthems of empowerment during a time of social upheaval. “It was the queer community, people of color, and women making strides,” he reflects. The music was more than just a beat to dance to; it was the soundtrack of revolution, helping marginalized communities assert their voices.
In his characteristic humor, DeCaro admits to spending hours in a “YouTube rabbit hole” to find rare clips and behind-the-scenes stories from disco's heyday. He also had the privilege of interviewing legends like Gloria Gaynor, Thelma Houston, and even Village People's Felipe Rose, who has been on DeCaro’s speed dial since his days at Sirius XM. “People think I’m going to retire,” DeCaro jokes, “retire from what? Listening to disco and watching drag queens?”
But it’s not all glitter and gold in DeCaro’s narrative. He does not shy away from addressing the darker moments of disco’s history, including the infamous Disco Demolition Night in 1979. “It was racist, homophobic, and sexist,” DeCaro says bluntly, calling out the destructive motivations behind the event that marked the so-called "death" of disco in America. Yet, as DeCaro points out, disco never truly died. “You thought you won the disco war, but you didn’t,” he declares. “Disco is now in the Library of Congress.”
With his trademark wit and a deep reverence for the subject, DeCaro has crafted what he describes as a “kitchen sink” book—one that captures the essence of disco, from its anthems of empowerment to its enduring presence in today’s pop culture. He revels in both the high and low points of the genre, celebrating not only the music of Donna Summer and the Bee Gees but also the “good-bad” movies like Skate Town USA and Ethel Merman’s unlikely disco album.
For DeCaro, writing this book was as much about rediscovering the joy of disco as it was about setting the record straight. As he told Xavier, “We were told disco wasn’t cool anymore, but now it’s everywhere.” This reclamation of disco—both its triumphs and its tacky excesses—is at the heart of DeCaro’s project. It’s a love letter to a misunderstood era, one that continues to influence music, fashion, and film today.
In a world where so much of our cultural history is quickly forgotten, Frank DeCaro stands as a beacon of disco's undying legacy, calling us all back to the dance floor.
Disco, Music, Movies, and Mania Under the Mirror Ball is available now.
For more on Frank DeCaro, follow him on Instagram @FrankDeCaroShow.
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