Latest Site News

[Liam.k.]

Of course, Chambers and Williams have co-written a big disco song before: Kylie’s Your Disco Needs You, a gloriously camp, Village People-inspired romp from her Light Years album. It became a highlight of her triumphant Brighton Pride set this summer. Chambers says he’s well aware the song has become a fan favourite and a modern queer classic; and he loved it when Kylie sent him a a video of her singing it with Katharine Jenkins at the Royal Albert Hall a few years ago. “I’m very proud of the song,” he says. “The only thing that’s laced with some mixed emotions is that Miles Leonard, who was the head of Kylie’s label at the time, stopped it being a single in the UK. That was painful, it really was, because it should have been a single in the UK and it would have done really well.”

Is it true the single’s UK release was vetoed because it was considered “too gay” and “too camp”? “Absolutely – that’s what we were told, yeah,” Chambers replies. “As if that’s ever been something to stop a song from being commercial. There’s always been room for camp songs – it’s something we need; that part of our culture is very important.”

In a way, I suggest, the fact that Your Disco Needs You never became a single only adds to its cult and queer appeal: walk into any bar on Manchester’s Canal Street or London’s Old Compton Street and you’re almost guaranteed to hear it. “That’s made my day to hear that,” he says, sounding genuinely touched. “I’m very grateful to the fans for keeping the song alive over all these years, it’s wonderful.” He also teases the possibility of Robbie Williams recording his own version of Your Disco Needs You, saying: “I think he will do that at some point, and I think he should.”

Read the full interview here: https://www.gaytimes.co.uk/originals/128522...reveals-writer/

Kylie fans have all heard about how 'Your Disco Needs You' wasn't a single due to being "too camp" but it was always a bit of rumour. Quite shocking to hear and also quite confusing - 1) as Guy says, why should being camp stop a song from being successful and 2) Light Years was the wrong era to be complaining about "too camp"!