Bali Ha’i Disconnection

Originally released on the mighty Y Records in 1982, this one-off single by Disconnection was a mutant disco cover version of a song from Rodgers and Hammerstein’s 1949 musical, South Pacific which was made into a blockbuster film in 1958.

An odd choice of a song to cover? Well, something was in the air back in ’82 as at almost exactly the same time the Disconnection record was released Captain Sensible covered “Happy Talk” from South Pacific and had a UK number 1 with it. I’d like to think he got the idea after hearing “Bali Ha’i” but that would be pure speculation. What I do know is that even though the Disconnection record made barely a ripple at the time it is by far the superior record.

Long sought after and going for stupid money on Discogs, as a long time Y Records freak I am very honoured to have been given permission to make this curiously great record available again and to give it a home in the Optimo Music Disco Plates series. Dick O’Dell’s Y Records released so many great records - The Slits, The Pop Group, PIgbag, Sun Ra, Pulsallama, Shriekback, Maximum Joy, The Tesco Bombers and Mouth amongst others - and this one is up there with the best of them.

It is released in the original configuration; Radio Mix, US Discomix and UK Discomix versions alongside the faux exotica delight that is “Aaaah”. It comes in a s