Machine -There But for the Grace of God Go I - Video Postproduced

Enhanced video and post produced with original audio adapted
Courtesy of Overland Ent
MACHINE recognition in 2011 for his song There But for the Grace of God Go I. A great success DISCO in the late 70s

[@JoeFerber]

One of the GREATEST disco songs of ALLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLL time!!!

[@love4lust7301]

The best lyrics for any song I ever heard. The beat is ridiculous. Carlos and Carmen Vidal just had a child A lovely girl with a crooked smile Now they gotta split 'cause the Bronx ain't fit For a kid to grow up in Let's find a place they say, somewhere far away With no blacks, no Jews and no gays There but for the grace of God go I Papi and the family left the dirty streets To find a quiet place overseas And year after year the kid has to hear The do's, the don'ts and the dears And when she's ten years old she digs that Rock 'n' Roll But Papi bans it from the home There but for the grace of God go I Baby, she turns out to be a natural freak Gaining weight and losing sleep And when she's sweet sixteen, she packs her things and leaves With a man she met on the street Carmen starts to bawl, bangs her head to the wall Too much love is worse than none at all There but for the grace of God go I

[@nileamish2313]

Amazing how they can sing objectively about no blacks no Jews no gays this is a song sung by people with no bias at all just the grace God! Humanity could learn a thing or 3 here!

[@happyswim1836]

True. We still enjoyed the . music 🎶🕺💃🎵.

[@honeychurchgipsy6]

Because the song is about how her parents, who were racist bigots took their daughter away from the city that they saw as dangerous only for her life to go wrong anyway.

[@timdetmers3240]

Thank God I'm Jewish and I'm gay. A DOUBLE BLESSING. Thanks for this terrific song. Brings back happy memories.

[@jajo2244]

Wow

[@stevendrake9591]

I'm Black & gay

[@imaginativewriters-animate2163]

OMG. STILL THE BEST

[@KellySmith-gt5pi]

That female lead Singer is fantastic

[@stevierayskater]

i was a dj in the 80's and this song brought down the house. its still a classic

[@getreal3445]

There are songs that can never get old this is one of them

[@THEDISH54]

I had the privilege of singing this with my Aunt Clare the original vocalist with Machine and Jay.

[@big-baby-buddha]

Salute!

[@michaelsantos2913]

helo china doll did you ask your aunt was this a cool spiritual song

[@nathanielbrown7027]

China doll I would've loved to hear it👍

[@denisewhite11385]

Your lucky. This is the only song that you can actually feel the dance floor bouncing in the clubs. When the DJ played the song people made a mad dash to the dance floor.

[@davidgraham6195]

Nice lots of love 😎

[@denisewhite11385]

When they played this in the clubs you can actually feel the floor thumping.

[@williamtannock8620]

So very true Denise. We did have version in Scotland that changed the "offensive" lyrics to "where the happy people stay"

[@IsabelDiazJr]

Right....

[@bluefalcon646]

Amazing how a song can transport you (in memory) to a different time of your life. Good or bad our lives have a sound track.

[@staranise7248]

Powerful

[@ArtFreeman]

I agree wholeheartedly

[@machine-shopbilly6584]

Shut up and go back to the mall you spawned from

[@maceoshaw1513]

That is a true statement!

[@IsabelDiazJr]

I was a senior in H.S. in Chicago when this song came out. Awesome Hustle Song but the lyrics just blew me and my friends away.....It was WAY before it's time. Fucking Awesome Song...

[@MrFlashcubes]

wow I still get chills everytime I hear this

[@Lisa-vq3ow]

Amazing song from the 70's. This song was featured in the movie Summer of Sam. Love it!

[@knuftobor]

I never get tired of this!!

[@borgullet3376]

This has got to be the most INTENSE tune of the Disco era... Pure Genius.

[@alanhorowitz3796]

Agreed. But Push Push in the Bush was another lip biter!

[@paulsaucier8500]

Oh, how we danced.

[@GypsyInThirteen]

Sooo intense! I am amped loll 1 am on the couch🤣🤩💖

[@malcolmskinner3117]

Pure genius is right

[@mrpoohbearlvr]

Oh hunny!!! Poppers, coke, and this song.....gay dance heaven! 🏳️‍🌈👍😁

[@fuxztx9720]

THIS SONG IS SAYING THE TRUTH ABOUT SOME PEOPLE IN THE WORLD TODAY TO ME ITS PURE GOLD THE MUSIC THE SINGING THE DANCING EXCELLENT

[@PopeEdward]

we saw them in Coney Island for Saturday Night Fever 40th anniversary.When they played this the place exploded. 5,000 people jumped to their feet to sing and dance. Amazing. Fantastic. What a great night.

[@randolphfein8048]

wish I had been there.

[@PopeEdward]

@@randolphfein8048 it was great!

[@michaellonnee5824]

Wish I could have been there for that

[@drjj1289]

BROOKLYN WAS WHERE IT WAS HAPPENING THEN

[@Jsto212]

Thank all of u beautiful people blacks ,Jews, and gays for loving my song J,MACHINE STOVALL

[@richardharris3423]

Great song! These singers are HOT!! This group has been underrated.

[@c.samuels87]

Intense message in this track.. One of the most compelling messages of its era.. A total beauty 🙂

[@Dinnerwiththeavilas]

I LOVE this song. I was born in 76. My mom and dad would play disco music often.

[@panamaslim595]

Disco national anthem

[@Drkphyre224SAHS_CAMEROON]

My cousin Claire lead singer. The music started out Disco in 1979, now in 2018, a House Classic!

[@mailman87120]

Wesley Walker your cousin has an awesome voice.

[@bravoda1]

Like that song, and was around when it came out. But I found the lyrics sad. Great song though. ✌.

[@garyolivier792]

Nice!! Great song!!

[@garyolivier792]

Cool !!!

[@respecthewoman]

Yes, and those were good days too.

[@joseheredia2609]

Oh my lord i can feel the soul coming out of this wonderful womans mouth.makes me wanna dance asap lol

[@TheMarsgia]

wow. Imagine the lyrics hitting the charts today 2023. Woke would be all over

[@Jake-yz3qv]

What do you think this song is about?

[@frankcalisi7637]

I remember dancing to this song and all the Jews and Blacks would laugh when that line came on.

[@marcikenon4075]

It was changed in later versions.

[@aggierowe9574]

And it was a hit in Brooklyn discos in Italian neighborhoods. A classic

[@godphoenix66x]

What about the Gays?

[@ChestersonJack]

@@marcikenon4075Huh! What was it changed to?

[@user-qo8xk7tg5b]

There are no jews. It's a religion not a race.

[@bluefalcon6464]

Way to deliver a message. A lesson to be learned by all.

[@carly4560]

I got this tatted down my backbone😁

[@eagleplumber6279]

]]

[@melanier7309]

This came out when I attended 285 Meyer Levin JHS, many moons ago. I moved to Long Island two years later. It brings back a lot of memories.

[@nikineal69]

Long Island had the areas with no Blacks and no Jews: The Village of Garden City.

[@remoney]

One of the greatest tracks put the vinyl

[@joejohnson6321]

The hottest club in the 80’s was a club name Fantasy’s and man they use to rock this song.

[@ronforsdyke3830]

Absolutely monster disco track, glad I bought the 12”

[@carlosrod3880]

Awesome jam what happened to the music today..so depressing..I want to go back to the 70's...so many great artists back then... today only a handful...peace..

[@slyslaughter5115]

Own corporate overloads want us depressed and foul.

[@klapsker714]

one of the most memorable tunes growing up in Brooklyn during the start of the disco craze.

[@ChachaChapati]

This has a distinct New York feel to it, even without the Bronx reference.

[@MusicLoverPearson]

WKTU

[@joseheredia2609]

Keith Lapsker I miss my newyork.great song and video

[@Ralphie_Boy]

*Da Bronx All The Way! LOL*

[@Jimbojub]

I thought this came out in 1980? I have it in an 80's playlist. Strange.

[@MartinReiss-fv6ov]

Very lively song with excellent rhythmn. A fabulous song to dance up a storm. The lady has a great singing voice and has very good dancing moves.

[@user-id6cs7ih3s]

Boston Boston on Landsdowne St 1980.......WOW!!! Would bring the house down!!!

[@angelaponte6020]

Love This Song...🥰

[@dc7137]

One of best Damn Disco Songs of all time-This band kicks ass, there is no color in killer music. Circus Disco LIves

[@shirleybutler2623]

OMG This awesome classic is in its own class of its own do you agree?

[@jopephjohnson9000]

They use to play this song in my family's club in the 80's. l always like the beat and one night I paid attention to the lyrics. The gays loved this and would hit the dance floor when it came on.

[@avp0713]

Yep... As big as this song was, it was SUPER POPULAR at the gay joints.

[@mrsm222]

Iconic NYC disco anthem! And a timeless true story for so many. There are some lessons to be learned from those lyrics.

[@teenac718]

Best dance song ! The music , lyrics were so real. Thank you.

[@Freethought73]

Finally get to SEE how the people who performed this song actually look like!

[@Vdauntless30]

Yea..30 odd years later..guess it's better late than never

[@tonyruiz2390]

Right

[@HomeBuyersofOhio]

Same here...finally

[@nabajyotitalukdar6930]

It IS intense- words, voice and the music. Great piece of disco!

[@lineyhernandez5492]

Lol…. Same

[@slyslaughter5115]

One of the best dance singles ever.

[@craigathonian]

LOVE, LOVE, LOVE ❣❣❣ this gem of a song. What a number of people forget about when this song was released was the fact it was literally band ! It only recieved air time when the club people made it a hit, of whom were mostly black and gay. That's the power of the people who loved to shake their BOOTY

[@John923T]

Written by the "Kid" Creole, this was a stable "Jam" during the disco years when this hit everyone was on the dance flo' knowaimean" Listen to the lyrics real close they where relevant yesterday as they are today. If you ain't movin' to this you just don't have it. Great upload - Peace 2 ya who remember

[@josehuizar9272]

Kid Creole was everywhere back then starting with Dr Buzzards Savannah Band and I believe Don Armando's. Genius!

[@alexm7627]

I find the title interesting, are they christian?

[@91dodgespiritrt]

"There Before the Grace of God", co-written by August Darnell, was a song about an Hispanic couple who wanted to move to the ‘burbs to get their baby daughter away from “the blacks, the jews and the gays”. I love it when "minorities" like August Darnell, (particularly Democrats from of all places "Brooklyn") show that THEY - more than any white Republican on the right - could be as racist and race-obsessed as the people they accuse of being "racist". THANK YOU, "KID CREOLE". You're a real "class' act.

[@John923T]

@@91dodgespiritrt There is racism in everyrace, the song depicts just a better life an yet even in the "Burbs" their are issues. Everybody has issues it is how one deals with it that matters.

[@bonbon33145]

Don Armando.. my beloved cousin RIP I LIVED all those years with all 3 bands ☮❣

[@elisafeliciano]

I was15 years old when this song came out in 1979. It was a monster hit back in the days and it is still a classic up to this date. Bring back memories.

[@ArtFreeman]

I was 14 at that time and roller skated to it every week and loved it

[@GeorgeJohnson-nw7dn]

I was 16 and it was something everyone wanted to know who sang it... it was hot!

[@mryellowcrown]

Los Angeles .....

[@joshuatall9952]

This song is underrated, it's one of the best disco cuts ever made thanx to brother Julio g for introducing me to it!!!

[@lawrencehall1789]

Hands Down.. my favorite song to dance to. HOUSEHEAD FOR LIFE CHICAGO AD7

[@kathrynlayfield9599]

WHEN I SANG ALONG WITH THESE SONGS, I WAS SINCERE! MY HEART LOVES JESUS CHRIST WITH TRUTH AND REAL LOVE! I WOULD GIVE JESUS NO LESS, HE IS MY SAVIOUR AND HIS BLOOD COVERS MY SINS. ONE DAY IN HEAVEN, I WILL BOW AND PRAISE HIM!

[@joannjohnson2481]

I"m from Chicago this was called deep house music back 1988 i love this song

[@mrfixit20012]

STILL INCREDIBLE! PRAISE YAHWEH!!!

[@MEGABOINK65]

This song never gets old! Great video job!!!

[@MrAntiSellOut]

This song is song is still rockin' after 39 years despite the controversial part of this song

[@anthonybardarama]

Oh hell with the people who can't handle the controversial part of the song. It was great for the time and still works today, so sad for all the crybabies. They can still play the version that says "lets find a place to stay somewhere far away where only upper class people stay". I'll take the original. ;)

[@dirtyred1687]

Knew about this song for some time now what I never knew was that the song was out of New York. I never knew but what I did know that I love this song. I loved it then and I love it now but therefore the grace of God go I

[@sheldonhudson1461]

Maple park Chicago Illinois gratitude ❤✌️👏🏾💯

[@joelsanders6206]

Too much love is worse than none @ all!

[@Roloch1]

Amazing First listen Track at the Copacobana Disco NY in the 80`s

[@MoneyBooBoo]

Who here 2020 still rocking out to this

[@slyslaughter5115]

This song slays still after so many decades. Darnell is a genie.

[@jobyoriginals61]

'There But for The Grace of God go I'...... Befitting for 2016!!!

[@cacevedo6522]

And 2020😘

[@lissetteredpixieruiz8081]

still lived in brooklyn ny coney island. i loved then. i love it even more now

[@mailman87120]

Summer of Sam brought me here. What a jamming song.

[@Superbates123]

Chills. Awesome song and lyrics. A classic.

[@lockness1980]

This song is slamming!! One of my favorite tracks for life!!! Thank you for this wondreful video you made to go along with it. Whew!!!

[@gailgarza8033]

The very first time I heard this song in 1979 when it first came out, I couldn't decipher the words, but the song was THAT powerful, EVERYTHING else about it told me what I needed to know - and on a subconscious level, I knew EXACTLY what they were talking about. Hints of classism, racism, and misogyny. Hints of the repressed, oppressed, forbidden. I may not have had the words for it when I was in the 7th grade, but I knew the despair. Such repression and oppression have created the social rot that we are STILL experiencing now.

[@lyricandsound]

Amen, Hermana! You are exactly right: People who think this song is racist because of Carlo and Carmen's aversion to Blacks, Jews, and Gays haven't understood that colonized people (and minorities in this country) too often internalize prejudice but often visit the same on other people. So yeah, this song promotes *banishing* one's internalized bigotry, thereby avoiding damage to the next generation. What a spectacular song!

[@santacollins326]

my favorite year 1979 🤩💖🎶🎶🎶🎶🎶🎶

[@charliewilliamssucks890]

In NYC this song ruled the airwaves for almost one year; great band when performing live, they had it all but drugs took them down hard. Some nights it took them hours just to straighten out so they could take the stage. A crying shame. So much talent, so much energy live. But when they played …… magic.

[@RockWithYu]

Still amazed at the many different topics addressed by disco records. So much of this stuff went right over my prepubescent head back in the 70s. Every time I hear'Macho Man' I chuckle upon remembering its use during advertisements for the Steelers-Cowboys SuperBowl!

[@roxyslow]

One of my all time must haves! Love you Machine!

[@scottparham1452]

This song takes me back to Dingbats nightclub on the Northside of Chicago's loop. Mr. T was the bouncer there before gaining international fame from the A-Team.

[@mikewakeup7818]

Oh my god… I just discovered this song.. it is absolutely the best ever!!!!

[@rodolforamirez9800]

This song definetely brought the house down at the club...I do miss DJing

[@lisaraye3057]

Song is the best!! Memories

[@michaellonnee5824]

I was a dj at a club in st. Paul in 1979 when this song was released and it never failed to get everyone off thrir butts and dance. What a beat.

[@alphamale1228]

I TOLD MY KIDS TO PLAY THIS AT MY FUNERAL AND SEE IF I DON'T HOP OUT THAT BOX.

[@Young-if1jz]

I actually burst out laughing at this comment! 😂

[@tbee1575]

YEEEEES! YOU AND ME BOTH!! 😆😆

[@carly4560]

Got it tatted down my backbone😁

[@ISPLITATOMS]

Yes, me three!!! 🤣🤣🤣

[@limahlrobinson9166]

Please don't hop out the BOX. GO TO THE MUSIC BOX circa 1984-89 CHICAGO HOUSE PARTY!!!!

[@markaguzmanartist630]

way back i met this buetiful porturican women that loved this song and she got me into it she loved it so much i end getting the cd for her , she was so obssesed with this song , i my self not only i was obsessed with her but the song to this song you can find it on the Kiss me guido movie sound , that sound also got alot of great tunes wow what memories great song it brought me flash backs 😁😂😂

[@aliciarojas651]

Wow…i love it! Great song 😊👏🏼👏🏼👏🏼

[@limahlrobinson9166]

They do not give this song the credit it deserves. BUT IN CHICAGO THIS IS A HOUSE CLASSIC. PLAY IT AND THE WHOLE PARTY GOES UP.

[@rochellesmith3689]

I said that just the other day about this song house music.

[@Myra1959]

Old school New York.

[@bk4055]

Yes reminds me of my Xenon, Studio 54, Ice Palace days!!! Very New York dance scene

[@ed7519]

Memories from my youth brought me here! :)

[@louiscaruso4167]

The guy in Machine, Jay, was a defendant at the People's Court - long story short - he won!

[@saveanna100]

Lol

[@willievelez4092]

Saw that episode

[@missdiligent]

Watching it now lol

[@dannymoulton4829]

August Darnell of the Savannah Band and Kid Creole, is a genius. Can you imagine the dance floor of a NY disco full of blacks, Jews and gays when this song came on?

[@DawnNY]

Yes, I was there.💃🏻 Days of Gold.

[@djkkdub]

In my top 10 of all time - and i have over 300,000 tracks :)

[@JOHNNYJAMS08]

Nice to finally add faces to their voices.

[@georgetiedemann2719]

What a great song and brings back great memories. How could you not get up and dance.

[@andreandree9261]

Love this song!!

[@shirleybutler2623]

Andre Andree OMG please don't leave me out loving it also Still Listening 2017

[@tonyceeone]

bensonhurst Brooklyn all day

[@Ralphie_Boy]

*Happy memories from my youth!*

[@shirleybutler2623]

Ralphie_Boy Hell to the yeah! Tell it like it is MEMORIES WOW!

[@dominic6283]

Good old days growing up in Bergen Beach Brooklyn.

[@moeanderson4773]

WOW!!! THIS SONG BROUGHT BACK AWESOME MEMORIES!!! 🔥🔥🔥🔥

[@brkitdwn]

I still love this song. It was played at some of the coolest parties and clubs. Hot cars, money, some of the best coke, sophisticated ladies and gents bringing it on.

[@miguelcruz7157]

NYC STAR SHIP DISCOVERY DISCO at 42nd st and 8th ave :)

[@wortiz33]

Chicago Rock's this jam as well!

[@yell0wberry]

I remember first hearing this song on disco 92 back in NYC. I believe Joe Causi introduced it to me, and it was played again later by Carlos DeJesus.

[@eddiebills6569]

machine featuring Jay stovall, legendary, epic.

[@seanthomas1564]

best song ever!!

[@daryellclaudecamacho7567]

Old School Disco New York Flair!

[@kensyskye8965]

One of the best songs ever! Timeless.............✊🏼🙏🏼💕🇬🇧

[@chulo1965]

A priceless classic - thank you Machine !

[@notbugs]

Great postproduction video, it is simply excellent! Cheers from Sweden!