Derived from discothèque, the name for French nightclubs that played records instead of live music, early disco emerged in the black, Latino and gay communities of Philadelphia and New York at the end of the 1960s.
Combining elements of pop, soul and funk, early disco centered on getting people out on the dance floor, with DJs remixing, extending and selecting songs in response to the vibe of the audience.
When these photos were taken by photographer David Redfern in the early 1970s, disco was a new phenomenon — and it was still cool.
(Images © David Redfern/Redferns/Getty Images)