It’s the the title of a a sock-knocker of a record by Cinerama, the retro-pop offshoot of David Gedge’s Wedding Present. It’s the name of the hydrofoil in Thunderball. It’s the nickname of the 1952 Alfa-Romeo Spider.
These associations alone would be enough to secure its unimpeachable cool. What sends it into the stratosphere is its actual definition – Disco volante is the Italian phrase for flying saucer. Can you imagine a sexier transposition of something geeky? Disco volante puts go-go boots on the spacesuit. Disco volante turns Ann Francis into Jane Fonda – Disco volante is the shortest distance from the Forbidden Planet to Barbarella. Could there be a more fetching phrase for such a boss concept?
For your pleasure, here’s Cinerama’s Because You’re Beautiful, from yes, Disco Volante:
[audio:https://shepelavy.com/audio/beautiful.mp3]