Disco "scene" in the UK in the late 70's?

[Andy W]

The simple answer is there wasn't really a UK disco scene like the States. As far as I can tell the disco thing over here only really started as the US scene was going into a reversal - Heaven for instance only opened in 79 whereas the Loft & Sanctuary started in 1970 over there. There was no mirrored rise of disco over here in the early 70's. Northern Soul was the underground scene over here then.

Disco over here didn't have the backlash that it had over there, in fairness though it was MASSIVE in the states in the late 70's (the most popular radio stations in the whole of the States played disco). Disco post 79 went underground and reverted back to specialist clubs in the States, whereas it never had to go underground here so much, in fact Disco per se was very much overground here.

No way. Disco was everywhere in the Uk from George McCrea’s Rock Your Baby on, ie from about 1975. In every youth club, scout hut and town hall in the land the dj’s set was based around disco, although you tended to get a bit of glam rock and dancey pop (the likes of Dancing Queen) thrown in, plus a couple of reggae/ ska numbers (eg Liquidator, when the lads would shout out their football teams). The night would always end with the “smoochy” section when everyone would pair up - eg the Stylistics, 10cc’s I’m Not In Love etc. So disco was everywhere, but for most it wasn’t being served up exclusively.
Gradually (late 70s early 80s) name djs and exclusively dance music discos emerged - where I lived the kind of more dedicated and knowledgeable people who went to them were said to follow jazz funk and soul but that was really just a less commercial version of disco as well.