I just watched the documentary Maestro on the Logo channel. This doc focused on the underground club and music scene of NYC from the late 70's through the late 80s. Good people, I was transported back into an amazing period in my life.
Picture me at 17, my look was Brooklyn Banjee Boy, 28" waist, with black from head to toe, hitting the floor at the Paradise Garage. The Garage, as we use to call it, was THE club. It opened at midnight every Friday and Saturday and closed at noon. This is where you went after the other clubs closed up for the night. It's patrons included gay, straight, white, black, latino, rich, poor; well you get the picture. The key is they all partied in unison. The vibe was tribal.
The sound system there was genius. It was actually developed by sound engineers. The thing is the sound wasn't blasting so loud you end up with ringing ears, instead what you got was an experience in which every vocal and instrument was highlighted in such detail, that it would move every part of your body. The music and sound would truly transport your mind to a better place.
Top 40 songs were rarely played. What became known as House Music, or Underground, was the flavor of choice. Larry Levan, who was the main focus of the doc, was the main DJ at The Garage. Lary influenced every single major DJ that came after him, from Frankie Knuckles, Lil Louie Vega, Jellybean to Danny Tenaglia.
Ahh those were some good times. I use to drop acid just before I went in and jack my body to the soundwaves. It was a spirtiual experience for me. The songs I would throw down to were:
I Can't Get Enough - Liz Torres
Ma Foom Bey - Cultural Vibe
The Jungle - Jungle Wonz
Move, Bounce, Shake - Anane & Mr. V
These songs and others that rocked the club back in the day, can be found on the CD "Masters At Work: The Kings of House
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