www.djsportal.com/en/index.php?id=pioneer
{ an internet book about DISCOTHEQUE PIONEERS }

The difference between ignorance and awareness is wisdom
We don't know where we are going unless we know where we've been
Without that knowledge... history is gone with the wind

the story continues 2006

INTRODUCTION

For those that do not know me outside of the disco community, please look up Yahu's interview with me on his website: http://www.djsportal.com/en/pioneer/index.php?id=barry

In brief, I was around during the beginnings of the disco era and have been encouraged by many to write my thoughts down, so it can be a permanent printed record of the actual happenings in the music industry in the early 70's.

I am not a great writer as you will shortly see, but I ask your indulgence. My reason for doing this is to straighten out many misconceptions, that I have read in the recent years. Why do I do this ? Simply because much of the information told to the public is incorrect. Why do I know? Because I was there.

This will be a free form discussion from me, including commentary, interviews and documents from the disco era. It will be on going as I contact many people over the next few months. So keep checking in to Yahu's site and look for my link. One major reason why I believe I have such detailed and accurate information, is that I was the writer of a column, called Disco Mix in Billboard, hence the title of this article. I was there for four years starting in the mid - seventies.

Prior to me, the column was written by Tom Moulton, a great disco remixer of the time. We were very close friends and I was privy to many of the items he wrote about. Also as I writer, I was in contact with DJs all over the country as well as record executives and artists of the disco era. Please feel free to write in to Yahu care of me, if you find there is an error.IT was a while ago, and I am open to anyone who has insight into this time and has a correction for me or any other info that they have to offer.

Just to give myself a pat on the back, let me quote from a great book called "Turn The Beat Around" by Peter Shapiro and published by Faber and Faber Inc. in New York and is available NOW. In this quote you will hear many names mentioned, which I will discuss at a later time.

First let me say something very important which has never gotten its' proper due.

During the years 1971 to 79, Fire Island was the mecca of the gay world. It consisted of the Sandpiper and Botel in the Pines and the Ice Palace in Cherry Grove. It was from these places that the origin of disco music had one of its beginnings and where hits were made in the disco community and to the world at large.

Many NY DJs went there (Fire Island) and both Tom and I, who were there at that time playing (would you believe tapes not vinyl) would report the great reaction to certain songs in our Billboard column. Since Billboard was read by almost all DJs across the country and especially, the record labels, they were very aware how much a mention in our column could bring a record to the eventual attention of the dancing public. At this time both Tom and I played tapes as we were there only on weekends and the club owners needed something to play during weekdays-hence the format of reel to reel tapes.

Eventually I would go to turntables. However Tom always made his tapes on 1 recorder. He used a Revox and used stop and pause to get the next song right on beat. This process took him OVER 75 hours to say the least (each tape was 3 hours in length for both of us) But his work was well worth it, as the result was excellent. Ironically Tom Moulton never played with a turntable. I am very proud to say that both Tom and I never took advantage of our position. Once you give in to temptation, your credilbility is lost. We never did !!! OK these next few paragraphs are combined, condensed and paraphrased from many books of titles I will mention in another column of resources.

The Ice Palace was the first success at the island in 1970, followed by the Sandpiper which trumped the GROVE THE following year.This was DUE to the brilliant music of Don Finlay, who had the island in the palms of his hands. He brought new music to us, (to be discussed later), that no one ever heard of. It was the pure magic as far as I was concerned and was the height of dancing. Don was incredible .Everyone could not wait to go out (and be quite stoned). It was a magic moment in time and perhaps the highlight of my dancing life (except for 12 West's DJ Jimmy Stuard (again to be discussed later).

The following year I was at the Botel and Tom at the Sandpiper. In the Grove, Bobby DJ Guttadaro brought back the Ice Palace to top notch form due to his genius with music. We were both the first Djs to play "Loves Theme" on Acetate, months before the general public heard it. The reaction was enormous and eventually the record would hit #1.

Tom was at the Sandpiper for 2 years. I was at the Botel (an afternoon tea dance party and actually the place where the word tea dance originated), for 4 years and then to the Sandpiper for about 2 or 3 years. While Francis Grasso (The Sanctuary) and David Mancuso (The Loft) laid down the basic framework of the disco sound in NYC, the Fire Island crowd's reaction to the music spun by Guttadaro, Moulton, and Lederer helped create disco's intensity (as quoted by Peter Shapiro in his book TURN THE BEAT AROUND).

Bobby DJ was at the Ice Palace for many years and in the winter played in NY, especially at the Continental Baths where Bette Midler first performed. He was also the main DJ at Le Jardin on West 43rd Street.

NOTE: The Baths were at time when Bobby played there, one of the hottest places to Go for both straight and gay individuals. The gay patrons could "play" upstairs, while the straights (and anyone else) could go downstairs where the pool was and hear great MUSIC. It was actually divine to be next to a guy or girl dressed up while you were only wearing a towel.

(my words) - The rest is history - Disco was born and a new era of music began. The relationship between the DJ and the crowd had begun and became the hallmark of gay disco.


I may be reached at barry254@msn.com Thank You

REFLECTING BACK ... Yahu, I wrote this primarily to dispute Tim Lawrence's book "Love Saves the Day". As someone who was there both at David's and the Island, I know the story ... read

THE FUTURE OF DISCO-THOUGHTS OF A PIONEER ... DISCO AS I SEE IT, GAVE BIRTH TO MANY OTHER MUSICAL GENRES: SOUL /JAZZ ROCK/ACID/FUNK/HOUSE/ TECHNO AND EVEN TO HEAVY METAL AND PUNK ROCK ... read

REMEMBER WHEN ... WE ALL KNOW THAT THE DISCO PHENOMEMEN AFFECTED ALL OF OUR LIFE STYLES, SOCIAL HABITS, AS WELL AS FASHION AND OF COURSE MUSIC ... read

DISCO ROOTS ... Although we acknowledge that disco started in the1970's, there were many events that led up to it. Here is a shortened version of some of the events which gave us a great moment in time... read