The Magnificent Dance

New York’s 70s underground disco scene created the modern concept of the DJ and the Remix, spawning a new breed of relentless record hunters. KRIS NEEDS celebrates the pioneers and vinyl milestones of the times.

This year marks the 20th anniversary of acid house becoming the biggest UK youth revolution since punk rock, but the evolution of dance music and its infiltration into the musical mainstream had already given the world things now taken for granted – like 12” singles, remixes, record pools, exclusive promos and DJs mixing records together. French discotheques date as far back as the 40s, while the 60s saw London’s mods speeding the night away to Guy Stevens playing soul imports at Soho’s Flamingo, before DJs like John Peel, Andy Dunkley and Jeff Dexter filled in between the groups at U.F.O. and the Roundhouse. New York had 60s discos like Le Jardin and Le Club featuring black DJ Slim Hyatt playing records for dancing instead of a band.

The turning point for the strain of unbridled hedonism which would lead to the city’s disco uprising took place in Greenwich Village when customers of the Stonewall gay bar fought back after the club was raided by police in June 1969. For the first time, gays had stood up for themselves against repressive authorities: the party flood-gates were open.

In 1970, the most influential club of all time rose out of this new freedom, mixed with the hippy dream now taking a battering from hard drugs, Altamont and Vietnam. The peace, love …

by KRIS NEEDS
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