Plato's Retreat

[Marcio**]

Director Spike Lee said on an interview that Plato's Retreat was a New York City sex club that worked in the New York City's summer of 77. Curiously there's a disco song recorded by Joe Thomas in 1976 (TK Records) also called "Plato's Retreat" :) .



http://www.findarticles.com/p/articl...29/ai_55084053

[DiscoMan]

Plato's was a notorious swinger club in NYC. I remember it opening in the summer of '76 and closing a year and half or 2 later. NYC was having a shit fit over the goings on at Plato's.

The porn industry was still pretty much still centered in NYC then (though the move to LA and the valley had begun) so it was not unusual to see porn stars there.

There are two notorious places from the '70s I regret never having been able to visit, one was Studio 54 and the other more important was Plato's. 8)

[paul]

Originally Posted by DiscoMan

Plato's was a notorious swinger club in NYC.

Weren't all the clubs pretty much like that Discoman :D
Anyway, I think they attempted the same thing minus the porn stars at Boston's Narcisus.

[QUINNY]

Originally Posted by Marcio

Director Spike Lee said on an interview that Plato's Retreat was a New York City sex club that worked in the New York City's summer of 77. Curiously there's a disco song recorded by Joe Thomas in 1976 (TK Records) also called "Plato's Retreat" :) .



http://www.findarticles.com/p/articl...29/ai_55084053

Ermm, I don't remember the disc of Plato's Retreat being around in 1976. It was released in 1978 and is much too sophisticated and stylised to be from '76.

[discolady75]

there was another place : "Erotic Circus" where porn stars used to be, and of course studio 54..

about the record, i read the credits 1978 sophisticated it is anyway !

if u need some lovin'
some hard time huggin'
move to any beat
at platos retreat

the article talks about a movie i really love "Summer of Sam" is a great movie shot of this era : punk vs disco, less commercial than saturday night fever.. a good media hysteria about a serial killer. this is Eros vs Thanatos too. quite good.

[DiscoMan]

Maybe the disc was released in '78 but Plato's itself was very early and didn't last long. Ya, all the clubs were like that but Plato's was special. I saw a live sex show in NYC (near Times Sq.) with a pal during the Summer of '76. :o That was all the rage then.

I remember Boston's Narcisus, have a gay friend who lived in Boston (still does) who went there.

My future bride and I were dating during the "Summer of Sam" and I remember that period very well. We were together at Lake George when Stacy Moskowitz, his last victim, was killed. I think that was in July of '77. AND IT WAS HOT! In more ways than one... :-?

[DiscoMan]

A little more on Plato's retreat:
Link to an excellent article AND THE SONG BY JOE THOMAS!

http://www.discomusic.com/records-more/763_0_2_0_C/

http://www.thelibertynetwork.tv/OUR-...ublisher-1.htm

http://www.thelibertynetwork.tv/OUR-PUBLISHER/platos.rm

This fellow says Plato's opened in '77 and other sources I've seen say '75. Based on my own memories I would go with the earlier date. In any case Plato's was wilder than Studio 54. Also, I believe the premise for the porn classic "Barbara Broadcast" of sex on the menu was based on the sex menu at Plato's.

And the youngsters of today wonder why we long for the excess of the '70s!

[Boodikka]

I went there once in '81/'82 when the club had moved the first time. The owner Larry Levine kept moving the location during the early '80s.

The only celeb I remember seeing there was Ed "Too Tall" Jones from the Dallas Cowboys.

The "Plato's Retreat" would have come out in '78. I remember it being in rotation on WKTU not long after the station started the disco format.

[DiscoMan]

What are your memories of the place?

[Anonymous]

Plato's Retreat is one of my all time favourite tunes. Believe Jocelyn Brown amongst others was on background vocals on this very classy tune...

Gettin hot and bothered
Loosen up your collar......

[JussiK]

Plato's Retreat...think slippery, lurid blue plastic mattress areas where groups of greasy potbellied wannabe Ron Jeremy types with too much body hair and aftershave grope garishly made up, more than Rubenesque middle aged women. Watch your step, might get slippery. The noises and the smells aren't too enticing, must have been strong curries for the Ron Jeremys. You don't want to watch the "ack-shun" too closely either, as the appendaxes, folds of flabby flesh and other details sure aren't pretty. Move on. Next step down: The Show World on 42nd and 8th Avenue...

[Anonymous]

I do enjoy reading your takes Jussi :lol:

[paul]

That guest above is me.

[Bernie]

Originally Posted by paul

That guest above is me.

Paul, please see....
http://www.discomusic.com/forums/viewtopic.php?t=10279

[DISCODISK]

PAUL write out 100 times 'i must log on automatically each time i visit',otherwise teacher salma might keep you behind after class for detention,you wouldnt want that would you? :lol: