Interview with Trocadero's DJ, Bobby Viteritti is now here

[Bernie]

Bobby Viteritti Interview @ http://www.discomusic.com/people-more/53_0_11_0_M/



Bernie speaks with renowned Disco DJ Bobby Viteritti of San Francisco's Trocadero Transfer. Find out what drives a DJ to create the ultimate atmosphere for his audience and at what price. Read the multi-part article now at http://www.discomusic.com/people-more/53_0_11_0_M/ and please leave feedback on this thread.

[Robbie]

Bernie--

I just read the entire interview and thought it was great!! Bobby seems very down-to-earth, and he told some good stories. I'd be interested in hearing some of his mixes in the future, if he is willing to sell them to the public some day.

[markydefad]

Bernie,

I had great fun reading your interview with Bobby. Lots of stuff I didn't know..especially how he just sort of set his sights on Troc from his vantage point in Florida and then serendipitiously happened to find Troc owner Dick Collier lounging by a pool in the LA backyard of Studio One's owner, Scott Forbes. I always thought that he must have auditioned for or been scouted by Collier. I didn't know Gary Tighe...but I'd heard some of these rivalry stories in the Tribes book by David Diebold. When I first went to Troc, Bobby was firmly in command of the place. What ever happened to Gary Tighe???? Did he go to Florida to play at the Poopdeck??!!!

I find the Cheryl Lynn story sort of incredulous. You mean you just rearrange the background music tape of a performer and spring it on her when she's on stage!!! She's expecting to sing her current stuff and all of a sudden the back-up tape is playing the intro to her old hits....so either she storms off the stage or she grits her teeth and sings the damn oldies!!! Pretty gutsy move.

I also never knew what had happened to Bobby after he left LA. I remember hearing that he played at the Palace. I went there...but he wasn't playing. Then I heard he was playing at some exclusive straight club in Bev Hills...never went there. I see that was all true. And then he just stopped playing. Too bad, but I understand.

I hope the opportunity to stage a Troc reunion comeback event playing the oldies could transpire. I know I would be there. (with my walker...and my poppers, of course) What a way to go. :lol:

[NickNack]

Bernie,

I just finished the interview. Really excellent. Bobby shared a lot and made it worthwhile. Interesting man... gutsy, along with being 'fevered' about the music. Love that. Don't know if I ever had the guts to just pick up and move in hopes of getting a gig.

I loved the club stories. His problems with the crowd as well as the staff and how he dealt with that bullshit. So much of it hits home. An incompetent light man can be a disaster. But, a competent one who doesn't want to communicate with the dj --- Christ, give me another drink. I watched that fiasco take place at The Gallery. Tension in a booth spills out to the dancefloor.

And people spiking your drinks, for whatever reasons, is a definite no, no. I think I told you how someone put MDA in my scotch to get me 'closer to the crowd'. This was my second night at The Anvil and I'm fucked up! The manager came over to me and said, "You told me you didn't do drugs", with that look. Luckily the person who screwed me up owned up to it. I was about to be fired before I even got started.

I'm now jealous of Mark and Keefe because they actually heard Bobby V. play. That I regret missing. I had opportunities to go to California, vacation and what not, and didn't take them. As they say, "you snooze you lose".

Thanks for a great interview. I've already emailed him about getting some music. :)

[QUINNY]

I couldn't believe the sheer audacity of the guy, nor his arrogance (hey guys this is me saying that). It's only recently in the U.K. that DJs have been made into demi-gods, but you had 'em all that time ago (in their own minds at least). Not too sure I'm happy with that situation in either time zone.
His fall from grace and head demons were the most interesting parts for me. I'd have loved to find out how he went from being a DJ to a fine art 'dealer'.
Tell me, if he was renowned for his early morning sets, why didn't he try to push that music earlier in the night? I find it rather strange that a large part of his reputation was based on the music he played after the peak period of any given night; and guys, what the hell made you want to dance at 8 a.m. anyway (apart from not being able to come down through too many uppers)? Nobody in their right mind would want to work until 8 a.m. That just sucks BIG TIME. Think about it for a moment. To an outsider, that alone would be enough to condemn Disco as a totally sad pursuit, don't ya think?
More is less in some cases?

[nrgbeat]

I couldn't believe the sheer audacity of the guy, nor his arrogance (hey guys this is me saying that). It's only recently in the U.K. that DJs have been made into demi-gods, but you had 'em all that time ago (in their own minds at least). Not too sure I'm happy with that situation in either time zone.
His fall from grace and head demons were the most interesting parts for me. I'd have loved to find out how he went from being a DJ to a fine art 'dealer'.
Tell me, if he was renowned for his early morning sets, why didn't he try to push that music earlier in the night? I find it rather strange that a large part of his reputation was based on the music he played after the peak period of any given night; and guys, what the hell made you want to dance at 8 a.m. anyway (apart from not being able to come down through too many uppers)? Nobody in their right mind would want to work until 8 a.m. That just sucks BIG TIME. Think about it for a moment. To an outsider, that alone would be enough to condemn Disco as a totally sad pursuit, don't ya think?
More is less in some cases?

It was not uncommon in big cities to have after hours clubs that went into the wee hours of the morning.

I come from the suburbs so most clubs/bars closed at 2:00 a.m.

Most club patrons want to hear upbeat high energy dance music during the peak hours so I'm sure Bobby wouldn't have played morning music earlier. After several hours of dancing and partying, the dancers want to come down and the morning music would begin.

[QUINNY]

NRG and others:
As a Brit I've never fully understood the American obsession with the high octane disco material that undoubtedly dominated the DJs playlists. Perhaps it was all to do with higher drug intakes, or maybe white domination, or maybe that Americans are more upbeat than Europeans, so therefore only 'happy' music was tolerated. I really don't know. It is fascinating to learn all of this 25 years after the event.
The differences weren't quite so obvious to me at the time and even though certain American names were put onto pedestals over here, I don't think we 'honoured' them to anything like the degree of their home fans (only natural I guess).
Overall, this was an interview that I enjoyed reading,'cos it showed that even a legend had human frailties, and lots of 'em. Glad I wasn't alone.

[markydefad]

You might say that Bobby V. in SF was an example of "a big fish in a little pond" until you realize that he was named DJ of the Year by Billboard Magazine for 2 consecutive years (1979 & 1980). There were some pretty heavyweight New York City DJ's vying for those honors, I'm sure.

When Bobby got his "manager", there was talk that it had all gone to his head. Of course, it had. This was sort of unheard of. A DJ with "handlers" in the early 1980's--in San Francisco , no less!!! But, it got him to the $1,000 a night level--sort of unheard of at the time. (At least, I think it was).

It was interesting to read Bobby reveal that insecurity and fear of failure were in part responsible for Bobby's leaving Trocadero--not just ego & arrogance as was the common belief around town. It was also interesting to read how the lack of new music caused DJ's in the early 1980's to OD on certain tracks. Bobby's remedy was to remix the songs of the day into fresh creations. This was where I thought his future would lie. I always expected him to become a top remixer like Jellybean Benitez. He knew how to rework records beautifully. Strangely, that never happened.

To Quinny: The high energy stuff played at peak hours was de rigeur for the drugs of the time (speed/crystal) that fueled the dancers; keep the energy high; make the dancers sweat; sell drinks--until 2:00am when alcohol sale was stopped. It would resume at 6:00am again.

It was presumed that any DJ could play the high energy stuff (Lime, Patrick Cowley, Cut Glass, Sylvester). A DJ's skill was tested by his morning set where his personal taste was called upon--not just the obvious hits of the moment.

Dancing all night long was a communal experience. The group/family was experiencing a tribal rite by jumping up & down to the build-up in Al Hudson's "You Can Do It" until Alicia Meyers starts her wail " woah, woah, woah..do your thing, y'all" or slowly bumping & grinding to Herb Alpert's "Rise" as the morning sun peeked through the cracks in the door. After Trocadero, the dancers might go home to catch a few hours sleep or put their dark glasses on and go directly to the now open after Troc party places like The End-up, The Balcony, Castro Station and continue the party til they were too pooped to party anymore. Of course, this took a lot out of you...but we were young then. Some led this party experience EVERY weekend. I tended to go out maybe every 3 weeks or so. Recovery was of paramount importance to me. Besides, it wouldn't be special if I did it every week. (At least, that's the way I thought. I think I was the exception, though).

[NickNack]

Oh, Quinny, Quinny, Quinny... :) What did Andy Williams say --- "Where Do I Begin" :lol: .

Well, thanks to Marky, I don't have to begin where I thought I would. Mark mentioned one thing about the club experience and I would take it even further and say the "gay" club experience: To a lot of us it was a "Family Affair". This was very true about the private, membership required, afterhours club scene. This was your second home and you didn't just bring anybody into the family. It was an experience, a wild one, a time to let it all out and just be with people you cared about. Most of the afterhours in NYC were alcohol-free so drugs were in vogue. High energy music is what allowed you to "work off the bullshit of the week". You partied hard and when you thought you were about to drop, the dj wanted you to party some more. And, you realized, you did too. Hence, the morning music. A means of changing the head without losing the crowd. Marky said it and I'll say it again, this type music showed a dj's worth. Especially those dj's working in rooms that I could only dream about. A thousand or more people either at your feet or on your ass depending on you knowing what you're doing. In an afterhours which didn't open until midnight or after, you wouldn't play this head at two in the morning. Nothing called for it. ****, you didn't even think about it. Things were just getting started.

I don't know what type of bars/clubs you worked in but the afterhours scene, at least in America, was something unto itself. I'm sure there must have been these types of clubs in England. Somebody there was doing this, had to be. Didn't you ever attend --- just to feel the vibe? Your comments about "who wants to work or party those hours" sounds so, I don't know, stodgy. How old were you when you were dj'ing? :P (just kidding). I guess the main thing to remember were these were not bars opening at 9 in the evening and closing somewhere between 2 and 4 in the morning. The head trip was totally different, from what the crowd was intaking to how they related to the people around them. Whether sleaze or morning music was your best set was irrelevant. You played it when it was needed, not because you felt like it or you could shine at it.

It's hard to explain if you never did it, never felt it. Hope I'm coming through a little.

[QUINNY]

Marky and Nick Nack: Thanks for the info. At the time I don't think there was an equivalent scene in the U.K (except maybe in London, but I wouldn't know).
Sounds a lot like Dogs Balls syndrome. Why does a dog lick its balls? 'Cos it can. I guess I wasn't quite sooooooo hedonistic. Try working 10p.m. - 4 a.m., 7 days a week for anything up to 18 months with only a few nights off and I don't think even you would feel an extra 4 hours would be a good idea. I wanted to be on the beach during the day and party there too, so I wasn't so frumpy.

I understand the family thing (although I tend to think that's more a sheep following thing than anything else: everybody needs to feel loved/important and clubs/cliques satisfy those needs). I still don't understand why lotsa 100 m.p.h. music meant fun/good times, just like I didn't understand Raves when I went to them. Variety is the spice of life and hours of solid uptempo followed by hours of downtempo wouldn't quite hit the spot (for me at least).
Light and shade, light and shade....together, now that's a different story.
Yeah, I just had to be there to appreciate it, I guess. I would have loved to be there amongst it all, in the places where most of the great sounds were being made.

[Steve]

Too bad QUINNY (unqualified, boring snob hacking in on this forum) sits in judgment of Bobby and the music and times that many remember fondly. Clearly, he wouldn't have appreciated Viteritti, his talent, the music or the moment even if he had actually been there.

If QUINNY can't figure out why anyone would want to dance until 8am on Sunday morning, none of us should dignify his ignorance with a response and he should sit it on http://ths.gardenweb.com/forums/knitting/ to help him pass the time.

The truth is, Bobby was such an amazing DJ that even QUINNY would have been on the dance floor all night and been one of the last to leave Trocadero at 9am after five preceding hours of brilliantly tweaky, sleazy, tropical, torchy and disorienting Viteritti magic.

The best part of the party was getting lost in the music...

[QUINNY]

Steve: Hallo and welcome. Different strokes for different folks. What you've just written doesn't help me understand one iota.
Anything a little more constructive to say, instead of just dissing me?

[Steve]

QUINNY:

You seem to have a predisposition to loathe everything about the Disco and Rave scene (and most music for that matter), so I'm confused as to why you're on this forum.

I can opine on Viteritti, Trocadero, the late 70's, uptempo and morning music with great qualification because I was actually there as a DJ, remixer and respected member of the dance music community for nearly a decade. As such, if I chose to spew ascerbic reflections on Viteritti or that scene, they would be qualified. Yours just seem to be malicious.

I regret that I wont be spending any time "helping If you understand" morning music or Viteritti magic. Each of them required attendance and "soul" to comprehend and--regrettably for you--the former is impossible and latter seems unlikely.

[Steve]

I'll tell you this
No eternal reward will forgive us now
For wasting the dawn

Back in those days everything was simpler and more confused

One summer night, going to the pier
I ran into two young girls
The blonde one was called Freedom
The dark one, Enterprise
We talked and they told me this story

Now listen to this
I'll tell you about Texas radio and the big beat
Soft driven, slow and mad
Like some new language
Reaching your head with the cold, sudden fury of a divine messenger

Let me tell you about heartache and the loss of God
Wandering, wandering in hopeless night

Out here in the perimeter there are no stars
Out here we is stoned
Immaculate



-Jim Morrison, 1969

[QUINNY]

Steve:
I've been connected with the music biz for 30 years now, as a pro Disco DJ for 15 years (1972 - 1987) and sound recording engineer for the past 15. I hate music. DUH!!!!
I just don't look back with such rose tinted glasses. I'm here to be educated if people can bother to read less into what I type and just take it as it is written, at face value and with no malice intended. If you take it the wrong way is that my fault? I've said it before here 'I'm just a simple soul'.

[Bernie]

Thanks everyone for the replies and comments on the Bobby Viteritti interview. Glad some of you enjoyed it.

I had great fun speaking with Bobby and writing the story. One can only be in awe of this man's mixing and musical selection abilities. I only wish I could have experienced it first hand.

Thanks again Marky, Keefe and Steve for going out of your way to help!

[PhyllisHyman]

Bernie: What a fascinating interview.
Marky/Nick
Morning Music as you'd know it never caught on in Britain. In the 80s clubs could only stay open til 4am-ish and there was no where to go after so it was all back to someone's apartment to continue. When an afterhours place finally did open (Trade) the music there started fast and just got faster and harder. One reason I think there's never been a morning music culture is that downers have never been that popular or available, most people going with coke and Es.
Quinny: Trust me if you'd experienced morning music after a night out you'd have loved it. Djs mixing anything from Stranglers/Thelma Houston/ Stevie b/Tecchnique really showed their ability as they didn't have the safety-net of a 4/4 beat and their creativity would really shine through.

[Bernie]

Just received a note from DJ Robbie Leslie who in the midst of traveling had this to say about Bobby Viteritti:

-- Begin DJ Robbie Leslie's quote --
I'm here in NYC and played the Holiday Party at the Gay/Lesbian Center last night (Saturday). On more than one occasion, my mind went back to the wonderful Bobby Viteritti Interview and how much I owe to the man who helped form my music style and character in my "formative years". Working lights with Bobby those many years ago allowed me to follow my mentor from the beginning of his sets to the end without interruption. And how much Bobby was always willing to share in regard to technique and the varied aspects of "disco as entertainment" vs. just "playing records". Those are not only treasured memories from my youth, but invaluable instruction that has allowed me to keep at the top of my game these many years.
More than 25 years after my first association with B.V., I can still hear characteristics in my performance that go straight back to what I learned from 'the master'. A master not only of the mix, but of the entire environment of a dancers experience.
Thank you, Bobby.

DJ ROBBIE LESLIE

-- End DJ Robbie Leslie's quote --

[Steve]

All this talk about morning music got me a little sentimental about the good old days, so I dug up a brilliantly classic Trocadero cassette of Bobby winding down a Saturday night like only he could. Check out http://www.hyperactivemedia.com/5am/djs.htm, and note the crowd noises provided by a microphone that Bobby would regularly position over the dance floor.

In true Viteritti style, the party seems like it’s over--until the right chemistry between Bobby and the crowd starts it up all over again in a silky smooth R&B groove. Who knows how long this morning went on…my tape ends while Barry White is crooning away... (BTW, the audio noise in the middle of the file is on the master tape; I tried to fool with audio levels at the point where a fold in the tape is and it only made it worse—sorry).

On nights like these, Billy Langenheim (Bobby's brilliant light man for many years) would allow a sliver of purple dawn light to stream in on the dark dance floor from one of the overhead skylights, courtesy of a lighting assistant who crawled up on the roof and pulled back one of the blackout canvases for just a few minutes. Then, the Viteritti/Langenheim magic machine would take the 300 or so of us left in the club to a place that we could only find on the Trocadero dance floor.

A second new audio file at the same page captures another flavor of Trocadero morning magic.

For those of you that remember what 5am on the Trocadero dance floor was like, enjoy. For those that missed it, this is as close as you’ll probably get—and I hope you get it.

-Steve

[Steve]

From an earlier post:

I find the Cheryl Lynn story sort of incredulous. You mean you just rearrange the background music tape of a performer and spring it on her when she's on stage!!! She's expecting to sing her current stuff and all of a sudden the back-up tape is playing the intro to her old hits....so either she storms off the stage or she grits her teeth and sings the damn oldies!!! Pretty gutsy move.

Bobby actually did this several times with performers--only because he knew what was right for his crowd and ultimately what was right for the artist. He knew that the act would rather have a screaming crowd at their feet than everyone heading to the bar for a drink while they were singing. And besides, he just wouldn't tolerate a "bad night."

I should add that he was absolutely brilliant at getting a performer on and off the stage...never a moment of silence or awkard transition. Check out the Margaret Reynolds staging at www.hyperactivemedia.com/5am/djs.htm. The best I ever heard him do was Carol Jiani walking on stage at Probe to sing Hit & Run Lover in a blaze of air raid sirens that mixed out of Your Love by Lime. Billy Langenheim had the room totally blacked out and by the time everyone figured out what was going on, Jiani was right there. She sang the song and Bobby mixed into his next record and Billy distracted everyone with lighting and poof--she was gone.

I'm trying to find a tape I have of Bobby getting Grace Jones on (and off) stage at the Poop Deck because it's hilarious--she's a mess and starts rambiling on and on until Bobby just mixes into a record to shut her up.

[markydefad]

Thanks Steve for the Bobby Viteritti "Morning Magic" samples. Maybe these will help people who weren't there to understand the Troc morning feeling. And then again, maybe not :roll:

The first sound sample is 52:12 minutes long, starting with Kraftwerk and a pitched-down Alan Parsons Project...into something I don't know (vaguely Asian) into Pachelbel's Canon. Then the party starts again with "Mellow Blow" (Barrabas), "Don't Let Go" (Tony Orlando!!!!), the classic Troc morning record "Stars In Your Eyes" (Herbie Hancock w/ Gavin Christopher) into Barry White ("How Did You Know It Was Me").

The second sample consists of 3 classic morning intrumentals that illustrate the varying moods of Troc in the morning: the tribal chanting beats and bells of "Anambra" (Ozo) into the electronic sleaze of "Rotation" (Herb Alpert) into the lush romantic beauty of "Love's Theme" (Love Unlimited Orchestra). Then Bobby lets "Loves Theme" go right into it's companion piece on the record "Under The Influence Of Love" (Love Unlimited). I know I was there this morning cause I remember the whooping that went up when "Under The Influence" began. Then the Bobby classic and, at the time, extremely rare "Changin" (Sharon Ridley) into (dare I say it...) The Bee Gees!!!! "Night Fever" (I told ya this WAS played) and just the beginning of "Now That I've Found You" by Al Hudson & The Partners.

If you weren't there to experience it, maybe you just won't understand. On the other hand, maybe you will

[Steve]

One thing I forget to mention in my earlier post: Bobby's mix from "Under the Influence of Love" into "Changin" (on the 52 minute morning magic file) is quite typical of his mixing style and grace (it's also one of my all-time favorites mixes of his). "Changin" has all of 4 beats before the vocals start, yet the two songs effortlesly glide together.

It was mixes like these that made everybody in the club realize that something special was going on--and keep dancing way past Sunday sunrise.

[JussiK]

I got two Bobby live at The Trocadero mix cds and they are impeccable. Both were off tapes made during a new years party as '79 changed into '80. First there's some Last Dance by Donna, followed by a celebration countdown. The "Instant Replay" bit drops into Auld Lang Syne, and then - BOOM! I won't spoil the surprise of the first track of 1980 but let me tell you it works. I can imagine how people screamed, cheered and jumped - oh, to have been there that night! The energy level stays high, records flow into each other beautifully, etc. The 2nd cd continues where the 1st left off, with more amazing seques and great tunes. The one minus bit: no Follow Me!

I myself went to The Trocadero a few times during the summer of '78 and recall distinctly the track that was playing when I walked thru the doors the first time, it was "Back To Music" by Theo Vaness, followed by Kebekelektrik's "War Dance". This I could name despite it being brand new at the time (?), as we had been dancing to it at an Oakland theatre space after a strange, not quite successful show by an experimental group of mimes and dancers who performed a Disco Othello or something like that. Other titles I could name included Rough Diamond and You Really Got Me by Eclipse.

Could Bobby be coaxed back into deejaying you suppose?

[QUINNY]

I guess you just had to be there.
Can you now understand why I put Zone by Rhythm Makers as my #1 record?
I guess you just had to be there.

[markydefad]

[quote="JussiK"]I got two Bobby live at The Trocadero mix cds and they are impeccable. Both were off tapes made during a new years party as '79 changed into '80. First there's some Last Dance by Donna, followed by a celebration countdown. The "Instant Replay" bit drops into Auld Lang Syne, and then - BOOM! I won't spoil the surprise of the first track of 1980 but let me tell you it works. I can imagine how people screamed, cheered and jumped - oh, to have been there that night!
________________________________________________

C'mon, Jussi.....you can't leave 'em hanging like that!!!!!!

The song is "Brand New Day" from the movie version of "The Wiz" featuring Miss Ross, Miss Jackson, and the rest of the movie cast. "Everybody rejoice!!!! Can you feel a brand new day?"

Perfect choice. Just call me the spoiler. :P