Montreal Clubs

[Slyde]

Seen a couple posts about the crazy tunez from Montreal in the 70s....Blacklight Orchestra, Gino Soccio, Katmandu, Lime, Kebekelektik, Bombers...These guys must have been getting their inspiration from somewhere...Anyone know anything about the club scene going on at the same time?

[Disco77]

The exceptional disco club from 1976 to 1979 was without doubt the Limelight on Stanley Street. Not only did it have one of the best

dance floors anywhere, it hosted some of the freakiest parties and featured some of the best entertainers in the biz: Gloria Gaynor, Ritchie Family, Madleen Kane, Noel(what a mess), Grace Jones, they all performed there. Saturday nights were legendary and the club was featured, along with 54 and Xenon, in a story on disco in Newsweek in 1978. This was all on the third floor, or Superlime as it was called - any self respecting discophile would not be caught dead on the second floor. The ground floor was 'Le Jardin', Montreal's premiere gay discotheque until 1978 when Studio 1 opened on Ste. Catherine Street.

Regine's at the Hyatt never really made a splash because it came in too late, however if you wanted disco glam, you went to the Harlequin at the Four Seasons. The Altitheque was also an amazing upscale club at the top of Place Ville Marie.

The Oz on Guy Street was a trip, what with the girls flying overhead on the dance floor swing.

You could find true sleaze at 'Hollywood', also on Stanley. "Baby come on, give it to your loving daddy" was the anthem.

'Rendez Vous' was were the nurses went dancing after their shifts. 'Reflexions' had a great view down Ste. Catherine from Drummond.

Maxwell's was one of the first discos in Montreal, premiering Donna Summer's "Love to Love You Baby", but it fizzled out after the summer of 1976.

'Le Cercle" was an overated private club that generated zero dance heat, but it was the hangout of some truly eccentric personalities, some of whom continue to roam the streets of Montreal to this day.

Glass started as a disco in 1979 but quickly became the city's new wave centre.

The list can go on and on - the Tube, Stork Club, Don Juan, Henri (still around today, decor unchanged), etc, etc. - if you were into disco, Montreal was the place to be.

[disco1999]

Being barely 18 at the time, I went through the last years of the LimeLight(1980-81) on 1254 Stanley st Montreal, where poppers were sold for 5.00$ at coatcheck, where people used to snif carelessly cocaine on a table beside the dance floor, where DJ Mario Tremblay (www.mcmario.com) and DJ Robert Ouimet were masters behind turntable, the era where people were no longer calling this great music "disco". LimeLight was still the place to be in the early 80's, but big disco clubs started to shut down, while smaller ones were trying to survive. Other clubs we used to hang around: "Le 1234" on La Montagne st., the Edgewater in Pointe-Claire, Disco Pamalou (Valleyfield), Disco 1980 (La Bourgade) in Dorion, and much much more. I was born 4 years too late, too bad I've missed the real disco nightlife of the 70's.

[citizengroove]

I still remember being able to see the flashing lights in the Altitheque in Place Ville Marie from my apartment window on Fort street while listening to Live From The Limelight on CKOI FM back in 1979.What a great year.

[Slyde]

Hello! Really really late on the reply....but thanks for the info if you guys are still around! Found this by accident and it's gotten me very excited!!!! Just learned a lot!

:D

[colinbadaboom]

I am working on a radio doc about the Montreal disco scene/era for CBC. Looking for former club hoppers who actually hit the dance floors back in the late 70s. Any help would be appreciated.
Much thanks

[Bernie]

I am working on a radio doc about the Montreal disco scene/era for CBC. Looking for former club hoppers who actually hit the dance floors back in the late 70s. Any help would be appreciated.
Much thanks

Let us know when the doc comes out and if you can share any interesting stories here with us.

[Cdnbob]

The exceptional disco club from 1976 to 1979 was without doubt the Limelight on Stanley Street. Not only did it have one of the best

dance floors anywhere, it hosted some of the freakiest parties and featured some of the best entertainers in the biz: Gloria Gaynor, Ritchie Family, Madleen Kane, Noel(what a mess), Grace Jones, they all performed there. Saturday nights were legendary and the club was featured, along with 54 and Xenon, in a story on disco in Newsweek in 1978. This was all on the third floor, or Superlime as it was called - any self respecting discophile would not be caught dead on the second floor. The ground floor was 'Le Jardin', Montreal's premiere gay discotheque until 1978 when Studio 1 opened on Ste. Catherine Street.

Regine's at the Hyatt never really made a splash because it came in too late, however if you wanted disco glam, you went to the Harlequin at the Four Seasons. The Altitheque was also an amazing upscale club at the top of Place Ville Marie.

The Oz on Guy Street was a trip, what with the girls flying overhead on the dance floor swing.

You could find true sleaze at 'Hollywood', also on Stanley. "Baby come on, give it to your loving daddy" was the anthem.

'Rendez Vous' was were the nurses went dancing after their shifts. 'Reflexions' had a great view down Ste. Catherine from Drummond.

Maxwell's was one of the first discos in Montreal, premiering Donna Summer's "Love to Love You Baby", but it fizzled out after the summer of 1976.

'Le Cercle" was an overated private club that generated zero dance heat, but it was the hangout of some truly eccentric personalities, some of whom continue to roam the streets of Montreal to this day.

Glass started as a disco in 1979 but quickly became the city's new wave centre.

The list can go on and on - the Tube, Stork Club, Don Juan, Henri (still around today, decor unchanged), etc, etc. - if you were into disco, Montreal was the place to be.

I can attest that many of these Montreal club names were even known out west in places like Vancouver, Calgary and Edmonton. People knew Montreal was Canada's disco central and places like Limelight et al were the premier disco clubs in Canada.

[Cdnbob]

I am working on a radio doc about the Montreal disco scene/era for CBC. Looking for former club hoppers who actually hit the dance floors back in the late 70s. Any help would be appreciated.
Much thanks

Yes, do let us know when this airs as I would definitely be interested in listening to it.

[SandraDee]

People knew Montreal was Canada's disco central and places like Limelight et were the premier disco clubs in Canada.

I always imagined Montreal must've had loads of fab discos as so much brilliant disco music got produced there. Half my music collection seems to have originated there!

[canadiantire]

Here is my only trophy from the 79-80's famous club era:

[kdavid13]

Here is my only trophy from the 79-80's famous club era:

:icon_biggrin: Oh that's a great find !!!

Years ago I would literally spend days at the old LE COLISEE DU LIVRES & DU DISQUE on Berri and they would get shipments everyday.I can't tell you the amount of 12in I got from famous DJs in Montreal.
Imports,Promos - and all of them for 99 cents. I would go through my old BILLBOARD dance charts with my highliter and go "OK I want this one and this one" and 9 times outta 10 ; I would come home with it.

I haven't been the same ever since they closed to make room for the huge library !!! :icon_sad:

[canadiantire]

:icon_biggrin: Oh that's a great find !!!

Years ago I would literally spend days at the old LE COLISEE DU LIVRES & DU DISQUE on Berri and they would get shipments everyday.I can't tell you the amount of 12in I got from famous DJs in Montreal.
Imports,Promos - and all of them for 99 cents. I would go through my old BILLBOARD dance charts with my highliter and go "OK I want this one and this one" and 9 times outta 10 ; I would come home with it.

I haven't been the same ever since they closed to make room for the huge library !!! :icon_sad:

Right on!

Was there, done that.

I had no problem with the higgledy-piggledy and the disorder of this store. It was keeping the prices low.

There was a lot of "hunters" around chasing for la bonne affaire.

Some of them were actually "full time hunters" and very often, only crumbs were left after their visit.

It's a shame they closed down.