Underground Hit [Level 5]
This is a topic dedicated to those who dedicate/dedicated their spare time toward listening to the Lunch Time, Mix It Up and Weekend Mastermixes on the Radio.
Also, for those who valued the craft of providing the best to excite their crowd in the Clubs. (Guest DJ's are included)
For example, I'm from New York City where at one time, everyone self-proclaimed themselves as a DJ. Whether it was the Classics, Dance, Disco, Garage, Hip/Hop or House Music, the DJ was our detour from our problems temporarily.
The opinions will be voiced by the extreme numbers after this one, but all opinions are priceless!
For example, the best DJ who I ever heard in a club was Larry Levan. Reason being that Larry had the ability to turn a song into "The Garage Anthem". Anyone who went to the Paradise Garage can vouch for that.
The years that I went to the Paradise Garage were from 1981-1987. In the latter years, Larry Levan's skills was declining due to various reasons. RIP Larry and thanks for signing my copy of the Gwen Guthrie {RIP} EP Remixes in 1985 at Vinylmania.
Finishing closely for second place was Francois K. There was a time when Francois K had a guest appearance at the Paradise Garage and knocked me off of my feet. That night in 1982, the remixes of Love Sensation - Loleatta Holloway, Keep On - D Train and Beat the Street - Sharon Redd {RIP} were born.
Whether it's on Vinyl for various projects or at Body & Soul in New York on a Sunday afternoon, you'll find Francois K's name as the DJ who keeps on going like the Energizer Bunny.
As far as radio jocks are concerned, Shep Pettibone and The Latin Rascals were the best DJ's who produced Mix Shows. Shep Pettibone with his KISS Mastermixes and The Latin Rascals with their edits on occasion, kept the vibes going in the eighties. Honorable mention goes to Tony Humphries for his production and remixes for KISS and projects ongoing in clubs and recordings today.
On Vinyl, mixes by Francois K, Jellybean, Larry Levan {RIP}, Tom Moulton, Shep Pettibone, Tee Scott {RIP} and Walter Gibbons {RIP} and Masters At Work were standard. Many others to whom I didn't mention, weren't forgotten.
At the same time, there are DJ's whether they played in the clubs, radio or vinyl {past or present} who made you wonder how did they get placement for those projects?
Let's find out which DJ in your ears provided the perfect mix?
Keep the faith and everything will come your way as time marches on!
No Longer Charting
Best Club DJs I listened to:
Jelly Bean Benitez and Aldo Marin from La Elegante Night Club in N. J. and other N.Y.C. clubs. Both of these also have mixes that you can find onve in a while at Ebay and Amazon.
Best Radio DJ was Frankie Crocker with producer Ted Courier at WBLS in N.Y.C. Crocker was King. He set the standards that others (KISS FM and WKTU) imitated and wanted to beat.
Underground Hit [Level 5]
Ted Currier was one DJ who I was very fond of. He's the King of the Pause button from an ear perspective.
Jonathan Fearing was also one of my favorite, classic DJ's on WBLS.
Aldo Marin was very instrumental as a mastermixer when WKTU started having mix shows in the eighties. His remixes on Cutting Records among other labels were classic edits indeed.
Honorable mention goes to Chep Nunez for his crazy edits on Sleeping Bag Records.
Omar Santana's edits for various projects were also a highlight worth listening to.
Keep the faith and everything will come your way as time marches on!
DiscoMusic.com Owner / Administrator
On 2002-03-22 19:31, The Lord of Flatbush wrote:
Ted Currier was one DJ who I was very fond of. He's the King of the Pause button from an ear perspective.
I still remember Ted's mixes from when he did Studio 92. Some great stuff.
Jonathan Fearing was also one of my favorite, classic DJ's on WBLS.
Perhaps best known for his radical remix of DD Sound's "Cafe."
Aldo Marin was very instrumental as a mastermixer when WKTU started having mix shows in the eighties. His remixes on Cutting Records among other labels were classic edits indeed.
Those were great works indeed. Can still hear Paco introducing him. What ever became of the others like Jose "The Animal" Diaz?
Omar Santana's edits for various projects were also a highlight worth listening to.
This I know first hand since Omar is a very good friend. He used to do killer edits the good old fashioned way-by hand on reel-to-reel. It almost defies logic. He's now into hard core and break beats, but perhaps we'll see him do some progressive house.
Bernie (Bernard Lopez)
Owner/publisher of DiscoMusic.com - on the web since 1996.
DiscoMusic.com on Facebook and MySpace
Chart Hit [Level 6]
If I sound a little biased towards IDRC jocks, sorry:
Vinyl/Radio....Jonathan Fearing, Walter Gibbons, Valpucci (he had to remix the entire Ethel Merman album, for that he deserved a medal)
Clubs.......Bachao Mangual (Ipanema and others, sadly forgotten), Pinky Velasquez (Ipanema and others, also forgotten), Sharon White (Sahara), Ellen (Sahara, still can't remember her last name)
Drawing a blank here, will think of some more.
[SIGPIC][/SIGPIC]"I can see Prussia from my house!". :icon_mrgreen:
Indie Release [Level 4]
The best DJ I ever hear, ummm.. tricky question but in ny area (Clearwater, Florida) the best so far has been 'DJ Craze' (he spun a Disco Saturday at a local hot spot called 'Stormin's' til last year. I hear he is at a club in my north county area, but I will have to find it's location). He could mix styles, type (free-style, hustle), old and new and never lose a floor. The worst was a dj at a club/resturant called Slow or Fast ? (I forget his name but never his lack of mixing skills) at a venue known as 'Talk of the Town' with a niteclub/disco called 'Freckels'. This dj wasn't famous for mixing, but for playing the entire side of every twevle inch single and causing more 'train wrecks' than AM Track ever had!!
Underground Hit [Level 5]
Pinky wasn't forgotten at all! Over like a Fat Rat - Fonda Rae, Can't Get Away - Carol Williams, just to name a few.
On 2002-03-23 10:02, Boodikka wrote:
If I sound a little biased towards IDRC jocks, sorry:
Vinyl/Radio....Jonathan Fearing, Walter Gibbons, Valpucci (he had to remix the entire Ethel Merman album, for that he deserved a medal)
Clubs.......Bachao Mangual (Ipanema and others, sadly forgotten), Pinky Velasquez (Ipanema and others, also forgotten), Sharon White (Sahara), Ellen (Sahara, still can't remember her last name)
Drawing a blank here, will think of some more.
As a way to remind you of some of the great DJ's of our time, check Disco Step-by-Step (TM) http://www.discostepbystep.com and check the Disco DJ Hall Of Fame.
Keep the faith and everything will come your way as time marches on!
No Longer Charting
At Elegante Night Club in N.J., the three (alternating) DJs were Jellybean, Aldo Marin, and Jose "The Animal" Diaz. I had forgotten completely about the Animal. What mixes these 3 could put out---INCREDIBLE.
I personally liked Aldo Marin best. I throughly enjoyed his mix of Boogie to the Bop by Mantus. I've seen his mixes on Ebay, here and then.
Underground Hit [Level 5]
On 2002-03-23 21:42, Fantomas wrote:
At Elegante Night Club in N.J., the three (alternating) DJs were Jellybean, Aldo Marin, and Jose "The Animal" Diaz. I had forgotten completely about the Animal. What mixes these 3 could put out---INCREDIBLE.
I personally liked Aldo Marin best. I throughly enjoyed his mix of Boogie to the Bop by Mantus. I've seen his mixes on Ebay, here and then.
I'm interested to hear your responses regarding who were the Best/Worst DJ's ever heard in a Club/Radio?
Don't be shy, please reply, we'll never know who was the apple in your eye?
Jellybean not only mixed and produced hits for various artists over the years, his live mixes were hits as well.
Aldo Marin as mentioned before, was a joy listening through remixes on vinyl and mastermixes on radio.
Jose "The Animal" Diaz mixes were splendid as well, especially Boogie to the Bop by Mantus.
As a way to remind you of some of the great DJ's of our time, check Disco Step-by-Step (TM) http://www.discostepbystep.com and check the Disco DJ Hall Of Fame.
Yours truly is on the list....
_________________
The Lord of Flatbush
<font size=-1>[ This Message was edited by: The Lord of Flatbush on 2002-04-01 07:14 ]</font>
Test Pressing [Level 2]
The Official Disco Dj Hall of Fame...
http://www.discostepbystep.com/discodjhalloffame.htm
Check out the photos and disco mixes.
Underground Hit [Level 5]
On 2002-04-01 08:54, martya11 wrote:
The Official Disco Dj Hall of Fame...
http://www.discostepbystep.com/discodjhalloffame.htm
Check out the photos and disco mixes.
Hey Marty,
The photos and disco mixes are legit, as well as the Official Disco DJ Hall of Fame list.
It's truly Official, not fake alike others who self-proclaim themselves as stamped officially. The real pioneers are here, the one's who paid their dues outright.
Your website is great, Marty!
Peace....
Keep the faith and everything will come your way as time marches on!
Chart Hit [Level 6]
Pioneers often forgotten:
Michael Cappello
Tom Savarese
Danae Jacovidis
Steve D'Acquisto
John Luongo
Jim Burgess
Joe Palminteri
David Rodriguez
Jimmy Stuard
Barry Lederer
Hector LeBaron
Bobby Guttadaro
Wayne Scott
Richie Kaczor
the best and the worst? Larry Levan for sure
Test Pressing [Level 2]
Lord of Flatbush
Thanks for the kind words. I am glad to hear you are enjoying the Disco Dj Hall of Fame.
I used to live on Bergen Street ages ago.
Brooklyn Rules!
Triple Platinum Record [Level 10]
Well, never having lived in New York City, my vote is for what I knew, living in San Franciso, and that would be Bobby Viteritti.
Bobby's reign at Trocadero Transfer in SF began in 1978 and ended in 1982, whereupon he moved to Dreamland, and eventually to LA.
Bobby was voted DJ Of The Year by Billboard magazine for 2 consecutive years: 1979 & 1980--a pretty heady compliment for someone playing in SF, considering all the NYC superstar DJ competition.
He remixed a lot of classics for play at Troc and did production chores and remixing on Ray Martinez's "Lady Of The Night" and the Disconet "I Think We're Alone Now/Will You Still Love Me Tomorrow" by Scott Allan, among lots more stuff.
Now, I remember also liking Robbie Leslie and Sharon White from NYC, especially their MORNING MUSIC sets. This is where Bobby V.'s STAR shone most brightly. He had a genius for creating moods and surprising you with a wonderful mixture of the familiar, the forgotten and "what the hell was that and how can I get a copy?". Alas, as with most of the best--what those tracks were often remained a mystery. The DJ doesn't want everyone else playing their secret finds.
I want to anyalyze some of his style later--don't have time now and I have to do some homework, first.
In terms of DJ's who became remixers--I love John Luongo the most. I read recently that he hosted a seminal radio Disco show in Boston in approx. 1973. I would have loved to have heard him spin live. What's happened to him, by the way?
Bobby V. is alive and living in NYC--friends have communicated with him recently--but, I guess he's in Garbo-style retirement. No new gigs--or maybe it's because of the music--we're not sure exactly what he's doing now. Anyone else know?
BUT, IF I COULD AFFORD TO THROW A ONE-NIGHT ONLY DISCO REUNION PARTY--Bobby Viteritti is the one I would hire to DJ. Right, Keefe?
"Lost inside adorable illusion...."
Underground Hit [Level 5]
John Luongo was quite refreshing of a name to hear. Haven't heard from him in a while. Nice remixes on vinyl for various artists.
On 2002-04-01 17:11, markydefad wrote:
Well, never having lived in New York City, my vote is for what I knew, living in San Franciso, and that would be Bobby Viteritti.
Bobby's reign at Trocadero Transfer in SF began in 1978 and ended in 1982, whereupon he moved to Dreamland, and eventually to LA.
Bobby was voted DJ Of The Year by Billboard magazine for 2 consecutive years: 1979 & 1980--a pretty heady compliment for someone playing in SF, considering all the NYC superstar DJ competition.
He remixed a lot of classics for play at Troc and did production chores and remixing on Ray Martinez's "Lady Of The Night" and the Disconet "I Think We're Alone Now/Will You Still Love Me Tomorrow" by Scott Allan, among lots more stuff.
Now, I remember also liking Robbie Leslie and Sharon White from NYC, especially their MORNING MUSIC sets. This is where Bobby V.'s STAR shone most brightly. He had a genius for creating moods and surprising you with a wonderful mixture of the familiar, the forgotten and "what the hell was that and how can I get a copy?". Alas, as with most of the best--what those tracks were often remained a mystery. The DJ doesn't want everyone else playing their secret finds.
I want to anyalyze some of his style later--don't have time now and I have to do some homework, first.
In terms of DJ's who became remixers--I love John Luongo the most. I read recently that he hosted a seminal radio Disco show in Boston in approx. 1973. I would have loved to have heard him spin live. What's happened to him, by the way?
Bobby V. is alive and living in NYC--friends have communicated with him recently--but, I guess he's in Garbo-style retirement. No new gigs--or maybe it's because of the music--we're not sure exactly what he's doing now. Anyone else know?
BUT, IF I COULD AFFORD TO THROW A ONE-NIGHT ONLY DISCO REUNION PARTY--Bobby Viteritti is the one I would hire to DJ. Right, Keefe?
Keep the faith and everything will come your way as time marches on!
Underground Hit [Level 5]
There's 376 Registered users to this forum and over 6100 posts.
I would like to hear more stories about "Who's the best and worst DJ's that you ever heard in a club/radio?"
Keep the faith and everything will come your way as time marches on!
Acetate [Level 1]
Hi everybody,
in my opinion the best disco dj i ever experienced was a guy called "Fluff". He did a 70s night at a club called Liquid in Norwich, England til '99. He didn´t do any mixing stuff on those nights but it still was the best time of my life. I´m trying to contact him to do some copies of his "footages" for me and I hope I´ll succeed.
Ooh, please take me to Disco Heaven !!!
Underground Hit [Level 5]
That's a nice story. Let's hear some more about DJ's to whom you thought were the best, past/present on the radio or in a club.
quote]
On 2002-05-12 15:16, retroman wrote:
Hi everybody,
in my opinion the best disco dj i ever experienced was a guy called "Fluff". He did a 70s night at a club called Liquid in Norwich, England til '99. He didn´t do any mixing stuff on those nights but it still was the best time of my life. I´m trying to contact him to do some copies of his "footages" for me and I hope I´ll succeed.
[/quote]
Keep the faith and everything will come your way as time marches on!
Gold Record [Level 7]
Who’s the best DJ, that’s easy, Super Greg !, check him out, play the clips and see for yourself. hahahaha
http://zmax.org/supergreg/sgdotcom/
http://jokes.cypressmedia.com/supergreg.htm
Underground Hit [Level 5]
I heard that! Let's keep it coming!On 2002-05-12 16:29, Mixmachine wrote:
Who’s the best DJ, that’s easy, Super Greg !, check him out, play the clips and see for yourself. hahahaha
http://zmax.org/supergreg/sgdotcom/
http://jokes.cypressmedia.com/supergreg.htm
Who's the best/worst DJ's ever heard on radio or in a club?
Keep the faith and everything will come your way as time marches on!
Indie Release [Level 4]
Well, I didn't get to experience Studio 54 or any of the famous U.S. discos of the 70s. At that time, I was a teenager in my native Venezuela. However, I did have the chance to listen to and eventually meet two outstanding Venezuelan DJs. Based on what I have heard from American DJs I would say these two guys were at least equal in talent and ability.
One of these DJs was a fellow named Carlos Hernandez who was the DJ at THE disco in Venezuela at that time, which was called "City Hall." I wrote about him before so I won't bother you with the story again.
The second DJ was a fellow whose name I can't remember now but his mobile DJ business was called "El Canto del Cisne" (The Swan Song) In Venezuela, at that time, the DJs were not know by their own names but their business's name.
This fellow was simply the best I have ever seen. I remember seeing him working 4 turntables at the same time, weaving in and out "Another One Bites The Dust," "Rapper's Delight," "Good Times, and an LP which had nothing but Latin percussion somewhat similar to "Mandolay" Don't ask me how he could do that but he did it right in front of me and two other guys who used to work with me in my own DJ business. We thought he might be using a hidden tape somewhere or some other kind of trick and we asked him to show us that he wasn't. He sure did and sure proved us wrong! This fellow was simply unbelievable.
I remember the day I got to meet him. It was at a DJ competition and we were competing with 250 watts, 2 turntables, a couple of strobe lights, and a mediocre DJ (me!). This guy had 6000 watts, 6 turntables (2 as backup, just in case!) and the best light show in the entire country, including the first lasers to arrive in Venezuela.
I think at that time we had around 40 or 50 LPs in a couple of milk crates (remember those?!) This guy had easily 800 LPs, 45s, and everything in between. Talk about mismatched competition!
We did get second place (out of six DJs competing.)
What wonderful times and memories! Thanks Bernard for these forums!
Underground Hit [Level 5]
That's an interesting story of talent from the four turntable variety.On 2002-05-18 21:43, Ricardo_Mata wrote:
Well, I didn't get to experience Studio 54 or any of the famous U.S. discos of the 70s. At that time, I was a teenager in my native Venezuela. However, I did have the chance to listen to and eventually meet two outstanding Venezuelan DJs. Based on what I have heard from American DJs I would say these two guys were at least equal in talent and ability.
One of these DJs was a fellow named Carlos Hernandez who was the DJ at THE disco in Venezuela at that time, which was called "City Hall." I wrote about him before so I won't bother you with the story again.
The second DJ was a fellow whose name I can't remember now but his mobile DJ business was called "El Canto del Cisne" (The Swan Song) In Venezuela, at that time, the DJs were not know by their own names but their business's name.
This fellow was simply the best I have ever seen. I remember seeing him working 4 turntables at the same time, weaving in and out "Another One Bites The Dust," "Rapper's Delight," "Good Times, and an LP which had nothing but Latin percussion somewhat similar to "Mandolay" Don't ask me how he could do that but he did it right in front of me and two other guys who used to work with me in my own DJ business. We thought he might be using a hidden tape somewhere or some other kind of trick and we asked him to show us that he wasn't. He sure did and sure proved us wrong! This fellow was simply unbelievable.
I remember the day I got to meet him. It was at a DJ competition and we were competing with 250 watts, 2 turntables, a couple of strobe lights, and a mediocre DJ (me!). This guy had 6000 watts, 6 turntables (2 as backup, just in case!) and the best light show in the entire country, including the first lasers to arrive in Venezuela.
I think at that time we had around 40 or 50 LPs in a couple of milk crates (remember those?!) This guy had easily 800 LPs, 45s, and everything in between. Talk about mismatched competition!
We did get second place (out of six DJs competing.)
What wonderful times and memories! Thanks Bernard for these forums!
Come on people! Let's hear some, more stories about who were the best/worst DJ's ever heard in a club/radio?
Keep the faith and everything will come your way as time marches on!
Indie Release [Level 4]
Hi again! This stime I want to tell you about the worst DJ I ever saw in action. It is kind of embarrasing but I have to admit it was ME during one of my very first parties DJing.
I was 13 or 14 at the time. I had a couple of very old turntables, a very simple mixer with one bad fader, and maybe 10 or 12 LPs which were at least six months old each (At that time anything over a month old was considered totally "passé")
My lights consisted of one strobe that worked whenever it was in the mood for it and two regular bulbs I had tinted myself: one green and the other red. I could only use them for a little while because if they got too hot the tint would start burning and the smell was awful.
I remember that party so clearly: one of the turntables stopped working because the belt broke (and, of course, I was broke and had no money for a replacement;)somebody tripped over the lights and my entire "light system" ended up on the floor. The last drop was what happened to one of my 45-watt speakers; some drunk kicked the woofer and I ended up with one turntable, one speaker, no lights, and a horrible reputation as a DJ. Fortunately, over the next few months I turned things around and my reputation rose to "OK."
But, you know what? At the time I felt absolutely horrible. Now, looking back, I wish I could re-live those times; I would love to live those nights of one old turntable and smelly lights. I love my present: happily married and the father of a beautiful 5-year old daughter. But, I wish I could go back for ONE night. Don't you?
Underground Hit [Level 5]
The final result (family) is the best one!On 2002-05-20 21:01, Ricardo_Mata wrote:
Hi again! This stime I want to tell you about the worst DJ I ever saw in action. It is kind of embarrasing but I have to admit it was ME during one of my very first parties DJing.
I was 13 or 14 at the time. I had a couple of very old turntables, a very simple mixer with one bad fader, and maybe 10 or 12 LPs which were at least six months old each (At that time anything over a month old was considered totally "passé")
My lights consisted of one strobe that worked whenever it was in the mood for it and two regular bulbs I had tinted myself: one green and the other red. I could only use them for a little while because if they got too hot the tint would start burning and the smell was awful.
I remember that party so clearly: one of the turntables stopped working because the belt broke (and, of course, I was broke and had no money for a replacement;)somebody tripped over the lights and my entire "light system" ended up on the floor. The last drop was what happened to one of my 45-watt speakers; some drunk kicked the woofer and I ended up with one turntable, one speaker, no lights, and a horrible reputation as a DJ. Fortunately, over the next few months I turned things around and my reputation rose to "OK."
But, you know what? At the time I felt absolutely horrible. Now, looking back, I wish I could re-live those times; I would love to live those nights of one old turntable and smelly lights. I love my present: happily married and the father of a beautiful 5-year old daughter. But, I wish I could go back for ONE night. Don't you?
Here's one for you:
I played a party last year and it was a young one. I was contracted to do a thirty minute set and something bizarre happened. The crowd was mixed for reggae, R&B/Hip Hop and classics and I played classics that night. This party was sponsored by a famous company who makes liquor. I played records like "Before I Let Go - Maze, Love Thang - First Choice and I'm Caught Up - Inner Life and was booed after my set. Keep in mind, there weren't any bad mixes, the crowd was young being 21 and up.
Unfortunately, the mood was for Reggae and R&B/Hip Hop for that night. Guess what? I still was paid as per contract for that set and laughed all the way home.
Keep the faith and everything will come your way as time marches on!
Acetate [Level 1]
Bachao Mangual deserves honorable mention for keeping his mind on the turntables amid the naked bodies at Plato's Retreat!, Sharon White and Ellen from Sahara, deserve big points for not passing out from the heat of the tube amps I installed in their booth. Their sets on the second floor rocked. Leslie, Barbara and the other two owners built the archetype of a girls club that has never been equaled.
Two clubs are truly absent from any mention. The Hollywood and The Turntable. Around 1971 Tony Geo and Bobby Gordon held court, kept the beat and had 12 people in the booth with them. It was an amazing experience to watch, 100% talent 0% attitude. When I told them about the clubs I was building in The Bronx like The Stereo Lounge (later Side Street), Uno's Cafe, Act III etc., They came up on their nights off to teach other DJs how to spin and never asked for a dime. These guys were truly entertainers and made everyone feel welcome to the party.
Richard Long's monthly parties presided over by Larry Levan, hold a tie with Sahara for hypnotic intensity of participation. Being a straight white guy, neither was my crowd but you had to give them credit for letting it all hang out. I would go just to watch the sardine packed crowd moving as one. Italian girls could dance the hustle in The Bronx but this was different, raw and primal.
I have to give special mention to Funky Bear for setting the sound system on fire at a Gloria Gaynor gig, the audience loved it and I have to admit it cracked me up even though I had to fix it.
If you worked in or have pictures of any of these places, please get in touch.
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