WANTED - STUDIO 54

**Karlos** · September 8th, 2003, 08:31 AM

I'm looking for anything to do with Studio 54. I know VH-1 and E live? did documentaries a while ago, does anyone have them on tape, could they please send me a copy. Also wanted any memorabilia from the greatest club of all time!
Please E-Mail me at karl.winter@aon.co.uk.

Thanks!

**JussiK** · September 21st, 2003, 08:37 AM

Just out of curiosity - did you actually go to the studio during it's heyday before they lost their liquor licence etc? What i'm saying is can that place really be considered the best ever in universe :-)?

**Karlos** · September 22nd, 2003, 08:18 AM

No I never got to Studio (2 reasons: I was only 13-14 at the time and I live in London not Manhattan!). I was in NY recently though and made a pilgrimage to 254 W54th St. It was a very moving experience.
Was it the best club ever? As I've never been there I cannot comment but the legend does speak for itself!
KArlos
P.S. Are you the Jussi who is co-author of the Disco book, Saturday Night Forever?

**JussiK** · September 23rd, 2003, 02:15 AM

Well, mine is of course a subjective view but do not believe the hype on Studio 54. I went out of curiosity when I was about 19 and was extremely disappointed. First, everybody else there seemed to be around 45 years old - how shocking! - and very few people could dance. It was fun for 30 minutes for the paparazzi kind of ambience and the music, the lights etc were great. The people were ridiculous, overdressed, overdrugged, overweight and to a 19 yrs old just simply pathetic, though. I saw Diana Ross and even she looked terrible, completely drunk with one eye looking this way and the other that. I did not want to waste good dancing time with that kind of trash when other far superior places abounded in NY back then.
Well, yes, I'm the 50% author of that particular book - an abridged, a bit of a sanitised affair really, a shadow of the work it was meant to be. Alan the other guy went to the studio and got off on the "glamour". I should have placed a few more second opinions in the book! :roll:

**Karlos** · September 23rd, 2003, 06:39 AM

Jussi,
It is indeed a pleasure to talk to you! I have a first edition of the book it's a fabulous piece of work and has helped me a lot.I have read it several times over.
I suspect you are right about 54 (obviously having not been there I cannot say for certain) not living up to the hype but it was and still has that aura about it; the myth, the legend and will always be synonymous with Disco so that's good enough for me. I just wish I had been old enough and lived near enough to have at least gone once!
I am getting back into Disco in a big way having been on the sidelines for some time and am spending serious $$ building my collection back up again!
What are you up to these days? Do you still have a big Disco record collection?

Rgds,

Karlos

**JussiK** · September 24th, 2003, 04:06 AM

yep - Studio 54 was of course a phenomenon and one important aspect of disco. I just hated the selectiveness, the grotesque snottiness and the fact that those inside just thought they were something special when most of them were just saddos on egotrips. I'd kiss the ground Grace Jones for one had walked on of course but 90% of the people at the studio were just businessmen, eldery socialites with more money than taste, obnoxious rich white debutantes into rock music unable to dance and so on. I remember leering at the celebs and pointing at them laughing and making rude gestures, I cannot understand why i wasn't thrown out in 2 minutes after entering.

For sheer joy of dancing and collective feeling of being part of a tribe I quess every country had their own important locations and for New Yorkers the consensus seems to be that it was Paradise Garage - before the early 80's when most of the dancers were too drugged to notice the music and the mixing actually were nothing special anymore.
Glad you liked the book. I'm still collecting vinyls of course and if u got a minidisc deck I can send you some.

**Karlos** · September 24th, 2003, 08:05 AM

Jussi, understand where you're coming from re Studio (only wish I had been able to go) and you are right it has an undeniablly important place in the History of our music.

Many thanks for your kind offer but I am still in the 1970's in more ways than one as I'm still getting my pleasure from Vinyl and cassette tapes!! I still have so much to "learn" about Disco and literally 100's of records that I haven't yet discovered.

Do you ever let over to London? Would love to get in touch at some point, there's so many things I would want to ask you.

Rgds,

Karlos

P.S. Understand the book has been updated and now includes some sort of index...will have to get on to Amazon to order a copy!!

**efunk_adelic** · September 24th, 2003, 10:38 AM

"the Book"

you guys are talking about sounds real interesting... I'd be interested in purchasing one... please post the title of the book. :)

**Bernie** · September 24th, 2003, 10:44 AM

Originally Written by efunk_adelic

"the Book"

you guys are talking about sounds real interesting... I'd be interested in purchasing one... please post the title of the book. :)

The book is the one that Jussi co-wrote called "Saturday Night Forever - A History of Disco." It is recommended reading. Check here...

http://www.discomusic.com/disco-book.../861_0_12_0_C/

**BrunoRepublic** · September 24th, 2003, 12:17 PM

Speaking of Studio 54...

A friend of mine who works in the travel biz was telling me how he recently scored a trip to NY, and will be staying at a hotel that he normally couldn't possibly afford.

"There's this guy Ian Schrager, and he's really famous in the hotel industry. His hotels are, like, so amazing. He is --"

"Oh, you mean the guy who co-founded Studio 54?"

"He was part of Studio 54?! Wow, I never knew that!"

(hands friend copy of "The Last Party")

**ol'skinflint** · October 14th, 2006, 07:30 PM

Originally Written by JussiK

Well, mine is of course a subjective view but do not believe the hype on Studio 54. I went out of curiosity when I was about 19 and was extremely disappointed. First, everybody else there seemed to be around 45 years old - how shocking! - and very few people could dance. It was fun for 30 minutes for the paparazzi kind of ambience and the music, the lights etc were great. The people were ridiculous, overdressed, overdrugged, overweight and to a 19 yrs old just simply pathetic, though. I saw Diana Ross and even she looked terrible, completely drunk with one eye looking this way and the other that. I did not want to waste good dancing time with that kind of trash when other far superior places abounded in NY back then.
Well, yes, I'm the 50% author of that particular book - an abridged, a bit of a sanitised affair really, a shadow of the work it was meant to be. Alan the other guy went to the studio and got off on the "glamour". I should have placed a few more second opinions in the book! :roll:

From what I understand, Studio 54 was pretty much a one of a kind place (I never went) but at THAT time in music history, most discos I went to were pretty wild. None I visited allowed sex on the premises and discouraged open drug use, but they weren't very fussy about drug use in restrooms and they allowed you to have your hand stamped so you could leave and re-enter later (many people would leave to visit the "parking lot" and return with a whole new attitude). I never would have made it past the ropes to Studio 54 and considering what happened to many of their regular customers, I'm quite glad I never went. I now treasure the records I saved from that period of time, they're the only real memories I have of such a wonderful and exciting period of my life. I'm kind of curious to one day visit the Studio 54 in Las Vegas though I know it's not the same.....