Troc Party

[nrgbeat]

Did any of you manly men go to the Troc Party last week?

What did Robbie play? Was it as good or better than the first?

[NickNack]

Yeah. I've waited all week for a "review". Did the party go off as planned or what? Surprised the attendees have been so quiet this time around. Spill the dirt people! :D

[Discovery]

Best party ever!!!
Here are just a few of the wonderful songs:

I'd like to get closer
Do me good
I'm so into you
Inch by Inch
I feel love
Follow me
I just wanna wanna
High on your love
I wanna rock you
You know how to love me
I've got the next dance
Hills of Katmandu
Souvenirs
Don't stop the train
I got the feeling
Keep on holding on
The Visitors
You make me feel mighty real
Lotta Love
Sweet summer suite
Without your love
Fly to high
The glow of love
Dancer
Never knew love like this before
Earth can be just like heaven
Hold on to my love
Where the happy people go
Remember
Main Event/Fight
Rumour has it
I love you
Happily ever after
Just us
Searching
Working my way back to you/Forgive me girl
Could we start again
Native New Yorker
Party boys
MacArthur Park
Heaven Knows

...and countless others!!! Please add to the list.

When is the next party?

[NickNack]

Niiice... Was "Inch by Inch" the vocal or instrumental? Just curious ...

I'm also seeing some 'lower energy level' pieces: Just Us, Glow of Love, Native New Yorker. Glad he got to play around with you guys a little. Not a 'sleaze event', just a taste. :D

[Discovery]

"Inch by Inch" had vocals. The entire party was officially recorded, so everyone will be able to purchase the soundtrack from Robbie if they would like. The songs listed above are in completely random order, and there were many more wonderful songs. Please add to the list. When is the next party?

NickNack, nrgbeat, and everyone, what other songs might you like to hear or play at a future party of this type?

[nrgbeat]

I'm disappointed that some of those that attended haven't shared their experience. The last time it seemed people were more enthusiastic about discussing the event.

Maybe it's like class reunions, everyone goes to the first one, but then gradually loses interest.

[markydefad]

Uh, I didn't attend, so I have no review. Maybe Keefe will post something?

[keefelc]

Damn! I just wrote up a long reply and I accidentally deleted it! :evil:

Let's see if I can remember what I wrote.

First, sorry for the delay posting a review. I've been really busy at work trying to catch up from the few days I took off after the party (my aching legs needed it!).

The highlight of the evening was meeting for the first time Discovery, Pizzazz and SFBeary! I think those three were on the dancefloor for most of the evening. Oh to have that kind of energy again!

Anyway, another great crowd of people. Plus, the look of the dance floor! This time a dazzling cluster of six mirror balls and a fabulous fiber optic curtain covering one wall of the stage area! Also, alot of people with cameras and camcorders. The producers are in the process of putting them all together to post on the RTP website.

Also, I mentioned to Carla, who worked the arc lamp at these parties and at Trocadero back in the 80s, that I sprinkled almost all of a five pound bag of cornmeal on the dancefloor in April! Her eyes grew wide as she told me they used to only put down about a cup (!) of cornmeal for the whole night! :o Oops! Some evil child took a photo of me sprinkling the cornmeal on the floor. That picture better not show up on the website! :x :lol:

Anyway, the most important part, Robbie Leslie's music! Well, the first couple of dance songs will give you an idea of the joy we were about to experience. Robbie's windup set started with:

Stephanie Mills - Never Knew Love Like This Before
Phyllis Hyman - You Know How To Love Me
Evelyn Champagne King - I Don't Know If It's Right
Change - The Glow of Love
George Benson - Love x Love

Do I need to tell you I was in Seventh Heaven? Then, he added, among others, Nicolette Larson's "Lotta Love," Harold Melvin & The Blue Notes, "The Love I Lost" and the Intruders, "I'll Always Love My Mama," and Dionne Warwick's "Take It From Me." Nicolette and Dionne's songs were unexpected delights!

Robbie then picked up the pace. Here are some of the highlights that I could remember:

John Davis & The Monster Orchestra - Love Magic
Debbie Jacobs - High On Your Love"
Rinder & Lewis - Willie & The Hand Jive
Giorgio Moroder - I Wanna Rock You
Bohannon - Let's Start The Dance
The Originals - Down To Love Town (!!)
Deniece Williams - I've Got The Next Dance
Two Tons O' Fun - I Got The Feeling

At this point, I heard somebody with a great voice singing along with Martha and Izora. It was Paul Parker, along with his partner Ken (who remembered me from Aloha Records - what a surprise!), dancing and singing right by us!! JeffH and Discovery can verify this tidbit of info!

RL then mixed out of "oooooo I got the feeling, oooooo" into Donna singing the ooooooo's in "I Feel Love" - such a smooth & clever mix! The set continued with (again only a partial list):

Gino Soccio - Remember
Foxy - Party Boys (this song was poignant because the Mike Lewis Disconet remix includes several Trocadero DJs like Mike, Trip Ringwald and Craig Morey talking in the background while they were high on acid! :D )
Paul Parker - Encore! (Recorded just for this party!)
Abba - The Visitors

When you thought the music couldn't get any better, Robbie sent the crowd through the roof when he mixed into Donna Summer's "Rumour Has It"! Wow! The cheer that went through the crowd. Then, RL played the entire 3 song medley (I Love You and Happily Ever After). Wow!

Another highlight of the evening happened when RL played his signature song, Jimmy Ruffin's "Hold On To My Love." A banner was unfurled from one of the upstairs bannister which proclaimed love to Robbie from his Trocadero family. Once again the crowd went crazy with their cheering and applause! Does this kind of stuff ever happen with today's DJs???

Other delightful surprises RL played:
Technique - Can We Try Again
Vera - Take Me To The Bridge
Front Page - Love Insurance (Sharon Redd sounded so good on a terrific sound system!)
Dan Hartman - Countdown/ This Is It
Cerrone - Trippin' On The Moon
Tantra - Hills of Katmandu
Change - Searching
Janis Ian - Fly Too High (I found out how many people love this song when they were commenting how surprised and happy they were to hear it again!)
Marlena Shaw - Touch Me In The Morning (one of many songs that RL remixed)
Pet Shop Boys - Left To My Own Devices (I was surprised how well this tune mixed with Marlena - who knew???)

Robbie then started his morning music in full force. The set included:
Sharon Ridley - Changin'
Faith Hope & Charity - Don't Pity Me
Pointer Sisters - Someday We'll Be Together
Linda Clifford - I Just Wanna Wanna
Thelma Houston - Saturday Night, Sunday Morning
Odyssey - Native New Yorker
Two Tons O' Fun - Just Us
Womack & Womack - Baby I'm Scared Of You

All too soon it was time for the party to end. However, the club kindly let Robbie go past the 2:30 am closing time for one final classic, The Trammps "That's Where The Happy People Go". As the house lights went up, the smiles on the audience proved the song right!

Another magical party! I sure hope there will be more!!

[nrgbeat]

I read that Robbie is going to do an east coast oldies party called Souvenirs.

[markydefad]

Great description of the party, Keefe!!! I feel like I was there--even though I wasn't!!! :cry:

Now, fess up....was the resurrection of that Nicolette Larson chestnut your idea or Robbie's? That sounds --TOO YOU. :D

[keefelc]

Mark, we were all wishing you would make a surprise appearance!

As for Robbie's set, he seems to love the same stuff that we do. I was amazed at how many songs he played that we had hoped to hear! So, he came up with Lotta Love on his own, much to my delight.

Jeff and Pizzazz are finally home. Hopefully they'll be able to dig their ways out of their in baskets at work and relay their stories of the evening sometime soon.

[nrgbeat]

Keefe, you did an excellent job telling us about this party.

It's great that people still want to hear this type of music.

[Jeff H]

Keefe! How could you neglect to mention that Robbie also played a remix of "Xanadu," complete with snippets of dialogue from the camp classic film??!

And what's with the comment about Jeff "finally" going home??! I didn't think SF was that eager to get rid of me! :lol:

I'll try to post additional comments about this truly fabulous party when I get a chance, but right now I'm still trying to catch up on all the work that went undone for the two weeks I was in SF.

[keefelc]

Well Jeff, I had to leave some stuff for you and the others to write about the Party!

Also, I did word that sentence (with "finally") poorly. Sorry about that! Now you know SF eagerly awaits the next visit by you & Bob!! :D When your upcoming visit makes the newletter for The Edge, you know you've made it, baby! :lol:

NRG, you'll be happy to know the RTP parties are produced by people that LOVE this era of music! Lots of great memories associated with the music. I think that feeling carried through to the people that attended both parties, and I think that's what makes these parties so special.

[Jeff H]

Something else I wanted to mention: I was thrilled to hear "The Main Event," but after the slow intro (actually the ballad version from the movie soundtrack), Robbie mixed into an instrumental version!!! :o

Keefe explained to me that the instrumental version is apparently very rare, and that maybe Robbie thought he was giving us a real treat. But come on--since we had to suffer through Amanda Lear croaking her way through "Follow Me" yet again, :evil: think how great it would have been to hear Barbra's voice filling the room!

Not that there wasn't singing: Everyone else dancing near me seemed to know every word too.

[markydefad]

So Babs just sings the slow part and then violins-for-hire take over, eh? :o I woulda felt cheated too. :evil: Why is the instrumental considered rare? Isn't it on the LP? I pulled this to play last weekend and was noticing that it seemed comprised of 7 or so different versions of the same song...so I'm thinking one of them must have been the instrumental??? I'm probaby wrong, but I must try to actually PLAY it this weekend!!

Now "Xanadu" is an odd choice, no? I don't recall that ever being played at Troc--but I guess ONJ & ELO would be a hoot to hear. :D

"Fly Too High" would have been such a treat. I totally remember this song from Troc--loved it. Ditto Vera's "Take Me To The Bridge"--never heard it anywhere else.

Dionne's "Take It From Me", which I've only recently discovered, would have knocked me out also. :D

[keefelc]

Mark and Jeff, I might be wrong about the Main Event instrumental (I haven't dragged that album out in decades!), but I remember Robbie had a note on one of his Rarities & Lost that the instrumental was rare.

Here's a glimpse behind the scenes: Some queen actually came up me when I was in the DJ booth after the "Main Event." Robbie was playing Jimmy James & the Vagabonds "I'll Go Where Your Music Takes Me" and the song had reached an instrumental break. The queen complained he hoped RL wasn't going to be playing instrumentals all night. He added that he just left another dance because of that problem. I was astonished! So, he heard two songs that had he didn't care for and he thought he should complain. Didn't even give himself a chance to enjoy the party. Well, I hope he stuck around because RL certainly delivered more songs with great vocals after that!

Mark, Chris told me one of the Troc DJs used to play "Take Me To The Bridge," The Pointers "Jump" and then Bear Essence "The Big Hurt" one right after the other. I wonder how many people caught that inside joke back then???

[markydefad]

OK, I went to AMG re: the instrumental version of "The Main Event". Apparently, there's a long version, a short version and a ballad version of the title song--no instrumental version on the LP, unless they gave it a different title. :o

[NickNack]

OK, I went to AMG re: the instrumental version of "The Main Event". Apparently, there's a long version, a short version and a ballad version of the title song--no instrumental version on the LP, unless they gave it a different title. :o

The CBS 12" (which I gave away years ago :x :oops: ) has the instrumental on the b-side.

[Discovery]

Love reading Keefe's behind-the-scenes stories. More please!

Can't believe I forgot to mention "Xanadu" and "Touch Me in the Morning" on my list. "Xanadu" was an updated, more-powerful, discofied version, and one of many highlights of the night.

How about making this a monthly party with guest djs etc.?

[Pizzazz]

I came a long way to be there and i'm so glad i did ! It was wonderful to meet Keefe, Discovery, Jeff H, Chris and of course Robbie ! I had such a fantastic time and to quote dear old Martha Stewart: 'i'll be back' !

You guys have already covered many of the classics played during the evening, much of which i spent on the dancefloor as i was determined to make the most of it !

Stayed too long at the Castro Street Fair and was dismayed to learn i missed Robbie play Nicolette Larson 'Lotta Love' ! Arrived at 8pm, Giorgio Moroder 'What A Night' was playing when i walked in the room and that about sums up the rest of the evening !

Its obvious the venue has changed since the heyday of Trocadero Transfer, i believe the room has been reduced in size but its still a wonderful space for dancing. Immediately noticed the cluster of mirrorballs over the dancefloor, again much reduced since back in the day but still very impressive. At this point the dancefloor was very busy and it was obvious there was lots of Trocadero diehards in attendance, a very friendly crowd totally into the music. I got so fired up with enthusiasm i just couldn't help but sing a long, getting more carried away as the night went on !

Too many highlights to mention all at once but memorable musical moments included Abba 'The Visitors' (Remix - Hot Tracks ?), every hand in the room must have been in the air for that one ! Robbie answered prayers by letting Donna Summer 'Rumor Has It'/'I Love You' play on into 'Happily Ever After' and followed the rapturously received 'MacArthur Park Suite' with the 12" of Amanda Lear 'Follow Me' ! Surprise delight of the night had to be Janis Ian 'Fly Too High' especially since i had been listening to her 'Night Rains' album the week before the party.

Had never actually heard Front Page 'Love Insurance' before but it sounded incredible over the sound system and there was no mistaking the voice of Sharon Redd ! Also remember shuffling along to Ray Martinez 'Lady Of The Night. Regarding 'The Main Event', after a slower sounding intro (i thought it was a live concert version) it kicked into what turned out to be the instrumental version which is a wonderful Bob Esty production - can't believe somebody took the trouble to moan at the dj box about it, next time just hit the bar !

I wish it could have gone on all night but there was a nice long wind down to the evening including Sharon Ridley 'Changin' and the Pointer Sisters 'Someday We'll Be Together'.

Here's to next time, let's hope all those who couldn't make it will be able to attend. Encore !

[Pizzazz]

On second thoughts: was it Giorgio 'I Wanna Rock You' i heard as i came in ? Think it was, not 'What A Night'.

Don't remember hearing the remix of Xanadu at all, where was i for that one ? Oddly enough, finally got around to watching the recently issued dvd earlier this evening and while easy to see why its regarded as a camp classic there really isn't much to recommend apart from the excellent soundtrack.

[Jeff H]

Hey, Pizzazz! It was great to meet you too. And congrats--I'm sure you won the award for furthest distance traveled to come to the party!

I made a special effort not to "stay too long at the fair" and kept the number of beers I had there to a minimum because I didn't want to be wasted before the party! :lol:

And your second post is correct: Robbie did play "I Wanna Rock You"; he played "What a Night" at the party back in April and, for better or worse, he repeated very few of the songs he played back in April. (Although one song does come to mind...hmmm, Marky and Keefe??! :roll: )

"Xanadu" came late in the party, right before "Searching," if that helps your memory; maybe within the final 90 minutes or so of the party. (But Keefe's uncanny memory could tell you for sure!)

And you are so right: The reaction to "Rumour/Love You/Happily" was just amazing. To hear that many cheers and see that many arms in the air in response to my favorite album of all time was overwhelming. I really did get a little choked up. :P

[NickNack]

And you are so right: The reaction to "Rumour/Love You/Happily" was just amazing. To hear that many cheers and see that many arms in the air in response to my favorite album of all time was overwhelming. I really did get a little choked up. :P

May I ask: Several of you appear amazed, although quite delighted, that Robbie let this medley play without interruption. Was this not "standard practice" back in your club days? I mean, especially for this particular medley. It never crossed my mind to 'edit' this once I put it on the turntable. Plus, I don't ever remember a New York dj playing it and not letting it flow through. Was it different where you were because I think a jock would have been crucified if he took that thing off before "Happily Ever After" had been heard. :D

[Voyage]

Seriously the ones who attended the party are SO lucky! I wish they made this kind of parties here, or had the possibility of attending one...but sadly here Disco isn't very much alive :( It's good to know cool music was played :)

I was born in the wrong decade lol

Anyway I just can't get enough today of the 12" 16:48 version of Donna's Love To Love You Baby :evil: lol

Voyage :P