I can remember my evening at 54 back in 1979. They are correct about the door being the center of attention. You had to be picked to enter the club, Lucky I was one of them. Once inside you were in a total different world. The music was thumping and the crowd was wild. You saw everyone inside from a nobody on the street to a super star dancing like nobody cared. I never saw the drugs, but then I wasn't looking nor interested.. I was already high on the music. Miss those days of disco and style.
I was there, I was there almost every night from the opening day to the closing day, there is not one moment that I can regret. And I cannot explain how fabulous it was, you just gotta believe, celebreities, I don't care who you were everyone, just partied. I never got over it, I just sort of live with the memories.....
I was there every Saturday night. My boyfriend gave out promotional material so we were always on VIP list. Fabulous is not the word, Magical, unforgettable, honored to have been part of that world.
I just listened to a replay of American Top 40 with Casey Kasem from May 12, 1979. He stated that the disco scene revitalized the failing economy in NYC in the late 70s and by 1978 there were over 1000 disco clubs in NYC, making it the disco capitol of the world. Amazing 1000!! That does not even include other clubs at the time like rock and punk rock. It was the golden age of the club scene in NYC. It was truly a time to party. Clubs were everywhere. Today we have shit. No fun.
nothing can ever replace studio. we didn't call it studio 54, we called it studio. times has changed, the biggest celbrity had total and absolute confidence there. No one cared who he or she was with. we all partied like we were equals. there was no press, the celebs partied like people who were not going to be photographed. and not written up in te tablosids. it was a cool era and I am very proud to have been there. Much suffering afterward... that is another story.
The 70's will remain the best 10 years of my life, and if you were lucky enough to be there you know what I'm talking about. The era was decadent, hedonistic, liberating and sexual. A song title explains it best, "If You Can't Be With The One You Love, Love The One You're With"! And we did!
Went there 4 - 5 times it was wonderful I fell in love with one of the dancers during one of the songs. She was beautiful ..dancing to "Who could it be now" by Men at Work. The big Moon would come out from the stage the cylinder light fixtures would descend from the ceiling. It was awesome. When you went in people on line would be envious...when you came out they were jealous. Great times.
This former Studio 54 busboy drops a lot of names, except the "...famous designer, "famous for his boxer shorts and other things like that."...I wonder why he was afraid to name him...I guess it's because that designer was alive, when this guy was interviewed...Studio 54 seemed to have been the most famous and infamous nightclub of the twentieth century...Today, I wonder if any nightclub even comes close to what Studio 54 was and what it represented to so many celebrities and ordinary clubgoers.
I was at 18yoa. It was unbelievable, overwhelming, My girlfriend who was a yr. older than me was going to modeling school in NY at the time since she was 15, they picked me out of the line (everyone was asking me if I was Jacqueline Bisset, although 7 yrs, older, we looked identical. We went in without a penny to our name, ate and drank all nite for free. Sat next to producers, model's, actors. Never forget the lady's room. Make up artists in there, a big (5 or 6) baskets with tips of $100.00's and $50.00's, Just left on the counter and no one, as far as I ever saw took a penny out of it. What I'd give to go back, too bad we can't.
oh snap! i forgot about this part of Michael Jackson history. he lived in NYC while filming "THE WIZ." yes he did go to 54, as did his friends like Brooke Shields, Liza Minelli, Andy Warhol, Grace Jones, Diana Ross, and countless others. Gloria Vanderbilt with her young son, Anderson Cooper. .. so much history on Michael Jackson. I love him!!
Last night i went to studio 54 west at circus disco in hollywood to remember 54 it was the best time i had in years but i have say never went to new york to dance there here in la was circus disco to me it was the best time ever for folks did not go to 54 and a very special thank to gene the owner of circus for the best club in hollywood it was a blast to my childhood!!
I´d love to went there. Studio 54, in my head, is the beginning of the our age. The place, the people... everything sound interesting. A place to remember!
Lol, right. Makes me think of CK in a new light. When they hired bus boys, I wonder if they asked their sexual orientation to make sure they had a good mix for the guests. And whether he did it willingly or not doesn't matter, it was male prostitution. Guests paid them for sexual favors up to $300 to "go around the world." If it wasn't willingly... we know what that is.
Wow! Having been at Studio 7 nights a week from it's opening night, this clip gave me the chills. These people are authentic Studio habitués, and they know of what they speak. Very well done clip. Bob Colacello was a regular, and the guy who seemingly outed everyone was most definitely one of the main busboys. He sounds burnt out! I had him for free!!!
Sad what happened to a lot of patrons of Studio 54! Steve Rubell even said that after Studio 54 was shut down he was driving down a st & saw a lot of patrons that he recognized from the club, standing in a line. He asked 1 of them why they were in the line & the person said that is was for either AA or drug adiction (I forgot which one)! A lot of them became hardcore drug addicts, alcholics and/or died from aids! Watch Studio 54: The Story! Its here on RU-vid & a very good documentary!!
Paul & Michael Berridge who were Brothers ran their own Nightclub in Birmingham, England. They went to Studio 54 and bought all of these Records that were played there that his Proteges listened to. They were none other than Duran Duran.
I was there once..The Ford Modeling Agency had a large group of models that night..Talk about feeling inferior..My buddy Berk got us in the guy working the door he played hockey with..what an experience.
I kind of agree with you to a point. Contrary to what many people say today, Studio 54 did not have the greatest reputation in the eyes of many back then. It was more about excess, image, wealth, star power, and status than about the music. In a way, it was the ultimate egotistical, elitist, "look at me" attitude which turned many folks off to the disco. But compared to the culture or lack of culture we are living through today, I will take it anytime and I would never say that back in 1977.
Man, S-54 was THE club, period. If you could have ever been old enough back in that time to go there then that was THE place to be. And let me tell you everything these video's say it was, it really was just that and more. As far as true partying goes, this WAS life! Hell, just watching video's about this place would have been fun back then. I'll always miss S-54 because there will never be another club like it with the freedom they had ever again. Sux to think it all ended :(
Disco is still King, and Studio 54 will always be the best nightclub to ever have existed. You know a nightclub is good when someone is stuck in that club's window for weeks DEAD!
99,999999% of the people saying "oh, i would love to have lived the 70's and go to S54" are fools. if you wasn't a "highly edible" body, or at showbizz top, or just rich, there was no entrance for you. just a fool shoting polaroids of the fortunate ones entering.
Your comment is retarded because most of the people in there where not famous smarty pants, the clubs held thousands of people I doubt they where all stars.
Back in the 70s Studio54 was mentioned on national evening news almost every night, it seemed. They showed the stars going in and partying, and showed the roped off people begging to get in. Why it was featured so much was just part of the decade, I guess. It was always ineresting to watch.
This Club was the most famous club in the world and mostly gays but Movie Stars loved it and back in the 70's the legend Dolly Parton showed up and they fell in love with her and they danced to Dolly's songs and Dolly had so much fun and Dolly might be country but loves gays and Dolly said im not God and God never makes mistakes only men with no caring and love and wish the famous CLUB 54 comes back even Michael Jackson was there he had his pic taken with Dolly..I MISS THE 70'S!!
@1990osu I'm alive! I only went there once and my boyfriend and I were picked out of a long line waiting outside, I had the best time in my entire life.
Wow. Usually you here stories about places like that & it turns out to be 95% urban legend, but from what you say, Studio 54 stories were all 100% true. I wish I would've been old enough to have gone there, but I was only two years old when it first closed in 1980 & I know that Steve Rubell loved variety in that place, but I don't think he would've allowed a toddler in that place. :-)
I've been to many clubs...never this one but I liked to dance and liked to smoke cigarettes and drink and socialize. But I was not crazy and always knew whom to hang out with as I went with friends whom I trusted and several are still friends today with me. Most people can't say no. That is their problem. Learn to say NO thanks.
I so agree with you partyguy. Im so glad that I was in my early 20s during the studio 54 days. If there was a way to go back in time.. I would be there first in line. Thats when people had class and dressed up for a night of dancing. Nothing like it is today. Some ppl hated disco or affraid to admitt it. But Disco will Never die.
I was fortunate to go to 54 when it re-opened for me 83-84 it was the bomb the music was still good post disco era they still played tons of disco, it was lose as hell a lot of those fake wrestlers went there andre the giant being one of them, I had a ball what can I say I met steve rubell a couple of times & went back once to his hotel the morgons & hung out, oddly enough I didn't see him doing any coke though he had a huge problem, his other club the palladium was also great.
Michael Jasckon is remembered a being a dysfunctional recluse, but in this video he seems very social. This is what happens when you isolate yourself and create your own dream world instead of participating in life.
@sandylinter1 Yeah, you are lucky to have been in that era. :) I'm 17 but I'm very fascinated by the 70s and 80s. Great times, but also some sad times.
This was very nice to see. It was especially enjoyable to watch Michael Jackson just be himself, a teenager. I don't care how he felt about his facial "flaws", he was BEAUTIFUL!!!
I worked there for six months, it was just as wild and drug-infested as they say. It was in an old theater, a lot of people don't mention that fact, but the layout of the place was intrinsic to the experience. There were all these lnooks and crannies, balcony areas, little parties were going on amongst the great big party. And yes Andy was there often, and yes Rick James did really have an entourage.
@sandylinter1 Your lucky to have those memories! :) I wish they didn't get rid of so many great clubs in NYC, because our new generation really misses out. =/ Studio 54 was legend, and even though it's still there its not the same as it was years ago.......I'm sure nothing can ever replace that or even come close to Studio 54.
Ryan Phillipe's character from the movie was based on the person at 3:22, it says so on wikipedia. "Shane O'Shea (based on Tieg Thomas, who worked at Studio 54 from 1977-1982)"
@screenwitch > The draw of some of the best clubs was that they weren't all nice/fancy. I remember the incredible draw of dingy warehouse spaces/corridors...guided there by the bass of some dark house beat, the strobes/lights flashing, the people gyrating their bodies until 6am and the need to be there sharing experiences with them. It didn't matter how pretty it was as long as we got the fix we needed, and I am not talkin about the drugs. The true NYC clubber knows exactly what I mean.
Studio 54 closed in 78. AIDS was first reported in 81. I can't say he wasn't with same guys at some later time again, but it wasn't the same era and shouldn't be mixed up.
@jste77 very true, a phone call was 5 cents, now its 50cents. a movie ticket was a buck now its 10 bucks, thats almost a ten times twice. so 300 bucks would be around 3000
Have you been to the theatre that housed Studio 54 lately? They did a wonderful job restoring the opera house design that the theatre use to have before Studio 54.
@sam74 True. Well said. But I'd leave London for NYC again in a heartbeat EVEN TODAY! LOL The only thing I'd miss about London right now is the great shopping!
From wikipedia: "Steve Rubell(the owner) became a familiar face in front of the building, turning people down at the door and only letting in those who met his specific standards". that sucks. i wouldn't stand in front of that door
This is such a cool documentary! This isn't the one that aired on VH1 is it? Thanks for posting this, GarycomUK. And is there a full documentary on Studio 54?
@juan99348 -QUEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEE??????? viviste esa epoca en N.Y. eso si es una historia que contar!!!!!! cuanto glamour, cuanto exceso y gente famosilla debiste ver en esos tiempos.
