DJ History: The
Second-Wave of Club DJ Growth, 1974-1982
by Rob
Wegner
February 2003
Special Thanks to
Bill Brewster and Frank Broughton (Authors of Last Night A
DJ Saved My Life: The History of the Disc Jockey)
This month, I continue the discussion
regarding economic growth waves in the DJ industry. The first-wave,
which I addressed last
month, appears between 1943 and 1969. The second-wave, the
subject of today's discussion, takes place between 1974 and 1982.
The third-wave (roughly between 1985 and 2001) will appear in
the May 2003 Tip of the Month.
The Period Between Waves (1969-1974)
As discussed last month, the
Vietnam War/social conscious protests of the late-60's and early-70's
had a negative impact on dance clubs and DJ's (in favor of rock
and folk music). The oil crisis and economic recession also affected
DJ's (although with mixed results). This is not to say that DJ's
and clubs didn't exist during this period. Instead, the total
number of clubs and DJ's dropped substantially in relation to
the previous growth wave. Most of the "dance clubs"
at this time were underground gay discos - "where the DJ's
main challenge was to keep the rhythm going as evenly and as
long as possible. Hence the origin of the famous 'don't stop'
sample" (Poschardt, p. 113). It should also be noted that
Technics released
a series of direct-drive DJ turntables during this period.
The Second-Wave (1974-1982)
The Vietnam War ceasefire was
implemented exactly thirty years ago (January 27, 1973). During
that same year, DJ Kool Herc - who is widely regarded as the
'godfather of hip hop culture' - employs two identical records
to loop break beats and turntablism begins. By the mid-70's,
several significant developments will alter the course of DJ
history. First, Technics releases the first SL-1200 turntable
in 1974 (which evolves into the SL-1200MK2 in 1979). Second,
the German band Kraftwerk
released Autobahn in 1974. The 22 minute "electronic-sounding"
title track would be the precursor to the 12" single (Poschardt,
p. 224). More significantly, Kraftwerk would influence hip hop
artists such as Afrika Bambaataa (i.e., Planet Rock) and house
music pioneer Frankie Knuckles. Third, Walter Gibbons releases
the world's first 12" single (aka "maxi-single")
entitled Ten Percent by Double Exposure in 1976. Fourth,
hip hop emerges from the Bronx, New York in the mid-1970's (a
term originally used to describe DJ's 'hopping' back-and-fourth
between turntables). Fifth, DJ Grand Wizard Theodore invents
the scratch by accident in 1977. As you can see, a lot of what
we do today came from this rather innovative period.
At the same time, discotheques
experienced a "rebirth," or as Norm N. Nite puts it:
The reason why disco took off
is because kids were getting a little tired of just sitting around
listening to music. They wanted to be able to dance (Shannon,
pp. 25-26).
The inflationary economy of the
period also had an impact on the DJ scene - although in one positive
way. Many nightclubs couldn't afford live bands and discovered
that a live DJ was a less expensive alternative.
In 1977, New York's Studio 54
nightclub grossed $7 million in its first year of business (which
is roughly $21 million in today's dollars after adjusting
for inflation). In that same year, the motion picture Saturday
Night Fever popularizes discotheques and becomes one of the
top-10 grossing films in history (at the time) [For more on Disco
and its history see Disco
Music.com and Disco-Disco.com].
In 1979, Sugar Hill Gang's Rapper's
Delight is released, which influences commercial "rap"
into the 1980's. Rapper's Delight sampled the bass line
of the popular disco hit Good Times by Chic and is often
considered the first rap hit (even though the Bronx had a long
tradition of rappers such as the Cold Crush Brothers and DJ Hollywood).
The Decline of Disco
The word 'disco' became so over-used
that it became a victim of its own commercial success. In addition,
"disco's elevation of electronically programmed beats along
with its irrelevance to the guitar infuriated many rockers"
(Diva
Delight). "Disco-Sucks" campaigns grew in popularity.
An anti-disco protest in Chicago's
Comiskey Park in 1979 is often perceived as the official
end of the disco era - even though disco remained popular for
several more years (particularly in underground clubs and in
Europe). In fact, many popular disco hits were produced during
the early-80's (such as Funkytown and Celebration).
Conclusion About the Second-Wave
The end of the social unease
surrounding the Vietnam War, a global recession forcing cutbacks
in live bands, innovations in DJ skills and dance music, as well
as the popularity of disco music, led to the growth of clubs,
dance music, and DJ jobs during this period. However, the demise
of disco by the summer of 1982 forced many nightclubs to either
close or to change entertainment styles (such as by providing
MTV style video dancing and/or live bands). As statistics from
the Distilled Spirits Council of the United States shows, sales
of distilled spirits declined significantly between 1980 and
1985.
Next Month: Review: The Mobile DJ Handbook, Second Edition by Stacy Zemon
April: How Vinyl Records Are Manufactured by Robert Oleysyck
May: The Third-Wave of Club DJ Growth (1985-2001)
Resources
Brewster, Bill and Frank Broughton (1999) Last Night A DJ Saved My Life:
The History of the Disc Jockey. Grove Press.
Poschardt, Ulf (1995) DJ Culture. London, England: Quartet Books Limited.
Shannon, Doug (1982) Off The Record. Cleveland, OH: Pacesetter
Publishing House (Out of Print).
Webber, Stephen (2000) Turntable Technique. Boston, MA: Berklee Press.
Industry
News
* Club Systems
International presents The Club Show, which will take place
March 26-27, 2003 at the Riviera Convention Center in Las Vegas.
Exhibits include the latest technology in sound, lighting, video
and effects, as well as accessories, furnishings, promotional
items and more. This event overlaps with the Nightclub and Bar
Show in Las Vegas for one day. In addition to the exhibits, the
Club Show offers lavish parties at Vegas' top clubs. Registration
is $75.00 for the Exhibits Only pass and $199.00 for the VIP/All-Access
pass. For more information, call 516-767-3894 or 1-800-YES-7678.
* The
34th International Nightclub and Bar Convention will be held
March 25-26, 2003 at the Las Vegas Convention Center. As usual,
the convention features exhibits, seminars, nightly parties,
networking events, and more. However, several new features have
been added such as Club
Martin, which features the latest in professional lighting.
For registration assistance, call 1-888-966-2727.
* Las Vegas DJ legend
Robert Oleysyck has opened Interstate
Records DJ School in Las Vegas, Nevada. Robert will be contributing
to an upcoming Disc Jockey 101 Tip of the Month entitled "How
Vinyl Records Are Manufactured."
* Bill Brewster and
Frank Broughton, the authors of Last Night A DJ Saved My Life:
The History of the Disc Jockey, are releasing a new book
entitled How to DJ: The Art and Science of Playing Records,
which will be available on Disc Jockey 101 soon.
* Rob Wegner's Club
DJ class at Scottsdale Community College begins February 24,
2003. Scheduled guest speakers includes: DJ John Stetler (Buzz),
Steve Kushnir (Freedom
Nightclub), DJ Radar,
Kevin Brown, and Dr.
Majera T. Majidi (aka DJ Maji). The class fee is $69.
.
