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This is a selection that would have been typical of a night at The Paradise Garage in 1983 and includes tracks from 1979 onwards. With inspiration from tales and recordings of Larry Levan I have tried to weave narratives of sorts within the mix, with messages of love for fellow man and tales of love for music and of misadventure.

Why the Paradise Garage? Well, the Paradise Garage and DJ Larry Levan along with Chicago's Warehouse with DJ Frankie Knuckles (a childhood friend of Levan's) really were the historical bridge between the soul, disco, dub and reggae of the sixties and seventies, the electro and new wave of the eighties and the house music of the late eighties, which went on to spawn techno and, well, everything 'dance' really (apart from hip-hop... that's another history). In the words of DJ History: 

"The Garage was where, a decade or so after taking its first steps, black, spiritual underground disco reached its peak. It was quite simply the largest and most powerful expression of the original disco spirit. As disco became mainstream and often moronic, it was at the Garage that the underground sound and the scene’s strong sense of community were preserved. Outside, insurance men in brown suits were knocking their knees to Abba and The Bee Gees, dreaming of the coke-and-celebrity-fuelled nonsense of Studio 54. Inside the Garage, the original disco family were continuing and amplifying their tribal rituals. And at the centre was Levan himself, a DJ who enjoyed such a passionate relationship with the people on his dancefloor that they worshipped him more or less as a god."

The club itself was situated in a former carpark on King Street in New York, hence the name. It was very much based on David Mancuso's 'Loft' parties - there was no alcohol for sale, however the club provided food and drinks for free and often put on punch, and it was often laced with LSD. It was very underground. There was no advertising. The club was also not open to the general public. Entry was to members only, and some nights allowed guests. Membership was not easy to attain. Prospective members had to submit to an interview to determine their suitability. Initially the membership policy was 'gay only', however the policy was revised due to popular demand and Friday became the straight night and Saturday was the gay night. Some public holiday events were mixed. The dancers were very diverse in race - black, latino, asian and white. The club provided a refuge from racism and homophobia and a place to enjoy a sense of togetherness and refuge. Quoting DJ History "The manifesto was the music. Love Is The Message.

The Paradise Garage inspired an unparalleled reverence. It dominated gay New York’s dance vista for a full ten years, with only the Saint – which catered for a very different crowd – as a serious rival. For its members the Garage was a sanctuary from an increasingly cruel and voracious city, a role made poignantly necessary as AIDS cut through New York. Dance there and you were treated as an honoured guest, with a level of courtesy and respect that is virtually unheard of in clubs today. ‘You felt special,’ says Danny Tenaglia, one of many DJs inspired by early visits to the Garage. ‘You felt like you were an elite group, with people who were on the same level of understanding about music as you.’ In a drab district in south west Manhattan, it created a private world based on disco’s original ethos of loving equality. In stark contrast to the harsh city lights outside, the Garage offered freedom, compassion and brotherhood.

Dave Piccioni, owner of London’s Black Market records, then living and DJing in New York, was a regular at the Garage in the late eighties. ‘It was New York cut-throat money time,’ he remembers. ‘Everybody was sticking knives in each other’s backs. It was dog eat dog. Aggressive. Dealing, 60,000 people living on the street. It was a dog of a place to live in. And then you’d go to this little oasis, where people were really well-mannered and friendly to each other. You just felt completely comfortable. People of a like mind who shared something, and that was an open mind. America is a very narrow-minded place. The thing they had in common wasn’t just getting high, like it is here – it was much more than that. That was what was so great about it.’

The soundsystem was the best. The lighting was the best. The staff were the best. The patrons were the best. And the DJ was the best.

Larry Levan was sole resident DJ from the club's opening in 1976. His DJ performances, whilst very rarely technically perfect, were incredibly powerful - he wove themes through his sets, telling stories to the dancers. He manipulated their moods with lyrics, lighting and sound. He wasn't afraid to cleanse the dancefloor either - clearing it, so that he could start again and build a new emotional space. His music policy was especially loose - eclectic. You could hear classic disco and soul alongside acts like The Clash, The Police, Prince, Madonna, Pat Benatar etc. Levan experimented with the music, introducing the Caribbean dub aesthetic into disco, which he played alongside everything from reggae to electro, new wave, soul and much more. Anything went. He helped to introduce a post-disco sound that presaged the creation of house music by his Friend Frankie in Chicago. Eventually Levan's set lists embraced house alongside other genres. It was disco's revenge.

Sadly, with owner Michael Brody becoming increasingly unwell with AIDS, the club's lease was not renewed and the club closed on 26 September 1987, almost exactly 26 years ago.

Larry Levan never achieved another residency. He played guest spots around New York and toured Japan and the UK, including a month at the Ministry Of Sound in London where he helped to design the soundsystem (which was based on that at the 'Garage). Sadly, he died of a heart attack caused by caused by endocarditis only four days after returning from Japan with Francois K.

The Paradise Garage and Larry Levan created the blueprint for modern DJ's and modern clubs. The culture and music lives on.

Tracklist:

D-Train - You're The One For Me (Vocal Version)
David Joseph - You Can't Hide (Your Love From Me) (Vocal)
Yello - Bostich (Extended Dance Version)
Exodus - Together Forever (Dub)
Rockers Revenge - Walking On Sunshine '82
My Mine - Hypnotic Tango (Instrumental Version)
Class Action Featuring Chris Wiltshire - Week End (Vocal)
Love Club - Hot Summer Nights
Bohannon - Let's Start The Dance III (Long Version)
Was (Not Was) - Tell Me That I'm Dreaming (Souped-Up Version)
Candido - Jingo
Sharon Redd - Beat The Street (Vocal)
Klein & M.B.O. - Dirty Talk (USA Connection-Instrumental)
Loleatta Holloway - Love Sensation
Skyy - Call Me
Loose Joints - Is It All Over My Face (Female Vocal)
Visual‎– The Music Got Me
The Strikers - Inch By Inch (Special 12" Vocal-Disco Version)
D-Train - Keep On (Vocal)

Roots Before Branches 03 - The Paradise Garage 1983

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