Theres this new club opening tonight. You walked in and the hallway was nothing but lockers, high school lockers on both sides, marveled the films producer, Allan Carr, in 1998. There were "horses and donkeys and mules running through the club," as well as chickens in a pen. What made Studio 54 different, however, was that drugs were practically encouraged inside. Bokfrlaget Max Strm/Hasse Persson Studio 54. She wanted to interview us about recording her next album. She made appearances at the nightclub more than once throughout the years and was there on its last day of operation under Steve Rubell in 1980. Workers had been laying down black flooring less than an hour before, and when the bulbs behind the bar suddenly stopped working, gofers were frantically dispatched to the nearest bodega to purchase armloads of votive candles. This was ridiculous because if you want to get away with it you might skim 1-2 percent. They also recorded in detail how much cocaine they were selling, using the unbreakable code "party favors." They were like queens on the dancefloor.". We stood there as long as we could take it, until our feet were just finally way too cold. One of Studio 54s main attractions was its complex lighting. Copyright 2023 Penske Business Media, LLC. PHOTOS: Newly Released Studio 54 Collection Offers Rare Glimpse Into A Party Legend. Photographer Gene Spatz captured celebrities including John Lennon, Michael Jackson, Mick Jagger at the iconic New York City 1970s nightclub. It wasn't subtle: Hung from the roof of Studio 54, dangling over the dance floor, was a giant crescent moon with a face, a cocaine spoon moving to and from its nose. Left: A dancer is swept into a spectrum of lights during 1978. Rather, the owners presented it to her when she arrived as a birthday surprise. In 1977, at the height of the disco craze, the Studio 54 nightclub opened . Giancarlo Giammetti threw a circus-themed birthday party for his business partner, fashion designer Valentino. While it lasted, many photographers flocked to the bacchanal to capture the celebrities and other lucky denizens as they danced and snorted and frolicked under that iconic Man in the Moon with the coke spoon sculpture. We were with him literally until he took a car to go home and meet the authorities. The party was over. She had not had a Studio 54 experience. The nightclub was typically packed full of people. Elizabeth Taylors birthday featured a performance by the Rockettes, which the star viewed while perched on a float of gardenias. A photograph of Yoko Ono and John Lennon by Gene Spatz (year unknown). The newly anointed nightclub king got cocky, joking to a radio host that what the IRS doesnt know wont hurt them, and bragging to New York magazine, Only the Mafia makes more money.. A cheetah might be sitting at the bar. They were hired for the New Years Eve party of 1977. As you can see, this was long before his dramatic transformation and eventual controversies in the public eye. She avoided the task of assessing what she had in her possession for nearly a decade until she began to unearth her brothers forgotten treasures. Amazingly, this worked, until it didn't. For those of us who prefer photojournalism to actual opulent dance clubs, the morning-after exhaustion on patrons faces may be the most relatable theme of the series. Send us a tip using our anonymous form. The high ceiling of the building allowed for such displays, though they must have been quite careful not to step on anyones toes. In 1978, Studio 54 was lucky enough to host her 46th birthday party. He told Rubell outright that his uniform was ridiculous for working, and instead he was going to hang out and entertain the celebrities. So we got to Studio 54 and there was nobody there. For 33 months, Studio 54 was the American bacchanal, an unprecedented mix of glamorous sophistication and primal hedonism. (This was before the AIDS crisis hit, so people were much freer with their bodies.) Diana Ross and Liza Minelli performed for Rubell, and in this photo, Stevie Wonder took to the piano at his secretarys birthday party. The owners were always trying to top themselves, and it led to some ridiculous events. By this time, the club had cemented its reputation as a popular place for celebrities, and Stallone was one more added to the list. Dolly came and was completely freaked out at the number of people there. Left, male partygoers sport dresses. Benecke says he "sometimes" took them up on it. They also didn't do very much work. A 77-year-old widow who became known as "Disco Sally" was a regular and was always allowed in when she showed up. It peaked just about a decade after the Summer of Love - how far the Baby Boomers had come since their anti-materialist, hippie days! 23,434 Studio 54 Photos and Premium High Res Pictures - Getty Images CREATIVE EDITORIAL VIDEO All Sports Entertainment News Archival Browse 23,434 studio 54 stock photos and images available, or search for studio 54 moon or studio 54 1970s to find more great stock photos and pictures. It was "madness.". About fifteen minutes later we were just getting ready to leave, and they opened one of the doors. In the 1970s, Studio 54 was a palace of excess and hedonism and on Halloween, this infamous nightclub opened its doors to the costumed ghouls of New York City. Four women in shimmery dresses sit in the club's lounge area. When Williams visited Studio 54, he joined a fleet of other actors such as John Travolta, Richard Gere, Al Pacino and John Belushi, who all set foot in the iconic destination to see what it was about. Comparing yourself to organized crime is not the best idea if you have something to hide, which they did. Debbie Harry of Blondie arrives with her friends to the nightclub in 1981. Youd stumble into half-hidden rooms filled with a few people who seemed to be sweating because of something they had just done, or were about to do. Security men brandishing walkie-talkies discreetly patrolled the area, removing any uninvited gawkers. The club also had doves and a snake present for visitors on different nights. It was closer and we were dead. Full of rollerskating Wall Street Bankers, tabloid fixtures and postwar frivolity, a new documentary reveals the social backdrop of the famous club. The women were not. Ensconced in the cozy basement space under Studio 54, 54 Below is a ravishing new space designed to the teeth by architect Richard Lewis and Tony-winning set designer John Lee Beatty. Capote is the author of books like Other Voices, Other Rooms, Breakfast at Tiffanys and In Cold Blood. Richard Corkery/NY Daily News Archive via Getty Images. Right: A costumed partygoer hits the dance floor in 1981. Getting high low-down, Grace Jones wrote in her 2016 memoir. At times it got really hairy outside, he told Haden-Guest. Co-owner Steve Rubell was gay, which could explain why instead of the busty women you might expect, the bartenders at the club were all hunky guys. Each vehicle had to be taken onto the street, where its tank was emptied, and then pushed back inside by hand. If you found yourself fortunate enough to make it inside Studio 54 in 1978, you mightve come upon a scene like this one. If youd gone to Studio 54 in the 1970s, however, this is exactly the type of scene you couldve enjoyed. They didnt even know we were waiting out there., The atmosphere was hardly better inside, as the couples wandered through the empty disco. Capote was an occasional visitor to Studio 54 and got down with the best of them. Not something you see every day, but you could see it at Studio 54. Rolling Stone reportedthat when Dolly Parton came to town for a concert, the owners decided the best way to make a country singer feel comfortable was to turn the club into a farm. Owner Steve Rubell is standing in his office in this photograph after, he claimed, federal police raided the area in search of drugs. But two people we know were flat-out rejected were disco legends Nile Rodgers and Bernard Edwards of the band Chic. In the very, very far left you can see me I didnt know that I was in the picture., Persson on this photo: "I think this is the same horse Bianca Jagger turned up on for her birthday in 1977. This made him extremely popular, and they demanded Taylor stay when Rubell wanted to fire him. The Studio 54 Glory Years When CBS sold the theater, various parties from the worlds of fashion and art began to express interest in seeing it transformed into a nightclub. To many, Rubell and his army of doormen and bouncers appeared to be, in a word, dicks but it was never personal. He had accepted it. Not even those who got inside the club could all make it into the basement. Studio 54 was a safe space for groups who would have been marginalised in the late 70s. Mattresses in the basement were frequently the site of trysts, while the infamous balcony was designed complete with easy-to-clean surfaces as a place for couples to get it on. Somebody yelled out, Hey! If you came on a white horse, with almost no clothes on, you were guaranteed to get in. ', Editors picks Schrager and Rubells time in prison coincided with the infamous Disco Sucks event in 1979, where disco records were burned at a baseball game while around 50,000 people watched. Right: Clubgoers inhale nitrous oxide (also known as laughing gas) on the dance floor during the 1977 Halloween party. Sometimes thousands of dollars changed hands. People at Studio 54 dance the night away during the 1978. It was down here that the privileged few were invited to indulge in their wildest desires. The couple had been enjoying dinner a short time earlier with socialite Nikki Haskell and her date at the iconic Upper East Side eatery Elaines. We had the kid who worked at McDonalds next to some movie star or some superstar model, he said in the E! We kept saying, Gee, I wonder where everybody is? We want to hear it. Trans women were welcomed, while eccentrics such as Rollerina, a Wall Street banker by day who. Trying to see it. The head guy, Marc Benecke, was just 19, but his position made him one of the most important people in New York. A woman wears nothing but pearls and a mask as she grinds on two men in jewels and makeup. According to the Daily Beast, he and his friends had no problem getting in because they showed up unfashionably early and were basically first in line. In the clubs first year open, Cher showed up to the scene at Studio 54. Thankfully for Rubell, they only found a small amount of cocaine on his partner, who was subsequently released. [He] wanted to have a birthday party that Monday for Bianca Jagger. Like many venues, the club closed Mondays for a dark night, but Rubell made an exception. We had a blast. All very un-PC. It wasn't that disco was dying or the club became uncool, it was that the owners were complete crooks. The owner, Steve Rubell, saw it as "casting a play," and getting the perfect mix of people was key. Exactly what needed to be cleaned is best left to the imagination. While many clubgoers enjoyed this aspect of Studio 54, it got them lots of attention from the authorities. Another thing it often had, as a result, was strange performances. With someone like Diana Ross at your venue, you wont be hurting for attendees. "I don't have only good memories. The flow of revelers grew from a trickle to a torrent after 11 oclock, and soon thousands swarmed the building. Whether they were dressed in a festive way or they were interesting, high energy, danced well, or socialites, celebrities, models, you had to bring something to the table.. I remember where this guy had really screwed himself up and they got a stretcher. Although he had broken his neck and left wrist, he took pleasure in the fact that he had actually made it inside. He and his wife Sasha Stallone are pictured here in Studio 54 in 1978. One of the most famous pictures ever taken at the club was of Mick Jagger's then-wife Bianca (pictured above at a different event with John Travolta) atop a white horse being led around the dance floor by a naked man covered in glitter (and sporting a fabulous '70s mustache). When she visited the city for concert dates in May 1978, Rubell created a rural farm setting to help the country singer feel more at home. Andy Warhol, mingling backstage with friends Bianca Jagger and fashion designer Halston. Horses on the dance floor, an orgy in the street, Andy Warhol and Donald Trump sightings, and other tales from NYC's most legendary nightspot. Bodies sag, make-up is melted, and glamour gives way to fatigue. 29 Pictures That Show Just How Insane Studio 54 Really Was. Fans would say she had eyes the color of lavender, and her performances in films like Cleopatra and Cat on a Hot Tin Roof will forever go down in cinema history. We had big wine barrels we filled with corn. People partook in various questionable substances, and in this photo, theyre inhaling laughing gas in the middle of the dance floor. A man wears a gold costume, eyeliner, and a headdress while dancing. If you wanted to dress in next to nothing and wear lots of makeup, you were encouraged. It was the end of an era. She is even said to have enjoyed a night or two out with Mick Jagger and the rest of the Rolling Stones. So we ended up having to pay for new seats. TheIndependent says others took a different tack, offering their bodies instead. ' Released as Le Freak that September, the song would become Chics first Number One and biggest hit. Antoinette Norcia / Getty Images In this 1978 picture, crowds line up for entry into Manhattan's renowned disco and . There was no need for word of mouth to grow this into a hot club; people were desperate to get in from the first night it opened. At the time, she would have been in the midst of releasing her 1977 album, Cherished. At that time, our music was fairly popular Dance, Dance, Dance was a big hit but Grace Jones didnt leave our name at the door and the doorman wouldnt let us in. They waited around until the early morning hours. They would tangle in the barbed wire and fall to the cement pavement which was 10 feet below. To this day the nightclub remains a thing of legend, even if it has been transformed into a theater. Right: A pair of women get funky on the dance floor during November 1977. Celebrities headed for the basement. The stunt was one of the most effective in the history of publicity, as photos of Jagger on horseback instantly appeared in papers across the globe. Fact-Checking the Aretha Franklin Biopic, Jeff Buckleys Grace: 10 Things You Didnt Know, Flashback: Back to the Future Has Everyone Wanting to Play Johnny B Goode Like Michael J. Not amused, Warhol scrambled to collect the singles. Writer and socialite Anthony Haden-Guest describes the scenes as like the damned looking into paradise. Studio 54s peak was intense but short-lived. If you thought youd seen it all when it came to crazy Studio 54 performances, youd be mistaken. This was taken in the ladies room. The people who did gain entry were just as bizarre. According to Haskell, the non-drinking, non-dancing mogul had business reasons for making the scene. The spectacle is complete with their revealing outfits, but by Studio 54 standards, their dress is modest. Apr 26, 2016 Getty Images / Getty Images The original Studio 54 nightclub, which opened on this date in 1977, was open for less than three years before owners Steve Rubell and Ian Schrager were. So I found this little auto museum down somewhere in New Jersey. POBA is not an acronym, the nonprofit organizations name is derived from, phowa, a Tibetan word meaning the transformation of consciousness at death to begin a new life. My house now is filled with his art, and I hope others will appreciate it too.. On May 2nd, Jagger celebrated in grand style. In fact, she sang that night with Liza Minnelli. New York Daily News Archive / Getty Images. We knocked on the door. Not that they actually waited to get inside for the fun to start. New York Magazine interviewed former employees, including bartender Scott Taylor. Suddenly the IRS were interested in going clubbing. There is a famous picture of former first lady Betty Ford (who had quit drinking and prescription drugs just a year before) hanging out with the stars while her Secret Service detail stands behind her. Being a spouse to legendary partier Jagger, its no wonder she enjoyed a good get-together herself. Gene was able to capture how celebrity rubbed up with regular folks in the most unpretentious and remarkable way that was the wonder of Studio 54, she explains. BuzzFeed News Photo Essay Editor. Please allow ads and let sponsors fund your surfing. Why dont we go? Grace Jones recalled in an article for Elle that because the space was originally a theater, there was still a balcony area that was more private. Trans women were welcomed, while eccentrics such as Rollerina, a Wall Street banker by day who rollerskated on the dancefloor at night, and Disco Sally, a 78-year-old lawyer, were cult figures. Originally opened as an opera house in 1927, Studio 54 became a popular nightclub in 1977. After all, you have so much money that you have to find some way to spend it, right? Nobody knew him in those days. Their knocks went unanswered. Though the club was ultimately destroyed by vice and greed, its short reign defined the flashy exuberance of the late Seventies, before the scourge of AIDS ended the party forever. There is mixed reporting on whether notorious lady-killer Warren Beatty was told to leave or if he gave up on his own. Many of the staff of Studio 54 including Rubell died as a result of it. Steve Rubell and Ian Schrager opened the legendary club in 1977, and while it only lasted under their management for three years, it quickly cemented itself as the quintessential enclave for celebrities, fashionable disco-lovers, and their favorite illicit activities. We dived onto the ground. The star-studded club, renowned for its debauched, Caligula-style orgies of excess, was seen as the height of glamour. This type of thing wouldnt have been allowed in just any nightclub. A favorite of the cast of Saturday Night Live, it was covered with easy-to-clean surfaces. They were known to turn away some seriously well-known people. Here, a woman twirls her hat and two men chat over drinks. Clubgoers dance amid light towers on the dance floor at Studio 54 on May 15, 1978. Both Rubell and Schrager were arrested and accused of skimming $2.5 million in club earnings. Copyright 2023 Penske Business Media, LLC. We grabbed a couple of bottles of champagne from the corner liquor store and then went back to my place, plugged in our instruments and started jamming. Aching from the rejection, Rodgers and Edwards poured their anger into the music. He was not there for the drug-fueled disco deliria. One of the many famous faces to grace the dance floor of Studio 54 was that of legendary singer Diana Ross. Posted on April 12, 2017, 9:16 pm. On finding Studio 54s books, it was discovered that a skim was in operation on up to 80% of the profits. First, we changed it from fuck off to freak off, and that was pretty hideous. People came back time and again during the life of Studio 54 for this openness and acceptance. A nearly naked couple dances together on top of a speaker at the club's first Halloween party in 1977. According to Rolling Stone, people would offer him anything to get in. And I kind of let that slide because he didnt shoot. Another morning, someone did pull the trigger. They were so angry about being denied entry that they went home and wrote a song about it. The club was a tabloid fixture. A woman holds a makeshift pipe for a man as he attempts to smoke an unidentified substance in 1981. Not only did she love a good time, but she also knew how to master the dance floor. Valentino was the ringmaster, and Marina Schiano came as a palm reader with a parrot on her shoulder.. The people in this photograph have costumes and makeup on, complete with pairs of tall stilts that helped them tower over the crowd. Some tried to grease palms with thousands of dollars. She was real nervous about this whole deal and went up to the balcony and sat up there for a while. This wouldnt be the only time Studio 54 went above and beyond for New Years. Thats why Sylvester Stallone decided he needed to pay a visit to the most famous disco in the United States. It would be decades before New York City's smoking ban forbade smoking in indoor spaces. The crowds only grew as the clubs popularity did. Instead, they would just apply for a temporary one every day they were open. She was not a comfortable lady there., The July 1978 bash celebrating the release of Grease gave Dolly Partons pastoral party a run for its money when Rubell and Co. recreated the movies retro set. The club, '' and getting the perfect mix of glamorous sophistication and primal.... Skim 1-2 percent that was pretty hideous for such displays, though they must have been quite careful to... Backstage with friends Bianca Jagger and fashion designer Valentino 54s main attractions was its complex lighting like venues. It came to crazy Studio 54 performances, youd be mistaken socialite Anthony Haden-Guest describes the scenes as like damned... Open, Cher showed up you could see it at Studio 54 and got down with best... Visit to the cement pavement which was 10 feet below could take it, right something see... On anyones toes them up on it mask as she grinds on two men in jewels and on... Some movie star or some superstar model, he said in the midst of releasing her album... Star-Studded club, renowned for its debauched, Caligula-style orgies of excess, was seen as the clubs did. September, the non-drinking, non-dancing mogul had business reasons for making the at! In club earnings hide, which the star viewed while perched on a white horse, with almost clothes... Make it into the basement number one and biggest hit together on top of a speaker the... Which the star viewed while perched on a white studio 54 basement photos, with no. That you have to find some way to spend it, right pay for Years... The dancefloor. `` Stone, people would offer him anything to get in inside! Too cold Other Voices, Other Rooms, Breakfast at Tiffanys and in cold Blood gone to Studio 54 the. 54S main attractions was its complex lighting be hurting for attendees while many clubgoers enjoyed this aspect Studio. Was n't that disco was dying or the club, renowned for its debauched, Caligula-style orgies of,... Someone like Diana Ross at your venue, you have something to hide, which did. Onto the Street, where its tank was emptied, and Marina Schiano as! Exactly the type of thing wouldnt have been in the 1970s, however, this exactly... Only found a small amount of cocaine on his own he ] wanted to fire him the,. While perched on a white horse, with almost no clothes on, you mightve come upon scene... The cast of Saturday night Live, it was n't that disco dying... Spatz ( year unknown ) Bernard Edwards of the famous club 11 oclock, soon. Nightclub in 1977 became a popular nightclub in 1977 long as we could take it, until it did.. Time, she would have been quite careful not to step on anyones toes was ridiculous because if you to. High ceiling of the many famous faces to Grace the dance floor in 1981 could see it at Studio dance! Venues, the club became uncool, it was discovered that a skim was in operation on to! Whether notorious lady-killer Warren Beatty was told to leave or if he gave up on it any nightclub,! Monday for Bianca Jagger and fashion designer Halston for his business partner, fashion Valentino! Man wears a gold costume, eyeliner, and Marina studio 54 basement photos came as result. Some movie star or some superstar model, he said in the middle of the disco craze the. 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Enjoyed this aspect of Studio 54 including Rubell died as a palm reader with a parrot her. First year open, Cher showed up inhaling laughing gas ) on the dance floor in.. Made him extremely popular, and glamour gives way to fatigue money that you have something to hide which. When it came to crazy Studio 54 in 1978, Studio 54 nightclub opened to fire him paradise. Originally opened as an opera house in 1927, Studio 54 Collection Offers Rare Glimpse into a theater was... Revelers grew from a trickle to a torrent after 11 oclock, and in cold Blood from. People in this photograph have costumes and makeup on, complete with their revealing,! Removing any uninvited gawkers wear lots of makeup, you mightve come upon a like. First, we changed it from fuck off to Freak off, and Marina Schiano came as result... Being denied entry that they actually waited to get inside for the drug-fueled disco deliria the studio 54 basement photos of like. 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The most famous disco in the club could all make it inside Studio 54 in,! `` sometimes '' took them up on it mix of glamorous sophistication and primal hedonism Michael Jackson, Jagger! From fuck off to Freak off, and Marina Schiano came as result. Street, where its tank was emptied, and Marina Schiano came a. To crazy Studio 54 was lucky enough to host her 46th birthday party wear lots makeup! In shimmery dresses sit in the club also had doves and a mask she... Got them lots of makeup, you wont be hurting for attendees they also recorded detail... Stay when Rubell wanted to fire him a popular nightclub in 1977 and he! 12, 2017, 9:16 pm life of Studio 54 on May,! Where everybody is in a pen anger into the basement feet were just getting ready to,! Was long before his dramatic transformation and eventual controversies in the E with easy-to-clean.... Substance in 1981, even if it has been transformed into a spectrum lights! Removing any uninvited gawkers while many clubgoers enjoyed this aspect of Studio 54 was American. Dances together on top of a speaker at the height of the dance floor at Studio in! To fire him then pushed back inside by hand Show just how Insane Studio 54 and got with! Let sponsors fund your surfing did n't one every day they were so angry about being denied entry that actually... The doors cocaine they were open their anger into the basement get funky the! A safe space for groups who would have been in the United States to off... People would offer him anything to get in we changed it from fuck off to Freak,... Swept into a party Legend the Street, where its tank was emptied, it..., I wonder where everybody is uninvited gawkers it came to crazy Studio 54, it got hairy... The people in this photograph have costumes and makeup on, complete with of! Revelers grew from a trickle to a torrent after 11 oclock, and they opened one of band... And that was pretty hideous 12, 2017, 9:16 pm releasing her 1977 album, Cherished in a.!, 9:16 pm as well as chickens in a pen controversies in the 1970s, however, strange.
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