David Mancuso
Encyclopedia
David Mancuso created the popular "by invitation only" parties in New York City
later known as "The Loft
". The first party "Love Saves The Day" was in 1970. Before this, he was playing records for his friends on a semi-regular basis as early as 1966, and these parties became so popular that by 1971 he and Steve Abramowitz, who worked the door, decided to do this on a weekly basis. His parties were similar to rent party
or house party
.
Mancuso pioneered the "private party" as distinct from the more commercial nightclub
business model. In the early '70s, Mancuso won a long administrative trial when the New York City Department of Consumer Affairs found that he was not selling food or beverages to the public and therefore did not need a NYC "Cabaret License".
Mancuso's success at keeping his parties "underground" and legal inspired others , and many famous private discothèques of the 70s and 80s were modelled after The Loft, including the Paradise Garage
, The Gallery, and The Saint
. Mancuso also helped start the record pool system for facilitating the distribution of promotional records to the qualified disc jockey
.
By the late '70s Mancuso abandoned audio mixing
, beatmatching
and pitch-shifting in favour of an "audiophile
" approach to sound reproduction.
In 1999 and 2000 David Mancuso and Colleen Murphy
produced the compilation series "David Mancuso Presents The Loft" Volumes One and Two on Nuphonic.
In 2003 Tim Lawrence's book "Love Saves the Day: A History of American Dance Music Culture, 1970-1979" was published, comprising a comprehensive study of Mancuso's life. Mancuso and The Loft also appear in Josell Ramos' 2003 documentary Maestro about 70s underground club DJs.
On September 19, 2005 Mancuso was inducted into the Dance Music Hall of Fame
for his outstanding achievement as a DJ.
On December 23, 2006 a nightclub named after Mancuso opened in Tübingen
, southern Germany
.
In May 2008, David Mancuso, with the help of Goshi Manabe, Colleen Murphy and Satoru Ogawa, launched his own audiophile record label The Loft Audiophile Library of Music. The music is mastered by Stan Ricker.
New York City
New York is the most populous city in the United States and the center of the New York Metropolitan Area, one of the most populous metropolitan areas in the world. New York exerts a significant impact upon global commerce, finance, media, art, fashion, research, technology, education, and...
later known as "The Loft
The Loft
The Loft is the location for the first underground dance party that was created by David Mancuso on February 14, 1970 in New York. Since then, the term The Loft has come to represent Mancuso's own version of a non-commercial party where no alcohol, food, or beverages are sold...
". The first party "Love Saves The Day" was in 1970. Before this, he was playing records for his friends on a semi-regular basis as early as 1966, and these parties became so popular that by 1971 he and Steve Abramowitz, who worked the door, decided to do this on a weekly basis. His parties were similar to rent party
Rent party
A rent party is a social occasion where tenants hire a musician or band to play and pass the hat to raise money to pay their rent, originating in Harlem during the 1920s. The rent party played a major role in the development of jazz and blues music...
or house party
House party
A house party in the English-speaking world is typically a type of party where medium to large groups of people gather at the residence of the party's host. In modern usage, a house party is typically associated with teenage or young adult crowds, loud music, dancing, and the consumption of alcohol...
.
Mancuso pioneered the "private party" as distinct from the more commercial nightclub
Nightclub
A nightclub is an entertainment venue which usually operates late into the night...
business model. In the early '70s, Mancuso won a long administrative trial when the New York City Department of Consumer Affairs found that he was not selling food or beverages to the public and therefore did not need a NYC "Cabaret License".
Mancuso's success at keeping his parties "underground" and legal inspired others , and many famous private discothèques of the 70s and 80s were modelled after The Loft, including the Paradise Garage
Paradise Garage
The Paradise Garage was a discotheque notable in the history of modern gay and nightclub cultures and in dance and pop music. It was founded by Michael Brody, its sole proprietor, and was located at 84 King Street, in the Hudson Square neighborhood of New York City. It operated from 1976 to 1987...
, The Gallery, and The Saint
The Saint (club)
The Saint was an American gay superclub, located in the East Village neighborhood of the Manhattan borough of New York City, New York, that operated from 1980 to 1987.-History:...
. Mancuso also helped start the record pool system for facilitating the distribution of promotional records to the qualified disc jockey
Disc jockey
A disc jockey, also known as DJ, is a person who selects and plays recorded music for an audience. Originally, "disc" referred to phonograph records, not the later Compact Discs. Today, the term includes all forms of music playback, no matter the medium.There are several types of disc jockeys...
.
By the late '70s Mancuso abandoned audio mixing
Beatmixing
Beatmixing is a disk jockey technique of playing two songs at the same time so that the beats of one song occur at the same time as the other.-History:...
, beatmatching
Beatmatching
Beatmatching is a disc jockey technique of pitch shifting or timestretching a track to match its tempo to that of the currently playing track e.g. the kicks and snares in two house records hit at the same time when both records are played simultaneously...
and pitch-shifting in favour of an "audiophile
Audiophile
An audiophile is a person who enjoys listening to recorded music, usually in a home. Some audiophiles are more interested in collecting and listening to music, while others are more interested in collecting and listening to audio components, whose "sound quality" they consider as important as the...
" approach to sound reproduction.
In 1999 and 2000 David Mancuso and Colleen Murphy
Colleen 'Cosmo' Murphy
Colleen Murphy, alias Cosmo is an American radio broadcaster, club DJ, music producer, remixer, record label owner....
produced the compilation series "David Mancuso Presents The Loft" Volumes One and Two on Nuphonic.
In 2003 Tim Lawrence's book "Love Saves the Day: A History of American Dance Music Culture, 1970-1979" was published, comprising a comprehensive study of Mancuso's life. Mancuso and The Loft also appear in Josell Ramos' 2003 documentary Maestro about 70s underground club DJs.
On September 19, 2005 Mancuso was inducted into the Dance Music Hall of Fame
Dance Music Hall of Fame
The Dance Music Hall of Fame was created in 2003 when music industry veteran John Parker thought that something needed to be done to honor the creators and innovators of dance music...
for his outstanding achievement as a DJ.
On December 23, 2006 a nightclub named after Mancuso opened in Tübingen
Tübingen
Tübingen is a traditional university town in central Baden-Württemberg, Germany. It is situated south of the state capital, Stuttgart, on a ridge between the Neckar and Ammer rivers.-Geography:...
, southern Germany
Germany
Germany , officially the Federal Republic of Germany , is a federal parliamentary republic in Europe. The country consists of 16 states while the capital and largest city is Berlin. Germany covers an area of 357,021 km2 and has a largely temperate seasonal climate...
.
In May 2008, David Mancuso, with the help of Goshi Manabe, Colleen Murphy and Satoru Ogawa, launched his own audiophile record label The Loft Audiophile Library of Music. The music is mastered by Stan Ricker.
External links
- The Loft
- The Loft
- David Mancuso profile at Jahsonic
- David Mancuso interview at DiscoMusic.com
- Mancuso club in Tübingen, Germany