Last Night a DJ Saved My Life

Select playlists from iconic clubs listed in Last Night a DJ Saved My Life: The History of the Disc Jockey by Bill Brewster and Frank Broughton — Appendices: Club Charts. Some tracks not available on Spotify.

Loft 100

The Loft (New York City)

The Loft was the location for the first underground dance party (called “Love Saves the Day”) organized by David Mancuso, on February 14, 1970, in New York City. Since then, the term “The Loft” has come to represent Mancuso’s own version of a non-commercial party where no alcohol, food, nor beverages are sold. Mancuso’s vision of a private party is similar to, and inspired by, the rent party and house party. Unlike conventional nightclubs or discotheques, attendance is by invitation only. In the late 1970s, Mancuso abandoned the generally accepted and expected practice of beatmatching, preferring to play songs in their entirety on his renowned audiophile-quality sound system. The Village Voice wrote that Mancuso’s sound system was the best in New York and even described him as “more of a party engineer than a DJ.” Mancuso required that the music played had to be soulful, rhythmic, and impart words of hope, redemption, or pride.

(compiled by DJ Cosmo & David Manuso)

View tracks
  • Andwella — “Hold on to Your Mind”
  • Ashford & Simpson — “Stay Free”
  • Atmosfear — “Dancing in Outer Space”
  • Babe Ruth — “The Mexican”
  • Barrabas — “Woman”
  • Archie Bell & the Drells — “Let’s Groove”
  • Blackbyrds — “Walking in Rhythm”
  • Black Rascals — “Keeping My Mind”
  • Brass Construction — “Music Makes You Feel Like Dancing”
  • James Brown — “Give It Up and Turn It Loose”
  • Cándido — “Thousand Finger Man”
  • Cassio — “Baby Love”
  • Central Line — “Walking into Sunshine”
  • Code 718 — “Equinox”
  • Crown Heights Affair — “Say a Prayer for Two”
  • Deep Vibes — “A Brand New Day”
  • Alfredo De La Fe — “My Favorite Things”
  • Manu Dibango — “Soul Makossa”
  • Dinosaur L — “Go Bang!”
  • Don Ray-“Standing in the Rain”
  • Double Exposure — “My Love Is Free”
  • Lamont Dozier — “Going Back to My Roots”
  • D Train — “Keep On”
  • George Duke — “Brazilian Love Affair”
  • Tan Dury — “Spasticus Autisticus”
  • Earth, Wind & Fire — “The Way of the World”
  • Easy Going — “Baby I Love You”
  • Fingers Inc. — “Mystery Of Love”
  • First Choice — “Doctor Love”
  • Forrrce — “Keep On Dancin'”
  • The Gap Band — “Yearning for Your Love”
  • Joe Gibbs — “Chapter 3”
  • Eddy Grant — “Living on the Frontline”
  • Johnny Hammond — “Los Conquistadores Chocolates”
  • Damon Harris — “It’s Music”
  • Ednah Holt — “Serious Sirius Space Party”
  • The Holy Ghost — “Walk on Air” (Sun & Moon Mix)
  • Frank Hooker & Positive People — “This Feeling”
  • Instant House — “Lost Horizons”
  • Tamiko Jones — “Can’t Live Without Your Love”
  • Kat Mandu — “Don’t Stop Keep On”
  • Eddie Kendricks — “Girl You Need a Change Of Mind”
  • Gladys Knight — “Friendship Train”
  • Bo Kool — “Money No Love”
  • Patti Labelle — “The Spirit’s In It”
  • Lil Louis — “Saved My Life”
  • Luna — “I Wanna Be Free”
  • Janice McClain — “Smack Dab in the Middle” Man Friday-“Love Honey Love Heartache”
  • Chuck Mangione with Hamilton Philharmonic — “Land of Make Believe”
  • Rita Marley — “One Draw”
  • Harold Melvin & the Blue Notes — “Wake Up Everybody”
  • MFSB — “Love Is the Message”
  • Dorothy Morrison — “Rain”
  • Van Morrison — “Astral Weeks”
  • Idris Muhammad — “Could Heaven Ever Be Like This”
  • Nicodemus — “Boneman Connection”
  • Nightlife Unlimited — “The Love Is In You (No. 2)”
  • Nuyorican Soul — “Nervous Track”
  • Odyssey — “Inside Out”
  • The O’Jays — “Love Train”
  • The O’Jays — “Message In Our Music”
  • Babatunde Olatunji — “Jin-go-lo-Ba”
  • One Way feat. Al Hudson — “Music”
  • The Orb — “Little Fluffy Clouds”
  • OZO — “Anambra”
  • Pal Joey — “Spend the Night” Pleasure-“Take a Chance”
  • Powerline — “Double Journey”
  • Prince — “Sexy Dancer”
  • Psychotropic — “Only for the Headstrong”
  • Resonance — “Yellow Train”
  • Rinder & Lewis — “Lust”
  • Risco Connection “Ain’t No Stopping Us Now”
  • Demis Roussos—“L.O.V.E. Got a Hold On Me”
  • Sandee — “Notice Me”
  • Bunny Sigler — “By the Way You Dance”
  • Slick — “Space Bass”
  • Lonnie Liston Smith — “Expansions”
  • Soft House Company — “A Little Piano”
  • Larry Spinoza — “So Good”
  • Nick Straker Band — “A Little Bit of Jazz”
  • Sun Palace — “Rude Movements”
  • Sylvester — “Over and Over”
  • Ten City — “Devotion”
  • Third World — “Now That We Found Love”
  • The Trammps — “Where the Happy People Go”
  • 280 West feat. Diamond Temple — “Love’s Masquerade”
  • Miroslav Vitous — “New York City”
  • Dexter Wansel — “Life on Mars”
  • War — “City Country City”
  • Fred Wesley — “House Party”
  • The Whispers — “And the Beat Goes On”
  • Lenny White — “Fancy Dancer”
  • David Williams — “Come On Down Boogie People”
  • Winners — “Get Ready for the Future”
  • Edgar Winter — “Above & Beyond”
  • Jah Wobble, Holger Czukay, Jaki Liebezeit — “How Much Are They?”
  • Stevie Wonder — “All I Do”
  • Michael Wycoff — “Diamond Real”

Warehouse 50

Warehouse (nightclub)

The Warehouse is a historic building located in Chicago, Illinois in the United States, best known for the nightclub of the same name catering to the gay and alternative communities that was established in 1977 under the direction of Robert “Robbie” Williams. It was Robbie Williams who on promotional posters would describe events at the Warehouse as ‘house’ parties or ‘house’ music. As such, the Warehouse is best known as the namesake for, and one of the origins of, house music. The Warehouse is specifically associated with Chicago house, and was the genre’s birthplace under its first musical director, DJ Frankie Knuckles.

(compiled by the Committee)

View tracks
  • Ashford & Simpson — “It Seems to Hang On” Roy Ayers-“Running Away”
  • Peter Brown — “Do You Wanna Get Funky With Me”
  • Donald Byrd — “Love Has Come Around”
  • Cándido — “Thousand Finger Man”
  • Change — “Paradise
  • The Clash — “Magnificent Dance”
  • Tony Cook & the Party People — “On the Floor”
  • Dinosaur L — “Go Bang!”
  • Don Armando’s Seventh Avenue Rumba Band — “Deputy of Love”
  • Ecstasy, Passion And Pain — “Touch and Go”
  • ESG — “Moody”
  • Taana Gardner — “Work That Body”
  • Eddy Grant — “Timewarp”
  • Gwen Guthrie — “It Should Have Been You”
  • Geraldine Hunt — “Can’t Fake the Feeling”
  • Imagination — “Burning Up”
  • Indeep — “Last Night a DJ Saved My Life”
  • Inner Life — “Caught Up (In a One Night Love Affair)”
  • Jimmy “Bo” Horne — “Spank”
  • Howard Johnson — “So Fine”
  • David Joseph — “You Can’t Hide (Your Love from Me)”
  • Kat Mandu — “The Break”
  • Chaka Khan — “Ain’t Nobody”
  • Chaka Khan — “T’m Every Woman”
  • Klein & MBO — “Dirty Talk”
  • Patti Labelle — “Music Is My Way of Life”
  • Loose Joints — “Is It All Over My Face?”
  • Machine — “There but for the Grace of God Go I”
  • Gwen McCrae — “Funky Sensation”
  • Sergio Mendes — “TIl Tell You”
  • MESB — “Love Is the Message”
  • Giorgio Moroder — “E=MC₂”
  • The Originals — “Down to Love Town”
  • Phreek — “Weekend”
  • Positive Force — “We Got the Funk”
  • Powerline — “Double Journey”
  • Prince — “Sexy Dancer”
  • Diana Ross — “The Boss”
  • Paul Simpson Connection — “Use Me, Lose Me”
  • Skatt Brothers — “Walk the Night”
  • Slave — “Party Lights”
  • Gino Soccio — “Dancer”
  • Sparque — “Let’s Go Dancing”
  • Nick Straker Band — “A Little Bit of Jazz”
  • Tantra — “Mother Africa”
  • Harry Thumann — “Underwater”
  • Two Man Sound — “Que Tal America”
  • Unlimited Touch — “In the Middle”
  • Yello — “Bostich”

Paradise Garage 100

Paradise Garage

Paradise Garage, also known as “the Garage” or the “Gay-rage”, was a New York City discotheque notable in the history of dance and pop music, as well as LGBT and nightclub cultures. The 10,000 square feet club was founded by sole proprietor Michael Brody, and occupied a building formerly located at 84 King Street in the SoHo neighborhood. It operated from 1977 to 1987 and featured resident DJ Larry Levan.

The Garage was largely modeled on David Mancuso’s private invitation-only DJ parties at The Loft.

(compiled by the Committee)

View tracks
  • Affinity — “Don’t Go Away”
  • Ashford & Simpson — “No One Gets the Prize”
  • Carl Bean — “I Was Born This Way”
  • Hamilton Bohannon — “Let’s Start the Dance”
  • Dee Dee Bridgewater — “Bad For Me”
  • James Brown — “Give It Up and Turn It Loose” (live version)
  • Peter Brown — “Do You Wanna Get Funky With Me'
  • David Byrne & Brian Eno— “The Jezebel Spirit”
  • Central Line — “Walking into Sunshine”
  • Chicago — “Street Player”
  • The Chi — Lites-“My First Mistake”
  • Chocolette — “It’s That East Street Beat”
  • Martin Circus — “Disco Circus”
  • The Clash — “Magnificent Dance”
  • Company B — “Fascinated”
  • Dinosaur L — “Go Bang!”
  • D Train — “You’re the One for Me”
  • Ian Dury — “Spasticus Autisticus”
  • ESG — “Moody”
  • ESG — “Stand in Line”
  • Marianne Faithfull — “Why D’Ya Do It”
  • Family Tree — “Family Tree”
  • Fingers Inc. — “Mystery of Love”
  • First Choice — “Let No Man Put Asunder”
  • First Choice — “Double Cross”
  • Front Line Orchestra — “Don’t Turn Your Back on Me”
  • Funk Masters — “Love Money”
  • Tana Gardner — “Heartbeat”
  • Manuel Göttsching — “E2-E4”
  • Eddy Grant — “Living on the Frontline”
  • Eddy Grant — “Nobody’s Got Time’/“Timewarp”
  • Gwen Guthrie — “Seventh Heaven”
  • Gwen Guthrie — “Padlock”
  • Loleatta Holloway — “Love Sensation”
  • Loleatta Holloway — “Hit and Run”
  • Ednah Holt — “Serious Sirius Space Party”
  • Thelma Houston — “I’m Here Again”
  • Imagination — “Just An Illusion”
  • Inner Life — “Ain’t No Mountain High Enough”
  • Instant Funk — “Got My Mind Made Up”
  • Jackson s — “I Am Love”
  • Mick Jagger — “Lucky in Love”
  • Marshall Jefferson — “Move Your Body”
  • Grace Jones — “Slave to the Rhythm”
  • Grace Jones — “Pull Up to the Bumper”
  • Tamiko Jones — “Can’t Live Without Your Love”
  • Kebek Elektrik — “War Dance”
  • Eddie Kendricks — “Girl You Need a Change of Mind”
  • Chaka Khan — “Clouds”
  • Chaka Khan — “I Know You, I Live You”
  • Klein & MBO — “Dirty Talk” Kraftwerk-“The Robots”
  • Labelle — “What Can I Do For You” Patti Labelle-“The Spirit’s In It”
  • Lace — “Can’t Play Around”
  • Loose Joints — “Is It All Over My Face?”
  • M — “Pop Muzik”
  • Man Friday — “Love Honey, Love Heartache”
  • MFSB — “Love Is The Message”
  • Steve Miller Band — “Macho City”
  • Modern Romance — “Salsa Rappsody”
  • Melba Moore — “You Stepped Into My Life”
  • Alicia Myers — “I Want to Thank You”
  • Stevie Nicks — “Stand Back”
  • Nitro Deluxe — “Let’s Get Brutal”
  • Northend — “Tee’s Happy” Nu-Shooz—“I Can’t Wait”
  • NYC Citi Peech Boys — “Life Is Something Special”
  • NYC Citi Peech Boys — “Don’t Make Me Wait”
  • Yoko Ono — “Walking on Thin Ice”
  • Phreek — “Weekend”
  • Pleasure — “Take a Chance”
  • The Police — “Voices in My Head” Will Powers-“Adventures in Success”
  • Sharon Ridley — “Change”
  • Alexander Robotnick — “Problemes d’Amour”
  • Rockers Revenge— “Walkin’ on Sunshine”
  • Diana Ross — “Love Hangover”
  • Salsoul Orchestra — “Love Break”
  • Sister Sledge — “Lost in Music”
  • Sister Sledge — “We Are Family”
  • Sparque — “Let’s Go Dancing”
  • Cat Stevens — “Was Dog a Doughnut”
  • Nick Straker Band—“A Little Bit of Jazz”
  • Strikers — “Body Music”
  • Sugar Hill Gang — “Rapper’s Delight”
  • Donna Summer — “I Feel Love”
  • Sylvester — “I Need Someone to Love Tonight”
  • Sylvester — “Over and Over”
  • Syreeta — “Can’t Shake Your Love”
  • Talking Heads — “I Zimbra”
  • Talking Heads — “Once in a Lifetime” Tom Tom Club-“Genius Of Love”
  • Touch — “Without You”
  • Two Tons of Fun — “I Got the Feeling”
  • Visual — “The Music Got Me”
  • The Weather Girls — “Just Us”
  • Womack & Womack — “Baby I’m Scared of You”
  • Yazoo — “Situation”
  • Yello — “Bostich”

Sound Factory 50

The Sound Factory (nightclub)

The Sound Factory was a nightclub first located 532 West 27th Street and then 618 West 46th Street in New York City’s Manhattan. The Sound Factory was an integral venue during a peak period of house music in New York. Prominent DJs, artists, and parties appeared at the club. It was in operation from 1989 to 1995.

The Sound Factory Bar was an offshoot at 12 West 21st Street that was in operation from 1992 to 1997. The club was previously called Private Eyes which was a popular nightspot in the late 1980s and the early 1990s that for its time had an unusually advanced state-of-the-art video and sound system. When the Sound Factory closed in 1995, the Sound Factory Bar continued to operate. Wednesdays housed the recently resurrected Underground Network parties, hosted and promoted by recording artist Barbara Tucker and Don Welch, with Grammy Award winner Little Louie Vega as resident DJ.

(compiled by Rob Di Stefano)

View tracks
  • The African Dream — “All the Same Family”
  • Aphrohead — “In the Dark We Live”
  • Black Traxx — “Your Mind Is So Crazy”
  • Cajmere — “Percolator”
  • Mariah Carey — “Dreamlover”
  • DJ Pierre’s Doomsday Project — “Atom Bomb” (Atomic Wild Pitch Mix)
  • Doop — “Doop” DSK — “What Would We Do” (Farley & Heller’s Eight Minutes of Madness Remix)
  • East Village Loft Society — “Manhattan Anthem”
  • E.G. Fullalove — “Divas to the Dancefloor”
  • Factory Kids — “I’m Simean, Dammit!”
  • First Choice — “Doctor Love”
  • KC Flightt — “Voices”
  • Rosie Gaines — “Exploding All Over Europe”
  • Happy Mondays — “Stinkin’ Thinkin’ (Junior Style Mix)
  • Head Rush — “Underground”
  • Hed Boys — “Girls + Boys”
  • Nick Holder — “Brotic Ilusions”
  • Whitney Houston T’m Every Woman”
  • Kiwi Dreams — “Y?”
  • Kristine W “Feel What You Want”
  • Lectroluv — “Dream Drums”
  • Lectroluv — “Struck By Love”
  • Livin’ Joy — “Dreamer”
  • Madonna — (all tracks)
  • Billie Ray Martin — “Your Loving Arms”
  • Vernessa Mitchell — “Reap What You Sow”
  • Moraes — “Welcome to the Factory”
  • Outdance — “Reality”
  • Pascal’s Bongo Massive — “Père Cochon”
  • Karen Pollack — “You Can’t Touch Me”
  • The Ride Committee feat. Roxy — “Get Huh”
  • Frank Ski — “Tony’s Bitch Track”
  • The Soundman feat. Mercy — “The Factory”
  • Sugarcubes — “Leash Called Love” Danny Tenaglia-“Bottom Heavy”
  • Thompson Twins — “The Saint” (8th Street Dub)
  • Lidell Townsell — “Nu Nu”
  • Lidell Townsell & M.T.F. — “Get With U”
  • Barbara Tucker — “Beautiful People”
  • Underground Sound of Lisbon — “So Get Up”
  • U2 — “Lemon”
  • Armand van Helden — “Witch Doktor”
  • Junior Vasquez — “X”
  • Junior Vasquez — “Get Your Hands Off My Man”
  • Waterlillies — “Never Get Enough” Melanie Williams-“Not Enough”
  • X — Press 2-“Muzik X-Press”
  • X — Press 2-“London X-Press”
  • Yo Yo Honey — “Groove On” (Wild Pitch Mix)