Listen to New Year's Eve 1982 at The Saint

[Rick Munroe]

This is so cool. Go to the offical website for the Saint-at-Large: http://www.saintatlarge.com/main.htm and then click on "Radio" at the bottom of the page. You can then listen to hours and hours of the actual continuous mixes played the night of Dec. 31, 1982 at the Saint's New Year's Party. I really don't care for the music at today's parties (I guess you have to be high to appreciate it) and I missed out on the glory days, so it's really neat to be able to hear what was being played when club music was still danceable and good. I especially love the opening classical piece (what is it?) which then leads into Abba ("Gimme! Gimme! Gimme! A Man After Midnight"). Like I said, it's so cool. Check it out (Godiva, this means you!). :9

[FourAces]

Yes, very cool but only in small doses. Thanks for posting the link.

 

RT

[Guest Mikel]

Neat site...very cool...as I listen, I chuckle thinking what a kick you get out of listening to it...enjoy Rick, and thanks!

[Luv2play]

I visited the Saint once in 1982 (my only time there) and was quite let down by the experience. Not that there weren't lots of men (there were thousands) and the place was immense. But that was the problem for me. Too many people! I was there with my boyfriend (we were living in Europe at the time and he was French-he loved it but then he loved everything American at that time) and two friends from NYC who were completely hooked on the club scene (unfortunately they did not survive the AIDs crisis).

 

I can't even remember hearing the music. The noise level of so many people sort of drowned it out for me. My NYC friends had a lot of the same mixes though and we listened to them at their fabulous apartment overlooking the East River, snorting some white stuff on the glass coffee table. Oh, the FABULOUS Eighties!!! :+ It's a wonder I survived.

[Paul Revere]

Rick;

 

Thank you very much for this link. I will have this music on in the background today. It really brings me back, and this was around the time of my coming out.

 

I have been reading the other thread about the music of this period. I didn't add anything, because almost all of my favorites were mentioned. I have just been loading my new iPod with as much of this music as I can find on CD. (My vast vinyl collection is long gone.)

 

I don't know weather it is nostalgia, or age or what, but it seems to me that the music was so much better in the 80's. I can't stand much of what is callled "dance" music today. They often have a repeating bass track with no melody. It's like the song is unfinished. I think you could only enjopy that new stuff if you are on drugs and I'm not. Maybe I'm just old.

 

The other theory that I have been thinking about is that our music memories are like iPods, and there is only so much capacity. I have no trouble remembering all of the words and all of the mixes from the 80's, but I have no interest in most of today's music. I am beginning to wonder if my music memory is just filled, and there is no room for anything new. Or the new stuff is mostly crap.

 

That was a great time in the 80's, as it seems like there was so much great music, and we were carefree and dancing and roller skating and AIDS had not become a factor in our lives yet. Maybe that 80's music just brings me back to a more carefree time.

[+ Charlie]

Dec. 31, 1982, was a cold but clear and dry day in New York. My best friend came over to our apartment to have dinner with my partner and me and a few others; his boyfriend was in the hospital with strange symptoms that the doctors didn't understand. They were both supposed to go to the party at the Saint, but instead another friend went with him. My partner and I were tired, so we decided to just usher in the New Year quietly at home. It was the last New Year's Eve before we all learned the term "AIDS".

[Guest DickHo]

I was there. I had a great time.

[doctordoctor]

Hey Rick....

 

that opening classical sequence is the "1812 Overture" by Tchakovsky (sp)...it's a classic symphony piece celebrating a French victory in the War of 1812...always a crowd-pleaser to hear the cannons, bells, etc. at the end...somebody else can offer more about this legendary piece, I'm sure, including its full name...I just balanced my checkbook while listening to it via your link...thanks for the inspiration

[+ nycman]

Rick,

 

Thanks for the visit to a world I never knew.

 

It must have been incredible.

 

Thanks to all the M4M crowd for sharing your memories.

 

-nycman

[Rick Munroe]

>as I listen, I chuckle thinking what

>a kick you get out of listening to it...

 

And I'm smiling, thinking of you chuckling while I listen.

[Rick Munroe]

>I

>can't stand much of what is callled "dance" music today. They

>often have a repeating bass track with no melody. It's like

>the song is unfinished. I think you could only enjoy that

>new stuff if you are on drugs and I'm not.

 

That's exactly it. The thing I don't understand is that they play this stuff on the radio and in restaurants and in the gyms (or at least at mine...uggh) so does that mean that everyone is high everywhere now? Yuck.

[Rick Munroe]

>It was the last New Year's Eve before we all

>learned the term "AIDS".

 

Charlie, your post gave me chills and altered my listening experience. I had been hearing the joy in the music, but now you've given that eery back-story that just makes it all so -- well, it's kind of like in the Poseidon Adventure, where everyone's having a wonderful New Year's Eve in the ballroom, completely unaware of the tragedy about to hit them. I received a few emails from other guys with similar stories/feelings as yours, and it all gave me a lot to think about as I listened to that night in 1982. I'm not sure what point I was going to try to make, but I just wanted to thank you for your post.

[Rick Munroe]

>Thanks for the visit to a world I never knew.

 

You're welcome; I enjoyed the visit, too.

[noviceny]

Charlie,

 

God Bless You...I want to say more to you, but I dont know what to say.

 

Yes I do...Im glad you made it

[Guest Mikel]

Thanks for that smile...amazing what a simple smile can do.

[HotDad]

Thanks for sharing the link. While I enjoyed thinking about those great, old songs on the other thread this allows to hear it in context.

 

My memory fails me, so I can't remember exectly where I celebrated NYE that year. My guess is it was "Alex In Wonderland" or "12 West". Didn't get into the Saint until fairly late, December 85.

 

Of the Saint I recall the unexpected. Like the 1812 at the start of tape 1. I remember hearing, for example, a Karen Carpenter song in the middle of one typically long evening. (When you go to the Saint, you bring sun glasses because the sun will be shining by the time you left.)

 

As fond of my Saint memories, I was really more of a Paradise Garage type. Larry Levan coul spin circles around Robbie Leslie or Warren Gluck or any of the Saint regulars. Of course, it was a few BPM slower.

[Luv2play]

Rick, I checked out this site today but saw that the radio program you mentionned is Dec 31, 1981, not 1982. I think if I remember correctly, I was in NYC that night and I had met this cool guy who was a dancer with one of the dance companies in NYC. We went to bed at 7 o'clock thinking we would get up at 11pm and go to the club. Unfortunately (or not), when the alarm sounded, we just turned over, kissed, and went back to sleep. Anyway, I had a great time and have no regrets I missed that party.

[Rick Munroe]

>Rick, I checked out this site today but saw that the radio

>program you mentionned is Dec 31, 1981, not 1982.

 

No, I think that's a typo because one of the songs they play is Michael Jackson's "Wanna Be Startin' Somethin" and I remember that that song came out in 1982 (we played it about 6 months later at my Bar Mitzvah party and I have home video of my Aunt Carol moonwalking to it...).

 

>when the

>alarm sounded, we just turned over, kissed, and went back to

>sleep.

 

Derek and I have done that many times. We actually planned to go to the big NYE party at Capitale in NYC a couple of weeks ago but ended up cuddling on our new sofa (well, not just cuddling...I'd forgotten how much I liked getting bent over a leather sofa and rammed by my energizer bunny fucker). }(

[Luv2play]

Rick, I'll take your word. There is nothing like a song to ascertain a date in the past. I'll never forget my 16th birthday party and the new song that had just come out, "It's MY Party" by Leslie Gore. God, we played that record all night long! :+

[Paul Revere]

I listened to the whole thing (a couple of times). There are some weak spots and some bad sound reproduction, but it was great hearing those old songs again. They do wish folks a Happy 1983, so I think it is New Year's Eve 1982, going into 1983.

 

I sorry that I missed Rick Bah Mitvah though.

[Rick Munroe]

>I'll never forget my 16th

>birthday party and the new song that had just come out, "It's

>MY Party" by Leslie Gore. God, we played that record all night

>long!

 

That's such a cute memory; and even cuter that a boy had a Sweet Sixteen party (hey, I thought I was the first to do that). So...did you cry if you wanted to?

[Rick Munroe]

>I sorry that I missed Rick Bah Mitvah though.

 

If we ever meet, I can show you the video (we had a "talent show" segment, based on the TV show Solid Gold, featuring me as Andy Gibb and my cousin Lori as Marilyn McCoo).