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'Trinity' by the way …
INTRODUCTION 1
In the late summer of 2025, I went on a vacation trip to
Scandinavia for the first time in my 73 years. As an old-school disco deejay
from the early 1970s, the first thing I started researching before leaving was
the history of disco in Denmark and Sweden. I didn't know much about this
history, fascinated like almost everyone else by the history of UK and US
disco. After a few hours of online research, it turned out that Scandinavian
disco history may not be as impressive as that of England or the US – but it's
quite interesting. How did this HISTORY happen?
One of my disco deejay buddies once wrote to me, "Many people underestimate just how much the DJ invasion from England in the 1970s changed the music scene in Scandinavia." He's a UK deejay (live In Norway) who worked for the legendary IDEA agency in the early 1970s in Scandinavian discotheques. Well, there's some truth to that, but as usual, the story is more complex. This is proven by this story written in cooperation with the son of one of the first deejays and disco owners in Denmark/Copenhagen - Gunnar Thor T. Viggosson.
My Scandinavian vacation (Copenhagen, Stockholm, Malmo + german Hamburg) this year (2025) sparked a deeper affinity for these cities and led me to research a history close to my heart: the history of discos and DJs. I've been writing this history for years, and it has already spawned several gigantic e-books.
The internet makes it easier today to find information, knowledge, and contacts. So, I found this and that.
Best known Europe disco history UK ofcourse - then maybe IDEA Agency in Scandinavia --- https://idea-dj.blogspot.com/
The first information that came to my attention was about Copenhagen and the discotheque ‘Pussycat’, which was opened and owned by Thorsteinn Viggosson at Gothersgade 13 in 1966. It was the first disco with its own deejay and a record collection of purchased and imported 7-inch soul, funk, rock, and pop singles.
In 1970, Thorsteinn expanded his operations to include the "Bonaparte" disco on the 3rd floor of the same building in Copenhagen on Gothersgade 13. It quickly became a very well-known, almost cult-like venue. The then-extremely famous Swedish band Abba participated in promoting the disco.
The "Pussycat" / "Bonaparte" disco closed in the late 1980s.
I wrote this story with the close cooperation and thanks to Thorsteinn's son, Gunnar Thor T. Viggosson, who published the story of the "Pussycat" / "Bonaparte" disco on Facebook --- https://www.facebook.com/Discoteque1966/
Here's what Gunnar says / write about it:
He first started a coffee bar in the location. Then turned this into a discotheque bar around 1965/66 name ‘Pussycat’. In the beginning it was mostly my dad that played records as deejay - then later number of other Dj's hired. He then opened another floor later and a restaurant in the back. Then he open ‘Bonaparte’ on the 3rd floor in 1970. This was a Vip/membership club chich did not work out at first but then during ‘Fashion Week’ it all of a suddenly took off and became very popular and know through Europe.
I know of Tom Jones, Abba, Grace Jones, King Carlos of Spain, Kool & Gang, Arnold Schwarzenegger, Julio Iglesias, Gilbert O'Sullivan and many many more visited. I was also told by him Mick Jagger and the Rolling Stones were rejected at the door for not wearing a tie - but they came back the next day wearing one and got in :-)
He did host bands/events in there too- I am not sure who player.
There is a hole book written about him but unfortunately it is in Icelandic which I can not read.
AND THIS IS
CITATION OF:
Metro - Friday 24. November 2000
The Disco Pioneer
The nightclub owner: One of the nightlife’s most energetic entrepreneurs is the 63-year-old Icelander Torsteinn Viggosson. He opened his first nightclub in 1965, helped introduce disco and English pubs to the capital. Although he believes Copenhagen died with television, he opened his latest nightclub a month ago.
Torsteinn Viggosson is a person who finds old boats, repaints them, and puts them in the water. After a while, he looks for others who want to take over the helm.
"I tend to go where others fail," says the man who opened Copenhagen’s second nightclub in 1965, Pussy Cat in Gothersgade, and has since left his mark on the inner city’s nightlife. He is a 63-year-old gentleman, originally from Iceland, and a specialist in making nightclubs and dance venues run smoothly.
He doesn’t keep count of how many there have been over the years, but a guess of 25 is not too low. The latest opened its doors a month ago in Lille Kongensgade, called LOFT, and is a nightclub for a mature audience. Although Torsteinn Viggosson has been one of the prominent entrepreneurs in inner Copenhagen’s nightlife for 35 years, the man has never drunk alcohol himself: "I was 12 years old when I first took care of my parents' store in Iceland. Back then, there was a culture of drinking to get drunk, so when you opened a bottle, you threw away the cork immediately. I couldn't understand why, after a joyful evening, you would have to say sorry," he says.
That Torsteinn Viggosson ended up directing his indomitable energy towards the capital was somewhat by chance. After completing his apprenticeship as a cook in Copenhagen he went to Iceland, where he had a nightclub with space for 800 people. It closed when a friend lost the money playing poker in a single weekend.
"I was actually very relieved, because I found it hard to handle," he says.
He was offered a job in the USA and was supposed to stop in Denmark on the way, but stayed when his wife became ill. Instead, he took a job as a steward at Sterling Airways and flew with them for two years, until he took over a coffee bar in Gothersgade. It became the disco Pussy Cat and was a huge success.
"There was a party every night. Back in the 60s, there was an enormous joy among the population and people said: Freedom, freedom, FREEDOM. It's hard to compare going out back then in the 60s with today. There was not the same level of roughness," he says. That made it easier to run a business. Also in Rother ways, it was a different time. "If you look at Copenhagen on a Thursday night today, it looks like Sarajevo under occupation. Copenhagen died with television. It's as if people - especially the adults - sit with the remote and go to bed at 9:00 pm." Another aspect is that there is more competition now - especially from the outer districts, where many young people today prefer to go out.
In 1970, Pussy Cat was converted into the restaurant Baghuset and disco Bonaparte, chich became one of the biggest in-places of the time. According to Viggosson, this was partly due to his philosophy that all Guests must be treated equally: "It is important that you feel safe when you come as a guest. Whether you have a million in your pocket or only can afford a beer, you should be treated the same. I prefer to have a full house because it creates a good atmosphere and thus turnover. I have experienced that we turned away the Rolling Stones at the door of Bonaparte because they weren't dressed nicely enough. They came back the next day," he says.
Another highlight was the day in the early 70s when Andy Williams, Gilbert O'Sullivan, and Prince Carlos of Spain visited. That might be equivalent to a nightclub in Copenhagen being visited by Enrique Iglesias, Ricky Martin, and the Crown Prince on the same evening. Another reason for the place’s success was the music, which you couldn’t get in Denmark.
"We could only get the newest records in an import store in Sweden. Every Monday morning, people from all the nightclubs stood in front of the store in Malmö to buy records," says Torsteinn Viggosson. Gothersgade was also the place where Viggosson established one of the city’s first English pubs, a phenomenon that today is widespread in many places in the capital.
However, it hasn’t always gone well. He went bankrupt in the early 80s and returned to Iceland to recover. He came back, and now things are going so well that he has exchanged his apartment on Grønningen for a residence in the exclusive Skovshoved. Part of the success is due to PAN, the disco for homosexuals, which Torsteinn Viggosson has owned for 4 and a half years. He believes that it is the place in Copenhagen where things really happen. "The homosexuals really add more color and energy when they go out," he says.
Besides the discos and dance venues, Torsteinn Viggosson helped open the country's first karate club in the 60s, and in the 80s he had an alcohol rehab center Von Veritas in Lolland. Today it is called Egeborg.
Picture - Thorsteinn Viggosson under the discoball at his latest club LOFT.
Article By Johannes P. Bøggild
Photo Linda Henriksen
CITATION OF:
Article from Politikken - 2019
... click on the pix to enlarge ...
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The next city I drove to from Copenhagen, 660 km away, crossing the (impressive) magnificent Oresund Bridge and Tunnel. And in Stockholm, I learned new information about the city's most famous disco and its owner. But earlier (on the highway), at the 'Cirkle K, EN3, Hogalund 2, Varnamo, Sweden' gas station, I was captivated (of course) by the unique beauty of the beautiful blonde, deep blue eyes Swedish woman / girl who worked there – an image of whom stayed with me for a long time. I wrote about it here --- https://yahu-pawul-travel-memories.blogspot.com/p/stockholm-sztokholm-sweden-szwecja-2025.html
The first truly famous (though not the first, generally and historically speaking) disco in Sweden was the Stockholm 'Alexandra' – owned by Alexandra Charles and her then-husband Noel Charles (1940–2013) – later married not just anyone (which is worth mentioning) but Cynthia Lennon, the first wife of Beatle John Lennon. The disco's fame, like that of the one it modeled after, New York's Studio 54, was built on the names of famous regulars such as members of the royal family, Benny Andersson (Abba), Ingrid Bergman, Rod Stewart, Mick Jagger, Earth, Wind and Fire, Burt Reynolds, Frank Zappa, David Bowie, Rod Stewart and Britt Ekland, Jack Nicholson, Roger Moore, Muhammed Ali, Sidney Poitier, Sonny & Cheer, Elton John, Mick Jagger, Grace Jones, Tom Jones, and Michael Douglas.
... click on the pix to enlarge ...
Alexandra, Noel Charles Rod Stewart, Britt Ekland 1976
Several books have been written about this disco and its owner --- https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Alexandra_Charles
The disco operated in four different locations from 1968 to 1988:
* At the Strand Hotel, on ul. Nybrokajen 9 (1968-1969)* In the former restaurant 'Cecil' at Biblioteksgatan 5 (in this case,
with American business partner Tom Macksey (1969-1977)
* At Döbelnsgatan 3, under the name "Alexander" (1978-1984)
* At the hotel 'Stockholm Plaza' at Briger Jarlsgatan 29 (1984-1988)
A great book on the history of discos has been published in Sweden. "DISCO NIGHT FEVER" by Piotr Ortvik describes Swedish discos from the first small disco in Stockholm in the 1950s, through the first international one in Malmö in the 1960s, to the trendy discos inspired by the giants from New York and London.
He writes About legendary Swedish deejays: Clabbe, Niklas Strömstedt, Ulf Elfving, Pexo, Janne Ferm, Inger Flyckt, Big Brother-Sydney, Kenned Falk, Ola Hammarlund, Dagge S, Hasse Huss, Paul Woolgar, and more.
It's difficult (as in all countries around the world!) to determine who the first disco deejay in Sweden was. Different sources give different accounts. I've determined that the first three were definitely women: Solveig Adler, Jill Wernström, and Inger Flyckt.
Jill Wernström & Alexandra Charles 1974
I have also been in contact with the Swedish pioneer disco deejay ULF OLSSON for a long time --- https://www.facebook.com/ulf.olsson.505
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Club Trocadero
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As is widely known today, discotheques in Europe took
off with considerable delay. While the UK saw a strong and widespread takeoff,
and then the US, Europe was somewhat slow to catch on. Then everyone wanted to
emulate Studio 54, which gained notoriety – also as a den of junkies, drug
addicts, and mass drug dealing, for which the NYC authorities closed the
discotheque and jailed the owner for tax and drug fraud!
It's quite difficult today to pinpoint the origins of
the first European discotheques. Information is uncertain, somewhat fragmented,
and difficult to access – UNFORTUNATELY!!
My country, Poland, was enslaved under communist rule in
the 1970s. Being a disco deejay there sometimes (in my case) involved a
state-mandated and widely publicized work ban and threats to one's life! I was
forbidden from seeking foreign contacts with disco magazines, deejays, or
record labels of the time. It didn't matter… I was young, unaware of the
dangers, sometimes foolish – I took risks…
I was best at establishing contacts in the US and the
UK. Others came up occasionally, such as with the Pentti DJ Pena Teräväinen editor-in-chief of a magazine
from Finland/Tampere called DISCOSUZI. We exchanged extensive and regular
correspondence. I also received his magazine. He published a long story about
me, a disco deejay from communist Poland. Nothing remains to this day, except
the T-shirt he sent me back then, as the Political Police of communist Poland
in the 1970s frequently searched my apartment and confiscated letters,
magazines, and records.
Discos, just like in Copenhagen and Stockholm, also
existed in Norway, the Netherlands, Belgium, and other European countries.
Today, we can read or learn very little about them. No one cared about
preserving knowledge in due time.
Diskosusi ("Disco Wolf") was a magazine (or maybe "fanzine" would be a more appropriate description for this pocket-size amateur publication) that was published in Tampere from 1979 to 1982, as its sole purpose to unite Finnish DJs, disco music fans and clubbers of the day. In its heyday Diskosusi was distributed in Finnish discos and clubs, at its best reaching an edition of 10.000 copies. The primus motor behind Discosusi was Pentti "DJ Pena" Teräväinen (b. 1956), one of the veterans of Finnish disco culture and an organiser of the union of DJs who started his record-spinning career in 1972. Diskosusi did its share in contributing to local DJ/disco culture with charts, background histories of artists, DJ interviews and naturally record reviews. The magazine covered all popular styles of disco and dance music, but also some artists performing 50s style of rock'n'roll and rockabilly revival, extremely popular in the late 70s Finland, would find their way to the pages of Diskosusi.
The DJ culture has undergone many changes since the original disco days. Whereas today's "star" DJs mostly remain just silent and technical masters of record beatmatching, the yesteryear DJs were often hyper-talkative and flamboyant "masters of ceremony", not only spinning records but also introducing them to audiences and raising their spirits the best they could; sometimes also wearing outlandish costumes to add to the rockstar-like appearance. Finnish discotheque culture celebrates this year its 40th birthday, though the actual heyday of disco was had in the late 70s when blockbuster films like Saturday Night Fever kicked off the dancefloor mania also in these Northern latitudes.
One of the Discosusi interviewees was Tapani "DJ Beaver" Ripatti (b. 1950), who had became a small celebrity in the late 70s by being a regular face in TV's popular "jukebox jury" show called Levyraati, and through his own radio shows -- such as Ocsid (read that backwards) -- in 80s and 90s gained a legendary position in Finland playing Hi-NRG disco and Italo, and later on even moving to rave techno. (I had an honour myself to DJ in 2004 as a warm-up to Mr. Ripatti in Helsinki's Kerma -- during my own set, punters were content to stay sitting down sipping their beers, but when Don Ripatti started to work the room with his classic 80s and 90s tracks and did his famous speaks over the records, the same people just went nuts on the dancefoor!)
DJ Pena, still going strong these days (though playing for more mature audiences now) with his Discopress and Hitit magazine, is also instrumental in establishing the Finnish DJ Hall of Fame, the gallery of DJs who have behind them a career of at least 25 years (and now found also exhibited at Tampere's Tabu Wine Bar). There are now over 30 members in the DJ Hall of Fame, including such disc-spinning veterans as Tapani "Beaver" Ripatti, Markku "DJ Edward" Vesala, Jyrki "Jyräys" Hämäläinen, Pekka "Takku" Kotilainen, Kari "Nite" Niiranen, Pentti "Poppamies" Kemppainen, Esko "Eemu" Riihelä, and Johnny-Kai "Johnny" Forssell; many of these familiar names also in Finnish music media and radio.
STORY NO. 1
SHORTCUT - citation of - original:
https://historia.hel.fi/fi/ilmiot/kaupunkikulttuurin-monet-muodot/helsingin-diskot?utm_source=chatgpt.com
Mikko Mattlar
January 10, 2025
Helsinki's first disco opened in February 1966, when promoters Paavo Einiö and Tom Hertell launched a month-long disco experiment at the Kulosaari Casino. They advertised disco as a new and different way of spending the evening, which was very popular in the United States and major European cities.
Early DJs played records and entertained the audience by hosting while the music was playing. They were also called disc jockeys in Helsinki, as the term "disc jockey" was only coined in Finland. Many were inspired by foreign radio DJs, who played hits and talked briskly in between.
The latest records and high-quality sound were the main marketing tools for discos in the beginning. The first advertisement for the Kulosaari Casino disco advertised stereo sound, which was just establishing itself in Finland. The first disco also had dim lighting, pre-dancers and pictures of dancers on the walls. The noise was described as deafening.
Paavo Einiö and Tom Hertell's disco nights moved from Kulosaari to the southeast wing of Hotel Kalastajatorpa in March 1966. The disco had an age limit of 18 and was open every night. In addition to the DJ and the supporting dancers, there were ultraviolet lights and a strobe that flashed rapidly, making the dancers' movements look choppy. The DJs played rock'n'roll, twists and the latest pop hits.
The Kalastajatorp disco was closed after just a couple of months when a group of people who had left by car had an accident and the hotel management was frightened. In the summer of 1966, the authorities banned the sale of alcohol in discos because they were considered to attract young people to alcohol consumption. Einiö and Hertell also opened an age-free venue called Disco at Hämeentie 10, where alcohol was not served. The DJs' extensive and new album catalogue was used as a marketing tool. Yleisradio only played pop music for an hour and a half a week, but at the Disco new chart albums were played all night long. However, the venue's popularity soon waned, and it was closed at the turn of the year 1968–69.
Students establish a disco
The alcohol ban applied to the first discos, which were open to everyone. However, Helsinki student unions had large dance venues, which required a union card issued to university students to enter, and Alko's requirements therefore did not apply to them. Orchestras had played at student dances for many decades, but DJs came to play alongside the bands in the late 1960s. Discos arrived at Hämäläinen Talo, Botta, KY, Nylands Nation aka Natsa, Vanha Poli and the Vanha and Uude ylioppilastalo. At Botta, records were played by Heikki Harma aka Hector, and at Hämäläinen Talo, Esko Riihelä. DJs sometimes played on the same nights as the bands, but often also gave all-night gigs.
Student discos were held every night in Helsinki, and with them came the first DJs who could make a living by playing records. In 1969, the Finnish equivalent of the word disc jockey, tiskijukka, also came into general use. Lighting technology was still rudimentary but forced ingenuity. At the end of the 1960s, the disco experience could be enhanced by projecting psychedelic patterns onto a screen with a slide projector, which were created by placing colored liquid between two glass plates.
The liberalization of beer in 1969 prompted the first restaurants in Helsinki to start discos. The restaurant industry was still strictly regulated, and the regulations concerned customers' dress code, age limits, and even the consumption of alcoholic beverages. Kalastajatorppa opened the Red Room nightclub below its ballroom, where a DJ played, and the Tivoli disco restaurant was built in Linnanmäki amusement park. Pontus, located in the Merihotelli building on the shore of Hakaniemi, was the first restaurant to be converted into a disco. The disco center of Eastern Helsinki was Sven Tuuva, located in the outbuilding of the Puotila manor, where future TV journalist Folke West and radio presenter Calle Lindholm played, among others.
The Decade of Disco: The 1970s
The largest players in the Helsinki restaurant scene were the cooperatives HOK and Elanto. When they became more enthusiastic about discos in the early 1970s, DJs displaced live restaurant music both in the city centre and in the suburbs. Pontus, owned by HOK, was successful, and this inspired the cooperative to also convert Restaurant 66, located on the corner of Mannerheimintie and Runeberginkatu, Kamppi Autotalo Arkadia and the Helsinki Club on Hallituskatu (now Yliopistonkatu), into discos. Elanto opened its own Discat disco in Hakaniemi. Kylterikellari, run by students, opened in the KY building on Pohjoisenne Rautatikatu, but the disco was open to everyone. Another significant youth venue was Hakaniemi's Disco Mondi.
With the advent of disco restaurants, the industry already employed a large number of Helsinki residents, and in the early 1970s there were also several women among the DJs. Many foreigners living in the city also performed at Helsinki discos. DJing was a good option for them if they knew new music, as they could also sing in English between songs. It could even bring an international flavour to the disco and increase the attraction of the place. The Spanish Angel, the Greek Black Mike, the Dutch Martin and the Moroccan Nordine were the best-known DJs in Helsinki.
A typical 1970s disco party started at eight and ended around midnight. DJs offered their audience the opportunity to hear and dance to the latest hits. Depending on the venue, they played a lot of slow music, because the audience also came to the discos looking for a partner. Young people were active dancers, and the floor could be filled during the first few songs of the evening.
Many of Helsinki's early discos operated in old ballrooms that were designed to perform acoustic music. No additional structures were allowed to be built in the ballrooms of the Old Student House, Natsa or Old Poli for the disco's lighting or sound technology, which made it difficult for the DJs to work. The city's first building designed as a disco was built on Linnanmäki in 1973, and it was christened Luola disco. Adequate sound and lighting equipment could already be installed for an age-unlimited disco during the construction phase. In some discos, the DJ also used a projector to show early music videos and gig recordings of world stars that came to Finland on film reels.
The early 1970s were a time of continuous growth in the Helsinki disco scene. There was a summer disco in Mustasaari, which was managed by the parishes, and outside the city center there were places like Tom-Tom in Lauttasaari and Heureka in Kannelmäki. In the city center, the Senator Disco and the Basement Disco opened in Ratakatu in the early 1970s, operating on different floors of the same building, as well as the Royal in the Svenska Teatern building and the Ylä-Primula located opposite it.
The Adlon restaurant in the Stock Exchange Building opened as a disco in the summer of 1972, and at the same time, disco activities expanded to the islands off Helsinki when Meridisco opened on Sirpalesaari. When the Hesperia hotel was completed in Töölö in August 1972, disco nights also began in its nightclub. The range of student discos increased with Alibi, which operated in the basement of Domus Academica, in March 1973, and minors attended the disco nights at Työväentalo in Siltasaari. The Kultainen orava in Ympyrätalo and the Duunarin Kelleri on Sturenkatu were aimed at ordinary people.
English pop, jytä and soul were the favourite music of the Helsinki disco crowd in the 1970s , but by the middle of the decade the city had a Safari Club that played exclusively foreign funk and soul. The disco in the courtyard of Eerikinkatu 14 was a popular after-party because it was open until four in the morning. The place was decorated with various African-themed props. Around the same time, Helsinki Club also changed its focus to exclusively playing the latest American funk and soul.
Disco 33 in Sörnäinen , the Ball Room at the Intercontinental Hotel and Mobile in Siltasaari were also popular discos in the mid - 1970s. The year 1977 brought the film Saturday Night Fever and the music that was actually called disco. The film premiered in Finland in April 1978 and disco dance classes began to fill up, so Aira Samulini's dance school had to move from the Satakunta club hall on Malminrinne to larger premises in Vanha Poli. Several Helsinki discos also built glass dance floors inspired by the film in their premises, with different-coloured lights flashing under the surface.
Disco highs of the boom period
The popularity of discos grew even more in the 1980s, and the venues became larger and fancier. The most popular discos in Helsinki were KY-Exit and Botta, which gradually gave up student nights at the turn of the 1970s and 1980s. The disc jockeys at both followed the charts of both Europe and the United States and played their latest hits. Helsinki Club and Silvernight, built on the site of Disco 66, relied solely on the latest American hits. International influences were also reflected in the names of the discos. Ratakatu's Senator Disco became the popular Disco Joy, Esplanadi's Royal became Hot Lips, Seurahuone Kabinet became the Rose Room, Natsa became Harald's and Mobile became Rocktails, a favorite spot during the boom of the 1980s.
Discos attracted a large crowd even during the week, as people came in early in the evening and closed shortly after midnight. Such an evening out did not prevent people from waking up early for work or school the next morning. The most popular places regularly had over a thousand customers during the evening. Helsinki's age-restricted discos were also popular on both sides of the 1970s and 1980s, although many of the favorite places for minors had a short lifespan. Kasarmitorin Casino, Frisco Disco on Iso Roobertinkatu and Työväentalon's Bygga disco attracted many young people to their premises. There were three discos for minors in the halls of the Kulttuuritalo at the same time.
The word disco began to fade into history in the 1980s with the rise of urban and club culture.
Here is a list of some of the most important/good discos and dance venues in Finland in the 1970s, mainly in Helsinki – places that played a significant role in the development of disco culture:
|
DISCO NAME |
SHORT INFO |
|
|
Pontus |
One of the
first restaurants to be converted into a disco; very popular. |
|
|
Disco 66 |
A HOK
(cooperative)-owned establishment – part of a
"restaurant-discos." |
|
|
Helsinki Club |
One of the
disco in the 1970s, it moved to a more funk/soul style of music. |
|
|
Discat (Hakaniemi / Hagnäs) |
Disco owned
by Elanto. |
|
|
Kylterikellari |
A student
lounge open to the public but run by students; a key spot on Helsinki's youth
scene. |
|
|
Disco Mondi (Hakaniemi / Hagnäs) |
One of the
popular disco venues for young people. |
|
|
Luola-disko |
The first
building in Helsinki designed specifically for disco, completed in 1973. |
|
|
Safari Club |
A disco playing
foreign funk and soul, popular as an "after club" because it was
open very late. |
|
|
Senaattoridisko i Kellaridisko |
Two discos
on different floors of the same building at Ratakadun – important dance
venues in central Helsinki. |
|
|
Royal |
A
well-known disco venue in Helsinki. |
|
|
Mobile (Siltasaari / Broholmen) |
A popular
place in the mid-1970s. |
|
|
Tavastia Klubi (Hämis) |
Although
more of a music/rock club, in the 1970s it also started to have disco/mixed
concerts + DJ elements. |
Here are some lesser-known but significant disco/dance venues from Finnish cities outside Helsinki from the 1970s that have been identified (or have fragmentary information)—though documentation is limited:
Citation of --- jokelinnamaa.fi
In Tampere
Remontoitu
Tillikka—operated as a "diskokonsepti" from around 1969.
TAMISC (Tampere International Student Club)—a summer version of the Tampere disco/student club.
Groovy-disco,
Ankkuri, Aquarius—clubs cited as "important pioneers" in Tampere's
disco scene at the time.
In Turku
Several
clubs/discos from the 1970s originate from Turku (some local names):
Viljoteekki (Viljon Disco) — operated since 1971 at Linnankatu 23.
Rosegarden
— a disco club in Turku.
Hotel
Ruissalon Yökerho (hotel Ruissalo nightclub)
KissKiss, Kilta, Foija, Ikituuri, Fenix, Ladyhill (formerly Club Socis), Rendezvous (Ikituuri), LeChat (Limu) — all of these names appear in the context of Turku's disco scene in the 1970s.
Student/Society
Clubs: KY Club (labeled "SiskoDisko 1972" in the context)
HISTORY
OF FINNISH DISCO CULTURE
Compiled by: Joke Linnamaa aka DJ Stadin Säkki.
(The Turku section was packaged by Jari Lehtinen)
(Tapani Ripat from a Lahti perspective)
STORY
NO. 2
DISCO
FINLAND:
In my opinion, the first disc jockey in Finland was the
late Paavo Einiö, who played records from the back rooms of dance floors during
orchestra breaks. Paavo edited his own music magazine, produced and hired
artists to record for his own record label, and made programs in which his own
artists were mostly featured. In other words, Paavo Einiö acted as a smart guy
with a cock in his ass, a practice that is impossible today, prohibited by law.
Paavo Einiö says in his autobiography: "I'm not exactly sure if I was the
first disc jockey in Finland, but I accept the title with flattery."
Little brother Antti Einiö followed in Paavo's
footsteps, organizing events, hosting them and starting to keep in touch with
the performers. The Youth Dance Moment fell to him, and Finland's first VJ was
born. The program's theme song was of course sung on the album by Paavo Einiö's
then wife, Brita Koivunen: "Tulkaa Tanssimaan", from 1960. It's a
good jive song that Stadin Säkki still plays at their SuomiPop gigs.
My third choice is Markku Veijalainen, who started his
own pop music program on YLE as a radio DJ in 1964, and who also did record
hosting gigs, but with one record player, hosting smoothly between songs. Mape
made his name by teaming up with the late Jyrki "Jyräys" Hämäläinen
as a TV hosting duo, whose parody of the Sonny & Cher classic "I Got
You Babe" is still a gem of TV pop programs and a real YouTube thing.
Mape's career on radio, commercial radio (as the TJ of Oy Radio Ykkönen - Radio
Ettan Ab), and television, is immeasurably valuable. "Eesti Vabaks"
or Rocksummer 1988, Estonia's singing rock revolution documentary, is relevant
in 2013 and always. Mape also continues to host, among other things, all
traditional sixties music events.
Jyrki "Jyräys" Hämäläinen, a widely known
actor in the field as the editor-in-chief of Suosikki, was chosen as the winner
of the FINNISH DJ CHAMPIONSHIP in 1967. The competition was held in the new
Linnasal, and the host was Tapio Tuominen from Tampere, who had taken a false
start in Tampere, and was active on stages in Manse and the surrounding areas
between 1965 and 1970. After that, Stockholm invited him and finally the head
of Swedish TV's production for foreign audiences. The gig announcements sent by
Tapio speak of a fast pace of gigs.
Jyrki Hämäläinen is a member of the DJ HALL OF FAME, and
is number 4 on my list of Finnish DJs.
In Helsinki, the WSOP club, which first operated in the
city center in 1965 and 1966 in the Kalastajatorpa colonial hall, gained
immense popularity. The music came from stereo tapes and was high-quality hits.
Although there were hardly any actual DJs, the club was a pioneer. Hit lists
were voted on and the members were active in many clubs. The group still keeps
in touch by dancing and partying, reminiscing with old photos.
Finland's first discotheque for presenters, Club
Discoteca, opened in February 1966 at the Kulosaari Casino. This was stated in
the headlines.
The event featured an interview with Casino's original
disc jockey, Antti "Andy" Einiö. The other DJs of the evening, Leena
Orvomaa and Risto Vanari, played during the breaks of the orchestra upstairs.
At the Casino, people danced to the music, but had the actual opening of the
Stadium already taken place elsewhere?
- "The idea came from my older brother Paavo, who
had a flair for what was happening in the world. It was the golden age of
British pop, and we also wanted to be in tune with the times."
Einiö's memories of the first hosted disco event in
Helsinki are a bit shaky:
"As far as I remember, the very first hosted Disco
was held in Kalastatorppa, but as they say, if you claim to remember the
swinging 60s, you haven't lived it."
At that time, Ana was already a full-time entertainment
professional, radio and TV presenter, recording artist (including Farmer John,
Dizzy Miss Lizzy) and promoter, a position she still holds today.
The DJ Hall Of Fame certificate and plaque at the door
of Kulosaari Casino now honor the historic place. There was activity, but it
wasn't the first of its kind.
After this, discos began to be established all over
Finland and an avalanche of so-called pioneer DJs began, mainly in student
unions and schools.
____________________________________________________________________
HISTORY
OF FINNISH DISCO, THE PIONEER YEARS:
DJ Taku's (Pekka Kotilainen, who left on November 6,
2011) resume has one big entry. He invented the word "disc jockey."
"When we went to rural gigs, the local organizers would spell disc jockey
any way they wanted. We had to come up with a Finnish word," Kotilainen
(60) explains about his onomatopoeic insight in high school in 2006.
TAMPERE AND THE YEAR 1967: 2 years Tapio Tuomisen begins
his DJ Topi Honkonen career in Tampere as the regular host of the Linnasali
limu disco, and has been a DJ for almost 46 years since then, which is probably
a Finnish record. DJ NITE and KAIFFARI (Kai Mannerheimo) are 2 other
long-standing active veterans.
YEAR
1968: THE FIRST WAVE OF DISCO:
The unions mainly started holding discos in their so-called municipalities, of course schools also got involved, DJ NITE (Kari Niiranen, Kuopio), played school gigs as early as May -68. In Helsinki, Nylands Nation, also known as Natsa, also known as N-CLUB, was important in many ways. Firstly, musicians would hang out there in their free time, because Natsa's stage was an important performance venue for many, and secondly, a DJ from Malaga, Spain, via Hyvinkää, would appear as the venue's DJ host, who at least revolutionized my DJ-thinking.
DJ
ANGEL (Angel L'Opis, later died in prison in Germany),
was a natural as a DJ, whose timing was amazing (this with two Lenco players,
which had to be taken 1 ½ turns in advance), but still the mixes were just right,
the guy seemed to smell which groove on the vinyl was the right one. In
addition, he had an incredible flow, accompanied by constant upper body dancing
and breakdancing and encouragement a la James Brown. In addition to everything,
Angel played mainly black R&B music, roots soul, Tempparei, Pickett,
Redding, James Brown etc., but also Hendrix, prog etc., which many others had
not even thought of.
The musicians initially hated the song selection, but not even a year passed before both the players and everyone else were rocking out to Natsala, which became an important venue alongside Botta and Hämis (Tavastia) and TF.
Black Mike (Nicolas Mavromichalis), starts hosting Botta and becomes friends with Angel, and the duo soon becomes Finland's top duo in terms of reputation. Dutch DJ MARTIN (Martin Alta) also brings more foreign influences. DJ OSCU (Osmo Wilska) hosts Vesimiesklubi in Dipoli, ESO (Southern Finns), VIO (Viipuri), Vanha (HYY) also invested in disco nights, but also in live music.
DJs
JOKKE AND TAKKU STARTED THEIR CAREER ON NOVEMBER 14, 1968.
AT THE SECOND ANNUAL COURSE OF KKK IN KUNTAILLA IN KY'S CELLAR.
"PULITEEKKI", a disco party with a decadent
alcoholic theme, was successful in many ways. The place was emptied of
furniture and park benches and trash cans were rented from the city. The
students were dressed in the theme, as bag-sacks and puliukos. The sound system
was provided by the Pepe&Paradise band. Pepe Willberg's guitar
amplifier/cabinet was responsible for the sound system for one channel and
bassist Jorma Kalonius's corresponding sound source for the other. The song
sources were mainly Ande's songs recorded in advance on Ande Päiväläinen's
reel-to-reel recorder and from our own record archives: Prog, heavy, sometimes
something familiar, but then again more demanding. And we tried all kinds of
things. And what we thought was quality worked.
At that time, students would sing along to any music,
whether it had rhythm or not, each in their own style. We were in the right
place at the right time, the chairmen of other departments were our guests, and
we immediately got offers from several departments and immediately received
bonuses that guaranteed me the end of my studies at that place, even though I
was still enrolled for 5 years. Takku studied economics without taking the
exam.
We started to seriously open a career in the disco
industry, and we were pioneers of mobile, one-night gigs, in addition to DJ
Nite, and that's when Taku's wealth of ideas came into play and the reputation
of the gigs began to grow, there was plenty of work.
In 1969, 11 bartenders, inspired by Taku's idea, founded
the Tiskijukat Ry (The Association of Barmen), and a labor struggle began
against the hardliners in the unions. The minimum wage was achieved and they
were allowed to work in the IP magazines. The stars of the Stadi unions were
Angel, Black Mike, Martin, Osku (Osmo Wilska), Lisko (Heikki Linko from
Lappeenranta, left in 1994), Jokke&Takku, Alfonso (Erik Westerlund, Suzie
(Elfving), Sartsa (Eero Saarinen), all of whom had their own style and their
own fans.
The first gig outside the stadium was held with almost
the entire aforementioned group in Lappeenranta, at a municipal limu disco run
by Lisko. The reception was wild, and when the event was soon repeated with the
same enthusiasm, the experience served as the basis for future sponsored disco
tours.
Since the turn of the 70s, Mondi, a central beer café, has been operating in Hakaniemi, which turned into Disco Mondi in the evenings, where Taku and I ran a skilled DJ club. Black Mike, Angel, Alfonso and many others performed there and the music selection was pop/rock/prog-based, and visitors still come to this day to tell us how musically rewarding and important an oasis the place had been for them.
TAMPERE:
DJ TOP Honkonen had made a flying start from the first
permanent limo disco in Linnasalin in 1967, and in the same year the first
Finnish DJ Championship was held there, and it was won by Jyrki Hämäläinen.
Three other soda discos elsewhere joined the scene after
this.
Heinonen Jonin's Catacombi soda disco was located in the center of Lahti, on the ground floor of the People's Hall. It served as a playschool for Sakke Järvenpää and Mato Valtonen for the birth of Sleepy Sleepers.
DJ INA (Ismo Heino) and also DJ USA (Visa Ossi, died in December 2011) from Imatra began to make a name for themselves, for example, at Catacomb, where teenagers came to hear very bold, distinctive dance music. In addition to N-Club, Catacomb can be considered one of the pioneers, where it was possible to show that good music, imagination and all genres should be explored. Also worth mentioning is Heinola's Funky Marushka, an oasis of pure black punk.
DJ
LISKO (Heikki Linko), with his good relations with the
decision-makers of the City of Lappeenranta, had managed to open a municipal
lemonade disco in an old cinema, where our country's leading DJs took their
expertise as early as the late 60s. The old white screen wall served as an
excellent canvas for psychedelic light effects, on which we were able to
practice this new, homemade effect side, and it created a handsome look for the
evenings.
In Helsinki, Linnanmäki Cave only started spinning in
1972, DJ BÖRJE (Bore Wanner), and many other DJs danced to the first patterns
of Aira Samulin's Rytmikkäiten for a long time, and its customers still meet in
reminiscences every year.
The capital city in the 70s offered a lot of disco
entertainment. In addition to the above, the following can be mentioned:
Dipoli and the adjacent TF (Technology Association) in
Espoo, all student unions, Helsinki Club, Club 66, KY, whose real days of
popularity began around 1980, and KY was on a continuous rise for many years,
Harri DJ JALLU Jalomäki developed the package to really work..
In the early 70s, Jokke&Takku and soon also Lisko
started running Marlboro promo discos around the country, the concept was
copied in Sweden and Belgium as it is.
We had free rein and an unlimited budget to develop the
best mobile disco with all the spices. Matti Sarapaltio came up with the idea
for a solid sound package that could withstand heavy transport, and Uri from
Mainos-Niikon built proper disco sets based on our wishes, which always folded
into a very compact transport size after use.
Beaver's jeans and other denim brands also started
sponsoring live events, among the bands Hurriganes+Disco (DJs Joke & Nite)
was a Beaver's-designed "Hard Rock Circus" ensemble, which also had a
live band as a warm-up. The first significant promotional symbiosis of live
rock and disco began in the mid-70s, and is now commonplace.
DJ NITE had made his name in 1972 on the Danny Show, where NITE tied the live parts together.
HONOR
GALLERY DJ THE HALL OF FAME:
An association of veteran DJs, the "wax
cabinet", where only a few and selected, long-serving and otherwise
distinguished representatives of DJ culture are elected. There are currently
about forty members, the first ones were elected in 1988. In my opinion, the
selection process has left several very distinguished DJs unelected, but that
happens in a democracy, a few names have already been mentioned in this blog.
For example, Måns DJ BUNUEL Strömberg and Mikael DJ MIKKE Stenberg have been
DJs for over 35 years, and have been radio hosts for years (BUNUEL is still at
Radio Helsinki), but no selection has been made yet.
Members
of the Finland disco DJs Hall of Fame
Monkey
- Antero Ramsay
Alti
- Alti Papinsaari
Beaver
- Tapani Ripatti
Edward
- Markku Vesala
Eemu
- Esko Riihelä
Eppu
- Eero Korpelainen
Elmo
- Eero Lehtonen
Glove
- Hannu Kinnunen
Hare
- Harto Tuohimaa
Ina
- Ismo Heino
Jay
Jay - Jarmo Leskinen
Johnny
- Johnny-Kai Forssell
Joke
or the City Sack - Jouko Linnamaa
Juhis
- Juha Koskenperä
Juissi
- Juha Koivunen
Jupe
- Juha Lohi
Jussi
- Jussi Patrikka
Justus
- Jukka Mäntymäki
Jyräys
- Jyrki Hämäläinen RIP
Jyti
- Jyrki Ålander
Kaarina
Kaskinen
Chef
- Jukka Kuusanmäki
Lizard
- Heikki Linko RIP
Matahari
- Ritva Laine
Night
- Kari Niiranen
Pena
- Pentti Teräväinen
Pony
- Antti Doubt
The
Poppa Man - Pentti Kemppainen
Rami
- Raimo Latvaniemi
Rautsi
- Risto Rautiainen
Ripa
- Risto Tuhkala RIP
Rolf
- Rolf Filander
Salsa
- Tero Sinisalo
Takku
- Pekka Kotilainen RIP
Timba
- Timo Pelkonen
Drop
- Oiva Mursu
Topi
- Toivo H Honkonen
Usa
- Usa Ossi RIP
Vesa
Roponen
Vesku
- Vesa Talonen
Yary - Jari Piippola (As I write this, new members have already been selected based on merit and years of service)
TAMPERE
IS OPENING: Theatre Restaurant Discotheque, Linnasali,
(established 1967, limo disco).
The renovated Tillikka began operating with a disco
concept in 1969, Children's Disco was held in the Student House on Saturday
afternoons, summer disco TAMISC (Tampere International Student Club),
Groovy-disco, Ankkuri, Aquarius, these were the ones targeted.
Important pioneers of Tampere include:
-
Tapio Tuominen since -65
-
Aake, Arne Nielsen (Retired 2011)
-
Jojo, Jukka Mattila
-
Seppi, Seppo Tuominen
TURKU:
JARI LEHTINEN:
Opening: Osakunnat - KY Club (SiskoDisko 1972 -
Finland's first women's dances???) - Iskeri - Kåren - DiskoTeku
"The First": Viljon Disco -
"Viljoteekki" 1971, Linnankatu 23
Real disco restaurants: Rosegarden - Hotel Ruissalo
nightclub - KissKiss - Kilta - Foija - Ikituuri - Fenix - Ladyhill -
(Ladyhill was previously Club Socis) - Rendez vous (Ikituuri) - LeChat (limu) -
many others.
DJ Jari (Lehtinen), Akke, Kari (Lehtonen KY), Pacius,
EePee (RIP), Macce, Gerald (Gerdes German), Jean Pierre (French), Lekke (Lola
Odusoga's father), Pedro (Pekka Vuorinen), Jiipee (Kurki), Shabby (Ari
Ainasoja), Make (Lintula), Kara (Karawatski), Klasu (Thomasson), developing
imitations.
DJ service companies in Turku:
Disconet: EePee, Pacius, Macce, Ykä (Antti Helenius),
Marita
Makora: Hati, Kari (Vihanto), Jouni (Virkkunen), Lefa
(Waine), Hannu (Leppänen), Kale & Artti, Pekka (Saari),
Musanova: Sepe (Seppo Sällylä), Vexu (Pekka Vekkeli),
Pekka Saari), Dave (Esposito), Pedro (Pekka Vuorinen)
DJ JARI's own story in brief: Rosegarden (1971) - KY
(1972 - 1975) - Parkki (1975) - KissKiss (1975-1977) - Ladyhill (entire
history) - Music Master title - also as a DJ (Swedish "sound dealers"
tried to lure him to Sweden) - Disco Orfej, Pakostane, Yugoslavia (now Croatia)
- 4 weeks in the summer of 1980 - Occasional charity gigs still going on. (And
always to sold-out venues, Säki's note)
IMATRA: DJs INA and USA founded their own Catacombi
Disco in Imatra's bubble hall in 1974.
LAHTI: Torvi, Nuutti-Grilli and Pataässä (led by young Pekka Nurmikallio), DJ RIPA
Tuhkala and Tapani BEAVER Ripatti were important pioneers in Lahti.
The story of the early disco era through the eyes of
Tapani Ripatti, who both elaborates on the history and brings a Steiner School
teacher's perspective on Finnish disco culture.
FINLAND HISTORY OF DISCO by Tapani Ripatti, DJ BEAVER, Lahti, writes:
In 1962, the French-style disco Le Club appeared in New
York. The late 50s and early 60s were the golden age of various dance styles,
and records were the only way to quickly spread dance styles to different parts
of the country. That means both disco and radio.
Several dance styles: madison, hully gully, slop,
wah-watusi, mashed potatoes, pony, jack the ripper, locomotion, dish-rag,
go-go, twist (Joke: And in Finland also jive, where in addition to twist, new
Finnish Champions were born).
In Lahti, Torvi had started playing records as part of
the evening in some way as early as 1966.
In 1968, Suosikki wrote "Discotheques to Finland;
which explains the ridiculous situation that there are three discotheques in
Helsinki in the summer; HISCI, KY and TF for high school students, but not a
single one for other young people."
Markku Helismaa believes that the Tommy James & The
Shondelles song "Mony Mony" is a real disco vibe. He was right, Billy
Idol made the song a huge hit.
I
found Hesa discos;
DISCO
- Hämeentie 10
Natsa
- Kasarminkatu 40 (Nylands Nation youth hostel, also N-Club)
Dipoli
– Otaniemi (also home to the Aquarius club).
Swinging
London and DJs Simon Dee, Tony Blackburn, David Jacos and Alan Freeman, Jimmy
Savile (who was posthumously revealed to be a truly sick abuser)
I
myself went to the "Whisky a-go-go" in London in the summer of 1967.
Good atmosphere.
In
1969, a dance called kasatshok was launched in Paris discos.
1970:
In Hesa, Yömyssy, N-Clubi, Sven Tuuva (Joke: Svenkka
Puotilan Manor from 1969, Pentti "Poppamies" Kemppainen and Calle
Lindholm's kingdom), TF (Teknologföreningen), Heikintori Disco (TICO limu disco
in the youth center basement), Vesimies (in Dipoli) and Oscu were legends or
sensations. Didn't Oscu sometimes have strippers in the disco (the most famous
being Louizi Riviere) for 18 year olds!! Vesimies was advertised as the world's
biggest disco. (Joke clarifies: Oscu was with Taku and me at the Mammouth-Fest
gig in Hanken, and ME was booked as a mulatto professional stripper Go-Go girl
and was completely naked in the climax of her part. Warm reception from the
students. (By the way, there was a nice lady backstage).
Student union discos; Hämis (Joke: Late Tavastia, the
starting point for the Make&Börje pair), Eso Disco, Botta, Wiipurin Pamaus,
Old house Summer Club (Old), Smash Club (TF) and Kynssit, Monopoli (Old Poli),
WSOP, Afrodite Club, Kyklooppi, Pontus (J: Merihotelli, started as a nightclub
disco in '67), Red Room (continued downstairs on the Kalastajatorp), Lido and
"66". Kyklooppi was advertised as "The DJs Takku and Jokke spin
records and make sure that the best bands and artists in the country come to
perform. Address: Pohjois-Rautatienkatu 21". (Joke: Central beer place in
the basement, difficult concept)
IN
TURKU, there was a Pop-kellari at Linnakatu 32 and there was
also a disco at Linnakatu 43.
PORI City Youth Service Toejoki Disco
HARJAVALTA and Valtatie 2 - there was a disco there in
connection with a dance venue. There was also a disco in Ulvila.
LAPPEENRANTA; Along Valtakatu. Founded in 1969. (Joke:
So the aforementioned DJ LISKO's municipal, ill I in Finland, place founded on
Limupohja, formerly a movie theater, Heikki Linko was the PJ of Nuorten
Demarien, and pulled all the right strings).
KUOPIO; Osmo ship disco. That is, the disco that the
tech guys put on the ship. There was also a disco at the City Hotel. (DJ NITE
was raging in schools and on stages in the Kalakukko area from spring '68 and
continues to this day)
VAASA; Maximilian Discotheque and the School of Business
School's Cellar.
HÄMEENLINNA; City Hotel Disco.
JOENSUU; Richard VIII and Kukkodisco (formerly known as
Kolme Kukkoa) and Wienitär-disco (Joke: Later Kimmeli Nightclub)
JYVÄSKYLÄ; Raatikellari, Rantasipi Disco in Laajavuori,
"Makrilli", which was founded in 1968, Ylioppilastalo Disco.
LAHTI; Nuutti-Grill, Rautakamari, Torvi
OULU; Court jester, Raati Youth Centre
MÄNTYHARJU; Mäntyharjun Kantakievari (Joke: DJ Kake
Randelin's jumping-off point, DJ KAITSU Salomaa also started here, disco nights
a couple of times a week)
1971
Paris and London declared that a mute DJ is the best DJ,
meaning that at least some of the guys played the songs in a row. Not mixed for
sure. That's how it worked at the "Whisky A-go-go" club in London
back in 1967. Honky Tonk Woman was followed by Papa's Got a Brand New Bag. On
the other hand, in London, DJs did jam quite hard between and over records. For
example, Rosko, Kenny Everett (so-called radio DJs)
In London, pubs and discos were combined and disco pubs
were born; the gang would sip beer while listening to the latest hits on
records. Although the Marquee club was also called a pub disco, even though it
was clearly a small club. At least it was in 67, 68 and 69, 70 when I went
there. The Round House Chalk Farm was a combination of disco and locomotive
shed club. Bands, DJ atmosphere.
Tobacco industry and discos; Marlboro rounds; Joke, (Ja
Takku at the beginning), Lisko with a little delay and Kurronen Ripa (Jazz
dancer) acted as a lightman. The best that could happen in discos; screens and
light shows. Tuhkalan Ripa ran the Colt tour with a Reggae theme. Or at least
"Reggae got soul" was Ripa's favorite song and was played on the
rounds. I don't think he had any other reggae songs at the time. (Joke: I
remember teaching Lambada to the crowd with his partner)
1977
The first Tiskijukkasat were organized, in which Lappeenranta's own DJ Edward (Vesala) participated, among others. He won the qualifiers in his own city. The Helsinki qualifiers were won by Erkki "Uncle Eki" Rapo, RIP, you remember the man. In the Tampere semi-finals, the jury included Juice Leskinen, Tapio Korjus (Rockadillo) and Waldemar Wallenius (Soundi). The final was organized in Hesa's Tavastia and DJ Edward won. DJ Roxy came in second.
Was it the same year that Lappeenranta DJs HAMMU
(Rauhala), INA and USA set a Finnish record for Tiskijukkailu by playing for
101 hours straight?
1978
Discophone released the first SUPER SINGLE, or 12"
maxi, which was really well-received by the public. The album included KC and
The Sunshine Band's "Shake, Shake, Shake (Your Booty)"/ JK & P
(Jouko, Kosti and Paavo)'s "C'est La Vie (sanoi vaari)"/ Reijo
Karvonen's "Munkki Fankki"/ Bengt Huhta's "Indian Girl".
I'm doing a more in-depth study of Torvi's history, and
I also need to find out about Rautakamari, where I probably went to play in
1969, Pekka Nurmikallio's Pataässä-Disco and Heinonen Jonin Catacombi. Heinola
rural Funky Maruscha was a legend. The only club in Finland that served only
strict black funky, in the old military police building in Heinola rural
municipality. And they came to the place to accelerate the progress of the
strict concept from behind the corners.
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.jpg)
Eimsbütteler Chaussee 5, Hamburg
Jens Lissat, Sven Geiss, Peter Romer – resident DJs
Jörg Schönemann, "Lightjockey" (LJ)
and
Sharon Lee – DJ at Trinity from 1978 to 1979. She previously performed at New York's Studio 54 and was one of the first DJs to play at Trinity.
Robbie Leslie – DJ at New York's Studio 54 and performed at Trinity's Hamburg parties.
Michael Gold – DJ who performed at Trinity in the 1980s.
Andreas Schubert – also known as "Schubi"
Jeff Burke – DJ who performed at Trinity in the 1980s.
Seven interior designers worked for five months, devoting approximately 2,000 hours to creating over 100 detailed plans, which were then implemented over several months.
The sound system was built by Richard Long and Associates, New York. 10,000 watts of power, including two subwoofers under the dance floor and 30 speakers arranged in groups around the dance floor. Four power amplifiers and a two-channel DBX equalizer. Experts from Richard Long were called in to tune the system for optimal sound. The dance floor was 200 m², with 350 seats and room for approximately 1,000 people. The rooms were large for the time, the equipment expensive, and the lighting system, overseen by a designated "lighting specialist," complex.
The disco opened in December 1978 in the former Kaisersaal dance hall and closed in 1986. Attempts were made to revive it, but the times, the people, and the atmosphere were gone …
check this link wonderful discotheque history website
--- http://www.trinity-hamburg.de/index.htm
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