Private Eyes (nightclub)

Last updated

Private Eyes was a video nightclub located at 12 West 21st Street in Manhattan. [1] The club was owned by Robert Shalom. [2] It was a popular nightspot in the 1980s that catered to a variety of growing underground music scenes in its heyday. With 34 television screens, Private Eyes had an unusually advanced state-of-the-art video and sound system for its time. [3]

History

Due to the rise of MTV, the popularity of music videos increased and it reinforced the visuals in pop music. [4] 25-year-old Robert Shalom capitalized off this burgeoning visual art form and opened Private Eyes on July 17, 1984. [3] [1] Steve Sukman, vice president for program relations of the club, told Billboard magazine, "We have a commitment to music videos ... and we work very closely with record companies." [5]

The 500-capacity club didn't have a defined dance area. "It's like a living room with the coffee table pushed aside," said Sukman. [5] Due to the club having 34 television screens, New York Magazine described it as "a department-store television section, except at Private Eyes you can have a beer and you can’t change the channel." [6] The highly equipped club took advantage of new technology. Their tape library was cost-effectively built on VHS to deliver high quality. [5] By 1985 the club had nine tape decks to be programmed onto any of the screens. Video Jockeys were able to offer numerous combinations of promo clips. [7]

Actress Bette Midler had a viewing party for her HBO concert film Art or Bust at the club in August 1984. [3]

Pop star Madonna had her Like a Virgin album release party at the club on November 7, 1984. [8] Attendees included artists Andy Warhol and Jean-Michel Basquiat. [9]

In 1992, Private Eyes was purchased by a few of the owners of The Sound Factory, and it was reopened as the Sound Factory Bar. [10] [11]

Related Research Articles

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Andy Warhol</span> American artist, film director, and producer (1928–1987)

Andy Warhol was an American visual artist, film director, producer, and leading figure in the pop art movement. His works explore the relationship between artistic expression, advertising, and celebrity culture that flourished by the 1960s, and span a variety of media, including painting, silkscreening, photography, film, and sculpture. Some of his best-known works include the silkscreen paintings Campbell's Soup Cans (1962) and Marilyn Diptych (1962), the experimental films Empire (1964) and Chelsea Girls (1966), and the multimedia events known as the Exploding Plastic Inevitable (1966–67).

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Madonna</span> American singer and actress (born 1958)

Madonna Louise Ciccone is an American singer, songwriter, and actress. Known as the "Queen of Pop", Madonna has been widely recognized for her continual reinvention and versatility in music production, songwriting, and visual presentation. She has pushed the boundaries of artistic expression in mainstream music while maintaining control over every aspect of her career. Her works, which incorporate social, political, sexual, and religious themes, have generated both controversy and critical acclaim. A prominent cultural figure spanning both the 20th and 21st centuries, Madonna remains one of the most "well-documented figures of the modern age", with a broad array of scholarly reviews, literature, and art works about her, as well as an academic mini subdiscipline devoted to her called Madonna studies.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Nick Rhodes</span> English musician and keyboardist of Duran Duran (born 1962)

Nick Rhodes is an English keyboardist and producer, best known as a founding member and the keyboardist of the band Duran Duran. He is also informally monikered as "the Controller", after being introduced as such on stage by bandmate Simon Le Bon during the Astronaut album world tours of 2004–2005.

<i>Duran Duran</i> (1981 album) 1981 studio album by Duran Duran

Duran Duran is the debut studio album by the English new wave band Duran Duran, released on 15 June 1981 through EMI. Produced by Colin Thurston, it was recorded in London and Oxfordshire between December 1980 and January 1981. The instrumental tracks were recorded quickly, but vocalist Simon Le Bon initially struggled to sing in the studio, leading to discussions about replacing him before EMI employee Dave Ambrose intervened.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">The Factory</span> Andy Warhols New York City studio

The Factory was Andy Warhol's studio in New York City, which had four locations between 1963 and 1987. The Factory became famed for its parties in the 1960s. It was the hip hangout spot for artists, musicians, celebrities and Warhol's superstars. The original Factory was often referred to as the Silver Factory. In the studio, Warhol's workers would make silkscreens and lithographs under his direction.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Material Girl</span> 1984 single by Madonna

"Material Girl" is a song recorded by American singer Madonna for her second studio album, Like a Virgin (1984). It was released on January 23, 1985, by the Sire label as the second single from Like a Virgin. It also appears slightly remixed on the 1990 greatest hits compilation, The Immaculate Collection, and in its original form on the 2009 greatest hits compilation, Celebration. The song was written by Peter Brown and Robert Rans, while Nile Rodgers produced the track. Madonna explained that the concept of the song was indicative of her life at that time, and she liked it because she felt it was provocative.

<i>Heartbeat City</i> 1984 studio album by The Cars

Heartbeat City is the fifth studio album by American new wave band The Cars, released on March 13, 1984, by Elektra Records. This marks the band's first album not produced by long-time producer Roy Thomas Baker, instead opting to produce with Robert John "Mutt" Lange. Considered a "comeback" album for The Cars, Heartbeat City represented a return to the success of the band's self-titled debut album.

<i>Madonna</i> (album) 1983 studio album by Madonna

Madonna is the debut studio album by American singer-songwriter Madonna, released on July 27, 1983, by Sire Records. After having established herself as a singer in downtown New York City, Madonna was signed by Sire president Seymour Stein, due to the club success of her debut single, "Everybody" (1982). She became the sole writer for most of the album's tracks, and chose Reggie Lucas as its primary producer. Unhappy with Lucas's production outputs, she invited John "Jellybean" Benitez to complete the album; he remixed three tracks and produced "Holiday".

John Benitez (born November 7, 1957), also known as Jellybean, is an American musician, songwriter, DJ, remixer, and music producer. He has produced and remixed artists such as Madonna, Whitney Houston, Michael Jackson, and the Pointer Sisters. He was later the executive producer of Studio 54 Radio. In December 2016, Billboard magazine ranked him as the 99th most successful dance artist of all-time.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Like a Virgin (song)</span> 1984 song by Madonna

"Like a Virgin" is a song recorded by American singer Madonna from her second album of the same name. The song was written and composed by Tom Kelly and Billy Steinberg, and it was released as the album's lead single on October 31, 1984. A dance song with two hooks, Madonna sings in a high register while a continuous arrangement of synths are heard along the bassline. The song's lyrics are ambiguous, consisting of hidden innuendos and open to various interpretations.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Vogue (Madonna song)</span> 1990 single by Madonna

"Vogue" is a song by American singer Madonna from her second soundtrack album, I'm Breathless (1990). It was released as the first single from the album on March 27, 1990, by Sire Records. Madonna was inspired by vogue dancers and choreographers Jose Gutierez Xtravaganza and Luis Xtravaganza from the Harlem "House Ball" community, the origin of the dance form, and they introduced "vogueing" to her at the Sound Factory club in New York City. "Vogue" is a house song which set trends in dance music in the 1990s with strong influences of 1970s disco within its composition. "Vogue" also contains a spoken section, in which Madonna name-checks various "Golden Age" Hollywood stars. Lyrically, the song is about enjoying oneself on the dance floor no matter who one is and it contains a theme of escapism. "Vogue" has appeared in a remixed form on three of Madonna's greatest hits compilations: The Immaculate Collection (1990), Celebration (2009) and Finally Enough Love (2022).

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Erotica (song)</span> 1992 single by Madonna

"Erotica" is a song by American singer Madonna from her fifth studio album of the same name (1992). It was written and produced by both Madonna and Shep Pettibone, with additional writing from Anthony Shimkin. In Australia and most European countries, the song was released as the album's lead single on September 29, 1992; in the United States, it was set to be released the following day, but after being leaked and played on several radio stations, the release date was held back until October 13. The song continued Madonna's exploration of spoken word vocals, which she had introduced in "Justify My Love" (1990). A pop hip-hop and dance song with Middle Eastern influences, its lyrics talk about sadomasochism, with the singer using the alter ego Dita and inviting her lover to be submissive while she makes love to him.

Manuel "Man" Parrish is an American songwriter, vocalist and producer. He, along with artists such as Yellow Magic Orchestra, Kraftwerk, Art of Noise, Arthur Baker, Afrika Bambaataa, John Robie, Jellybean Benitez, Lotti Golden, Richard Scher and Aldo Marin, helped create and define electro in the early 1980s.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Deeper and Deeper</span> 1992 single by Madonna

"Deeper and Deeper" is a song by American singer Madonna from her fifth studio album, Erotica (1992). It was written and produced by both Madonna and Shep Pettibone, with additional writing from Anthony Shimkin. In Australia and most European countries, the song was released as the album's second single on November 17, 1992; in the United States, a release was issued on December 8. It was included on Madonna's second greatest hits compilation, GHV2 (2001). A dance-pop and deep house song, it has disco and Philadelphia soul influences; the bridge features instrumentation from flamenco guitars and castanets, and features background vocals from the singer's collaborators Donna De Lory and Niki Haris. Lyrically, the song talks about sexual desire, though it has been argued that it is actually about a young man coming to terms with his homosexuality, and includes a reference to Madonna's single "Vogue" (1990).

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. There were other reincarnations of the club until 2004.

Scratch video was a British video art movement that emerged in the early to mid-1980s. It was characterised by the use of found footage, fast cutting, and multi-layered rhythms. As a form of outsider art, it challenged many of the establishment assumptions of broadcast television, as well of those of gallery-bound video art.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Keeps Gettin' Better</span> 2008 single by Christina Aguilera

"Keeps Gettin' Better" is a song by American singer Christina Aguilera from her first greatest hits album, Keeps Gettin' Better: A Decade of Hits (2008). It was released as the album's lead single on September 22, 2008, by RCA Records. The song was written by Aguilera and Linda Perry, with the latter producing the song. After giving birth to her son Max, Aguilera looked to "come up with something new and fresh", developing a "futuristic" era of her career. "Keeps Gettin' Better" is an electroclash and electropop song, and was inspired by the likes of Andy Warhol and Goldfrapp. Its lyrics portray Aguilera as a superheroine.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">The Andy Warhol Museum</span> Museum dedicated to Andy Warhols art

The Andy Warhol Museum is located on the North Shore of Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, in the United States. It is the largest museum in North America dedicated to a single artist. The museum holds an extensive permanent collection of art and archives from the Pittsburgh-born pop art icon Andy Warhol.

<i>Orange Prince</i> (1984) 1984 painting by Andy Warhol

Orange Prince(1984) is a painting by American artist Andy Warhol, of Prince, the American singer, songwriter, record producer, multi-instrumentalist, actor, and director. The painting is one of twelve silkscreen portraits on canvas of Prince created by Warhol in 1984, based on an original photograph provided to Warhol by Vanity Fair. The photograph was taken by Lynn Goldsmith. These paintings and four additional works on paper are collectively known as the Prince Series. Each painting is unique and can be distinguished by colour.

Martin Burgoyne was a British-born artist. Burgoyne befriended singer Madonna before she was famous and he was a key figure in her early career. He managed her first club tour and designed the cover for her 1983 single "Burning Up."

References

  1. 1 2 Fier, Bruce (1993-08-22). Start and Run a Money-Making Bar. McGraw Hill Professional. ISBN   978-0-8306-4246-5.
  2. ↑ Gross, Michael (1986-02-14). "CASTING THE CHARACTERS FOR SUCCESSFUL CLUBS". The New York Times. ISSN   0362-4331 . Retrieved 2022-06-13.
  3. 1 2 3 "Screens". The New Yorker. August 20, 1984. pp. 26–28. Retrieved 2022-06-13.
  4. ↑ Vole, Maria (January 21, 2022). "The evolution of MTV and music videos - Reader's Digest". www.readersdigest.co.uk. Retrieved 2022-06-13.
  5. 1 2 3 McCormick, Moria (November 17, 1984). "Video Venues Surround Audiences with Wall-to-Wall Sights and Sounds". Billboard: The World of Video Music: MV8, MV17.
  6. ↑ "The Environment Clubs". New York Magazine: 71. July 2–9, 1984.
  7. ↑ "Club Jocks Tell How They Remix It Up". Billboard. October 19, 1985. p. 60.
  8. ↑ Bego, Mark (2000). Madonna: Blonde Ambition. Cooper Square Press. p. 103. ISBN   978-0-8154-1051-5.
  9. ↑ Warhol, Andy; Hackett, Pat (1989). The Andy Warhol Diaries. New York, NY : Warner Books. p. 613. ISBN   978-0-446-51426-2.
  10. ↑ "New York City House". daily.redbullmusicacademy.com. Retrieved 2022-08-07.
  11. ↑ Fikentscher, Kai (2000-08-18). "You Better Work!": Underground Dance Music in New York. Wesleyan University Press. p. 72. ISBN   978-0-8195-6404-7.
This page is based on this Wikipedia article
Text is available under the CC BY-SA 4.0 license; additional terms may apply.
Images, videos and audio are available under their respective licenses.