Welcome to this Paradise Garage special celebrating the genius of Larry Levan on what would have been Larry Levan’s 66th birthday and also a celebration of the talent and elegance of Grace Jones.
Covering Disco, Funk, Rare Groove, House, Latin and Soul plus special Worldwide delights, this is an up beat vibe that will sure to get your head bobbing and your toes tapping.
Expect Classic and Larry Levan reworked tracks by Grace Jones, Chic, Blondie, The Pointer Sister's, Diana Ross, Sylvester and Gwen Guthrie.
There's also a bunch of tracks that you quite possibly may have not heard before thrown in and thrown down for good measure.
To describe The Paradise Garage here is an article by Vice:
"'Saturday Mass' is what people called Larry Levan's DJ sets at New York's most legendary nightclub, the Paradise Garage. "Larry would preach through his music from the DJ booth, just like a minister or priest does from a pulpit," says DJ and close friend of Levan's David DePino. Levan delivered his sermon each weekend, from the club's opening in 1977 (while it was still in construction) to the day the Garage forever closed its doors in the summer of 1987.
Located, true to its name, in a parking garage on 84 King Street in Manhattan, it was one of the only clubs ever built for a specific DJ. As a venue it was relatively nondescript, but what it lacked in decor it made up for with its much-revered sound system and passionate members. The Garage's legend is synonymous with that of Levan, who was the club's resident DJ in the most literal sense; at one point even living in the building. He treated it with the reverence accorded to a house of worship: repositioning the sound system on the night, stopping his set at 2AM to polish the mirrorballs, and even ensuring that the bins were thoroughly cleaned. All of which seems unthinkable for a DJ today but then the Garage was more than just a club, it was Levan's vision of paradise.
For the Garage's congregation, the private membership policy offered them some sense of sanctuary and ownership. It was one of the few clubs in New York which the gay, and predominantly African-American and Latino, patrons could genuinely call their own. "The Garage was a place for people that were not accepted in society, a place from them to be free, to be who they are," says Victor Rosado, who worked at the club. Even with the momentum of the gay rights movement post-Stonewall, homophobic violence on the streets and police harassment continued largely unabated. "It took a while to build the trust of the gay community," says DePino. Eventually, the gay nights on Friday took off with the already popular Saturdays drawing a more mixed flock.
Levan delighted in playing tricks on both his friends and audience, whether by playing the same song over and over for an hour or jolting the dancefloor with a sudden blast of bass. But his signature technique was weaving a narrative from the sentiments and lyrics of the records he played, describing each as a new sentence or paragraph in the stories he was trying to tell over his 12 hour sets."
This is one special mix put together with Love.
Enjoy the warm energetic vibes!
To receive all future shows and access older ones please also Follow on Soundcloud @thefunkassassin
For all past shows click here ==> soundcloud.com/thefunkassassin/sets/the-word-is-love-soul-funk
Facebook: www.facebook.com/TheFunkAssassin/
Instagram: www.instagram.com/the_funk_assassin/
The show is dedicated to Tate Liverpool for putting on an amazing Keith Haring exhibition that ended on 10th November 2019, the day this show was recorded and then aired on Larry Levan’s 66th Birthday. The exhibition was enjoyed by many, especially youngsters new to the pop art style and music of the time.
The show is also dedicated to all Activists of Peace and Love.