Live at the Paradise Garage

• Artist: Larry Levan
• Rating:
• Release Date: September 05, 2000
• Type: Live, Mix-album
• Genre: Rhythm & Blues

Review

Larry Levan is one of the few legendary figures in contemporary dance music, a DJ and remixer whose reliance on audiophile-level sound, in both the clubs he played and the records he selected, set a standard that, according to many witnesses, has never been equalled. In the years after his death in 1992, dance fans were forced to content themselves with his remix work, which admittedly, made for some great post-productions. Despite the lack of material, his legend has persisted primarily as a DJ, and primarily for his residency at one of the most revered clubs in the history of dance, the Paradise Garage. And in late 2000, more than 20 years after it was recorded, a relic from another era appeared on the British rare groove label Strut Records. High expectations notwithstanding, Levan comes through with a stunning, invigorating 80-minute set of disco movers and sweet Philly soul, the performances almost as uplifting and the bass almost as chunky as they must've sounded at the original SoHo nightspot. Though it's virtually untouched by Levan's notorious genre-bending (the Clash's "Should I Stay or Should I Go" was a Garage favorite), Live at the Paradise Garage is one of the best, and best-sounding, documents of the disco era ever produced. And it's a rare latter-day disco fan who will have heard many of these tracks before; though many of the artists are familiar (the Supremes, Cher, Shalamar, the Chi-Lites, Ashford & Simpson), Levan selected songs with great productions or the right tone to reflect his moods. Though the spotlight is clearly on Levan's mixing, a few highlights do appear, including "Angel in My Pocket" by Change, "By the Way You Dance (I Never Knew It Was You)" by Bunny Sigler, and "Get on the Funk Train" by Giorgio Moroder's Munich Machine. Clearly a labor of love (as well as an invaluable musical and historical document) from the people at Strut, Live at the Paradise Garage includes a complete history of both the club and Levan himself, as well as dozens of photos and reminiscences from inheritors like François Kevorkian, Danny Tenaglia, Joe Claussell, and Danny Krivit included in its 36-page book. ~ John Bush, All Music Guide

Tracks

CD 1

Track Title	Composers	Performers	Time
Bourgié Bourgié	Valerie Simpson, Nickolas Ashford	Ashford & Simpson	(5:47)
It's Music	Charles Buie	Damon Harris	(4:53)
At Midnight	Theophilus "T" Coakley, David Mackey	T-Connection	(5:45)
Put Your Body in It	Edward Moore, Howard King	Stephanie Mills	(6:05)
Dreaming a Dream	Freida Nerangis	Crown Heights Affair	(3:05)
By the Way You Dance (I Never Knew It Was You)	Dennis Richardson, L. Davis	Bunny Sigler	(6:51)
Right in the Socket	Leon F. Sylvers III, Kevin Spencer, Dick Griffey	Shalamar	(3:02)
Take Me Home (Lyrics)	Bob Esty, Michele Aller	Cher	(6:09)
Pick Me up, I'll Dance	John Whitehead, Gene McFadden	Melba Moore	(3:56)
Get on the Funk Train	Pete Bellotte, Giorgio Moroder	Munich Machine	(4:55)
Here We Go Again	Leon Huff	People's Choice	(3:19)

CD 2

Track Title	Composers	Performers	Time
Here We Go Again [Cont.]	Leon Huff	People's Choice	(:28)
Bad Mouthin'	Michael Lee Smith		(4:57)
Let Yourself Go (Lyrics)	Brian Holland, Harold Beatty, Eddie Holland	The Supremes	(3:47)
Angel in My Pocket	David Romani	Change, Goody Music Orchestra	(5:28)
Smack Dab in the Middle	Michael Lee Smith, Milt Tennant, Thom Page	Janice McClain	(4:46)
Sun... Sun... Sun...	Johnny Melfi		(2:37)
Trinidad	John Gibbs	John Gibbs	(4:07)
My First Mistake	Phil Hurtt, Richard Rome	The Chi-Lites	(3:36)
Erucu	Don Daniels, Jermaine Jackson	Jermaine Jackson	(5:42)

Credits

Britt Britton (Producer), Frankie Knuckles (Author), The Supremes (Performer), Leon Huff (Producer), People's Choice (Performer), Cory Wade (Producer), Andy Reynolds (Coordination), John Whitehead (Producer), Joe Tarsia (Engineer), Bob Esty (Arranger), Munich Machine (Performer), Janice McClain (Performer), Junior Vasquez (Author), John Gibbs (Performer), Nickolas Ashford (Producer), Larry Levan (Remixing), Gene McFadden (Producer), Milt Tennant (Producer), Richard Rome (Producer), Edison Youngblood (Engineer), Reggie Lucas (Producer), Manny Lehman (Photography), David Romani (Conductor), Stephanie Mills (Performer), Minnie Levan (Photography), Mel Cheren (Photography), Jacques Fred Petrus (Producer), Pete Bellotte (Producer), Mel Cheren (Producer), Alexis Maryon (Photography), Larry Hatchett (Arranger), Amp Associate (Design), Freida Nerangis (Producer), Leon F. Sylvers III (Producer), Antonio Rossano (Coordination), Larry Levan (DJ), Cory Wade (Arranger), Melba Moore (Performer), Cher (Performer), Keith Haring (Author), Gil Askey (Arranger), Leon Huff (Arranger), Tom Moulton (Mastering), Paolo Gianolio (Conductor), Goody Music Orchestra (Performer), Simon King (Photography), Danny Krivit (Photography), Jermaine Jackson (Producer), Danny Tenaglia (Author), Larry Levan (Production Concept), The Chi-Lites (Performer), Budd Ellison (Producer), Johnny Melfi (Producer), Michael Lee Smith (Producer), Mel Cheren (Coordination), Bob Esty (Conductor), Paul Riser (Arranger), T-Connection (Arranger), Ashford & Simpson (Performer), Valerie Simpson (Producer), Bunny Sigler (Producer), Quinton Scott (Coordination), Crown Heights Affair (Performer), Shalamar (Performer), Larry Levan (Engineer), François Kevorkian (Author), David Depino (Photography), David Depino (Author), Thom Page (Producer), Daniel Martinez (Photography), Michael Lee Smith (Arranger), Judy Russell (Photography), Giorgio Moroder (Producer), James Mtume (Producer), Damon Harris (Performer), Kenny Gamble (Producer), Nick Barratta (Photography), Paolo Gianolio (Arranger), Bob Esty (Producer), Greg Vaughn (Mastering), David Romani (Arranger), Kiko Mera (Graphic Design)