TODAY: SEPTEMBER 16TH, 2014.
30 YEARS AGO TODAY THIS MIXTAPE: SEPTEMBER 16TH, 1984.
The Twilight Zone was truly my favorite nightclub at 185 Richmond Street, Toronto. Its doors were opened in 1980 and closed in 1989.
Denise Benson --a Toronto-based journalist/broadcaster and DJ-- in her article for TheGrid (which is a weekly magazine) described the nightclub in her own words:
"...a magical late-night place where the mix of people was just as eclectic as the music itself. The Twilight Zone embraced the collage of sounds that came to define the 1980s, as local and international DJs played disco, funk, electro, early hip-hop, new wave, freestyle, house and techno over the years, and on an infamously state-of-the-art sound system. The Twilight Zone was the place to be, with large, diverse crowds dancing until morning week after week." (http://www.thegridto.com/culture/music/then-now-the-twilight-zone/)
On a Sunday night, September 16th, 1984, at the young age of 13 years old and supposed to be in bed for school the following day, my elder brother snuck me in The Twilight Zone. He took me straight to the DJ booth. As I entered the booth, I gave the DJ a blank 90-minute TDK cassette tape. He took my tape, inserted it in the deck, hit record, and I just sat on the sofa next to the booth and listened to the music all night long.
The DJ that night was no other than the legendary Greg Howlett. He was Toronto's best who broke new grounds. Howlett's friend and DJ comrade, Vince Degiorgio (songwriter/producer), describes Greg "as masterful DJ who played in clubs straight and gay. His mixing style was described as positively sublime and built a rush. Howlett was a rock star before DJ's were allowed to be. He would spin music (which never lets you off the hook) for hours, more than four nights a week" at all the clubs and gigs. Greg Howlett passed away in 1992, and his music and memory will forever live on.
In honor and tribute to both Greg Howlett and The Twilight Zine club, I have digitized in Protools the tape mix (which Howlett recorded for me on that Sunday night, September 16th, 1984). I took out most of the hiss-noise and did a little mastering for your listening pleasure. Please sit back and enjoy this time capsule of sounds from 30 years ago.
I am Hashmoder
