Nicky Siano was born in Brooklyn, New York, in March 18, 1955
At the age of 15 he went to a
club for the first time, the Firehouse. He imediatly fell in love with the music
and the nightlife. He just had to get hold of those great records they played. He searched
all the record stores for songs like "Rain" by Dorothy Morrison.
His next great experience was when he was 16 and he got in at the Loft - it was at
this time he just know what he wanted more than anything - he wanted to become a DJ
!
He used to sit in his room back at his moms house and mix back and forth between a stereo
and a little phonograh, driving his friends and especially his girlfriend Robin insane. He
said to them "Listen to this mix" and forcing them to sit through every record
and change. He also used to quiz his friends on the records he played, things like who was
the artist and what label they were on.
Just a year after his visit at
the Loft, he was DJ'ing himself in public for the first time. His first gig was at the
Roundtable in 1971.
Then in 1972 at the young age of 17, Nicky and his brother opened up their
own club called the Gallery in Soho, Manhattan. They run the Gallery until 1978
when they choose to close down. The club fast became one of New York's most popular and
successful private clubs.
Much of the success of the club was just because of Nicky and his work behind the
turntables. Nicky just loved the music and loved playing it to the crowd. The people saw
how much he enjoyed playing for them and he was able to drive the dancing crowd into a
frenzy by selecting music that really turned him on, and the crowd loved it !
I asked Nicky if he thought he had any specific skills or likewise, but Nicky thinks it's
just a gift he had got. He have for example always been able to pick out the hit songs off
an album.
He continues with telling me about the DJ's role back in the 70'ies . . . Then DJ's ruled
the music scene and the radio did not dictate the DJ's. Instead the radio-jocks came to
the DJ's to see what they were playing, but the DJ's and the radio-jocks were united and
turned each other on to hot new records, and basically, they programmed the same music.
The mixes didn't have to be beat perfect, as they have today, but they needed to
sound good . . .
Also back then the clubs never had three turntables, just two, but one night Nicky had
this dream . . . He was playing records and this sound effect was playing during the mix.
The next morning he ripped his home turntable out and took it down to the Gallery and
within six months, every club in New York was using three turntables. Not many people know
what to do with three turntables, but Nicky sure did !!!
It was also at the Gallery two other famous DJ's started their careers and learned how to
beat mix, these guys were no less than Frankie Knuckles and the late Larry
Levan.
It was Frankie who first became friends with Robin, Nicky's girlfriend, she introduced
Frankie to Nicky and he got a job as a DJ in the club. Frankie introduced Nicky to a "wild,
but very talanted" friend of him, Larry Levan. Larry got hired as well and soon
he and Nicky became best friends . . .
Nicky's impact on the people
who entered his dancefloor was huge and the record-buying power he generated made him
wellknown among the record labels. He was the first to introduce and establish hits like "Love's
Theme" by the Love Unlimited Orchestra, "T.S.O.P." and "Love
is the Message" by MFSB. He also let new talents perform at the Gallery, Grace
Jones made her first US appearance there and Loleatta Holloway made her first live gig in the club.
The Gallery was frequented by stars as Patti La Belle, David Bowie and Mick
Jagger, and now the media started to notice the club and this popular DJ.
"Women's Wear Daily" called Nicky "a genius behind the turntables",
a 1975 story in the "N.Y. Daily News" named him "One
of the city's best DJs" and "New York" magazine's 1977 color photo
essay, on Manhattan's five most visually breathtaking nightspots, included Nicky's club
"The Gallery."
The great press plus the popularity of this DJ led Nicky into engagements at various other
New York clubs and in 1976 he started playing at a place called the Enchanted Garden
located in Queens. This club was owned by two guys called Ian Schrager and Steve
Rubell. These guys later was about to open up a new club located in W.54'th Street in
Manhattan and they asked Nicky if he would like to become one of their resident DJ's at
this club they would call - Studio 54.
 Just two weeks later Nicky played at the now legendary
club, Studio 54, for the first time. Nicky was one of their two resident DJ's, the
other was Richie Kaczor. Since Nicky played at the Gallery on the weekends he was
given the weeknights and Richie was given the weekends.
It was Richie who played the opening night, and the second night was Nicky's.
Nicky worked at Studio 54 for
about half a year, then he actually got fired because he preffered to spend hours in the
bathroom getting high on drugs insted of getting high on playing records in the DJ booth.
This Nicky told me himself when I got the chance to speak to him, but for the record I
also wanna tell that he stopped taking drugs many many years ago.
Nicky has got so many memories from the Studio that it would take a whole book to tell it
all, but one memorable night was when he played at the now famous Birthday bash for Bianca
Jagger, the one where she rode in on a white horse led by a naked bodypainted guy.
That night was a blast !
He also tells me a little about the owners of Studio 54, Steve and Ian. "Steve was
straight when I met him . . .? Ian was always the level headed business man, and he was
straight, all the time... I love them both, Steve and Ian were really good to me, and I
will always consider them great supporters and friends."
He thinks a little more and continues; "Yes, there was also this celebrity lounge at
54 that made sodom and gomora look like kindergarden !" [ Ooops - I guess we don't
wanna know what went on in there ! ]
Other precious memories are
some stories of the late Larry Levan, Frankie Knuckles, Grace Jones and Donna
Summer among others. But these memories we'll have to wait for until his movie - Dance
- is finished.
But . . . He tells me one memory of his dear friend Larry. "Larry and I were in
Gallery one day, and Larry was not exactly the most masculine guy, especially around me,
we used to camp it up a lot... Anyway, we were at the gallery one night and we hear
someone breaking in, so Larry goes and gets a crow bar we had in the back, and we ambush
the burgular and Larry says in his most butch voice "Hold it right there bro".
Well - I just cracked up laughing and the burgular thought we were both out of our minds .
. ."
I asked if Nicky had any mentors and/or artists he wanted to mention, and he said;
"DJ's like David Mancuso [owner and DJ at the Loft], Michael Cappello
and David Rodriguez [both DJ's at the "original" Limelight on 7'th Ave.
South] were my mentors. I have a real soft spot in my heart for Grace Jones, she made her
first US appearance at Gallery and the same for Loleatta Holloway . . .".
So . . . Did he really like Disco music during that time or was it just a job ?
He never thought it was just a job, he have always ate, slept and breathed music, even
when he was out of it for a while. The only type of music he doesn't care for is Opera and
Country music.
Unfortunatly he sold off his
original DJ collection years ago, but he kept some and have replaced some of it and
he says that he has got a really good collection now.
Some of his very favorite Disco tunes is; "Girl you need a change of mind"
by Eddie Kendricks, "Love is the message" by MFSB, "Mainline"
by Black Ivory, "Can't play around" by Lace, "Pull
up to the bumper" by Grace Jones, "I know you, I live you"
by Chaka Khan, "Moonshadow" by Labelle, "Love
sensation" by Loleatta Holloway, "My love is free" by Double
Exposure, "Get into something" by Isley Brothers, "I
can understand it" by Bobby Womack, "Where is the love"
by Betty Wright, "You + me + love" by Undisputed Truth, "Keep
in touch body to body" by Shades of Love, "Jump back" by Dahr
Braxton, "What I got is what you need" by Unique and "Is
it all over my face" by Loose Joints just to name a few... His list could
go on and on and on . . .
In 1978 Nicky
went into the recording business himself, he began producing records. His first project, "Kiss
Me Again" sold over 200,000 copies and it was written by and recorded for the
late Arthur Russel, under the name Dinosaur. This was actually the first
Disco single to be released on Sire Records... Arthur later founded the famous Sleeping
Bag Records in 1982, together with Will Socolov.
In 1983, Nicky produced and wrote the "Billboard" Top 10 dance record, "Pick
it Up" by Sofonda C. This record is the one he's most proud of, out of the
about 20 records he have produced.
But what is his best memory from his years in the music business ?
With no doubt he says; "Disco Convention 2, I was on the dais aswering questions when
I felt asleep, because I was bored and on drugs [which I stopped many years ago], anyway,
they were asking 20 DJ's the same questions over and over again... So when they got to me
and woke me up to ask me the same tired questions I answered to the 3000 attendees with a
bravado of "I AGREE" and the crowd went wild..."
In 1984, Nicky
was very affected by the death of his best friend and fellow DJ, David Rodriguez,
who succumbed to AIDS. Nicky's interest in the subject became his new obsession... As a
result, he began to work with HIV-infected persons, returned to school and obtained a
degree in social work. He soon became recognized as a leading authority on alternative
treatments for HIV infection. His research and expertise resulted in the widely praised,
best-selling HIV manual, "No Time to Wait" published by Bantam Books in 1993.
The book really touched and changed many peoples lifes and his work became known all over
the world. It was at this time director Mike Nichols called on Nicky to assist his
friend, Anthony Perkins. The relationship with Mike Nichols led to the screenplay Dance,
in which he will reveal some of his greatest memories for the Disco days...
On July 19, 1998,
Nicky returned to the turntables again and DeeJayed at Club Vinyl
on the Tribute birthday bash for the late Larry
Levan.
The club was packed to the max and the great response led to another
one night engagement at the club on September 18, 1998. This was another
great night, because besides Nicky behind the turntables, you could
also see Taana Gardner perform live!!!
 When
talking about Taana Gardner... Taana released a new record called
"I'm comin'" on West End Records in november
1998. The single was actually remixed by Nicky the night before their
performance at Club Vinyl. The song was written and produced by Kenton
Nix (the writer of Taana's old hits) together with Ray Reid and William
Anderson.
In November 14, 1998 the song was # 1 in the Billboard Hot Dance
Breakouts Chart and in DMA [Dance Music Authority] issue 1/99
it's at # 5 in the DMA Top 25 Radio Mix Show Chart !
News 2000 ; Nicky
played in Paris in October and he did some memorable shows in Italy
during the New Years.
He played various clubs like at :
Mazoon [ Dec 31] - Le Plasier [ Jan 01] - Extra
Extra [ Jan 08 ] and D! Club [ Jan 27 ] in
Lausanne Switzerland. And as Nicky says; "They all went
really well, especially the one at Extra Extra... I've been invited
back and will let you know in advance of my itinerary!"
So... Finally the DJ legend
and pioneer has found his way back to the dance floors where everything started almost 30
years ago. Welcome back Nicky...
Keep Rocking the floor -
'til we can't take it no more !!! |
