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Lary Sanders was born in 1949 in Detroit, Michigan and was one of three brothers in the family.
His parents loved music and had used to frequent the Detroit nightlife in their youth. For example they used to spend time in a
club called Menjo's, a club in which their son many years later would land an eight years DJ residency.
Lary and his two brothers grew up in 'Motown', but when he turned twenty Lary followed his urge to pursue a life in the 'Big Apple'
- New York City.
New York offered lots of opportunities for a young man in his 20's and Lary was working as a Junior Accountant prior to getting his
first DJ job in the very beginning of the 70's.
That was still a time when people hardly knew what a Disc-Jockey was...
[Discoguy] When did you start DJ'ing and which was your first gig?
"I began in 1972 at The Alibi, which was owned by Gwen Saunders (not Sanders!) on New York's East
Side."
How come you started DJ'ing? Was it something you wanted to do, or was it one of these things that just
"happens"?
"Come the spring/summer season of 1972, my partner and I had our first house on Fire Island in the Pines. After arriving
by ferry that first evening, we walked to the Sandpiper shortly after midnight and
the island magic, the energy, the mystique of it all stole my heart. For me it was like experiencing something supernatural while
Don Findlay, the Sandpiper's first disc-jockey, created a musical masterpiece for those of us lucky enough to be
on the cutting-edge and inside the most prestigious club on the Island, if not the world!
Tom Moulton was there too, debuting his reel to reel tapes that summer for
the who's who list of upstart fashion designers, models, socialites, celebrities, entrepreneurs and professionals of all walk. It
was under the esoteric influence of Findlay and Moulton that everyone united on this one very special dance floor just yards from
the Pines harbor where yachts anchored on the club's portside; the same dance floor that I was privileged to oversee as a Disc-Jockey
in 1976 & 77.
Prior to my inductive night at the Sandpiper, I would have been called a 'first-generation club-kid', although the conception of the
term 'club-kids' had not yet happened. I frequented Sanctuary,
Salvation, Tamburlaine, Limelight,
Tenth Floor and The Continental Baths
where Bette Midler got her start. In fact, it was at Ms. Midler's debut in '71 where I met Jorge whom I shared
my first Sandpiper dance with.
Jorge and I left the Island after Labor Day of that first summer and headed back to New York. While his appointment book was full at
his salon, I was feverishly heading to Colony Records on a daily basis, slowly building up an album and 45 r.p.m. record
collection. By December of that year (1972) I had my music in place and I confidently walked into my first venue toting a
Mark Cross designer bag filled with vinyl. There was no competition, per se, thus I was hired on the spot simply
because I displayed an exuberance, if not an outright passion, for deejaying. I had done my homework; I knew my music and it was
time for the booth-door to swing open. And it did! And I was thrilled... I had my first gig!"
As you started to DJ so very early, how did you actually work back then? I mean, there were no real DJ mixers, no
pitch controls and similar back then...
"Even though my first employ was brief, you're right, there were no pitch-controls... and no headphones, either! There was a mixer,
though, as archaic as it was.
My second club in '73 afforded me the luxury of pitch-controlled turntables, a club-mixer and headphones. What a difference a few
months made.
I vaguely remember at the Alibi, though, pressing my ear as close as possible to the head of the turntable's tone-arm without touching
it and, amazingly, I could faintly hear the beats through the stylus.
The trick, though, was to match a beat then in that split-second when both tracks were sync'd I'd punch one song in and pull the
other out - which, today, would be called a crossfade. It was hit or miss because while one song was nearing the end of its play time,
2nd and 3rd chances were just not available unless I broke midway into the song playing, say on the break. Even then, there was always
the element of risk resulting in chaos, imbalance and discord which deejays sarcastically label 'trainwreck'. But hey, we were
first-generation disc-jockeys and we always took risks; I would never have made it if I only played it safe. In '72 we were immersed
in the test-mode of a new profession and I was expected to take chances; that's how we developed our art. Playing it safe was reserved
for jukeboxes."
Haha! Right! So, What do you think made you successful? Any specific skills, special techniques or...?
"My answer is simple: Intense love and passion... A Burning Passion! Sounds like a 'Midnight Love Affair', doesn't it? But, in
truth, that's really what it is: A LOVE AFFAIR! Great artists join heart and soul to their work as do great DJ's, and from there come
the skills or techniques. I certainly don't lay claim to being one of the greats, yet, I will confess surrendering heart and soul to
that which brought forth my skills and/or techniques.
One of those skills was creating long-play versions before the advent of the 12" single, something I still enjoy doing 38-years later.
By using 7" 45-rpm A-side vocal tracks and B-side instrumental tracks, I could take a 3-minute song and extend it to an unheard length
of 6 or 7 minutes.
It took work, perseverance and practice so I'd be ready to implement any method during the course of a full-night behind the
turntables; but once applied the end-result pointed to a level of art-in-motion, e.g, the Supremes shorter track
of 'Where Did Our Love Go' fully laid into the longer version by Soft Cell. Those songs could be matched perfectly
with pitch-control, while the Motown version played simultaneously in its entirety. To this day, Tom Hayden
of TSR Records raves about the miracle-of-that-mix! And that's what I'm talking about when I say '...art in
motion'.
Phasing songs by playing both records simultaneously was ear-candy for everyone; I guess you could call that a technique! Also running
an identical track two or four beats behind the other, which created an echo or delayed-echo, made the same confection.
Hey! I remember that we were all quick-as-lightning to adopt slip-cue methods by replacing our turntables platter-rubber-covering
with our personalized felt pads.
And then the miracle of pitch-control: Its practice coupled with counting beats-per-minute [bpm's] enabled overlays that would've been
impossible in 1972.
Even before bpm's came into play, I'd listen for parts of songs that sounded like another. If we weren't counting beats then we were
listening for harmonic matches. Even at the earliest record-pool meetings we'd excitedly get-together and share our DISCOveries with
each other, 'this sounds like that, that song has the same melody as this, you won't believe how much these two tracks sound alike,
etc.' And that's how Disco grew in its early formation -- promotion! DJ's were united for the common good of a new industry.
I couldn't read or write music but my ear was tuned enough to hear keys and tracks that harmonize with each other. When I'd discover
a match I'd incorporate it into my programming and segues flowed without confusing the dancer. Mine was a music education in the
streets of Motown versus a formal music education in the halls of who-knows-where. Yet as narrow as the street was, it worked for me.
If I may add: it worked on a grand-scale for Barry White, the Maestro who, also, couldn't read or write music.
Whatever I chose to do as a DJ, I found when I did my homework and surrendered myself to the music then the crowds would have a great
time and, hopefully, a night to remember.
I think it's worth noting here that today's technology has spawned mixers that interface color-coded music-key identification to make
matching songs something which no longer depends upon one's ear alone. Some say that’s progress."
You DJ'ed for about 2 decades, how did the Club scene change over that time?
"I was fortunate to work in clubs from '72 to '93 that enthusiastically supported artists whose roots were, often, found in gospel.
And the two genres that came from that, which I embraced, were R&B/Soul and Disco. Interestingly, though, in the late 70's the 2nd
queen of Disco, Donna Summer
(Gloria Gaynor being the first), carried the world and my career to the next
level as Giorgio Moroder came on the scene with his formula of piercing
strings, hypnotic rhythms and delicious suites. Eventually Disco was transformed without losing its soul while, yet, another
gospel-rooted vocalist pioneered the path for a new genre simply known as Dance Music.
Whether it was R&B/Soul, Disco or Dance Music, it reigned supreme in legendary clubs such as Sanctuary, The Tenth Floor,
The Loft, The Sandpiper, Flamingo,
The Ice Palace, Studio 54
Paradise Garage and The Saint.
And then, sadly, as the 90's began and a millennium approached, the magic began to fade while a new generation came dancing out of
their closets hypnotized to heavily repetitive tracks totally dependent upon samples, loops and synthesizers. It seems in the twinkling
of an eye, the soul that had been the very heart of R&B, Disco and Dance Music was all but gone. And the spectrum of emotion which
filled our dance-floors over the years became a memory replaced by a new industry of beats and sounds with computer-technology as its
heart."
You left the DJ scene in 1993 - what have you done since then?
"After 21-years of mixing music, I found a different kind of mix by rolling up my sleeves and working alongside Mother Teresa's
nuns as a volunteer. That shift-of-energy began in Detroit and plateaued 6-years later along-side the Daughters of Charity at the
St. Vincent de Paul Society in San Francisco. From that point, I invested my education and became an assistant for an
investment-broker until I moved back to Detroit to be with my mom and dad in their last days. My dad recently passed away yet I’m
still here for my mom, so that's what I'm currently doing apart from my extended-edits and mixed compilations."
I'm really sorry to hear about your loss, Lary. Would you tell me why you gave up DJ'ing and would you like to go
back to it again?
"The magic had all but disappeared and without its beauty I was left alone in a DJ booth with a beast aka burnout. Like many in
the industry, I used drugs and alcohol to hide the loneliness of the magic, now gone, which was magnified as I increased my drug-use.
I was in a catch-22 and it all, finally, caught up with me. At last, I faced the reality and the reality was I needed a change of
lifestyle -- so I walked!
I returned ten-years later, this time on my own turf, in my own environment and in my own studio.
Granted, my private digs are not the same as a public venue but the freedom to create is no less -- in fact, now I'm not restrained
by club, crowd and/or managerial expectations. A re-found freedom to touch one’s heart with the soul of music is the space and time
where I currently live.
Would I DJ again? I'm not sure. If I’m to follow conscience then there are issues I’d need to weigh out before stepping back into a
DJ booth."
Lary has played many clubs, below are only the Clubs where he was a resident DJ;
| Year | Club | Location | Info |
| 1972-73 | | New York's East Side | Owned by Gwen Saunders |
| 1973-75 | | Jackson Heights | Popular Gay Disco in Jackson Heights was popular with the boys from Manhattan on Tuesday Nights (2 for 1 drinks). Club was packed to the rafters on Tuesdays, Fridays & Sundays |
| 1975-76 | | Kew Gardens | Popular Gay Disco in Kew Gardens which was popular after The Alley closed. The Tuesday Tradition continued and the boys from Manhattan continued to cross the East River |
| 1974-75 | | 10 Floor Bathhouse at 58 W. 15th St.,
New York | Entire 2nd floor was a discotheque. Some great after hours soirees. Jimmy Haynes was the 2nd deejay |
| 1975-76 | | East 39th Street at 2nd Ave.,
New York | Owned by Jimmy Merry, who also owned the Ice Palace on Fire Island, Ice Palace 57, the Red Parrot and others. Here Lary joined DJ Tony Smith |
| Summer 1976 | | Fire Island Pines | Legendary club on Fire Island |
| 1976-77 | | 599 Broadway @ Houston Street,
New York | Exclusive membership club owned by Michael Fesco |
| 1976-77 | | 180 Christopher Street,
New York | Wayne Scott and I and a deejay named Phil spun the records there until I left New York the 1st week of January in 1978. I don't know who followed after I left |
| Summer 1977 | | Fire Island Pines | Legendary club on Fire Island |
| 1977 | | 36 W 62nd St. @ Broadway,
New York | It was a former garage located on 62nd at Broadway and was the place to be before Studio 54 opened its red-velvet roped doors in '77. Limos lined the entire block and the who's who of the NYC jet-set was there; so was cocaine!!! Three deejays: Tom Savarese, Wayne Scott and Lary Sanders |
| 1977 | | 653 Broadway,
New York | It was here while playing New Years Eve '78 in front of some 2,000 revelers that I knew it was time to leave New York. I had successfully stepped behind Infinity's turntables and carried on the party which Bobby DJ Guttadaro began. Months later Jim Burgess stepped into the same booth |
| 1978-86 | | Detroit MI. | Major gay discotheque in Motown |
| 1986-88 | | Dallas TX. | A Levi Cruise Club |
| 1988-93 | | Detroit MI. | Major gay discotheque in Motown |
| 1988-89 | | Detroit MI. | Levi/Leather club with dancing |
| 1990-92 | | Detroit MI. | Levi/Leather club with dancing |
Of the clubs you have played in, do you have any favorites?
"Of course, the Sandpiper...
Freedom of expression was the norm, here, which translated into a dream-come-true for Disc-Jockeys breaking new songs. It wasn't
uncommon for a few record companies to send their promos with me on Friday so they could be played that evening before a live-crowd.
In turn I'd gauge the response and return my feedback to the PR departments to those companies. It was great! No other DJ in the
country had potential hits before I did, other than Bobby 'DJ' Guttadaro and Roy Thode at the
Ice Palace and Tom Savarese, also, from the Sandpiper.
Even more amazing was that if I didn't meet up with In-House PR Departments in the city before I left for the Island, at some point
on Friday I'd find test-pressings waiting for me in the booth before I began my night.
One Friday afternoon producer Jacques Morali and I took a limo ride all the
way to Sayville where we boarded the ferry while carrying the only pressing in the world of 'Fire Island' by The Village
People. I premiered it that night to an overflow crowd that went wild when they heard the lyrics:
Fire Island - it's a funky weekend, a funky funky weekend
It's the place where you'll find me, the sun and sea, the place where love is free, yeah
Fire Island - it's a funky weekend, a funky funky weekend
You never know just who you meet, maybe someone out of your wildest fantasies, yeah
Fire Island - it's a funky weekend, a funky funky weekend
Don't go in the bushes, don't go in the bushes
Don't go in the bushes, someone might grab ya, someone might grab ya
Don't go in the bushes, don't go, don't go in the bushes
Don't go in the bushes, someone might stab ya, someone might stab ya, yeah
Fire Island - it's a funky weekend, a funky funky weekend
Sea, plane or train will take you there, it's a paradise, there's also bus or cab, yeah
Fire Island - it's a funky weekend, a funky funky weekend
We can scream, but let's sing, we can do each other's thing, yeah
Fire Island - it's a funky weekend, a funky funky weekend
Groove at the Ice Palace (get down at the Monster)
Been there, been there (been there at the Blue Whale)
Peckin, I'm peckin (peckin' at the Sandpiper)
Pumpin, I'm pumpin (pumpin' at the Botel)
Fire Island, Fire Island - I'll take your hand (Fire Island) you take mine
We'll hit the groove (Fire Island) and really shake the times
There's a house (Fire Island) on your back
Boogie on down (Fire Island) follow me back (end)
Whether it was disco, dance, culinary or fashion, the Sandpiper on Fire Island was the summer-platform for New York, America and, even,
the world to promote those arts."
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Would you say there Was a different crowd in each of the clubs and will you expound on that? Were there songs that
were floorfillers in one club that didn't work in another club?
"These are great questions, Claes. [Discoguy] From venue to venue the crowds were different, particularly in those that
required memberships.
Clubs like the Tenth Floor, Flamingo and, finally, The Saint were supported predominately by affluent, white, gay men immersed in
the drug culture of the time. Therefore the crowds in those venues were in conformity regarding nights of high-energy disco,
morning-music (aka sleaze), amiable lighting and certain recreational drugs — so much so that there were even time frames for
ingesting the drugs! The members, actually, experienced related highs which helped create a selfsame environment and in order to do
that everyone had to be pretty much on the same page. Each club backed by its members was a familiar gathering of music, drugs and
sex. Everyone was tuned in with each other, everyone in broad agreement. With that said, you can understand the scrutiny over
membership applications.
Generally speaking, Studio 54 supporters would not feel comfortable at Flamingo or The Saint or, even,
12 West. Flamingo members would be out of their comfort-zone
at Studio and 12 West members, likewise, were mostly at home in the familiar surroundings at 12 West Street.
The way these clubs were structured from within, usually, mirrored the person who was the nucleus of it, e.g. Michael
Fesco's Flamingo. From that point the club began to radiate outward into an inner-sanctum that continued to grow into
membership. Put it all together... you had a large family.
And it was, generally, the membership clubs that knew best the music and the DJ's to be counted on for carrying them to the
mountain-top or bringing them down -- way down -- into the valley of sleaze, aka morning music, as only a Flamingo or Saint DJ could
well do.
Yes, there were familial cliques and politics yet members, usually, trusted the DJ of choice because they were brought in by the
club's inner-sanctum which afforded everyone a haven to party and get high. A haven to fly on LSD or MDA with high-energy Disco being
the wind beneath everyone’s wings or, likewise, a haven to ingest hypnotics and/or barbiturates an hour before the club's ritualistic
descent into Morning-Music, a tradition that began with DJ Ray Yeates at The Tenth Floor.
The DJ had to know the members and what they expected so that he could bring them down into the valley as they transitioned their
highs from top to bottom. Everything was synchronized; that's what I mean when I say those crowds were 'pretty much on the same
page'.
Flamingo and its predecessor, The Tenth Floor, were the winter venues for the summer crowds that went to Fire Island... the Saint,
too. That's why they closed their doors from Memorial Day to Labor Day.
It's my opinion that the collective summer mindset found in those three winter venues gave them a united mobile front all year long
which no other membership club ever had. Therefore I'd be hard-pressed not to call those three clubs 'the crème de la crème of New
York' with their time lines as a continuum of each other.
With their summer doors closed, 12 West gathered members that, either, stayed in the city from Memorial Day to Labor Day or came into
the city on Friday and/or Saturday Nights from places like New Jersey or Long Island.
12 West: great club, great DJ's, great music, great promos and great parties yet it was a different crowd. The affluent gay and white
New York City male that was strictly into Disco, drugs and promiscuity was fully immersed into the hedonistic summer doctrines of
Fire Island.
Then there were clubs like Sanctuary, Hollywood, Barefoot Boy,
Infinity, Hurrah and Studio 54 which offered surprising parallels of the gay
membership-club experience since alcohol was part of the mix. Of course, Studio 54 was second-to-none in its artistic presentation
of the Disco-experience.
With it's hand-picked-patrons fully supporting a wide spectrum of popular music, drugs and alcohol, Steve Rubell
and Ian Schraeger put on some of the world's greatest Disco productions, e.g. The Circus Party with a full cast
support from Ringling Bros. Barnum and Bailey Circus.
No matter the venue, be it Studio, Flamingo, the Saint, 12 West, Paradise Garage, Barefoot Boy,
The Loft, Infinity, Hurrah, etc., the crowds would always vary. Wherever the music and atmosphere was most personalized
for crowd or individual there one would find his comfort zone, his haven, his discotheque. One venue wasn't, necessarily, better than
the other; it's just where the patron's and/or the member's head was at in any given moment.
But the answer to your question regarding whether there were songs that were floor-fillers in one club that didn't work in another is
'Yes!'
'Pull Yourself Together' by Buddy Miles would have packed Flamingo's dance-floor to a point that it would be
impossible to even get on the floor. But the same song played at The Barefoot Boy would clear the floor.
Just goes to show how diverse the crowds and their musical tastes could be... like night and day!"
Can you name some special "anthems" for some of these clubs?
"The track I just mentioned, 'Pull Yourself Together' by Buddy Miles was Flamingo's anthem throughout its six or seven year
reign.
'Don't Take Away The Music' by Tavares was the Sandpiper's anthem during the summer of '76 when the co-ops (condos) tried to
shut us down.
And 'Love To Love You Baby' by Donna Summer was the song of songs at Man's Country, a Bath-House with Disco, for
obvious reasons."
Have you got any comments or special memories from some of the clubs you've mentioned?
"Ahhh yes... Flamingo! And here, again, I’ll echo my own affirmation. After Labor Day its supporting cast was no less than the male
lineup of Fire Island Pines. The theme parties were huge Mardi Gras style events while Flamingo's exclusive membership policy made it
impossible for undesirables to gain entrance. To be a member was to be on the cutting edge of New York's gay underground nightlife.
It was a winter ritual: The hottest men in New York City came together every weekend to capture a moment in time where there was
perfect harmony on earth at the corner of Broadway and Houston. It was music, it was muscle, it was magic and it was the best
dance-club production in New York for that era.
And summer at The Sandpiper was no less; it was a mirrored image of the same music, muscle, men and magic that Flamingo produced in
the fall and winter.
From Memorial Day to Labor Day impelling melodies filled every square foot of the club's floor. Tanned and sweaty bodies crowded
together in rhythmic movement to the beat, joyously shouting their approval. Liquor flowed and drugs of all kind were riotously
consumed.
Even more: Wave after wave of pulsating energy flowed outside onto the adjacent boardwalks as song and medley pierced the summer
nights. Add the 'rich and famous' taking it all in as they lounged on 40 and 50 ft. yachts docked only yards from the dance-floor.
Simultaneously, anyone on the boardwalk, everyone in the club and each soul on the dance-floor was as much a star!
As Paul Jabarra sang; '...it's the only place in the universe [Fire Island] where everyone
shines no matter who or what they are...'
And shine they did! As I mentioned, these were the most handsome men of New York come to paradise by way of, either, seaplane or boat.
They expected no less than the best and deserved no less. They were demanding and not forgiving when music did not fit their moods.
So whether it was Savarese or myself deejaying (we alternated nights), we faced the challenge and ended up excelling beyond anyone's
expectation – even our own! Encores became the norm after a night's programming. Even more: another succession of songs had to be
played to accommodate the wild throng that would not accept the party's conclusion. Every Friday, Saturday and Sunday Nights for two
summers, we faced the pressure of the crowd's encore and more and responded by giving them what they wanted. By the end of the first
summer (1976) we had earned our credits. At the same time, Bobby DJ and Roy Thode were in Cherry Grove living up to their
reputations at The Ice Palace. So for those two summers, Bobby, Roy, Tom and I dominated the two major dance floors on the Island,
but only because we joined our very souls with every human being within ear shot of the clubs sound-systems. It was a collective
summer romance between disc-jockey and aficionado which overflowed with music, rhythm and harmony."
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| Faith, Hope & Charity | "You're My Peace Of Mind" / "Life Goes On" |
| Dr. Buzzard's Original Savannah Band | "Cherchez La Femme" / "Sour & Sweet" |
| Tavares | "Heaven Must Be Missing An Angel" / "Don't Take Away The Music" |
| Donna Summer | "Try Me, I Know We Can Make It" / "Could It Be Magic" |
| Candi Staton | "Young Hearts Run Free" / "Run To Me" |
| Lou Rawls | "You'll Never Find Another Love Like Mine" / "This Song Will Last Forever" |
| Carol Douglas | "Midnight Love Affair" / "In The Morning" |
| Ritchie Family | "Best Disco In Town" / "Arabian Nights Medley" / "Romantic Love" |
| Melba Moore | "This Is It" / "Free" / "Make Me Believe In You" / "Stay Awhile" / "Brand New" |
| Joe Simon | "I Need You, You Need Me" |
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| Odyssey | "Native New Yorker" / "Easy Come, Easy Go – Hold De Mota Down" |
| Donna Summer | "I Feel Love" / "I Remember Yesterday" / "Love’s Unkind" |
| Linda Clifford | "If My Friends Could See Me Now" / "You Are You Are" / "Runaway Love" / "Gypsy Lady" |
| Saturday Night Fever Soundtrack - Bee Gees & Yvonne Elliman | "Stayin' Alive" / "Night Fever" / "You Should Be Dancing" / "If I Can't Have You" |
| Trammps | "Stop & Think" / "Love Epidemic" / "Trusting Heart" / "Save A Place" / "Promise Me" / "Just Say The Word" |
| Grace Jones | "La Vie En Rose" / "That's The Trouble" / "Sorry" |
| Love & Kisses | "I've Found Love (Now That I Found You)" / "Accidental Lover" |
| CJ & Co. | "Devil's Gun" / "We Got Our Own Thing" |
| Pattie Brooks | "Girl Don't Make Me Wait" / "Love Shook" |
| Village People | "Fire Island" / "Village People" |
It seems like many of the hottest club DJ's in NYC were predominantly gay along with many of the most well-known
clubs. How come? Were the Gay crowds more adopting to new influences than the straight crowds?
"The birth of disco coincided with the Stonewall riots and brought forth a tidal wave of celebration which included gay
discotheques, gay deejays and the freedom to dance with same sex partners without the fear of being busted. Because of that timing,
it was mostly gays who pioneered the entire movement!"
Lary left New York in '78 with an impressive resume and a gold record under his arm and then helped establish Menjo’s from a one-time
supper club, that his parents used to frequent, to becoming Motown’s premier gay dance club of the 70's and 80's. Lary managed to
create a New York / Fire Island kind of discotheque in Detroit. His input still quietly makes its mark from the same dj booth that he
helped build with Mike Crawford more than 30 years ago.
Menjo's was a very popular night spot and the dance floor was toward the back of the club. It’s there that Lary helped put Menjo’s
under a national spotlight with his passion for the soul of dance music plus his links to the music industry through the MDA,
a record pool that he established during those years. The packed Menjo’s dance floor was also the foundation which later merited him -
1979 Billboard Magazine Music Awards Regional DJ of The Year!
An award he received while simultaneously running the MDA Record Pool.
Since you're one of the classic pioneer "Disco DJ's" - have you got any comments on how the DJ was regarded in the
beginning and how it has changed over the years?
"Music is the language of friends when it works and, from the very beginning, the DJ was regarded as a personal friend instead of
an entertainer or industry rep.
In the smaller venues that I worked there was a familial atmosphere, the DJ was trusted, and in the larger clubs, e.g. Flamingo, a
sense of belonging prevailed that was supported by the music. In either case, it was more personal and the night was a dream shared
by all.
Today, society's lack of human connection seems to point to the similar lack of club crowd/DJ connection... at least the personal and
intimate connection which I already described as a collective summer romance."
Which music is the easiest to mix?
"Couple today's music with its fixed bpm's and technology that allows a DJ to virtually have a computer do the mix, then I would
say today's music is the easiest to mix."
Would you say it was easier or harder to mix back in the Disco days compared to today?
"It is by far easier and less confusing to mix with vinyl because it gives a DJ direct control over the music, so I'd have to say
'back-in-the-days-of-Disco'."
How would you describe your playing style? Any "trademarks"?
"My style was an on beat presentation with a focus on lyrical content and music that would enter that place within every human
being where the spirit lives: our heart. My trademarks would have been beautiful melodies, soulful symphonies and vocals, both
feminine and handsome, working together in the mix to create 'The Inclusive Journey'.”
Do you remember/can you tell which was your best gig ever?
"My best gig(s), not necessarily my favorite club, was in New York City for the opening night of Flamingo's 1976-77 season.
In New Orleans it was Mardi Gras week (1980) at the Loading Dock on Bourbon Street.
In Houston it was a 1982 guest DJ appearance at The Parade with Megatone Records recording artist Paul
Parker.
And in Los Angeles it was a 1983 guest DJ appearance at The Probe.
Four different cities, four different experiences, four different gigs that I could all call my best gig ever."
Did you know many of the other great DJ's of the Disco era? And have you got any comments, memories or info about
them?
"Sure... Bobby DJ Guttadaro, Richie Rivera, Wayne Scott, Tom Savarese,
Sharon White, Tony Smith, Don Findlay, Ray Yeates, Roy Thode, Vincent Carleo,
Nicky Siano and Walter Gibbons to name a few.
Generally speaking, each was a professional in their own right with their own unique styles and insights on music, artist and
industry."
How was the climate between the NYC DJ's? Did you 'share' your music findings or were people trying to 'protect'
their 'exclusive tracks'? As 'everyone' got the promo's, I was more thinking of the imports and other stuff that was not supplied
to DJ's via the labels and/or the Record Pools?
"I'd usually share with friends in the industry the titles and artists and store names where vinyl discoveries could be found.
But that's just me! It was impossible to keep to myself the adrenalin flow and excitement of new record finds."
By the way, which Record Pool were you a member of while in NYC?
"David Mancuso's - New York Record Pool."
Many Disco DJ's went into remixing as well - and you are remixing classics now... But did you do any remixes of
Disco tracks back in the day?
"No. My remixes began in 2007 with The Sandpiper collection that I just recently completed."
You also started the Midwestern Dance Music Record Pool in 1979, which you ran until 1986. Can you tell me
more about it... How many members did you have, which labels did you work with and so on?
"We were 60 DJ's utilized by record companies to promote and track new songs and/or artists through crowd response at the venues
for which we were responsible. In turn all the major labels as well as the independents provided the pool with promotional dance
music weeks in advance of commercial release dates. DJ feedback was turned in to me on a weekly basis and I, in turn, fed the PR
departments of companies like Warner Bros.,
Casablanca, RCA, TSR, Megatone,
Atlantic, TK Records, etc."
Have you still got your DJ record collection or have you sold it off? You must have a HUGE, and GREAT, collection
if you've kept all your records over the years.
"I do have a great music collection which is always a work in progress and, actually, surpasses the unwieldy vinyl that I used to
have in the 70's and 80's."
You really became a DJ before "Disco" was invented, what did you call it when you started?
"Before '73 we simply called it soul but we all knew that we were onto something even bigger with songs like 'Zing Went The Strings
Of My Heart' by The Trammps (1972), 'Woman' by Barrabas (1972), 'Little Bit Of Love' by Brenda and The
Tabulations (1972), 'Feel The Need In Me' by The Detroit Emeralds (1972), 'Date With The Rain' by
Eddie Kendricks (1972), 'I Got It' by Gloria Spencer (1971), 'You're The One' by
Little Sister (1970) to name a few of the early hits fully embraced by Gay America's post-Stonewall generation."
If you could choose one Disco track that would describe you, which track would it be?
"'Don't Take Away The Music' by Tavares.
I mentioned earlier that mine was 'a collective summer romance between disc-jockey and disco-enthusiast' and Tavares captures a
bittersweet side of that love affair through the following lyrics. I say bittersweet because after the last dance and the curtain
drawn and the dance floor empty and the lights turned up, all that remains is a distant memory separated, even further, by
time:
DON'T TAKE AWAY THE MUSIC
IT'S THE ONLY THING I'VE GOT
IT'S MY PIECE OF THE ROCK
I KNEW YOU WERE ALWAYS THERE
YOU WERE MY SONG
HOW AM I SUPPOSSED TO BEAR IT
NOW THAT YOU'VE GONE
WOULD YOU SEPARATE THE WORDS
MEMORIES FROM A SWEET MELODY
BABY WOULD YOU TAKE AWAY
THE MUSIC FROM A SYMPHONY
DON'T TAKE AWAY THE MUSIC IT'S THE ONLY THING I'VE GOT
IT'S MY PIECE OF THE ROCK
DON'T TAKE AWAY THE MUSIC EVERYTHING ELSE IS GONE
DON'T STRIP MY WORLD OF ITS SONG
EVERYTIME YOU WHISPERED LOW
MY HEART WOULD SING
NOW IT'S SILENT LIKE THE PHONE
THE PHONE THAT NEVER RINGS
MEMORIES OF LOVE'S REFRAIN
MEMORIES KEEP HAUNTING ME
WHAT ARE WE DOING TO THE SONG WE SANG
WHAT HAPPEND TO OUR SWEET HARMONY
DON'T TAKE AWAY THE MUSIC IT'S THE ONLY THING I'VE GOT
IT'S MY PIECE OF THE ROCK
DON'T TAKE AWAY THE MUSIC EVERYTHING ELSE IS GONE
DON'T STRIP MY WORLD OF ITS SONG
DON'T TAKE AWAY THE MUSIC OOH OOH OOH
DON'T TAKE AWAY THE MUSIC OOH OOH OOH
DON'T TAKE AWAY THE MUSIC OOH OOH OOH
OOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO
SINCE YOU'RE NOT HERE WITH ME
MY WHOLE LIFE SEEMS OUT OF KEY
DON'T TAKE AWAY THE MUSIC IT'S THE ONLY THING I'VE GOT
IT'S MY PIECE OF THE ROCK
DON'T TAKE AWAY THE MUSIC EVERYTHING ELSE IS GONE
DON'T STRIP MY WORLD OF IT'S SONG
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Download the FREE basic RealPlayer...
CLICK to hear some Lary Sanders favorites...
Night fever
Bee Gees
Stayin' alive
Bee Gees
You should be dancing
Bee Gees
Devil's gun
C.J. & Co.
Run to me
Candi Staton
Young hearts run free
Candi Staton
Dance, dance, dance
Chic
Alive with love
Cut Glass
Without your love
Cut Glass
I feel love
Donna Summer
Love to love you baby
Donna Summer
I'll always love my Mama
Intruders
Love magic
John Davis & the Monster Orch.
Runaway love
Linda Clifford
Touch me in the morning
Marlena Shaw
This is it
Melba Moore
Native New Yorker
Odyssey
Heaven must be missing an angel
Tavares
If I can't have you
Yvonne Elliman
CLICK to hear some Lary Sanders related music...
the Sandpiper Sampler
Track list:
Love's Theme - The Love Unlimited Orchestra
What's Going On - Marvin Gaye
Here I Am Again - Denise LaSalle
It's All Over - Charles Mann
Rock The Boat - Hues Corporation
I Wouldn't Give You Up - Ecstasy, Passion and Pain
Date With The Rain - Eddie Kendricks
Rock Your Baby - George McCrae
You Little Trustmaker - The Tymes
I Got It - Gloria Spencer
Love Factory - Eloise Laws
Love Power - Willie Hutch
Hang On In There Baby - Johnny Bristol
Give It Up Or Turn It Loose - James Brown
Black Skinned Blue Eyed Boys - Tony Morgan
I've Got To Use My Imagination - Gladys Knight & The Pips
Sex Machine - James Brown
I'll Be Around - The Spinners
Honey Please, Can't Ya See - Barry White
Sweet Charlie Babe - Jackie Moore
Smarty Pants - First Choice
Just Being Myself - Dionne Warwick
God Don't Like Ugly - Roberta Flack
Plastic Man - The Temptations
When Will I See You Again - The Three Degrees
It's ecstacy...
Barry White
It's only love
Barry White
High on your love
Debbie Jacobs
Hot Hot (Give it all you got)
Debbie Jacobs
Last dance
Donna Summer
MacArthur Park Suite
Donna Summer
Rumour has it
Donna Summer
Honeybee
Gloria Gaynor
I am what I am
Gloria Gaynor
Never can say goodbye
Gloria Gaynor
Reach out (I'll be there)
Gloria Gaynor
Can't stop the music
Village People
San Francisco
Village People
Listen to Lary LIVE...
70's Disco Set
70's-80's Disco Set
70's-90's Disco Set
[ Please allow a few moments for the set to start playing ]
Click to buy from
Let's Start The Dance - Hamilton Bohannon
Somebody's Gotta Go (Sho Ain't Me) - Mike & Bill
Overnight Sensation - Jerry Knight
If My Friends Could See Me Now - Linda Clifford
When The Fuel Runs Out - Executive Suite
Think Before You Stop - Notations
Zing Went The Strings Of My Heart - The Trammps
I Caught Your Act - The Hues Corporation
Happiness Is Just Around The Bend - The Main Ingredient
Every Beat Of My Heart - Crown Heights Affair
There'll Come A Time, There'll Come A Day - Basic Black And Pearl
Smarty Pants - First Choice
This Will Be A Night To Remember - Eddie Holman
Down To Love Town - The Originals
Mainline - Black Ivory
The Bottle - Gil Scott-Heron/Brian Jackson
Ten Percent - Double Exposure
(Sending Out An) S.O.S. - Retta Young
Remote Control - The Reddings
Love Insurance - Front Page
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You also received a gold record for Chic's "Dance Dance Dance".
How come?
"The song went gold without radio putting it up on the airwaves; 500,000 units were sold because club DJ's reporting for trade
magazines got behind the song and made it a success by charting it and playing it in their venues. I happened to be one of those DJ's
who was working at a mega sized New York City club - Infinity - where the song could be tracked as key DJ's and dancers in New York,
and across the nation, caused it to climb the charts which, eventually, translated into half-a-million sales for Chic and Atlantic
Records.
I guess it's ironic that, both, my gold record and Billboard’s pyramid trophy for best American Regional DJ in '79 have, in some way,
become part of the song 'Don't Take Away The Music', – they’re nowhere to be found! Oh well, that's reality – C'est la vie!"
We've been talking all about Disco music, but what kind of music do you personally prefer?
"The music that I personally prefer is 70's and 80's Soul and Disco -- the more obscure it is the better... as long as it's
memorable. That 'more obscure...' mindset that I'm talking about comes from the thrill of successfully introducing new songs which
was the norm at the Sandpiper as well as Flamingo. Can't forget morning music, either! I count myself fortunate to continue
introducing these rarities through my Morning Star remix series."
Lary's Morning Star remix series was released in some 30+ CD's, all with his own remixed and re-edited versions of many of his personal
favorite tracks. Music ranging from early 70's to the mid 80's and all carefully rebuilt by using his heart and skilled ears to make
the tracks better suited for a DJ and a dance-floor crowd. Many of the songs had never been released in long versions prior to Lary
deciding to re-work them.
From his remixes the step is natural... Which are his own favorite tracks?
The following is Lary Sanders "favorites" list in the chronological order that followed his career through 1993 including the two
years ('70 & '71) that he was New York City Nightclubbing before becoming a DJ in 1972;
| Year | Song | Artist | Label |
| 1970: | "Stoned Love" | The Supremes | 7" Single, Motown Records |
| 1971: | "What's Going On" / "Mercy Mercy Me" / "Inner City Blues" | Marvin Gaye | LP: What's Going On, Motown Records |
| 1972: | "Feel The Need In Me" | The Detroit Emeralds | 7" Single, Janus Records |
| 1973: | "Love's Theme" / "Under The Influence of Love" / "It May Be Winter Outside (But In My Heart It's Spring)" | Love Unlimited | LP: Under The Influence of Love, 20th Century Records |
| 1974: | "Hang On In There Baby" | Johnny Bristol | LP: Hang On In There Baby, MGM Records |
| 1975: | "Mighty High" / "Leanin'" | The Mighty Clouds of Joy | LP: Kickin', ABC Records |
| 1976: | "Don't Take Away The Music" / "Heaven Must Be Missing An Angel" | Tavares | LP: Sky High, Capitol Records |
| 1977: | "Bring On The Love (Why Can't We Be Friends Again)" | Gloria Jones | 12" Single, Capitol Records |
| 1978: | "Love Is In The Air" | John Paul Young | 12" Single, Columbia Records |
| 1979: | "Suite Seventeen: It Was A Very Good Year/I'm A Foster Child/Love Dancin'/I Thank You/Touch Me In The Morning" | Marlena Shaw | LP: Take A Bite, Columbia Records |
| 1980: | "Without Your Love" / "Alive With Love" | Cut Glass | 12" Single, 20th Century Records |
| 1981: | "Keep On Holding On" | Margaret Reynolds | 12" Single, Moby Dick Records |
| 1982: | "Stormy Weather" | Viola Wills | 12" Single, Sunergy Records |
| 1983: | "Wrap Your Arms Around Me" | Agnetha Faltskog | LP: Wrap Your Arms Around Me, Polar Records |
| 1984: | "Together In Electric Dreams" | Giorgio Moroder w/Philip Oakley | 12" Single, Virgin Records |
| 1985: | "Close To Perfection" | Miquel Brown | 12" Single, Record Shack Records |
| 1986: | "Oh People" / "On My Own" | Patti LaBelle | LP: Winner In You, MCA Records |
| 1987: | "Heaven Is A Place On Earth" / "I Get Weak" | Belinda Carlisle | 12" Singles, MCA Records |
| 1988: | "The Only Way Is Up" | Yazz and Plastic Population | 12" Single, Elektra Records |
| 1989: | "This Time I Know It's For Real" | Donna Summer | 12" Single, Atlantic Records |
| 1990: | "Better The Devil You Know" | Kylie Minogue | 12" Single, PWL Records |
| 1991: | "Bridge Over Troubled Water" | Hannah Jones | 12" Single, Almighty Records |
| 1992: | "Dancing Queen" | Abbacadabra | 12" Single, PWL Records |
| 1993: | "I Will Always Love You" | Sarah Washington | 12" Single, Almighty Records |
Have you got any special memories as a DJ you wanna tell about? Or any other special memories?
"One very special memory that comes to mind is that of my mom flying into New York from Detroit and showing up at the Barefoot Boy
to climb a ladder to the DJ booth so she could gain a better insight to this relatively new profession that I kept raving about.
My peers kept her company that night, yet before she slipped out of the club and made her way back to my apartment, 'I'll Always Love
My Mama' by the Intruders found its way onto my turntable.
Another great memory was made while spinning records, again, at the Barefoot Boy while John Lennon and
Yoko Ono danced the night away."
Do you still know or have contact with any other of the old Disco acts, divas or DJ's from the late 70's/early
80's?
"Two names that immediately come to mind are Tom Savarese and Bobby Viteritti; I’ve been in contact with
both of them. Sharon White and Robbie Leslie are two others! Also
Debbie Jacobs and I have touched base recently; also Tom Hayden from TSR
Records. Barry Lederer and I were in touch before he passed;
Mel Cheren too."
Anything else you can think of that you wanna tell me about? All information is very welcome, some fun
happenings...
"The Trammps concert that I Dee-Jayed in 1978 in Dearborn Mi. was awesome. You can imagine the energy; they were in the peak years
of their musical careers.
Same with the Manhattan Transfer who did the 1979 White party that I played at Detroit's Masonic Temple as they performed
'Twilight Zone' and other tracks from their Extension album."
Thank you Lary for taking your time to answer all my questions in such depth, have you got any final words?
"Through the years my approach has been, probably, very simple: enjoy the music, breathe the music, live the music and the music
will, in turn, pave the way. Recognition was never a part of it although there were times that I was caught in the glow of it because
of the venues I worked."
Lary is a true DJ pioneer and was an active DJ for more than two decades.
After putting the vinyl on the shelf he has been making his own remixes and re-edits of lots of the hottest tunes from his long career.
He IS the Morning Star Sandpiper and has entertained countless numbers of excited dancers through his music.
So I just wanna say; "Don't Take Away The Music" and Thank you...
Lary Sanders
BIG THANKS
to Lary for participating and making this page possible !!!
And to Barry Lederer (R.I.P) for hooking us up.
For info re Lary's Morning Star Remix Collection contact Discoguy
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