The Birth of Disco

October 19th marks the beginning of an important shift in music culture. The year was 1959, the town was Aachen (Germany's quiet, westernmost city), and a dance hall called Scotch-Club was having a problem. Their regular band couldn't play and so quick-thinking led to a seemingly irrelevant substitute; they played records instead. Klaus Quirini was the man behind the turn table and the night began a wildfire of popularity. In the 60s, American soldiers in West Germany caught on and before long, the format was popular in America too.

The bar's informal name (Jockey Tanz Bar) led to Klaus Quirini (later known as DJ Heinrich) being credited as the very first "Disc Jockey."

By the 70s, dances like the Frug and the Mule had given way to the Hustle and The Cha-Cha, and a corresponding shift in clothing brought us severe collars and polyester, and New York City's famous discothèques included Studio 54, the Loft, the Paradise Garage, and Aux Puces, one of the first gay disco bars.

Something else important happened on October 19th. The birth of my partner/lover/disco-fiend Keith Bacon, and Tullycraft.com is celebrating the special day with the track "Rodent Disco" from Bearsuit's Cat Spectacular!