Drugs, drinks, and disco -- Studio 54 had it all. (Quaaludes, a prescription sedative with hypnotic effects, were huge in the '70s and classily known as "panty droppers.") After all, you have so much money that you have to find some way to spend it, right? Life of a party (from left): Halston, Bianca Jagger, Jack Haley Jr and wife, Liza Minnelli and Andy Warhol. Throughout its three-year lifespan under Rubell and Schrager, Studio 54 served as a lab to experiment with everything from illicit drugs to gender. A man dressed up in leather and an NYU tank chats with his friend, decked out in pearls and garters as two other club-goers look on. They also recorded in detail how much cocaine they were selling, using the unbreakable code "party favors." But we can still try to piece together some of the most messed up stuff that ever happened at Studio 54. This photograph comes just before the release of Off the Wall, when he was still remembered most for his youthful vocals in The Jackson 5. There were few places in history crazier than Studio 54. Some tried to grease palms with thousands of dollars. To dodge strict rules about serving alcohol, the club didn't actually have a permanent liquor license for a long time. Diana Ross and Liza Minnelli sang, while Rubell blasted out My Way. Studio 54 has gone down in history as the ultimate nightclub, a place where everyone who was anyone went to get down, boogie, and be seen. Unfortunately, the guest of honor was less than amused. And finally it hit Bernard. According to friends, Warhol said it was the best present he had ever received. Despite spending only $400,000 on preparations for the nightclub, owner Rubell indicated Studio 54 made over $7 million in profits in the first year. The hottest celebrities and wildest outfits could be seen on the dance floor, and illicit substances flowed freely among partiers. According to him he actually took the trash out and swept up while his co-workers partied. Traffic on 54th Street was brought to a standstill as both celebrities and humble ravers struggled to approach. Trans women were welcomed, while eccentrics such as Rollerina, a Wall Street banker by day who. Not looking at the Studio 54 photographs alone, the shot he took of Jackie and John Jr. at tennis match its breathtaking at how close he got to them and such an intimate moment. And we were laughing, Rodgers described to Haden-Guest. 60 Chilling Vintage Photos From Studio 54 Studio 54 has gone down in history as the ultimate nightclub, a place where everyone who was anyone went to get down, boogie, and be seen. These Studio 54 photos will take you inside the dance club that defined a generation and hosted celebrities from Andy Warhol to David Bowie. Nobody knew him in those days. Their knocks went unanswered. PHOTOS: Newly Released Studio 54 Collection Offers Rare Glimpse Into A Party Legend. We still don't know even half of what went on behind those hallowed walls, but some people have been willing to spill a few details in interviews or memoirs. and Company, but the party was initially dead. The brainchild of Steve Rubell and Ian Schrager, the club opened in a onetime CBS soundstage on April 26th, 1977, and immediately became the epicenter of nightlife in New York City and the world. From my parent's basement to VIP Host at Studio 54 Las Vegas. It was the end of an era. We think of him as a gentleman of the paparazzi [of that era], she says. We kept saying, Gee, I wonder where everybody is? Halston.It was 10:30 in the morning and the phone rang, club associate Renny Reynolds told Haden-Guest. Known for its raucous parties and A-list guests, the first three years of Studio 54's existence were the most exclusive and enticing and that was by design. Asshole! I looked and there was a rifle pointed at me. Diana Ross and Liza Minelli performed for Rubell, and in this photo, Stevie Wonder took to the piano at his secretarys birthday party. This kind of debauchery came to be expected of the venue and marked its no-holds-barred approach to nightlife. What was interesting is that women felt secure enough to dance nude in the place. One clubgoer waited outside with a group of friends, including a doctor packing a jumbo bottle of Quaaludes. My Studio 54 dreams became true. Then, all of a sudden it just hit me. In the very, very far left you can see me I didnt know that I was in the picture., Persson on this photo: "I think this is the same horse Bianca Jagger turned up on for her birthday in 1977. She was real nervous about this whole deal and went up to the balcony and sat up there for a while. The two are almost unrecognizable, however, thanks to the cream thats been smeared all over their faces and clothes. Here he is enjoying an anniversary party for Andy Warhols magazine, Interview. Here he is pictured alongside Liza Minnelli and Bianca Jagger at the New Years Eve party of 1977. A woman wears nothing but pearls and a mask as she grinds on two men in jewels and makeup. The packed dance floor was the place to see and be seen, but not everything people got up to at Studio 54 was necessarily intended for an audience. Another thing it often had, as a result, was strange performances. Nina Hagens Nunsexmonkrock: Greatest (and weirdest) unsung masterpiece of the postpunk era? It was a place of secrets and secretions, the in-crowd and inhalations, sucking and snorting., Studio 54s fast and loose accounting would ultimately contribute to its downfall. A woman holds a makeshift pipe for a man as he attempts to smoke an unidentified substance in 1981. Here, see a selection of exclusive images of Spatzs work for the first time. Read 10 of the wildest stories from Studio 54, including the time Bianca Jagger rode a white horse across the dance floor. . Franco Rossellini and Steve Rubell (producer and owner, respectively) are pictured here in front of what appears to be a giant birthday cake. I had a farm wagon we brought in and piled with hay. To achieve the perfect blend of guests for his nightly party, he often stood on a stepstool outside, selecting members of the crowd for admittance with a subjectivity that bordered on heartless. The nightclub threw an annual Halloween party and expected guests to wear the most shocking, over-the-top costumes that you could think of. No other nightclub has been able to rival it in reputation and A-list guests since. Costing tens of thousands of dollars, these one-night-only productions put the neighboring Broadway shows to shame, only to vanish by the time the club opened the next day. A cheetah might be sitting at the bar. He said, Hey Nile, what youre playing sounds really good.'. The gift caused some tension a year later, after the IRS raided Rubells office and seized his financial records, including a catalogue of gifts dolled out to celebrity friends and clients. Like a booze and drug fueled fever dream, Persson's 'Studio 54' freezes a red-hot moment in disco-era history into 200-plus pages of spellbinding, head-spinning imagery. 29 Pictures That Show Just How Insane Studio 54 Really Was The Holiday Party At Studio 54 Got A Little Out Of Hand Inside The Real Studio 54 Balconies Liza Minnelli No Hats S Guardian Messed Up Things That Happened At Studio 54 Behind The Scenes At Studio 54 Cnn Style The Holiday Party At Studio 54 Got A Little Out Of Hand It wasn't subtle: Hung from the roof of Studio 54, dangling over the dance floor, was a giant crescent moon with a face, a cocaine spoon moving to and from its nose. Fact-Checking the Aretha Franklin Biopic, Jeff Buckleys Grace: 10 Things You Didnt Know, Flashback: Back to the Future Has Everyone Wanting to Play Johnny B Goode Like Michael J. I called various places and it was impossible, he told Haden-Guest. In 1977 the club made millions yet reportedly paid just a paltry $8,000 in taxes. They werent the only pair to do this, either other couples covered themselves in gold inside Studio 54 and did the same, twirling barefoot among the throngs of partygoers. At the time, she would have been in the midst of releasing her 1977 album, Cherished. Inside Studio 54, you could smoke just about whatever you wanted and sit however you liked. She made appearances at the nightclub more than once throughout the years and was there on its last day of operation under Steve Rubell in 1980. All very un-PC. Up high in the seats above the stalls, you could disappear into the shadows and get up to whatever, writes Jones. With nowhere else to go, the party spilled onto the street. Once you see the pictures of the famous faces and outrageous antics that took place inside, it wont be too surprising that Studio 54 was able to reach such high success. Relive some of Studio 54's most classic nights in the gallery above. Karl Lagerfeld held a candlelit 18th-century party with the staff in court dress and powdered wigs. Gene had a special eye for the beauty and the fun and sometimes even the weirdness of the situations. This exclusive event would have been the talk of the season. We had a blast. Within half an hour they composed a song called Fuck Off. After some lyrical tweaking they arrived at a slightly more Top 40friendly title. Right: Clubgoers inhale nitrous oxide (also known as laughing gas) on the dance floor during the 1977 Halloween party. The brainchild of Steve Rubell and Ian Schrager, the club opened in a. documentary. All the men had their dicks out the women were showing their tits everybody was feeling everybody else the crowd was moving in waves all of a sudden you would find yourself next to someone you didnt know., Meanwhile, the future president was up to less scandalous shenanigans inside. Many of the staff of Studio 54 including Rubell died as a result of it. The agents entered the office seeking links to organized crime and arrested his partner Ian Schrager after reportedly finding cocaine among some papers he was carrying. Capote is the author of books like Other Voices, Other Rooms, Breakfast at Tiffanys and In Cold Blood. BuzzFeed News Photo Essay Editor. According to a New York Times article from the time, one night they were finally figured out and told they couldn't serve booze. Cher wasnt the wildest partier on the scene, but she was known for being an independent and forward-thinking individual who didnt shy away from a good time. Exactly what needed to be cleaned is best left to the imagination. 60 Chilling Vintage Photos From Studio 54. One second the light bulb went on and I sang Aaaaahh, freak out! Left: Outside Studio 54, someone arrives to the club on a horse for the third annual Halloween party in 1978. 29 Wild Photos From The Drug-Fueled Heyday Of Studio 54. A man dangles a cigarette inside Studio 54, 1977. Benecke often needed an escort back to his apartment. The owners knew they needed celebrities to keep coming, and they knew celebrities liked free drugs. This meant the doormen had huge amounts of power. It was just as much a part of the Studio 54 experience as the dancing. Actress Jaid Barrymore, mother of Drew, bore witness to the ceaseless parade of lurid attire. They were like queens on the dancefloor.". Andy Warhol's Polaroid of Mick Jagger Touching Tongues With a Woman Could Be Yours. The employee, stoned out of his mind, forgot to unlock her and went back to work. ' Even so, would-be patrons often took rejection badly. A pile of people forms on the dance floor of the 1978 "Purple Party.". Model Bianca Jagger holds doves at a party thrown by fashion designer Halston in 1977. Ultimately, as the judge said, theirs was a crime of hubris. Studio 54 is a shadow of its former self. He had a kind camera. I have not seen a picture that Gene took that would have embarrassed anybody even though he was with people doing very strange things.. Dressed in their best and taking stock of the nightclub, famous actresses Farrah Fawcett and Shirley MacLaine are photographed with club owner Steve Rubell. Men and women whipped out their private parts and everyone started feeling up complete strangers. Youd stumble into half-hidden rooms filled with a few people who seemed to be sweating because of something they had just done, or were about to do. Security men brandishing walkie-talkies discreetly patrolled the area, removing any uninvited gawkers. Trying to see it. Copyright 2023 Penske Business Media, LLC. After those three years, the experience of partying at Studio 54 just wasnt the same. When Steve got off the phone we flipped into action to make it happen. Sometimes the venue hired dancers or had fashion models walking the crowds. Instead, they would just apply for a temporary one every day they were open. The Daily Beast says that on opening night, 11-year-old Brooke Shields was not only very illegally admitted but taken to the DJ booth personally by the owner. Skimming was standard practice in the cash-flush world of restaurants and nightclubs, but this was an order of magnitude greater than most offenders. Thats why Sylvester Stallone decided he needed to pay a visit to the most famous disco in the United States. First, we changed it from fuck off to freak off, and that was pretty hideous. (A young Alec Baldwin was a busboy, and legend says he quit because he was too turned on by all the intimacy he witnessed.) They put up signs apologizing, and everyone enjoyed juice instead. See Rare Photos Inside Studio 54 Nightclub Another employee, "Lenny 54," was open about the fact he wasn't going to just serve drinks. Without a great costume, you werent getting in. There was a 1950 Chevy convertible that got a bit trashed because people climbed in and burned the seats, says Reynolds. Why dont we go? Steve at that point wasnt known by anybody. People partook in various questionable substances, and in this photo, theyre inhaling laughing gas in the middle of the dance floor. Other people openly smoked illegal substances or snorted drugs such as cocaine. One bartender co-wrote a novel in 1980 about a Studio 54-like club that was so close to reality, Andy Warhol wondered how he didn't get sued. By midnight, the huge group in the street had become "Sodom and Gomorrah." Here, a woman twirls her hat and two men chat over drinks. One of the bartenders donned a diaper and popped out of a cake, but the highlight of the evening occurred around midnight, when a white steed was led out from behind a stage curtain by a nude couple slathered in shimmering paint and sparkles. The two are engaged in intimate conversation and posed in a relaxed manner, with Furstenbergs stiletto-clad foot thrust over the edge of the seat. While the club wanted to attract as many celebrities as possible, just being famous didn't necessarily guarantee you entrance. Crowded scenes of fabulous party animals have the most obvious appealthe fashion and the dancing just drip with the pursuit of pleasure and sensual self-indulgence. By . Well, this was big-time. A glitter-covered go-go dancer sways in a G-string. Debbie Harry of Blondie arrives with her friends to the nightclub in 1981. Studio 54: 10 Wild Stories From Clubs Debauched Heyday, How True Is Respect? My favorite shots though, are post-party. It wasnt just the celebrities known to enjoy partying who indulged in a night out at Studio 54. And they were not quiet about it. The picture that forms is that you had to see it to believe it. (The pair later married but not until 2001). For most of his life, though, co-founder Ian Schrager has wanted to forget it. ' Haskell remembered in Anthony Haden-Guests bookThe Last Party. IRS agents raided Studio 54 on December 14th, 1978, seizing garage bags of cash, financial documents and five ounces of cocaine. He handed them out to a few dozen people around him and they waited the 15-20 minutes for them to kick in. Other photographers didnt capture that. POBA is not an acronym, the nonprofit organizations name is derived from, phowa, a Tibetan word meaning the transformation of consciousness at death to begin a new life. Part of the lure of a nightclub like Studio 54 is that you went home with plenty of stories to tell about the wacky things you saw go down inside. There were "horses and donkeys and mules running through the club," as well as chickens in a pen. Clubgoers dance amid light towers on the dance floor at Studio 54 on May 15, 1978. The man who made it famous, Steve Rubell, was only in charge from 1977 to 1980. Studio 54 is the one nightclub from the '70s everyone remembers. For the last fifty years, Allan Tannenbaum has been the quintessential New York photographer. It was all down to a misunderstanding; they'd been invited personally to a New Year's Eve party there by Grace Jones, but the guest list hadn't been updated. In 1978, Studio 54 was lucky enough to host her 46th birthday party. He was never on the dance floor, Studio 54 busboy Richie Notar recalled in a 2017 BBC radio documentary. 1 120 VOTES Bianca Jagger's Birthday Party - Bianca Celebrating With Liza Minelli (May 2, 1978) Photo: Sonia Moskowitz/Getty Images 101 19 2 146 VOTES Behind The Velvet Rope Line Of Studio 54 S Short Sordid Life. Now an animal rights advocate, Bianca told the Financial Times (via the Guardian) that she didn't show up on the horse. Up above the balcony, there was the rubber room, with thick rubber walls that could be easily wiped down after all the powdery activity that went on. Studio 54 was crazy all year long, but things got especially wacky for Halloween. Full of rollerskating Wall Street Bankers, tabloid fixtures and postwar frivolity, a new documentary reveals the social backdrop of the famous club. For the younger generations who might not know, Elizabeth Taylor was a star like no other during her time. The best people, from Baryshnikov to Jacqueline Bisset, Schrager recalled in a 1996 Vanity Fair profile. McCarthy, who happened to frequent Studio 54 on occasion, was amazed by his access to the notables in attendance. Needless to say, he made enough of a name for himself and enough connections to land a spot on the list at Studio 54 often. But wait, is that a horse shes trying to pet? Reynolds, who had tracked down livestock with ease, had a more difficult time finding vintage cars for hire. On finding Studio 54s books, it was discovered that a skim was in operation on up to 80% of the profits. New York Post columnist Jack Martin found Rubell in the early morning hours. A kind of unofficial VIP area in an already VIP club, it was where big celebrities went for their private trysts. Parties come and go; clubs fade in and out of relevancy. If youd gone to Studio 54 in the 1970s, however, this is exactly the type of scene you couldve enjoyed. Ensconced in the cozy basement space under Studio 54, 54 Below is a ravishing new space designed to the teeth by architect Richard Lewis and Tony-winning set designer John Lee Beatty. We were with him literally until he took a car to go home and meet the authorities. The party was over. Its immersive atmosphere and coveted location on West 54th street in Manhattan made the spot an instant hit. The stunt was one of the most effective in the history of publicity, as photos of Jagger on horseback instantly appeared in papers across the globe. Please allow ads and let sponsors fund your surfing. Hindsight is 20/20, but people who were there swear they knew they were part of something historic. Lifelong memories were made within its walls every night. But that picture started the ball rolling. The clubs fortunes were reversed when Steve Rubell received a call from fashion designer Roy Halston Frowick, a.k.a. We stood there as long as we could take it, until our feet were just finally way too cold. He was there to be seen with the famous people, to network, to cut the deal; whilst everyone else cut the coke., Opening night at Studio 54 was an unqualified success, but the days that followed were comparatively slower. TheIndependent says others took a different tack, offering their bodies instead. When sex and money didn't work, people would get violent. The next couple of nights werent as busy. Trans women were welcomed, while eccentrics such as Rollerina, a Wall Street banker by day who rollerskated on the dancefloor at night, and Disco Sally, a 78-year-old lawyer, were cult figures. I called everybody I knew in New York to come and blow up masses of white balloons and I went to the Claremont Stables to arrange for a horse., Related Apr 26, 2016 Getty Images / Getty Images The original Studio 54 nightclub, which opened on this date in 1977, was open for less than three years before owners Steve Rubell and Ian Schrager were. There is a famous picture of former first lady Betty Ford (who had quit drinking and prescription drugs just a year before) hanging out with the stars while her Secret Service detail stands behind her. It wasnt just actors and singers who showed up to party at Studio 54 sometimes it was political figures. Those lucky enough to be in attendance are spotted in the background, watching with drinks in hand. The 200 Greatest Singers of All Time He understood it was an opportunity to be grabbed. So they were willing to wait and hope to get noticed and invited past the velvet rope keeping them away from all the fun inside. Performers drop down from the ceiling, held by nothing but a cord connected to their legs. Nearby trash cans always had to be emptied of bottles and other things that could become dangerous projectiles. Right: A woman gets low on the dance floor in 1977. Left: A man dressed in nothing but a clear plastic sheet dances with a topless woman at a Studio 54 Halloween party in 1978. Amazingly, this worked, until it didn't. Ian put it together in three days. Schrager was released on $50,000 bond and the disco was open the next night. Right: A pair of women get funky on the dance floor during November 1977. In 1973, upon the publication of the SoHo Weekly News, Tannenbaum became their Photo Editor and Chief Photographer covering the New York City art, music, politics, show business, and nightlife scene until 1982.In this capacity, he took thousands of pictures of events and icons such as Jack Nicholson . Antoinette Norcia / Getty Images In this 1978 picture, crowds line up for entry into Manhattan's renowned disco and . Off the dance floor, people mingle over drinks in the lounge area during 1977. So we ended up having to pay for new seats. Mattresses in the basement were frequently the site of trysts, while the infamous balcony was designed complete with easy-to-clean surfaces as a place for couples to get it on. Typical of the late 70s, the two are smoking. Behind The Scenes At Studio 54 Cnn Style. Studio 54 co-owner Steve Rubell stands in his office, which he claimed was ransacked by federal agents looking for drugs, in 1978. Ian Schrager may be writing the last word on Studio 54 with his coffee table tome for Rizzoli. The many singers who passed through the joint didnt leave without belting out a few notes of their own. See Rare Photos Inside Studio 54 Nightclub Photographer Gene Spatz captured celebrities - including John Lennon, Michael Jackson, Mick Jagger - at the iconic New York City 1970s nightclub By. So I found this little auto museum down somewhere in New Jersey. Having been used as a radio and television studio for CBS, the building was still full of TV sets and lighting equipment when Steve Rubell transformed it into a place for drinks, music and dancing. ', Editors picks He was not there for the drug-fueled disco deliria. It seemed as though thrill-seekers young and old wanted nothing more than to get a taste of Studio 54s soaring reputation. After Lowen uploaded digital versions of the photographs to a secure vault, POBA staff helped crop and curate the material, highlighting the value of his artistic eye. It wasnt until a few years later that Rubell would get busted for tax evasion and end up in jail. Even so, he was among the most famous singers in the country. A pair of topless women parade across the dance floor during Folies Bergre night, circa 1977. Then, step inside the 1990s rave scene at its neon zenith. One of the many famous faces to grace the dance floor of Studio 54 was that of legendary singer Diana Ross. Sometimes thousands of dollars changed hands. In fact, she sang that night with Liza Minnelli. By this time, the club had cemented its reputation as a popular place for celebrities, and Stallone was one more added to the list. The secluded corners furnished with mattresses quickly became a popular feature. One of Studio 54s main attractions was its complex lighting. The owners were skimming millions, up to 80 percent of their profits. We had chickens in a pen, he says in The Last Party. Shes just finished with a 1978 concert, following up a Grammy nomination for Best Country Vocal Performance. The crowds only grew as the clubs popularity did. Left: A dancer is swept into a spectrum of lights during 1978. Nobody wanted to rent a car to Studio 54. Via PAPER. The club was a tabloid fixture. They were out of their minds on drugs and indulging in their dirtiest fantasies. He was supplied with drugs and given a regular paycheck. Studio 54 had an epic few years, but that was it. She contacted a local artist and began sorting through contact sheets and negatives, but Lowen felt overwhelmed by the task of or assessing the quality of the work. Id go there a lot with dates and with friends, and with lots of people, he told The Washington Post in 2016. They had haystacks and horses and donkeys and mules running through the club. Renny Reynolds procured most of the animals from a farm he was renting in Bucks County, Pennsylvania. It just snowballed from there, doorman Marc Benecke recalled in a 1998 E! Gene captured that part of history and the exuberance in a unique way. I said, Cmon! My Studio 54 Story. At the Purple magazine party, a naked couple in a clear bathtub perform for an audience in 1977. His latest book, Studio 54, is a record of hedonism that includes actual swinging from the rafters and a literal procession of men in Dionysian drag. Mick Jagger and his then significant other Jerry Hall entering the club. She had not had a Studio 54 experience. A nearly naked couple dances together on top of a speaker at the club's first Halloween party in 1977. 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