Churches of Pop Music, Vol II
by Sheldon Rocha Leal
In 2021 I wrote an article about iconic clubs that played a seminal role in the popularisation of music and discovery of big name artists. I intended to serialise the article, but over the years I’ve been distracted by other topics and forgot to continue where I ended. I have now decided to revisit the series. Before the digital age, music acts were usually discovered at clubs or live venues. Record company A&Rs (Artist and Repertoire or Talent Scouts) used to trawl clubs to find the next big musical act. Furthermore, once these artists were discovered and were ready to release their music, promoters at record labels used to approach influential DJs at significant venues to play their music. These DJs had large and loyal fans that trusted their musical intuition and followed their trends.
There were very few artists that were discovered as “walk-ins” at recording labels. The recording companies wanted to know what they were buying into and investing in and even if they had a “walk-in” they wanted to see them live in action. Therefore, the nightclub or live venue was the epicentre of the music world. Nowadays, platforms like YouTube, Spotify and Soundcloud are often used by A&R’s to discover new talent. It’s an easy way to consume new music and gauge an acts following. Whilst clubs and live venues are an integral part of the music ecosystem, they don’t play the role it once did. As a way to preserve this part of popular music history I have decided to explore some of these famous venues, as important locations in the proliferation of Pop music and the ascension of many stars. In this second edition of the series, I will explore another 5 live venues/clubs and here they are:
Copacabana Club (New York City, USA, 1940–73, 1976–2007, 2011–20, 2022 to the present day)
The Copacabana Club was started by Monte Proser in New York on 10 November 1940 on 10 East 60th Street. Prosner had been a press agent who previously represented Walt Disney. The English immigrant created a cocktail called The Zombie, which he sold at a stand at the 1939 World’s Fair in New York. The cocktail was an unexpected hit and ushered in a tiki bar trend which permeated the club scene in the town. With the money he generated from the sale of the drink he decided to start a nightclub. The club followed a Polynesian theme, combined with Brazilian decor, rum drinks from the tiki bar culture and Latin orchestras, it is named after the famous Brazilian beach after all. Because Monte did not have the capital to start the club on his own, he approached a mobster, Frank Costello, to forward him the balance of the money required.
Owing to the popularity of Monte’s drink and Frank’s connections, the club thrived and became a place where many famous careers were launched. Frank Sinatra, Louis Prima, Sammy Davis jr., and Dean Martin all had their start at The Copa. Because of internal politics, relating to disagreements with Jules Podell, a representative of Costello placed at the club to protect his interests, Monte was forced out in the 1950s. Frank, however, took care of Monte providing him with a job as a club promoter and show manager in Las Vegas. Jules Podell replaced Monte as the club’s manager. The club was originally segregated, but by the 1950s this had been dropped and people like Nat King Cole performed at the Copa. In the 1960s the venue hosted performances by Motown artists such as The Supremes, Temptations and Marvin Gaye.
After Jules passed away in 1973 the club lay dormant for three years, but was revived in 1976 at the height of the Disco era. In 1978 the club entered mainstream consciousness when Barry Manilow had a hit with the song “Copacabana (At The Copa)” about the club. Between 1992 and 2022 the Copa was moved, opened and closed various times. In 1992 Peter Dorn (then owner) moved it to 617 West 57th, claiming the landlord did not like Hispanic people. In 2001 it was moved again as the landlord wanted to convert the club’s site into an office complex, then in 2007 it was moved to make way for an exetension to the New York City Subway. The club was closed in 2007 and then reopened in 2011. In 2010 it was moved to a new location in Times Square and in 2020 it was closed again because of the Worldwide Pandemic. The Copacabana finally reopened in February 2022 at a new location, 625 West 51st Street, and is now operated by Ruben Carbera.
The Marquee Club (London, England, 1958–2008)
The Marquee was founded by Harold Pendleton, an accountant and Jazz Music lover, on 19 April 1958, in the basement of the Academy Cinema on Oxford Street, when he hosted his first Jazz at the Marquee night. The venue had been used as a ballroom in the early 1950s and the decor was designed by Angus McBean, featuring a striped canopy mimicking a marquee. The club became known for its British Jazz resident performers like, Johnny Dankworth, Chris Barber and Cyril Davies. From 1962 onwards they began hosting an R&B night, featuring visiting American musicians like Muddy Waters. By 1963 the club become known for R&B music. Manfred Mann played 102 times at the venue between 1962–1976. The Marquee’s popularity increased to such an extent in the 1960s that it moved to a second venue, 90 Wardour Street. In the second decade of its existence it became a popular Rock music venue, with residences by acts like The Who, Jimi Hendrix, Led Zeppelin and Jethro Tull.
Pink Floyd had a Sunday residence as part of the Spontaneous Underground Club. Because The Marquee did not have a liquor license until 1970 a private bar was established, La Chasse Club, at 100 Wardour Street, which became a popular musician hangout. A home studio was erected in a garage at the back of the venue and used by various acts including Elton John, The Clash and Alex Murray (Moody Blues producer/manager). The Stones made their debut performance at the club as “The Rolling Stones” in July 1962. John Gee, a former accountant, managed the club in the 1960s and helped cultivate and promote its status as “the most important venue in the history of Pop music”. Because of its popularity many A&R people visited the venue to try and unearth the next big musical talent. David Bowie made his initial appearances in the 1970s at the club and in the 1980s it became an important venue in the popularisation of New Wave music.
Def Leppard played the first show of their “Pyromania World Tour” at the venue, followed by performances by Iron Maiden in the 1980s and Metallica, who did their first U.K. performance at the club. Pendleton sold the venue to Billy Gaff, Rod Stewart’s former manager, in 1988 and from that point the club moved locations various times, mainly due to redevelopment in London. Eventually Gaff and his business partner moved the Marquee to a purpose built location in Angel, Islington. The club then changed hands and Dave Stewart, of the Eurythmics, became the owner, but was unable to make a success of it. The Marquee closed down in 2003 but reopened in 2004 under new ownership. This time the it was owned by Nathan Lowry, but it was eventually closed down permanently in 2008 after licensing issues with the Westminster council. Lowery still owns the club’s intellectual property.
The Troubadour (West Hollywood, California, USA, 1957-Present Day)
The Troubadour opened in 1957 in West Hollywood and was inspired by The Troubadour Café in London, established in 1954. Doug Weston, a music promoter, decided to open the venue, originally as a coffee house, on La Cienega Boulevard. It was, however, moved shortly after it opened to inhabit its current location, 9081 Santa Monica Boulevard, West Hollywood, California. In the 1960s the club became associated with the Folk and Singer-Songwriter movement, as well as Rock, attracting many significant figures from those genres. I guess the name of the club is significant as a Troubadour is a poet and musician that sings tales, and that is exactly what happened at the venue at the beginning of its history. Some of the early musicians who performed at the club included Joni Mitchell, The Byrds, Bob Dylan and Neil Young.
In 1970 Elton John made his US debut at the club, introduced by Neil Diamond. That show was the first of a 6 night residency, which was watched by many influential people from the music industry and other fellow recording artists. This performance broke the legend into the American market and catapulted his career into the stratosphere. Today Sir Elton is one of the biggest selling artists of all time, with humble beginnings at the Troubadour. Glenn Frey and Don Henley met later in 1970 at the club and formed The Eagles. The band would go on to write a song titled “The Sad Café” about the venue, which was included on their 1979 album “The Long Run”. Tom Waits was discovered in 1970 at the weekly open mic night and the comedy duo Cheech & Chong were discovered on the comedy evening in the same year.
In March 1974 Harry Nilsson and John Lennon were kicked out of the club for disorderly conduct during John’s “Lost Weekend”, which started in late 1973 and ended in 1974. In the 1980s the club started hosting New Wave and Heavy Metal acts like Metallica, Poison and Mötley Crüe, with Guns ‘n Roses getting signed to David Geffen’s label after he watched them perform at the venue. Many emerging Rock acts performed at the club in the 1990s, including, Radiohead, The Red Hot Chilli Peppers, Pearl Jam, Fiona Apple and The Strokes. A then relatively unknown No Doubt performed at The Troubadour in November 1995 after the release of “Tragic Kingdom” to promote the album. In the 2000s the venue continued to promote diverse acts including Coldplay, Jason Mraz and The Arctic Monkeys. In August 2020 Elton celebrated his 50th anniversary in the business by performing at The Troubadour. The club remains true to its essence providing a platform to well known, as well as emerging acts.
CBGB (New York City, USA, 1973–2006)
CBGB was founded by Hilly Kristal in the East Village of New York City on a site built in 1878, located at 315 The Bowery, Manhattan on 10 December 1973. In 2013 it was added to the National Register of Historic Places as part of The Bowery Historic District. Hilly was formerly a musician, who studied music at Settlement Music School in Philadelphia. He started his career as a choral singer at Radio City Music Hall and later became the manger of the Village Vanguard, a Jazz venue in Greenwich Village where he booked Miles Davis. In 1966 he and Ron Delsener co-founded the Rheingold Central Park Music Festival, which ran until 1976. In that time they booked some iconic music talent including, BB King, Led Zeppelin, The Who, Chuck Berry, Ray Charles and Ike & Tina Turner. In 1973 he decided to open The CBGB on the site of a nightclub he had previously run there since 1969 called Hilly’s, which he was forced to close amid complaints from neighbours.
The CBGB stands for Country BlueGrass & Blues, which was the music Hilly wanted to curate at the venue, along with poetry readings. The problem was twofold: 1) New York is not a Country and Blues market, 2) he hired two promoters, Bill Page and Rusty McKenna, who started booking Rock acts almost from the outset. Squeeze, one of the first resident acts, changed the direction of the club. Another event that helped alter the musical direction of The CBGB was the closure of the Mercer Arts Center in 1973. This left unsigned Rock bands very few options as to where to perform their original music in New York City, which resulted in a gravitation toward The CBGB. The club, therefore, became closely associated with the Punk and New Wave movements. Patti Smith and Lenny Kaye were audience members that later formed the Patti Smith Group in 1975, who played their first gigs at The CBGB.
Furthermore, Deborah Harry, who later formed Blondie and The Ramones also had their start at the club in 1974. The Police played their first US shows at the CBGB. Other iconic acts who debuted at the club included The Voidoids, B-52s, Joan Jett & The Blackhearts and The Talking Heads. There were two rules when playing The CBGB, 1) acts had to move their own equipment and 2) they had to play mainly original content. Its growing popularity meant acts from around the world were attracted to play at the venue in the hopes of being discovered. In 2005 after what seems to be an attempt to unfairly raise the rental on the site by the landlord, Hilly decided not to renew his lease and vowed to move the club to Las Vegas. He unfortunately died of cancer in 2007, his daughter Karen inherited everything and it seems like a group of unknown investors bought the intellectual property associated with the club.
Mandy’s Nightclub (Doornfontein, Johannesburg, South Africa, 1976–1986)
Mandy’s nightclub was not only a place where people could consume exclusive musical content in South Africa , it was a significant landmark in the history of the LGBT+ community in the country. It occupies a similar space as Stonewall in New York. During the Apartheid era there were a cluster of laws that heavily discriminated against people from the LGBT+ community. These pieces of legislation meant people of the same gender were not allowed to be romantically involved, unions were not recognised and the rights of people from the community were heavily curtailed. If it was determined that same gendered people were romantically involved they could be fined or imprisoned or both. These sanctions were not limited to the offenders, but extended to anyone who enabled, condoned or consented to this behaviour. In 1979 Mandy’s nightclub was raided by the police and patrons were manhandled, verbally abused, photographed and locked in the venue until morning.
The police later revisited the club, but this time patrons were ready and fought back, leaving police bloodied and some with stiletto marks from the drag queens who refused to go quietly. Mandy’s was opened on 20 August 1976, but didn’t occupy its original location for long as it burnt down. They eventually moved into an old Sir Herbert Baker building, under new management. The building was originally designed in 1906 as the SA School of Music, occupying Mr Morris Rosenberg’s old tennis court. He was a leading businessman in the area and his residence was situated in 96 End Street, Doornfontein. This old structure is the site to which most people attribute the famous club. Before becoming a nightclub it served as a macaroni factory (1926) and then the Adam Leslie Theatre (1967). Mandy’s was owned by Tony Rich and was the epicentre of the Disco and later Hi-NRG movements in Johannesburg.
Mandy’s was a place where the general public mixed with celebrities, as DJs actively searched for music to play in their sets that was not heard anywhere else. Some of the legendary resident DJs at Mandy’s included Peter Ritchie, Jannie Vermaak, Patrick Talmage and Andrew Wood, who later became a flight attendant for SAA and travelled the world buying records for his DJ friends. Patrick also worked at Look & Listen during the day, giving him access to music. Music was either procured at one of three locations, Moola’s, Hillbrow Record Centre, Look & Listen or through a friendly flight attendant (as with Andrew). Mandy’s didn’t have a liquor license, so the way they got around this was by only admitting members at a cost of R14 (expensive at the time), which meant all drinks were free, with patrons only paying for mixers, e.g. Coca Cola, Tonic or Soda Water. The club changed ownership in 1986 and was renamed “Idols” (owned by Wally) and later “ESP”. All three clubs were seminal venues in their respective eras.
It is interesting to note the impact DJs and clubs had not only on the popularisation of certain genres, and star making, but also on the trajectory, evolution and progression of society as a whole. These seemingly social places, have played a far larger role than one would initially assume. As with Mandy’s in South Africa, that played an integral role in the liberation struggle of members of the LGBT+ community in South Africa during the homophobic and oppressive Apartheid regime. The same can be said of The CBGB which was a home for musicians in New York City that had nowhere else to go to promote their original compositions. Most of the clubs spoken about in this article are no longer in operation, but their impact is felt in the music industry to this very day.
I’m glad that some of these locations are finally being recognised for the role they played in the evolution of our communities, as in the case of the CBGB, whose location was declared a National Heritage Site. People often downplay the importance of music and even the people who create it, considering them superficial entertainers and the art of music making as a frivolous activity. I personally feel DJs, out of all music creators, are possibly the least appreciated, as people often think they just spin records. The reality is that music has and will always have a major impact on social interaction and as a commentary on what is happening in society at any given time, therefore, helping to push our civilisation forward. Without music creators we as a society do not have a voice and the clubs in which this music is disseminated is most certainly the church in which the gospel of music is pronounced.
