New York based and geared lifestyles, music, and fashion magazine was having one of their many great parties. It was in The Michael Todd Room at The Palladium Night Club in New York's East Village. It was 1986 and I was a young man in my early 20s, having the time of my life, working very hard, Playing Hard, having fun,and dating lots of beautiful women.
Peter Framptons
Monster Hit Album
with "Bay I Love Your Way"
and "Do You Feel Like We Do"
The paper always threw good parties and this was no exception. The Palladium was a huge club which had to let in a lot of people, including A Listers, B Listers, and too many C Listers, if you know what I mean. At the time I was a A Lister who could get into any club at any time. Well I was young and thought it was cool and powerful to be amongst the A's ... I used to go to Area 2 or three times a week, which at the time was by far the hardest club to get in to. Area, owned by renowned Night Club Impresario Hotelier/Turtle Lover "Eric Goode" was Cool and Hot, and so by size and Eric Goode's design. And one very cool thing about Area was that the decor changed every 6 weeks or so. The had specific themes and the club was decorated accordingly. One thing a remember and really loved that brought me back to childhood was a Giant Candy-Land Board. Also the Art Theme that included paintings by Andy Warhol, Keith Harring, and Picasso. Anyway thinking I was cool (and i was, but not for some of the reasons I thought I was, like being a A Lister) I loved going to Area, as it was very hard to get in to. I could get in anytime, din't have to pay, and on top of all that, if that wasn't enough, I was given 2 Drink Tickets when I went in. Sweet. I was in the Hottest A List Club in Town, I could get in any time, din't have to pay and got 2 free drinks to boot. Cool. There were Beautiful Women, great music and lots of cool people to hang out with, BS, dance, this and that. Well I guess a lot of this and that was Drugs, "I never did any," wasn't into it. At the time Sex was my drug, and there were plenty of beautiful girls and women available. No Drugs for me, a couple free drinks, women, good, music, friends, Star Gazing, and dancing was enough for me, plenty. Celebs, yes I saw many a celeb at Area and other Clubs; Mick Jagger, Muriel Hemingway, Princess Stephanie of Manaco, Mike Tyson, Tom Cruise, Brooke Shields, Fellini, Boy George, and on and on.
OK, back to that party at the Palladium. The Palladium was nowhere near as cool as Area, nor The Lime Light, or Tunnel clubs at the time, so I din't go to them that often. Why would I go to the Second Rate B & C Clubs when I could get in the best and be with a much cooler crowd. Anyway, The Paper Party in The Michael Todd Room. That was the Cool Part of Palladium. You could have a Party in The Michael Todd Room which was The V.I.P. Room and keep out all the Riif-Raff. The Palladium was huge and had to let lots of people in to make money. Lots of B and C List people, The Bridge & Tunnel Crowd and even lower. The Palladium could be cool if there was a private party there, and the room was roped off and guarded by doormen who only let the "Right People" in. Mostly A Lister's, so-called A Lister's. Sounds snobby but it's actually true in a way. You have to control and create a crowd, and letting anyone and their grandmother in wasn't gonna cut it. Well this was a great night, a cool party and a great crowd, mostly artsy, creative, downtown types. They had some really good entertainment that nigh, a really good Stripper as well as Joey Arias doing a phenomenal rendition of Suspicious Minds by Elvis Presley. It was friggin awesome and I'll never forget that. I loved that performance. Then later when the DJ was spiinning some great tunes and I was dancing with some girls and friends, it cam on. What? Friggin Kung Fu Figthing. Friggin awesome, we were lovin it. We went nuts,were dancing around with Karate Chops and Kicks, and some of the best dancing ever. Well as far as fun goes. By this time in 1986, the song Kung Fu Fighting was a Disco Oldy and Disco was almost dead. Maybe it was already dead. Well not in clubs. I can't remember other songs played that night (probably some Michel Jackson and), other than Arias doing Elvis and Carl Douglas's great Hit "Kung Fu Fighting." What I do remember was that the DJ was spinning great tunes, I was digging it and having fun. That was a great party. Another one was when Maddonna did a couple concerts at Madison Square Garden in 1985 and had a party in The Michel Todd Room after the concert one night. This was a few weeks before she got married to Sean Penn, but was hanging with my friend Bobby who she had a fling with and was seeing him one last time. When Booby and Madonna were leaving that night, some photographers were trying to take pictures of them, Booby (a tough young Puerto Rican Kid) punched him out. It made the papers the next day. I wonder what Sean thought of that? Madonna talked here way out of that one. I guess?
So what does Peter Framtpton have to do with Kung Fu Fighting? Well, as I said as i always turn my Radio on, hit the button as I had towards the bathroom in the morning. My Cool-Ass Space Helmet Weltron Radio. When I came out of the shower, Carl Douglas's "Kung Fu Fighting" came on the Radio. I cranked up the volume and grooved on the tune. Just like that night way back when in the Michael Todd Room at the Paladium. Yes I was loving it. That's what great msuic does to you, it brings you back and makes you feel good, and Kung Fu Fighting did, both that night at the Palladium and this morning in myt! apartment in Greenwich Village. Next thing, Bay I Love Your Way, a Monster Hit by Peter Frampton came on. It's a masterful song, it was a huge hit, I have always loved it and I kept on grooving as it played. Yes that's what great music does to you, Peter Frampton and Kung Fu Fighting, that's what they have to do with one-and-other. I love it!
Daniel Bellino-Zwicke
Madonna
and Owner of Area
Eric Goode
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