58 Disco business Uncle Sam Set For Video Boom Buffalo Club Upgrades, Expands Projection Systems By HANFORD SEARL BUFFALO -Uncle Sam's disco- The suburban club's video equip- $7 with major acts booked Thurs- theque here has invested in excess of ment includes a Quasar and'/4 -inch days. $15,000 in new video equipment and Sony JVC playback machines with "Superman II" and "Heavy accessories as part of a plan to ex- an Aqua -Star projector. A Tapco Metal" movie parties have included pand and upgrade its use of video in 2200 equalizer for sound and three promotion tools such as soundtrack promoting national, regional and lo- tv screen monitors also comprise the give -aways, T- shirts and passes to cal dance bands. system housed in the DJ booth. local theatres. The video expansion is part of a JBL bass speakers and a JVC- $100,000 major renovation at the KDA22 cassette deck with a reel -to- Concert tie-ins have been spon- 718 capacity venue, and also in- reel feature, also figure into the sored with local rock stations cludes establishment of a videotape sound system layout. WGRQ -FM and WPHD -FM in library, and the improvement of A sprawling, warehouse-type-- showcasing such bands as Three existing record company tie -ins. space, Uncle Sam's main room also Dog Night, Ian Hunter, the B -52's, "We'll use 15 -20 video tapes a includes a 9 by 12 foot screen behind Kings and Teenage Head. night to accompany the kids while the newly erected stage. A 6 foot Uncle Sam's nearest competitors they're dancing, or to enhance an Sony screen is found in a semi-pri- in video are the Bay View Beach NERVOUS STAR -Emergency Records artist Michelle Wallace is given some appearing group's impact," reports vate. enclosed rear lounge area. Club near Lake Erie and Mulligan's moral support by label v.p. Curtis Urbina, center, and Sergio Cossa, presi- Lynn Dietz, Uncle Sam's general Located in Cheektowaga, N.Y., in North Buffalo, but each cater to dent, prior to her recent concert engagement at the Bond's discotheque here. manager. Uncle Sam's charges a cover, rang- different age groups. Uncle's Sam's Wallace's single, "Happy Days," is currently at No. 17 with a star on the Bill- Aiming for the 18 -24 market, ing from $1 to $2.50 Mondays to Sat- reaches a rock- oriented, young adult board Disco Charts. Dietz and DJ Bryan Bradley, a urdays. Concert tickets run from $4- crowd. member of the Buffalo, N.Y. Disco DJ Assoc., utilize'/4 -inch video trail- ers from companies as well as 60- Visions Woos Older Crowd second film promos. Racism Charge Surfaces Rick Springfield's "Jesse's Girl," With Live MOR Format Rick James' "Superfreak" and Pat By SARA LANE Benatar's "You'd Better Run" video In N.Y. Disco Drug Bust spots have been used along with NEW YORK -Mass arrests of 419 down to the presence of a club cater- MIAMI -Visions of Kendall has plexiglass and parquet dance floor. Devo productions. disco patrons at the Gotham disco- ing to a largely black and hispanic modified its music policy from an Overhead in the black plexiglass Talas, a local, three -piece band theque here earlier this month have clientele located in a predominantly all- recorded, all -disco format, to one ceiling are tube lights, spinner lights which toured as an opening act with brought charges of racism from the white, residential neighborhood. that features a mix of both live and and mirrored balls. Van Halen, and Cheater, a Roches- operators of the club, and have gal- The Gotham is located on Manhat- recorded sounds. According to In order to accommodate the ter- based group, have been negotiat- vanized the New York Chapter of tan's East side. Royce Green, manager of the club, older audience Visions of Kendall is ing to produce videotapes at Sam's. the American Civil Liberties Union A spokesman for the club claims the new format runs the gamut of now attracting, Green is program- Joe Verange, video consultant for into defending the rights of the ar- that the room had complied with ev- dance music styles from country to ming the easy listening sounds of American Avents, Inc. in Cincinnati, rested patrons. ery official request to correct viola- disco "and everything in between." Barbra Streisand, Frank Sinatra and Ohio, parent firm of the club helps The mass arrests, on a variety of tions, that the place had been sound- Dave Fielding, district supervisor others with appeal to a broad au- package the newly integrated format drug -related charges, followed a proofed, and was in the process of of Shell City's lounges, which owns dience. here and at company outlets in New number of investigations by state installing a fire alarm system, the fi- Visions Of Kendall, states that the Because of its prime location in York, Boston, Detroit, Orlando and and city agencies including the Con- nal requirement for the issuance of a new policy, which is designed to at- Kendall, Miami's fastest growing Milwaukee. sumer Affairs Dept., which last cabaret license. tract an older crowd to the room, is area, and because of its late hour (5 "We're planning to produce origi- found the Gotham in violation for "The only thing our patrons were working very well. a.m.) license, Visions of Kendall can Fielding's nal tapes here too," says Dietz. operating without a cabaret license. guilty of was dancing," the spokes- gradual change began draw from two sets of customers; the with "We'll have to consider the ceiling However, operators of the club man says. He adds that if his crowd the presentation of a live band residents of the area, plus waitresses, heights and angles but it can be done have charged harrassment, and was the type that patronized the specializing in music of the 1950s, bartenders and other night people. later he offered his a on an in -house basis." maintain that the whole thing boils more trendy city discos such as audiences band "Basically, we're a late night Xenon and Magique, they would specializing in the sounds of the spot," explains Green. "Things 1960s, and more recently a top 40 never have been bothered by the po- really get popping here about 1 band. DISCO 8 DANCE REC. NEW 12"- Mwrergy (Ramie), Nick Straker-Leaving (Remi:), lice. a.m" With the change in format, the Carol Jinni (Hit 8 Run Renl,), Nona Hendricks, Slim Williams. Earlier this month, the club hired MAIL ORDER SERVICE Project, Voyage, Macla Hines, Purple Flash, Claud)a Barry a The ACLU is less convinced that recent addition of the Sonny Rhodes R. Jones, Pete Richards, Claudio Ceccheso, Phyllis Hyman the Sonny Rhodes Band which plays Band, which Retail DJ Imports & U.S. (Remi,), New Pee Shelley, New Dynasty (Remi:), New Patti racism motivated the police bust. has proved to be ex- Austin (Remi,), New Soft Cell, New Spandau Ballet, Celeb,a- However, it feels that "there could a dance set alternating with a show tremely popular, and its ideal site, Son Gold (Medley), New Modem Romance, Omni, New Ger- Telex: 199 -UR set. Rhodes performs on the two 230 SWIFT (MAIL -O) aldine Hunt, Tracy Weber, Jane Harris, Pure Energy, Grime: not conceivably be cause for arrest- Fielding believes his club will con- Call or write us- Fastest service, best Presley, Cevdl Stolen. Kam, Kapo, John Foxe, Flock of Sea- show sets each night, featuring the stock and cheapest retail price on U.S. gulls, New Heaven 17, Deborah DeJeen, ing that many people." tinue to grow and attract new cus- and imports. Send for our FREE lists of Techno Twins, Despeche Mode, Prince, Working on this premise, the music of Elvis Presley, Neil Dia- tomers. Imports, 12" Discs, and U.S. LP's. Keel 8 Gang, Ultimate War Lord (New Ver- sion), Islet' Bros., Earth Wed a Fire, Cheri ACLU is negotiating with the police mond and others of that genre. He adds, "we have no competition Call us about our AUTOMATIC Hunt, Nancy Nove (Remi:), Tom Tom Club During the band's breaks, music is MAILING SUBSCRIPTION- (Geniu), In the Mood (Medley), Grace department to have the charges in the kind of musical format we are SERVICE- personalized to the Jones (New/Renie), Pig Bag. Marla Verano dropped. is to provided by one of the three alter- offering. We are beginning to diver- needs of your disco or area (New), Soil Cell, Roger. Rose Royce, Bee It also seeking have Gees, Amanda Lear (Follow Me), Carol WN- the nating disk jockeys; Bob Barea, Mo- sify our We export to DJs in at countries (retail lams. Rolling Stones Medley, Stevie Won- police create regulations that Sunday evening entertain- only). der Medley, Hooked on Can Can, Evclyfn would reduce the possibilities of hammed Leroy and Gabe Campbell ment by featuring reggae occasion- All orders are shipped immediately U.P.S. - Smith, Boney M (Malaika), Boystown Gang who use Billboard's Hot 100 charts ally, are We give personal attention to your needs (Crulan- Reml:), Glenn Miller Medley, Mys- such sweeping arrests in future. and planning to use some of tery, Marie Veano, Frankie Smith (Ramla). as a basis for programming from the IMPORT NEW LP's -Patrick Cowley (2 Dif- According to Richard Emery of the area's jazz groups as well as the ferent LP'), Disco Cross Vol. 2, Barrabas, the ACLU, "we are making progress 1,000 -plus record library which is big band sound." MAIL O DISC RECORDS Carolyn Bernier, MI: Your Own Stan (All constantly being updated. 40 SOUTH MALL PLAINVIEW NY 0803 Breaks). Martina, Night Life Unlimited, Star on both matters, and we feel confi- As PHONE f316) 694 -0088 Tracks. With a part of the new format, the (Continued on page 60) the switch to live band for- mat, certain renovations were neces- club is now beginning to feature sary. The deejay booth, once the name acts, and has appointed central spot of attraction, has been George Mora, president of Sunrise moved to the side of the spacious Theatrical Enterprises, to book tal- Drive room. ent for three Shell City lounges. MANUFACTURERS 66 Commerce Mora has already brought the Farmingdale, N.Y. 11735, USA A large bandstand that can ac- AND commodate 10 to 12 musicians is Coasters, and Danny and the Jun- DISTRIBUTORS 516- 752 -9824 iors to Visions. TELEX: 221618 FARRA UR now the focal point. It overlooks a Write Or call for tree catalog "Shell City has some 20 lounges throughout the state," says Fielding. "Most of them are small, intimate rooms. However, our club in Tampa can accommodate 700, and Visions of Kendell can hold about 400 so we have the venues for bigger name acts." In order to better promote the club, Fielding has negotiated an af- MIRROR EFFECTS HELICOPTERS THEATER LIGHTS filiation with the Miami Dolphin PIN SPOTS SPEAKERS CONTROLLERS football team's booster club. Field- RAIN LITES MIXERS NEON ing explains that under the accom- ROPE LIGHTS modation the team's players use the Installations through authorized dealers worldwide include. room, and help focus the spotlight of publicity on it. CRAZY HORSE -CHILE / CLUB HIPPOPOTAMUS- MEXICO SCARAMOUCHE- MEXICO / COMMERCIAL CENTER -VENEZUELA Visions also features Arthur Mur- PRECISION CHASER -This unit, a SALTY DOG -NEW YORK / LA CASCADA -PANAMA ray dance instructors one night Precisio Indus- DISCOTECH ESTRAMBURGO- PANAMA TRADEWINDS- model M30R24 from month, and has become associated and NEW JERSEY tries, offers fixed speed action, with Air Florida. It recently hosted a its three contacts can handle up to party for 400 employees of the Flor- 600 watts of power per contact. ida- based airline. www.americanradiohistory.com