Discothèque
A
discothèque (or
discoteque) is an
entertainment venue or
club with
recorded music, played by "Discaires" (
Disk jockeys), rather than an on-stage
band. The word derives from the
French word discothèque (a type of
nightclub).
Discothèque is a
portmanteau coined around 1941 from
disc and
bibliothèque (library) by
La Discothèque, then located on the Rue de la Huchette in
Paris (Jones + Kantonen, 1999). Previously, most paid entertainment in public venues used live bands.
Today the term discothèque is usually synonymous with
nightclub. The term "
disco" was originally a 1960s U.S. abbreviation of
discothèque, a place where "disco music" was played.
* La Discothèque, in Paris (on rue Hachette), opened 1941
* Whisky à Go-Go, in Paris, opened 1947 by
Paul Pacine* Chez Regine, in
Paris'
Latin Quarter, opened 1957 by
Régine * La Discothèque, in London, opened 1960
* Ad Lib, in
London, opened 1963 by Nicholas Luard and Lord Timothy Willoughby
* Le Club, in
New York City, opened 1960 by
Olivier Coquelin, a French
expatriate*
Peppermint Lounge, in New York City, opened 1961
*
Whisky a Go Go, in
West Hollywood, California, opened 1964
* Arthur, in New York City, opened 1965 by
Sybil Burton at site of the defunct
El Morocco*
Electric Circus, opened 1967 on
St. Mark's Place* L'Interdit, in New York City
* Il Mio (an Italian "discoteca"), in New York City,
* Shepheard's, in New York City,
*
The Loft, in New York City, opened 1970 by
David Mancuso*
Studio 54, in New York City, operated by
Steve Rubell; depicted in the 1998 film
54; parodied in the 2002 movie
Austin Powers in Goldmember as Studio
69.
* Cheetah, in New York City, at
Broadway and 53rd Street
* Whisky a Go Go, in
Chicago* La Dom, downstairs from Electric Circus; run by
Andy Warhol* Aux Puces, in New York City, one of the first
gay discos
* The Sanctuary, in New York City, a famous early-1970s gay disco; part of the movie
Klute was filmed there
*
Down The Street, in
Asbury Park,
New Jersey, open until 1999
* Dlux club Caspe
dlux.esThe term disco is derived from discothèque. It generally refers to a specific style of music and
dance that coincided with this cultural landmark.
*
List of nightclubs*
Hot Dance Music/Club Play, a
Billboard chart starting in 1974 (originally called "Disco Action")
*
List of number-one dance hits (United States) (begins with 1974)
*
1986 Berlin discotheque bombing*
Go-Go dancer*
American Heritage: Disco (history)*
History of the Discotheque*
Village Voice article "King of Clubs", on The Loft
