Whisky a Go Go
|
The Whisky, circa early 1970s |
For the similarly named nightclub in Brisbane, Brisbane, Australia, see Whiskey Au Go Go fire.The
Whisky a Go Go is a
nightclub in
West Hollywood, California, at 8901
Sunset Boulevard on the
Sunset Strip. It has been called the first real
American discothèque. The name, often misspelled, is confirmed on the signage in the images at right, as well as on the club's official
Web site. In
Paris, a slightly differently named Whisky à Go-Go opened in 1947.
It was opened
January 11,
1964, at the site of an old bank building that had been remodeled into a short-lived club called the Party, by a former
Chicago policeman,
Elmer Valentine. Valentine's partners were lawyer Theodore F. Flier, former press agent Shelly Davis, and Phil Tanzini.
Though the club was billed as a
discothèque, meaning only recordings with no bands, the Whisky a Go Go opened with a live band led by
Johnny Rivers and a short-skirted female
DJ spinning records between sets from a suspended cage at the right of the stage. When the girl DJ danced during Rivers' set, the audience thought it was part of the act and the concept of
Go-Go dancers in cages was born. Rivers rode the Whisky-born "go-go" craze to national fame with records recorded partly "live at the Whisky."
The Miracles recorded the song "Going to a Go-Go" in 1966, which was covered in 1982 by
The Rolling Stones, and Whisky a Go Go franchises sprang up all over the country.
In 1966, the Whisky was one of the centers of the Sunset Strip police riots. The club was harassed repeatedly by the City of
Los Angeles, which once ordered that the name be changed, claiming "whisky" was a bad influence. It was the "Whisk?" for a while.
Arguably, the
rock and roll scene in Los Angeles was born when the Whisky started operation. From rock to
punk to
heavy metal, the club stood at the forefront of many musical trends.
The Whisky played an important role in many musical careers, especially for bands based in Southern California.
The Byrds were regulars and
The Doors were the house band for a while, until the debut of the "Oedipal Section" of
The End got them fired.
Frank Zappa's
Mothers of Invention got their record contract based on a performance at the Whisky.
Jimi Hendrix came by to jam when
Sam & Dave headlined.
Otis Redding recorded his album
Live at the Whisky there in
1966.
The Turtles performed there when their newest (and biggest-selling) single "
Happy Together" was becoming a hit, only to lose their new bassist,
Chip Douglas (who had arranged the song), to
the Monkees; guitarist
Michael Nesmith invited him to become their
producer. (He returned to the Turtles a year later, to produce them.).
Neil Diamond also played at the Whiskey on occasion.
Many British performers made their first headlining performances in the area at the Whisky, including
The Kinks,
The Who,
Cream,
Led Zeppelin,
Roxy Music and
Oasis. The Whisky was a focus of the emerging
New Wave and
punk rock movements in the late 1970s, and frequently presented local acts as diverse as
The Germs,
The Runaways,
X,
Mötley Crüe and
Van Halen while playing host to early performances by the
Ramones,The
Dictators, The
Misfits,
Blondie,
Talking Heads,
Elvis Costello,
XTC,
The Jam,
Japanese doo-wop musical group
Rats & Star, including a famous
sex offender Masashi Tashiro, among others.
The Whisky fell on hard times once the first flush of
punk rock lost steam, and closed its doors in 1982. It reopened in 1986 as a "four-wall", a venue that could be rented by promoters and bands. Although a few booths remain on the perimeter, the interior has mostly been transformed into a bare, seatless space where the audience is forced to stand throughout the performances.
*
Rainbow Bar and Grill*
Sunset Strip*
Troubadour*
Viper Room*
Whisky a Go Go official site*
The History of The Whisky-A-Go-Go (sic)
