Hey friends, it’s Party Dad again with another helping of disco history for you, and what a generous helping I have this week! Let’s talk for a minute about the original celebrity DJ, and one of my biggest personal influences, Tom Savarese.
Tom Savarese got his start DJing in 1973 at the ripe old age of 29 and held residencies at a number of legendary New York discotheques throughout the 70s, including the Hollywood, the Ice Palace, 12 West and the Sandpiper on Fire Island.
Here’s a five-hour mix recorded by the man himself straight to reel-to-reel for a New Year’s Eve party in 1978. Back then, it was a common practice for club owners and some DJs to record an evening’s set and sell it the next day. These were the very first DJ mixtapes!
(Note: These are 320kbps mp3s, so the files are huge, but it’s totally worth it for the sound quality. Enjoy!)
Tom Saverese, New Year’s 1978 – Pt. 1
Tom Savarese, New Year’s 1978 – Pt. 2
Tom Savarese, New Year’s 1978 – Pt. 3
Tom Savarese, New Year’s 1978 – Pt. 4
Tom Savarese, New Year’s 1978 – Pt. 5
Full track listing and more info on Saverese after the Jump!
