Ralphie Dee
Ralph D'Agostino ("Ralphie Dee") is an American D.J. known for a career spanning disco, electronic and rave music.[1][2][3] He was resident D.J. at 2001 Odyssey Disco in Brooklyn, New York at the time when "Saturday Night Fever" was filmed there.[4][5][6] The movie was largely responsible for the popularization of disco lifestyle, and attracted numerous tourists to 2001 Odyssey starting in 1978 and through the 1980s. Many disco music hits were first heard there from the hands of DJ's such as Joey "Cousine" Viola and D'Agostino.[7][8][9][10] Many live recordings were done at 2001 and are available online (See also the External Links section).
Ralph D'Agostino | |
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Ralphie Dee at Digital Overdose 2008 | |
Background information | |
Birth name | Ralph D'Agostino |
Also known as | Ralphie Dee |
Genres | disco, electronic music, rave music |
Occupation(s) | Producer, DJ |
Years active | 1980s-2000s |
Starting in 1978, Ralphie Dee was hired by WKTU to perform for lunch mixes and their nightly Saturday shows.[11]
In the late 1980s he started a production career which lasted up until the mid 1990s, which resulted in a discography of more than 250 releases at a time when the rave scene began to take shape in the United Kingdom.[12][1] The phase was marked by collaborations with Tommy Musto and Lenny Dee. With the latter he created pieces such as "Out Takes" (1989), "Overdose (The Final Trip)" and "Manslaughter" (the last two from the 1990 EP "Major Problems") under New York label Nu Groove.[2] "Out Takes" caught the ear of promoters upon hitting the United Kingdom, which resulted in a tour over Europe in the year 1990. On his return to the United States, "Major Problems - Ovderdose" had entered the Record Mirror charts.[13] Other prominent records include "English Muffin" and "Chantal The Realm".
1980s venues
With the legacy of his time at 2001 Ralphie began playing at various clubs that had opened in Brooklyn, Queens, Long Island and Staten Island and Manhattan.
- 1981 Blossoms - Staten Island
- 1981 Haddar II - Staten Island
- 1982 Scarletts - Staten Island
- 1983 The Rooftop - Manhattan
- 1984 City Scene - Brooklyn
- 1984 City Scene On The Lake - Long Island
- 1984 Promotions - Brooklyn
- 1984 Club B - Brooklyn
- 1986 231 -Long Island
- 1986 Avanti - Queens
- 1986 Speaks - Long Island
- 1986 Metro 700 - Long Island
- 1987 21 Hudson - Manhattan
- 1987 Fokos -Long Island
- 1987 Pastels - Brooklyn
- 1989 Illusions - Brooklyn
- 1988 The Funhouse - Manhattan
- 1989 Palladium - Manhattan
- 1989 Tunnel - Manhattan
- 1989 Roxy - Manhattan
1990s selected world venues
- Q Bar - Bangkok, Thailand
- Clorophilla – Taranta, Italy
- Shadowlands (3 times) – various, Holland
- Cave Club – Salzburg, Austria
- Digital Overdose – Amsterdam, Holland
- Narcissus – Bangkok, Thailand
- Ultraschall – Munich, Germany
- Club UK / Final Frontier – London, England
- Rezzerection (twice) – Edinborough, Scotland
- Tresor – Berlin, Germany
- Energy 94’ – Zurich, Switzerland
- Mazzo – Amsterdam, Holland
- Eurobeat 2000 (3times) – London, England
- Hellraiser (4 times) – Amsterdam, Holland
- Warehouse (Koln) – Koln, German
- Grand Slam – Berlin, Germany
- Cherrymoon – Gent, Belgium
- Planet E – Basel, Switzerland
- Rex Club (3 times) – Paris, France
- Palladium – New York City, New York
- Limelight – New York City, New York
- Cocorico – Riccione, Italy
- Danceteria – New York City, New York
- G Power 1 and 2 – Pavia, Italy
Notable Releases
- C'hantal - The Realm
- English Muffin
- Major Problems - Overdose
- Primitive Passions (with Mustafa Alici)
- Cologne Summer (EP)
- Blip Trip (EP)
- New York Grooves (several volumes)
External links
- Ralphie Dee's discography at Discogs
- Disco-Disco biography
- https://www.mixcloud.com/ralphie-dee/
References
- Chiu, David (2017-12-01). "Brooklyn DJ Remembers Catching 'Saturday Night Fever' 40 Years Ago". Huffington Post. Retrieved 2018-01-06.
- Elverfeld, Yannick. "Video Countdown A Journey Thru The N.Y. Underground". RedBull Music Academy.com. RedBull. Retrieved 2 January 2018.
- "DJs introduce new dance music at LI series". Newsday. Retrieved 2018-07-22.
- Kurutz, Steven. "The Legend Of Saturday Night". Nerve. Nerve. Retrieved 26 December 2017.
- Echols, Alice (Mar 29, 2010). Hot Stuff-Disco and the Remaking Of American Culture. W. W. Norton & Company. pp. 338. ISBN 9780393338911. Retrieved 15 September 2014.
Ralphie dee.
- Greene, Laura Dimon, Leonard. "Bay Ridge to show its deep love for disco with 'Saturday Night Fever' tribute party - NY Daily News". nydailynews.com. Retrieved 2018-07-22.
- Disco, Guy. "Legendary Clubs". Disco Disco.com. Retrieved 15 September 2014.
- Walhout, Hannah. "The Disco From 'Saturday Night Fever' Is Reopening — for One Night Only". Travel + Leisure. Retrieved 2018-07-22.
- "Capital Party Nu Disco: ospite Ralphie Dee, il dj della leggendaria discoteca "Odissea 2001"". Radio Capital (in Italian). 2017-12-13. Retrieved 2018-07-22.
- "Recreating the Fever | The Italian Tribune". www.italiantribune.com. Retrieved 2018-07-22.
- Morando, Paolo (January 2009). Dancing days. Italy: Laterza. p. 74. ISBN 8842089133.
- Claffey, Mike (1 February 1998). "Anniversary Fever-ish at Garden". New York Daily News. New York Daily News. Retrieved 5 January 2018.
- Reynolds, Simon (19 June 2013). Generation Ecstasy: Into the World of Techno and Rave Culture. Routledge. p. 145. ISBN 9781136783173. Retrieved 15 September 2014.