It is probably difficult to imagine that Club culture was born in a small underground room in the Latin quarter of Paris during the period of German occupation in the Second World War. The Nazis had prohibited jazz and closed the Clubs where musicians performed thus forcing music lovers to meet in secret in cellars to listen to their favorite music on 78s. One such place was on Rue de la Huchette and was known as “La Discothèque”. Historically this was the first time that the name was used to designate a club where people could go to listen to recorded music.

Next came the “Whiskey a Go-Go” created by Paul Racine, which introduced the concept of a public dancing on a dance floor to music played by “Disc-Jockeys” with two turntables. Racine developed his concept throughout Europe. When Régine opened her first club “Chez Régine” in Paris in 1960 this was frequented by the American jet set and immediately inspired “Le Club” in New York, quickly followed by the “Peppermint Lounge” in 1961. The rest is history!

In 1981, when ZE Records first published...

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