My white-guy filter is telling me the name Studio 71 is a reference to the opening day of the Plaza which was July 2, 1971. Except, there was never rollerskating at the Plaza, or any of this other iconic decor.
But wait! What we’re seeing may be a very important disco precursor. There was a revolutionary TV show that featured fashionable young dancers who would strike poses for the camera in front of glittery studio set pieces. Dancers on roller skates were popular. The sets were often themed. There were always mirror balls. And every week a band would lipsync their popular dance hits in front of mylar decorations.
The show, which first aired in 1971, was called “Soul Train.” The name Studio 71 could be honoring this milestone. The vignettes (Grammables) contain symbols of the tremendous influence of black America on the future of dance entertainment in Vegas.
]]>Thanks for the catch, Rich, and keep up the great work!
]]>Buzz Kill: As someone who graduated high school in 1971, I can attest to ’71 still being the remnants of the 60’s hippie era. Disco, in its Paleolithic form, emerged in late ’74 and ’75. Think Barry White, BT Express and of course, KC & the Sunshine Band.
The full-on hardcore Disco as we remember took hold in ’77 and ’78. Alicia Bridges, Donna Summer, Bony M, and of course, the Brothers Gibb.
But hey, let’s roll with it.
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