Richard Long (sound designer)

Richard Long (died 1986) was an American sound designer.[1] He is known as the preeminent sound designer of the disco era, having installed systems at clubs including Paradise Garage, Dorian Gray, Studio 54, and Max's Kansas City.[1][2][3]

Career

Richard Long initially worked for Alex Rosner, famous for his system installed at the Loft.[1] Long's first nightclub was SoHo Place.[1] In 1977, he designed the custom sound system for Paradise Garage. This system became his flagship.[4] Long was known for his heavy bass sound.[1] Paradise Garage had a custom speaker, the "Levan Horn", designed to increase bass in the club, and named after DJ Larry Levan.[5]

Over the course of his career, Long installed more than 300 systems.[5] Locations included Copacabana, Directoire, the Ginza, the Limelight, Max's Kansas City, Studio 54, Area, Bonds International Casino, Zanzibar (Newark), The Box (Chicago), Ware House, and Paradise Garage.[1] In 1980, Long won the Billboard award for Best Disco Sound Design.[6]

Long died of AIDS in 1986.[1] The only surviving Richard Long soundsystem is at the Eldorado Bumper Car ride in Coney Island, NY.[1][7][8] Long was invited to install the system by the Eldorado's owner, Scott Fitlin.[9]

References
  1. "Magic Touch: Richard Long's Life-Changing Soundsystems". daily.redbullmusicacademy.com. Retrieved 2022-07-29.
  2. "In Paradise". Design Observer. Retrieved 2022-07-29.
  3. "The Story of NYC Through Sound And Change". Boy's Own. Retrieved 2022-07-29.
  4. "Moments in Music: 8 Sound Systems that Changed the World". LANDR Blog. 2016-11-07. Retrieved 2022-07-29.
  5. "The Disco Soundsystems That Birthed Modern Dance Music". reverb.com. 2020-06-08. Retrieved 2022-07-29.
  6. Inc, Nielsen Business Media (1980-07-26). Billboard. Nielsen Business Media, Inc. {{cite book}}: |last= has generic name (help)
  7. "From Studio 54 to a Bumper Car Birthday: the Legacy of Disco King Nicky Siano". www.vice.com. Retrieved 2022-08-02.
  8. Sloan, Brian (2015-03-26). "Disco Pioneer Nicky Siano Hasn't Lost the Beat". The New York Times. ISSN 0362-4331. Retrieved 2022-08-02.
  9. "Is New York City's Best Club Soundsystem in a Bumper Car Arena?". daily.redbullmusicacademy.com. Retrieved 2022-07-29.
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