Tribute to Shelter 17 year anniversary

Tribute to Shelter 17 year anniversary

http://soulfulhousemusiccollage.mypo...xer-88472.html

Greetings Family,

I RE----MEM---BER WHEN.........

IT IS WITH GREAT RESPECT AND HONOR THAT I BRING UP TODAY. 17 YEARS AS THE LONGEST RUNNING SOULFUL CLUB HOME IN NYC. THAT IN ITSELF IS AMAZING. FROM THE ORIGINAL HUBERT STREET TO THE TEMPLE (OUR TEMPORARY HOME @ THE TUNNEL) TO OUR MIDTOWN LOCATION ON 39ST TO DOWNTOWN AGAIN ON VARICK STREET. SHELTER HAS OUT LIVED EVERY SOULFUL HOUSE CLUB IN NYC. I REMEMBER FIRST GOING TO SHELTER ON THE SECOND WEEK OF OPENING. MERLIN BOBB WAS PLAYING AND IF YOU EVER HEARD MERLIN, HE HAD A STYLE ALL HIS OWN. MERLIN LOVED TO MAKE YOU WAIT FOR THE NEXT RECORD (KINDA LIKE DAVE MANCUSO). YOU COULD ACTUALLY HEAR THE AMPS TICKING IN THE MIDDLE OF SETS AS HE WOULD PLAY CLASSICS ONE AFTER THE OTHER FROM BEGINNING TO END. YOU NEVER KNEW WHAT TO EXPECT, BUT KNEW SOMETHING HEAVY WAS COMING NEXT. ME THINKING "OH THIS IS JUST ANOTHER CLUB TO CHECK OUT AND I WONT BE HERE LONG" (I SHOULD HAVE KNOW BETTER SINCE I HEARD IT FROM ABIGAIL ADAMS OF MOVIN RECORDS - MY BIG SIS), DECIDED TO WEAR WHITE SWEAT PANTS THAT WERE NEEDLESS TO SAY NOT FOR THE CLUB AND FLOOR MOVES. ALL I CAN SAY IS THAT BY THE TIME I LEFT YOU COULDN'T TELL THE DIFFERENCE BETWEEN ME AND A HOMELESS PERSON OF NY. MERLIN HAD ME TUMBLING ALL OVER THE ENTIRE FLOOR GARAGE STYLE. I LEFT WITH LEG, ARM AND EVEN FINGER CRAMPS. I ALSO REFUSED TO LEAVE UNTIL HE LEFT THE BOOTH. AT THAT POINT I KNEW THAT EVERY SINGLE WEEK.. THIS WAS HOME!!!! THE NEXT WEEK..MR TIMMY REGISFORD APPEARED AND NOW THE SET....WAY DIFFERENT.. THIS TIME I GOT THERE EARLY ABOUT 2AM AND THE PLACE WAS STARTING TO FILL, WHICH TOLD ME THAT I WASN'T THE ONLY ONE TO EXPERIENCE THIS PHENOMENON. I STARTED NOTICING HEADS WHO LOOKED FAMILIAR AND I HADN'T SEEN IN MORE THAN AGES..LIGHT BULB..GARAGE AND LOFT HEADS ARE HERE..HMMMM. I THOUGHT I JUST HIT GOLD..I WAS RIGHT. EVERY WEEK I WATCHED AS MORE AND MORE HEADS ARRIVED AND THE PLACE WENT FROM THE CHOSEN FEW TO A FULL OUT MOB :-). YES PARADISE RETURNED AND INSTEAD OF LARRY BEING THE GOD OF THE TURNTABLES. TIMMY HAD RETURNED TO CLUB AREA AGAIN AND WITH FURY BROUGHT THE LOVE THAT WAS LOST FOR US ALL. SHELTER GREW LEAPS AND BOUNDS, BUT NEVER LOST THE LOVE AS SOME CLUBS HAD. DID I FEEL PARADISE GARAGE...YES..BUT THIS WAS SOMETHING WAY DIFFERENT, SOMETHING MORE...HOW DO I PUT THIS.. CLUB-FAMILY-ORIENTATED. WE WERE CLUBHEADS THAT BECAME A PART OF EACH OTHER LIVES. WHEN THE CLUB WOULD CLOSE AT 3PM, WE WOULD STAY OUT FRONT (PISSING OFF THE NEIGHBORS..LOL) AND JUST HANG AND LAUGH AND PLAY MUSIC AND DANCE. WE WOULD GO GET LUNCH OR MAYBE GO TO CENTRAL PARK OR THE BEACH. WE WOULD MEET DURING THE WEEK AT LITTLE PLACES LIKE THE PINK TEA CUP OR A SUSHI SPOT. THIS BECAME MY FAMILY. HELL I SPOKE TO THESE PEOPLE MORE THAN I DID MY OWN OUTSIDE FAMILY (IN SOME WAYS I STILL DO). THERE WAS NOTHING MORE WARM THAN WALKING INTO THE CLUB AT 3,4,5 OR 6 AM ON A SUNDAY LIKE CHURCH AND BEING GREETED BY YOUR FRIENDS A SMALL GROUP OF 500 PEOPLE THAT YOU KNOW AT MINIMUM. IT WOULD TAKE ABOUT AN HOUR BEFORE YOU SAW EVERYONE AND THEN 2 HOURS LATER YOU SAW THE REST OR AROUND CHURCH TIME 11AM WHEN TIMMY WOULD GIVE THE CHURCH (THATS HOW THE GOOD LORD WORKS), JAZZ (MY FAV PART MILE DAVIS), AFRICAN RHYTHMS (FELA KUTI) OR LOVE VIBES (BETCHA WOULDN'T HURT ME BY Q OR IMAGINATION BY EWF AND MOVING INTO SIDE BY SIDE ALSO BY EWF)VIBES.VIBES VIBES AND MORE VIBES THAT YOU WOULDN'T HEAR ANYWHERE AND WOULD LEAVE YOU SAYING "OHHH MYYYY GODDD, HE IS NOT PLAYING THAT" OR "NO TIMMY DIDN'T". WE WOULD BE IN THE LOUNGE IN FULL CONVERSATIONS ON THE FLOOR LIKE NO TOMORROW AND ...FAINTLY ..DID..I..JUST..HEAR ..MELTING POT? VIIIIBBBBEEEEEEEESSSSS. EVERYONE WOULD GET UP MIDSTREAM OF THE CONVO AND RUN NOT WALK.....RUN... FOR THE ..VIBES THAT MADE YOU SWEAT, VIBES THAT MADE YOU THINK, VIBES THAT TOUCHED YOUR HEART AND MADE YOU CRY. YES..EMOTIONS RAN ENDLESSLY, EFFORTLESSLY!!! WE WERE BORN AGAIN INTO A CLUB SCENE THAT WE ALL THOUGHT FORGOT ABOUT US..THE EXCITEMENT..THE FEELING OF....H-O-M-E. WHEN MEMBERSHIPS STARTED I WAS ONE OF THE FIRST 100 TO JOIN AND SET MY PLACE AS A PURE FOLLOWER. THE SHOWS WHERE ALWAYS TOP NOTCH, FROM TEN CITY, TO SOUNDS OF BLACKENESS, TO CHAKA KHAN TO OF COURSE..MISS GRACE JONES. LET ME NOT FORGET TO MENTION MOMMA "BYRD" WHO MADE SURE WE ALL ATE AND THE CLUB LOOKED DIFFERENT EVERY WEEK BECAUSE HER, KENNY EVELYN AND EVERYONE ELSE WHO WOULD TAKE THE TIME TO DECORATE IT TO MAKE OUR ENTRANCE SPECIAL AND OUR NIGHT (DAY) MEMORABLE. JOB WELL DONE!! LET ME NOT FORGET ONE OF MY OTHER FAVORITE HOSTS..."MOI RENEE". I REMEMBER THE FIRST TIME I MET RENEE AND THOUGHT WHAT AN OUTRAGEOUS CHARACTER :-0. MAN WAS I RIGHT. HE WAS FUN, ENERGETIC & OF COURSE BRILLIANT (THAT BOY COULD PAINT AS WELL). I REMEMBER BEING IN THE LOUNGE WHEN I HEARD THIS TRACK THAT REALLY CAUGHT MY EAR..NEVER HEARD IT BEFORE BUT DAMN IF IT DIDN'T SOUND CLASSIC. WE RUN INTO THE MAIN ROOM..THERE IS RENEE IN THE MIDDLE OF THE FLOOR SINGING...MISS HONEY.."WHERE'S THE BITCH SHE'S GOT SOME NERVE HERE I AM AND FEELING FFFIEEERRRCCEEE"!!!!!!

HEY TIMMY!!!!

I WANTED TO SAY THANK YOU TO YOU BECAUSE I REMEMBER A MANY A 3PM THAT WE WOULD STILL BE SHOUTING THAT YOU DIDN'T PLAY THIS OR THAT AND YOU WOULD LOOK AT US LIKE "Y'ALL ARE NUTS, I AM GOING THE HELL HOME BEFORE YOU KILL ME"..LOL. WHILE MENTIONING I ALSO DIDN'T FORGET A MANY A TIME THAT WE DID SHUT THE HELL UP AS YOU WALKED BY WITH THE SYSTEM OFF AND WE APPLAUDED BECAUSE NOT EVEN ONE OF US COULD THINK OF A TRACK YOU DIDN'T PLAY THAT NIGHT (EXCEPT FOR THE THEME TO THE LONG RANGER..I AM STILL WAITING..LOL). YOU ARE OUTSTANDING AND YOU GAVE..WAIT SCRATCH THAT..STILL GIVE SOME MUCH OF YOURSELF UNSELFISHLY FOR OUR JOY...THANK YOU. ON ANOTHER NOTE...THE "YOU MIX"..JUST IN CASE YOU THOUGHT I FORGOT, I AM IN MY STUDIO CURRENTLY TRYING TO DO MY BEST TO REPLICATE THAT "YOU" MIX OF CLASSICS THAT HAS BEEN STUCK IN MY HEAD FOR AT LEAST 14 OF THE 17 YEARS...LOL

YES FAMILY... I REMEMBER MICHAEL BELGRAVE AT THE DOOR WHO HAPPENED TO BE LIKE AN UNCLE TO ME GROWING UP IN THE ROXY...I REMEMBER NOEL..WHO I HADNT SEEN SINCE THE "G". ACTUALLY, I REMEMBER PRETTY MUCH EVERYONE, BUT DON'T WANT THIS TO TURN INTO THE BOOK IT ALREADY IS STARTING TO LOOK LIKE :-p. MOST OF ALL WHEN I LOOK IN MY MUSIC ROOM...I SEE A PICTURE FROM SHELTER'S MARQUIS OF ROY AYERS APPREARING LIVE AND THE MAGIC THAT NIGHT.. THE BALLOONS AND THE THINGS WE CREATED WITH THEM...LOL. I REMEMBER....SAYING HOW MAGICAL A NIGHT THIS IS AND HOW I WISH IT WOULD LAST FOREVER.. & THEN :-(....... IT CLOSED



THE CLOSING ERA

WHEN WE CLOSED THE FIRST TIME..I WAS THERE TO HELP MOVE US OUT...WHILE IN CONSTANT SADNESS OF THE LOSS LIKE A MOURNING, BUT KNOWING..YEAH WE WILL BE BACK..BIGGER AND STRONGER THAN EVER. I REMEMBER THE ANGER WE ALL HAD...(TIMMY IF YOU ARE READING THIS I REMEMBER THAT STEEL PIPE YOU THREW ACROSS THE ROOM, I FELT THAT SAME WAY). I REMEMBER TAKING A WALK AROUND WITH CHARLES..(REMEMBER CHARLES) AND THE LOOK ON HIS FACE OF UTTER DISGUST. IT SEEMED THAT WITH ALL THE LOVE WE HAD, TIME WANTED TO MAKE CHANGE AND WE WANTED TO STAY..STILL....OR SIMPLY PUT..JUST STAY.

THE RETURN.

NOW HERE IS WHY I WILL ALWAYS HAVE SUCH GREAT RESPECT FOR TIMMY, FREDDY, BYRD AND EVERYONE ELSE WHO TOOK THE TIME ENERGY AND LOVE TO KEEP IT TOGETHER...17 YEARS..DO..NOT..FORGET..17 YEARS. I WATCHED TIMMY LEAVE THE BOOTH LIMPING (YOU TRY STANDING ON YOUR FEET MIXING FOR 12-16 HOURS AND SEE WHAT IT FEELS LIKE)ON MANY OCCASIONS FROM STANDING FOR SO MANY HOURS OF DEDICATION.. I WATCHED COUNTLESS OTHER EMPLOYEES WHO WHERE THERE FROM 11PM TIL 4PM THE NEXT DAY OR LATER IF YOU INCLUDE THE TEA PARTIES THAT STARTED AROUND 6PM UNTIL 2AM MONDAY MORNING...:-). YEAH YA DAMN RIGHT WE WERE FOLLOWERS..FOLLOWERS OF SOMETHING THAT WAS BIGGER THAN ANY OF US COULD HAVE EVER IMAGINED. AS WE GROW..OLDER (I USE THAT WORD LIKE THE CAUTION SIGN ON THE BACK OF THE OLD SHELTER T-SHIRT) THIS LOVE..STILL EXISTS WHILE MANY OF THE FACES HAVE CHANGED..THE ERA. CONTINUES.

HAPPY BIRTHDAY SHELTER.. I AM PROUD TO WATCH YOU BECOME OF ALMOST LEGAL DRINKING AGE :-) AND MAY YOUR SPIRIT AND EXISTANCE CONTINUE FOR ETERNITY........I....WILL.....ALWAYS.........REMEM BER......WHEN.

MUCH LOVE AND GREAT ADMIRATION

LES CALLOWAY

PS IF YOU WEREN'T THERE..NOW YOU KNOW AND MAY YOU IN THE PRESENT FIND AS MUCH JOY AS WE HAVE!!!

:-)