New Year’s Eve can be a bummer—it is a time when people who don’t attend many parties or drink very often try to cram a whole year’s worth of fun into one night. At best, these amateurs will wake up the next morning with a headache and the smell of puke on their shoes. At worst, they will start the new year behind bars or in a morgue. Often, these folks do stupid things that annoy people who know how to enjoy themselves without resorting to imbecility.

However, New Year’s Eve can be a wonderful time—the excitement of starting a new year can be awesome!

When the good people at Gemini & Scorpio are putting on the show, you know it is going to swing. These folks have been presenting underground themed events for more than ten years. Add to the mix the party organizational skills of the Rubulad, another institution known for high energy, super duper underground extravaganzas. When these two act together for a New Year’s Eve event, it is bound to be an outstanding and spectacular use of fun time!

Such was the case for Casino Battle Royale, a spy and gambling themed event that these two entities produced, and it took place on the evening of December 31, 2015. The event was held in two locations in Gowanus, Brooklyn. A main building, where there were DJs, including our pals DJ Shakey and Illexxandra; bands, including our pals Telecommand and a brass band; lovely burlesque dancers; a non-stop film fest of vintage movie clips, courtesy of our pal G. Scopitronic; and a casino. Attendees were requested to dress up and required to participate in spy games and/or win at the casino in order to be allowed into the Secret Lair, a couple blocks away.

 

The Secret Lair was decorated like a psychedelic circus with a grand wooden dance floor and in it DJs Ol’ Stark and Phast Phreddie the Booogaloo Omnibus were spinning exciting sixties Go-Go grooves—many of them with spy themes—and it was jammin’ with fabulously dressed people dancing and frolicking all night long.

Unfortunately, the Boogaloo Bag writers were too busy being wowed by the cool records Ol’ Stark was spinning and they never made it to the other location to dig that scene. Thus, a first-hand account is not available. However, our pal Jack Newcastle made his way to and from each location several times and reported that the whole affair was kind of confusing at times—especially the spy game—but ultimately it was a fun, worthwhile event.

At midnight, attendees did the countdown themselves—no video of the hokey, for-squares-only Times Square ball drop, Yayyy!!! Phony money was distributed in great quantities and champagne flowed like the Nile! Ol’ Stark played Lulu’s “Love Loves to Love Love” because he felt that the new year should start with some love. Then The Boog played a soul version of “Auld Lang Syne.” Man, it was a great time! Nothing could bring this down!

Well, almost nothing. Some jerk—obviously an amateur as noted above—started to light some of the phony money on fire! The Boog had to go over and put the fire out before it got out of control. The Boog also gave the creep a piece of his mind. Luckily, the smoke didn’t get too bad and authority figures were never summoned.

Other than that one incredibly stupid display of idiocy, the Secret Lair portion of Casino Battle Royale was a total success. Here’s a list of all the records played by Phast Phreddie the Boogaloo Omnibus:

 

• Herb Alpert & the Tijuana Brass–Casino Royale (A&M)
• Les and Larry Elgart and the Unforgivens–The Early Bird Catches the Bomb (Columbia)
• Power Formula–Theme From Laugh-In (Show Town)
• Billy Strange–Our Man Flint (GNP Crescendo)
• Al Hirt–Feelin’ Fruggy (RCA Victor)
• Perry and the Harmonics–Do the Monkey With James (Mercury)
• Velvett Fogg–Telstar ‘69 (Pye; UK)
• Julie Driscoll; Brian Auger & the Trinity–A Kind of Love-In (Atco)
• Enoch Light & the Brass Menagerie–Theme From Shaft (Total Sound/Project 3)
• The Ventures–Flights of Fantasy (Liberty)
• Bob Crane and His Orchestra–Get Smart (Epic)
• Dick Hyman and His Orchestra–Agent Double-O-Soul (Command)
• Les Yper Sound–Psyche Rock (Fontana; Italy)
• Just Brothers–Sliced Tomatoes (Music Merchant)
• The Ventures–Secret Agent Man (Dolton)
• King Curtis & the Kingpins–Whole Lotta Love (Atco)
• The Second Coming–I Feel Free (Steady)
• The Reactors–Do That Thing (Cameo)
• The Cincinnati Music Co.–Let’s Do the Thing (Kapp)
• Don Sebesky & the Jazz-Rock Syndrome featuring Larry Coryell guitar–The Word (Verve)
• The Supremes–The Happening (Motown)
• Billy Strange–The James Bond Theme (GNP Crescendo)
• Rex Garvin (and the Mighty Cravers)–Sock It to ‘Em J.B. – Part I (Like)
• The Combinations–Bump Ball! (RCA Victor)
• Della Reese–It Was a Very Good Year (ABC)
• Honey and the Bees–Auld Lang Syne (Chess)
• James Brown and the Famous Flames–Papa’s Got a Brand New Bag Part I (King)
• Marie Claire–Nitty Gritty (Citation; Canada)
• Lord Sitar–Black Is Black (Capitol)
• Los Yaki–Nadie Como Yo (Capitol; Mexico)
• The Mohawks–Mony Mony (Sir J.J.; UK)
• The Andrew Oldham Orchestra–I Get Around (Parrot)
• The Ventures—The Swinging Creeper (Dolton)
• Dave Dee, Dozy, Beaky, Mick and Tich–Hold Tight (Fontana)
• The Capitols–Cool Jerk ‘68 Instrumental (Karen)
• The Dave Clark Five–Catch Us If You Can (Epic)
• Phil Flowers–I Saw Her Standing There (Dot)
• Little Caesar & the Empire–Everybody Dance Now (Parkway)
• The Liberty Belles–Shing-A-Ling Time (Shout)
• La Bert Ellis–Batman Theme (A&M)
• [no artist listed]–Dance the Slurp (7-Eleven)
• Jack Costanzo Mr. Bongo–Chicken and Rice (Discomoda; Colombia)
• The Aces–Reggae Motion (The Loco-Motion) (Sire)
• Ananda Shankar–Jumpin’ Jack Flash (Reprise; France)
• Andre Brasseur and His Multi-Sound Organ–The Kid (Disc A-Z; France)
• The Golden Pot–Take One (Disc A-Z; France)
• Buddy Rich Orchestra; vocal: Cathy Rich–The Beat Goes On (Pacific Jazz)
• The Hollywood Persuaders–Drums A-Go-Go (Original Sound)
• Dave Baby Cortez–Hurricane (Clock)
• The Bandidos–The Mark of Zorro (Elkay)
• The Yardbirds–Over Under Sideways Down (Epic)
• Dobie Gray–Out on the Floor (Charger)
• The Nick Venet Orchestra–Main Theme from ‘Out of Sight’ (Decca)
• Bill Doggett–Twenty Five Miles (King)
• Curtis Mayfield–Move On Up Part 2 (Buddah; France)
• Curtis Mayfield–Move on Up (Curtom)
• Cliff Nobles–My Love Is Getting Stronger (Atlantic)
• Rhinoceros–Apricot Brandy (Elektra)
• The Mohawks–The Champ (Cotillion)
• The Moon People–Hippy Skippy Moon Strut (Opus #1) (Roulette)
• Maytals–Funky Kingston (Shelter)
• Lou Courtney–Hey Joyce (Pop-Side)
• Georgie Fame & the Blue Flames–Last Night (Imperial)
• [no artist listed]–Mirza (Mlliat Freres; France)
• Lee Dorsey–Four Corners – Part 1 (Amy)
• The Golden Toadstools–Silly Savage (Minaret)
• Paul Revere & the Raiders featuring Mark Lindsay–Happening ‘68 (Columbia)
• La Lupe–Touch Me (Roulette)
• Tony Mottola–Tequila (Project 3)
• Le Trio Sourire–Satisfaction (Rusticana; Canada)
• Smokey Robinson & the Miracles–Going to A Go-Go (Tamla/Motown; UK)
• Dave Bartholomew–Shrimp & Gumbo (Imperial)
• The Electric Prunes–Hideaway (Reprise)
• The Who–Magic Bus (Decca)
• Les Sceptres–Enfin Seul Ensemble (Alliance; Canada)
• Jimmie Haskell–The James Bond Theme (Capitol)
• Santo & Johnny–Goldfinger (Canadian American)
• The Hornets–Fruit Cake (Columbia)
• Booker T. & the M.G.’s–Soul-Limbo (Stax)
• The Baskerville Hounds–Space Rock – Part 2 (Tema)
• What’s Happening–Hot Buttered Buns (Coreco)
• The Green Slime–The Green Slime (M-G-M)
• Wynder K. Frog–I’m a Man (United Artists)
• Jose Luis Y Los Maloos–Confesiones de Media Noche (Cap Latino)
• Bill Wendry & the Boss Tweeds–Fire (Columbia)
• Lee Moses–Day Tripper (Musicor)
• Vincent Bell–Eleanor Rigby (Decca)
• Quincy Jones–(I Can’t Get No) Satisfaction (Mercury)
• The Latin All Stars–Soul Bossa Nova (Roper)
• The Zombies–This Will Be Our Year (Date)

 

None of these records are for sale.