New Year’s Eve is a very special time. Very often folks go out to what should be a wild New Year’s Eve bash only to think back the next day about how ordinary the evening was. When hostess Lady Dawn decided to throw a New Year’s Eve Subway Soul Club event, she wanted to make sure it was not going to be just another Subway Soul Club event. She wanted a Happening!  She called for a Black & White Ball–that is, she asked everyone who would attend to dress in elegant black and/or white evening wear. She dressed the venue, Ceremony, in black and white decorations and she called on resident DJ Phast Phreddie the Boogaloo Omnibus to enlist some fabulous DJs.

Fabulous DJs for the Subway Soul Club Black & White New Year’s Eve Ball were One Mint Julep and Peanutbutter Brown.

One Mint Julep is a personality on radio station WFMU–where she is known as the Honky Tonk Radio Girl every Wednesday evening. We understand she also has a secret gig in the Gowanus Canal area that we are not supposed to discuss. However, she is also one of the resident DJs–with Mr. Fine Wine and Fancy Cat–at Soul Night, an outstanding Sixties soul dance party that has been successfully operating for five years. So you know she has boss records for Subway Soul Club–and she played them!

Peanutbutter Brown is the most recent example of a Subway Soul Club attendee graduating to Subway Soul Club guest DJ. After being inspired by Subway Soul Club, he started his own Uptown Getdown several years ago. Then he moved to San Francisco where he initiated the Golden State Soul Club. He has DJ’d several events since moving back to the New York City area–and people dig his sound every time. On New Year’s Eve, Peanutbutter Brown got so carried away that he played “Testify” twice!

Ceremony–that intimate, dark bar off the beaten track in the middle of Williamsburg, Brooklyn–was all decked out with black, white and silver balloons; its tables covered with black and white table cloths; the DJ booth accented by a silver tinsel fringe; and black and white movies shown on the wall: Ready Steady Go’s Motown Special, James Brown Live in Boston, a groovy old movie featuring French models. Plus, Miss Nancy “Jeannie” Gardner baked chocolate crinkles and her signature vegan brownies for the event.

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The thing that really made the scene was the fact that so many people actually dressed up for the event–in black and white, fancy clothes, some with masks, and everybody with great big smiles as they danced out on the floor! More photos of the event were taken by Lady Dawn and they can be seen on her facebook site. Midnight was counted down and the club provided a champagne toast to keep spirits high. This was most definitely a New Year’s Eve to remember.

Here’s a list of all the records played by Phast Phreddie the Boogaloo Omnibus at the Subway Soul Club Black & White New Year’s Eve Ball:

• The Symphonics–(Feet) Dont Fail Me Now (Brunswick)
• Freddie and the Freeloaders–Last Night (Red Hedd)
• The Daily News–The Groove (Parrot)
• Calvin Owens’ Show–The Cat (Klondike)
• East Bay Soul Brass–The Cat Walk (Rampart)
• Timothy Wilson–Love Is Like an Itching in My Heart (Blue Rock)
• The Artistics–Hope We Have (Brunswick)
• Lee Charles–If That Ain’t Loving You (Revue)
• Ethics–Look at Me Now (Vent)
• The Marvelettes–Danger Heartbreak Dead Ahead (Tamla)
• The Holidays–Makin’ Up Time (Golden World)
• Jackie Verdell–Call on Me (Coral)
• Little Esther–Wild Child (Warwick)
• Al Gardner–Watch Yourself (Sir-Rah)
• Lovemasters–Pushin’ and Pullin’ (Jacklyn)
• Mel Hueston–Double Confusion (Chanson)
• Jimmy Caravan and His Trio–Higher and Higher (Tower)
• The Miracles–Come on Do the Jerk (Tamla)
• Barbra Carr–Don’t Knock Love (Chess)
• Alder Ray–My Heart Is In Danger (Minit)
• The Soul Shakers–The Cold Letter (Loma)
• Darrell Banks–Our Love (Is in the Pocket) (Revilot)
• The James Boys–The Horse (Phil-L.A. of Soul)
• Wakefield Sun–Get Out (M-G-M)
• Gene Chandler–There Was a Time (Brunswick)
• Ricardo Ray–Nitty Gritty (Alegre)
• The Temptations–Girl (Why You Wanna Make Me Blue) (Gordy)
• Chuck Wood–Seven Days Too Long (Roulette)
• Honey and the Bees–Auld Lang Syne (Chess)
• The Marvelettes–I’ll Keep Holding On (Tamla)
• Tony Roman Cinq–Mickey’s Monkey (Canusa; Canada)
• [no artist listed]–Dance the Slurp (7-Eleven)
• Norman T. Washington–Tip Toe (SLD; France)
• Della Reese–It Was a Very Good Year (ABC)
• Patti Drew–Fever (Stateside; UK)
• The Dynamics–I Need Your Love (RCA Victor)
• R. Dean Taylor–There’s a Ghost in the House (Tamla/Motown; UK)
• The Five Stairsteps–Ain’t Gonna Rest (Till I Get You) (Windy C)
• Shorty Long–Function at the Junction (Soul)
• Dusty Springfield–Love Power (Philips; Portugal)
• Booker T. & the M.G.’s–Soul-Limbo (Stax)
• Cannibal and the Headhunters–Out of Sight (Rampart)
• Los Hitters–El Flaco (Shotgun) (Orfeon; Mexico)
• Michele Richard–Je Serai La (Trans-Canada; Canada)
• Dee Dee Sharp–Comin’ Home Baby (Cameo/Outta Sight; UK)
• Sarah Vaughan–1-2-3 (Mercury)
• The Exciters–Blowing Up My Mind! (RCA)
• Bob Relf–Blowing My Mind to Pieces (Trans-American)
• Sandy Nelson–Casbah (Imperial)
• Eldridge Holmes–Humpback (Jet Set)
• Tom Jones–Chills and Fever (Decca; France)
• The Jelly Beans–You Don’t Mean Me No Good (Pye; France)

None of these records are for sale. Some of them have links to clips on the youtubes. Get dressed in black and white before you click on them.