Our pal Bobby Rich, who owns the Bootleg Bar–where the WHAM-O WATUSI takes place–has a new club located on the northern-most edge of Bed-Stuy. It is one of the most beautiful new nightclubs there is. One walks under the neat neon sign into an elegantly appointed room with a full bar on the left. Beyond the bar is a big room, suitable for a couple hundred dancing souls, with barstools along the walls. Straight through and you’ll see a double staircase going up to an open mezzanine/balcony situation where the DJ booth sets. hanging from the ceiling is one of the biggest disco balls you’ll ever see. Across from the bar is a stairway that leads down to a basement with another full bar, several pinball machines and pool tables. The Boogaloo Bag writers, who have complained about poorly named venues for the last thirty years or so, approve of the name: Venus In Furs. We forgot to ask Mr. Rich if it was named for the 1870 novel by the Austrian writer Leopold von Sacher-Masoch, one of the several film adaptations of said novel, the fictional band of the same name in the movie Velvet Goldmine, or the song on the first Velvet Underground album. Or maybe all of them! At any rate, the Boogaloo Bag writers are happy to have another club with an outer space reference in its name.

A giant disco ball hovers over the Venus In Furs dance floor!

There was a soft opening for the club on Friday the 13th of September. The Boogaloo Bag writers were in attendance, as were several of Mr. Rich’s friends, various and sundry folks from the neighborhood and the rock’n’roll community. We found ourselves ooh-ing and awe-ing along with everyone else at this most excellent new nightclub. Ya gotta love the new nightclub smell and dig the bathrooms before they are decorated with stupid stickers and unclever graffiti. The moment we walked in to the club we thought that this would be the best place in the world for some future Subway Soul Club event…

Venus In Furs awaits dancers!!

Phast Phreddie the Boogaloo Omnibus was invited to spin records there on the following Monday–September 16. A whole new scene was in order, so The Boogaloo Omnibus decided to work a new groove: AFRO-Q-POP. A sly play on Afro-cubop, Afro-Q-Pop consists of soul, funk, mod jazz, reggae (the Afro part) and boss rock’n’roll records (ie, pop), mixed in with mambo sounds. For this venture there could be only one DJ who could work like that: DJ Rata! He was duly enlisted to be guest DJ.

DJ Rata swings at AFRO-Q-POP!

The Boog and El Rata swung the night with the bossest of rhythmic tunes. Several folks complimented the DJs on their fine selections. Monday night is not the swingin’est night of the week, but the folks who were in attendance had a boppin’ good time, that’s for sure. Our pal DJ Xerox was also on hand to check out the new club.

DJ Rata is visited by DJ Xerox at AFRO-Q-POP!

Although she was unable to be on hand–Monday is a school night, after all–Miss Nancy was able to cook up a batch of her vegan brownies and flourless chocolate cake cut into bite-sized cubes. Very tasty!

Yummy treats and boss records were featured at AFRO-Q-Pop!

Here’s a list of all the records played by Phast Phreddie the Boogaloo Omnibus at the world’s first ever AFRO-Q-POP (since the Venus is located on Broadway in Brooklyn, a few “Broadway” records were called for and duly played):

• Keith Mansfield & His Orchestra–Boogaloo (Epic)
• Paul Revere and the Raiders featuring Mark Lindsay–Boogaloo Down Broadway (CBS; Japan)
• Bobby Womack–Broadway Walk (Minute)
• Dyke and the Blazers–Funky Broadway Part I (Original Sound)
• War–Nappy Head (Theme From ‘Ghetto Man’) (United Artists)
• Eric Barnett–Bumper to Bumper (Pama Supreme; UK)
• Lonnie Smith–Afrodesia (Groove Merchant)
• The Wild Tchoupitoulas–Hey Hey (Indians Comin’) (Antilles)
• The Undisputed Truth–Law of the Land (Gordy)
• Roy Smith–Soul Control (United Artists)
• The Exciters–You Don’t Know What You’re Missing (‘Til It’s Gone!) (RCA)
• Les Sound Track–Tous Ces Gens N’ont Pas Raison [Honky Tonk Women] (Bel-Air; Canada)
• The Hornets–Fruit Cake (Columbia)
• Box and Bleacher Society–Willi’s Waheeda (Guajira) (Mammoth)
• Frank Alamo–Hum Hum Hum [Um Um Um Um Um] (Barclay; France)
• Bill Withers–Use Me (Sussex)
• Mongo Santamaria–Sunshine of Your Love (Atlantic)
• Don Covay–The Overtime Man (Mercury)
• Alder Ray Mathis–Take Me Baby (Jetstar)
• Willie Hutch–Use What You Got (Part 1) (Maverick)
• Willie Bobo–Shing-A-Ling Baby (Verve)
• No‘lle Cordier–Cheese (Barclay; France)
• The Maytals; Prince Buster All Stars–Dog War (Prince Buster; Jamaica)
• Wilmer and the Dukes–Give Me One More Chance (Aphrodisiac)
• Brenton Wood–Whoop It on Me (Double Shot)
• Kahuna Kawentzmann–Gogo Sitar (Stark Reality; UK)
• The Howard Roberts Chorale & Orchestra–Funky But?? (Bryan)
• The U-Dwi Peoples Paraphernalia–Push and Pull (The Tom Jones) (BRC)
• Damaso Perez Prado–Sexomania (Orfeon)
• Mongo Santamaria–Lady Marmalade (Vaya)
• Spanish Fly–Let My People Bugalú (Electric Cowbell)
• Orchestra Kool–Boogaloo Baby (Fonseca)
• Los Mirlos–La Danza de Los Mirlos (Dinsa; Peru)
• The Afrosound–La Sampuesana (Fuentes; Ecuador)
• Dave & Ansel Collins–Doing Your Own Thing (Techniques; UK)
• The Jazz Tribe–Wa-Pa-Cha (Little Star)
• Sonora Santanera; cantan: Juanito Slivestre y Andres–El Orangutan (Discos Columbia)
• Hibari Misora–Yasashii Ainouta (Columbia; Japan)
• Obrey Wilson–Headman (Philips)
• The Dixie Cups–Two-Way-Poc-A-Way (ABC-Paramount)
• The Watts 103rd Street Rhythm Band–Do Your Thing (Warner Bros-Seven Arts)
• Sterling Magee–Tighten Up (Tangerine)
• Don Alfio–Smack (UniFunk; Italy)
• Stevie Wonder–You Haven’t Done Nothin’ (Tamla)
• Maurice Williams–Whirlpool (Atlantic)
• Johnny & the Hurricanes–James Bond Theme (Big Top)
• Odell Brown & the Organ-Izers–Quiet Village (Cadet)
• Carmen Rivero y Su Conjunto–Pata Pata (Discos Columbia)
• Willie Rosario and His Orchestra–Watusi Boogaloo (Atco)
• The Chakachas–Jungle Fever (Polydor)
• The Artistics–Ain’t It Strange (How People Change) (Brunswick)
• The Temptations–Hum Along and Dance (Gordy)
• Rose Williams / George Clinton and the Funkedelics–Whatever Makes My Baby Feel Good (Funkedelic)
• The Internationals–Give a Damn (D’ar Recording Co. Inc.)
• Gloria Walker & the Chevelles–You Hit the Spot Baby (Flaming Arrow)
• Peace and Love–We Got the Power (Discos RAFF; Mexico)
• Marvin Gaye–You’re the Man (Part 1) (Tamla)
• Zorro Five–Reggae Shhh! (Decca; Italy)
• Tommy McCook and the Supersonics–The Liquidator (Yew)
• Boogaloo Assassins–No No No (Sicario)
• Tito Puente and His Orchestra–A La Salud (God Bless You) (RCA Victor)
• Los Fulanos–Soul Drummer (Vampi Soul; Spain)
• The Coasters–Cool Jerk (King)
• Alan Copeland–Mission: Impossible Theme / Norwegian Wood (ABC)
• El Chicano–Eleanor Rigby (Kapp)
• The Skatalites–Guns of Navarone (Island; UK)

None of these records are for sale. There are clips from the youtubes for some of them for your digification.