Richard Long (1933–1986) was an American sound designer. [1] [2] He is known as the preeminent sound designer of the disco era, having installed systems at clubs including Paradise Garage, Dorian Gray, Studio 54, City Hall, and Max's Kansas City. [1] [3] [4]
Richard Long initially worked for Alex Rosner, famous for his system installed at the Loft. [1] Rosner would send Long to fix sound systems that were broken down, but eventually Long became a designer in his own right. [5] Long's first nightclub was SoHo Place. [1] In 1977, he designed the custom sound system for Paradise Garage. This system became his flagship. [6] [7] Long was known for his heavy bass sound. [1] Nicky Siano described Long's sound as more "funky and down-home", compared to a more polished sound from Rosner's systems. [7] Long also developed a J-Horn, a bass speaker cabinet designed to protect the lower frequencies. [7]
Paradise Garage had a custom speaker, the "Levan Horn", designed to increase bass in the club, and named after DJ Larry Levan. [8] The club was Long's showroom–he continued to maintain and tweak the design after it opened. [7]
Over the course of his career, Long installed more than 300 systems. [8] 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, Paradise Garage. [1] and City Hall (Venezuela). [9] In 1980, Long won the Billboard award for Best Disco Sound Design. [10]
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] [11] [12] Long was invited to install the system by the Eldorado's owner, Scott Fitlin. [13]
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