A Night at the Disco is a celebration of groundbreaking dance music from 1970–79, with an unprecedented collection of photographs of more than 100 artists.
A Night at the Disco is a celebration of groundbreaking dance music from 1970–'79. An unprecedented collection of photographs of more than 100 artists, illuminating the styles and sounds from a decade that sparked a global phenomenon in music and culture. Exclusive comments from Donna Summer, Barry Gibb, Debbie Harry, Giorgio Moroder, founding members of CHIC, Labelle, The Trammps, Village People, Earth, Wind & Fire, and dozens more artists, songwriters and producers, offering fascinating insights that tell the stories behind the beats. From underground New York clubs to discothèques across the globe, A Night at the Disco illustrates how artists spanning soul, pop, disco, funk, jazz and rock defined nightlife during the 1970s and influenced popular music to the present day.
With a foreword by Verdine White of Earth, Wind & Fire, this is a real treat for music, dance and disco fans everywhere.
About the author:
Christian John Wikane is a NYC-based music journalist and essayist. Since 2003, he's interviewed more than 500 recording artists, songwriters, and producers, including Paul McCartney, Janelle Monáe, Donna Summer, Pete Seeger, Annie Lennox, Maurice White, Jimmy Scott, Carly Simon, and Kenny Gamble. He is co-producer of the video series "UNSCRIPTED: Conversations with Christian John Wikane," which features his interviews with GRAMMY, Tony, and Emmy-winning artists, and has co-produced and hosted UNSCRIPTED LIVE at the Apollo Theater, City Winery, and Lincoln Center (2024 "American Songbook" series). He's also a contributing writer for PEOPLE Magazine and was Contributing Editor for PopMatters from 2006-2023. He's had the honor of consulting on HBO's Emmy-nominated Tina Turner documentary, TINA (2021), as well as CNN's DIONNE WARWICK: DON'T MAKE ME OVER (2021) and HBO's LOVE TO LOVE YOU, DONNA SUMMER (2022).
Christian has had the privilege of curating and moderating several events at the Apollo Theater for Apollo Education's "Live Wire" series, including "Legendary: A Conversation with Dionne Warwick and Melba Moore," "Bold Soul Sisters," a panel discussion featuring Nona Hendryx, Ruth Pointer, Kathy Sledge, and Rochelle Fleming, and "She's A Rebel: An Interview with Martha Reeves, Sarah Dash, and Joshie Jo Armstead." He's also moderated two events for the Brooklyn Museum, "From Studio 54 to Number One" and "The Soulfulness of David Bowie" featuring Carlos Alomar and Robin Clark, and conducted a live Q&A with disco legends D.C. LaRue and Felipe Rose (original cofounder and Native of Village People) for Queer/Art/Film's screening of Thank God It's Friday (1978) at IFC Center.
Since 2010, Christian has authored extensive liner notes for more than 200 album reissues by major and independent record companies in the U.S. and U.K. He's also conducted interviews for several BBC Radio documentaries, Sirius XM's Studio 54 channel, Chase Bank ("Inside Access"), and hosted/produced more than a dozen concerts at Joe’s Pub (the Public Theater), the Blue Note, Iridium Jazz Club, and Wölffer Estate Vineyard. He's guest lectured for Barnard College's "Harlem Semester" Program and presented at EMP Pop Conference, the Parrish Art Museum, Apollo Education's "Master Class" Series, and NYU Steinhardt’s Department of Music. He's the sole author of Casablanca Records: Play It Again, a 50,000-word oral history that documented the 35th anniversary of Casablanca Records and co-author of WHAT THE BAND WORE: FASHION & MUSIC (2023), published by ACC Art Books.
