The Catacombs Nightclub was a gay after-hours club in

Philadelphia Philadelphia, often called Philly, is the largest city in the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania, the sixth-largest city in the U.S., the second-largest city in both the Northeast megalopolis and Mid-Atlantic regions after New York City. Sinc ...

that played

underground dance music {{Unreferenced, date=September 2010 The term underground dance music (short version in music jargon: UDM) has been applied to artistic dance music movements, such as early 1970s disco and 1980s Chicago house, but the term has since then come to be ...

, a precursor to

house music House is a music genre characterized by a repetitive Four on the floor (music), four-on-the-floor beat and a typical tempo of 120 beats per minute. It was created by Disc jockey, DJs and music producers from Chicago metropolitan area, Chicago' ...

. Additionally,

Catacombs Catacombs are man-made subterranean passageways for religious practice. Any chamber used as a burial place is a catacomb, although the word is most commonly associated with the Roman Empire. Etymology and history The first place to be referred ...

was responsible for the creation of the dance music genre "Philly Classics." The club was a haven and cultural center for music industry professionals and artists of diverse backgrounds in the early '80s.

History

Second Story, Philadelphia's premier

nightclub A nightclub (music club, discothèque, disco club, or simply club) is an entertainment venue during nighttime comprising a dance floor, lightshow, and a stage for live music or a disc jockey (DJ) who plays recorded music. Nightclubs gener ...

, was located at 12th and Walnut Streets in Center City Philadelphia. The Story, as it was lovingly called by the weekly regulars—was the vision of brothers Barry Geftman and Wayne Geftman. Disco-disco.com
Other legendary US clubs The Geftman brothers’ original concept was to create a private,

gay club A gay bar is a drinking establishment that caters to an exclusively or predominantly lesbian, gay, bisexual, and transgender ( LGBT) clientele; the term ''gay'' is used as a broadly inclusive concept for LGBT communities. Gay bars once served ...

with an environment featuring unique interiors, superior music, excellent sound, and innovative lighting. Under the banner of Disco Design, LTD., Wayne oversaw most of the creative and technical aspects of the club, while Barry deftly performed administrative duties, including staffing and promotions. As brothers, they were able to harness a natural

synergy Synergy is an interaction or cooperation giving rise to a whole that is greater than the simple sum of its parts. The term ''synergy'' comes from the Attic Greek word συνεργία ' from ', , meaning "working together". History In Christia ...

, which was the primary key to their success. Before Second Story was realized, Wayne and Barry had created their first nightclub, the Music Box. The club was one of the most popular spots at

Jersey Shore The Jersey Shore (known by locals simply as the Shore) is the coastal region of the U.S. state of New Jersey. Geographically, the term encompasses about of oceanfront bordering the Atlantic Ocean, from Perth Amboy in the north to Cape May Po ...

during summers in the 1970s. New York's “Discoteckin Magazine” called it “a club worth leaving New York for.” The sound system was designed by Rosner Custom Sound and was installed by Rosner's lead engineer—Donald Carucci, known as an expert in the field of nightclub sound. The Music Box's sound system was unparalleled, and Wayne and DJ Frankie “Who” Sestito frequently turned the music up, which further cemented the club's popularity. With the success of the Music Box at the Jersey Shore, the Geftman brothers realized that it was time to bring their concepts to Philadelphia; hence, the Second Story was born. Second Story opened its doors on December 6, 1976, after three years of intense design. The facility was in a former

church Church may refer to: Religion * Church (building), a building for Christian religious activities * Church (congregation), a local congregation of a Christian denomination * Church service, a formalized period of Christian communal worship * Chris ...

, and key elements from the original building were utilized in its interior design. Rosner designed a state-of-the-art sound system, featuring components that, at the time, were rarely used in the nightclub environment. Billboard Magazine
January 22, 1977 The light show was also designed with meticulous care, under Barry's close scrutiny. The club opened as a private, gay nightclub. It changed to a more mainstream format after 13 months, which led to unprecedented success and to its reputation as “Philadelphia’s Studio 54.” Beasley Law Firm
Building History Although Second Story was a commercial success, Wayne's love of music compelled him to build another club—one that featured “ hardcore” dance music, then popular in after-hours gay juice bars. Later, this style of music was recognized as the precursor to house music, and Wayne's musical vision helped shape the dance genre Philly Classics. The Geftman brothers opened Catacombs in the fall of 1978 in the basement of the 12th Street structure. The club typically opened on Saturdays at midnight, and it would not close until Sunday around noon sometimes. The first record played at Catacombs was "The Impossible Dream". Although there remains some confusion over who installed and designed the sound system in Catacombs, the truth is that it was the original sound system from the Music Box. Wayne updated the system by doubling the number of

loudspeakers A loudspeaker (commonly referred to as a speaker or speaker driver) is an Acoustical engineering#Electroacoustics, electroacoustic transducer that converts an electrical audio signal into a corresponding sound. A ''speaker system'', also often ...

and

amplifiers An amplifier, electronic amplifier or (informally) amp is an electronic device that can increase the magnitude of a signal (a time-varying voltage or current). It may increase the power significantly, or its main effect may be to boost the v ...

. Designed and installed by Donald Carucci, the modified system created a 360° field of sound, further enhanced by the club's low ceiling. The result was a sound system with crystal-clear music, in a room without dead spots. Catacombs earned a reputation as a nationally recognized after-hours club, and it became known for being frequented by music-industry professionals from both Philadelphia and New York. Catacombs' most significant contribution to the music industry was its creation of the dance genre Philly Classics. Catacombs closed its doors in December 1986.

Owners

*Barry Geftman *Wayne Geftman

Disc Jockeys

*Wayne Geftman *

David Todd David Todd may refer to: * David Todd (architect) (1915–2008), American architect * David Todd (producer), American record producer * David Peck Todd (1855–1939), American astronomer * David B. Todd Jr. (c. 1932-1980), American surgeon * Da ...

David Todd
Discogs - Biography *Billy Kennedy *Donald Stone *Tony White *Frankie Sestito *Frank Goodman

Producers / Remix Artists / Songwriters

– Remix artist of over 40 records for a variety of labels, including

Philadelphia International Records Philadelphia International Records (PIR) was an American record label based in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. It was founded in 1971 by songwriting and production duo Kenneth Gamble and Leon Huff along with their longtime collaborator Thom Bell. I ...

RCA Records RCA Records is an American record label currently owned by Sony Music Entertainment, a subsidiary of Sony Corporation of America. It is one of Sony Music's four flagship labels, alongside RCA's former long-time rival Columbia Records; also A ...

and

WMOT Records WMOT (We Men of Talent) Records, an independent recording company in Philadelphia, produced a series of singles and albums in the "Philadelphia sound" soul tradition (see Philadelphia soul). The company was founded by Alan Rubens and Steve Bernstein ...

. *

Nick Martinelli Nicholas J. Martinelli (born 5 July 1952) is an American R&B and pop record producer. During the 1980s he worked with many R&B and pop music artists, some of them based in the UK. Acts he has worked with include Loose Ends, Phyllis Hyman, Fiv ...

- Producer for

Virgin Records Virgin Records is a record label owned by Universal Music Group. It originally founded as a British independent record label in 1972 by entrepreneurs Richard Branson, Simon Draper, Nik Powell, and musician Tom Newman. It grew to be a worldwid ...

, West End Records, Prelude Records and more. He went on to become “Producer To The Divas” Gay Today article
Producer To The Divas and his client base included

Diana Ross Diana Ross (born March 26, 1944) is an American singer and actress. She rose to fame as the lead singer of the vocal group the Supremes, who became Motown's most successful act during the 1960s and one of the world's best-selling girl groups o ...

Stephanie Mills Stephanie Dorthea Mills (born March 22, 1957) is an American singer and songwriter. She rose to stardom as "Dorothy" in the original seven-time Tony Award winning Broadway run of the musical ''The Wiz'' from 1974 to 1979. The song " Home" from t ...

, Five Star, Loose Ends, Phyllis Hyman,

Regina Belle Regina Elaine Belle (born July 17, 1963) is an American singer-songwriter who started her career in the mid-1980s. Known for her singles " Baby Come to Me" (1989) and "Make It Like It Was" (1990), Belle's most notable for two hit duets, both with ...

Teddy Pendergrass Theodore DeReese Pendergrass (March 26, 1950 – January 13, 2010) was an American soul and R&B singer-songwriter. He was born in Kingstree, South Carolina. Pendergrass spent most of his life in the Philadelphia area, and initially rose to musi ...

and others. *Billy Kennedy – Remixed Direct Current's "Everybody Here Tonight Must Party" Everybody Here Tonight Must Party
Discogs - Recording Entry * Andy Kahn and Kurt Borusiewicz - Writers and producers of Karen Young's Hot Shot *Mark “Marcia” Birts – writer of “Act Like You Know” –

Act Like You Know
Discogs - Recording Entry *Carter Burnette - Writer and producer for Whatever Productions
, Music Page

Promoters who regularly visited Catacombs

*David Todd –

*Terri Rossi –

SAM Records SAM Records was a New York-based independent record company active between 1977–1983 and 1989–1991. The label was operated by Sam Weiss and Daniel Glass, who worked as a Vice President. In the late 1970s, Columbia, as a CBS subsidiary, had a ...

(NY) / Are & B Records (NY) /

Billboard (magazine) ''Billboard'' (stylized as ''billboard'') is an American music and entertainment magazine published weekly by Penske Media Corporation. The magazine provides music charts, news, video, opinion, reviews, events, and style related to the musi ...

*Fred Smith –

Motown Motown Records is an American record label owned by the Universal Music Group. It was founded by Berry Gordy Jr. as Tamla Records on June 7, 1958, and incorporated as Motown Record Corporation on April 14, 1960. Its name, a portmanteau of ''moto ...

*David Steel -

Polydor Records Polydor Records Ltd. is a German-British record label that operates as part of Universal Music Group. It has a close relationship with Universal's Interscope Geffen A&M Records label, which distributes Polydor's releases in the United States. ...

(NY) *Debbie Caponetta – ZE Records (NY) *Carter Burnette –

*Bobby Beasley –

*Danny Glass –

(NY) *Dan Joseph - TK Records (NY) *Izzy Sanchez –

Atlantic Records Atlantic Recording Corporation (simply known as Atlantic Records) is an American record label founded in October 1947 by Ahmet Ertegun and Herb Abramson. Over its first 20 years of operation, Atlantic earned a reputation as one of the most i ...

(NY) *Ray Caviano Ray Caviano
Discogs - Biography – RFC Records, TK Records (NY) *Joey Carvello – RFC Records (NY) *Billy Stinger – Philadelphia Dance Music Association *Ernie Maroni – Philadelphia Organization of Professional Spinners *Frank E. Lembo – Pocono Record Pool, Ltd. (Founder & President) *Nick Duca –

Records *Joe Loris – Impact/Power Play (Trade Magazine) *Lenny Balk – Impact/Power Play (Trade Magazine) *Fred Dicippio – (Promoter) *John Brown – (NY) *A.J. Cervantes – Butterfly Records (NY) *Arnie Smith – Provocative Promotions (NY) *Larry Patterson –

(NY) *Franklyn Walker – Gemini Record Pool *Mi`cheLe-RenE - PHILLY*NY*BALT*WASH ★ALLL`n ALLL★PromoTionS★ MCA★ PIR★ FRESH★ eTc.

Artists that performed at Catacombs

Gayle Adams Gayle Adams is an American urban contemporary and house music musician, who is best known for her hit singles " Love Fever", "Stretch'in Out" and "Your Love Is a Lifesaver." She recorded two albums for the dance-oriented Prelude record label in ...

* Claudja Barry * Carl Bean *

* Angela Bofill *

Taka Boom Taka Boom (born Yvonne Stevens; October 8, 1954 in Chicago, Illinois) is an American R&B and dance music singer, and is the younger sister of singer Chaka Khan and Mark Stevens of Aurra. She sang background vocals for several Parliament albums ...

Jocelyn Brown Jocelyn Lorette Brown (born November 25, 1950), sometimes credited as Jocelyn Shaw, is an American R&B and dance singer. Although she has only one ''Billboard'' Hot 100 chart entry solely in her name, she has an extensive background in the musi ...

* Miquel Brown * Sharon Brown * Jean Carne *

Linda Clifford Linda Clifford (born 1944) is an American R&B, disco and house music singer who scored hits from the 1970s to the 1980s, most notably "If My Friends Could See Me Now", " Bridge over Troubled Water", " Runaway Love" and " Red Light". Career ...

* Natalie Cole * Sarah Dash *

Carol Douglas Carol Douglas (born April 7, 1948) is an American singer whose hit " Doctor's Orders" (1974) was a pioneering track in the disco genre. Early life and acting career Carol Douglas was born in Bedford–Stuyvesant, Brooklyn, New York City, United ...

Divine Divinity or the divine are things that are either related to, devoted to, or proceeding from a deity.divine

* First Choice *

Taana Gardner Taana Gardner (born September 3, 1960) is an American disco and post-disco singer who found her success through West End Records since 1979. She is also a former member of the Aural Exciters. Early life Born in Newark, New Jersey (where she c ...

Gloria Gaynor Gloria Gaynor ( née Fowles; born September 7, 1943) is an American singer, best known for the disco era hits "I Will Survive" (1978), " Let Me Know (I Have a Right)" (1979), " I Am What I Am" (1983), and her version of "Never Can Say Goodbye" ( ...

Gwen Guthrie Gwendolyn Guthrie (July 9, 1950 – February 3, 1999) was an American singer-songwriter and pianist who also sang backing vocals for Aretha Franklin, Billy Joel, Stevie Wonder, Peter Tosh, and Madonna, among others, and who wrote songs made fa ...

* Dan Hartman *

Nona Hendryx Nona Bernis Hendryx (born October 9, 1944) is an American vocalist, record producer, songwriter, musician, and author. Hendryx is known for her work as a solo artist as well as for being one-third of the trio Labelle, who had a hit with "Lady ...

* Jennifer Holliday * Loleatta Holloway * Thelma Houston *

Rhetta Hughes Rhetta Hughes (born Dallas, Texas, June 15, 1939, died June 3, 2019) was an American soul singer and musical theatre and occasional screen actress. Music and acting career 1960s and before Although Hughes sang from a young age into adulthood ...

Geraldine Hunt Geraldine Hunt ( Milligan; February 10, 1945 – October 27, 2022) was an American R&B singer best known for the 1980 No. 1 Hot Dance Music/Club Play hit "Can't Fake the Feeling". Early life Hunt's parents are Rosie Lee Vickers and Frank Mill ...

* Phyllis Hyman * Millie Jackson *

Carol Jiani Carol Jiani (born Uchenna Carol Ikejiani) is a Nigerian-born singer based in the United Kingdom, best known for her 1981 hit "Hit 'N Run Lover". Career Uchenna Carol Ikejiani was born in Nigeria to an Igbo family. She moved to Canada as a coll ...

* The Jones Girls *

Grace Jones Grace Beverly Jones (born 19 May 1948) is a model, singer and actress. Born in Jamaica, she and her family moved to Syracuse, New York, when she was a teenager. Jones began her modelling career in New York state, then in Paris, working for ...

Chaka Khan Yvette Marie Stevens (born March 23, 1953), better known by her stage name Chaka Khan (), is an American singer. Her career has spanned more than five decades, beginning in the 1970s as the lead vocalist of the funk band Rufus. Known as the " Qu ...

* Gladys Knight *

Patti LaBelle Patricia Louise Holte (born May 24, 1944), known professionally as Patti LaBelle, is an American R&B singer, actress and businesswoman. LaBelle is referred to as the " Godmother of Soul". She began her career in the early 1960s as lead singe ...

Denise LaSalle Ora Denise Allen (July 16, 1934 – January 8, 2018), known by the stage name Denise LaSalle, was an American blues, R&B and soul singer, songwriter, and record producer who, since the death of Koko Taylor, had been recognized as the "Queen of ...

Lime Lime commonly refers to: * Lime (fruit), a green citrus fruit * Lime (material), inorganic materials containing calcium, usually calcium oxide or calcium hydroxide * Lime (color), a color between yellow and green Lime may also refer to: Botany ...

Ullanda McCullough Ullanda McCullough is an American pop music singer most noted as a backing vocalist. Career McCullough began her singing career at age 13 in Detroit, Michigan. In early 1970s she sang numerous advertising jingles including the 1971 Coca-Cola com ...

* Jackie Moore *

Melba Moore Beatrice Melba Hill or Beatrice Melba Smith (sources differ) (born October 29, 1945), known by her stage name Melba Moore, is an American singer and actress. Biography Early life and education Moore was born Beatrice Melba Hill or Beatrice Melba ...

Ann Peebles Ann Lee Peebles (born April 27, 1947) is an American singer and songwriter who gained celebrity for her Memphis soul albums of the 1970s for Hi Records. Two of her most popular songs are " I Can't Stand the Rain", which she wrote with her husband ...

* Fonda Rae * Sheryl Lee Ralph *

Sharon Redd Sharon Redd (October 19, 1945 – May 1, 1992) was an American singer from New York City. She was the half sister of Snap! singer Penny Ford. Life and career Sharon Redd was born on October 19, 1945 in Norfolk, Virginia, to Gene and Katherine Re ...

* The Ritchie Family * Vicki Sue Robinson * Dee Dee Sharp *

Sister Sledge Sister Sledge is an American musical vocal group from Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. Formed in 1971, the group consisted of sisters Debbie, Joni, Kim, and Kathy Sledge. The siblings achieved international success at the height of the disco era. ...

Candi Staton Canzetta Maria "Candi" Staton (, ) (born March 13, 1940) is an American singer–songwriter, best known in the United States for her 1970 remake of Tammy Wynette's " Stand by Your Man" and her 1976 disco chart-topper "Young Hearts Run Free". In E ...

The Three Degrees The Three Degrees is an American female vocal group formed circa 1963 in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. Although 16 women have been members over the years, the group has always been a trio. The current line-up consists of Helen Scott, Valerie Holi ...

Donna Summer LaDonna Adrian Gaines (December 31, 1948May 17, 2012), known professionally as Donna Summer, was an American singer and songwriter. She gained prominence during the disco era of the 1970s and became known as the " Queen of Disco", while her mus ...

Sylvester Sylvester or Silvester is a name derived from the Latin adjective ''silvestris'' meaning "wooded" or "wild", which derives from the noun ''silva'' meaning "woodland". Classical Latin spells this with ''i''. In Classical Latin, ''y'' represented a ...

Evelyn Thomas Ellen Lucille "Evelyn" Thomas (born August 22, 1953) is an American singer from Chicago, Illinois, best known for the Hi-NRG dance hits " High Energy", "Masquerade", "Standing at the Crossroads", "Reflections", and "Weak Spot". Thomas has an ...

Tina Turner Tina Turner (born Anna Mae Bullock; November 26, 1939) is an American-born Swiss retired singer and actress. Widely referred to as the "Honorific nicknames in popular music, Queen of Rock 'n' Roll", she rose to prominence as the lead singer o ...

Luther Vandross Luther Ronzoni Vandross Jr. (April 20, 1951 – July 1, 2005) was an American singer, songwriter, and record producer. Known for his sweet and soulful vocals, Vandross has sold over 40 million records worldwide. He achieved eleven consecutive P ...

* Tata Vega *

The Village People ''The'' () is a grammatical article in English, denoting persons or things already mentioned, under discussion, implied or otherwise presumed familiar to listeners, readers, or speakers. It is the definite article in English. ''The'' is the m ...

* The Weather Girls *

Betty Wright Bessie Regina Norris (December 21, 1953 – May 10, 2020), better known by her stage name Betty Wright, was an American soul and R&B singer, songwriter and background vocalist. Beginning her professional career in the late 1960s as a teena ...

* Karen Young

References

External links

Catacombs Facebook page

Second Story Reunion site - History

{{coord, 39.94880, -75.16048, type:landmark_globe:earth_region:US-PA, display=title 1978 establishments in Pennsylvania 1986 disestablishments in Pennsylvania African-American music Defunct LGBT nightclubs in the United States LGBT history in Pennsylvania LGBT nightclubs in Pennsylvania Electronic dance music venues LGBT culture in Philadelphia History of gay men in the United States