Help With 70's Disco Party

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I've decided on a 70's Disco theme for the New Years Eve Party. Bear is checking on putting up truss and lighting over a white dance floor. I'll put silver pipe and drape around the room to reflect the lights.

Then I get confused... I wanted to bring in cocktail tables covered with tie die cloths, a few bean bags and flowers opposite the dance floor part of the room, make a large back lit peace sign... Or was that more late 60's? Then I was thinking of a big bouncer at the door to stamp hands and decide who gets in like NY early Disco's where you had to be hip.

I was too young to enjoy the 70's. I like the 70's Disco theme but seem to be mixing Go Go with Saturday Night Fever years. I mean flowers, smileys, peace signs were early, and the flashing lights Studio 54 was late 70's. I like both and can't decide which direction.

If I do early 70's what the heck were people dancing to? Top songs were Gordon Lightfoot, Jim Crocie and anne Murray. (gag!)

Other problem is food. When I think 70's I think pigs in a blanket, fondue and bean sprouts. Is that all you ate?

If you remember the seventies... what do you remember?

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Early 70's was "peace man", with lots of orange and browns for decor, psychaedelic patterns and ban the bomb symbols.
Later on into the mid 70's, glam rock took over in a big way and platform boots made an entry.
'76 onwards was punk, so the 70's had quite a mixture of styles and fashions, all in all.
Here in the UK, 70's party food consisted of prawn cocktails, cocktail sticks with either a cube of cheese and a cube of pineapple stuck on it, or a small folded piece of ham with a pickled onion stuck together, and quiche lorraine.
There were always loads of triangular sandwiches with boring fillings and stale crusts, and sickly puddings like black forest gateaux.

Music? Moving through the 70's, it was transcendental stuff (Beatles, Hendrix etc), then reggae, motown, glam (T.Rex, Sweet etc.), disco then punk, starting with groups like the undertones, Ramones and the Pistols.

Sounds like you're going to have fun. Can I get a ticket? Very Happy

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Mirror balls, body shirts, platform shoes, sandman panel vans with airbrushed scenes on the side and carpet in the back.

The bump, Disco duck, Heart of glass.
ABBA, Boney M., Chic, Bee Gees, Donna Summer, Eruption, Gloria Gaynor, Diana Ross, the Village People, KC and The Sunshine Band, the Jackson 5, and Barry White.

boob tubes and hotpants

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http://www.chiff.com/entertain/70s-party-ideas.htm

My enduring memory would have to be stoned love. :wink:

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Great food ideas, Doowop.

Van with carpet in back... Uh, that could be interesting.

Bear mentioned certain party favors, and when talking to my old boss yesterday he suggested mirrors and white stuff. I said "I can't do THAT!" He said to just put out baby powder for the fun of seeing who gravitates to it. I'm thinking a carpeted back of a van might have the same effect as far as seeing who gravitates.

(Now I'm wondering how I could do that...)

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Oh, and the disco to be as true to the era as possible, should always, always end with "Hi ho silver lining". If you can hire a crap band like this one, all the better! http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PUKicETqhGI

For the slow section, when all the drunken lads suddenly swoop onto the floor for a smoochy with the lasses who are dancing round their handbags, it should always include "I'm not in love" by 10cc.

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http://www.vanning.org.au/2003/resize%202003/Resize%20of%20purple%20moon.jpg

http://www.vanning.org.au/2003/resize%202003/Resize%20of%20stormbringer%20back.jpg

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If there are Brits there, they'll require large amounts of 1. Sweet Martini and lemonade, 2. Babycham or 3. Don Cortez sweet white wine (lasses), or 1. Tartan Bitter, 2. Watney's Red Barrel, or 3. Newcastle Brown (lads).

It is compulsory for at least one lass to be bawling her eyes out by the end of the night, and for several lads to experience the joys of either getting a black eye or throwing up in the car park.

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That looks like a modern version, dadpad. I'm really scared now.

I'm not in love... OMG! I'm having my own flashbacks now.

Dancing around their handbags - love the imagery.

Sounds like the two of you were "there."

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Oh yeah, I was going to try to come up with a "drink" for the night. I can't serve alcohol, but can hire a bartender / caterer with a license to serve.

Was wondering what would be THE drink for the era. Bear mentioned Long Island Ice Tea. I read somewhere on the net... martini's. We do have a few Brits in the neighborhood, but they aren't our biggest partiers. This will likely be majority 30-50 year old 'mericans. Many of those New Yorkers / New Jerseyites.

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squinney wrote:

Oh yeah, I was going to try to come up with a "drink" for the night. I can't serve alcohol, but can hire a bartender / caterer with a license to serve.

Was wondering what would be THE drink for the era. Bear mentioned Long Island Ice Tea. I read somewhere on the net... martini's. We do have a few Brits in the neighborhood, but they aren't our biggest partiers.

.....you'd be surprised. Any granny who hails from these shores will be only too glad to down a Martini and lemonade and bop to "Blockbuster" or "Hi Ho".
They'd also willingly show you their funky chicken. Very Happy

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Cream de menth, Blackberry nip, cheap spumante.

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squinney wrote:

Sounds like the two of you were "there."

Still am, in many respects. I find it harder to look down and see my Doc Martins, though.

Yep, I still wear them.

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Hippies and punks didn't go to discos!

Mirror balls, strobe lights, lava lamps, "conversation pits" (low tables surrounded by pillows or bean bags (hookah optional)).

Juice drinks were big: tequila sunrise, daquiris (maybe you could do a daquiri bar (that would give you millions of options both virgin and liquored)?), mai tai, pina colada.

Finger foods would be good: pigs in a blanket is what the 70s were all about, egg rolls, pizza rolls -- anything in a "roll".

Drag queens were always on hand.

I can't help much with the music because I didn't dig disco but there was some great dance/funk music being played too: Rick James, The Commodores -- that kind of stuff.

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Roller skates and disco balls.

TV dinners.

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Creme de menthe parfaits were a staple at mid-to-late 1970's semi-formal banquets around here.

~~~

I'll try and dig up some photos from disco party days when I get home tonight.

~~~

I do recall one really huuuuge perm I had, where I kept the right side of my hair tucked back with an enormous red polyester rose.

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Pffft! Dig out THAT picture by all means, eBeth! Very Happy

Boomer and Freeduck - neither one of you can be old enough to have been partying then!!

I thought about the beanbags / conversation pits. Lava lamp center pieces. I'll change the table covers from tie dye to silver / mirror shiney.

I guess I'm leaning more towards later 70's so I don't mix flower power / tie die hippie stuff with mirror balls and black lights. That's where I was getting confused. Too much going on in one era, and so many transitions.

Hey, KC lives in Durham. Maybe he'll bring the Sunshine band over.

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Lava lamps were big at parties in the late 1960's/early 1970's. Not so much a disco thing.

Quote:

The lava lamp became an icon of the 1960s,

wiki

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Oh, okay. Maybe I'll just get a couple for the conversation pits, then.

They make table top rotating mirror balls for centerpieces with pin lights.
I just don't want cheap cardboard cut-out kinda stuff, which is what I'm seeing at some of the party decor sites.

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Ha! Define "old enough".

During the late 70s I was in high school but I worked as a bar-back in a rather notorious bar and, as such, was recognized as being old enough to get into any club in town.

I still don't know how I got away with it.

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Help With 70's Disco Party

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