Interview with Kenny Carpenter as featured in Keep-On Magazine 

The interview

DS3:

Kenny you started as the Light man at Galaxy 21 where Walter Gibbons used to spin, how did you come about getting that job as you were only 17 at the time?

Kenny Carpenter:

I had never been out to a disco and i had 5 girlfriends that wanted to do the town, we first went a club called the Hollywood on 43st. afterwards at 4:00am we were still up for a party and someone told us about the Galaxy 21 and said it was an after-hours club. We went and I was fascinated with the place, i was desperate to get in the booth, I wanted to see the decks and watch the dj at work and i stayed in front of the booth just star gazed. Walter was attracted to me and invited me to the booth, there was no one doing the lights so i started to fiddle with them and the next thing i know, Walter asked me if i'd like the job, of course i said yes and i worked there for the next year, the fee was $75.00 a night.

DS3:

How long after working the lights did you decide that you wanted to be a DJ?

Kenny Carpenter:

when i was a boy i believed in santa and i couldn't understand how he got into our house since we had no chimney and we lived in the projects. one Christmas i busted my mom putting gifts under the tree and the fantasy ended there. i said to mom, don't buy me clothes for Christmas, please buy a record player, that's how long i've loved playing records. the artist Strafe was a neighbour of mine and we grew up together. he was a mobile dj in the early 70's and he gave me my first experience as a dj, we used to do community partied in the projects. i started spinning at the same time that i started to work lights but i didn't feel ready to work a club and i had no contacts, i worked lights for many years but i always had a burnin' desire to get on the decks.

DS3:

Your big break came in the 80s where you were hired to spin at Studio 54, what were the highs & lows of that particular residency?

Kenny Carpenter:

after the galaxy closed in 1975 and one of the promoters opened a club called the inferno on west 19th street, he asked me to work the lights there and i did for five years. i saw dj's come and go but the one that worked there the longest was dj Rene Hewitt. the owner knew i liked playing records but he didn't take me seriously, i was stuck on the lights. Rene used to let me play when he was tired, usually at 6:30am. one night in oct 1980 Rene had took a break and asked me to fill in. when he went downstairs Mike Stone, who was the promoter at studio walked in with his entourage looking for a dj to replace Nicky Siano at studio. they asked where Rene was and i said he was on a break. i continued to play, well aware that i was being auditioned. afterwards Mike said that he loved my music and offered me the job at Studio the next week. i started there on my birthday and it was a magical experience beyond my wildest dreams. 54 was mostly all highs and no lows, any dj would have given anything to spin there and people couldn't understand how i got the job, i've been very blessed. we had so many fantastic shows at 54 from artist such as: Evelyn Champagne King, Tanya Gardner, Unlimited Touch, Grace Jones and Change.

DS3:

Studio 54 has been documented as a pretty wild place are there any specific nights that stay in the forefront of your mind (good or bad)?

Kenny Carpenter:

there are some nights that stay in my mind from 54. Mike Stone took me to LA for a holiday for two weeks( my first time on a airplane) and we had a fantastic time. we returned for a special tribute party for Bob Marley with Carl Carlton performing. there was a robbery that night at 54, one man walked in with a gun and made his way to the office where he proceeded to tie everyone up and he take all the money, $25.000. well..no one got paid that evening and Mike almost lost the club. there were many good nights at 54 but one of the best was when we had Tanya Gardner, she was hot with he hit called Heartbeat, mixed by the great Larry Levan and we pulled all the stops for her. the engineers at the club designed a special heart shaped pendulum that swung left to right from the centre of the dance floor with red and white strobe lights. it was packed that night with 4000 people. when she sang heartbeat and they lowered that pendulum the people went crazy, it was one of my best nights there. when Steve Rubell and Ian Stragger were released from prison they wanted the club back and we had to leave. i was gutted because Studio 54 had become my lover. we had the group Change perform for our closing, i cried a river of tears that night.

DS3:

Once you became the established resident at Studio 54, it led to you being asked to play Bonds International Casino, what other doors opened that benefited your career after that? & how much did that raise your profile within the scene?

Kenny Carpenter:

after we left Studio Mike Stone somehow acquired Bond's international casino from John Addison who was a famous club owner. Bond's was the most massive club i've ever seen, the dance floor could hold 3000 people. Mike told me he had a surprise for me and that i had to meet him on 42nd street. him and his friends blindfolded me and brought me into Bond's. when i removed the blind i couldn't believe my eyes, the place was huge and i hated it. the dj booth was big but there was a small hole that looked out to the dancefloor, i had them cut out part of the wall so i could see the people. the sound was designed by Richard Long, he was famous for the sound at Paradise Garage, Studio 54 and the Palladium but there was too much delay because of the size of the place and you needed a minimum of 2000 people to dampen the sound. needless to say, we were packed every Saturday and i eventually got used to the place and the sound. i don't have a way to measure my profile, to be honest i never think about things like that because if i think my profiles high and then it sinks to low i'd be disappointed, no expectations, no disappointments. I didn't have many other opportunities to play other places of travel at the time.

DS3:

You have played all over the World, what has been your favourite venue & why?

Kenny Carpenter:

i would have to say that the Ministry of Sound in London would be one of my favourite places because it reminds me so much of the Paradise Garage and the people and the sound are great! but there are many great clubs all over Europe.

DS3:

You are highly regarded as a successful producer/ remixer in the industry with tracks like Seasons of Time on MAW recs & Set it off on Jus Borne recs. What do you feel has been your greatest moment in that area?

Kenny Carpenter:

i think the best is yet to come for me in the producer and remixer arena. i've been in the studio lately and i've done a remix of "Stand by Me" by Ben E. King that'll knock your socks off when you hear it. i've played it for thousands of people and everyone's going crazy for it. i've also completed a remix of "Think it Over" by Jennifer Holiday soon to be released on Jellybean records.

DS3:

What are your thoughts on the music that is currently being produced and released today?

Kenny Carpenter:

i think that the market is pretty saturated at the moment with lots of rubbish and some of the main guy's have run out of ideas. i think the strategy of using the same drums from the last hit has become quite old and i haven't seen any innovations in studio mixing for the last ten years. it's a shame to think that the last hit club record was "Free" by Ultra Nate, even she hasn't been able to come up with another hit. dance records have become like disposable razors for me, i use them a few times then i store or get rid of them. i have to always search for new music to keep it fresh or i'll get very bored.

DS3:

What is your general view of the current scene? & How does it differ from the early days of dance music?

Kenny Carpenter:

David Mancuso can be credited as one of the guy's that started it all, i can remember going to the loft and having a family feeling and i think that's gone in today's club environment. today it's all about numbers and money, club owners are so concerned with their damn bar and who's drinking and they usually know nothing about sound, lighting or making people feel welcome. i think the current clubs have completely lost the plot.

DS3:

You are now a member of a new music agency called Qaraj created by MOS founder Justin Berkman, how did you meet & what is planned for the future?

Kenny Carpenter:

i met Justin in the early 90's because he asked me to come to play at the Ministry of Sound which he designed. we've been great friends ever since then. Qaraj is a fantastic up and coming and innovative organisation and i have a great relationship with them.

DS3:

Describe Kenny Carpenter in 3 words?

Kenny Carpenter:

Blessed, Blessed, Blessed.

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