Balearic Breakfast | Episode 212 | The Loft Anniversary Special
- by The Lioncub
- Feb 19
- 20 min read
Updated: Jun 25
Colleen 'Cosmo' Murphy broadcast the 212th episode of Balearic Breakfast on her Mixcloud on February 18th 2025.
A Lioncub's tribute to David Mancuso... – To say that David changed many people's lives is an understatement to me. It is far more than a simple change. Discovering Music through his lens, through his philosophy (be it sonical or intellectual), is a mindblowing experience. And this experience does not simply change you. It modifies your relationship towards Music, it modifies the way you listen to Music, the Way you experience it, the way you discover it, the way you then share it through your own parties.
I am not ashamed to say that David was a Musical Soother, a Musical Force. Of course, it comes down to his aura, and what he was, totally, as a human being (calm, shy, and, as a member of the family shared with me a few days ago, with a godlike figure). But it also comes down, on the musical side of the analysis, to his Musical knowledge and to the way he treated music, played it, what it meant to him and how he used it to transform the present time of a Party...
David was audacious during his sets, yet, he also knew how to build a Musical Intercourse where Music made love with the dancers and he always used his records proficiently to craft an unparalleled musical unity (some of his transitions were so perfect that, when listening to them, you can't help but ask yourself how he was able to achieve such perfection without a mixer).
David was not only an audiophile in the greatest sense of the term (and you know how much this term is misused today...). He was All about sharing his own reality with his friends and the dancers at his parties. He shared his soul so openly, so freely, and with such musical and technical knowledge that, to this day, no one can come close to him. His Musical Aura always hit the listener in a pure moment of freedom and uncontrolled excitement without chasing away his own momentum... Thanks to him, I discovered that you didn't need to be a DJ to be a Great Musical Host... I felt all this when I listened to the Prince St Reels in 2009 for the first time. To this very day, David mesmerizes me and when I think of how many things I discovered thanks to him, and how he expanded my Musical journey, I always get very emotional...
About today's episode. – In today's show, Colleen beautifully presents David's Legacy as she selected quite long songs (thus proposing one of the shortest playlists we ever had on a 2-hour Balearic Breakfast episode! ). Thanks to this wonderful musical trip, you'll discover why I wrote these Lines. Close your eyes, the Loft is waiting for you...
"This morning’s Balearic Breakfast is the annual Loft Anniversary special and it’s now up on my Mixcloud. On Valentine’s Day 1970, my late friend David Mancuso opened the doors to his 647 Broadway home for a weekly private rent party called Love Saves the Day and which evolved into The Loft. The party’s influence was ubiquitous, inspiring others to share friendship, music and the dance.
But it wasn’t easy for David, and he met a lot of challenges on the way including a court case against him by New York City as the officials wanted to shut him down. But David won. He also suffered from gentrification and neighbours who wanted him out of the ‘hood so he just picked up and moved. He was also met with personal challenges, betrayals by people he trusted and sycophants intent on serving their own interests who took advantage of David’s trusting nature. And yet the Loft persevered.
When I started going back in ‘92 David lived and held the parties on East 3rd street in NY’s East Village. It was a rough time for David but I deeply felt and understood the magic that was happening as soon as I went through the doors. I fell in love with the party, the music, the sound system, the people and later with David. He became a dear friend, a mentor and the two of us worked together on the parties in NY, musically hosting together, starting a Loft party here in London, compilations, his label and documentaries until his passing in 2016.
Each February I reflect upon The Loft and David and invite members of the global Loft community to choose one of their favourite Loft songs and to give us an anecdote. It’s a life-affirming musical celebration.
Today in London we continue David’s legacy and vision at The London Loft and our next party is on the 9th March – we welcome people with positive energy and a loving spirit to join us and if that’s you, hit me up via DM for an invitation. And I’m also hosting a listening party featuring some of David’s favourite records at Devon Turnbull’s Hi-Fi Listening Room installation at 180 (swipe for more info). Thanks for listening and love saves the day."
Listen back to the 212nd episode of Balearic Breakfast:
PLAYLIST
(1972) Cymande – Dove
(1981) Donald Byrd – Love Has Come Around
(1978) Brainstorm – Journey to the Light
(1974) Tower of Power – Squib Cakes
(1978) The Winners – Get Ready for the Future
(1978) Easy Going – Baby I Love You
(2004) Depeche Mode – Enjoy the Silence (Timo Mass Remix)
(1981) Steve Miller Band – Macho City
(1982) Mike Anthony – Why Can’t We Live Together (Part II)
(1977) Lamont Dozier – Going Back to My Roots
(1976) Charles Earland – Drifting
(1982) Pat Metheny – Are You Going with Me?
COLLEEN'S NEWS
For your information, Colleen will be playing live on :
March 6th (Listening room session / celebrating The Loft, tickets here);
March 8th at La Discothèque (tickets here) ;
March, 9th 2025 at the London Loft (tickets here).
THE LISTENING EXPERIENCE
Presentation. – Colleen's show is not your usual Balearic Breakfast show, you don't have a lot of mixes as usually. Yet, Colleen is able to create a mesmerising Musical Flow, leading you to The Loft. As always, the way the songs are put together allows the listener to plunge effortlessly into David's sonical journey...
For instance, the three first tracks share a common tonality with Love Has Come Around and Journey to the LIght sharing a common sonical color and structure although their rhythm differ. The unity between Journey through the Light, Squib Cakes, Get Ready for the Future and Baby I Love You is Splendid too! Although Colleen's interventions are longer, the music simply Flows right until the end, with Are you Going with Me having that same kind of "Freed Tension" and beautifully ending this great episode!
I also love how Colleen ends her introductions before she starts playing the tunes, listen closely, you'll see what I mean...
The Wow Moment. – One of the most beautiful moment of today's 212nd episode happens when Colleen plays Steve Miller Band's Macho City followed by Mike Anthony's Why Can’t We Live Together (Part II)... It's one thing to mix, it's another one to let the listener Feel your Intentions... That's exactly what happens here, and something David was able to do the same way...
COLLEEN'S PRESENTATION
Good morning, Balericans! I'm Colleen Cosmo Murphy, and it's great to be back hosting Balearic Breakfast, live until 12 noon, and greetings to all over on my Mixcloud Live. Thank you for joining me, as always. Today's show is special, as it's the annual Loft Anniversary special.
Way back on Valentine's Day 1970, my late friend David Mancuso opened the doors to his 647 Broadway home for a weekly private rent party called Love Saves the Day, and which later evolved into The Loft. The party grew not only in size, but also in influence, inspiring others to create their own parties and clubs, from the gallery to the Paradise Garage. And The Loft even exerted some influence over Studio 54, believe it or not, as the glitzy club's promoter was Carmen D'Alessio, who was a lofty, and she tried to recreate the wide mix of people she had encountered at The Loft. Of course, they did it in a much less democratic fashion, though. But it wasn't easy for David, and he met a lot of challenges on the way, including a court case against New York City, as the officials wanted to shut him down. David won.
He also suffered from gentrification and neighbors who wanted him out of the hood, so he just picked up and moved. And he was also met with personal challenges, betrayals by people he trusted, and sycophants intent on serving their own interests, who took advantage of David's trusting nature. And yet The Loft persevered.
When I started going back in 1992, David lived on East 3rd Street, that's where he held his parties in the East Village, and it was a rough time for him. But I deeply felt and understood the magic that was happening immediately. I fell in love with the party, the music, the sound system, the people, and later with David himself. He became a dear friend, a mentor, and the two of us worked together on the parties in New York, musically hosting together at different parties, starting a loft party here in London. We did compilations, worked on his record label and documentaries, all up until his passing in 2016. And today in London, we continue David's legacy and vision at the London Loft, and our next party is the 9th of March. And we welcome people with positive energy and a loving spirit to join us. So you can hit me up on my socials if you're seeking an invitation.
Now with regards to today's radio show celebration, each February I reflect upon The Loft and David, and invite members of the global loft community to choose one of their favorite loft songs and to give us an anecdote. And the song that opened the show, Dove by Cymande, was chosen by Antonio Ocasio. He remembers: "David Mancuso played so much amazing music at The Loft, and throughout the years there were those certain jams that really moved me, and one of them is Dove by Cymande. He would play it in early in the morning around 7 a.m., and he played it from beginning to end as he did all the music he presented. What a jam! Dove would transport me to a whole other place, and I could not help but close my eyes and move, however the sounds made me move. It's medicine. David played Dove when the album was released, and he flipped at the album, and he flipped the album over and played Dove when everyone else was playing brah. Think about that. That was David". And of course, Cymande have come back strong with a recent documentary and a new album, so that's a great story.
And we have more stories lined up, including this next one and song. It's from one of my dearest and best friends, Jenny Taylor, and she called it "A Love Story at The Loft": "Like many lovers who came before us, the love of my life I met at The Loft. It was one of those nights in the summer of 1995 when the city seemed to hum with endless possibilities. My roommate Colleen, that's me, who has always introduced me to new sounds, was the music selector at The Loft for the evening. As I climbed the steps to the party, I could feel the energy building. It was a collective buzz, that kind of electricity you feel in your chest when something magical is about to unfold. Inside, The Loft was alive with dancers being completely free in their environment. The whole place was pulsing with the rhythm of the music. A mix of people of all ages and cultures, each immersed in their own world, yet all connected by the beat. I danced, lost in the sound, in the crowd, in the joy of the night. I met David Mancuso, who complimented Colleen's musical choices to me. After a couple of hours dancing, I took a break on a sofa at the end of the room. There next to me sat a tall, dark, handsome man. He had a huge smile and a kindness that made me feel like I'd known him forever. And it was as if we were the only two people in the room. We began to talk. At first it was small talk, music, the vibe of the night, the usual chatter that fills space between strangers. But it didn't take long for the conversation to shift. We shared our thoughts on what it meant to be truly alive, to embrace life with a sense of expansiveness, to feel that there were no limits to the possibilities ahead. The music, the energy of The Loft, and the way our conversation had flowed so effortlessly, it all felt like fate had conspired to bring us together. That night, amidst the crowd and the rhythm, I found a life partner. From that moment on, our life together was about music, love, travel, family, and endless possibilities. We never stopped dancing to our own unique rhythm". And this is for Jenny Taylor and the late Niles Ford, Donald Byrd, Love Has Come Around.
You're tuned into the Balearic Breakfast Loft special, and this next selection was chosen by a long-standing London Loft member, Darren Morgan. And he says: "This song, his selection, holds a deep resonance for him, bringing back memories of some of the most euphoric moments with David at the Sunday sessions at The Light in Shoreditch. More than just a song, this was a portal, a breakthrough moment where energy became boundless. Step into the light, there's no need to be afraid. This line became a mantra on the dance floor, an invitation to surrender, to push beyond physical limits, and to let the rhythm carry us higher".
Darren says, "My 40th birthday trip to the New York City Loft was a transformative experience, witnessing the true essence of love as a message, where the dancer's energy was a focal point, where a movement became an expression of deep connection. It left me with a renewed sense of purpose, a need to bring back to my community, not just music, but a new understanding of how to be, how to lose ourselves, and find each other in the dance. In the parties that followed, the positive corner at the London Loft became more than just a space on the floor, it was a conduit for something greater. As a crew of close friends, we weren't just moving, we were soaring, lifting each other higher with every pulse of the bass, every shimmering key change, the room, the people, the sound, all of it fused into an unstoppable force. Moving through the darkness, guided by the light, we found strength in the music, feeding off each other's energy, pushing through exhaustion, and embracing the purest joy. After more than 20 years of contributing to the party, I still wake up with butterflies on the morning of a loft gathering, until that moment of release when I take my first step onto the dance floor. I hold my role in high regard, knowing that each time I step into that space, I'm part of something much bigger, something that connects us all. And right now, I'm literally busting at the seams to get back on the dance floor at the next London Loft party on March 9th". This is Brainstorm, Journey to the Light, as requested by Darren Morgan on the Balearic Breakfast Loft Special.
Thank you to Darren Morgan for this suggestion, and that brings him back to the light as well. I'm looking forward to gathering at the London Loft on the 9th of March.
This next selection is from DJ True in New York City, and he says: "In the 80s and 90s on East 3rd Street in New York, the crowd had thinned out considerably at the loft, leaving us with just the diehards, which also happened to be some of the best dancers on the planet. With all the extra room we had on the dance floor, the dancers would practically turn into full-fledged acrobats, which also led to the occasional falls and heart smacks on the floor. Occasionally, one might unwittingly time the smack perfectly with the quiet part of the song, and everyone would applaud the person that just took the spill. It was a bit embarrassing to bust your ass and have everyone look at you once you scraped your body up off the floor, so I guess that's where the applause started. But at the same time, I might have been sarcastic, being that's how us New Yorkers rock. We love our sarcasm. Either way, it was hilarious, and a testament to how much harder they rocked back then. Ain't nobody busting their asses on the dance floor anymore unless they're messed up. They just don't put in that level of work anymore. But Squib Cakes by Tower of Power was one of those songs that people were busting their asses in over-excitement halfway through the record".
And thank you to DJ True in New York City for that wonderful selection. This next one is from Stefano Fumanti, who is from our Last Note Parties in Italy, a party that was started by our dear late friend Giancarlo Bianchi with the support of David. And the parties are still going strong. And the next Last Note Party will be held on the 7th of June, and you can find more. I think it's infolasnote@gmail.com.
So I just wanted to give you all that information before I tell you Stefano's story: "My musical adventure as an amateur DJ began in the early months of 1990 when I was still underage. A dear friend from Perugia asked me to go with him to a club, the Red Zone. A bolt from the blue initially struck my ears and quickly hit my heart. That's how until 1998, I kept going to that magical place where music, friendship, and love reign supreme. Discreetly, I positioned myself around the console and enjoyed the night between a drink and new friends who shared the same passion. One above all was our beloved Giancarlo Bianchi, who out of his great passion for music, came from Rome every Saturday to the Red Zone. The musical selection of Souto Cosimetti, the resident DJ at the Red Zone, was insane. And I also want to send regards to Souto's memory as well. Moreover, we loved staying until the last hour from 5 to 6 a.m. when Souto would pull out some truly incredible gems from his magical bag. The years passed, needs changed, but beautiful friendships remain. Indeed, despite marriage, family, and two children, and thanks also to social media, after about 10 years, we found ourselves even more passionate. So much so that Giancarlo told me he would go to London to the legendary Loft with David Mancuso. I was stunned because for me, it was a dream. The party per excellence, the loft. Giancarlo had befriended David Mancuso when he had come to Perugia to play at the legendary Red Zone, and a few years later at the Urban Live Music Club, also in Perugia. After that, Giancarlo had attended all the loft parties in London for several years, and that's very true, and he invited me to the loft party in London at the iconic Light Bar. So my dream came true. He introduced me to the maestro David Mancuso while Get Ready for the Future by The Winners was playing on the dance floor. Could it have been a coincidence? No one dies on earth as long as they live in the hearts of those who remain. Rest in paradise, David and Giancarlo. We miss you so much. Love saves the day".
And thank you to Stefano Fermante for that beautiful, beautiful request. Now this next request is from a lovely dancing couple in New York City, Ed and Deb Lopez, and I just love this one. Ed says: "I remember hearing this song for the first time alongside my buddy Greg. We started digging the track right away, but the version that David played had a break, and in the background, out comes these horns that sounded like cows. We must have laughed for a half an hour. Of course, we were in high spirits at the time, and next time he played the track, I went and asked David for the name of the track, and as usual, he obliged and gave me that great smile of his". Easygoing. Baby, I love you.
And thank you to Ed Lopez for that request. This next one is from Ian Mackie. And when we bought our sound system for our loft parties here in London, David requested, no, he demanded that we bring a professional sound engineer he had met in Glasgow when he was doing a party up there. Ian Mackie, and as David always told me, "don't lose Ian". And Ian started coming down for every single party, and well, try as I might, I haven't been able to lose Ian. I'm just joking. He's become a dear friend and part of my family, and my daughter even calls him Uncle Ian. So I have so many incredible friendships from the Loft and David, and I'm so thankful. And this is from Ian: "I ended up having a massive debate with David one night about remixes and re-edits, and he claimed to not be a fan of either, as it took away how the musicians felt the song should be in the first place, and that that was disrespectful. I, on the other hand, was saying sometimes they elevated the original. When I pointed out that one of his current favorites was a remix, it led to much debate, argument, and whiskey drinking. Being it was a tune I lost my virginity to, and Ian, I hope you're talking about the original, not the remix, which came out in 2004. It was a prominent memory. So then we went into a whole debate about tracks that remind you of a sexual encounter, and the rest of that conversation is not for radio. From that conversation on, whenever David played this track, he used to turn around and give me a cheeky smile". It's the Tima Maas remix of Depeche Mode's Enjoy the Silence.
The wonderful remix by Tima Maas of Depeche Mode's Enjoy the Silence, as chosen by Ian Mackey for today's Galera Breakfast loft anniversary special. And I just also wanted to mention one other thing I'm doing in London in tribute to David. On March 6th, I'll be hosting two listening sessions at Devin Turnbull's Hi-Fi Listening Room Dream No. 1 at 180 Strand in London, and I think it's at 7 and 8.30.
In any case, you can find out more information at 180 Strand, where you can book a reservation. And yeah, I'll just be kind of going through some of David's song choices and why he chose certain things, and even to the, you know, talking about the sonics of different songs as well. So that's happening on March 6th. And three days later, we're hosting our London loft party here in London as well. And you can always get in touch with me if you would like an invitation.
Now, this next one I decided to choose because I was just in Washington, DC, and it will all make sense. In any case, I'm from a rock background, and that was a really strong connection between David and myself. And I loved it when he would play like Jimi Hendrix's Electric Ladyland at like 11 in the morning on a Sunday, or Van Morrison. And when I first heard this next song at the loft, I was absolutely blown away. It's a long and groovy and somewhat psychedelic track with a political bent. And it came to mind as over the past weekend, I was in Washington, DC, where macho men are shooting up history's pages. Steve Miller Band with Macho City.
Mike Anthony with a cover of Timmy Thomas's Why Can't We Live Together? That's the part two. And I just love the funky break at the end. And that one really seemed appropriate. In this divided world we are now living in. And yeah, I remember when I heard that first at the loft, especially that funky break just absolutely loved it. And thank you to David Mancuso for turning me on to that.
You're tuned in to the Loft Anniversary Special on Baleric Breakfast. I'm Colleen Cosmo Murphy taking you until high noon. It's another half an hour left to go. We have a few more songs for you. And this next one is a request from Matteo Tidaldi, who is part of the Last Note Party in Italy, our loft party in Italy. He says : "The first time I discovered the story of the loft, it was like finding my origins. And over time, I realized why. I love the loft because it's family and community. It's music and vibes. It's a journey, freedom of expression. It's considering the differences of individuals, a wealth, it's connection. And as David said, all this is social progress. I believe that today's world is making us lose contact with ourselves and the loft in its form of musical purity and expression. It's as if it took us back into time when we were children, reconnecting us to our roots. Music is love forever. Thank you, David". And this is Lamont Dozier with Going Back to My Roots.
I never get sick of that song. I never get sick of this next one too, is chosen by my husband, Adam Dewhurst. And he says this: "I remember both David and Colleen playing this song at the loft parties. It's one of those perfect loft classics that truly makes sense when everything comes together between the musical host, the music, and the dancers via that transcendental sound system at the right time of the night. This memory is from the London Lofts Party's Memorial Party for David shortly after his passing in 2016. So many of us were missing him deeply and grieving, whilst also feeling the elation of the message being transmitted and the higher collective energy being created by the dancers, becoming as one, as David always reached for. Colleen was playing deep, focused on the musical journey to celebrate our dear friend and started playing Charles Earland's Drifting. Whilst instantly thinking about David, I saw a balloon break free from the thousand or so that hung from the ceiling. Usually on high alert, watching out for any rogue balloons that could fall and damage the precious Kwetsu cartridges, this balloon was different, if you could say such a thing. It just hovered there, above the heat of the dancers, vibrating directly above them, almost wobbling like a jelly. Over the course of the next few minutes, it slowly hovered its way across the dancers, just beyond their reach, and I was grinning away, watching it, feeling like David was with us, with goosebumps all over. Eventually, the dancing balloon came to settle, hovering above, about one meter above one of the clip-shorn speakers, where it stayed, swaying to the rhythm of the song. That balloon stayed there, dancing away for the remainder of the song, and then fell back to earth as the song came to its end. One of those loft moments of which there are so many. I love and miss you, my dear friend David. Thank you for everything you share with us. Love saves the day".
Oh my gosh, that is just one of my favorite songs, and I also want to dedicate that to the memory of our late dear friend, Giancarlo Bianchi. That was his copy, and he gave it to me shortly before his unexpected passing in October of last year, and of course Giancarlo was the founder of the Last Note Loft Party in Italy, and we'll be remembering him and David on the 7th of June, and if you want to find out more, just email infolasnote@gmail.com.
Well, this is Colleen Cosmo Murphy, getting ready to sign off another edition of Balearic Breakfast, this time our loft anniversary special. I want to thank everyone who contributed to this show. There were so many, so many great songs, and it just brings me back onto the dance floor. The first time at the loft way back in 1992 is just amazing.
A reminder that next week we will be streaming live again, and this time it will be back to the request line on Saturday, so if you have any song suggestions, save them up and put them in the post comments on my Instagram and Facebook when the request line goes up this Saturday, and also a few more announcements.
Don't forget our London Loft Party is the 9th of March. You can always email us if you want to get onto the guest list, onto the, I should say, the members list, and also I'll be hosting a couple special listening parties on the 6th of March at Devin Turnbull's Hi-Fi Listening Room, Dream No. 1 at 180 Strand, kind of talking through some of the more obscure tracks that David loved and championed and playing it on a lovely sound system.
We have one more song left for you, and this is a choice from our friend Roberta Cutolo, who is one of the members of the London Loft Party, and she also had the pleasure to book David once for a private party in Italy, and all she can say is that "This was the one time only in my experience of booking artists that dealing with David was extremely easy in the sense that the man was very clear, honest, and so specific about his terms and requests that our responsibility was to professionally fulfill with no delays, so we did that, and the party was a success".
She chose this song, Pat Metheny, Are You Going With Me. She says : "It was the song that made me understand how music for David was a complete journey, full circle, where the dance floor was conceived as a place that belonged to all dancers coming together to raise frequencies and to be part of the transcendental effect music has on body, mind, and spirit. A beautiful way to close the show".
Thank you all for joining me, and remember, Love Saves The Day...
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