Thursday, November 17, 2005

Unga-wah!

UNGANO'S--210 West 70th Street, between Amsterdam and West End Avenues. Haven't been able to find much background info about this late '60s/early '70s club or its proprietors, brothers Arnie and Nicky Ungano. Most of the show dates I've found range from '69-'71, but Genya Ravan recalls playing there as early as '64 in her memoirs, Lollipop Lounge (New York: Billboard Books, 2004). She describes it as "yet another Italian-owned club," and infers that such joints were no strangers to mob-related activity. A spectropop.com article about the Dickens (mock-rock alter egos of NRBQ) describes the place as "a cozy showcase club," while an R. Meltzer tribute on thedictators.com dubs it "a hepster basement rock club." A contributor to this George Harrison condolence page--who met the Quiet Beatle at the club in 1970--remembered it as "a place where 'name' artists could play, and also where A&R reps and agents would go to see talent auditions." As Mike Fornatale explained a while back on the Bomp list:

In 1966 and '67, when out-of-town bands came to NYC, they would do shows at places like Ungano's and the original Peppermint Lounge, that were really holdovers of the Copacabana era and not so very unlike this "vibe" (maaaan) at all. [He's referring to the scene at the Hard Rock Cafe during its launch party for Little Steven's Underground Garage.--Ed.] (Once they turned on the three-dollar color-wheel lights, that is.) The only difference here is that the Hard Rock Cafe has a fifty-foot ceiling and the lights cost three THOUSAND dollars each.

According to featbase.net, a site devoted to Little Feat (who played there on January 4, 1971), it was a "basement club" with an occupancy of 200; "[it] closed around March 20, 1971, and then reopened on Staten Island as Ungano's Ritz around May 21, 1971." This second venue was in an old 2,000-seat movie house, the Ritz Theater, at 251 Port Richmond Avenue.

Both the club and the theater attracted a surprisingly impressive array of the era's talent, including:

A Staten Island local on cinematreasures.org remembers seeing "Alice Cooper, Mountain, Black Sabbath, Yes, Capt. Beefheart, MC5, King Crimson, The Kinks, Fleetwood Mac, Deep Purple...even Vanilla Fudge" at Ungano's Ritz. He adds, "The Ritz concerts did not last to due 'contract riders' put into place in the early seventies by NYC concert promoters. They insisted that the musicians performing at their place could not book additional shows within a 50 mile radius of the venue nor within a month surrrounding the show. This essentially killed the bookings for national recording acts at the Ritz Theater." Apparently the building went on to become a roller rink, but since 1985 it has been occupied by Pedulla Ceramic Tile. What became of the basement of 210 W. 70th Street is unclear. The building as a whole was, and may still be, the Bradford Hotel, but seems to also house various other businesses.

[UPDATE 5/6/2010: Here are a couple of Ungano's ads unearthed by a long-time Internet pal of mine, the eagle-eyed Rob B. Jeez, this piece seems skimpy--I should really see if more info has come forth. The daughter of one of the proprietors contacted me quite a while ago, offering answers to any questions I might have...unfortunately I was too shy and too preoccupied with non-blog matters at the time to fully take her up on it, and I fear the offer may have expired by now.]




UPDATE 3/15/2012:  Here is a revised and improved post on 1969 Ungano's ads.

14 comments:

Viagra Online said...

Ungano's....after I read your post I knew why that name was familiar to me, of course if I was there once with a group of friends

Bluesluvver said...

i am one of the fortunate ones that hung out at the big three,Ondine's,The Scene,Ungano's in the day.
How does one even attempt to describe what it was like back in the day when the Bands,let alone the jams that happened wee beyond belief.
i can go on forever but one or two or more catch my mind.
Mick Fleetwood,John McVie,Peter Green,Buddy Miles,Janis Joplin,Randy Hobbs and Jimi Hendrix.What a night that was!!!!

Anonymous said...

if you want to include Ondine's then it should be the big four--Cafe Au Go Go was one of the happenin clubs in the city in the 60's.

steven said...

I saw Capt Beefheart at Ungano's several nights in a row in 1971... My music teacher Carmen Moore introduced us to Ornette Coleman who said, "Don't you know Don Beefheart"? These were wonderful gigs with his classic Magic Band...supporting Lick My Decals Off Baby... He'd had his equipment stolen and Ornette lent him a horn as I recall... a great venue...!

Jerry's Brokendown Palaces said...

Hi Streets,
I'm writing The Encyclopedia Of Jerry Garcia Music Venues. I'm interested in writing to the daughter of the owner of Ungano's. Can you put me in touch with her?

Thank you
Harry Angus

Romeo Maxx said...

I loved Unganos, and one night after band practice, I went to the club with my bass, rather than going all the way home to drop the bass off, then go back to the club. I was sitting there in the crowd, when Jimi Hendrix and Buddy Miles got up on stage...Jimi said he wanted to do a little jam with Buddy, but didn't have a bass player...I shouted.. Bass right here...We did three songs in that Jam, and I was wondering if anyone has ever saw or filmed/ taken any pics of any jams with Jimi and Buddy with that unkown teenage bass player...from about 1969-1970 or so...I'd love to find out...
Romeo Maxx

Gitpicker said...

I just saw this article on Ungano's, and couldn't believe it. Brought back some old memories. Your list of bands is missing the one which opened the club in the summer of 1966. It was The Others (I was lead guitar player), who had been the house band at Scott Muni's Rolling Stone the previous summer. A couple of the guys who worked at Unganos's had been regulars at The Rolling Stone. They were instrumental in our getting that gig. Ungano's was visited by people like Little Richard, and the Detroit Wheels.

Wow, hadn't thought of Ungano's in many years!


Mike Media said...

Here's a painting by the NYC artist Joseph Armato that captures the spirit of being at Ungano's in 1967. Must have left an impression since the word UNGANOS is actually etched into the paint. Subject to interpretation but appears like a dancer as seen through the psychedelic haze of those wild and crazy times.

https://67.media.tumblr.com/3e8c562b101caf6968db3864629c889a/tumblr_od0bj7aa5K1s94dowo1_400.jpg

Tiger Williams said...

My good friend Laura & I were following the Vagrants around at the time. During the transition from Vagrants-to-Mountain, Leslie West played there for several weekends in 1970. I have some of it recorded on little 3 inch reel tapes, all of appalling quality...
One overlooked act that also made it's NY debut was Terry Reid. I think he was 18 or 19 yrs old then, and a force to be reckoned with. Unfortunately, his career took a backseat to others, such as Eddie Money...
Ungano's was definitely the darkest, dankest most depressing venue, probably in all of Manhattan. It was most likely this particular atmosphere that drew in all the "big" names who jammed there on off nights. Anonymity (along with other drugs) was much sought after during those times...

Holly said...

Id love to see any photos or paintings from 1967. I went there alot at 16 with fake id

Holly said...

It wont come up

Unknown said...

I started hanging out in the club one night I want to becoming the DJ because Nikki son was sick and the next day I rewired the PA system and they will like Kate tell you want to do this every night and then they wind up going on on tool with Plum Nelly which was their house band I also help Black Sabbath play there working with megaphone company to rewire their amplifiers cuz they amplifiers were why the 220 we set up all night and we widened the 110 had a lot of great memories that place that jam sessions everything else now there are a lot of pictures out there that Nicki and Ani had a Hendrix the faces and all kind of other bands that played there and unfortunately I don't know who has the pictures on E and Nikki are God years ago and Mickey son might have the pictures but I don't know how to get in touch with them after leaving there I started touring with a lot of bands stories Bowie Rick James Roberta Flack in a lot of other bands so that was the starting point of my career in the business

Casper Roos said...

Golden Earrings link on Ugano's is dead, new link https://casperroos.nl/story60.html

Greetings Casper Roos

John @ picadisc said...

Great memories of Ungano's where I was lucky enough to hang out many times. My room mate John Bellissino was a photographer for Circus and we would get in free, and got to know Nicky and Arnie pretty well. This venue was were rock stars went after gigs to hang and see other rock stars.. he had this young British girl booking acts that were not well known or just coming up, so it attracted some amazing people. I recall one night when I was up front talking to Arnie as he stood at the door collecting money for entry as Paul McCarney and Linda walked in and he charged them. Once my shock had worn off I told him who they were and he ran back to apologize and try to give Paul his money back! He said to me "Johnny, what am I gonna do? Everybody is somebody"!
I also recall one night when Janis Joplin was there on a date.. with David Clayton Thomas!
Great memories.. the Ungano brothers were two warm and regular guys!