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Richard Long

CTL-E-5295 · Person · other · 1933–1986

VERIFIED evidence grade of this record

Richard Long (1933-1986) was the preeminent American sound designer of the disco era, founder of Richard Long and Associates, known for bass-forward club systems that dancers felt physically as much as heard. The City of Chicago's landmark report credits Long with the Warehouse's custom sound system and places him as designer at Paradise Garage and Studio 54; secondary accounts credit him with more than 300 installations and Billboard's 1980 Best Disco Sound Design award. At the Warehouse his system is documented as intense, very loud, and palpable from the street, and Knuckles studied it with Long to master precise control of the room.

Sources

Record CTL-E-5295 · CultureTechLens Knowledge Graph · evidence grade: VERIFIED · 2 sources (1 primary) · CTL research: BMI-002, MUSIC-001.
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Cite as: CultureTechLens, “Richard Long (CTL-E-5295),” CultureTechLens Knowledge Graph, October 2026. https://culturetechlens.com/graph/entities/ctl-e-5295/

Chicago: CultureTechLens. “Richard Long (CTL-E-5295).” CultureTechLens Knowledge Graph. Chicago, IL: CultureTechLens, 2026. https://culturetechlens.com/graph/entities/ctl-e-5295/
APA: CultureTechLens. (2026). Richard Long (CTL-E-5295) [Entity record]. CultureTechLens Knowledge Graph. https://culturetechlens.com/graph/entities/ctl-e-5295/
MLA: CultureTechLens. “Richard Long (CTL-E-5295).” CultureTechLens Knowledge Graph, 2026, https://culturetechlens.com/graph/entities/ctl-e-5295/

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Negro swinging his girl on roller skates. Savoy Ballroom, Chicago, Illinois, Chicago, 1941 — CultureTechLens
Negro swinging his girl on roller skates. Savoy Ballroom, Chicago, Illinois, Chicago, 1941 — CultureTechLensPhoto: Lee, Russell, 1903-1986, FSA-OWI, Public Domain, via Library of Congress
Shoeshine, 47th Street, Chicago's main Negro business street, Chicago, Illinois, Chicago, 1941 — CultureTechLens
Shoeshine, 47th Street, Chicago's main Negro business street, Chicago, Illinois, Chicago, 1941 — CultureTechLensPhoto: Rosskam, Edwin, 1903-1985, FSA-OWI, Public Domain, via Library of Congress
Apartment houses and funeral parlor in Negro section of Chicago, Illinois, Chicago, 1941 — CultureTechLens
Apartment houses and funeral parlor in Negro section of Chicago, Illinois, Chicago, 1941 — CultureTechLensPhoto: Lee, Russell, 1903-1986, FSA-OWI, Public Domain, via Library of Congress

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