American Entertainment 1978: New York Night Fever

My trip to New York came to a hasty end.

In just two short days, the group worked non-stop to complete the main recording of "Sweet Dreams" and boarded a flight back to Los Angeles.

Zik carried a heavy hard aluminum case containing six recorded cassette tapes, and he didn't dare let go of it the entire time.

These days, cassette tapes are very delicate; they're sensitive to heat, moisture, and X-rays. According to Iowen, the scattered radiation from airplane cargo holds can even slightly demagnetize them, making them unsuitable for checked baggage. Given the gravity of the situation, Zeke had no choice but to carry them with him.

Fortunately, the first-class cabin was spacious, and the plane smoothly ascended to an altitude of 10,000 meters, passing through layers of clouds.

Across the aisle, Zik turned slightly to the side, lowered his voice, and continued to finalize the details of the surrounding business with Tino beside him.

"I can handle everything from scarecrows to connecting with factories."

"But now we lack a core person who truly understands the industry and can get things done. He must be a seasoned veteran who has worked in the apparel industry for a long time and is familiar with the entire process of fabric, OEM, shipping, and quality inspection. We need you for this part."

"I asked around with a friend yesterday. The overall cost of those private contract manufacturers is as low as 40% lower than that of regular union factories."

"We reserve 10% of the profits for the shell company used to isolate risks for working capital and bribing gang members, and the remaining 30% is our extra income. Therefore, this person must be absolutely safe, clean, and reliable, and there can be no mistakes."

Qi Ke solemnly advised that there are safer alternatives to dealing with sweatshops. Some intermediary subcontracting companies specialize in this business, but if you go through them, you'll lose your 30% profit margin.

As previously agreed, Tino would hold a 20% stake in this peripheral business. Although he would also have to invest, Zik would not allow him to easily make money.

"Don't worry, I'll take care of it." Tino grinned, full of confidence. "My brother-in-law has worked at the clothing center for over ten years. There are plenty of experienced people there who understand the whole process. I'll definitely pick the most reliable one."

Just then, a flight attendant pushed a food cart over and bent down to ask what drinks or beverages the passenger wanted.

Qi Ke smoothly pulled himself back and sat up straight.

Judy immediately snuggled up to him affectionately, wrapped her arms around his arm, and gently rested her head on his shoulder, softly pleading, "Zeeker, I want to move to the cliff cabin and live with you."

"But that house feels too empty, it doesn't feel like home at all. How about we get some new furniture and rearrange it?"

The image of the cliffside cabin came to mind.

The place was completely devoid of any warmth or liveliness; it was a typical bachelor's dwelling. It certainly wasn't suitable for a girl to live there long-term, and it would be a bit much to ask Judy to make do with such a cold and impersonal lifestyle.

"Of course, but I have a lot of work coming up, so I probably won't have time to help you choose."

"How about I have Stacy go with you?" Zeke offered a safe solution. "She's the executive producer for my music video project, and also Peter Cooper's intern at the Casablanca film department. She's reliable and capable."

He gave Judy a brief introduction to Stacy's background.

The girl spoke with a strong East Coast accent, using sophisticated vocabulary, unlike the laid-back Californians. At first, Zeke thought she was a UCLA student, but after inquiring around the company, he learned that she wasn't. Stacy was a student at the prestigious Ivy League university, the University of Pennsylvania, who was taking advantage of the off-semester break to audit classes and gain experience on the West Coast.

This is also the norm for the elite class on the East Coast these days: they come from wealthy families, have broad horizons, and mingle in top circles early on to build industry connections and pave the way for the future.

No one can say for sure whether she got the internship at Casablanca through family connections or by impressing him with her own abilities.

Zeke felt that she and Judy were probably in the same social class, and the age difference wasn't that big, so she was a good candidate.

"Stacey... Peter Cooper's student? Is he considered one of his associates?" Judy asked curiously.

"You could say that," Zeke nodded. "She's quite capable; she managed the $20,000 budget very well. I figured she's good at design, has good taste, and can drive—it's better than you wandering around aimlessly alone."

Judy's eyes lit up, and she exclaimed excitedly, "That's great! I want to go to Macy's, and I want to pick out things that look a little silly, a little tacky, but that I like."

"No problem, you decide everything." Zeke agreed with a smile, casually pulling out a bundle of cash tied with rubber bands from his bag and handing it to Judy.

Although credit cards exist these days, cash is still the mainstream method, with more than 70% of retail transactions in the United States completed in cash.

Judy put away the money, leaned against him and chattered away, enthusiastically planning the style of the cottage, the placement of furniture, and the soft furnishings, her eyes full of anticipation.

The gentle, soft murmurs lingered in his ears, and the fatigue from Qi Ke's days of travel instantly overwhelmed him. As he listened, he drifted off to sleep.

The flight landed smoothly in Los Angeles.

After leaving the airport terminal, the two went their separate ways.

Judy got into the Mercedes Marco had driven to pick her up. Zeke, along with the Spiders, got into a car sent by Casablanca and rushed to the private studio that the company had rented specifically for Giorgio Morodel.

Giorgio Morodel, the world-renowned disco and electronic music master, was born in South Tyrol, Italy, and has lived in Munich for many years.

Zeke had met him once at the company, and he had also founded Oasis Records, a subsidiary label in Casablanca, in Munich. Being of Italian descent, Zeke felt an innate affinity for this senior colleague.

Morodel dressed very simply, in a clean black outfit and wearing sunglasses. He had a cool and unique demeanor and spoke in a mix of Latin, German, and Italian, with his English being the most rusty and awkward.

However, Zik knows a little Italian, so communication isn't a problem.

The group pushed open the door to the studio, but the expected scene of them burying themselves in composing and creating music did not appear.

This busy man was leisurely holding a cue stick, playing billiards indoors, his posture relaxed, showing no sign of the urgency he was in while rushing to finish the soundtrack for "Midnight Express".

Keith and Anton's eyes lit up instantly, their faces filled with excitement, displaying the fervent enthusiasm of meeting their idol.

For the two who intend to delve deeper into disco and electronic music, Morodel is a legendary pioneer.

After a brief exchange of pleasantries, Morodel immediately put down his golf clubs and got to work, showing everyone around the room full of equipment.

The studio is filled with all kinds of top-of-the-line European electronic synthesizers, with a full range of models and categories. There are even several custom-made devices that he made and assembled himself, making them one-of-a-kind.

The cold electronic pulse sounds, hypnotic synthesized melodies, and mechanical ambient timbres that had previously troubled Zeke and Keith for a long time and which they could never quite master were easily controlled by Morodel.

He seamlessly integrated the adjustments, layering, sound correction, and blending, performing extremely difficult operations with effortless grace.

Working with such a powerful person was a real treat; everyone was immersed in the pleasure of refining the sound.

In just half an afternoon, the official studio version of "Sweet Dreams" was completely completed, with a full tone, rich atmosphere, and texture far exceeding the demo version.

The staff waiting in Casablanca immediately stepped forward and carefully packed the final tape into a hard aluminum protective case, which was then quickly sent to the master tape factory to advance the subsequent pressing and distribution process.

The work was finished, and the atmosphere relaxed again.

Morodel picked up his cue and gestured for Zik to come over and play a couple of rounds with him. Amidst the crisp clinking of the cues, the two chatted casually.

"Your song does sound a lot like my 'I Feel Love'," Morodel said casually as he moved and aimed. "No wonder Neil Bogart specifically asked me to help you finish it up."

"You are a true master, and I am very grateful for your help and the inspiration you have given me." Zik said sincerely, full of admiration.

He particularly admired Morodel's experience. Morodel was a pure musician who never attended a music academy. In his youth, he traveled around Europe singing in various nightclubs, sleeping in his car, eating simple meals, and saving every penny to buy a piece of music equipment he loved.

He carved out his own niche through sheer hard work, possessing the qualities of a craftsman—no empty talk, no pretension, and treating technology like a toy.

"Musical inspiration always arises from the collision of ideas."

Morodel pocketed the ball cleanly and continued, "Basically, Neil likes the sound of 'I Feel Love.' There's a scene in the movie where the protagonist is running away and he says, 'Give me something in the style of I Feel Love,' the bass line has to make you feel like he's running away, it has to be suspenseful."

This didn't surprise Zeke; Neil was also a big fan of Morodel.

He was so obsessed with Morodel's hit song "Love to Love You Baby" for Donna that he once asked for a 17-minute extended version of the song, which was a full page long. Larry gossiped to Zeke about it, and according to Neil himself, the reason was: it was a wonderful... well, a bed record.

"I've been trying to figure out how to strike the right balance. Too much sexy and languid disco rhythms won't be enough to support the tension in the movie."

Morodel turned to look at Zeke, his eyes filled with admiration, and softly hummed a section of the core melody of "Sweet Dreams".

"But your song is different. It's cold, mechanical, and hypnotic, with an atmosphere that's both ethereal and tense, combining the mechanical nature of machines with the human soul. This new approach has given me a lot of inspiration."

"Zek, maybe he wants to try using this melody in the soundtrack," Keith whispered a reminder from the side.

"Uh, no problem, Giorgio, we can definitely give it a try."

Qi Ke suddenly realized what was going on and readily agreed.

Given Moroder's current industry standing, he could easily have requested to be credited as a co-producer for helping complete "Sweet Dreams" and received half of the producer's earnings.

But he didn't mention it at all, so Zik was naturally willing to reciprocate.