Jet set parties, live bands, jazz and oldie goldies are going to be served up on a silver platter at the Spinning Wheel nightclub this Thursday as that Court Street establishment gets its 1997 season off to a flying start.

The days of the dance hall -- a place of worship for the young bloods with its deep driving bassline and mouthfuls of boastful chatter as rival sounds square off -- are no more.

They have died a slow, and for some, a mournful death. In their stead, however, music that caters to a more mature crowd -- disco and jazz to be specific -- will be wafting from the speakers.

On this day, construction crews are working at a frenetic pace trying to meet Thursday's deadline. A new carpet has been laid on the upper level and a resurfacing of the dance floor is underway.

The goal is to provide patrons with a level of comfort as they converse with friends, greet acquaintances or shake a leg on the dance floor.

"We've been in existence for 27 years and we have always tried to be a club by the people and for the people,'' marketing manager Clark Burgess said.

"Over the past year we have had to reassess the way we have been doing business and we have come up with a plan to take us into the next millennium.

"Part of that has been our decision to move away from the strictly reggae concept and go back to the fundamentals of what Spinning Wheel was built on.'' A dress code -- strictly smart casual, no sweats or sneakers will be allowed -- will be sternly enforced.

Now in its 28th year, Spinning Wheel began with five spokes -- Reid Simmons, Cordova Simons, Victor Parris, Gladwin (Moe) Ming and Charles (LB) Burgess.

They stared from the old Green Gables building which they bought from Raymond White. In those fledgling days the space was just 50 feet by 40 feet.

As the years went by, they acquired the surrounding properties and transformed those buildings into the current 2,800 square feet that houses the Gable Lounge, disco, upper and lower pool bar and games room.

"There are only three spokes left -- myself, LB and Parris -- in the wheel from those days,'' general manager Gladwin Ming explained.

"Back then we were catering to the who's who of the black community. Reid Simmons came up with the name because we were trying to capture the feeling of being in perpetual motion.'' Charles Burgess, Spinning Wheel's managing director, was just 30 years old in those heady early years.

"I had been in the hotel all my life to that point and I wanted to do something different,'' he said. "When we started disco was in, in a big way and we have grown since that time to where we are now.

"Spinning Wheel is an untapped resource that can cater to any type of function. If I had put this club two blocks to the south I would have been a billionaire by now.

"Still I have no regrets,'' he adds with a smile. "I like most of the people who come here. But we suffer because the Police and the Corporation of Hamilton do not do what they are supposed to do where we are concerned.

"They see Court Street as a rejectable resource. But we pay the same taxes.'' Over the past two years a shooting, an attack on a Policeman and underage drinking have plagued the Court Street watering hole and led to the formation of the United Bar Owners Association.

The association is composed of Spinning Wheel, Hubie's Bar, Captain's Lounge, Swinging Doors and Place's Place and still exists today.

As a result of the untoward activity, metal detectors were placed at the entrance and extra security checks for proof of age have been taken.

"People know the difficulties Spinning Wheel has experienced,'' Clark Burgess continued. "But the true mettle of a champion is to keep fighting even though things are difficult.

"The only way we can survive as an organisation is to implement changes to our infrastructure.

"We look at the success of Key Club (on the lower level) and we see that it caters to a more mature clientele like taxi drivers. It is really a conversation space.

"It is our intention to keep it that way but upstairs will have music from the disco era, with jazz nights thrown in as well.

"There is a huge void in the market for the more mature patron. And we are trying our best to get them back.'' Consequently, a membership drive has begun which will see applications put through a screening process for security reasons.

"This measure is not intended to be discriminatory,'' Clark Burgess continued, "but was borne out of an acute need to keep troublemakers out.

"The refurbishment began last month or so to bring everything up to speed.

The biggest challenge so far has been to conceive the changes and follow through.

"We've taken our licks but you learn from those experiences. Spinning Wheel is a club of inclusion.

"But Spinning Wheel is also part of the community and people's habits have changed. Fights and other antisocial acts have happened at all clubs on this Island. We are no different.'' HOPEFUL THREESOME -- (From left to right) Spinning Wheel general manager Gladwin (Moe) Ming, marketing manager Clark Burgess and managing director Charles (LB) Burgess are looking forward to unveiling their new concept when the night spot reopens on Thursday.

BUSINESS BUC