George Michael, Boy George, Bill Idol, and even Prince Charles have graced the dancefloor of what used to be London's hottest club. Now, a famed paparazzi photographer has lifted the lid on his archive of incredible behind-the-scenes photos. 

David Koppel's upcoming book, Limelight, which will be released this month, is a treasure trove of images filled with the hottest stars from the 1980s and 90s. 

But what now is a priceless collection of rare images was a gig Koppel even admits he didn't initially want.  

'I said I didn’t like nightclubs, I didn’t drink, I wasn’t interested in celebrities, and I was a "serious" photographer,' the former Limelight house photographer said in a statement. 

'They said: "We’ll pay you for one night." That one night lasted a year and paved the way for a decade on Fleet Street.' 

Fleet Street is where many major newspapers used to be based in London. 

The who's who of the 1980s and 90s were seen inside the club, where Joan Rivers spent her birthday in 1993 and where Tommy Lee and Pamela Anderson were seen canoodling in 1995. 

While inside the club, which was dubbed Britain's Most Famous and could rival New York's Studio 54, Koppel snapped images of George Michael, Belinda Carlisle, The Bestie Boys, Marilyn, and more. 

Many of the images seen in Koppel's upcoming book have never been seen before and even the London Evening Standard newspaper dubbed him a 'celebrity's private nightmare'. 

'With fame comes money, adulation – and David Koppel,' the paper previously wrote. 

Limelight, which closed in 2003, was the it-place to be 40 years ago. 

The nightclub was located in an abandoned 1880s Presbyterian church and opened in 1985. 

Musicians, actors, and more who were on the cusp of superstardom were often seen inside the club. 

Koppel would be forced to have stars hold up matches to their faces to be able to see them in the dark environment and for the camera to focus. 

His images are also taken in black and white, as newspapers had yet to switch to color photography. 

'Every newspaper and most pop magazines hadn’t yet discovered color,' Koppel said.

 'There was no internet, no mobile phones, no digital cameras. It seems unthinkable now.' 

His book is a 'celebration of the nightlife of a time gone by, the start of a personal journey, and an evocation of the irresponsible spirit of the 1980s'. 

Limelight can be purchased for £60 ($81) on Koppel's website. 

The exhibition at Zebra One Gallery in London will run from October 10 to October 20.