Dance, Dance Evolution

Clockwise: Village People, RuPaul, Sir Ari Gold, and Brian Kent.

For my inspiration today, I decided to take a look at the last four decades, and pick a song I really loved to show an evolution of dance through the years. I have chosen songs that are in my iTunes collection. The artists are also very talented members of the LGBT community. There was a wealth of music from which to choose, so it wasn't the easiest post to put together, but it was very fun. I got to listen to many songs not posted here, which made me very happy. I will start with the 1980s, the first decade I took on. There was a wealth of great music, with the great Sylvester, Bronski Beat, Culture Club, and many others I remember calling me to the dance floor. But I finally settled on a song that was released in 1980, from a group that bridged the 1970s and the 1980s. That group was the Village People, icons of the disco era. When Victor Willis, Felipe Rose, Alex Briley, Glenn Hughes, David Hodo, and Randy Jones got together to sing, little could hold them back. As the cop, the Indian, the soldier, the leatherman, the construction worker, and the cowboy thrilled audiences with classic hits like "Y.M.C.A.", "Macho Man" "In The Navy" and others. In 198O, they released the title cut from a new album, as well as a movie by the same name. "Can't Stop the Music" was written by Jacques Morali, the mastermind behind the group. But once the boys got hold of it, it was totally theirs! And, before I forget, happy birthday, Randy 'Cowboy' Jones! You can see when you watch the music video for the Village People singing "Can't Stop the Music".

Now I will move on to the next decade, the 1990s. This was another decade with a ton of music I got to listen to, before I made a the tough decision. But I finally decided to go with song from 1992 by the drag queen who continues to set the standard for all, RuPaul. "Supermodel (You Better Work)" was written by RuPaul, Jimmy Harry, and Larry Tee. The song went to #45 on the Billboard Hot 100, and #! on the US Billboard Hot Dance Club Songs chart. The music video also took MTV (when it used to play music) by storm, going into regular play on the rotation. While Nirvana and Pearl Jam were ruling the airwaves, one very special drag queen stepped up to be heard. Please enjoy RuPaul singing "Supermodel (You Better Work)".

The next decade once again plunged me into a deep pool of wonderful music, including some of my favorite artists. What tipped the scales for me was the absolute positive message of this song. So I pikced the 2007 release by the handsome Brian Kent, "Breathe Life". It is the title cut off a wonderful album, and a glorious music video, too. The driving beat disguises the love and good offered by the song for only a few seconds. I swear, just playing this song makes my day a little brighter. I hope you feel the same way when you watch the music video for "Breathe Life".

And while my final pick has only a pool of songs that is far short of a decade, I still had more than enough songs to listen to. I had several favorites, but decided to go with Sir Ari Golds latest single and video, featuring "Play My F**kn' Record". The song was first heard off his wonderful album, 'Between the Spirit & the Flesh', Gold worked with filmmaker Francis Legge, and the result was both 2D and 3D version, with include cameo appearances by Michael Musto, Michael Lucas, Peppermint, Meital as Gaga, Jamie Drake, Manilla Luzon, Dwayne Milan, Lovari, Eddy Barrena, MEG, Antonio Minopoli, Sherry Vine & Ari's Mom! Enjoy watching "Play My F**kn' Record"!

Have a great weekend!

Ru-Day Videos

With 'RuPaul's Drag Race' back on LOGO with the fifth season of competition - well, the sixth if you count that disaster of an All-Star season - It seems like a perfect time for RuPaul to release a new single! I have been a fan of Ru's music since way back when I first heard "Supermodel of the World" in the early 1990s. I had first heard of Ru when I was working at a media company, doing some corporate promotion in conjunction with one of the leading PR firms in the city. We worked with Randy Barbato, a young guy who would tell of his work with a young and talented drag queen. Later I remember seeing his name in some credits, and thinking back to those earlier conversations. He was quite right about RuPaul, wasn't he?

That being said, RuPaul has a brand new music video, obviously shot in the off-season when Ru wasn't otherwise engaged hosting the great drag competition. The pictures used are screen caps from the music video for "Peanut Butter". Now, I can make all kinds of statements about how this is a spread I can get behind, or how much I'd love to be the peanut butter in a sandwich with those dancers. Well, they could at least cover me with a little sweet jam...

The next video we are looking at is for "Responsitrannity". The song is wonderfully uplifting, delivering a message I think we could all be reminded of often, "Don't stop believing"! The video features many of the dragtestants for the All-Star season, as well as many of the celebrity guest judges. Also, Ru involved the judging panel, for it is hard to miss Santino Rice or Michelle Visage. And, of course, Ru looking as splendid as evah!

And I shall close with the title track from the last full album released. Many who watched the fourth season of 'RuPaul's Drag Race' might remember the final three dragtestants being asked to perform in a music video for Ru's single "Glamazon". They did a great job and now we get to see the final product, RuPaul's "Glamazon" featuring Sharon Needles, Phi-Phi O'Hara and Chad Michaels. With Supermodel of the World Ru, Sharon winning season 4, and Chad winning All-Stars, that makes this particular clip drenched with drag royalty.

To learn more about RuPaul, visit the official website. For more about 'RuPaul's Drag Race', you can visit the official website on LOGO, or the official Facebook page. You can purchase the single "Peanut Butter" from iTunes or Amazon. Both "Glamazon" and "Responsitrannity" can be found on the 'Glamazon' album, available on both iTunes and Amazon.

Supermodel (You Better Work) • RuPaul

Well, if it is Labor Day Weekend, then, girls, "You Betta Werq!" At least that is what RuPaul tells us in her brilliant song, "Supermodel (You Better Work)"



"Supermodel (You Better Work)" can be found on the Supermodel of the World album. You can purchase it on iTunes and Amazon. And have a great weekend. It's a long one, and don't we all love long ones?

Dancin' Ain't A Drag

Clockwise: Divine; Sylvester; Jimmy Somerville; and RuPaul.

Friday nights are a time to be finished with work and ready to go out on the town. First you gotta get your hair did, pick out just the right outfit, and be ready to make an entrance into the club, and be noticed by that cutie you have had your eye on. No one knows that better than a drag queen, how works that wig, and pounds the pancake into a near frenzy to have just the right look. Once they are out on the town, those girls know how to have fun, and just what it takes to make a girl hit the dance floor. Tonight, we will let our drag mothers be our guide, starting off with the magnificent Divine, Baltimore's greatest gift to the world, as she sings You Think You're A Man.



At a time when the only drag queens out there were the female impersonators in night clubs doing Bette Davis, Joan Crawford, and Judy Garland, Sista Sylvester James was singing in the San Fransisco clubs before heading into the studio to cut some amazing songs. Sylvester would perform in drag, and was unapologetic just being big, black and beautiful. Here is Sylvester asking the immortal question, Do You Wanna Funk?



In many ways, it seems like RuPaul has be the Queen of Drag for many years now, on television, in movies, and in the studio. RuPaul has her own talk show for a while, and now has been a franchise for LOGO, with RuPaul's Drag Race, as well as RuPaul's Drag U. But nothing could compare to the great music she made, and one of her best was Supermodel (Of The World).



Now, to the best of my knowledge and memory, Jimmy Somerville has not gone out of his way to perform in drag, but he did cover a song by the great Sylvester, and just wanted to include it tonight. When he went solo, after successful stints in The Bronski Beat and The Communards, he remade the great song You Make Me Feel (Mighty Real). If there was anyone who could honor a Sylvester song with a great cover, it would be Jimmy. This is a clip of him singing it live last year, still sounding as incredible as ever.



Dance the night away, my friends!

Fridays Can Be A Drag!

Clockwise: Divine, Jim Bailey, RuPaul and Jackie Beat.

I remember when there was nothing more fun than to go out on a Friday night, and catch a drag show. Hell, I remember when going home after working in Greenwich Village and the subway trip home would be a drag show!I also remember a time when there was no greater drag queen, or female impersonator as he was known. He appeared on television shows, and would perform as Bette Davis, Joan Crawford, or Barbra Streisand. Here, he plays Miss Peggy Lee and sings Fever.



And thanks for John Waters, the world got to know and love a drag queen named Divine. After appearing in cult classics like Pink Flamingos and Females Troubles, Divine, born Harris Glenn Milstead, scored a career with bravura performances on Hi N-R-G dance songs like You Think You're A Man.



The next in a long line of great drag superstars is our first real supermodel, RuPaul. I remember RuPaul in the 80s, playing around town. I had worked on some corporate gigs with an adorable Randy Barbato, who spoke of this new act he was working with. Later, I would see RuPaul performing in the Village. Randy went on to be a producer on Ru's early projects, including SuperModel (You Better Work). Later, Ru would have another hit with Cover Girl.



Roseanne Barr thinks "Jackie Beat is the greatest drag queen on earth." Who are we to argue? Jackie certainly has her own style, Here is a 2007 video of Jackie with her own very particular take on the Sir-Mix-A-Lot mega-hit, Baby Got Back. Only, with Jackie on the microphone, it is Baby Got Front. This video might not be appropriate for viewing in your office, or with children.



Enjoy your Friday night!

Saturday Night Party with RuPaul

Before there was any Drag Race, before she headed up her own University, RuPaul was the Supermodel of the World and putting out some great music that would fit in the Saturday night festivities for one and all. Take, for instance, Ru's collaboration with Martha Walsh, one of the Weathergilrs, the the magnificent It's Raining Men.



Ru rose to prominence with the fun and enigmatic Supermodel (You Better Work). I have to say that back in the day, I practically wore out my CD. If Ru doesn't celebrate love and fun, I don't know what she could be all about.



And, finally, this video is just so damn fun. This is RuPaul singing Free To Be (Emancipation Remix), and looking damn good doing it!



Have a great Saturday night! For more about RuPaul, check out the Supermodel of the World's official website here.

The Dragulator

I couldn't resist no matter how hard I tried. Good friend David Dust tipped me off on his blog about the Dragulator, and I tried to stay away. But sooner or later, I was bound to give it a shot, and so I did. I figured I would giggle at the results, and at best send it over to David to give him a laugh - like it would end there with a blogger. I even came up with the drag name, Anita Refill. Yarite. The headshot ended up on his blog, and I knew at some point I would be posting something here. Indeed, here it is. Tonight at 9PM EST, RuPaul's Drag Race debut's with season 2 on the LOGO network.

Welcome Back RuPaul's Drag Race

Tonight at 9PM EST on LOGO, RuPaul's Drag Race returns to television with season two of the reality program. I have a fondness for the show, on many levels. For one thing, how can anyone have anything but love for RuPaul? And then there is the fading memory I have that gives me a tie to the show.


Randy Barbato, and Randy with Santino Rice.

Way back when, in the late 80s, I was working in New York City. I had given up working in the theater because I had bills to pay, and that wasn't getting done. I started working with a sound designer I had known, doing corporate gigs as a line producer or whatever was needed. We often worked with Public Relations firms in the city, and at one of those firms I met a young and handsome guy named Randy Barbato. While working on one of the many unmemorable projects I had at that point, I remember Randy and his talking about needing to leave a bit early to go catch a client of his, a drag queen, at an event downtown - I don't know, it might have been Wigstock or something. He would invite some of us to go, but we always seem to be working. Well, I kinda had a crush on Randy, but found out he had a boyfriend, so I just moved on, and really thought he was a great guy. He didn't want to be doing PR, he wanted to direct movies, and we would talk about it. Soon, the project was over, and I we really never worked together again. A few years later, I purchased RuPaul's Supermodel of the World, and I read Randy Barbato listed as one of the Producers. I thought the name rang a bell, and then I remembered sweet, pretty Randy. He has done much since, but has been with RuPaul for a very long time. That is my big connection with the show - a little tenuous, I know, but mine.




Anyway, to welcome RuPaul and company back, I thought I would revisit some of Ru's music videos, which are certainly worth another visit. In 1992, she had her first hit on the charts when Supermodel (You'd Better Work) moved up the Club Play chart to #2 and #45 on the Pop chart.



The 1996 release Foxy Lady also had a hit song, Snapshot. It was #4 on the Club chart, and in the Top 100 on the Pop chart.



In 2004, there was Looking Good, Feeling Gorgeous from the Red Hot album. It secured the #2 spot on the Club chart.



In 2006 RuPaul released a cover of the Depeche Mode song People Are People, from the soundtrack of the movie Zombie Prom



To check out what is coming on season 2 of RuPaul's Drag Race, click here. To find RuPaul's official website, click here.