Pride Celebration • Five Decades of Great Dance Music

Clockwise: Sylvester, Musical notes, Jimmy Somerville, Jason Walker, Sir Ari Gold, and Soft Cell.

As we are coming into the final weekend of Gay Pride Month, I thought I would go out with a mini-celebration or retrospective, how ever you'd like to look at it. I am looking to a few out and proud gay artists who managed to make music that was amazing and exhilarating. These are artists that were an inspiration then, and still inspire me whenever I hear their music. I will start with the brilliant and amazing Sylvester. At a time when America was not as accepting of gays and lesbians, this wonderful black man with a big voice started performing, often taking on an androgynous appearance, and using his strong falsetto to deliver songs like "You Make Me Feel (Mighty Real)", and make them a hit. That particular song made it to the Top 40 in 1978, and became Sylvester's second #1 Dance Hit. Celebrate the season with the great Sylvester singing "You Make Me Feel (Mighty Real)".

Now Sylvester might have owned the 1970s, but the 1980s were really the property of several acts from the UK, many part of the New Wave invasion that brought together parts of Punk, Rock, and Pop, and a great freedom to carve out your own style. Bands like Bronski Beat, Erasure and Culture Club never shied away from standing out, not willing to fall into the preconceived sexual roles. Another of those bands was Soft Cell. The duo were David Ball and Marc Almond, who rich voice gave such depth to every song he sang. They are perhaps best known for their 1981 hit, "Tainted Love". The song was written by Ed Cobb and first recorded by American singer Gloria Jones in 1965. The record didn't chart, but became popular a decade later in British clubs. Soft Cell eventually decided to record it themselves, only to put a new spin on the production. Well, they certainly did, and it became a world-wide hit for them. Check out the music video for Soft Cell's cover of "Tainted Love".

In the early 1980s, he was with the Bronski Beat. Later, he became a part of The Communards, another band who never shied away from their sexuality, and at times poked fun of the conventional thoughts of it. By the time the 1990s rolled around, Jimmy Somerville had launched a solo career, using his distinctive voice and style to make music I found irresistible. I still listen to whatever he puts out, and love it. But in 1995, he released the beautiful album 'Dare To Love', the second in his solo career. It included the song "Heartbeat", co-written by the Glaswegian himself. I loved it then, and still love it today. Enjoy "Heartbeat".

The new millennium saw even more LGBT artists making music that was perfect for the clubs. There was a new movement with Dance/Pop artists tarting to release their own music, allowing the different cities to have their own wonderful sound. New York had several really talented artists in the forefront, with SIRPAUL making some great music, as well as Jason Walker, who was working with renown DJ Junior Vasquez. The time also saw the rise of a talented New Yorker by the name of Ari Gold, writing and producing his own brand of ElectroPop that often seemed ready to the clubs. In 2004, he released his second album, the wonderful 'Space Under Sun'. It wasn't long before "Love Will Take Over" was playing everywhere, from radio to the clubs. The music proved a great follow-up to his self-titled debut, and the great song "Wave of You", the song that first stole my heart. And I continue to love his music, proving some artists remain relevant, and can, in fact, get better with age. Check out the music video for "Love Will Take Over".

And, finally, I want to pick something very current, showing that LGBT artists are still going strong. Of course, I have to admit that other than the late Sylvester, all these artists are still making music. SIRPAUL is making great music, and I featured two singles just this morning. But I decided to feature C-Rod featuring Jason Walker and the single "Beat Don't Stop", a song that continues to be near the top of the Dance charts, months after it was released. The song is infectious, and after listening, stays in my head and keeps me smiling. So have fun watching the music video for "Beat Don't Stop", the song by C-Rod and featuring Jason Walker.

All this music is available where ever music is sold, including iTunes and Amazon. The songs are great reminders of the time, but they are also just fantastic performances that I still like listening to now. So over the last few days of Gay Pride Month, enjoy these gay artists, and think about supporting them and others, to ensure their music continues to be made.

National Coming Out Day

To celebrate National Coming Out Day, I will include a couple of videos from some artists who were out and proud long before it would any publicist thought it was OK or wise. There are several I won't get to post here, but these are four I find particularly big for myself. Sylvester was bold, brassy and bodacious. He hid behind nothing and no one. While I was going through my own struggles, he was singing loud and proud. Here he is singing his 1978 hit, You Make Me Feel (Mighty Real).



Bronski Beat were unabashedly gay, singing songs that were gay-themed when the world would have preferred not to listen. But they did, for who could ignore the amazing voice of Jimmy Somerville? The first time I heard them, they were a revelation. They were a band of gay men, singing about gay things. Listen now as they tell the tale of far too many LGBT Youth in Smalltown Boy.



kd lang had a look that few other women had ever tried. She also has a voice few other could touch. I am sure she oerheard many a people making comments about her, but none could say a thing about her talent. Such a gift. Listen as she sings her hit, Constant Craving.



Erasure is made up of the glorious Andy Bell and the talented Vince Clarke. Together them made some rapturous electronica. Bell never shied away from his gayness, and Clarke was nothing other than an amazing str8 ally. Listen to their beautiful A Little Respect.



These talented performers came out in a time there was no day to celebrate such things. Their honesty and bravery gave me hope things would get better.

Friday Night Party Mix with Sylvester

Sylvester was the Grand Dame of Disco, and few would even try to compete. The bitch could sing, and out drag anyone. She was wicked, gorgeous and talented, and there wasn't anyone who could tell her any differently. She was spectacular at a time when no drag queen (or gay man) was supposed to be.



Sylvester worked with a San Francisco based group called the Cockettes, described as a psychedelic drag troupe, a flamboyant group of hippies. She was part of the group in the early 70s, and usually performed Bessie Smith songs. Soon, Sylvester went out solo, and released the first album in 1973. In 1978, Sylvester released You Make Me Feel (Mighty Real) which was a smash hit.



Do You Wanna Funk followed it with another hit, and was featured in a movie I posted about - Longtime Companion.



Of course, who could miss the double entendre of a drag queen singing about feeling mighty real? How fierce was that! Proving that some talent is just too incredible to be reigned in, here is Sylvester singing about the Dance (Disco Heat).



One song Sylvester often performed was Someone Like You, another great dance song. I couldn't resist this video, as he comes out looking like the image Patty LaBelle put on herself a few years later.



Sylvester left us way too soon. He passed on December 16, 1988, following a battle with AIDS. But she was one drag queen who paved the way for so many to come, like Boy George, Pete Burns, RuPaul and others. And how about the boy songbirds with a falsetto, like Jimmy Sommerville, or even str8 boys like Robin Thicke? Without those 41 years on this planet, who knows what the LGBT landscape would look like. Thank you, Sylvester. I will conclude with Sylvester singing an incredible cover of Stevie Wonder's Living For The City.

Over 300,000 Served!

Sometime over the weekend when I was being distracted by something shiny or whatever, the blog went over 300,000 hits. While I am not one to be overly celebratory, I think this is something I'd really like to acknowledge. So to all my readers, thank you so very much. When I started this blog on June 9, 2009, I had no idea what I was doing, or what, exactly, I was going to blog about, except I wanted to talk about some of my favorite musicians. I was pretty clueless. But evolution did happen, and soon I was posting about the music of my youth, some TV shows I was watching, movies I have seen, and some new artists I found along the way. What came as a big shock to me? People were reading what I had to say, to hear what I was listening to.

My own musical taste is a bit on the eclectic side, and the same could be said for the music on the blog. While I do have a penchant for the acoustic folk music, as can be seen looking through the posts, my music is certainly not limited to any one genre. That has often been the case, as can be seen with my posts about the artists from my youth, which is just as varied, from Barbra Streisand to Led Zeppelin. One of the things I love about the blog is that I feel it has brought together a group of people that also have their own taste, but have all been more than happy to discuss music that interests them, and do it out of love for the music. This positive support for the blog and the music has made it a wonderful experience.

I've also been lucky enough to have been contacted by many of the artists who have appeared on the blog, all very positive. All I can say is that their music has made my life better, and without it, there would be no blog, would there? It has been my pleasure to include as many independent and/or LGBT acts and performers as I could, for they are often left to fend for themselves, and it is really great music that should be heard. They have enriched my life, and I am very grateful they continue to make music or movies that speak to my experience, my life. To all you brave people putting yourselves out there, Thank you.

So, I will celebrate this milestone the only way I know how on the blog, with a music video that sums up my feelings at the moment. For the 300,000 hits on Soundtrack to my Day, I offer you Jimmy Somerville, with a nod to the glorious Sylvester, singing You Make Me Feel (Mighty Real), a perfect statement from my heart right now.

Saturday Night Live at S2MD

Clockwise from Top Left: SIRPAUL, Ari Gold, Andy Bell, and Jimmy Somerville.

It is Saturday night, and I thought I would bring out some of my favorite out performers singing great dance songs live, and showing talent that is hard to deny. The first up is a performance I was there for, that I experienced live and in person myself, and I have to say, I loved every minute of it. This is the glorious and beautiful SIRPAUL singing Music & Me/Physical Attraction at his CD Release party earlier this year.



The music of Ari Gold has been blowing me away for a couple of years. I have not managed to get to a live performance yet, but there is still hope. After all, a chance to see the stunning performer in all his live glory is something that I can't get out of my mind. Here Ari sings Love Will Take Over at a show in the Hamptons. There is both a sweetness and a sexy quality to the performance.



One of my favorite all-time performers is the gifted and brilliant Jimmy Somerville. Whether he was with the Bronski Beat, the Communards, or singing solo, I have loved his music. I last saw Jimmy performing in New York when he was apart of The Communards, but if I got a chance to see him again, I would be there without thinking twice. His voice is every bit as mind-blowing live as it is on record, if you can believe that. This is Jimmy singing You Make Me Feel (Mighty Real).



Andy Bell is the singer for Erasure, where he is paired with Vince Clarke, a man who is no stranger to talented cohorts. Clarke was an original member of Depeche Mode, and left to work with the outrageously talented Alison Moyet. But he has spent most of his career working with Andy, so that must mean something. Bell has a fantastic voice, as can be seen here in a live performance of A Little Respect.



Hope you enjoyed it as much as I did putting it together. I was dancing in front of my computer!

Worth Another Listen - Sylvester

Sylvester was the Grand Dame of Disco, and few would even try to compete. The bitch could sing, and out drag anyone. She was wicked, gorgeous and talented, and there wasn't anyone who could tell her any differently. She was spectacular at a time when no drag queen was supposed to be.



Sylvester worked with a San Francisco based group called the Cockettes, described as a psychedelic drag troupe, a flamboyant group of hippies. She was part of the group in the early 70s, and usually performed Bessie Smith songs. Soon, Sylvester went out solo, and released the first album in 1973. In 1978, Sylvester released You Make Me Feel (Mighty Real) which was a smash hit. Do You Wanna Funk followed it with another hit, and was featured in a movie I posted about - Longtime Companion.



Of course, who could miss the double entendre of a drag queen singing about feeling mighty real? How fierce was that!



Although I was never lucky enough to catch a live performance, they are legend in their greatness. One song Sylvester often performed was You Are My Friend, a ballad. Due to corporate issues, I couldn't find any copy but this one, with a slide show of pictures with the live audio.



Sylvester left us way too soon. He passed on December 16, 1988, following a battle with AIDS. But she was one drag queen who paved the way for so many to come, like Boy George, Pete Burns, RuPaul and others. And how about the boy songbirds with a falsetto, like Jimmy Sommerville, or even str8 boys Robin Thicke? Without those 41 years on this planet, who knows what the LGBT landscape would look like. Thank you, Sylvester.