Tribute to the band Rebecca Riots

The Rebecca Riots were a series of protests in Wales in the 1840’s by local farmers and workers against unfair taxation, and the rioters were often men dressed as women. But for this blog, the Rebecca Riots were a band, and they billed themselves as a “radical folk” trio. Band members Andrea Prichett, Lisa Zeiler and Eve Decker released five CDs between 1995 and 2004, and toured the country, mostly concentrating near their home town of Berkeley, California. On their CDs and in their stage act they dealt with a variety of social causes, like any good “radical folk” act should do.

As I produce a show called Queer Music Heritage, you might expect that I love to honor the work of artists & musicians who did great work, but just did not, in my opinion, get the credit or exposure they deserved. Rebecca Riots fit that description. They did excellent work but as there are only a handful of amateur videos on Youtube I decided to create my own. It covers their recording career, with one song from each CD and ending with a unreleased single from 2008, “A Thousand Hands (Wedding Song 08),” which was a response to California’s Proposition 8.

Click to View Video

They no longer have a dedicated website, but several recent songs can be heard on their MySpace Page, at http://www.myspace.com/rebeccariotsmusic. Some of their releases can be found on such sites as CDbaby and Amazon.

David Kelsey Gay Organ

I spotted that title in an ad for an LP, and its lack of commas made it a bit more enticing...:)

David Kelsey was a very popular entertainer in San Francisco for many years, beginning around the mid-1960’s, billed normally as “David Kelsey at the organ.” I noticed his name in a number of ads in the publication “Vector,” from the early 1970’s, but never thought about him having released recordings of his music until I spotted an LP on eBay. I remembered the name and immediately bought it, but gee, the cover sold itself. Could that LP jacket cover be any more gay?

Digging deeper I found that in addition to his bar appearances, he was Music Director for several well-known revues, such as Charles Pierce at Bimbo’s (1971) and several shows starring San Francisco drag institution Michelle (late 1960’s). His “Flights of Fancy” album was from 1979, and a second album “Top of the Heap” was released in 1983. That one was with a band and was billed as “Dave Kelsey & Pure Trash.”

While our “take” today on organ music may be different, all the comments I’ve read about him on other websites rave about how entertaining he was and the element of showmanship he brought to his performances, often playing an organ and piano at the same time. For example, at one bar the closing song was always “San Francisco,” during which the bartenders always made sure the chandeliers were swaying.

Click to Listen to

Star Trek / Fly Me to the Moon

The Man I Love

♪ ♫♪ ♫♪♪ ♫♪ ♫♪♪ ♫♪ ♫♪

Many more images can be found at
the David Kelsey page of my website

Veronica Klaus CD: Something Cool

And that’s the title of the new CD by Veronica Klaus, her first in seven years, and to me any CD by her is something cool and very special.

I first met Veronica in April of 1999 in NYC, at the GLAMA Awards, where my host Patrick Arena finagled that we be seated at the same table with her. She was a Presenter that year and was nominated in the Female Artist category. [Another future friend, Sonia, received that award]. And it was for Veronica’s debut CD that she earned the nomination. It was called “All I Want,” and that recording made me a devoted fan.

 Patrick and Andy won a GLAMA for their CD "Night Cap"

That CD gave us her signature song, the biographically-inspired “Black Diamond Days,” as it also displayed many of her own gems, along with her exquisite taste in material: “Ruler of My Heart” (Irma Thomas), “Remember Walking in the Sand” (Shangri-Las), “Bye Bye Blackbird,” and many more. It is an album that if I were to lose it, I would replace it immediately.

Click to hear “Black Diamond Days”

In 2005 she gave us “Live at the Lodge,” with more material to wrap your yen for sultry songs around: “Fever,” “Dark End of the Street,” “Way Over Yonder,” and a delicious duet with Mark Weigle on “Angel from Montgomery.” On that one she was returning the favor, as they shared another song, “Jo and Libby,” on Mark’s 2003 CD “Different and the Same.”

Not a lot of people have this next CD, from 2007, as it was only available directly from her. One of her very popular shows in San Francisco was “Family Jewels: The Making of Veronica Klaus,” which was her story in song and dialogue. I wish I could have seen that show, but grateful for a copy of the demo CD from it.

I finally got to see her sing live, in San Francisco, in June of 2010, where I visited for Pride, and she was holding court at Enrico’s.

Update: 6/9/12. So, the new CD is here, and I'm very pleased. I think you will be also.

Find Veronica Klaus:
Veronica Klaus . Net

Facebook Music Page

YouTube Page

Tab Hunter: Okay singer, DAMN good looking

This is sort of a gallery showing of Tab Hunter album and 45 covers. But for details, the bio from Amazon covers nicely his career:

 

Born July 11, 1931 in New York City, Arthur Geilen was raised in California by his mother. While working as a stable boy, he was discovered by James Dean's agent, who snatched him up and christened him Tab Hunter. He made his first movie in 1950 and was soon starring in such films as "Damn Yankees," "Battle Cry," and "The Girl He Left Behind," eventually appearing in over 40 movies. Tab had little singing experience, but with a little coaching he became one of the first "teen idols" of rock music. He scored a #1 hit in 1957 with his very first single, "Young Love," on Dot Records. Hunter recorded for Warner Brothers, drifting towards both traditional pop and smooth country.  Hunter continued working in films and on TV throughout the 60's and 70's, and his career took an upswing in the 1980's when he starred in such campy films as John Waters’ “Polyester,” “Grease 2,” and the horse-opera spoof “Lust in the Dust.”

You can find hundreds of images of Tab Hunter with a google image search, many (gasp) with his shirt off, but I’m focusing here only on his album and 45 rpm covers. (No, I don't own all of these, just the CD and "R.F.D." LP.) Damn, he was nice to look at.

A pretty good CD compilation was released in 2005, with a booklet full of choice pix.

 http://www.tabhunter.com