Hanukkah Music by LGBT Artists

 

This may be the first time anyone's done this, but as part of my QMH Holiday Show

 I devoted entire segment (70 minutes) to Hanukkah music by LGBT Artists. 

http://www.queermusicheritage.com/dec2012.html

Part 4 of my QMH Holiday Show

Indigo Girls - Happy Joyous Hanukkah  (2010)

El Vez - The Dreydel Song (2002)

Jill Sobule - Jesus Was a Dreidel Spinner (2000)

Betty - Dreidle Jingle Fiasco (2004)

Captain Smartypants - Dreidel (2007)

Seattle Men's Chorus - My Grandfather Would Say (1997)

Seattle Men's Chorus - Music of Hanukkah (1997)

Debbie Friedman - The Dreidel Song / The Latke Song (2003)

Judith Kate Friedman - Chanukah Tonight (2002)

Schmekel - I'll Be Your Maccabee (2011)

Phranc - Hanukkah Snowman (2006)

Gay Men's Chorus of Los Angeles - Chanukkah in Santa Monica (2011)

Sandra Bernhard - Miracle of Lights (2006)

Women's Chorus of Dallas - Hanukkah Shalom (2003)

North Coast Men's Chorus - Three Hanukkah Songs (2003)

The Klezmatics - Honeyky Hanuka (2006)

Metropolitan Klezmer - Traveling Dreydls (2006)

Chicago Gay Men's Chorus - Hot Hanukkah (2001)

Heartland Men's Chorus - Boogie Woogie Hanukkah (2003)

Therapy Sisters - Abraham's Lament (1998)

Gay Men's Chorus of Houston - Not in Our Town (2006) 

The above album by the late Debbie Friedman is the only one

I found by an LGBT artist devoted entirely to the season.

Supreme Fabulettes

Alas, this song arrived too late to be included in my QMH Christmas Show, and I already posted it on my Facebook page, but I AM NUTS about the video! It is Flawless, and has it all: xmas music, drag queens, a 60's-style arrangement, and, yes, talent. Meet Miss Vicki Vivacious, Miss Maddison Lee and Miss Vanilla Lush, The Supreme Fabulettes. The song "You Ruined My Christmas" was co-written by Boy George, who also co-directed the video.

 

http://www.supremefabulettes.com

Jim Stryker Speaks

Not a music entry this time, but sort of a "spoken word" one, by one of the most popular "models" of physique magazines of the mid-1950's and early 1960's, Jim Stryker. The very amateur "dialogue" (and delivery) was fairly suggestive, considering the times, and I think it was certainly intended for the listener to "read things into" what he says. Stryker was mostly known for photos of him in "Young Physique," "Demi-God," and Champion publications. One interview I've read with one of his photographers said Stryker was bisexual, and that he lost track of him in the 1970's, when Stryker had a wife and family. So, this was a six-minute talking "ad" for his modelling work, probably from the late 1950's...I've not pinned down the "date" for it yet.

Click to Listen

 

Above, January 1962, Demi-Gods

Magazines below from 1960-1962

Wade Murphy - "(All I Want Is a ) DILF for Christmas"

Here's an unusual gay Christmas video I found on YouTube, by Memphis resident Wade Murphy. He has Twitter and Tumbler followers and puts out amusing videos on his YouTube channel. I think this one is quite good, he has a nice singing voice, and....well, the subject matter is quite different. The title is "(All I Want Is a) DILF for Christmas." Okay, I had to google to find out what a D.I.L.F. is...and it's a noble gift idea....:)

Video Channel                  Twitter                  Tumbler

Billy Banks - Oh, Peter, You're So Nice

Billy Banks (1908 - 1967) was an American jazz singer popular from the 1930's through the 1950's, though he is perhaps best known for the folks who at different times happened to be in his bands, like Red Allen, Tommy Dorsey, Pee Wee Russell, Eddie Condon, and more. It's also been reported that he dabbled in female impersonation. But the song that Really caught my attention was the one with man-on-man lyrics, "Oh Peter, You're So Nice," from 1932. Who could resist a guy singing to his, or someone else's peter..:)

Click to Hear "Oh Peter"

Click for Much More on Billy Banks

 Above, sheet music for the song, below CD compilation

Richard Hefner - Girls & Boys

Hey, Y'all....you know, there just are Not enough lyrically gay country songs, so I've got to spread the word about this one. Richard Hefner wrote and sings it, and it's called "Girls and Boys," and not only do I think the song is terrific, and the video, but the reason behind it is as well, with a portion of the proceeds to be donated to organizations benefiting youth at risk. They even did a video behind the video.

Facebook Page 

Amazon Link to MP3 

Rod McKuen Sings about 1960's French Drag Queen Hustlers

The title sums it up as succinctly as I can, though I perhaps took some liberties saying "drag queen hustler." Hustlers who used to wear dresses describe it better. In the 1960's Rod McKuen was one of America's best selling poets, and his LPs of poetry and songs sold millions. A 7-CD very deluxe box set was released in 2006 called "If You Go Away: The RCA Years 1965 - 1968," and if you have around $200 it can be yours.

But I'm not hawking CDs, I'm writing about one very unusual previously unreleased demo track the box set contained. It was called "The Money Boys of Cannes" and  was written by McKuen, and he and Glen Yarborough recorded it, in 1966. It's been quite unusual for McKuen to address in song the subject of being gay at all, not to mention those gay hustler boys.

Click to hear "The Money Boys of Cannes"

A friend sent me this track today, and by a bit of serendipity I had just this week received a magazine I had purchased with an article about that very same thing: "Les Boys of Paris" with the subtitle "The Sodom of the Seine is the New Playland of the Gay, Gay Set."

The article is quite biased, implying that the female impersonators of Madame Arthur's and Le Carrousel were hustlers instead of the professional entertainers they were, but that didn't make good copy in 1957.

 

Article found in "She," a pocket magazine (4"x6") from December 1957

 

 

The article mentions the famous Paris clubs, Madame Arthur's and 

Le Carrousel, and I have extensive sections on them on my website.

Madame Arthur's                        Le Carrousel

Neat...the French site YAGG picked up this entry