Yes, "Queer Things" were happening back in the 1950's. My last blog entry told of a song from 1953 by Louis Farrakhan, aka The Charmer, inspired by the sex change operation of Christine Jorgensen. And the song above also mentions Christine. This time it was by the prolific songstress of naughty tunes, Ruth Wallis. Despite virtually no airplay and limited distribution her recordings sold very well, with all those double-entendre lyrics like those of "The Dinghy Song," and "Johnny Had a Yo-Yo." Wallis had much to be admired, like founding her own label in 1952...imagine, doing that in the early '50's.
But my interest is in her "gay" songs, and she was one of the first to touch on the taboo subjects of the time, like homosexuality...but she always did so in a way that was not mean-spirited. Check out "Queer Things."
And,
"He'd Rather Be a Girl"
For more, I recommend the CD release of some of her most popular songs.
And, I've also got a cover version of "Queer Things," done by Rosita Rosano. I know little about her but this was a UK pressing, and she often covered songs by Ruth Wallis.
"I always think of my blushing groom
ReplyDeleteWhenever I see the pansies bloom."
One of my favourite songs, ever - we have several Ruth Wallis albums on vinyl in our collection, all of them classics! Jx