Camp Records Label

Over the years one of the most popular sections of my site has been the one on the Camp Records label. I title it “The Most Outrageous (and Queerest) Record Label of the 60s,” and it certainly was. Almost nothing is known about the mysterious 60's record label. The Hollywood company released an album and ten 45 rpm records of gay parody songs, most done with effeminate voices. I believe they were issued in the early 60's, as they all appeared in an ad in the gay magazine Vagabond, dated 1965. The artists singing most of the songs were uncredited, or with names obviously made up, like Byrd E. Bath and B. Bubba.

Below, four of the ten 45s

  A second album released on the label was called "Mad About the Boy." It was filled with mostly well-known Broadway and cabaret songs that were originally sung by women. This album kept the pronouns intact, making them very gay. They were done in lounge style, without a campy approach...in other words, done "straight."

 I have a Lot more information about Camp Records 

on my site, and you can hear every song there!

Aaron Bridgers, Jazz Pianist and Partner of Billy Strayhorn

Fans of jazz know Billy Strayhorn as perhaps the genius behind Duke Ellington, and their collaboration lasted almost three decades.  The classics “Take the A Train,” “Lush Life,” Satin Doll,” and others are among the masterpieces of that relationship. Strayhorn seemed content to stay in Ellington’s shadow and perhaps that enabled him to be as openly gay as he was in those times, the 1940’s. 

 

And this is my introduction to another jazz musician, Aaron Bridgers. I admit he attracted my interest because he was lovers with Strayhorn, from around 1939, until 1948, when Bridgers moved to Paris for a music career there. His recordings were not numerous and are quite rare, and it took me around a year to find what is probably his only album as a solo artist. It was released in France in 1950 and includes works by Gershwin, Ellington, and of course Strayhorn. I have set up a special page of my website where you can listen to several of the LP's tracks.

Aaron Bridgers

The first photo at the top is a screen capture from the 

1961 film "Paris Blues," in which he has a small role 

New EP by LP: “Into the Wild - Live At EastWest Studios”

If you’ve had your television on in the last year, then you've heard the song “Into the Wild,” as used extensively in Citibank commercials. You'll recognize it immediately. It was written by Laura Pergolizzi, who just goes by her initials, LP. She attracted a bit of attention as a solo artist in 2004 with her solo CD, “Suburban Sprawl & Alcohol.”

For the last few years her success has mainly been as a writer, and that’s been some terrific success, co-writing “Beautiful People” (Christina Aguilera), “Cheers” (Rihanna), and a number of others. She’s working on a full-length album for later this year, but has just released a live EP, and I think it’s terrific. And, you can stream all of it at her website.

LP Website

Above, 2004 CD; below, studio shot

 

Women's Music Portal on QMH

 

Hey, did you know there's now a sort of Women's Music Portal on the Queer Music Heritage website? 

No, it doesn't look like it might above, on Stargate, or below, on Star Trek...

Instead, it's just a link to a page with this graphic...

This Link

I've been doing QMH for over 12 years and shows relating to "Women's Music" are quite spread out among the over 1700 pages of my website, so I set up an entry page, or index, to the various shows and features to be found.

Todd Alsup

 

And here’s how I discovered the music of Todd Alsup. In the summer of 2009 I was visiting the site of an artist friend of mine, Josh Duffy, as he was performing at a GLBT Expo in NYC, and I went to that event site next, and there was a poster for the Expo on the main page. It included a cute young artist I was not familiar with, so I checked him out, and was glad I did. I contacted him immediately and he sent me his new EP, “Facts & Figures,” and a couple demo CDs of new songs. I played him on my radio show the first chance I had, and one of those demos was the song “How I’m Made.” 

Well, that song is now on his brand new full-length album, just called “Todd Alsup,” and I’m delighted by the entire CD. I loves me some piano-driven music, so this was right down my street, blending pop, rock and a dash of soul. It’s a digital only release, drat, as I like to hold things in my hands. One of the songs, “The Only Thing,” has a remix single available, if you’re into that…hey, whatever finds an audience. Tough to pick just one track to give you, so I picked the opener.

Hear the song “I Feel”

And there are a number of live videos to be found by Todd on YouTube, like the one below, at my favorite NYC venue, Rockwood Music Hall.

Click to View the Video

Visit the Todd Alsup Website

Above, Todd's 2008 EP, and below the new remix single