Cheyenne Jackson's a Free Man

Ok, boys, be on the look-out because Cheyenne Jackson is now a gay divorcee! The downside to gay marriage. (Hope things don't get too messy for him.)

Reports Playbill.com, for all you theater queens:

"Stage and television actor Cheyenne Jackson, who was last seen on Broadway in The Performers, has separated from his husband Monte Lapka, Jackson's representatives confirmed to Playbill.com.

A statement from his representatives reads, 'Cheyenne Jackson and his husband Monte Lapka have mutually decided to divorce. The couple have been together for 13 years and were married in NY State two years ago. It is an amicable parting and, understandably, a private matter.'

"Jackson, who has also been seen on television in "Glee" and on Broadway in Finian's Rainbow, Xanadu, All Shook Up, Thoroughly Modern Millie and Aida, was married to Lapka in September 2011 in the Hamptons.

"Lapka is a physicist. The couple had been together for 13 years."

I'm awash in crocodile tears. And, yet, there's a happy dividend to all this, isn't there, gentlemen, for all us single guys out here?

Jackson just released a new album, I'm Blue Skies.

Women and Hip Hop Part 3

For the third part of her fantastic Women and Hip Hop series, Lauren LoDo Surratt interviews Toronto MC Lex Leosis and mc, educator, author, and avid Hip Hop Ed contributor Charity Clay.

Women discuss women and the world of hip hop.  You'll want to check out what they have to say.

Here's the link:

http://www.ashytojazzy.com/thewritersblock/2013/7/26/women-and-hip-hop-part-3-major-labels-major-control

Madonna's First Album: Now 30 Years Old

Madonna has maintained her dominance in pop/dance music now for three decades! Which is an astounding success for any artist. She is, as I have pronounced previously, the Joan Crawford of Disco, reinventing herself for longevity in a youth-crazy culture.

"Queen of Pop is a term that is thrown around loosely nowadays with this latest bumper crop of female singers. The artist who first inserted that honor into the music vernacular, Madonna, undoubtedly still wears that crown proudly," wrote the UK's Examiner. 

Released July 27, 1983, the self-titled "Madonna" album "debuted at No. 190 on the Billboard 200 chart dated Sept. 3, 1983, and eventually climbed all the way No. 8 the following year. The Sire/Warner Bros. Records release spent a staggering 168 weeks on the chart -- the longest run of any Madonna album," according to Billboard. "It spun off three top 20 hit singles on the Billboard Hot 100 chart and four entries on Billboard's Dance/Club Play Songs tally."

"Everybody" was the first single that was released from this eight-track album, and it became an immediate sensation. "Holiday," "Burning Up," "Borderline," "Physical Attraction," "Lucky Star," the Madonna album launched many hits and turned the vocalist into a multi-media star who dominated MTV at one time, and into a savvy businesswoman and entrepreneur as well. She became an industry as well as a legend.

Madonna has also co-opted other female artists' images to suit own, most notably Debbie Harry and Cyndi Lauper. Said Ms Harry in an interview today with UK's The Sun: At one of my lowest points, Madonna started her career and everyone said she stepped into my shoes. I was kind of shocked and not very happy in the long run. But she has been complimentary over the years. That compensates."

Madonna's feuded publicly with many other divas, including Janet Jackson, Mariah Carey and Lady GaGa. Still, she was a major inspiration for many female pop artists and remains so today.

The Madonna album was produced by her then-lover at the time, Jellybean Benitez.  Asked by Dick Clark, on American Bandstand,  where she sang "Holiday" from the debut album, what she considered her goal to be, Madonna snapped: "To rule the world."

She's nearly succeeded.

Billboard Beefs Up

Finally, there's some hope on Billboard's dance-music horizon now that "A Woman's World" by Cher is in the #2 position for the club chart ending August 3. It's poised to top the chart next week.

The always remarkable Inaya Day and Dj Escape's "Make Some Noise," is a true floor-filler, up at 6th place this week, while Jennifer Lopez's "Live It Up" is down at #8. The JLo tune peaked in first place, and was at #5 last outing. Fading but still strong.

Ciara's "Body Party," also a previous #1 (last week, in fact), steeply fell to 11th place but it was nice to find the girl charting for the dancefloors again.

"Need You Now" by Christian Contemporary singer, Plumb (nee Tiffany Arbuckle Lee), features strong remixes by RedTop, WaWa and Dave Aude. It's upwardly mobile on the dance/club chart at #15, as is venerable Depeche Mode's "Save My Soul," now in the current 16th spot.

Kylie Minogue works her "Skirt" into the 17th spot, and she's always a welcome presence on the gay club scene, this being no exception.  In the 18th spot, we have Anton Clamaran's "This Is My Goodbye" featuring diva Fenja. It's a pop-friendly high-NRG, trancey number that will seduce you to the dancefloor. Unfortunately, it peaked on Billboard at #13 last week, so it's falling now. Still, it's recommended. (Radio edit posted below.)

Dance/ Soul music idol Chaka Khan's "It's Not Over" truly deserved to be a #1. It peaked at a respectable #7 and is now at  #20.

And "Vocal" by Pet Shop Boys just cracks the Top 25 this week in the 25th spot, but moving up for sure.

Meanwhile, bubbling up in the Top 50, Lady Bunny gets even higher (#43) with the fabulous, ascending "Take Me Up High." New, 2013 remixes of Yoko Ono's "Walking on Thin Ice" (#47) and Sylvester's perennial disco classic and gay anthem, "(You Make Me Feel) Mighty Real," is at #50, rounding out the chart.

Don't Boycott Stoli, Please

In light of current human rights abuses against the LGBT community in Russia, Stolichnaya vodka wants us to know: Don't stop drinking our product!

Writes RIA Novosti: Stolichnaya, one of the most popular vodkas in the United States, came out swinging at the Russian government Thursday with a message of support for the Lesbian Gay Bisexual Transgender (LGBT) community worldwide.

“Stolichnaya Premium Vodka stands strong & proud with the global LGBT community against the actions and beliefs of the Russian government,” the company said on its Facebook page.

Val Mendeleev, Stolichnaya’s chief executive office, issued an open letter to the LGBT community on Thursday, in which he said the “recent dreadful actions taken by the Russian Government limiting the rights of the LGBT community and the passionate reaction of the community” had prompted the letter.

Mendeleev said Stoli was “upset and angry,” and “has always been, and continues to be a fervent supporter and friend to the LGBT community.”
 
He listed a number of programs and campaigns Stoli has launched in support of the LGBT community, and appeared to be backing away from the company’s long-established connection to Russia.

“The Russian government has no ownership interest or control over the Stoli brand that is privately owned by SPI Group, headquartered in Luxembourg in the heart of Western Europe,” he wrote, adding, “Stoli’s production process involves both Russia and Latvia. Stoli is made from Russian ingredients (wheat, rye and raw alcohol) blended with pure artesian well water at our historic distillery and bottling facility in Riga, Latvia.”

Stolichnaya has long been listed among the top-selling vodkas in the United States.

And Stoli has long targeted its gay clientele through openly gay-oriented ads.

So, it's all right, sweetie dahlings. Get your Stoli in whatever flavor, with whatever mixer and enjoy! Frankly, it's fabulous.

In further news from Russia, however, four Dutch tourists shooting a film about gay rights in Russia were arrested earlier this month outside the northern city of Murmansk, the first foreigners to be detained under the new law.  Meanwhile, actress Tilda Swinton gets into the act:

 The struggle continues.

Dueling Divas: La La Lashes Out! (At Darlene Love. Again.)

La La, Darlene & Cousin Brucie during happier days

Last summer, I documented the ongoing feud between girl-group divas La La Brooks and Darlene Love. http://djbuddybeaverhausen.blogspot.com/2012/07/la-la-brooks-vs-darlene-love.html
http://djbuddybeaverhausen.blogspot.com/2012/08/what-ever-happened-to-la-la-brooks.html

As the documentary, 20 Feet from Stardom, opens wider in cinemas across the USA, with a real possibility of being Oscar-nominated next year, Darlene Love continues to promote the film on tv talk shows and in the press. This, it seems, has invoked a renewed indignant frenzy from La La.

Fasten your seatbelts, she warned her Facebook fans today, paraphrasing Bette Davis in All About Eve. This is going to be a bumpy ride.

I just went to see the movie "20 Feet from Stardom," a documentary about background singers, which Darlene Love claims to be HER movie, when in fact, it's about and features background singers in general, including Merry Clayton and Lisa Fisher. I should mention that the latter two singers blew me away with their extraordinary talent. [Ahem! -- Buddy B] http://djbuddybeaverhausen.blogspot.com/2013/06/audio-beaverhausen-20-feet-from-stardom.html

Toward the beginning of the film, there is a scene where Darlene Love and the other two members of her group, The Blossoms reunite to sing an impromptu version of "Da Doo Ron Ron." At that point, I knew where things were going.

There is a scene where you see The Crystals performing "He's A Rebel." While this is being shown, Darlene is discussing her drama of how she had been shortchanged to the point where her career really didn't begin until she was 40 years old. She blames The Crystals for being partially responsible for this (which is a lie, by the way). She gives the impression that by that record (and "He's Sure the Boy I Love) having been released under The Crystals' name, she was shortchanged out of a career. If it weren't for The Crystals' name which Phil had substituted for her own name, Darlene's career would not have been launched.

Darlene forgets that she was nowhere in sight at the time. We were an established professional group who had had records released (with Barbara on lead vocals). We had traveled extensively both domestically and internationally. In fact, we first heard Darlene sing as we were traveling on the road to a gig. That's when we heard "He's A Rebel" which was announced as being recorded by The Crystals. We were all in our teens at the time and I was the youngest. We got our manager on the phone to learn what was happening. He said that we'd have to learn the song and do it in our shows as it was released as a Crystals record.

Around the same time, the famous DJ Murray the K announced on the radio that it was not The Crystals who were singing on "He's A Rebel" which added to the confusion. We were angrier than Darlene could ever have been as we were already a professional group and vocally, we did not require a Darlene Love--or anyone else--to make us famous. We already were famous. Darlene was a housewife at home raising children and also cleaning houses for others.

The Crystals had nothing to do with stopping Darlene Love. Why didn't she travel with her group "Bob B. Soxx & The Bluejeans" with whom she had a hit with "Zip-A-Dee-Doo-Dah?" We were on tour and were told that Bob B. Soxx & The Bluejeans would be joining us. I was happy as I thought I would get to see Darlene, whose voice I always liked. Then I saw Bobby Sheen appear with two other girls. I asked him about where Darlene was. He explained that she was married and living at home, raising children, so he had to bring a substitute for her. So that's the group she could have joined in order to launch her career.

Everything you hear from Darlene regarding and against The Crystals is a blatant lie. On some of her radio interviews, she jokes that if it weren't for her, The Crystals would not be working. If that isn't a joke!

Returning the the new movie, Darlene sings "Da Doo Ron Ron" at the beginning of the film and later shows The Crystals lip synching to "He's A Rebel" to suggest that Darlene had been the voice behind all of The Crystals' records, which could cause people who don't know the truth, to think that that The Crystals didn't sing anything on their own.

My manager and myself were able to discuss this with Morgan Neville, the director of the film. He knew who La La Brooks was and that I had recorded "Da Doo Ron Ron." When we explained everything to him, he sadly expressed regret that he had used the footage of Darlene and the reunited Blossoms singing that song. He explained that he had simply asked them to sing anything and Darlene chose "Da Doo Ron Ron." In retrospect, he wished that they would have sung a gospel song instead; it would have been a lot cheaper, considering the money it had cost to license the Phil Spector song.

At the end of the day, I must say that I admire the great background singers and respect them wholeheartedly because they spoke the truth about their lives. If Darlene would one day come forward and also tell the truth and express how she had to ride on my back to gain success, then she would gain my respect.

I would love for you guys to share this post as far and as wide as possible. Quoting from Humphrey Bogart's line in "Casablanca," "OF ALL THE GIN JOINTS IN ALL THE TOWNS IN ALL THE WORLD, SHE WALKS INTO MINE."

Ouch! Fasten your seatbelts indeed, referencing both All About Eve AND Casablanca! Our Ms Brooks signs off on her vitriolic Facebook post with -- get this! -- "Love you all,  La La"   

By the way, La La has a new single out on Norton Records, vinyl 45 rpm. It's a cover of The Rolling Stones' "Play with Fire." Should be fierce.

 

Splash: Good to the Last Drop

Another landmark Chelsea gay club closes it doors, sadly, on August 10. It seems I just reported on the closing of the equally iconic Rawhide bar. http://djbuddybeaverhausen.blogspot.com/2013/03/pack-it-up-pack-it-in-rawhide.html

Such memories of swirling and twirling on Splash's dance floor with friends! My late dj pal, Louis Morhaim (who owned and operated the vinyl/cd dance-music store, Heartbeat, in Greenwich Village) played there & invited me into the dj booth to show me how he had to pee in an empty bottle of spring water so as not to leave during his set.

The front bar has played Dj Buddy's promo-only cds, I'm proud to say.

And, God, I saw the late, legendary Loleatta Holloway there, live! Linda Clifford! Martha Wash! Cyndi Lauper! Kylie Minogue! Gloria Estefan! Amongst so many more.

The first economized, more intimate disco in gay Manhattan, it was the 1991 answer to the older, outmoded superclubs like The Saint and Studio 54. Still, it was a nice, two-floor set-up that was fun and easy to traverse. For a while, there was a tiny booth that sold Splash merchandise, including cds I would routinely purchase.

Might Splash open at another locale? The note written above suggests it might. But, in his interview with the current issue of Next, the owner seems to want to divorce himself from it.

A friend told me that he recently went to the club's well-established Musical Mondays at the downstairs bar. That has always been a popular get-together to watch videos of clips from musical movies and from the stage.

I passed the club tonight and it was festooned outside with blue balloons.

We'll miss you, Splash!

Video Beaverhausen: Dusty Springfield ~ Once Upon a Time

The words "diva" and "icon" are completely apt for the late and legendary Dusty Springfield.  The other day, in Barnes & Noble, I was on a mission to find a film on dvd when, from the corner of my eye, I spotted the dvd Dusty Springfield: Once Upon a Time 1964-1969, part of Voyage Digital Media's "British Invasion" series (even though Ms Springfield's success pre-dates the popl British Invasion). I had to have it!

This is an amazing video with 20 complete performances strung together by newly discovered archival interviews, plus talking heads Burt Bacharach, Madeline Bell and Simon Bell. Released in 2010, it contains a bonus of the performances without the interviews but with four songs added. And the dvd and blu-ray come with a 24-page book of liner notes and rare images.

Included on the video are Dusty's performances of classics like "I Only Want to Be With You," "Stay Awhile," "Wishin' and Hopin'," "I Just Don't Know What to Do with Myself," "The Look of Love," "Son of a Preacher Man" and covers of "Mockingbird" and "Dancing in the Streets," and many others.

Outstanding job of remastering as most of the images are pristine and flawless, as is the sound quality.

It was such a pleasure, in June, to talk with producer Bob Esty about his work with Dusty. http://djbuddybeaverhausen.blogspot.com/2013/06/bob-esty-interview-part-4-dusty-lesley.html  And to have virtually revisited Dusty in the off-Broadway Forever Dusty last fall, with a marvelous Kirsten Holly Smith as Dusty. http://djbuddybeaverhausen.blogspot.com/2012/11/forever-dusty-dj-buddy-beaverhausen-off.html  I hear a new Dusty musical is coming to the West End.

This video is highly recommended by Dj Buddy B to Dusty and girl-group fans, and available at Amazon.com.

Below, Dusty & Burt & "Wishin'" video that's part of Once Upon a Time:

Video Beaverhausen: Little Shop of Triffids

Janette Scott encounters a triffid

Botanophobia is the clinical term for fear of plant life and I think that's one of my issues though admittedly, perhaps, not one of the most pressing. How else can I explain my fascination with Little Shop of Horrors and Day of the Triffids? As Phyllis Diller once said, "Of course I hate nature. Look what it did to me!" And Fran Lebowitz once wrote, "Now, nature, as I am only too aware, has her enthusiasts, but on the whole, I am not to be counted among them. To put it bluntly, I am not the type who wants to go back to the land; I am the type who wants to go back to the hotel." 

Botanophobes unite! Here are two videos I highly recommend for you.

The 1962 Day of the Triffids (the first and best version in my humble opinion. There were two tv mini-series (1981 and 2009 (with Joely Richardson, Vanessa Redgrave and Eddie Izzard)).  But they didn't match the craft of the 1962 screenplay that focuses on the human drama of the tale by author John Wyndham before it develops into the struggle between humans and venomous alien vegetation.

In 1951, one of the earliest creatures-from-outer-space films, The Thing from Another World, the alien looked human but with a huge forehead like Rihanna. But it turned out to be a vegetable, people, and was convincingly portrayed by James Arness.

The latest dvd release of Day of the Triffids is digitally remastered and, thankfully, in letterbox but on the unfortunately titled "Cheezy Flicks" label.

The film's storyline officially starts, during a meteor shower that blinds most of Earth's population, at London's Royal Botanical Gardens. A lone security guard sits to have his meal in a greenhouse where the somewhat phallic-looking triffids have taken root. It isn't long before he becomes a meal himself, irony of ironies.

Howard Keel stars in this movie. The actor/singer, best known for MGM musicals like Kiss Me Kate, 7 Brides for 7 Brothers and Calamity Jane, was reinvented as a stalwart action star in this film.  It served him well. He ended up as Clayton Farlow on the tv series, Dallas.

Keel's character is recovering from eye surgery and, removing his bandages, finds himself in a city of the blind. The epic scenes of his going through London amid the desperate, groping blinded are credible and dramatic. He eventually hooks up with a little girl and French beauty, Nicole Maurey before the triffid battles begin.


The film, though, has a second, parallel storyline. Janette Scott and Kieron Moore are a couple living in an island lighthouse. They have marital problems, mainly Moore's drinking problem. (Kieron Moore is so hot in this movie, I wouldn't mind spending time in a lighthouse with him -- and bring out the booze, big daddy!)

Solid script, expert acting, convincing human drama and action-packed! What's not to love?

In The Rocky Horror Picture Show theme song, "Science Fiction Double Feature," there's a famous line about Janette Scott and her triffids. I posted below:

Ellen Greene pulls a Janette Scott

The opening narrator's voice from Triffids and even the astral background is knowingly parodied in the prelude to Little Shop of Horrors, the 1986 Frank Oz musical. This is the go-to musical for botanophobes. You'll never look at a Brussels sprout the same way.

So many now-classic musical numbers in this film: the '60s girl-group Greek chorus (Ronette, Crystal and Chiffon) in the giddy, opening title song; the tragicomic and powerful, "Skid Row" (a wonder of choreography and editing; if there was such a thing as musical socialist surrealism, this would be it); "Somewhere That's Green" (both hilarious and heartbreaking) and "Mean Green Muthah from Outer Space" (sung by Levi Stubbs, voice of Audrey II). Performances by the entire cast (including Steve Martin) are uniformly outstanding, even iconic.

I originally saw the musical, based on the 1960 film of the same name, onstage at the Orpheum Theater in the East Village. I was immediately struck by the cutting-edge songs by Alan Menken and the late Howard Ashman (before they wrote scores for Disney). It ended with the vegetation triumphant, devouring the protagonists and attacking the front row to the closing tune of "Finale Ultimo (Don't Feed the Plants)."

Watching the recently released DVD/Blu-Ray director's cut of Little Shop, I was quite amazed and, as a botanophobe, gleefully horrified by the elaborate vegetables-on-a-rampage finale in the film. The monsters even destroy a movie theater featuring Jason and the Argonauts. A full-out '60s sci-fi parody with low-tech but extravagant special effects, it is far superior to the tame, "happy" ending imposed by the studio (requiring re-shooting). The closing number is also restored in this sequence.

Botanophobe nightmare

There is a moral, my friends, to both movies that Buddy Beaverhausen wishes to impart upon you before I sign off. And the moral to my meanderings is, simply: eat your vegetables! Before they eat you.

Ah, the secret life of plants!

Pre-"Drag Race" with Lady Bunny

I thought the warm-up for RuPaul's "Drag Race" tv series, linked below, is hilarious.

Go, Bunny!

Colton Ford: New Video

The new single from Colton Ford's new album (available on iTunes as a download). "All My Love" is a sexy promo video.

I knew we were in good hands by the director as soon as I saw bedsheets! Sweet dreams.

What's Love Got to Do with Tina Turner?

Pop music legend Tina Turner decided to throw in the towel and marry her beau of 27 years, Erwin Bach. After being married to Ike, I can understand her desire for a long engagement. She wouldn't want to end up with another guy who's going force her to eat pound cake. (Actually, I might like that in a man!) Or just be tied down to your typical male!

Groom-to-be Bach once declared, regarding his relationship with the Queen of Rock, "We don't need a marriage to be together. Some people need that security thing, but I think if you're internally happy with your partner, you don't need symbols." They may now need cymbals, however, as I understand it's to be a Buddhist celebration at their home on the banks of Lake Zurich, on Sunday. I wonder if this means Tina's pregnant! Or if they just thought they'd rake in a lot of great gifts! (You can never have too many toasters, coffee pots or -- the wedding being in Switzerland -- fondue sets, in my humble opinion.)

Erwin Bach is a German record exec. He and Ms Turner met in London at a record label party. Isn't that all rock'n'roll romantic? All art and industry and love? All international glam? It so beats meeting on Craig's List.

Tina is 73 and Bach 57. It's a bitch when shacking up with a 57-year-old is considered robbing the cradle, I imagine. But you can't always be proud, Marys, take it from me. Good for Tina, I say!

I wonder if the bride will sing "Let's Stay Together" at her wedding ceremony, or if it will be just a lot of  Buddhist chanting passed off as entertainment along with the salmon, Swiss cheese and Wasa crackers? In any case, I wish Tina simply The Best! She's earned and deserves her happiness.

So, it's Bach to the future for Tina Turner (nee Anna Mae Bullock). Tina, baby, I Think It's Gonna Work Out Fine!

Revisting The Weather Girls' "Success"

"Success! What does it mean/ When you can't find the right Marine?"  The Weather Girls' "Success" is one of the most camp, fabulously theatrical, deliciously over-the-top and cleverly tongue-in-cheek disco songs ever recorded. It's the opening number for the classic album of the same name, recently re-mastered and re-released, on cd, on the UK's Cherry Pop label. (They also recently reissued albums by Viola Wills and Divine, among other classic dance-music artists, as well.)

Martha Wash and Izora Armstead were first known as Two Tons o' Fun when they were Sylvester's back-up girls, starting in 1977, prominently featured in "Dance (Disco Heat)". They went on, under that group name, to have their own club hits with "Earth Can Be Just Like Heaven" and "I Got the Feeling."

In 1982, they had a smash international pop and club hit with "It's Raining Men." The success of that single led to the album, Success. Other songs on it included the food = love tune, "Hungry for Love" (Oh, admit it! You've been there!); the gospel-influenced "Hope" (the only song on the album with a straight face, so to speak); the Christmas classic, "Dear Santa (Bring Me a Man for Christmas)" and the cleverly disco-fied "I'm Gonna Wash That Man Right Outta My Hair" from the Rogers & Hammerstein musical, South Pacific. I wonder what Mary Martin and Mitzi Gaynor thought of that! (Ironically,  Dj Buddy B kissed both Martha Wash and Mitzi: http://djbuddybeaverhausen.blogspot.com/2010/05/i-kissed-mitzi-gaynor.html
http://djbuddybeaverhausen.blogspot.com/2012/08/martha-wash-at-bb-kings-nyc.html ).

All other songs on Success written by Bob Esty, Paul Jabara and/or Paul Shaffer.

The Cherry Pop release includes multiple bonus tracks. The 12" Larger Than Life remix of "Success" is too tame in my opinion, stripping the original production of its brassy bravado. 12'" version and instrumental version of "Raining Men," 12" of "Outta My Hair," instrumental of both "Santa" and "Raining Men" and a mix of the last mentioned two songs complete the selection of this collection.

In my recent interview with Bob Esty (in four parts), he talks about the making of Success and The Weather Girls, and more. Don't miss this revealing interview via this link: http://djbuddybeaverhausen.blogspot.com/2013/06/bob-esty-part-3-martha-wash-and-raquel.html

Video of The Weather Girls performing "Success" at The Hippodrome:

Dj Buddy B Goes Electric with the Pet Shop Boys

The Pet Shop Boys' latest album, Electric, is surely something they could do in their sleep at this point of their career. Nonetheless, it is not to be ignored and should appeal to contemporary clubgoers and dance fans despite -- or, perhaps, partly because of -- its distinctly '80s flavor. The album will be available in the USA on July 16. It is the first album released on their own label and it's produced by Stuart Price.

Electric opens with the largely instrumental, "Axis," already a Billboard charter as is the ultimate number, "Vocal."  The latter is a very hiNRG dance tune that should infuse everyone with the desire to shake his/her moneymaker.

Bruce Springsteen's anti-war "Inside a Dream" gets a clever disco makeover. "Bolshy" and "Love Is a Bourgeois Construct" seem to refer to a gay love affair in Russia, very timely regarding the release date of this album. "Bourgeoise" has a very strong male chorus in the background with a distinct Russian echo to it.

Only the number "Shouting in the Evening" was too cacophonous for me. (What were they thinking when they arranged this? Appealing to a heavy industrial techno crowd? Do they still exist?!) "Thursday," the penultimate track, is classic PSB, but with a nice tweak via a brief interlude by rapper, Example. Would make a fine single with remixes.

All in all, a successful outing but don't expect anything revolutionary. The Pet Shop Boys have had a winning musical formula with few variations for over 30 years. And it still serves them well.

There were a couple of other hot dance tunes I enjoyed on promos this weekend: Deborah Cox's "Higher," featuring Paige, is a solid number for the diva who performed it as part of her act on the NYC Pier Dance last month.  Wrapped in an electro arrangement of drums and a swirl of keyboards, her vocals burnish through to make this a summer hit. You can hear it below.

And Mariah's back with another dancefloor tune for her fans. Suitably Latin but to an upbeat House production in the fabulous Big Kid and Brian Cua remix, which is the way to go on this one. The song is called "Almost Home" and it's a winner.

"Women & Hip-Hop" by Lauren LoDo Surratt (A to J Productions)

I wanted to present to you a well-written & well thought-out couple of essays on women and hip-hop by Lauren "LoDo" Surratt. She happens to be my second cousin, daughter of my cousin Walter and his wife, Sue. Lauren has formed A to J Productions with her husband, Tristan. You might recall Tristan as my first guest blogger, The Engin33r.

After reading these companion articles, please check out their website for A to J Productions, which you can do at either link.

Enjoy!

By the way, Missy Elliott sings, too. See video at end.

Part 1:

http://www.ashytojazzy.com/thespotlight/2013/5/5/dear-hip-hop-what-have-you-done-with-all-the-women

Part 2:
http://www.ashytojazzy.com/thewritersblock/2013/7/14/women-and-hip-hop-part-2-the-balance-in-hip-hop

Remix of "Gossip People":

Russia: Sexcrime

Looking over my audience stats for today, I would say virulent anti-LGBT discrimination in Russia has dampened my blog's viewership in that country, as Russia is normally in my daily Top 5 in terms of where my global readership originates. Nonetheless, views from Ukraine still remain strong.

To my gay readers in Russia and the territories under its rule, the international community is with you. We support you and share your struggle. Protests are being mounted, like the boycott of the 2014 Winter Olympics. I'm certain diplomatic efforts are going to be made. This will not stand.

Despite civil rights gains in the USA, the LGBT community remains under attack by haters. Our united fight against inequality, hatred and suppression continues.

To all my brothers and sisters in Russia, my comrades, remain strong and know the international gay community is involved in your struggle. Our struggle is one and united we are strong. Love and lifestyle are not sexcrimes, even when a despot declares it so.

Dance; it's hopeful; it's evolutionary and revolutionary.

Getting Higher with Lady Bunny

Drag icon Lady Bunny, whose appearance is inspired by Dusty Springfield, has been around since gay pre-history. I think I recall seeing her pass me by while we were riding our disco dinosaurs. She organized NYC's Wigstock in 1985, an event that lasted 20 years (and deserves to be brought back). It was pretty much a victim of its own success.

Bunny is truly a drag legend, out of Atlanta, starting her career there along with RuPaul and Larry Tee. She was in the movie, To Wong Foo, Thanks for Everything! Julie Newmar.  She is a star!

I loved her dj work as she often spun dance music close to my own heart. I often danced to her appearances at New York City's LGBT Center. (http://www.gaycenter.org/)

I've also been a big fan of her dance cd singles; her covers of "Shame, Shame, Shame" and, especially, "The Pussycat Song" were marvelous. ("Pussycat" video posted below.)

But now, she returns with a new, original number that puts some adrenaline back in dance music, "Take Me Up High." The Lybra Records release will feature remixes by Subgroover, Wayne Numan, Timmy Loop, Sweet Team, Edwin Reyes, True2life, Tocco, Edson Pride, Klubjumpers and Julian Marsh.

It is #1 this week on Billboard's Dance/Club Breakouts chart and has cracked the bottom of the  official Dance/Club chart. Let's see how high she can take it! Hop to it, Bunny!

Hear the sample:



2013 version of "Pussycat Song" as a country number:

Russia: Dance Your Pain Away with Dj Buddy Beaverhausen

"This is not a good time for gays in Georgia, Ukraine, Russia or — presumably — other parts of the former Soviet Union," said the Dallas Voice today. "The glasnost, or openness, that was supposed to come with the breakup of the megastate has faded on many fronts. Not the least of them is the freedom for which LGBT people had hoped and planned."

I am concerned for many of my readers in those countries, and wish them the best through these dark and troubling times. Remember, you have support globally, my friends!

AmericBlog stated: "Vladimir Putin’s Russia continues its decline into third world dictatorship and despotism today with the passage of legislation in the lower house (the State Duma) which bans the public display of anything pro-gay, including words.

"The law would also permit the government to jail foreign visitors for up to two weeks before throwing them out of the country." Jail! Isn't deportation enough already?!

Well, now, Mother Russia's a Mutha Fucka! And isn't this a violation of human rights? International law? The timing of this homophobic persecution, of course, came shortly after the US Supreme Court's historic decision on gay marriage. Holy hysteria, Batman!

So, kindly cancel my vacation plans to visit Vladivostok for the time being. I shall boycott Beluga! So long, Stoli! Down with Putin and up with pettin'!

If short-term memory serves me (doesn't always), I think Russia recently sued Lady Gaga and Madonna for making pro-gay statements. THAT is the last straw!

Even domestically in the States, the dark forces gather to oppose the Supremes' decision. Indiana just passed a law. On July 1 of next year, same-sex couples applying for a marriage license in that state will have  committed a felony punishable by 18 months in prison and a $10,000 fine. (Hey, Texas Senate was confiscating women's Tampons today! Bloody hell! ps: handguns are permitted. Cancel my plans to visit that state! (Oh, wait, I had none!))

But we shall overcome, my friends.

I offer my readers this song. We are one! And we will be victorious in our civil rights struggle. As for right now: Dance Your Pain Away with this hot 7th Heaven remix of the new Agnetha Faltskog song posted below.

Love you all! Peace, Love, Happiness, Justice, let's work for a Better Tomorrow and -- most of all -- hold on to your Pride!

Vito Russo & Neil Tennant: Happy Birthday to Two Gay Icons

Today happens to be the birthday of two of my favorite out, gay icons: the late Vito Russo, film historian, author, LGBT activist and co-founder of GLAAD (Gay and Lesbian Alliance Against Defamation) best known for his landmark book about the representation of gay men and women in film, "The Celluloid Closet." And Neil Tennant of the Pet Shop Boys!

Russo developed material for "Closet" following screenings of films shown as fundraisers for the 1970s organization, Gay Activists Alliance. He died of AIDS-related complications in 1990.

I very highly recommend the book and, also, the film documentary (1995) based on it. Talking heads in the movie include Lily Tomlin, Shirley MacLaine, Whoopi Goldberg, Susan Sarandon and Tom Hanks. Fabulous film clips! http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0112651/

Neil Tennant formed Pet Shop Boys with band mate Chris Lowe. Their first smash hit was "West End Girls" (1984) and, for three decades, they have remained successful and relevant in the realms of pop, dance-music and electronica, their singles and albums continually charting on both radio and club charts.  I've always considered this erudite neo-disco gentleman, Neil, a hottie as well (http://djbuddybeaverhausen.blogspot.com/2012/02/my-top-five-most-fabulous-men.html).

The Pet Shop Boys' new dance album, Electric, will be released in the US, on July 16, on their new label, Kobalt.

So, Happy Birthday, Neil! Happy Birthday, Vito! Both your cultural contributions will never be forgotten.

Below, the Pet Shop Boys' new single off the Electric album. Maybe not much on lyrics (the Boys are usually verbose) but get ready to dance again!

Guest Blogger Kevin Scott Hall: Cyndi Lauper

Author (Off the Charts), columnist, critic for Edge NY, Bistro Awards Committee Member and friend, Kevin Scott Hall has graciously written this column. He is my second guest columnist. My first guest was The Engin33r back in May. (http://djbuddybeaverhausen.blogspot.com/2013/05/the-engineer33r-my-first-guest-blogger.html) Many thanks, Kevin! (And Tristan, aka Engin33r!)

It's been a blockbuster year for Cyndi Lauper, having won the Tony Award for Best Original Score for Broadway’s “Kinky Boots,” just two weeks shy of her 60^th birthday. Not one to take a break, this summer, Lauper has embarked on a 30^th anniversary concert of “She’s So Unusual” (the hits started coming in ’84, but she tells the audience it was made in ’83), her landmark solo debut that has sold over 16 million copies to date. At the time, she was the first female artist to generate four Top Five singles from an album. [Incidentally, Lauper has also won two Grammys and an Emmy, so she’s just an Oscar away from obtaining the coveted quartet of top tier showbiz prizes.] Although she hasn’t had a mainstream Top 40 hit since 1989 [Though many Billboard club charters -- Dj BB], she has kept busy on the dance, blues, standards and Christmas charts, among others.

         
I was fortunate enough to catch Cyndi’s concert in much-improved Atlantic City (more on that later) in the Taj Mahal Casino. I hesitated giving Dumpster Trumpster any of my money, but Cyndi was a player on his “Celebrity Apprentice,” after all. The auditorium itself was spacious and acoustically pleasing, but the seating consisted of what looked like the kind of padded kitchen chairs your grandmother used to have. They were strapped snugly together so that if you were seated next to a large person, as I was, it was a tight fit. However, we were not in our seats for long.

         
Cyndi appeared on stage looking and acting like a teenager, her red dreads flying as she danced around the stage to her opening number, “Money Changes Everything” (I doubt the irony was lost on smart Cyndi that she was singing this in a casino). Her voice was as defiant as ever, and when she repeated “Money!” several times at the end of the song, in an impossibly high wail, everybody was on their feet. She held the final note for at least half a minute.

         
From there, she covered the entire album, hits and non-hits alike. Lauper explained that the show was for the fans, saying, “I’m singing the same arrangements that were on the record for, like, the first time evah!” She was also quite talkative, which didn’t please everyone in the crowd, but she was feisty when someone yelled from the audience: “Lady, I don’t know what your problem is, but I hope it all works out for ya!” Or she would chide all of us for not singing our lines loudly enough: “I’m workin’ my ass off up here and that’s all ya got?”

         
For true fans, though, the long-winded stories were wonderful: how Bob Dylan moved away from her when she approached him at the “We Are the World” taping; meeting Bruce Springsteen at the Record Plant while she was recording, and how he seemed puzzled by her attempts to joke with him; how she created a private dark room where she could do her thing while singing “She Bop”; having Ellie Greenwich singing backup on “Girls Just Wanna Have Fun”; and how her boyfriend at the time inspired the words to “Time After Time.”

         
Besides the hits, standouts were “I’ll Kiss Ya” and “He’s So Unusual” (which prompted another story of how the album’s title came about. Although the entire concert of the album took just sixty-five minutes to perform, she returned for two extended encores. The first was an energetic pairing of her dance version of “Sex is in the Heel” (from “Kinky Boots”) and “Change of Heart.” For her final encore, she came out with just her keyboardist and brought the audience to tears with “Hatful of Stars” (her ode to her husband of twenty years) and, finally, the magical “True Colors.” As always, Cyndi does not phone it in and perhaps the best is still yet to come for this unique diva.

         
Although Cyndi has been a champion of LGBT rights for years, one would have been hard-pressed to find one’s gaydar going off in the concert hall. The crowd seemed mostly older, suburban straight couples. But it was nice to see her appeal is across-the-board.

         
And speaking of LGBT, I had to check out the first ever gay bar in a casino, Pro Bar on the thirteenth floor of Resorts (once owned by one of the biggest closet queens of all time, Merv Griffin—I wonder if he’s rolling over in his grave). Among all gay bars, this is the crown jewel: a piano bar, a video bar, and a showroom. You can walk out onto the balcony to get views of the glittering Boardwalk and feel the ocean breezes. The rooms are furnished with velvet-topped barstools, sweeping drapes, and curved damask sofas and Queen Anne chairs. Personally, I missed the neighborhood grittiness of the Brass Rail (now closed), but Pro Bar is a fine step up into the upper class for gay patrons and their friends. The other good news is that AC seems to be recovering nicely from Hurricane Sandy (most of the damage was on the bay side, I was told), and the pleasures of people-watching on the kitschy Boardwalk make this a far more pleasurable visit than that expensive display of fakery out in the unbearable desert.

Meltdown NYC

It's hotter than that infamous underworld inferno today! And I do not mean the subway platform.

Yesterday, New York City hit 100 degrees and, today, a high of 94. Need I mention, I've been keeping myself inside with the a/c and fans on? Rain's coming, but only cooling things off minimally. Summer is here and a heat wave is on. Gee, better launder my short pants at long last!

Today, my shower was a cool one. I usually prefer to shower  with the water as hot as I can physically tolerate, but not today. I gave myself a break, so needing to chill a little by any means possible.

It's comfortable inside the apartment, however, even though it's still, with no outdoor breezes to ventilate the rooms. No cooking tonight, as I plan to order Chinese food. Went no further out of doors than the deli on the ground floor of my building... for cold beer.

Growing up in a pre-commonly air-conditioned America, our escape from summer dog days then meant fans on throughout the house, sitting on the stoop (the front porch), sometimes with lemon ices and socializing with neighbors. And, of course, going to the movies, where theaters were "Comfortably Air Conditioned," as proclaimed the marquee banners to entice those sweltering on city streets.

So, yeah, it's hot -- and don't you forget it, as sang Pamala Stanley in her 1979 disco smash. Keep your cool, y'all.

Happy Birthday, Nancy Reagan!

Politics aside, it is Nancy Reagan's 92nd birthday!

Born Ann Frances Robbins in New York City, she grew up in Mayland, then went out to Hollywood, dubbed "Nancy Davis," and ended up in B films like Donovan's Brain and Hell Cats of the Navy. It was in the latter film that she met Ronald Reagan and stole him away from wife Jane Wyman. I suspect Ms Reagan had off-screen talents that advanced her career, and Kitty Kelley's bio seems to support that.

She became First Lady of California when her husband became Governor, then First Lady of the USA when he became President. She is noted for bringing Hollywood glamor to the White House and vying with the USSR's Raiza Gorbachev, a'la Dynasty, via '80s fashion. She was, however, criticized for her reliance on astrology and trying to influence policy through it.

Nancy had a strong influence on her husband and played a role in a few of his personnel and diplomatic decisions, which brought on the nickname "Nancita ," adapted from Evita (comparing her to Evita Peron).

She was a dedicated wife during her husband's Alzheimer's illness, by all accounts, until Ronald Reagan's death in 2004.

Happy Birthday, Nancy Reagan!

Hello, Carol!

Ms Carol Channing, legend of stage, screen & television, deserves a Kennedy Center Awards Honor, don't you think? Richard Skipper certainly does and he has been promoting and supporting her, getting enough people to enough people to jump on this bandwagon via social media. Come on, people, the woman is a living American superstar who, at this point of her life, has so earned the award!

Let's hope the Kennedy Center Awards Committee are receptive. Carol is a 92-year-old made-in-the-USA entertainment icon who deserves to be honored NOW.

Please check out a NEW PSA for Carol Channing to receive a 2013 Kennedy Center Honor http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7asA9tjc8Ac&feature=youtu.be

Also, please go to: http://www.kennedy-center.org/programs/specialevents/honors/?confirm=1 to suggest Carol Channing be a recipient of the 2013 Kennedy Center Honor Award.

Incidentally, a fantastic 2011 documentary is available on dvd about Carol. I blogged about it after originally seeing it at the TriBeCa Film Festival:

 http://djbuddybeaverhausen.blogspot.com/2012/06/carol-channing-larger-than-life.html

Independence Day

It's nice to think that patriotic holidays in this country are not strictly the domain of flag-waving, gun-adulating right wingers and that we can, all of us, enjoy celebrating the anniversary of our country's Declaration of Independence. I mean, might we agree we all love barbeques, parties in the back yard, summertime, potato salad, beer and get-togethers with friends and family? So, yes, America, our Fourth of July is just a big excuse to party as are most independence day holidays throughout the world, from Abkhazia to Zimbabwe.

Dj Buddy B intends to cool his jets, though, and celebrate his independence from so many things -- including nationalistic holidays. To that end, I'll let Britain's Lulu take over to sing about Independence. Ironically, it was Britain we won our independence from and yet Britain has remained the USA's closest ally. Exactly like breaking up but staying friends with an ex. Sorry about that silly, little Revolutionary War, honey.

So, let Freedom ring-a-ding-ding and party on! Indepen-Dance!

Happy Birthday, Debbie Harry!

Deborah Harry turns 68 today. Amazing!

The lead singer and "face" of the punk/New Wave band Blondie, who has also sung solo, hails from Hawthorne, NJ, so close to where I grew up in Paterson. She reputedly dated my ex-sister-in-law's brother-in-law!

Harry was born in Miami, Florida but adopted by Catherine Harry and Richard Smith, gift shop proprietors in Hawthorne. Harry later moved to New York City, worked as a secretary for BBC Radio, was a waitress at Max's Kansas City, a go-go dancer in Union City, NJ and a Playboy Bunny in NYC.

She first recorded, as a back-up girl, with a group called Wind in the Willows (on Capitol Records), then with the girl-group The Stilettos, before hooking up with Chris Stein and forming Blondie.

One of the iconic women of rock'n'roll, and a supporter of LGBT rights, we salute her with this fave solo number of mine, produced by Jellybean Benitez (early Madonna) below.

Happy Birthday, Debbie!

On the Pier with Cher ... and Hot Cox

I squeezed into the throng of sweaty gay men on the TriBeCa pier yesterday, immediately picking up on the smell of testosterone and Calvin Kline's Eternity, and just in time for Deborah Cox to appear. I was so far from the stage and yet the acoustics were excellent, thankfully. It's difficult to get a good view of the pier diva, despite the elevated stage, when one's vertically challenged and standing behind some towering heads and shoulders.

Ms Cox was in great voice and gave, virtually, a full concert of about a dozen numbers, including "Nobody's Supposed to Be Here," "Absolutely Not" and "If It Wasn't for Love." I did manage to see the diva was in a spangly silver top with white hotpants and a pair of white scarves to her back, fluttering in the breeze off the Hudson, looking befittingly fierce. Follow that, bitch! She had flung down the gauntlet.

The boys were thumping, fists were pumping (in the air, of course). Packed like sardines, it was impossible not to feel some bumps and grinds, both unintended and deliberate, and things turned touchy-feely in the crowd at times. I twirled through a few dance partners, some shirtless, armpits in my face but, hey, this is what I signed on for. I even got a phone number during this swirl, all the while being entertained by Cox. Ms Cox I mean.

When I previously informed Dr Spinelli I was going to the Pier Dance this year, he warned, typically, "Be safe!" Safe? At my age? What could I do that's not safe?! Experiment with crystal meth at this point in my life? Get too drunk? (I mean, you have no idea how long I stood on line to get one single cold beer during that whole concert!) Do poppers? (I did smell amyl nitrate along with the Eternity and, honestly, it lowers blood pressure (amyl; not the Calvin Kline cologne).) The worse that could happen to me nowadays would be slipping a disk or breaking a hip from too much booty shaking!

And then there was Cher! Yes, the Diva of Divas, finally at the LGBT Pier Dance in NYC! We were so aglow at her grand arrival onstage, some big dude actually gave me a big bear hug. You could almost smell the euphoria -- yes, along with the Eternity (and I could smell that big bear's natural scents; no Calvin). 

Cher was introduced by none other than Whoopi Goldberg (a complete surprise). The eternal pop goddess opened with her gay-favorite club hit, "Strong Enough" from the Believe album. The 67-year-old diva then followed that up with her mega-hit, "Believe," and ended with the single off her new album, "It's a Woman's World." She appeared in a white and gold fitted suit and a long red wig.

She had just the three-song set that left some wondering if her act was Long Enough. But, as for myself, I had no problem as I left during the fireworks with a big smooch from a handsome stranger. It was a great Pride weekend and I went home with a happy face on. Thank you, Cher, Cox and all the big boys.