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Ellie Greenwich was born October 23, 1940 and died in 2009 of a heart attack due to complications from pneumonia, six years ago today, August 26, 1999. She was born in Brooklyn (isn't elmost everybody?) but, at age 10, moved with her family to Levittown, Long Island.
I grew up listening to Ellie's songs (written with then songwrting partner and hubby, Jeff Barry) on the radio on on my turntable. I loved these songs though, at the time, had no idea who wrote them. She and Barry frequently wrote for Phil Spector. She also recorded lead vocals as The Raindrops and as a solo artist. She and Barry were inducted into the Songwriters Hall of Fame in 1991.
I wore out most of the records on which she'd written the songs -- singles like "Be My Baby," "Da Doo Ron Ron," "Maybe I Know," "Chapel of Love," "He's Got the Power" and "River Deep, Mountain High" to name but a few.
In 1983, Ellie wrote a hit single for Nona Hendryx, "Keep It Confidential." She followed that up with the song, "Right Track, Wrong Train." It was written specially for Cyndi Lauper, whose voice Ms Greenwich admired. It appeared on the B-side of the original "Girls Just Want to Have Fun" 45.
Shortly thereafter, Alan Pepper ~ my old boss at The Bottom Line, and all-around great guy ~ had a show created around Ellie's songs. Leader of the Pack was such a long-running hit at the club, it was brought to Broadway, featuring Darlene Love, Annie Golden and Ms Greenwich herself. I was lucky enough to see both versions.
RIP, Ellie (Eleanor) Greenwich. Your quintessential pop songs are forever in our hearts and on our "turntables," whatever media that is nowadays.
Girls just want to have fun ~ in Brooklyn! Cher came to the outer borough and to Barclay's Center with her tour, bringing NYC native Cyndi Lauper (from Queens) along as her opening act. In the '90s, I saw La Lauper open for Cher at a concert at Jones Beach, NY. It was a fabulous and unforgettable night.
Perez Hilton wrote of the Brooklyn show: "the singer brought some of her favorite ladies on stage to sing with her: Liza Minnelli and Rosie O'Donnell." That alone made this one of the gayest evenings on Earth ever! And then there was Cher, who I last saw on the pier in Greenwich Village, performing on LGBT Pride Day. http://djbuddybeaverhausen.blogspot.com/2013/07/on-pier-with-cher-and-hot-cox.html
The New York Times gave Cher a very positive review. "Her show equated inner strength with Las Vegas razzle-dazzle," Jon Pareles wrote. "No one has to put Cher on a pedestal. She did it herself to start her
show at the Barclays Center in Brooklyn on Friday night. When a curtain dropped, there she was on a pillar in a giant feathered
headdress and a silver-and-sheer dress that flaunted her flanks. 'I’m
strong, I’m strong enough to rise above,' she sang in her 2013 single, 'Woman’s World,' and no one who’s heard Cher repeatedly ascend the pop
charts since the 1960s would doubt it....
"Soon afterward, in something like an opening monologue at an awards
show, Cher, who will turn 68 this month, taunted, 'What is your granny
doing this evening?' She went on to call herself both a 'drag queen' and
an 'icon,' and to say that her current tour... is her 'farewell, farewell, farewell, farewell' tour. Then she gave an
arena-scale wink to the video camera. It seemed no one in the crowd
would object to Cher touring forever."
Cher returns to New York, Madison Square Garden, September 17 through 22, where her opening act will be diva Pat Benatar (from Brooklyn).
May 17 was the second anniversary of Donna Summer's untimely death. At the time, I wrote the following tribute:
Meanwhile, my favorite club, Icon, in Queens, recently announced that the divasational Inaya Day will perform on the eve of Queens LGBT Pride, May 31. More details to come shortly. Below is my exclusive Q&A with Ms Day:
From the Billboard Dance/Club chart dated for April 19, noteworthy divas include Cyndi Lauper high and mighty at #2 with "Time After Time." In 1984, the song was a #1 Top 100 hit at Billboard. Congratulations on a rare feat well done.
A new cover version of the popular house hit, "Shiny Disco Balls," performed by Scotty B featuring the vocals of Sue Cho, perches on third place while mixes of Mariah Carey's "You're Mine (Eternal)" raise that song up to a diva-driven and dancey #6. Kylie Minogue's "Into the Blue," which peaked in first place, now rests comfy at #7 on its gradual descent.
There was a lot of of focus on our divas of t.v. this week, what with Barbara Walters announcing retirement from The View and Star Trek's Kate Mulgrew proclaiming the positively debunked Aristotelian theory that the sun revolves around the Earth.
As for Ms Walters, E! Online reported: Her last day co-hosting The View will be May 16, ABC
announced Monday. To celebrate Walters' long list of achievements, the
network will air a two-hour special highlighting her life and career
that night.
Walters, who co-created created the morning talk show with Bill Geddie in August 1997, will continue to executive produce The View. The 84-year-old will continue to contribute to ABC News on occasion.
Kate Mulgrew is apparently in a stew! It was reported that none other than Star Trek's Cpt. Janeway was narrating a wack-a-doodle science-denier movie giving support to a "theory" (really now more of a fantasy) that it's the sun the revolves around the Earth, which is the center of the universe. No doubt, it's also flat. The flick, The Principle, is backed by anti-Semitic, far-right wingnut, Robert Sungenis. Holy Galileo!
"I was a voice for hire and an uninformed one," Mulgrew told the press. The Star Trek diva, who should know something about the universe, wrote on Facebook: "I understand there has been some controversy about my participation in a
documentary called THE PRINCIPLE. Let me assure everyone that I
completely agree with the eminent physicist Lawrence Krauss, who was
himself misrepresented in the film, and who has written a succinct
rebuttal in SLATE. I am not a geocentrist, nor am I in any way a
proponent of geocentrism. More importantly, I do not subscribe to
anything Robert Sungenis has written regarding science and history and,
had I known of his involvement, would most certainly have avoided this
documentary."
Will there be a lawsuit revolving around this film, mayhaps?
Bimbo Jones' I Found Out, featuring the fabulous vocals of Beverley Knight, is a funky nouveau-disco track with various mixes available and dj-only promo tracks rumored to be coming from Sobel Nation, keeping this popular on the dancefloors throughout the spring and maybe even through Pride.
Until next week's diva dish, I wish all you divas out there a happy and healthy progress around the sun. Below, the original Bimbo Jones mix of I Found Out:
Although our President obviously meant nothing but respect for legendary diva Aretha Franklin, he had a spelling malfunction while introducing her at the White House.
"'What a lineup!' Mr. Obama declared at the outset of a concert that
featured a generations-spanning array of soul singers stretching from
musical legends Aretha Franklin and Patti LaBelle to 20-year-old Ariana
Grande," said CBS News.
"Mr. Obama paid tribute to Franklin for turning her
signature song 'Respect' into 'a rallying cry for African-Americans,
women and then everyone who felt marginalized.'
"The pumped-up audience gave a hearty laugh but was more than willing to forgive the president for spelling it 'R-S-P-E-C-T.'"
Hey, at least he didn't refer to her as Adele Azeem! Of course, the conservative press and, especially, Fox News, jumped on this immediately. "Aretha Franklin may spell out the word 'Respect' several times
throughout her synonymous song, but that doesn’t mean Harvard-educated
President Obama knows how to spell it," Fox barked. Come on, give the President some rspect. And by the way, you misused the word "synonymous," Foxies.
The President's blunder was nothing compared to John Travolta's Oscars gaff, introducing Broadway diva headliner Idina Menzel as "Adele Azeem." I saw Ms Mendel in her new Broadway musical, If/Then, that started in previews Wedneday evening. http://djbuddybeaverhausen.blogspot.com/2014/03/broadway-beaverhausen-ifthen-notgood.html Her rendition of the theme song from Frozen, which snagged an Academy Award, was definitely one of the many high points of the Awards ceremony last Sunday evening.
Sheila MacRae (nee Stephens) passed away of natural causes two days ago in Elmwood, NJ at the age of 92. The British-born Ms MacRae was married to tall, dark and handsome singer George MacRae (not to be confused with George McCrae who sang the disco hit, "Rock Your Baby"). Sheila and George performed professionally as a vocal duo. The couple divorced in 1967. She co-starred in feature films like Caged and Sex & the Single Girl. She appeared as herself in an episode of I Love Lucy, and replaced Audrey Meadows as Alice Kramden for The Honeymooners episodes on The Jackie Gleason Show. Her daughter, Meredith McRae, played Billie Jo on tv's Petticoat Junction.
Kylie Minogue's gone into the blue with "Into the Blue" at # 11 in a scant 3 weeks. And jet-propelled to # 14 this week, the 2014 remix of "Time After Time" by Cyndi Lauper. It reached its current position in just 3 weeks, up from #27 on the last chart.
More diva dish next week. Until then, rspect, y'all!
The annual event, Night of 1,000 Gowns, today announced on its Facebook page: "BREAKING NEWS!! Oscar-nominated Actress,
Marsha Mason (i.e. Good-Bye Girl, Chapter Two, Heartbreak Ridge...etc.)
has agreed to serve along side Cyndi Lauper & Joan Rivers as
Honorary Chairperson for the 28th Annual Night of a Thousand Gowns on
March 29, 2014!"
That will be one powerful triumvirate of divas guesting, let me tell you, people! And this event is a charity gala that will benefit God's Love We Deliver and the True Colors Fund as well.
Ms Mason, who has a distinguished career in theater and was once married to playwright Neil Simon, is also an Oscar-nominated actress for her roles in "Cinderella Liberty" and "The Goodbye Girl." She has guested on tv shows, including Seinfeld, Frasier, Will & Grace and Lipstick Jungle.
"Their Most Imperial Sovereign Majesties Emperor XXII Wen-D Bouvier Pinkhouse and Empress XXVII Gracie Steeles and the membership of the Imperial Court of New York cordially invite you to the most lavish, glamorous, outrageous event in New York City!" declares Night of 1,000 Gowns of this year's event. It will take place on Saturday, March 29, 2014, from 6 PM to midnight at The Marriott Marquis in Time Square, NYC.
The event is known as a dressy one for the largely LGBT crowd. "Creative Formal, Black Tie Festive, or Dress Uniform" is their dress code.
Press for the event adds: "Marsha will be in attendance, so come out &
celebrate with us! Buy your tickets now! Great seats seats are still
available (You choose them) Go to: www.icny.tix.com — at Night of a Thousand Gowns."
Love this song, "A Christmas Duel," by Cyndi Lauper and Swedish rock band The Hives. It's like Christmas with George and Martha (of Who's Afraid of Virginia Woolf; not the Washingtons) meet Phil Spector's Wall of Sound. Merry Friggin' Christmas!
Thanksgiving's done, Black Friday's over. Tomorrow is Dec 1. Only 25 days before Christmas, during which I'll be doing my annual Christmas countdown here at Leave It to Beaverhausen.
I love Cyndi's bluesy take on the perennial "Blue Christmas," written by Billy Hayes and J. Johnson as a country song but oft covered and rearranged. Here is Cyndi, in fine form, singing on Good Morning America.
"Conservatives bashed Macy's via social media for the inclusion of a drag
queen and a musical number from the Tony Award winning Broadway musical
Kinky Boots during the Macy's Thanksgiving Day Parade," read The Advocate on-line today.
People, chill out and grow up! That's what Dj Buddy Beaverhausen has to offer on this matter.
"Conservatives immediately took to Twitter, Facebook, and other forms of
social media to bash Macy’s for the inclusion of a musical number from
the Tony Award winning Broadway musical Kinky Boots in the Macy’s Thanksgiving Day Parade," according to the source Back 2 Stonewall.
Oh, puh-leeze, dahlings! From what I saw, it was SUCH a gay parade overall. Kristin Chenoweth! Joan Jett! Those campy cheerleaders! And those over-the-top fabulous floats! Get over yourselves, haters!
“Macy's worst decision ever with your cross dresser show on
Thanksgiving, you've completely removed the family part of
thanksgiving,” someone posted on Macy’s Facebook page. “Absolutely
disgusting, whoever made that decision should be fired.”
“Not happy with the drag queen show,” another person wrote. “Not
a conversation I wanted to have with my five-year-old on thanksgiving
morning.” Really? It would be that hard to discuss?!
I would say that, for most people, it was such a mild and fun-filled parade performance. Wonder if Cyndi, Harvey Fierstein or Jerry Mitchell will have responses. It's like bitching about the witch in The Wizard of Oz presntation being an anti-Christian symbol. How simple-minded! Why, if it wasn't for LGBT people in the arts, entertainment would be a snooze. We all know that! Besides, Kinky Boots has been such a huge success on Broadway, it's obvious not many people are offended by it.
Buddy B says fuck 'em if they can't take a little cross-dressing. Ain't they ever seen Uncle Miltie? Drag has been part of popular entertainment since theater began. Tell it to the ancient Greeks and to Shakespeare! Sheesh!
Thanksgiving has arrived, my turkeys, gobble gobble! Of course, Buddy B has so much to be thankful for this year, especially not having to cook for guests! (Ain't nobody got time for that.) I'm thankful for going to Bay Ridge's Lighthouse Diner, Thanksgiving afternoon, two blocks away, with my friend who called in the rezzies. Give me a bloody mary and a plate of lasagne and I'll be grateful, pilgrim! And, hey, Plymouth rocks! But also, I am thankful to the harvest of contemporary divas who keep us dancing and inspire us with their awesome voices.
Martha Wash has been our divine diva for five decades now, as a solo artist and as the voice of Two Tons of Fun, The Weather Girls, Black Box and C&C Music Factory. I am truly thankful for Miss Martha! And I adore her current album, Something Good, which is a perfect ~ and very inspirational ~ gift for the holidays. Available at Amazon.com.
I'm thankful for Cher! What a legend, icon, superstar diva, with an outstanding six-decade career. Her new album, Closer to the Truth, is marvelous and I highly recommend it for the holiday season and beyond!
La La Brooks, Darlene Love, Ronnie Spector. 1960s girl-group divas who survived Phil Spector and continue to have vibrant careers today! All have albums available on Amazon; Darlene and Ronnie having Christmas cds. Our Ms Brooks has a new album this season on the indy Norton label.
Cyndi Lauper! What more do I have to say? One of the outstanding pop vocalists of our lifetime. And she even recorded a Christmas album. Guess where you can get it!
Madonna and Lady Gaga continue to impress, tantalize and titillate. (Though neither has yet done a holiday cd; get on it, girls!)
Bette Midler, Barbra Streisand -- both boasting Christmas cds no holiday collection should ever be without.
Dj Buddy Beaverhausen and Our City Radio are grateful for our enduring divas and give thanks unto them. Not a turkey amongst them.
Happy Thanksgiving to you and yours, and may God bless us all this holiday season! Stay safe, stay warm, stay tuned into Queens Our City Radio.
Have I mentioned to all you wonderful blog readers out there how grateful I am that my blog receives the thousands of hits it does each and every month now? You guys are the best! But Dj Buddy Beaverhausen has big news. As of last week, I am now the Dance (Music) Promoter for Queens Our City internet radio! You can also follow my articles and interviews there, PLUS there's so much great music to listen to on that station and so much to read outside of my own contributions. I love working with QOC's Barbara Sobel and Chris Colby! (You guys are the best.) Check Queens Our City out, you'll love it there! Straight from the beat of NYC: http://queens.ourcityradio.com/
And attention New Yorkers! Pick up a free copy of this week's LGBT going-out guide, Next! There's a whole section devoted to "The State of Drag 2013" showcasing some of the City's fresh faces on the club scene. However, Lady Bunny is perennial and will be spinning the first Sunday of every month (including tomorrow, Nov. 3) at The Monster in a Disco Classics Tea Dance, 6 - 10 pm! No cover and $5 Bloody Marys and Mimosas. We love our disco classics and our Lady Bunny!
Also on Sunday, November 3, pop and dance-music diva, Cyndi Lauper, who is very bonded with the LGBT community and who recently became the first solo woman to ever win a Tony Award for best score to a Broadway show (Kinky Boots), brings her 30th Anniversary She's So Unusual Tour to The Palace Theatre in Greensburg, PA! My PA pal, AJ's headed there, and Edge NY columnist Kevin Scott Hall wrote a guest blog on Leave It to Beaverhausen after seeing the show in Atlantic City, NJ in July. http://djbuddybeaverhausen.blogspot.com/2013/07/guest-blogger-kevin-scott-hall-cyndi.html The social season is in full swing, the holidays are coming; it's party time, people! Enjoy! There will be more interviews coming up very soon on my Exclusive Q&A spin-off blog, Blab It to Beaverhausen, over this festive season as well. Don't miss the buzz from Buddy! http://blabittobeaverhausen.blogspot.com/
And, finally, thanks again to everyone reading this. Stats are strong for October, both Leave It and Blab It upwardly mobile in terms of readership. Outside of my core readership in the USA, I want to thank my readers in the UK, Russia, Ukraine, Canada, Germany, Indonesia, Switzerland, China, Spain, Australia & Malaysia, this week, especially. Please check out Queens Our City radio (link above) and tune in to the dance sound of New York! The dancefloor unites us all over the world. Dance for peace, for universal happiness, for a better world. We are a global community and we can defeat hate. Peace, love, disco and out!
The disco's on fire for Halloween in this mash-up of the Tina & Cyndi cover versions of the Trammps classic, "Disco Inferno." Folks are screaming, out of control! It's a disco apocalypse and Happy Halloween, everyone. I may have to self-destruct now!
Quel horreur! Miley Cyrus decided to go all-out, desperate, headline-grabbing skanky last night, like the lowliest of crack-hos, at the Video Music Awards. To think, this event was taking place only a few subway stops from where I live in Brooklyn (in Barclay's Center). I thought I felt something slaggy in the night air! Zoot aleurs, me darlin's! I felt like I had to take a shower after watching the viral video (now deleted, it seems, from YouTube).
Well, if attention Miley wanted, attention she got. Question is: will this serve her well in the long run? She certainly stole the spotlight from Lady Gaga and Katy Perry for the night! Booty-bumping, grinding her ass into co-performer Robin Thicke's crotch after she stripped down to a bikini (as if to test his thickeness), her sleaze factor went off the filthometer! Miley's tongue lolled about from her leering ruby lips as if she were having a seizure. All in all, she almost made Ke$ha look Puritanical. Especially when she used the foam-hand, big pointing finger in a faux-masturbatory manner! Good Lord, is nothing off-bounds? Sacre bleu! Even Madonna must have been aghast, grinding her newly bejeweled teeth! (While taking notes.)
Reception was mostly negative to say the least. Cyndi Lauper decided there was a limit to girls just wanting to have fun! Reported E! online: "'That was girl gone wild. So sad, so sad....
"'She's in a song that literally says that the blurred lines allowed
you to—when a woman says no, she means yes—and that's frightful because
that's date rape,'" noted Lauper.
"The 'She Bop' singer wasn't done, however. 'And
there she is, a young twentysomething trying to prove she can hang with
the big boys and girls, you know, basically simulating a Girl Gone Wild video onstage. And I just felt like that was so beneath her and raunchy, really raunchy,' added Lauper. 'It wasn't even art.'"
Adam Lambert dissented, also according to E!: "Listen if it wasn't ur cup of tea—all good but why is everyone spazzing? Hey—she's doin something right. We all talking,"
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.
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 60th
birthday. Not one to take a break, this summer, Lauper has embarked on a 30th
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.
From last week's show at the Beacon Theater NYC, Cyndi Lauper & Adam Lambert duet on "Mad World." It made my hair stand up (just like Adam's). So good; you have to check it out.
I'm currently in the middle of reading A Memoir by Cyndi Lauper, which I find very moving and candid. Although co-authored by Jancee Dunn, Cyndi's voice certainly seems to be right there in the prose, as if you could hear her reading it to you.
“Most of us think of Cyndi as the free-spirited girl who just wants to
have fun and her many die-hard fans will be surprised to know her real
life story,” said her publisher, Judith Curr, quite accurately.
Cyndi will be doing a holiday benefit show for homeless LGBT youth this Saturday, December 10, at the Beacon Theater in New York, with a roster of celebrity guests including Adam Lambert, Sarah McLachlan and Roberta Flack, among many others.
I read the book review that appears immediately below from the Sunday New York Times and thought it was so on the nose and concise, I decided to share it with everyone. Personally, I would recommend this sensitive and emotionally real, down-to-earth autobiography as a holiday gift for anyone who enjoys Cyndi's music.
’80s Pop
‘Cyndi Lauper: A Memoir’
By
DAVID HAJDU
Published: November 30, 2012
Cyndi Lauper’s memory speaks with a Queens accent. The crudely endearing
charms of Lauper’s book, a memoir of her unglamorous outer-borough
upbringing and not entirely glamorous life since MTV made her a pop star
in the 1980s, are its unpretentious attitude and its blunt, brassy
voice. “Cyndi Lauper: A Memoir” is boisterous, erratic, sometimes goofy
and — very much like its author’s music, in all this — not quite as dumb
as it may seem.
Unlike recent books by Patti Smith, Bob Dylan and Keith Richards that
have come to be regarded as models for the art of rock literature,
Lauper’s memoir makes no attempt to be the least bit literary. Lauper
essentially lays out the events of her life in something close to
straight chronology, with digressions, in the rhetoric of lunchtime
chat. Lauper grows up in a two-family house with “shingles that looked
almost like the color of Good & Plenty candy.” She struggles as a
young woman, so hard up at one point that she skins and cooks a squirrel
for dinner. She works almost anywhere that will have her, including as a
hostess for a Manhattan club catering to Japanese businessmen. She
develops as a singer and songwriter, loses her voice, regains it and
pampers it ever after as the precious gift that it is. She endures a
vile sexual episode with her own friends and bandmates. She becomes
famous, then gravely ill with endometriosis, and she proves to have a
habit of saying “the wrong things to the right people” — like the time
she told Steven Spielberg, in a meeting, that he wasn’t being very
creative.
Lauper’s book seems untainted by the influence of other books. It comes
across as true to Lauper’s colors, which are those of an eight-pack box
of crayons. Never academically inclined, Lauper struggled horribly in
class and was eventually expelled from Richmond Hill High School in
Queens. (After she became a celebrity, the school gave her an honorary
diploma.) Lauper guesses she had attention deficit disorder, and she
writes as if she still does. Intellectually skittery, but blessed with a
sense of style as strong as her singing voice, Lauper has the ability
to recall every outfit she has ever worn. As she describes the day she
went to watch the Beatles’ motorcade drive along the Belt Parkway on its
way to Shea Stadium: “So I started screaming, and I shut my eyes, and
by the time I realized I should open my eyes, I’d missed it. I was all
dressed nice, too. I had dark jean clam diggers with pointy shoes and a
sleeveless green, blue and black plaid shirt with a man-tailored collar.
I’ve never actually met a Beatle, but I saw Tony Bennett once when I
was a kid at the 1964-65 World’s Fair.” You have to marvel at the wonder
of prose so vividly loopy.
Raised as a Catholic in a matriarchal Sicilian-American family, Lauper
was the second of three kids born to a culture-hungry waitress whose
second husband, a sexual predator, so taunted Lauper that she left home
in her teens. Lauper portrays her mother, tenderly, as an earthly
counterpart to the many watchful spirits she has felt helping her
throughout her life. When Lauper was a young singer, playing in a string
of cover bands that worked the bars in Long Island beach towns, she was
once thrown from the van on the way to a gig. “I was flying with an
angel above me,” Lauper writes, “and I passed these dead musicians who
were on the side of the road just watching — Duane Allman, Berry Oakley.
Then the angel said, ‘That’s a good place for you to land,’ and it was a
bush.”
Wherever she landed, literally or figuratively, Lauper saw divine
purpose. She has been nominated for 14 Grammy Awards, and won as Best
New Artist in 1985. After her first couple of Grammy losses, she
consoled herself: “Maybe it’s God telling me that it’s nice to be recognized but awards don’t make the person or the singer.”
"Feels Like Christmas" by Cyndi Lauper, produced by Junior Vasquez:
Last week was one filled with more hot messes, particularly of homophobic explosions amongst the rich and famous, it seemed. A savvy NYC cabbie had Paris Hilton and her gay, male friend in his backseat. So what did he do? He taped their conversation, of course. Talk about your cash cab! Well, when that hit shit the fan, it created a furor because it was full of anti-gay rancor. Of gay men, Paris said, "They’re disgusting! Dude, most of them probably have AIDS!" Paris said she'd "be so scared if I were a gay guy. You'll like, die of AIDS." This from the woman famous for a sex tape showing her being, like, most unsafe.
What's an airhead.... er, I mean an heiress like Paris to do but apologize profusely and tell us she adores gay men? Exactly what she did, wouldn't you just know it.
Then, washed-up '80s author, Bret (Bright Lights, Big City) Easton (American Psycho) Ellis felt the need to stir the pot, perhaps for his own desperately needed publicity. He agreed with Paris' vapid comments and added, "As someone who has used Grindr? Paris Hilton isn't that far off." Ahem.
Then there was the incident from the world of sports.
Truth Wins Out reported: "Yunel Escobar, a 29-year-old Cuban baseball star who plays for the
Toronto Blue Jays, wore eye black during Saturday’s game against the
Boston Red Sox that had a homophobic message written on it: “TU ERE
MARICON.”
Commonly translated: “You are a faggot.”
Escobar didn't play on Sunday, saying he had flu-like symptoms. Aw, Yunel, stop being a maricon and get in there and play! Need I add, he then issued a public apology. Just talking out of his his cap, I tell you.
Well, we've got some fierce business on Billboard, with no apologies or homophobic flare-ups, as divas jockey for position on the Dance/Club Top 25 and beyond.
Florence + the Machine take over the #1 spot with "Spectrum (Say My Name)" this time out, while last week's "Let's Have a Kiki," by Scissor Sisters, rests at #7 after burning up the chart all the way to the top.
Pink's in the pink at #5 with "Blow Me (One Last Kiss)," and Mariah Carey's "Triumphant" at #8, up from the 13th spot last week. Madonna's holding onto the top 10, turning up at #10 with "Turn on the Radio." Rebecca Ferguson's "Nothing's Real But Love" is in 12th place, down one nook from #11 last outing. And Cyndi Lauper's "Sex Is in the Heel" sashays its way down to #18, after peaking at #6.
Finally, Kristine W debuts in the Top 25, at #25, up 11 spots from #36 last week, with the divalicious "Everything That I Got." Just under the Top 25, Gossip's "Move in the Right Direction" moves right up to #26 and Sweden's Gravitonas does nicely at #27 with "Call Your Name." Pet Shop Boys' "Winner" winningly rises to #30 from 38th place.
Peace, love & disco, y'all, to readers from Australia to Saudi Arabia to Russia, Latvia and Ukraine. No need for war, hatred, prejudice or those nasty, homophobic outbursts.Get Excited & Carry On!
Let's have it, bitches! "Let's Have a Kiki" overtakes the #1 spot on the current Billboard Dance/Club chart. Can we give our Scissor Sisters a hand? I know they'd love the sound of applause because, frankly, who doesn't? I thrive off it!
Last week, Usher was a "Scream" in the #1 spot but, this week, he's tumbled to #8. Kylie Minogue is falling off the chart with one of the summer's big, best dance club smashes, though she has been on Billboard Dance/Club for a very robust 13 weeks, peaking at #1. Down to #33 last week, she's now at #45. The diva from down undah has soared to the US dance chart's #1 position a total of 9 times to date. We loves our Kylie!
Florence +the Machine's sitting pretty in the #2 location, a serious contender for #1 next week with "Spectrum (Say My Name)." The song has already topped charts in the UK.
David, who runs the iconic Rebel Rebel record store in the Village, on Bleecker, tells me that the Madonna fans who come in to shop are always the nastiest queens who walk into his house of vinyl and cds (and that includes yours truly). But they qvelled at Queen Mother's performance in NYC last week, when all the nastiness gave way to ferocity and turned into sweet adoration. Madonna, on her way down from lofty first place, holding strongly at #6, where we found her last week as well, with "Turn on the Radio."
Red-hot Pink leaps from 18th place last time to #10 now, warbling "Blow Me (One Last Kiss)," which is what I always say, or something to that tune. Rebecca Ferguson's charting nicely with "Nothing's Real But Love," at #11; expect it to enter the Top Ten next week.
Mariah Carey's working it with "Triumphant," as indeed she is with one of her strongest club outings ever, at #11 up from #21, a Billboard Greatest Gainer (and we're not talking weight this time); expect it to go up, up and up!
Cyndi Lauper's "Sex Is in the Heel" and Adam Lambert's "Never Close Our Eyes" are at numbers 16 and 17, respectively. Lambert charted for 12 weeks on Dance/Club -- nice work there -- and peaked at 6th place, which is where Ms Lauper peaked as well, charting thus far at a solid 11 weeks.
Moving into the Top 50 are Kristine W's "Everything That I Got," produced by Bimbo Jones (bursting in at #36) and Pet Shop Boys' "Winner," remixes of the song they sang at the London Olympics (#38).
An anonymous Billboard-charting dance diva tells me, confidentially, that, to chart, one needs "to hire a Billboard promoter" and that "it's expensive and not cost-effective in today's market.... Absolutely necessary to get one to get on [Billboard Dance/Club]. Maybe Madonna doesn't need a
promoter to get on ... but, as you can see, Pink, J Lo, Katy
Perry, Debby Holiday, Kristine W all have a BB promoter." Kind of stacks the deck, no? So take this chart info with a grain of salt. For other charts of interest, one site you may want to visit comes recommended to me by Dj Ron Slomowicz:
And callin' out around the world, based on this week's stats: Thanks to Ukraine, Switzerland, Mexico, Indonesia, Colombia, Brazil, Slovenia, and to all my readers across Europe, in the UK, Canada and, of course, the USA. Despite recent events, world peace and love is a real possibility. Take it to the dance floor. Till next time, dance away the music! ~~ Dj Buddy Beaverhausen
First, I want to do my shout-out to all my international readers this week. I am so grateful to everyone who comes to this blog, generally to be entertained by anything I might have to say, and to share my musings on dance music and pop culture. I would be most appreciative of any feedback and the best way to do that, outside of commenting on individual posts here, is to go to my Facebook Page. At http://www.facebook.com/pages/Dj-Buddy-Beaverhausen/121433544617989 , you can click "Like" and let me know how I'm doing, what you like or don't like on the blog, give me constructive criticisms, and stay on top of new postings.
So, calling out around the world, get ready for a brand new beat: special thanks this week to Poland (I see readership was way up; dziękuję!). Also, thanks to my readers in Algeria, Japan, Turkey, Ukraine and Indonesia. Keep the faith we may live as one! As always, to my blog pals in the UK, Canada, France, Mexico, Russia, Germany; love you guys!
Tonight, I look forward to President Obama speak at the Democratic National Convention. Already such great speeches by our First Lady, Gaby Gifford (made me tear up -- a lot!) and others. Let's fight for progress and equality and the rights to love and to marry. Make it happen! As for this week's Billboard, divas Mariah Carey and Pink finally make it into the top 25 of the Dance/Club chart with fabulous new songs that will put you on the floor! Pink arrives at a hot-pink #18 with "Blow Me (a Kiss)" while I think it safe to say Ms Carey's anthemic "Triumphant" (#21) is indeed a triumph; one of the best things she's ever done and the remixes are to die for. Take it to the dancefloor, bitches, this mama's on fire and she's bringing it to the top, wardrobe malfunctions and whatever! Scissor Sisters' "Let's Have A Kiki" #2 under Usher's "Scream" at #1. Expect it to usurp first place next week. Cyndi Lauper's fuck-me pumps walk her down to #16 from 6th place's peak last week with the fabulous "Sex Is in the Heel." Sarah Ferguson's hot "Nothing's Real But Love" (is it?), is at Cyndi's back, now up at #14. And Adam Lambert's "Never Close Our Eyes," which peaked, like Cyndi, at #6, is now standing at #16. And that's it, of interest for me, on this week's blog. Hit the danceflooor and shake your money makers for love, peace and happiness! Until we meet again ~~ love, Dj Buddy Beaverhausen!
Below, the brilliant Honey Dijon club mix of "Sex Is in the Heel":
