midnightman
10-21-2015, 11:57 AM
Motown has already been in the history books as one of the most pioneering record labels of all time [[not of its time, but all time) and that still is a true statement.
But I was struck with how even the gay community hasn't made a 40th anniversary tribute to one of the very first records where an artist declared their sexuality.
By 1975, it had been six years since the New York City's Stonewall Uprising [[and nine years if you count San Francisco's Compton Cafeteria's uprising in 1966) helped to create the modern day LGBTQ+ civil rights movement that exists today. But, I guess, by then, there wasn't really any song that talked about gay issues. I guess you can say Funkadelic, the Miracles and Rod Stewart can make claim to that since some of their records talked positively of their gay/bi subjects [[I think Funkadelic's "Jimmy's Got a Little Bit of Bitch in Him" is subtle that they don't blurt out his sexuality so I assume they meant Jimmy was bi in terms of saying "he's got a little bit of bitch" but dare I say it, looking back, the song is kinda misogynistic).
But until then there had been no real "anthem" to celebrate the LGBT community. Most had to identify with songs to make it their anthems. Mostly by female artists. Something that still stands today. But you could go back to the '20s, '30s, '40s, '50s and '60s and some were finding ways to talk about gay life, just not an "anthem" for them.
But in 1975, just two years after homosexuality was no longer declared a "disease", two songwriters, Bunny Jones and Chris Spierer, were determined to create such an anthem. So that year, they wrote the song "I Was Born This Way". The first artist to record it was an openly gay black singer named Charles Harris, who went by the stage name Valentino. Harris recorded it under the Motown distributed label of Gaiee Records. Frankie Crocker played it on WBLS where it became a hit. The original version became an early favorite of the discos around America.
Two years later, openly gay gospel-soul artist Carl Bean signed with Motown and with Hal Davis, who was proven to be a pioneering disco producer by this point, helped to produce and arrange the original version into a more celebrated production where Bean defiantly spoke his truth and preached [[not long afterwards, Bean became an actual preacher and is one of the few openly gay preachers today) his message of pride. This version, released in 1977, hit the dance and disco charts becoming a signature staple for the gay community from then on, inspiring versions by other openly gay artists such as Magnus Carlsson and the legendary Jimmy Somerville.
So I was stuck with why no one here has talked about it. I mean regardless of how some people may feel, I feel the two versions were an important milestone in not only Motown's history but in pop history. I just like some recognition for this. Maybe there is, but I don't know lol
Anyway, where would Lady Gaga have been if this song haven't come out, hmm? :cool:
But I was struck with how even the gay community hasn't made a 40th anniversary tribute to one of the very first records where an artist declared their sexuality.
By 1975, it had been six years since the New York City's Stonewall Uprising [[and nine years if you count San Francisco's Compton Cafeteria's uprising in 1966) helped to create the modern day LGBTQ+ civil rights movement that exists today. But, I guess, by then, there wasn't really any song that talked about gay issues. I guess you can say Funkadelic, the Miracles and Rod Stewart can make claim to that since some of their records talked positively of their gay/bi subjects [[I think Funkadelic's "Jimmy's Got a Little Bit of Bitch in Him" is subtle that they don't blurt out his sexuality so I assume they meant Jimmy was bi in terms of saying "he's got a little bit of bitch" but dare I say it, looking back, the song is kinda misogynistic).
But until then there had been no real "anthem" to celebrate the LGBT community. Most had to identify with songs to make it their anthems. Mostly by female artists. Something that still stands today. But you could go back to the '20s, '30s, '40s, '50s and '60s and some were finding ways to talk about gay life, just not an "anthem" for them.
But in 1975, just two years after homosexuality was no longer declared a "disease", two songwriters, Bunny Jones and Chris Spierer, were determined to create such an anthem. So that year, they wrote the song "I Was Born This Way". The first artist to record it was an openly gay black singer named Charles Harris, who went by the stage name Valentino. Harris recorded it under the Motown distributed label of Gaiee Records. Frankie Crocker played it on WBLS where it became a hit. The original version became an early favorite of the discos around America.
Two years later, openly gay gospel-soul artist Carl Bean signed with Motown and with Hal Davis, who was proven to be a pioneering disco producer by this point, helped to produce and arrange the original version into a more celebrated production where Bean defiantly spoke his truth and preached [[not long afterwards, Bean became an actual preacher and is one of the few openly gay preachers today) his message of pride. This version, released in 1977, hit the dance and disco charts becoming a signature staple for the gay community from then on, inspiring versions by other openly gay artists such as Magnus Carlsson and the legendary Jimmy Somerville.
So I was stuck with why no one here has talked about it. I mean regardless of how some people may feel, I feel the two versions were an important milestone in not only Motown's history but in pop history. I just like some recognition for this. Maybe there is, but I don't know lol
Anyway, where would Lady Gaga have been if this song haven't come out, hmm? :cool: