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Sorry if the link doesn't work for everyone. My Grandmother bought me the single when I was 16. They know, you know!
BBC News - Carl Bean, singer of LGBT pride anthem I Was Born This Way, dies aged 77
https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/entertainment-arts-58493076
The impact of “I Was Born This Way” in 1977 cannot be underestimated as step to self acceptance for many. I came out at twenty years old and officially when I turned twenty-one [1972] and started clubbing. Five years later when IWBTW was released I was still struggling with self acceptance, societal acceptance and family acceptance. Some of my family found it difficult to accept me as gay and I was out of touch with them for a number of years, including my Mother.
When IWBTW was released, its simplicity knocked me over. I was born this way! It really wasn’t any more complicated than that. It was also a big boost that it was Motown, where all the great music I loved came from, that provided this very public statement.
Rest In Peace Carl Bean. Thank you for your life of service.
So sorry to hear this. What a fearless trailblazer. I regret that I never made it to his church. Rest in power.
I haven't come across Carl Bean's autobiography , sounds like quite a read. Imagine, your mother dies when you're very young, you get taken in by neighbors who try to fix you from your gayness then reject you. You are left to route your life, you get a taste of fame and fortune, but decide your purpose is something else [more].
If there's a bio movie waiting to be made, this one is it.
That he turned out to be such a gentle soul is a wonderfully profound thing.
Kudos to Motown for releasing this record, including the disco 12" special pressing, and I'm wondering if in his book , Carl explains how this came to be? The record is 100% Philly, so why in the world is it on Motown??
Does this arrangement for this release speak well for Gamble & Huff .....or not??
It's a remake of the Valentino song two years prior..... who was the mastermind at PIR? And why?
Rest in Peace Carl Bean.
I looked Carl up in the Motown Encyclopedia and learned something I was totally unaware of. According to Graham Betts, Carl later recorded for Airwave Records before being ordained a bishop and found the Unity Fellowship Church in Los Angeles. Tom DePierro who was the initial owner of Airwave Records was responsible for various previously unreleased songs on several albums on Motown. He was the coordinator for the Natural Resources 1979 compilation From the Vaults that included 10 great unreleased songs.
He had two 45's released in 1982 on Airwave:
AW7-94970 Jellyroll b/w Love Will Show You the Way
AW7-94973 Love Will Show You the Way b/w Hard Thing [[In Life)
There was a planned album AWLP-94978 Love Will Show You the Way but I do not believe it was ever released.
On AW7-94970 Jellyroll ---- I note that Rick Gianatos was involved in mixing this selection.
Attachment 19341Quote:
Originally Posted by woodward
No. It was never released, and all the songs for it weren't recorded.
I WAS BORN THIS WAY:
https://i.ebayimg.com/thumbs/images/...ei/s-l225.webp
I imagine part of Motown's strategy for including an instrumental B side was that perhaps the record would get some play in clubs that didn't want to work the theme, but would play it for the music. That and of course DJs loved being able to play with additional song lengthening by mixing with instrumentals when provided.
It is a lovely piece of the Philly sound :
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dCknxvEQYZg
nice custom 12" sleeve from Motown too.
Joseph,Quote:
Originally Posted by sophisticated_soul
What a lovely and touching tribute. I hope you're doing well.
Kenneth
Thank you, Kenneth. I'm good, hope you are as well. JOsEph:)
He was a pioneer in our community. No other artist had boldly stated that he was who he was before him. May he rest peacefully
He deserves the rest. Thank you Bishop.