Gay Sunday School

02/20/2020

"They're ready for you on the set Miss Crawford" --- "Let's go!"

Before that John Waters item get's shared, I find a great need to address this (from follower JB Bruce's comment): "VHS gay p**n and Disco led the way." I'm going to start with Disco. Just about the first pop song I fell in love with as a kid was "Rock the Boat" by the Hues Corporation. That should cover that topic right away. Now... on to the VHS gay p**n. But actually let's go back a couple years before that advent. 8mm gay p**n - at least for me this came before (no pun/every pun)the VHS brand.

I'd only ever seen nudes of men in magazines or street vended newspapers like Male Call. I will never forget waiting for a bus at Hollywood and Highland, hurriedly stuffing 4 quarters into the machine and quickly pulling a copy out & shoving it into my book bag. The bus was full so I had to wait til I got home look at it and I devoured it... That was 1980.

Before the world was able to rent/purchase VHS tapes of p**n the only way to see it was to go to a theater or to order 7mm silent reels from a p**n distributor. They were silent because it was cheaper to produce & they wanted to sell their goods.

1981 -North Hollywood Park - It was only 3 blocks from home and I stumbled on the activity there quite by chance at the age of 16. My mother managed a restaurant and worked late hours so I had a raging libido and plenty of time to explore that park in the dark and sometimes even on Saturday afternoons. It was on one of L.A.'s sunny Saturday's that, while walking casually by the park a white, unmarked delivery van passed by and the driver caught my eye, slowed a bit, and then kept going. He turned and I assumed that was that but he was going around the block. It was a very long block to round but the next time he came by he pulled over and hopped out.

The hot, young blond, early 20’s, wore a white T-shirt, cut off jean shorts and hiking boots (a standard gay look for the time) and stood about 5’10”. Turns out his name was Eric, same as mine and he asked what I was up to. I told him I was just taking a walk. He then suggested that due to the heat, maybe I would enjoy a swim at his place that he shared with his lover. I told him I didn’t have a suit with me, obviously, and he told me I wouldn’t need one. So I jumped in the delivery truck and off we went.

His lover, Johnnie (aka:Doc), was older than Eric by I would guess 15-20 years, rather nondescript and quite nice. Cocktails were poured and Eric and I took a swim and then one thing led to another and we got down while Johnnie watched. After, the topic turned to p**n and I, having never seen any, had to take their word for it. Johnnie was clearly impressed with the technical turns the industry had been taking and was especially fond of a film called “Click-Click.” Then, surprise, surprise, he had his projector out and had it running on a screen in the front room. I sat silently watching, got aroused and soon the film was off and we were all back in the bedroom. Ha! I saw the pair a few times over the next few months and one evening after going out to dinner Johnnie suggested to Eric that they show me their latest project. So off we went to a warehouse space in North Hollywood where they unveiled the beginnings of their soon to launch adult toy catalogue. Little did I know then that what I was seeing was the embryo of what would become the Doc Johnson brand of adult toys. My next 8mm experience soon followed

1982 - North Hollywood Park - I met my first lover, Robert, at the age of 18, cruising one night in North Hollywood Park. We began dating and it turned out that he worked for one of the distribution companies that sold gay p**n reels via mail order. One evening Robert called me and said "Come over" I've got our new reels and my friend Joe is bringing his projector." Joe was a co-worker of his who was a big lunk of a guy, older and quite sweet. When I got there everything was all set up and Robert poured my a cocktail and Joe warmed up the projector as Robert dimmed the lights. It was actually really funny to watch the clips with Joe and Robert adding dialogue and sound effects in between telling tales of which performer was an as***le, etc. That first time I got lucky, which I didn't realize until later, because they were all from early Falcon titles so even then that company turned out some quality material. Along with the reels Robert also had a collection of the newest brochures of titles his company was selling. As I flipped through them I stop in shock because there was Eric in stills working under the name Tige Masters. Robert caught my expression and asked what was wrong and I told him I knew this performer and explained how. Robert howled with laughter and went on to explain that Johnnie represented a number of “performers” and Robert asked if he had ever mentioned that or asked me. I said no to both questions but even then I could see how Johnnie might have been laying the groundwork. By the time I moved in with Robert, he'd left that job and VHS was becoming the thing. Needless to say, I've had a thing for late 70's p**n ever since (and should explain my choice of “header” image for this page.)

My inadvertent experiences with the gay p**n industry would not end there but that’s for telling later…

02/14/2020

Almost three years since I promised a John Waters post... and while it's not done yet, it is coming soon. Thank you for taking interest.

05/28/2017

Good afternoon, class... Get your notebooks out because coming soon... the topic will be John Waters. You will be tested on this..... ;)

08/15/2016

(the 3rd and final part of this post...)

So just about 29 years ago, I scored three tickets to see Yma Sumac live at the Theatre On The Square (now the SF Playhouse) in San Francisco. With my friend Valerie and co-worker/friend Robin along for the event, all dressed up in our best cocktail party outfits, we jumped into my green little Mazda 310 and made our way up to San Francisco.

The theater itself is on the 2nd floor of what is now the Kensington Hotel at 450 Post St. It was the perfect location for this show as it exuded a vibe completely in line with the program. Our seats were on the center aisle about 18 rows from the stage which was adorned on either side by giant Incan statues. Looking at the program, we were put off that we didn't see a single MAMBO song included. The show was indeed wonderful and Ms. Sumac still had it. She hit notes that were phenomenal. She was a tough singer to play for, the audience could tell, because if someone in her band was getting to loud, she'd slightly turn around flutter her hand and utter "Chu chu chu chu" quickly correcting the musician in error. The end of the program came and she left the stage... no Mambo... but suddenly she re-took the stage for an encore and to the entire room's delight she launched into "Malambo #1." She laughed at the response as if to let us know that she knew why we were all so happy. It was glorious.

I've included a picture of Yma at the Hollywood Bowl to illustrate the power of her voice. In the photo she is standing a number of feet back away from her mic. So many years later this was still the case. To think of her being on top of the mic as so many singers must be, would have meant blowing out the sound system. She was AMAZING.

After the show she sat in the lobby and welcomed well-wishers and fans and signed autographs graciously and with a sincere sense of humor. A night I will never, ever forget.

What makes Yma Sumac "gay?" Just listen to MAMBO and you'll know. Every track screams BIG PRODUCTION NUMBER and seeing her in 1987 the only missing was a corps of half-dressed men dancing wildly around an Incan Princess icon... Yma Sumac.

08/14/2016

Part 3 to come... in the meantime here's this:

https://youtu.be/oLx-NtDFQJ

08/14/2016

August 14, 2016 Part 2:

By this time it was early June of 1987 and Summer was coming on fast and fabulous. After tearing through a stack of boxes from Capitol Records I had in my hand the one cassette that was available from the three titles ordered by Yma Sumac. Now I don't know what kind of grand luck was working in my favor but that one album turned out to be MAMBO. Having no previous knowledge of this singer or her style, I would later come to discern that this album was the best thing I could have received.

Yma Sumac came into vogue in the U.S. in the 1950's. A vocalist extraordinaire from Peru, she claimed to be an Incan princess and incredible had a powerful five octave range. She hit during the huge popularity of the musical genre often referred to as "Exotica" and graced the shelves with recording artist like Martin Denny. The majority of her albums played more like somber, new-age music from an earlier time though sporting her amazing vocal skills. But MAMBO is the album that didn't follow this concept, AT ALL!

Before even hearing one note, I couldn't help but adore the cover art. And the liner notes, that were included in the cassette tape, were hilarious. Crossing my fingers that the music matched the promise of the visuals, I ran to the store sound system, popped the tape in and hit "Play."

"Bo Mambo" starts out mid-temp with a series of lower key sax riffs followed by dramatic brass section blasts... The promise was coming true. Yma starts out singing, in Peruvian, with a lower throaty voice, husky in tone and rather provocatively. But in the second verse she shoots a couple octaves higher and her tone is clean, crisp and yet warm and inviting. It didn't matter if I knew what the hell she was singing about. Her voice, stylings and delivery, paired with the amazing orchestrations by Billy May (brilliant artist in his own right) were delightful, mysterious and completely infectious. As the album progressed the tempo only got faster and the arrangements more layered and delicious. This album is truly the most perfect Summer album ever. Wild, playful, crazy and free.

Flipping the tape over, the first song on side two was "Malambo #1"
(my favorite track) and Yma is in her full glory. Changing octaves at the drop of a snare drum... In her own way, she was hip-hop before the term had even come into it's own. The song is a crazy combination of styles and the end result is nothing less than sublime. I was HOOKED!

It took no time before I had made copies and shared this album with just about everyone I knew. At the time my friend, Valerie, was working at Cafe Zinho in downtown SC and this coffee house was hot hot hot and if Val was on shift, you could bet that MAMBO was playing. I started having to order this tape for the store over and over because so many people were being exposed to it and wanted it. And the thing about this particular album is that it never gets boring, no matter how many times you hear it. What better soundtrack for Summer.

Going back to the idea of "grand luck" in August of that same year it was announced that Yma was performing a couple nights in San Francisco, a city she had not performed in for more than 20 years.
WHAT!!??? She had to be in her 70's. Could she possible still be able to hit her marks... and even if she couldn't how could I pass up this chance to see a singer who was clearly legendary?

(Okay I lied... this one is going to be a three parter.....)

08/14/2016

I've come to realize that it takes time to scour my memory in search of the lessons that I find worthy of Gay Sunday School and I'd like to ask that anyone who comes to this page feel free to add to the lesson plan. It's important that all of our experiences get shared, that we have the opportunity to learn from one another.

With the hopes of making up for time passed, today's post comes in three parts, covering two very different topics, but as you will learn, walk hand in hand.

Mother Fist & Her Five Daughters

This is the title of the 3rd solo album by Marc Almond, released in February 1987. Marc Almond was the singing voice of the duo Soft Cell, best known for their hit cover of "Tainted Love" as well as their risque club hit "S*x Dwarf." In 1987 it was still a very dangerous thing for a recording artist to be open about their sexual preference but Marc Almond was refreshingly open about being gay, as well as being in-your-face with his exploration of the darker, seedier sides of life. His solo work then as now tends toward the lush, orchestral and often melodramatic while lyrically embraces everything from heartbreak to hustlers.

With his third solo album (with his band, The Willing Sinners) he clearly was waving his q***r flag proudly. Featuring songs like 'Saint Judy" an ode to Ms. Garland, "The Hustler" and of course the title track, "Mother Fist" the title referring to a slang expression about the hand used in male ma********on... the five daughters being the fingers of the fist. Following the course set forth by the title, the song itself is a Basque inspired tribute to art of male self-release as experienced by the singer.

"Mother Fist never gets angry
Mother Fist she never gets bored
I don't have to feed her
I just have to need her
She cries give me the word"

https://youtu.be/EmX4QDNL5I0?list=RDEmX4QDNL5I0

I bought this album the day it dropped in the UK, having found it in a favorite record store that was famous for having imports the day they came out and I listened to it continuously. But there was one line in the title track that never ceased to confuse me because I had no knowledge as to who Almond was referring to:

"And I lock my door from the inside
Turn my mind to sweet sweet pain
And I wail just like Yma Sumac
Mother Fist she never complains"

Yma Sumac? Who the f**k is that? I could surmise that it was most likely a recording artist, but from where and what did she sing?

Luckily for me, I was the head buyer for a local record store in Santa Cruz, CA, Cymbeline Records, a store that took pride in carrying deep catalogues of every musical style available. I remember scouring the catalogues of all of our labels and distributors, searching for Yma Sumac and finally found three albums listed as "in-print" in the Capitol Records expansive catalogue. So while placing orders, new releases and stock titles, I threw in the three available Yma albums. CD's had not been issued yet for her titles so I ordered one of each in both LP and Cassette hoping to broaden my chances of getting at least one album in one format or the other. "In-print" didn't necessarily mean "available." About ten days later our shipment arrived and I plunged through the packing list and then through the boxes and dug out the sole item that shipped from the 6 ordered. It was a cassette tape (ugh - not my favorite format) but I was still excited to hear it.......

(That brings me to Part 2)....

Mother Fist And Her Five Daughters

12/20/2015

Well it's been over a year since the last Sunday class... Life happens and losing track of extracurricular things is one of the costs. I've considered dropping this page over this time but every now and then I get notice that another person has "Liked" the page.

I wish more people would share stuff.

That being said.... Today's topic... THE WOMEN (1939)

I believe it was back in September of 1983 and my first lover, Robert, came home ecstatic screaming, "We're going to see a movie tonight! You HAVE to see this! You are going to die. It never shows anywhere and you HAVE to see it on a big screen! YOU HAVE TO!"

Seeing this movie, the event that it was, ended up being far more important than one would expect. But I digress.

Robert went on to give me some basics about the film. It was directed by George Cukor, a notoriously "fabulous" director who had recently released "Rich and Famous" (1981), the film that would turn out to be his last. Robert then rattled off a veritable who's who of female stars from the 30's, all of whom were in the cast... Norma Shearer, Rosalind Russell, Joan Crawford and so on and so on. He was like a kid on Christmas morning telling me these things... "There's not a single man in the movie! Not even a photo! And the fashion show! Oh my god... the entire film is in black and white EXCEPT for the fashion show! And the dialogue... you're such a witty bitch, your head is going to explode! Jungle Red! Jungle Red!"

We piled into his Audi and headed down to the Vista Theatre (Hollywood), then a revival house that showed a plethora of old films. I remember being a little hesitant, almost irritated thinking I'd rather be seeing something new. The foolish thoughts of the uninitiated, the uneducated.

This movie is a powerhouse laugh-riot from the very beginning. The opening credits are masterful pairing each star with an animal based on the character she was playing... Brilliant. The opening sequence at Black's Fifth Avenue, a woman's salon and spa is equally divine and builds in pace until all you can hear is the drone of women gossiping. Babble, babble, babble. Now some people with more feminist bents might find this approach offensive and maybe for good reason. The movie was based on the play of the same name by Claire Booth Luce and she wrote it as an attack on the society women the she found her world quite full of. I wonder what her "friends" thought of it? Ha!

Anyway, as someone who loves a good jab, this movie was candy. The one liners come constantly and from all sides and I knew walking out of the theatre that I HAD to see it again just to see what I had missed the first time around. (and I couldn't tell you how many times I've watched this film since that night... too many times to count.) I won't go into the storyline because it's far too layered but I will say that every role is perfectly cast. The fashion show sequence is bizarre with it's wannabe-Schiaparelli fashions by MGM's head costume designer Adrian, yet oddly not out of place. It's funny to see that Rosalind Russell got lesser billing than Shearer & Crawford because without her this film would be close to nothing despite the other names. And honestly, I don't think the name of a nail polish color has been or will be as important in a film as it is here. Also, don't be put off that there aren't any men in the movie because this film is SOOOOO gay!

I know I'm not really doing this movie justice but I am refraining from putting too many spoilers down in type. I will share this one thought though... Little Mary is such a le***an! Do yourself a favor and find this movie, (NOT the recent, horrible 2008 remake) and prepare to take notes. You'll be happy that you did.

I will be forever grateful to Robert for this... not only for this specific film but for also opening my eyes to the concept of revival house movie theaters. I'd never been to one before this and after I couldn't get enough of them. Sadly, most theaters of the sort have vanished, but if you are lucky enough to have one near you, take the time to search out it's schedule and support it while it is still there. There really is NOTHING like seeing some of these films on a big screen. NOTHING.

Jungle Red! Jungle Red!

04/23/2014

Some wonderful happenings in SF this week as it honors a much-loved member of the transgender community:

San Francisco is set to name a street after a transgender icon, marking the first time the city has awarded such an honor to a member of the transgender community.

04/23/2014

Chronicling the remarkable experiences of Vicki Marlane, a drag performer still strutting it onstage in her seventies, Vicki takes us on the ride of her life — from…

03/23/2014

Well kids... It's Sunday again! Boy this day snuck up on my ass and I am very glad that I took a little time to think about today's chunk of history a few days ago... Unfortunately, thinking it up did not include drafting it so, this is a simple note to let you know that class has been delayed a couple hours... But TRUST ME, great stuff is coming.... -e.