Melanie B: "Different Ones"
CD. Two Hearts
USA. 1998.
"Different Ones" is about the battle we sometimes face coming out and potentially jeopardising your career, your personal life and your relationships with family and so-called friends.
Openly lesbian musician from Texas.
Contact (1998): Melanie B, Two Hearts Productions, PO Box 131552, Tyler, TX 75701.

B- 52's (sometimes BC-52's)
Hailing from Athens, GA, started at a 1977 Valentine's Day house-party, The B-52's (Fred Schneider's psycho monotone vocals, soaring harmonies by Kate Pierson and Cindy Wilson, Ricky Wilson's open-tuned guitar twang, and Keith Strickland's syncopated percussion.) soon became the band you heard at EVERY party. Suddenly, girls (and drag queens) rediscovered the "bouffant". Songs like "Rock Lobster", "Private Idaho", & "Strobe Light" pogoed into the hearts of straight frat boys and gay boys alike who loved the infectious mix of 60's surf-garage, 80's new wave, and Americana kitsch. Though never having uttered an out gay comment in their music, the band are generally acknowledged to have drawn heavily on gay sensibilities in developing their nostalgic rock sound.
Line Up 1977: Cindy Wilson (guitar), Kate Pierson (keyboards, vocals), Ricky Wilson (guitar), Fred Schneider (keyboards, vocals), Keith Strickland (drums). Ricky died in 1985 (Keith took over the guitar). Cindy left in 1991 with the trio continuing as the BC-52's. Then reformed as B-52's for the Flintstones movie (1993) and subsequent albums.
Albums "B-52's" (Island 1979), "Wild Planet" (1980); "Mesopotamia" (1981); Whammy (1983); "Bouncing Off Satellites (1987). "Cosmic Thing" (produced by Nile Rodgers and Don Was for Reprise);
Perhaps the success of "Cosmic Thing" and accompanying (gay) influences encouraged the 'coming out' interview which Fred and Keith gave to QW magazine in '92.
Later albums incl. "Time Capsule: Songs For A Future Generation" (1997); Summer Of Love '98 (1997). Fred Scneider also released a solo album called "Just Fred" (see below).

B-52's: "Debbie"
CD. "Time Capsule: Songs For A Future Generation."
USA. 1998.
The band's out queer drummer Keith Strickland referring to the song, said "It's inspired by Debbie Harry but certainly not literally about her. It's a rock 'n' roll tune with lesbian undertones.". Loosely based on the new wave diva who fronted the rock band BLONDIE, but the song also deals with the formation of the B-52's during the late '70s new wave scene in New York City. "Shell-shocked supersonic blonde/Hyperphonic female, dark sunglasses on." The song seems timed to coincide with renewed interested in Blondie due to a current reunion of the band.

Baba Yaga: "On the Edge"
LP. Bloodleaf Records OTE 105. (Distr. Olivia Records)
USA. 1978. Lyrics enclosed in English and Spanish. Jazz/beat. Women's band.
"Ode to Charlotte's Web"; "Sweet Beginnings"; "Terra (De Ninquem)"; "Too Cool To Be True"; "Monogamy-Shbedogamy"; "Smoke"; "A Little Bit Of Something Special"; "Old Woman song"; "Nomi's Song"; "Rise Again".
"Sweet Beginnings" (4:22)(Goldberg/O'Hara): "Sister...what you give to me I give back to you, turn it inside out with love, love, love."
Baba Yaga are; Barbara J.Galloway, Patti Vincent, Bonnie Kovaleff, Kiera O'Hara, Susan Colson, Jan Cornall, Nancy Cady, Janet(Jake)Lampert, Mara McNamara, Niobe Erebor

Backstreet Boys
None of the members of Backstreet Boys are officially 'out-of-the-closet', though close observers say they would not be surprised if at least one of the boys is gay .
However, of all the boy band groups, only Backstreet Boys show any clear awareness that they have a gay following. They also have revealed to OUT magazine that they have "no problem" with the idea that gay men might find them attractive. To them, it simply means more potential fans who will buy their music!

Mimi Baczewska: "Turning Tide"
LP. MC. Mimosa Music
USA. 1989.
"Jazsong"; "Missing You"; "Red Hawk"; "Nothing Is The Same"; "Women Of The World"; "Risin'On"; "Open Door"; "Oh My Soul"; "First They Came"; "Turning Tide"
Produced by Karen Kane, Mimi Baczewska . With backing fromLaurie Moses, Toni Armstrong, Jennifer Trowbridge, Karen Kane, Christine Baczewska, Sharon Karp, Judy Stone, Tricia Alexander, Rachel Alexander

Mimi Baczewska: "Carry Me"
see "Family Of Friends"

Mimi Baczewska: ""She's A Keeper"
CD. "For The Love of You" Mimosa Music
USA. 1996 .
Mimi is an out lesbian. One song, "She's A Keeper" is a love song to a woman -, while the other songs have other topics, some about her love of the earth and some with a spiritual theme Mimi has another recording: "Turning Tide", also on the same label, available only on tape and released in the early 90's.
Contact (1996): Mimosa Music, Rt. 1, Box 392, Ava, MO, 65608

Bad Brains:
Homophobic Hardcore band with Rastafarian influences.

Erykah Badu
The richly rewarded (and awarded) talents of Erykah Badu's hip-hop album "Baduizm" stems mainly from the release of one commercial single, "On and On. " No other singles were released to the public. Erykah's label, Kedar Entertainment, has some savvy marketers, because even though "Baduizm" had only been out a few months, they quickly followed up with a "Live" album. They released NO singles off that project and it has gone platinum. Since November it's been selling off the strength of the radio-hit "Tyrone. " "'Tyrone was a joke. I made it up on stage in London," Badu says. "I free-styled it. That's what we do in hip hop. We just make things up sometime. " And Erykah adds as popular as the song is, people are misinterpreting it. "Let me clear this up. The song is not about 'Tyrone. ' The song is about my old man, and HE needs to call Tyrone who's a friend he spends too much time with. Most people are saying Tyrone this, Tyrone that. Actually Tyrone is the one that needs to come help him get his stuff. " Erykah is set to do a few tour dates, but will not do a lengthy on-the-road show because she wants to spend more time with her newborn son, Seven. HEAR this story on the hour-long edition of RadioScope.

Joan Baez (New York, 9 Jan 1941 - )
On several occasions she has commented on the subject of gayness. Thought to be out from 1972 (after her most prominent period) she says that she has become tired of being presumed lesbian and of women "pestering" her at concerts over many years. Nevertheless she has continued her support for gay/lesbian causes, singing at the first concert of San Francisco Gay Men's Chorus (see Harvey Milk), etc.
Many of her lyrics are also reprinted in Joan Baez's notebook: "...and then I wrote. "

Joan Baez: "Joan"
LP. Vanguard VSO-79240
USA. 1967.
"The Lady Came From Baltimore" (2:31)(Baez): "...but I fell in love with the lady and came away with none"
Lyric reprinted in "The Contemporary Ballad Book", (US 1974)

Joan Baez: "Gulf Winds"
LP. A&M Records, AMLH 64 603 and AMNP 101.
USA. 1976. Folk/beat. Lyrics on inner sleeve
"Stephanie's Room" (4:05)(Baez): About a declining (lesbian?) relationship. (c. f. James Baldwin's "Giovanni's Room"?)

Joan Baez: "Altar Boy and the Thief"
LP. "Blowin' Away" Portrait PRT 82011 and BL 34697.
USA. 1977. Lyrics on inner sleeve. Folk/beat. •
"Altar Boy and the Thief" (3:22)(BARS):About a gay bar with various (gay) characters described. According to a 1979 interview the bar in question was the Pink Elephant in Santa Monica.

Joan Baez: "Alter Boy and the Thief"
see "Club Verboten"

Ben Bagley: "Ben Bagley's Noel Coward Revisited"
LP. MGM 4430
USA. 1970? Musical
Incl. "Green Carnations"
See Coward (below) for song info.

Jim Bailey: "Jim Bailey"
LP. United Artists UAS-5642.
USA. 1972. (DRAS) (HOLL) "singer-illusionist"
California-born 'female illusionist', imitating Judy Garland (GARL), Barbra Streisand, Peggy Lee. His first big job was in 1968, when he took a gig as stand-in for Phyllis Diller, who was also a personal friend. He is flattered that his TV appearances have often fooled even close friends of the stars. (No explicit gay content)

Jim Bailey: "At Carnegie Hall"
(TVAA)

Jim Bailey (as Barbra Streisand): "Don't Rain On My Parade"
(TVAA)•
see "Club Verboten"

Chet Baker: "My Funny Valentine"
Many recordings including "Chet Baker Plays And Sings The Great Ballads" (Cema CD 57586, 1992) which also includes his version of "My Buddy" (see also Conscription). •
see "Club Verboten"

George Baker: " There's Something About A Soldier "
CD. "The Man I Love" (see above)
UK. 1933. (MILI)•
A song admiring the stirling qualities of the (British) soldier. Not strictly speaking a cross vocal since though somewhat unusual it is not romantic or sexual".
see "The Man I Love"

Josephine Baker: "J'ai Deux Amours"
• see "Club Verboten"

Long John Baldry: "A Thrill Is A Thrill"
LP. RCA Records
UK. 1979.
Very closeted UK. blues artist whose famous collaborations with Alexis Korner, Cyril Davis and others led to the break for Rod Stewart and a young pianist called Reg Dwight. (Baldry's first name was 'borrowed' by their popular keyboardist, who also liked the name of the band's saxophonist Elton Dean, and therefore renamed himself Elton John)

James Baldwin (Aug 2, 1924-Dec 1, 1987)
Black American author who said "My homosexuality is simply less important than my being black".
An acclaimed voice of the civil rights movement, and associate of Dr Martin Luther King, his best known books include "Tell Me How Long The Train's Been Gone", "Giovanni's Room" and "Go Tell It To The Mountain".

James Baldwin: "Reading from "Giovanni's Room"
EP. Calliope CAL 11
USA. 1962.

James Baldwin: "James Baldwin Reading from "Another Country" "
EP. Calliope, CAL 18
USA. 1963..
"Another Country"" (15:52) "Rufus"; "Reverend Foster"

James Baldwin: "James Baldwin Reads"
LP. CMS 617 (Lib. Cong. R67. 3190)
USA. 19?? (GLIT)
Side 1: "Giovanni's Room"- Giovanni and Guillamme( ), ibid- "Joey" (Pt 1) ( ); "Joey "(Pt 2) ( ), "Another Country"-Rev'd Foster's Eulogy.

James Baldwin
Author's spoken voice recordings (poetry) form part of the libretto of David Linx/Pierre Van Dormael "A Lover's Question"

Balkan Electrique: "Small Town Boy"
CD. Start CD001
Poland. 1990.
Cover of the Bronski Beat hit.

"The Ballad Of Little Mikey: The Birth Of An Activist": Original Cast Recording
LP. AEI Records CD-021,
USA. 1994. °
Starring Mark W. Smith as Mikey. Book, Music & Lyrics by Mark Savage
"Welcome to. Mikey"(Mikey), "The Ballad of Little Mikey" (Mikey), "Tap" (Mikey and Ensemble), "Blah, Blah, Blah"(Dr Russo and Robert), "Different From Normal" (Mikey)(DIFF), "It's Him" (Mikey), "Comin' In" (Mikey and Ensemble), "Just Like Our Parents" (Steve)(PARE), "Ten Percent" (Josh, Clay, Robert, Charles), "Torture" (Mikey), "March" (Mikey and Ensemble)(DEMO);"We're Here" (Mikey), "Pioneer" (Murray), "Oh Mom, Oh Dad!" (Mikey and Ensemble)(FAMI), "Finale" (Mikey, Steve and Ensemble)

"The Ballad Of Little Mikey"
see "Family Jewels: Gems of Rainbow Stage"

Ballets Trockadero di Monte Carlo
Classical ballet meets gay aesthetic. Men in ballet frocks do the 'gay thing' to classical dance's greatest moments. A well-known subject of photographers, the company have toured venues across Europe with their comic tributes to great dancers. (c. f. La Gran Scena Opera Company, see below)

Smith Ballew
see Danny Yates Orch:"He's My Secret Passion"

Smith Ballew: " I Got Rhythm "
CD. "The Man I Love" (see above)
USA. 1930. •
The cross vocal of Gershwin has the male vocalist singing " I got my man, who could ask for anythin more".

B. A. L. L. S: "(I'm A) Boy Watcher"
see Brothers About Living, Loving & Sensuality

Bananarama
Singing "I Heard A Rumour" surrounded by scantily clad boys was 'one hell of an eye-opener' for gay male viewers of national TV at Smash Hits 1990 Awards.

Bandit Queen: "Miss Dandy's"
UK Playtime, US Mammoth About "Japanese cross-dressing gigolos". (PROS) (TVAA)
Bandit Queen is a trio with two women and a token male drummer. There are several songs about woman-woman love.

Bandit Queen: "Hormone Hotel"
LP. CD. Playtime Recs. AMUSE 27
UK. 1995.
"Petals and Razor Blades"; "Miss Dandy's'; Hormone Hotel"
"Miss Dandys" is about a female-to-male transsexual; there's a song about Frida Kahlo. The music is noisy pop; say Pixies and P.J. Harvey. Contact: Playtime Records, Box 354, Manchester M60 4PR

Moe Bandy and Joe Stampley: "Where's The Dress?"
7". and LP. (UK)Columbia 39426, (US) Columbia 04474,
USA. 1984. (PHOB)(TVAA)
"Oh I saw it on the TV and I though it was shame, It was a man dressed like a woman and he had a boy's name, Well I heard it on the radio while I was in the tub, What in the world is this thing they call the 'Culture Club'? Well it's some old boy from England, and he's making a million bucks, We'll never make a million, Mo, driving these old trucks! Too many nights of drinking, loosing football bets, Lately we'd do anything to get us out of debt. Where's the dress? Give ME them high heel shoes! Where's the dress, we'll be money-making fools. We might close some bars down, cause a few arrests, But if it makes some money, tell me, where's the dress? ,I'll hire me a nurse to carry my purse and I'll keep it full of beer, I'll have a girl to drive my truck, and one to tease my hair, We can still go fishing, wear our old blue jeans, When it comes to showtime, we'll be country queens. "
see Culture Club
see Boy George
see Homophobia (PHOB)

Tullulah Bankhead: "Tullulah Bankhead"
LP. Co-Star CS-109
USA. 1977. Cabaret by famous dyke vamp.

Gary Bankston:: "Sweet Dreams"
see "Love Worth Fighting For"

Buju Banton: "Boom Bye Bye"
7".
Jamaica? 1992. (PHOB) (REGG)
"World is in trouble, anytime Buju Banton come, Batty boy get up en run, and gun shot in the head back...Send for the 'matic and the Uzi instead, shoot them now, come let we shoot them. "
Also suggests that lesbians should be raped to make them appreciate the male sex. Protest by GLAAD led to considerable controversy in Jamaica, where homophobia is still enshrined at state and local level.

Buju Banton: "Mr Battyman"
(see cover by Army Of Lovers on "Glory of Glamour and Gold")
Battyman is a synonym for faggot.

BAP: "Vun Drinne Noh Drusse"
LP. EMI 1C 066 1466391.
Germany. 1982.
"Kristallnaach" ( ), "die schwulen Verbrecher", (=the gay criminals) (music:BAP / lyrics:Wolfgang Niedecken):On "Crystal Night" (Kristallnacht) 9th Nov. 1938 Jewish possessions were plundered by the Nazis; historians often forget about the gays also suppressed and pursued. The lyrics are in the Cologne dialect (Kölner Mundart).

BAP live: "Bess Demnähx"
2LP. DMM/EMI 1C 164 1651951.
Germany. 1983.
"Kristallnaach (BAP/Wolfgang Niedecken)(5:56):(see above).

"Bara brudar" (=Only Brides):Various Artists
LP. Silence SRS 4651.
Sweden. 1978. (Stockholm 18-20 Åug 1978). Lyrics enclosed
Søsterrock: "Vi er mange" (6:00); "Søsterlil" (5:00) (= Little Sister)and other lesbian songs.
Recordings from women's festival 1978, benefit for a women's house in Stockholm, Sweden.

Barbarians: "Are You a Boy or Are You A Girl"
LP. Ace Rec, 45 Laurie 3308 (#55 US BillBoard)
USA. 1965. (ANDR)
West Coast acid-rock band with "androgyny/gender-fuck" songs.
see also Wayne County

Kitty Barber: "Pancake Blues"
LP. "Gay And Straight Together" Folkways Records FS 8580
USA. 1981. Folk . Lyrics enclosed. °
"Pancake Blues" (3:01) No relevant lyric.
Well-known face of the early wimmin's music scene, also released Cassette "Over The Line" (Haircut Recs 816).

Samuel Barber (1910-1981)
American composer who worked with his lover Gian Carlo Menotti (see below). Pullitzer prize for his opera "Vanessa" in 1958.
see Menotti

Samuel Barber: "Excursions For Piano - orchestra"
see "Gay American Composers: Vol. 2"

Samuel Barber : " : "Adagio for Strings"
see "Out Classics" (Vol 1)

Barbie: "Barbie"
LP. Alpha Records ONELP. 005.
Sweden. 1985. (MUSI) (GLOP) Explanatory text enclosed.
Barbie, daughter of an American president and a movie star, was sent to space to avoid a public scandal. In March 1985 she returned to Earth; when her spaceship landed on a tiny island rock outside of Stockholm, Sweden two lesbians named Lady Jane and Wanda Mavies picked her up and decided to make her a rock and roll star.

Barenaked Ladies: "Be My Yoko Ono"
see "Get Out": Various Artists

Barenaked Ladies: "What A Good Boy"
see also "Boys United": Compilation

Rex Barker and The Ricochets: "Jeremy Is Innocent"
7".
UK. 1980.
"Jeremy Is Innocent". Refers to Thorpe Trial (UK. 1979) (THOR)
see also Avant Gardeners

Wayne Barker: "Safe Sex Slut"
CD. "Don't Mess With Mary", Aboveground Rec. 107,
USA. 1994. Ί
see Tom Wilson " Don't Mess With Mary"

Jan Barlowe: "Dyke The Halls"
(label info not known)
USA. 198? (XMAS) (BRYA)(GODS)T
"Dyke The Halls"; "Jerry Falwell's Coming To Town"; "For Christmas Give Me Bosoms"; "O Sodomy"; "Yuppie Days Of Christmas"; "O Holy Right"

Barnes: "Loud Boy Radio"
CD. Loud Boy Records; LBR001
USA. 1998. Artwork
"Boy With A Secret," (YOUT) is a song about coming of age and out of the closet: "I'm the boy that the priest picked from the choir... talking God while his eye was on my crotch." This song is about as out lyrically as a song can get, set to a rhythmic sound reminiscent of Duran Duran. (you'll wonder if he witnessed YOUR gay-male adolescence with a pen in his hand and a boombox under his arm).
"Do I Get What I Want" will also appeal with its dark queer poetry: "God ripped my lover from my hand... left an angry faggot... fierce and damned."
"Human." sounds almost haunted as he stresses his humanity: "How I need you... flesh and blood and nothing less than human."
Barnes is a former member of the Canadian group The Nylons. This is a 7-song introduction to pieces he's been perfecting with live shows through 1997. "I sing about experiences," he says. "And I want these experiences to mean something to others. They're universal - about life, love, being accepted, finding one's place. We are more alike than we are different."
What is so striking is that while Barnes may play the preacher, you just don't feel preached to: These are simply just great songs that come from a place of unflinching honesty. On stage, he is a stand-tall commanding presence, spinning poetic in-your-face tales of his life set to original and infectious dance rock grooves. To get an idea of the musical style here, think of previous hits by Nine Inch Nails and White Zombie that managed to merge techno and rock. Tracks penned by the artist with assistance from Brad Deymond (Republica) and Jim Jacobsen (the eels).
Contact (1998): Barnes, Construction Company, P.O. Box 145, Venice, CA 90294. Email, barnes01@earthlink.net

Barnes & Barnes: "Homophobic Dream #23"
CD. Rhino CD. 70517,
USA. 1991. °
Despite the name, not homophobic, (46 seconds long) with(complete) lyrics "I thought he loved me, but he never really loved me, I thought he loved me but he broke my heart, I thought he loved me but he never really loved me, he tore my gay happy world all apart..."

Barnes And Barnes: "Pineapple Princess"
(Gay theme?)

Judy Barnett's "Begin The Beguine"
see "Fruit Cocktail": Various Artists

Eric Lane Barnes
see "Fairy Tales": Original Cast Recording

Sandy Baron: "Do You Take This Man" / "It Happened One Night"
EP. A&M EP 9
USA. 1972.
Tracks from the LP. "God Save The Queens" A&M 4355.

Sandy Baron: "God Save The Queens, (A different comedy album)"
LP. A&M SP-4355 (COME)(CABA)(GLOP)
USA. 1972. Musical Comedy. Artwork
Sleeve notes from personalities.
""Do You Take This Man?"(1:51); It Happened One Night"(3:25); "That Was Your Life"; "Awe In The Family"; (FAMI); "Clockwork Pink"; "The Plot"; "Buy Gay!"; "The Politician"; "The Counsellor and The Hustler" (PROS); "Finale: A Fairy Tale; 'The Queen Who Came Out of the Closet'" (COMI)
All tracks by Sandy Baron and James R. McGraw. Performed by Sandy Baron with Hildy Brooks, Ray Eilenborne, James R. McGraw, John Myles.
Sleeve: "There is certainly an element of humanity here that transcends straight and/or gay. But, oh my nerves! This certainly should tear them up at the Tubs" Bette Midler. ("Tubs"-see Bette Midler below)

Sandy Baron: "How I Found God, Zen, Yoga, est, Arica, Sufi, Scientology, TM...and my life still sucks!"
LP. 20th Century T 537
USA. 1977. (live) Spoken Comedy album (COME)•
incl. "Faggot Boom"

Ruth Barrett: "Parthenogenesis"
MC. Ladyslipper Music
USA. 1990.
"Parthenogenesis"; "Crone"; "Danu"; "Naiad"; "Kadishtu(Holy Woman)"; "Invocation To Free Women"; "Sister's Eyes"; "Midsummer Madness/Rise Moon".
Produced by Scott Fraser, Ruth Barrett.
With backing from Scott Fraser, Kay Gardner, Cyntia Smith, Caroline Asplin, Edward Willett, Su Livingston.

Claudja Barry: "Boogie Woogie Dancing Shoes"
see "Glad To Be Gay"

Bars and Nightclubs (BARS)
Bars are the network hubs of homo culture and the crucible for sex and social contact. Some favorite haunts are commemorated, and some speculations are made about bar behaviour.

D. J. Adler "Talking Gay Bar Blues"
Joan Baez "Altar Boy and the Thief"
Fred Barton "I Poured Me A Man"
Shirley Bassey "Ballad of the Sad Young Men"
Axel Bauer "Cargo"
Blueboy "Clearer"
Jackson Browne "Boulevard"
The Dammed "Gay Bars"
"Dans tegen de draai in "Cafe De La Solitude"
Bob Dylan "Ballad Of A Thin Man"
Maxine Feldman "Bar One"
"The Faggot" "A Gay Bar Cantata"
Bill Folk "Waiting Just For You"
Axel Gran "Nattvise"
Benny Holst "Café"
Jeffrey C. Jones "Song for His 'n' Hers"
Judge Dread "Rub-a-dub"
Klaus Lage Band "Wieder zuhaus"
Lynn Lavner "Come To The Bars"
Lynn Lavner "The Man Behind The Bar"
Juliana Lücking "Perfect Lesbian Bar"
Rus McCoy "The Barfly "
Magnetic Fields "Get Lost C"
Michelle Malone "Speaking Of Fueled..., "
Mighty Sphincter "Fagbar"
The Miracles "Ain't Nobody Straight in L. A. "
Pansy Division "Rock and Roll Queer Bar"
Pansy Division "Sidewalk Sale"
"The Queen Is In The Closet" "A Bar Is A Bar, Is A Bar"
Lou Reed "Good-Night Ladies"
Jonathan Richman "I Was Dancing In The Lesbian Bar"
Rolling Stones "Let Me Go":
Rough Trade "Kiss Me Deadly "
Songs about named bars are found under the city name (Amsterdam, London, New York, etc.)

B Art: "Use A Rubber" b/w "The Model"
12". WEA 248 155 0 7". WEA 248 155 7
F/Belgium/D 1988. Belgian beat (DISC)
"Use A Rubber"; "If you're heterosexual, lesbian or gay/ Safe sex is something you treasure/ Get a rubber today!" (SAFE)

Fred Barton: "Miss Gulch Returns"
LP. MGR 5757, MC. 5757C
USA. 1984. Drag/musical comedy (GLOP)(CABA)(FILM) (DRAG) (GARL)(MUSI)(COME) Artwork•
Side 1: "You're The Woman I'd Wanna Be" (HERO); "I'm A Bitch"; "Born On A Bike"; "Pour Me A Man"; "Everyone Worth Taking" (LONE); "Side 2: "It's Not My Idea Of A Gig" (Song about singing in a gay chorus) (CHOR); "Don't Touch Me"; "I'm Your Bitch"; "I Poured Me A Man" (About drink and seduction) (DRUG); "Give My Best To The Blond"; "Everyone Worth Taking/ Finale":
Barton parodies Wizard of Oz baddy Elvira Gulch/ Wicked Witch of the East, in this post AIDS cabaret masterpiece.

Shirley Bassey: "This Is My Life"
• "This Is My life, and I don't give a damn for lost emotion, for here's the way that I was meant to be, this is me!" see "Club Verboten"

Shirley Bassey: "Ballad of the Sad Young Men"
LP. "And I Love You So" United Artists UA 5643.
USA. 1972.
"Ballad of the Sad Young Men" (5:26): "All the sad young men, seek a certain smile, someone they can hold for just a little while. Tired little girl does the best she can, Trying to be gay for a sad young man, while the grimy man watches from the bar. " (LONE)(BARS) ( Song by F. Landesman/T. J. Wolf Jr. / Empress Music ASCAP. see "The Nervous Set")
A famous cover of a song from Roberta Flack's 1969 album "First Take" (Atlantic 8230.) Dynes/Donaldson gives it as an example of 'conscription' (see Ency. Homo p. 859. ) Also performed on "Greatest Hits", United Artist UALA715H2, USA. 1976.

Batchelor Pad "Albums of Jack/Jack and Julian"
LP. Waholasound
UK. 1987.
Story of a gay relationship from Scots Indie band

Byrd E. Bath: "Mixed Nuts"
7" Camp Records 2B8
USA 1966? Artwork
see Camp Records (disc No. 2)

Axel Bauer: "Cargo"
7". SONET T-20053.
France. 1983. Lyrics on cover.
"Cargo" (4:45)(Axel Bauer/Michel Eli); "Cargo" (Re-Mix)(4:10) (Bauer/ Eli):About personal decay and a hangover in a gay bar. (BARS)

Bauhaus: "Ziggy Stardust"
LP. "Swing The Heartaches", Beggars Banquet BEGA 103
UK. 1989.
"Ziggy Stardust" Cover of Bowie song about his bisexual alter-ego
"Telegram Sam (see original by T. Rex) "You're my main man"

Bauhaus: "Dead Entries"

Bay Area Lesbian Ensemble
see Melanie DeMore

Beach Boys: "Wouldn't It Be Nice"
7". Capitol 5706 UK. Capitol CL 579
USA. 1966. (BillBoard #8 ) (CONS)
"Wouldn't it be nice if we could wake up, in the kind of world where we belong...and we could be married...wouldn't it be nice?!"

Carl Bean: "I Was Born This Way"
7". TMG 1108, 12" Maxisingle, US. Motown M00008D1,
UK. 10 Records (Virgin) TEN 110-12.
USA. 1977. /UK. 1985. Disco Anthem (LIBE) (GLOP)•
1977 edition "I Was Born This Way" (Vocal Version)(B. Jones and C. Spierer(6:31)b/w Instrumental version (5:51)
1985 edition; "I Was Born This Way" (Extended)/ (Instrumental) (B. Jones/C. Spierer): "I'm happy, I'm carefree and I'm gay, I was born this way. ". (Bunbud Music (BMI) and Eternal Life(ASCAP))
Produced by Motown Records who bought the song from "Valentino". One of the only two overtly gay songs on Motown (see The Miracles). Has been described as the gay national anthem, but Motown did little to support the record in the market. Bean was active in the fight against AIDS 1985, San Francisco. In 1995 he was a minister in the Unity Fellowship Church (a predominantly black, predominantly gay faith w/ churches throughout the U. S. ), and is now based in Los Angeles.
See also Valentino: "I Was Born This Way"

Beastie Boys
made an anti-gay-song on their first LP. "License To Ill".

Jackie Beat: "Kiss My Ass"
see "Wigstock": Soundtrack

Beatles
It has been speculated that songs like "Baby, You're A Rich Man" and "You've Got To Hide Your Love Away" were written about Lennon's observations of the band's gay manager, Brian Epstein. It is generally acknowledged that the two did not get on well together, with Lennon nervous of Epstein's obvious infatuation. This tension came to a head during the group's Spanish holiday, as documented in the film "Backbeat".

Beatles: "Boys"
LP. "Please Please Me", Parlophone PMC 1202
UK. 1963.
"Boys" (Dixon/Farrell) "I talk about boys, what a bundle of joy. " sings Ringo, but then he's probably just singing the original lyrics from The Shirelles recording of 1960 (b-side of "Will You Love Me Tomorrow".

Beatles: "Polythene Pam"
LP. "Abbey Road"
UK. 1968.
Simplistic if not ignorant song about lesbians, written by Lennon.
Beatles: "Ob La Di, Ob La Da" LP. CD. White Album, UK. 1968. Switches the lyric of the last verse so that Desmond is the one who does "his pretty face and Molly sings it with the band. " Paul McCartney says that he simply lost the lyrical thread during the recording, and then they decided to leave it like that, "just for a laugh. "

Tory Beatty: "I Just Came To Dance"
CD. District
USA. 1996.
"You're Always There"; "Never Knew Love Like This Before"; "I'll Never Love This Way Again".
Dance tracks by gay Miami DJ.

"Beautiful Thing": Film Soundtrack
CD. MCA MCAD-11552
UK. 1996
Movie is a love story between two teenage boys.
Soundtrack contains songs by Mama Cass and the Mamas & the Papas featuring "Make Your Own Kind Of Music" by Mama Cass.
"You've got to make your own kind of music, sing your own special song even if nobody else sings along"

"Beavis And Butthead Do America"
see Englebert Humperdink

Bebe K'Roche
see K'Roche

Beck " If You Were The Only Girl";
?°

Cara Beckenstein: "A Woman Like Me" "
see "Outmusic 97"•

Stefan Bednarczyk: "When Santa Kissed The Fairy On The Christmas Tree"
7". ASV (PHOB) (COME)(XMAS)
UK. 1983..
Unfunny Christmas homophobic camp.

Bee: "The Boy"
7". Virgin Records
UK. 1982. (ANDR)
Androgynous singer

Bee Jays: "My Boyfriend's Back "
A 7". Club 86 records
USA. 1980. °
"My Boyfriend's Back" (reviewed: Christopher St. June 1980)
see also Terence Trent D'Arby
see Claude Francois

Beefeater: "Fred's Song"
()

"Before Stonewall"
US film (Dir, Andrea Weiss, 87 mins, 1984) includes valuable archive footage including Buena Vista, Bessie Smith, Sinatra singing "My Buddy" and Ewan Hall(?)'s "The Lavender Cowboy"

Behead the Prophet No Lord Shall Live; "Behead the Prophet No Lord Shall Live"
7". (8 tracks) Outpunk OUT 16(with printed lyrics )
USA. 1995. (PUNK)
The new band with the singer and bassist from the Mukilteo Fairies, plus a violinist and a couple more members. Totally queer thrash with violin.
Magnetic Field, " about straight boys fascinated by queers; "Secession" is about breaking free of mainstream gay society; "Transnegative" is about mainstream gays who try to jump through hoops to please straight society and reject groups that are too queer. There are eight songs total. Chaotic hardcore with fag vocals, incl. former members of the Mukilteo Fairies.

Belk and Ten Kate Orchestra & Voices: "The Rhythm Of The Rainbow"
CD. Willibrod / Vocal Delivery Amsterdam VD 003
Netherlands. 1998. (GLOP)
"The Rhythm Of The Rainbow" (5:25); "The Rainbow Fanfare"; "The Rhythm Of The Rainbow" (karaoke version); "The Rhythm Of The Rainbow" (orchestra only) (5:25):
The Official Anthem Of Gay Games Amsterdam 1998
"8 days of friendship, 8 days of pride, 8 days to celebrate the power inside" (music Alan Belk, lyrics Daniël Cohen). Synthesised attempt at a gay marching song which proved unmemorable.

Bellamy Brothers: "My Wife Left Me For My Girlfriend"
CD. "Over The Line" Intersound 9279
USA. 1997. (COUN)(ADUL)(BISE)
Good ol' boy country/western twang and the story of a man who gets his comeuppance when his wife & his girlfriend find out about his cheating and decide to leave him for each other.
This is traditional "woe is me" country song that features several choice lyrics of interest: "like Thelma & Louise they took off in the dead of night. . "; "She loved me with a
passion. . and my wife did too. " Our cheatin' singer doesn't wish anything against his lost ladies. . he just wishes they'd come back. As the song says, "In the battle of the sexes the lines have surely gotten blurred. "
Band said; "We tried to write it as a woman's empowerment kind of song, where these two liberated girls really got fed up. I don't know how people will take that song." A rare as acknowledgement of homosexual issues is in this music genre.

Belle & Sebastian "Seeing Other People"
CD. "If You're Feeling Sinister", Enclave 56713,
USA. 1997.
Lyrics are real border-line gay.

Belly: "It's Not Unusual"
see also "Boys United": Compilation

Lisa Ben: "Cruisin' Down The Boulevard" b/w/ "Frankie and Johnnie"
7". Privately Produced
USA. 196? (CRUI)
Early (sometimes claimed as first) lesbian single.

Tina Benez: "Hitler's Daughter"
EP. Private (355 6th Ave, 3rd flr. NY10014)
USA. 1993.•
"Glamour Overdose"; "Ghost in You"
'Pansexual Pink Drag n'Roll' on this debut release

Tina Benez: "Hitler's Daughter"
MC. Demo •
USA. 1997. (TVAA)
"White Dot"; "Hitler's Daughter"; "Glamour Overdose (G.O.D.)"; "Ghost In You"; "Secret Wars".
Transvestite rock-singer whose abrasive lyrics are reminiscent of Jayne County.

Ben Gay and the Silly Savages: "The Ballad of Ben Gay"
see Gay, Ben

George Benjamin (Born 1960)
"Avant-garde Pierre Boulez protegé. Music is highly atmospheric and uses electronics and computer treatments of sound." (Jeremy J. Beadle in Gay Times, May, 1995) (CLAS)

Richard Rodney Bennett (Broadstairs, Kent, Born 1936)
Educated at the Royal Academy of Music in London, 1953-56, and in Paris under Pierre Boulez and Oliver Messiaen. Professor of Composition at the London Royal Academy of Music, 1963-65. Visiting professor at the Peabody Institute in Baltimore, 1970-71. (CLAS)
Work: 1959, "The Approaches of Sleep"; 1960, "Winter Music"; 1963, "Jazz Calendar"; 1963, music for the film "Billy Liar"; 1965, "The Mines of Sulphur", (an opera); 1967, "The Music That Her Echo Is"; 1968, "A Proxy for a Song", (an opera); 1969, "Jazz Pastoral"; 1970, "Victory", (an opera); 1970, "Guitar Concerto"; 1971, "The House of Sleeps"; 1973, music for the film "Murder on the Orient Express"; 1975, "Spells", (a choral work); 1988, "Saxophone Concerto"; 1990, "Percussion Concerto"; 1991, "A Book of Hours".

Richard Rodney Bennett: "Real Men Don't Eat Quiche"
CD. "Lush Life" Ode Rec Co ODE 1292
New Zealand. 1988.
"Real Men Don't Eat Quiche" (Underwood) "They're all man, no AC/DCs, they wipe out endangered species. They hunt bear, wild coyotes...and Truman Capotes" (MALE)

Ty Bennett: "Queen for a Day"
LP. Half and Half 34 1/2; New Jersey,
USA. 1956? ArtworkΊ
He was a drag queen and contemporary of Rae Bourbon. There are no titles per se on the album, but it is a standard and frequently hilarious drag show. He sings a few classic songs ("A Good Man is Hard to Find" and "You Got the Right Key") and does a few comedy routines. It's very explicitly gay, though not vulgar in the modern way. The cover has photos of Bennett in and out of drag.
"Welcome to a gay session with the talented femme mimic, Mr Ty Bennett! If you enjoy entertainment that is completely off the beaten track...and also like your meat on the rare side...you're bound to swing along with this young lad a he dishes up a tasty morsel. What with the changing trend in live entertainment these days...it is noticeable in many of the cosmopolitan cities that the more intimate nightspots are discovering that the more novel an act...the more the customers flock in and the cash register rings...all to the satisfaction of both customer, artist and management, A good risqué act is always a sure-fire hit...if the material and presentation is of a unique nature. This was proved when the chap heard on this recording, Mr. Ty Bennett...was booked into the Jockey Club in Atlantic City for a short engagement (one week to be exact) and the audience reaction to his unending gift of gay song & gab was so satisfactory that as a result, his one week engagement ran into a three year run! The subject-matter presented on this record is as heard in a live performance in a night club. The listener, who knows that "boys will be girls" sometimes and who aren't above hearing a few "blue" quips will appreciate this novel talent. Mr. Bennett excels in this...and waves his magic wand at many types of individuals...including a few Hollywood celebs! The only known fact of Mr. Bennett's background is that HE WAS BORN...(and took an early fancy to his big sister's high heels!) He became a professional female impersonator in 1947. After kicking around Broadway and summer stock for a few years, he finally realized that the occasional club dates he performed as an impersonator were winning him a lot of admirers and paying his hotel bill as well. So after deciding to give his act full-time attention his popularity began to zoom. His billing as "America's Most Unusual Night-Club Personality" stems from the fact that he presents a most unique costume change during his act ranging from elaborate attire in his first appearance to dazzling female attire in his first appearance, to dazzling female attire complete with styled coiffure, costly furs and jewellery, and a stunning array of custom-made gowns. This never fails to bring out many flattering comments from the female members of the audience who admire the taste displayed in his ensembles. So now relax, ladies, gentlemen and...? as you sit back and listen to a new stratagem of recording delinquency (and the answer to a lull in your party)...the provocative TY BENNETT! Half & Half Recs. P. O. Box, Union N. J. "

"Bent": Original Film Soundtrack
Though not released on CD, it includes the song "Streets Of Berlin" sung by Mick Jagger, as a drag queen. It has definite gay lyrics (about wanting "pretty boys").

Bent Boys: "Walk The Night"
LP. Matra Records 12-024
Canada. 1984. °
Cover of the Skatt Brothers (see below)

Earlene Bentley
Hi-NRG diva who sang "The Boys Come To Town" (1983) "Caught In The Act" (Record Shack, 1984) and was totally uninterested in her own Hi-NRG recordings.

Eric Bentley: "The Queen of 42nd Street"
LP. Folkways 8581
USA. 1974. Cabaret (GLOP)(CABA) Artwork
"Eric Bentley Sings The Queen Of 42nd Street And Other Songs by Jacques Prevert and Joseph Kosma" "Sort Of Cabaret/Music Hall Style"; "Tracks:"; "After School"; "Childhood"; "Song For The Children In Winter"; "Kids Who Love Each Other"; "Chanson"; "Barbara"; "The Garden"; "Paris At Night"; "Immense Et Rouge"; "Cafe Au Lait"; "Noises In The Night"; "This Love"; "The Dead Leaves"; "The Lighthouse Keeper Loves Birds Too Much"; "The War Is Over (1945)"; "The Queen Of 42nd Street"; "Paris In August"; "The Richest City In The World"; "Buddies In Bad Times".

Gladys Bentley (Philadelphia, 12 Jan. 1907 - 18 Jan. 1960)
Lesbian singer who was a major figure in the gay New York of the 20's and 30's. She is famous for her masculine dress, (she was once banned from performing in male clothes. )(TVAA), and is reported to have had an affair with Bessie Smith, and to have staged a 'bull dagger marriage'. One LA club was forced to apply for a special license for her to appear dressed as a man. Moved to West Coast after WWII. married, divorced, then found God and recanted. a.k.a. Gladys Ferguson and Bobbie Minton. Artwork
Bibliography:
autobiography "I Am A Woman Again"
"The Bulldagger Who Sang The Blues" by Eric Garber; in "Out / Look" Spring 1988.
Recordings which survive include;

Gladys Bentley: "How Much Can I Stand"
USA. 1928.
LP. "Mean Mothers" (Rosetta)
CD. "Club Verboten" (see below)•
"How Much Can I Stand" (3:00) "But when I received the poison. "

Gladys Bentley: "Worried Blues"
LP. "Piano Singers Blues"

Gladys Bentley: "Before Midnight"
LP. "Boogie Blues" Rosetta

Gladys Bentley
see also "Before Stonewall"

Bent Scepters: "Kissing Truman Capote's Picture"
CD. promo album "Blind Date With Destiny"., Bizarre Planet Records)
USA. 1997.
A bit of psychedelia rock-n-roll from a Doors-influenced band. A bizarre love song to an odd and late love-interest. "Talk about your quintessential playwright...sometimes I keep his picture under my nightlight. " Sung from the point of view of a man with "sick thoughts" who is obsessed with Truman Capote.
Contact:
Note: The current version of the "Blind Date With Destiny" CD. does not include "Kissing Truman Capote's Picture. "

Cathy Berberian: "There are Fairies At The Bottom Of Our Garden"
LP. 199?
Cover of the Lehmann classic novelty song.

Jennifer Berezan: "In The Eye Of The Storm"
LP. MC. Edge Of Wonder EOW19
USA. 1989.
Charlie Murphy's "Burnin' Times", and lesbian songs are included on this multi-styled record with contributions from Barbra Higbie and Robin Flower. JB hails from Edmonton, Canada and now lives in California, where she develops music with interactive and healing elements.

Jennifer Berezan: "Borderlines"
LP. MC. Flying Fish Records
USA. 1992.

Jennifer Berezan: "Voices On The Wind"
LP. MC. Edge Of Wonder EOW19
USA. 1993.

Jennifer Berezan: "She Carries Me"
LP. MC. Edge Of Wonder EOW19
USA. 1995.
with Olympia Dukakis, Chris Webster and Darol Anger.

Jennifer Berezan: "The Turning Of The Wheel"
CD. MC.
USA. 1997?
see "Hot Licks"

Suzy Berger
see "Gay From Las Vegas": Various Artists

Marie Bergman: "Ingen kommer undan politiken"
LP. "Närma mej" Metronome MLP. 15. 610.
Sweden. 1977. With lyrics.
"Ingen kommer undan politiken" (2:56):Sexual-political song adopted as lesbian/feminist anthem. (LIBE)

Berkeley Women's Music Collective: "Berkeley Women's Music"
LP. Windbag Records HA81-81. (Olivia)
USA. 1976. Lyrics on inner sleeve. (GLOP)
"The Bloods"; "Take The Time"; "Fury"; "'No Thank Mister'"; "We're Hip"; "San Francisco Bank Song"; "Janet's Song"; "Mercy Me"; "Gay And Proud".
"The Bloods" (2:38)(D. Lempke): "men stop saying "got to sleep with 'em" cause lesbians got natural rhythm, there's a new day comin' when you got the bloods again. "
"Take the Time" (4:29)(N. Vogl):This song was written for the first woman with whom I really felt a sense of sisterhood. We shared years of changes, pain, and learning, and a special love I will always remember. I'll love you till I die.
"San Francisco Bank Song" (3:40)(S. Shanbaum):(SANF) (PASS) "nobody even guessed she was gay, I've got a friend...sisters trying to make their way alone. "
"Janet's Song" (6:22)(S. Shanbaum): "My momma said you better get out of here cause I think you and your friend are queer, and you know I don't want to start no great big fight but I know she stayed all night. " This song is a journal of our coming out together. - We didn't know any lesbians and couldn't say the word for a year and a half. We just knew that we loved each other so much that it had to be the right thing to do. (COMI)(PARE)
"Gay And Proud" (3:26)(D. Lempke): " Gay and proud, I was born a bastard...well I can sing it loud now, gay and proud. - People say 'you ought to get an operation'. - Womanfriend tried to bring me out, had to hide when they cried 'homosexual'. " - (COMI)(LIBE) see also "Lesbian Concentrate"

Berkeley Women's Music Collective: "Trying to Survive"
LP. Windbag HO 815 (Olivia Rec. )
USA. 1978. Lyrics. Pop/beat. (GLOP)•
"Nicole" (Debbie Lempke)(4:23): "Cause Nicole she sent me letters, they had to be hidden, and Nicole came to visit, even though we were forbidden"
"Seawomon" (D. Lempke)(3:47): "Proud angry bitches, we are the witches you come for, I can see clearly now, Seawomon rushing to get me" (WITC)
"Thorazine" (Susann Shanbaum)(3:54):About attempts to 'cure' lesbians with medicines, as if they were insane. (DRUG)
"Takes More Than Time" (Bonnie Lockhart)(4:59), "Tryin' to Survive" (S. Shanbaum)(3:30): "Back to Boston" (Nancy Vogl)(2:22): "Class Mobility" (B. Lockhart)(3:45); "Darling Companion" (N. Vogl)(2:45): "and I learned to be a woman and I cry every time I think how they lied, Oh my darling companion, How many girls have died, without a woman's tender heart and love along beside.
Cover: "We want to dedicate this album to all the women throughout time who have organized and fought for change and especially now to our lesbian movement and the strength and spirit of revolution that is reshaping our world today.
also featuring the Transisters
see also Nancy Vogl

Laura Berkson: "Laura Berkson"
LP. BA101
USA. (JUDA)
"Marie"; about two girls campaigning to attend their school prom as lovers. (EDUC); "To Be Strong"; (AIDS)

Laura Berkson: "Heartland"
see "Family Of Friends"

Berlin: "Sex, I'm A..."
EP. (USA) LP. "Pleasure Victim" Mercury 6302 236
USA. 1982. •
"Sex (I'm a...)(5:06)(Crawford/Diamond/Nunn)Carefully avoids gay lyric; "I'm A Man, I'm A Boy/ I'm A Man, I'm A One night stand/I'm A Man, Am I bi?" Terri Nunn (vocals with gay band member, David Diamond (see below) on guitar, ). (BISE)

Berlin: "Sex, I'm A..."
CD. "Global Grooves" Geffen
USA. 1997.
remix compilation from Geffen records has pulled the early 80s classic "Sex (I'm A...)" by BERLIN off the shelf and given Ronnie Ventura a chance to bring it into the 90s in a big way. Ventura doesn't play around too much with the alternating male/female lyrics, which are all too important to the structure of the song: "I'm a man...I'm a boy...I'm a man...I'm your slave...I'm a man...Am I Bi?" etc. Terri Nunn's voice seems to swim on top of an ocean of beats and sounds that provide a whole new nuance to the song.
see also Rorshach Test: "Sex (I'm a...)"

Berlin: "Lovelife
"About two gay young men who've been inseparable as teenagers, but who just didn't realise what it's all about. " (YOUT)(Diamond in Him #72)

Dan Bern: "Cure For AIDS"
CD "Fifty Eggs" , WORK group Records.
USA. 1998 (AIDS)
"Cure For AIDS." It's a folksy fantasia on what life might be like when they actual find a cure for the disease. Bern sings of a celebration of free-love: "The day they found a cure for AIDS/everybody took one little pill and was OK/we rented dirty movies and ordered out for food/ for 3 solids weeks everyone was nude/ I slept with Julie, Melissa and Jake/nobody was afraid."
"His folksy blend of rock music  (produced by the one & only Ani DiFranco) has an almost Dylan-esque quality. The album "Fifty Eggs" is quite eclectic, touching on a wide variety of issues including racism, religion and the never ending efforts of straight guys to understand women.
Joe Bernard:
The chameleon queen of master disguise, Bay Area's tableau vivant extraordinaire, discovered inside himself a person named Zette who, after meandering through a maze of musical styles, found rock'n'roll the one that fit - skintight, sexy and butch. (Advocate 451, July 22, 1986)

Sandra Bernhard
Jewish American comedian, she began her film career as Masha in Scorsese's 'King of Comedy', but became widely recognised as Nancy, a regular lesbian character in the US sitcom 'Roseanne'. A much-publicised relationship with Madonna (see 'In Bed With Madonna') and model, Patricia Valasquez made her "Queen of the Queers in the early 1990's although she refuses to be pigeon-holed as lesbian. "I just think I'm better than calling myself 'a gay performer' to placate the gay community. Because I'm not a gay performer, I'm a universal performer. " (GayTimes 1/'95)
BBC Arena' documentary about her, 'Confessions of a Pretty Lady" (dir. Kris Clarke, 1993) was withdrawn for being 'too lesbian'.

Sandra Bernhard: "The Women Of Rock and Roll"
(COME)

Sandra Bernhard: "Excuses For Bad Behaviour, Part One"
CD. MC
USA. 1994. (COME)(AIDS)
"The Letter (dialogue); "Fifty Ways To Leave Your Lover"; "Sympathy for the Devil":
"Some of the original songs propose new ideas and reflect my view of culture, sexuality and relationships and the media. There's something in every song, I think, that makes the same kind of statements I make when I'm talking. But I also wanted to make something people could relate to many times, like a normal music album. "
A musical and vocal album with spoken words and raps along the way, this is about liberation and repression, love and loss, dreams and survival -- a thought-provoking and entertaining comment about our culture and our times. Backed by her band, the Strap-Ons, she moves from rap to dance to soulful balladry. She salutes the late Sylvester with Mighty Real; remembers her friends lost to AIDS in the meditative Innocence; and employing layered rap, sings about voyeurism and detachment -- projecting your fantasy onto someone you never have to meet -- on Phone Sex (Do You Want Me Tonight). Mixing boldness, honesty and vulnerability, she turns pop culture on its side!

Sandra Bernhard: "50 Ways To Leave Your Lover";
see "Lesbian Favorites: Women Like Us"

Sandra Bernhard: "I'm Still Here... Damn It!"
CD. Medicine/Epic
USA. 1998.

Leonard Bernstein:(1918-1989)
Famously closeted gay composer of "West Side Story" whose gay private life was first publicly revealed in the "unenlightened" biography "Bernstein" by Jean Peyset (Wm Morrow/US).
"Bernstein"; Humphrey Burton

Leonard Bernstein: " A Quiet Place"
USA. 1983. (OPER)
"Bisexual Francois is Dede's husband, as well as her brother, Junior's ex-lover. " (INCE)

Leonard Bernstein, John Latouche, Richard Wilbur: "My Love"
LP. "Candide", Columbia S2X 32923 (USA, 1973), New World NW 340-341 (USA, 1982), CD. Ter CDTER 1156 (UK. 1988), 2CD. Deutsch Grammophon 429 734-2 (BRD, 1991)
USA. 1956 (MUSI)(OPER)
The Governor propositions Maximillian for "just a week in bed". Maximillian, disguised as a female slave, replies "I cannot entertain your shocking proposition. How can I regain my virginal condition?" (TVAA)

Leonard Bernstein: "Candide Overture"
see "Out Classics" (Vol 1)

Leonard Bernstein: "Gee, Officer Krupke", "Somewhere"
LP. "West Side Story", Columbia JS 32603, CBS 7006, Deutsch Grammophon 415 253-1
USA. 1957. (MUSI)
"Gee, Officer Krupke" (Bernstein / Sondheim) (TVAA)(FAMI), "My sister wears a mustache, my brother wears a dress, Goodness gracious, that's why I'm a mess".
Also performed by Sammy Davis Jr.
"Somewhere" was a very popular tune in gay bars of the era. But, in 'The Gay Metropolis' by Charles Kaiser, a social history of gay New York, Sondheim reacted angrily when asked if there is anything gay about the lyrics. "If you think that is a gay song, then all songs about getting away from the realities of life are gay songs," Sondheim said.
see "West Side Story" Original Movie Soundtrack

Leonard Bernstein: " Dybbuk. "
• see "Club Verboten"

Leonard Bernstein: "Glitter and Be Gay"
from "Candide"
see Michael Callen
see Cliff Townshend

Leonard Bernstein: "Somewhere"
see "Club Verboten"

Bernstein, Comden, Green: "Christopher St. "
LP. "On The Town"?
USA. (NEWY)
"Life is gay, life is sweet, interesting people On Christopher Street. "

Adele Bertei: "Zami Girl"
CD. single. (Imago)
USA. 1995? (PUNK)
Adele Bertei was a member of Peter and the Wolves with Peter Laughner (read about it in From the Velvets to the Voidoids. ) She was a co-founder with James Chance of the Contortions Since then, she's sung backup for various people. This record features Adele spewing out a string of slang terms for Lesbians over a house beat. (Zami Girl is apparently a Jamaican term. ) The single includes a couple of other remixes.

"The Best of Lesbian Comedy Vol. 1": Various Artists
CD. Rising Star Records
USA. 1997. (COME) (COMP) Artwork•
Featuring: Vickie Shaw: "Mammograms"; "Barbie & Midge"; Dos Fallopia: "Equal Rights Definition"; Kate Clinton: "Read These Lips, Coming Out"; Dos Fallopia: "Pro Choice Definition"; Georgia Ragsdale: "Gays to the Sides": "Personal Ads & Rescue 911"; Dos Fallopia: "Lesbian Definition"; Amy Boyd: "20/20, Feminine Protection"; "Cat in Heat"; Dos Fallopia: "Mutual Orgasm Definition"; Karen Williams: "Butches & Femmes" (BUTC), Opposites Attract"; Sara Cytron: "Public Restroom Protocol"; Dos Fallopia: "Birth Control Definition"; Lacie Harmon: "Helen Hunt"; "High School Locker",(EDUC) "Single Life"; Karen Ripley: "Women's Craft Fair", "Masturbation", "Relationships"; Dos Fallopia: "Masturbation Definition"; Lea Delaria: "On a Mission, Los Angeles, Porno Movies"; Dos Fallopia: "A Camp Song"

Karen Beth: "To Each One Of Us"
MC. CD. Stardance STD 101
USA
"Womanspirit Rising!"; "Moonlight Dance"; "Patience and Sarah"; "Bird of Song".

Karen Beth: "The Edge of the Horizon"
LP. MC. Cat Tail Recording CL-101
USA. (New York) 1983. (GLOP)
"Marjorie" (2:52) "Marjorie, where did you go, Margie my friend. "
"Hold On" (5:27) "sisters of fire, sisters of love, sisters of passion, sisters in blood, we're coming on, hold on!"
"There You Go" (2:41) (THRE) "But I don't want to be with you if you're gonna make it all the time, you and me and she makes three, I've heard that's a crowd, I'm cutting out"
Other feminist songs.
Karen Beth has also worked on albums by; Alix Dobkin,

Karen Beth: "Overcoming Stagefright"

Karen Beth: "Magic"
USA. 1996
Featuring Karen on vocals, synthesizer, accordion, banjo and piano (with Layne Redmond helping out on frame drum), she takes us on a
gentle ride. She sweetly trills her original compositions Light of My Heart, Violet Eyes, Touching, The Dream, and other easy-going songs. Very simple and lovely.

Karen Beth: "Magic"
USA. 1996
Featuring Karen on vocals, synthesizer, accordion, banjo and piano (with Layne Redmond helping out on frame drum), she takes us on a gentle ride. She sweetly trills her original compositions Light of My Heart, Violet Eyes, Touching, The Dream, and other easy-going songs.

Maria Bethania
Rose from the Tropicalia movement of the late '60's, the Brazilian diva with a famous bisexual brother, Caetano Veloso, Bethania is widely assumed to be lesbian and rumoured to have had a relationship with Gal Costa. Her 1998 CD "Ambar" includes the remarkable "Song of the Shaman".

Better than Ezra "King Of New Orleans"
CD. "Friction, Baby", Diswell Records, 1944-2
USA. 1996. Electra Entertainment Group. (PROS)(BISE)
"There's an angel on the stairs (as if you's even care), When the lights go up and the sun has nearly gone down, Did you see him on the street?, Did you pass him at your feet?, Did you think aloud, "how dare they even look me in the eye'?, And he loves the girls, And he loves the boys, Going to make twenty dollars before the weekends over., So set him up Let him fall. Turn him over in your hands., God save the King of New Orleans, Got a ticket to a show. Going to see him take a blow, When the drunk one said, "Cat Sssstevens was the greatest singer!", And did you kick him in the head? Did you see the blood run down?, Did you laugh at all when the people walked right by and said aloud, "You gutter punks are all the same, Probably make twenty dollars 'fore the weekends over." Lyrics could be interpreted as a song about physical abuse of bisexual male hustlers.

Betty: "Hello Betty"
CD. Man from BETTY Records
USA. 1991.
"Hello Betty" (0:50); "Fun Girl" (3:04); "Picnic Love Affair" (3:55); "Martini Talk"(0:40); "First Date" (1:53); "Chain Reaction" (2:40); "Bicycle" (0:48); "Betticoat Junction" (2:14); "Wolfwoman" (3:01); "Echo" (2:40); "Bar Talk Duets" (0:20); "Window" (1:40); "Broken" (3:08); "N. Y. U. (0:23); "Aftershock" (2:53); "Go Ahead and Split Mr. Amoeba Man" (1:41); "Shrinkback" (3:37); "DC Dog" (2:57); "Snake saga (3:23); "Ms Snake" (3:40); "Mrs Goldberg's Critique" (0: 58).
First album from the NY all-woman rock band. Betty (Alyson Palmer, Bitzi Ziff and Amy Ziff), are lewd, loud and PC. Tuneful rock with amusing, provocative lyrics , sophisticated voce work and witty one-liners. Amy is often very out on stage.

Betty: "Kiss My Sticky (Udderly Romantic)"
CD. compilation "OutLoud"
USA. 1995.
Innovative harmonies compliment their mesmerizing performance style. "Kiss My Sticky" is a provocative R&B love romp that demands full-on dance floor jammin'.

Betty: "Limboland"
CD. (CD-ROM) Intersound 9175.
USA. 1996. GLAMA '96 nominee. OutVoice-1996.
"Limboland" (3:41); "Baby Ooo" (3:54): "In Crowd" (3:20); "Brave Old World" (3:20); "Houdini" (4:03); "Windy" (2:54); "Freaky" (3:01); "A Typical Love" (3:46)(see below); "Flick That Thing" (3:11); "Impossibly Blue" (4:43); "Heaven" (4:48); "Two Cherries" (2:46); "Metro" (5:08); "Limboland" pop remix (3:10)

Betty: "A Typical Love";
see "Lesbian Favorites: Women Like Us"

"Betty Blok Buster Follies" Soundtrack.
see Livermore, Reg

Beverley Sisters: "I Hate Men"
Sometimes included a verse about Lord Montague of Beaulieu and his affection for Boy Scouts"
! (ref: Charlotte Grieg: Will You Still Love Me Tomorrow (p. 91))

B-52's
see B (top of section)

Andy Bey
(jazz pianist) came out in "Out" (1997)

Bible (BIBL)
This index attempts to focus on specific biblical comment as distinct from general theology (see GODS)

Army Of Lovers "I'm Crucified"
Joe Mack Boyd "That I Could Still Go Free"
Boca Brian "I Saw Jesus (on a Stick of Halavah)"
Boca Brian "The Bible Sez"
Casselberry & Dupreé 'Did Jesus Have A Baby Sister'
Chainsaw Kittens "Ezekial Walks Through Sodom And Gomorrah"
The Choral Majority "Greatest Hits"
Ellen DeGeneres "Phone Call to God"
Lea Delaria "Jesus, Protect Me From Your Followers"
Ed Diamond "God Is Gay"
Bob Dylan "Jokerman"
"Foxtrot" "Algemeen bekend"
Frogs " God Is Gay"
Kirk Franklin's Nu Nation "God's Property"
Genesis "Jesus, He Knows Me"
Axel Gran "Fri og fri fru Blom"
Kinsey Sicks "Lifesize Jesus"
Ole I'Dole "Ayatollah"
Robert Long "Jesus fåhrt"
Robert Long "Jesus redt"
Metropolitan Community Church (MCC): "Coming Out, Coming Home"
Beth Mullaney "Simon Says"
Not The Nine O'Clock News "Gay Christian"
Jallen Rix "The Sacred And The Queer"
Romanovsky & Phillips "If There Is A God (He's A Queen)"
Shockheaded Peters "I, Bloodbrother Be. "
Mark Strait & Boy Lechers Choir; "Jesus Loves Me"
Donna Summer
Team Dresch "Captain My Captain"
Tongueman "Jesus' Bicep"
Tribe 8 "What The Papers Didn't Say"
Robin Tyler "The Birth of Baby Jesus"
Venus Envy "I'll Be Homo For Christmas"
Village People "Sodom and Gomorrah"
Tom Wilson "My Leviticus"
Angie & Debbie Winans "It's Not Natural" Y'ALL "Oh Lord, Please Come Help Me Today"
Leah Zicari "Laws, Glory, Glory"
see also Gods and Religion (GODS)

Rainer Bielfeld: "Nachtzug"
CD.
Germany. 1990.

Michael Biello
see Dan Martin and Michael Biello

Big Black: "Jordan, Minnesota"
LP. "Atomizer"
USA. 199? (also live on LP. "Pigpile")

Big Fun "Blame It On the Boogie"
• see "Glad To Be Gay 3"

Big Man: "Too Scared To Be Queer" (COMI)
see "J. D's Top Ten Tape-Homocore Hit Parade"

Bijl " De Vlinder "
° see "Miami Nightmare"

Bikini Kill: "Reject All American"
CD. LP. Kill Rock Stars 0531
USA. 1996. (PINK)
Hard-driving punk rock with relevant vocals, but also with slower, quieter introspective songs like "Falso Start", "R. I. P. " is a tribute to the late Portia Manson, publisher of the queer zine Hippydick, who died of AIDS-related meningitis. (Kill Rock Stars)
Bikini Kill has held firm and fast to their independent, socially-conscious roots. Their long-awaited 1996 release will throw you off balance: these women have shed their grunge past and moved up to their rightful place as queens of modern punk. It's their most accessible, sing-along-friendly album yet -- gone are the heavy grunge hooks and muffled lyrics; remaining, and stronger than ever, is their fierce, strongly pro-woman attitude, enmeshed in some of the catchy pop hooks.
Group disbanded March 1998

Bikini Kill
see "There's a DYKE in the Pit"

Bird & Macdonald: "The Best Of Bird & Macdonald Vol.1"
CD. Smut Records 0001
USA. 1998. (COME)
"Homo Guy"; "Homo From Nipomo"; "Skippy In Mexico"; "Big Bruce"; "Mr Skippy In The Caribbean"; "Billie Jean King" Plus A Spoken Bit Called "Mr Skippy's Surf Report"
Comedy duo's CD has several songs done as gay parodies.
"Skippy In Mexico" is a rewritten version of the Jay & Americans song "Come A Little Bit Closer". The lyrics start: "In a little cafe on the other side of Tijuana, he was sitting there giving me looks while he stroked his banana, so I started walking away, Skippy said 'would you like a good lay'......."
"Big Bruce", another version of "Big Bad John". "Homo Guy", a version of the Pointer Sisters' "He's So Shy", with "he's a homo guy" substituted for the "he's so shy" chorus. "Mr. Skippy In The Caribbean" is a version of "The Banana Boat Song" (the Belafonte song), and they rewrite "Go, Johnny, Go" as "Billie Jean King",
see also Mac McDonald
Chester Biscardi: "Incitation To Desire: Tango" (CLAS)
See "Gay American Composers"

Bisexuality (BISE)
The songs listed here indicate bisexual behaviour explicitly, although sometimes with a somewhat comic approach.

Laurence Aitken "Pussy Price"
Peter Allen "Bi-coastal"
Joan Armatrading "Tell Tale"
Kokomo Arnold "Sissy Man Blues"
Bellamy Brothers "My Wife Left Me For My Girlfriend"
Berlin "Sex, I'm A..."
Better than Ezra: "King Of New Orleans"
David Bowie "John, I'm Only Dancing"
Brühwarm "Bisex-Boogie"
"Chicago" "Cell Block Tango"
Flying Lesbians "Die Bisexualität"
George Formby "A Lancashire Romeo"
Bobbie Gentry "Ode To Billy Joe"
Gotham "AC/DC Man"
The Herd "Something Strange"
Herman's Hermits "This Door Swings Both Ways"
Jade and Sarsaparilla "She's That Kind of Woman"
Janet Jackson "Tonight's The Night"
Elton John `"All The Young Girls Love Alice"
Jonathan King "Kim Novak and James Dean"
The Kinks "Out Of the Wardrobe"
Cyndi Lauper "When You Were Mine"
Barbara Mason "Another Man"
George Melly "Good Time George"
Pinewood Tom "Sissy Man "
Prince "Anastasia"
Lou Reed "The Kids"
Tom Robinson "Castaway
Tom Robinson "The Baby Rages On"
Tom Robinson "More Lives Than One"
Tom Robinson "Me And Joanna"
Tom Robinson "Tomboy"
Peggy Scott-Adams "Bill"
Stephen Sondheim "Side By Side By Sondheim"
Sta-prest "Double Your Chances, "
"Starting Here, Staring Now" Original Cast Recording
Sweet "AC/DC"
Tribe 8 "Allen's Mom"
Two Nice Girls "I Spent My Last $10 On Birth Control and Beer"
see also Threesomes (THRE)
see also Adultery (ADUL)

Heather Bishop
Openly lesbian artist. Canadian singer-songwriter whose bluesy album's include "Grandmother's Song" (MOP, 1979) "Celebration" (1981, Mother of Pearl MOP002); "BellyButton" (1982) "I Love Women...Who Laugh" (1982, Mother of Pearl MOP 004); "Purple People Eater" (1985); "A Taste Of The Blues" (1987, Iceberg ICE219) and "Walk That Edge" (1989 Mother of Pearl MOP007) "A Duck In New York City"(1989); "Old New Borrowed Blue" (1992); "Daydream Me Home" (1994).
see "Hot Licks".

Heather Bishop: "A Taste Of The Blues"
Mother Pearl Records, Icebergg Records
USA. 1987
"Taking My Baby Uptown"; "A Taste Of The Blues"; "On The Run Again"; "You Don't Own Me"; "Seduced"; "Tell Me More And More"; "Daddy's Little Girl"; "Spirit Healer"; "Keeping On"; "If You love Freedom".
With backing from Greg Black, Annette Campagne, Suzanne Campagne, Dan Donahue, John Ervin, Janice Finlay, Connie Kaldor, Walle Larsson, Marilyn Lerner, Glenn Matthews, Ilena Zaremba.

Heather Bishop: "Chickee's On The Run"
CD. Mother of Pearl MP CD 011
USA. 1997.
"Jungle Groove"; "Chickee's on the Run"; "I'm Mad"; "The Tortoise Race"; "Sleepy John"; "Cass Rap"; "Only In Australia"; "Sheik Shaboom"; "Dirt Bike Boogie"; "Salt In Your Socks"; "I Love That Dog"

Stephen Bishop:
see "Tootsie"

Bitch Boys: "Sighsten H. / Die Bahnhof Café"
7". SOS Recording SOS 1078.
Sweden. 198_.
"Sighsten H. " (2:56)(Ericsson/Thimrén): " Sighsten is looking for men!"; refers to the gay Swedish designer Sighsten Herrgårdh. (HERO) Also on LP. "Continental" and on LP. "H son Produktion"

Black Lesbians and Gays (BLAC)
Records which are of specific interest to students of Black culture include;

"AC-DC Blues, Vol. 1:Gay Jazz Reissues"
James Baldwin
Gladys Bently
Blackberri And Friends "Finally"
Black Randy
Effie Dropbottom
Four The Moment "We're Still Standing"
David Linx/Pierre Van Dormael "A Lover's Question"
Ma Rainey
Toshi Reagon
Tom Robinson Band "Black Angel"
"Sissy Man Blues" Compilation
Bessie Smith
"Straight And Gay"
Sweet Honey In The Rock
Sir Michael Tippett "The Knot Garden"
Tata Vega "Miss Celie's Blues (Sister)"
Washington Sisters: "Brown Like Me"
Jerry Walker "The Fairy Godmother"
see also Jazz (JAZZ)

Black Angels Death Song: "Brothers and Sisters"
see "Stop Homophobia"

Black Randy
Punk/funk from Los Angeles 1978, Three 7" singles and an LP. as Black Randy & The Metrosquad. On the "Trouble At The Cup" 7" sleeve, Randy's drawings of himself hustling.

Blackberri And Friends: "Finally"
LP. Bea B. Queen BN1001L
USA. 1981. Jazz/Folk (GLOP) (BLAC) Artwork
Side 1: "It's Okay" (3:52), "I had a childhood lover,...and as I grew into my teens/my love grew for this guy. /Let's grow in our way, together, it's okay" (YOUT) (see version by Buena Vista) "One Mo' Teekit Fo' de Sho'" (2:48)(LONE), "I Miss You" (3:16), "That's The Time" (3:49), "Please Help Me To Forget" (3:51), "And now I try to fantasize that he and I had never met. Please Help me to forget. " (SEPA) (EXLO)
Side 2: "Eat The Rich" (4:30), "Bye Bye Blues" (2:47), "Return To The Reason" (3:30), "Wise Up" (6:16), "Singin' Without You" (4:19)
( Original Address; 3017 22nd St. #4, S. F. CA 94110)
"Blackberri is a gentle, loving, caring black man. A feminist; an excellent example of Gay Pride in action" (Sleevenote)

Blackberri: "A Live Concert"
MC. Raven's Head.
USA. 19__
Includes 'Come On Now', 'Closer to Your Friend', 3 others and a short interview.

Blackberri: "The Flowers, The Weeds" (4:51)
"When Will The Ignorance End?" (3:30)
see "Walls to Roses: Songs of Changing Men"

Blackberri: "Blues For Langston"
Un-released song which was featured in the award-winning UK. film short "Looking For Langston" (Isaac Julien for C4, 1987) about the US black poet Langston Hughs.

Blackberri
see Mark Weigle: "No More Nights Alone"

Black Sabbath: "Fairies Wear Boots"
LP. "Paranoid" Phonogram
UK. 1985. (CLOT)

FONT COLOR="#000033">Nan Blakstone
Nan got her career started in the 30's on the New York stage in "Garrick Gaieties", but was soon singing risqué songs with Bruz Fletcher. Her shot at a legit stage career was shot when she was disfigured in a car accident in 1937, but her fans were legion and she continued singing and running her own clubs until her death in 1951.

Nan Blakstone: "He Should Have Been a WAC"
78. Hush HH 3
USA. 1947. (MILI) Recitation over piano music.
"He Should Have Been a WAC" (2:55)(Punch-line...) "And though today, to Sparkle, the army is a memory glowing dim, there are many Camp Dix darlings owe their suc-cess to him! Yes, the army got that new look when Sparkle came to camp, it was swish swish swish intead of tramp tramp tramp."

Nan Blakstone: "Emmoine Looks Back At His Army Days"
78. Hush HH 3
USA. 1949. (MILI)
"Emmoine Looks Back" (3:00)"This is the story of a little fellow who got caught in the draft quite by mistake we shall call him for lack of a better name Emmoine the beautiful he was the kind of a guy who take his girlfriend up to his hotel room, take all of her clothes off of her, and then put 'em on and wear 'em himself Emmoine went to the army and his hairdressing career stopped, Emmoine went to the army and he was sent to camp and he really camped at Fort Knox." (and the punch line is somewhat reminiscent of the above...) "But Emmoine learned to rough it in any kind of weather he found you can always start a blaze by rubbing two faggots together ,yes, it's quite a man's man army since that Emmoine went to camp, sort of a swish swish swish instead of tramp tramp tramp>"

Blackmail: "Female Impersonator"
Contact: (1997): http://home2.swipnet.se/~w-20275/Sounds. html

Theo Bleckmann & Kirk Nurock: "Theo & Kirk"
CD. Traumton 2404-2
USA. 1993.
(JAZZ) "The Truth Is Spoken With Your Eyes" (8:05); "Still At Sea" (5:52); "Asphalt Nightmare"(7:16); "Keepsake Mill" (3:41); "In A Mellow Tone" (6:21); "Bittersweet" (5:22); "Freedom Jazz Dance" (7:14); "Lonely Tears" (5:42); "Dead Fish Funk" (6:47)
: German-born vocalist Theo, and American pianist Kirk, are both gay. Here they demonstrate highly original songs of great range in various jazz styles. Poems set to wolf-howls and playful scat and a cover of Duke Ellington's "Mellow Mood".

Theo Bleckmann and Kirk Nurock: "Looking-Glass River"
USA. 1995.
More experiments in jazz songwriting plus covers of Norwegian Wood and "Side By Side"

Blind: "Silence = Death. Action = Life"
CD. KVK002
Netherlands / Czechoslovakia. 1992 (Songs in English)(AIDS)°
"House Of Shame" (3:45); "Silence = Death" (3:10); "Holy Heart" (4:25); "Love Is The Key" (4:25), "He is a boy living in his fantasy, searching for the land of mystery / He can't live with daily reality, try to escape in LSD and XTC / He is a boy denying his identity. " (DRUG)(YOUT); "Hey Skin - Hi Punk" (3:50), "Yes I do, you fancy punk, up my ass and fuck me drunk. " (SEXY)(CLOT)(PUNK) About sex between gay skins and punks; "Blind City" (5:55); "Flying Fishes" (4:00); "Slave Me" (3:35)(SADO); "Resistance" (3:30); "1492-1992" (4:50)An alternative view of the Columbus story. (HIST); "Act Up" (3:00), "Hetero terrorism is dividing you, by race, by sex, by law..."; "The Real Marlboro Man" (3:15), "Jesse helms is a racist, a homophobic right-wing fascist..." (PHOB); "Raping Fear" (3:40); "Novy Svet" (3:05); "Ashes" (4:05); "War" (4:50); "Yu" (3:25)
Sleeve includes contact info for European ACT-UP groups.
1992 address; KVK SRO Rostelislavova 11, 140 00 Praha 4, Czechoslovakia.

Marc Blitzstein ( Philadelphia, 2 Mar 1905 - 22 Jan 1964)
Classical American composer of a number of operas, he described himself as the victim of "Three strikes: Number one I'm a Jew, Number two I'm a Communist. Number three I'm a homo composer. "
Major works: Piano Sonata (1928); Opera's "Triple Sec"; "Parabola and Circula"; "The Cradle Will Rock"; Radio Play "I've Got The Tune" (with Lotte Lenya); "No For An Answer"; 'Airborne' Symphony; (1946) Operas "Regina"; "Reuben, Reuben"; "Juno and The Paycock"; "The Threepenny Opera" (adaptation of Weill) (1952)
Murdered by Portugese hustlers in Fort-de-France, as described in Truman Capote's "Music for Chameleons". Bernstein, (his musical executor) was horrified "Marc is dead and I've lost an arm!"
Bibliography:
"Mark the Music. The Life and Work of Mark Blitzstein", Eric Gordon (St Martin's Press, NY. 1989) (ref. page 506)
"Mark the Music" by Lawrence D. Mass in Journal of Homosexuality 21:3 (1991)
"Mister Three Strike" by Jeremy J. Beadle (Gay Times, 3/'95)

Marc Blitzstein: "The Cradle Will Rock"
USA. 1938. (CLAS)
"The definitive depression opera. " During the 1930's Blitzstein attended a series of lectures by German Marxist composer, Hans Eisler and, like many gay men of the period, came to believe that social reform and even revolution were necessary for the freedom of sexual expression. Blitzstein declared that opera was 'rotten 19th century trash'. Brecht suggested that he write a musical play about "all kinds of prostitution- the press, the courts, the art- the whole system. " Controversy ensued. The 1938 premiere of "The Cradle Will Rock" was cancelled after the police sealed off the building, and at the first performance musicians were contractually barred from appearing. Blitzstein's ingenious solution was that the only person on stage was Blitzstein himself, playing the piano. The cast were seated in the auditorium, officially part of the audience, and sang from their seats. Blitzstein's reputation was established as America's top composer second only to Aaron Copland. Leonard Bernstein produced the piece at Harvard, and met Blitzstein. Bernstein recalls "Marc, lying on the banks of the Charles River, talking, bequeathing to me his insight, knowledge and warmth. "

Marc Blitzstein: "Airborne Symphony";
on "Leonard Bernstein- The Early Years III, RCA Victor
USA. 1992?

Marc Blitzstein: "from Concerto for piano & orchestra"
see "Gay American Composers: Vol. 2"

Marc Blitzstein: "Regina"
USA. 1949.
Decca Records UK. 1993 (prod. John Mauceri)
Opera based on Lillian Hellman's "Little Foxes", the original production met with mixed reviews, being neither entirely opera, nor completely musical theatre. Padding out some of the characters, and adding an undercurrent of racial tension, Lillian Hellman was dissatisfied with the result. Bernstein did a lot to champion the piece and even tried to get it produced at La Scala.
see also "A Blitzstein Cabaret"

"A Blitzstein Cabaret" Various Artists
CD. Premier PRCD 1005.
USA. 1990. (MUSI)(OPER)
Performed by Helene Williams, Ronald Edwards and Leonard Lehrman, incl. highlights from "Reuben, Reuben" (1955); "Juno"; "No For An Answer" and "New York Opera".

Blondie: "Plastic Letters"
CD. Chrysalis
USA. 1978.
"Love At The Pier" (Deborah Harry): Despite the doth-she-protest-to-much exclamation "I'm no sentimental slob so don't think I'm queer", Debbie decides at the end of the song that she's rather go to the beach with her girlfriend to avoid the problems associated with a man. "We fell in love down at pier. You were sunbathing, I was around. Now I go to beaches with my girlfriend. No more love splinters in my rear end.
Pretty Baby" (Deborah Harry/Chris Stein): A love song admittedly written about Brooke Shields. "Pretty baby, petite ingenue, teenage starlet, I fell in love with you. You, you with the comb. You look OK in every way. Ah... I should have known you'd look at me, and look away."
see also Debbie Harry

Blondie - "I'm Gonna Love You Too"
LP. MC. "Parallel Lines" Chrysalis
USA. 1978.
"I'm Gonna Love You Too" (Mauldin/Sullivan/Petty): Is Deb the man, or did she lose her boyfriend to a male? "After all another fella took ya, but I still can't overlook ya. I'm gonna do my best to hook ya after all is said and done."

Blondie - "Kung Fu Girls"
MC. CD. Chrysalis / Hallmark.
USA. 1982.
"Kung Fu Girls", which is rumoured to be about a lesbian affair she had with an Asian woman. Yeah, I know it was a rumour, but she sings lines like "Kung fu Cindy Sue, oh I wanna get close to you! You're my kung fu girl, you're my kung fu girl, oh my oriental pearl!" Talk about girl power!

Blondie - "Rapture"
LP. "AutoAmerican
USA. 1982.
"Rapture" (Debbie Harry/Chris Stein): Possibly describing a gay bar? "Then when there's no more cars you go out at night and eat up bars where the people meet. Face to face. Dance cheek to cheek. One to one. Man to man. Dance toe to toe. "

Blondie: "Little Caesar"
LP. "The Hunter" Chrysalis CDL 1384(UK), 204. 697 (NL)
CD. (1992) Platinum Collection, Chrysalis CD. 31100,
USA. 1982.
"Little Caesar", (Deborah Harry/Chris Stein): Debbie as gay man (?): "I'm the kinda guy who by and by who wants to be your friend/I've been called a lot of names, some of them obscene. But you think I'm funny and wonder about me? I don't worry anymore, get uptight, or fear. Back in the days of "funny" funny they called me queer. They used to call me. They called me rudely/I'm a love 'em and leave 'em kinda fella, a goodtime gentleman." (PHOB) Possibly referring to the Douglas Fairbanks Jr, movie (1930)
(see Broadcasting It p 465).
see also Debbie Harry

Bloodhound Gang: "I Wish I Was Queer So I Could Get Chicks"
LP. CD. "One Fierce Beer Coaster" Geffen 25124
USA. 1996. (PUNK)
"if I was queer, scoring with a supermodel would be easy, a supermodel means voluptuous but also is synonymous with super dumb, she would be a good listener so she'd treat me like a sister and soon I'd become.......It would take a week before I'm in her underwear, I wish I was queer so I could get chicks....Chicks dig guys that are queer, guys that dig chicks that don't dig guys like me cause I'm not queer I do agree, doesn't matter what is hangin in my denims, it's what's in my genes, the only smoked meat, the only sausage I would eat is made by Jimmy Deans, see I'm not too keen on the smell of Vaseline, no I'm not Princess Di and I don't wanna be a queen, I wish I was queer so I could get chicks..."
For lyrical linkage see / cf. Anus The Menace: "I Wish I Was Queer (So You Would Hate Me); Loudon Wainwright III: "I Wish I Was A Lesbian"

Bloods: "Button Up"
7".
USA. 1982?
with Adele Berti,

Bloolips:
"Bette Bourne's English cabaret group Bloolips is one of the best known gay entertainments in the world. " (Pink Book 85, p. 116). No recordings, since the group is against making records. Tapes made for radio and bootlegs are in circulation. The group performed radical drag with sequinned pumps and heavy political messages. Whether the theme was unemployment or Mao's Long March, the show always seemed to climax with their theme tune "Tap Your Troubles Away:

Blow Monkey's: "Digging Your Scene"
LP. RCA
UK. 1986. (AIDS)(CL28)
The singer refers to the effects of AIDS on the gay scene.
"Choice", Refers to Clause 28.

Blow Monkeys: "You Don't Own Me"
LP. OSR "Dirty Dancing" RCA 6408
USA. 1987. Ί
Cover of Lesley Gore's hit keeping all the lyrics intact so that the male vocalist sings "don't say I can't go with other boys. " This cover is available on the "Dirty Dancing" Soundtrack (1987; RCA 6408-4-R).

Blowfly: "Porno Freak"
LP. Weird World 2036
USA. 198?
"Maricon" (written by C. Reid & M. Diaz):(maricon is 'gay' in Spanish)
"International Pricks". ?? - others??

Blowfly: "Electronic Banana"
LP. Rooster/Red Lightnin' RL0054
USA. 1984.
"Blowfly Rides Again" (5:14): "Yepee-yi, whore, yeepee-yi, gay, gonna fuck the night away. "

"Blue": Original Soundtrack
CD. Mute STUMM 49
UK. 1994. (FILM)(AIDS)
Simon Fisher Turner's music for Derek Jarman's film about blindness caused by AIDS. With the voices of Derek Jarman, John Quentin and Nigel Terry.

Blue Period: "Monster"
see "Milkshake"

Blueboy: "Clearer"
7". Sarah
UK. 1992. (LONE)(LIBE) (GLOP)
"Goodbye freedom, we've gone back thirty years. Secret loves, blood brothers, don't you give the game away. For all the pubs and all the clubs there's still no love. Let me, please let me be free. " (BARS)

Blueboy: "Fondette"
LP. "If Wishes Were Horses" Sarah
UK. 1992. (LAWS)
"Fondette", "This is the country where it can be a criminal offence to wink"

The Blue Boy: "Remember Me"

Blue Boy: "Unisex"
LP. MC. CD. Sarah Recs
UK. 1994..
"Boys Don't Matter"; "Self-portrait" is alleged to be about Brett Anderson of Suede--"I, this nation's narcissist laureate" is one lyric. "Marble Arch" (PROS), "I am young and quite pretty / Don't Hurt me...Sold my flesh with eager glee/ but that was way back in '83. "; "River" (HERO)(posthumous tribute to film star River Phoenix.
"Imipramine" starts out "You say love can break a boy's heart/ I say there's no such thing. " Keith Girdler and Gemma Townley form the core of this Reading band. This, their first album, contains folksy pop songs. There is a U. S. release that has extra tracks and is generally cheaper. (Sarah Records, Box 691, Bristol BS99 1FG)

Blue Mercedes: "I Want To Be Your Property"
7". MCA
UK. 1987.

Blue Period: "Monster"
CD. "Milkshake"
USA. 1998.
"I'm a monster, born to gobble you up inside, I'm a monster, in your closet you know I hide, I make you wake with guilt and shame, I am something you can't tame, try to pretend that you're not scared, confront me now if you dare, I can't help it, and you can't help it, Come out, come out
I'm a monster, until you face what you know is true, I'm a monster, I am just a part of you, the pain'll get worse ever day, unless you make me go away, eat on you forever more, getting fed while you get sore, I can't help it, and you can't help it, Come out, come out"

Blues
see Jazz

Blues Bianco: " It All Comes Down"
°
The Bobs: "The Bobs"
LP. Kaleidoscope
USA. 1983. (CHOR)
New wave a cappella group, popular in the Bay Area. Some gay references but not on this record?

The Bobs: "Hey, Coach, Don't Call Me A Queer!".
CD. "I Brow Club", Rounder 9062
USA. 1997.
"My sexuality is not the issue/calling me names wont make me want to play/abusive motivation's overrated/how do you know that I'm not gay/hey, coach, don't call me queer/hey, coach, don't call me queer."

Boca Brian: "Meat Boca Brian"
CD. Kosher Records HTCD. 33150-2
USA. 1997. (COME)(JUDA)°
"Kind of a Fag"(NAME)(1:27); after Buckinghams song of 1967, "kind of a drag"; "Lezzie Girls"(1:37) after "pretty girls everywhere", Eugene Church song of 1959; "Sum Yung Guy"(1:38) after Five Keys' "ling ting tong" of 1955; "Bubbles Bubble Bath" (:38), after "I'm forever blowing bubbles" about Michael Jackson blowing his chimp Bubbles; "Queer Street"(1:36); "What A Difference A Gay Makes"; (1:06) after Dinah Washington song of 1959 "The Wonderful World Of Pee Pees"(1:55).
Sleeve Note: "When I first met Boca Brian, I thought he was one of the most depressing people I'd ever met in my life, but after getting to know him better I realise that he just can't help it. Blessed with Ron Jeremy's good looks but not his talent, he owes much of his success in life to his practice of not correcting people when they mistake him for being Jewish. Brian can make you laugh without even trying, often by just walking in the room. If he didn't have a sense of humour he would have committed suicide by now. Lucky for us, he didn't or we'd have to settle for professional comedy bits. The Neil Rogers Show would not be the same without him, kind of like Jesus without a crown. - Neil Rogers" Many short tracks without particular gay relevance. Contact (1997):Hot Productions Inc., 1450 NW 159th St, Miami, FL 33169, tel:305-628-9797, email: hotdisco@aol. com.

Body (BODY)
Songs about gyms, training and the cult 'body beautiful' include;

Bonzo Dog Band "Mr Apollo"
Meg Christian "Ode To A Gym Teacher"
Club 69 "Muscles"
Steve Cohen "I Want To Be A Jock"
Derivative Duo "Fabio's Lament"
Genius "The Muscle"
Man to Man (featuring Paul Zone): "At The Gym"
Eric Mars "Gym Queen",
Daniel Martin and Michael Biello: "Clones In Love"
Olivia Newton-John "Physical"
Dory Previn "Michael, Michael"
"The Rocky Horror Picture Show" "I Can Make You A Man"
Diana Ross "Muscles"
Anne Seale "Body Hair"
Willie Tyson "You'd Look Swell In Nothing"
see also Hair (HAIR)
see also Clothing (CLOT) see also Sport (SPOR)

Lucille Bogan: "Stew Meat Blues"
LP. Straight and Gay" Stash ST118
USA. 1979. (1935). °
"Stew Meat Blues"

Dirk Bogarde (film star)
see The Times: "Boys About Town"

Thomas Bogdan:: "A Positive Song About Being Gay "
see "Love Worth Fighting For"

Thomas Bogdan: "What Shall We Remember"
see "Winter Moon": Various Artists

Marc Bolan (born Mark Feld, 1947-1977)
Androgynous-looking lead singer of Tyrannosaurus Rex (later T. Rex) who enjoyed great success between 1970-75. and led the move from 'flower-power' to 'Glam-rock' (see below). Bolan wore heavy make up and sang post-hippie songs like 'Children of the Revolution' (9/72), '20th Century Boy' (3/73) and 'Metal Guru' (5/72). Albums include 'Electric Warrior' (1971), 'The Slider' (1973), 'Bolan Boogie' (1974). The film 'Born To Boogie' (1976) is a fine example of what happened between 'Yellow Submarine' and the birth of the pop video. Bolan died in a car crash 1977 but remains a cult figure. Magazines and fanzines still appear regularly in the UK.
see also T. Rex

Bolts
Hi-NRG Record Label which grew from North London gay club.
Man 2 Man

Bomb: "Be A Fag"
(LIBE)(PUNK)
see "J. D's Top Ten Tape-Homocore Hit Parade"

Richard Bone: "Quirkwork"
1992.

Chastity Bono
In her autobiography "Family Outing", Chastity writes: "My mother remembers clearly the first time she thought I was gay. 'You were about 11, and we were in Paris. We all decided to play dress-up and take silly pictures. You dressed up in my black leather jacket and slicked your hair back, '50s- style. I thought, "Oh, my God." . . . It was the last choice of how I wanted you to be.' " "I look at my life and (see that) I had it relatively pretty easy, but it was still hard. I went to art school and was around very liberal-minded, thinking people. My friends knew I was gay and were fine about it, but it was still hard telling my parents. ...For every person with a story like myself who had a relatively easy time, there are two or three who grew up in a smaller city or county where it is not accepted and they can't tell their friends or they're beaten up or teased or forced to quit school. " (Chastity Bono, Sonny & Cher's daughter, interviewed by The Washington Blade 1995. )

see Girls in The Nose: "Hey, Chastity"

Michael Bonti: "Michael Bonti Live"
MC. Private Release.
USA. 1995.
"Come On In"; "Man de Jour"; "If You Wanted"; "Give It Up Or Let Me Go"; "To The Road"; "To Sisters"; "Home"; "I Got To Know"; "Mona Lisa" and others.

Michael Bonti: "Michael Bonti"
MC. Private Release.
USA. 1997.
"Quitted City"; "Danny Boy" (trad); "Dream I Got To Know"; "Please"; "To Sisters"; "To The Road"; "But No"; "Far Away"; "If You Wanted"; "Whom I Kidding"; "Man de Jour"

Bonzo Dog Band; "Sport, The Odd Boy"
LP. "Tadpoles" Liberty Recs
UK. 1969. (a. k. a. ) Bonzo Dog Doo Dah Band
"Sport, The Odd Boy" ( )"It's an odd sort who doesn't like
sports" (SPOR)
"Mr Apollo", Satire of male physique obsession. (BODY)
also on "Beast of the Bonzos" (LP. United Artists UA 55517, UK. 1971)

Bonzo Dog Doo Dah Band; "Narcissus"
LP. "Gorilla"
UK. 1980..
A short, camp conversation

Book Of Love, "Quiver",
CD. "Candy Carol", Sire
USA. 1991. Ί
The only song by them which is sung by their main writer, (who is clearly lesbian). This particular song is sung by one of the female band members. It's a same-sex directed tune..."She makes me quiver...She makes me shiver. " Book of Love has also evoked gay & bisexual imagery in the lyrics to "Boys" (who like Boys!)" and "Pretty Boys And Pretty Girls" where the female vocalist directs her attention equally towards both boys & girls.

Book of Love "Boys"
see "Get Out": Various Artists

Book Of Love: "Boy Pop"
see also "Boys United": Compilation

James Booker: "Gonzo"
CD. Night Train/Tuff City,
1995?
A compilation of his organ instrumental singles. and earlier singles, such as "Doing the Hambone, " recorded when he was 14 and rather squeaky-voiced.

Peter Boom: "Fuori / Lui Ama Lui"
EP Ciao 2001
Italy 197?. (GLOP)°
Popular carnival type song by Boom & Tannis, intended as gay anthem. (LIBE)

Borghesia: "No Hope, No Fear",
LP. "Play It Again Sam"
Belgium. 1990..
Borghesia is a group from Ljubljana (Slovenia) in Yugoslavia.

Borghesia: "Escorts and Models"
LP. Play It Again Sam BIAS 94
Belgium. 1990..
"Am I" (4:25)(see Plastic Bertrand); "U Crnom/In Black" (3:54); "Pasto Nudo/Naked Lunch" (3:55); "Toxido" (3:38)(CRUI), "An elderly man approaches, a bag In his hand, and diffidently asks: would you come home to my place?: I say No! Let's do it here!"; "Ogolelo Mesto / Rugged City" (3:15)(AIDS), "Hand on Hand, Breast on Breast, One By Another, Lying on a Bed, All My Loves Are Dead"; "Goli, Uniformirani, Mrtvi / Naked, Uniformed, Dead" (5:00)(LEAT) (SEXY)(CRUI) "Black, Gorge, Leather, Cruising, Cruising, Leather, Grass, Poppers, Poppers?"(DRUG); "A. P. R. " (5:26)(SADO), "Beat and Scream" (4:40), "You can piss in my mouth, and I'll Suck You, let me serve you, master, "; "Forgot" (3:54)

Miguel Bose: "Under The Sign Of Cain"
EastWest Records
UK. 1994..
Spanish singer - actor who also appeared as a transvestite judge in Almodovar's "High Heels".

Boston Gay Men's Chorus: "Visions: Words for the Future"
CD.
USA. 1994. (CHOR)
"Down An Amherst Path" (Pinkham); "Invocation And Dance" (Conte); "Life Of Joy with You, A" (Cutter); "Psalm 100" (Brody); "Psalm 150" (in Hebrew); "Psalm 23" (McFarrin); "Welcome! Sing, Be Merry!" (Johnson); "Winter Serenade" (Susa); "Words for the Future" (Raleigh/Whitman) "One Hour to Madness And Joy-Poets to Come-To You-When I Heard at The Close Of The Day"; "You Shall Above All Things" (Rosner)

Boston Gay Men's Chorus: "Freedom, Merriment & Joy"
CD.
USA. 1996. (XMAS)(CHOR)
"Christmas Waltzes" (arr Weirick); "White Christmas" (Berlin arr Ringwald); "Welcome! Sing, Be Merry!" (Johnson); "Magnificat" (Charpentier); "Freedom, Merriment & Joy!" (trad Yiddish arr Rosner); "Who Will Buy" (Bart arr Leydeon); "I'll Be Home For Christmas" (Gannon, Kent, Ram arr O'Neil); "Il est ne le Divin Enfant" (Carol arr Barney); "Still, Still, Still" (trad German arr Barney); "Somerset Wassail" (trad English, arr Barney); "Carol Of The Birds, The" (trad. Spanish, arr Rosner); "Holly And The Ivy, The" (trad. English, Cutter); "Making Spirits Bright" (Weirick); "Audience Sing-Along" (arr. Weirick)

The Boston Gay Men's Chorus: "The Marriage Debate Waltzes"
No recording?
USA. 1997..
In 1997 they premiered a new work composed by James Woodman featuring text by Representative Barney Frank (D- Massachusetts) at Jordan Hall. Included within the lyrics are excerpts from the congressman's floor speech denouncing the so- called "Defense of Marriage Act," which gives states the right not to recognize same-sex marriages performed in other states. Frank and his partner, Herb Moses will be guests of honor at event, which celebrates the Chorus' 15th anniversary.

Ivy Bottini: "Women's Lip"
EP.
USA. 1978. (COME)(GLOP)
Lesbian comedy on extended play. Recognised as one of the earliest 'gay-' singles, but date unverified. Quote?!

Louis A. Botto
Died of AIDS-related causes, Feb. 25 '97 at his home in San Francisco, aged 45.
Botto was the founder and artistic director of the male vocal ensemble Chanticleer, which is renowned for its impeccable vocal blend, repertoire ranging from Palestrina to spirituals, and lively arrangements. Chanticleer is the only full-time classical vocal ensemble in the U. S. Botto, a tenor, sang with the ensemble from its founding in 1978 until 1989, when he became Chanticleer's full-time artistic director.

Rae Bourbon (1893- 1971)
Texas-born American drag artiste of risqué monologues who produced and sold his own records during the 30's, 40,s, 50's and 60's. Bourbon worked in a variety of nightclubs in the United States and Europe, that "while homosexually oriented, most of them were not bona fide gay gathering places but virtual sideshows, where a few men in makeup and permanent waves paraded around, while straights pointed their fingers and laughed.
"Like many gay performers of the era, the repression of working in the clubs led Bourbon to more outrageousness and self caricature, promoting the stereotype of Gays as "freaks". The Blue Pages (an index of 'Party Records') entry on him says; "Worked in drag revues in vaudeville and English music halls before becoming an extra in silent films, he appeared in a couple of Rudolph Valentino flicks. He may have made radio history when his "Boys Will Be Girls" review was raided by the police during a 1932 broadcast." Artwork It trekked back and forth across the US. But in 1935 was banned from Broadway. "
He went to Hollywood in 1935 and is thought to have recorded some 20 sides of material. Club dates followed, along with frequent convictions and extensive recordings in the 1930's and '40's. The 'Trombone Trixie' session could be late '36 or early 1937, probably in NY.
Bourbon's main claim to fame was his constant push to shock audiences and he amassed, what many say is, the longest records of arrests by any performer on the nightclub circuit -- even busted for simulating the use of toilet paper on the stage .
George Chauncey notes in "Gay New York" that Bourbon's "Boys Will Be Girls" revue of the early 30's suffered from several police raids during its brief run in San Francisco, with a local radio station found itself unexpectedly broadcasting the first raid live.
Bourbon did have his admirers in his "glory days" of the 1930's and early 40's. Several top stars of the era saw his act and Mae West hired him for a part in the stage productions of "Catherine The Great" and "Diamond Lil", (1944).
He made many recordings (in New Orleans?) which he had pressed up in multiple editions (10 and 12 inch albums), varying the content and covers, reusing (re-recording) the material and changing titles at whim (in line with changing fashions), but always ensuring that there was a wide collection of discs to be sold in the lobby of the theatre after his show. Artwork
By the early 1950's, Bourbon had fallen on hard times, his touring shows became less popular, finally resorting to a publicity gimmick where he announced he had gone through a sex change and released an LP called "Let Me Tell You About My Operation" Press.
In his sixties, Bourbon accepted any job he could in small towns, travelling in an old trailer. In 1965, while driving through Texas on a 105-degree day, the trailer burst into flames. He left his 'babies', fifteen dogs which he kept for company on the road, with a local pet-shop owner.
Over the next three years, he continued to try and find work and sent what he could to care for his "kids", but eventually (1968) learned that the dogs had been sold. A few weeks later, the owner of the shop was murdered and Bourbon, who was working in Kansas City, was arrested for the murder.
He was sentenced to life in prison. Bourbon's health began to decline and his lawyer's appeals fell on deaf ears, partly because of Bourbon's extensive arrest record. In 1970, Bourbon wrote an impassioned plea to Variety, calling on his old friends in show business for help. His calls went unanswered and Bourbon died of a heart attack in a state hospital in Brownwood, TX July 19, 1971 while serving 99 years for murder.
His female impersonations sound a bit like Tullulah Bankhead. "Now, once upon a time, my dear children, in the days when fairies went about in lovely gowns every day of the year and not just on Halloween ...", but monologues were more typically anecdotal and accompanied by a wandering jazz piano in the background, accenting the punch lines in traditional music hall style. On some recordings piano accp. was by Bart Howard (composer Of "Fly Me To The Moon").
see also Ty Bennett

DO YOU OWN DISCS BY BOURBON?
Most recordings listed here are undated and hard to locate. There are no extant, surviving copies known for several of these discs. If you own original Bourbon discs please contact 'OutLoud"s author who can put you in touch with special researchers who are trying to reconstruct his catalogue. Formats include 10 and 12" vinyl discs (78's and 33s).

Rae Bourbon: "Cocktail Time/ Forbidden Broadcast"
Western Record Co. Bourbana Wr-716
USA. 1935? Artwork
Reflecting on the raid of his "Boy Will Be Girls" Revue in 1932, (see above).

Rae Bourbon: "Strip Tease Queen"
Hollywood Hotshots 379
USA. 1935?

Rae Bourbon: "Gigolo"
Hollywood Hotshots 382, Liberty Music Shop L-208 (75223a)
USA. 1935?

Rae Bourbon: "LowBrow"
Hollywood Hotshots 393,
USA. 1935?

Rae Bourbon: "Her First Piece"
Good-Humor 7-B (Wr-712-A)
USA. 1935? Artwork

Rae Bourbon: "Chiropractor's Wife (Dubbed As "The Masseur")"
Hollywood Hotshots 363,
USA 1940?

Rae Bourbon: "Barbary Coast/The Party"
Liberty Music Shop L-208 (75222a), *** 2538, Novelty 103, Party
Record 2538, High Society 501, Lasses 7/8° USA. 1940?. Artwork

Rae Bourbon: "First Swimming Lesson" (Dubbed As "Her First
Lesson")
Good-Humor 10-B (717),

Rae Bourbon: "Party 500"
Liberty Music Shop-209

Rae Bourbon: "Days of Yore"
Hi-lite 103
see re-release as 'When Knighthood was in Flower'

Rae Bourbon: "Trombone Trixie"
Liberty Music Shop L-209

Rae Bourbon: "Two Old Maids In A Folding Bed"
Good-Humor 2b (L-0316)
see Monette Moore

Rae Bourbon: "High Society 500
Kicks G-12 Piano By Jack Burke
USA. 1940.

Rae Bourbon: "Bashful Cowboy "
Liberty Music Shop L-318 (3439) Millieliberty Music Shop L-318 (3440)
(WEST)
Rae Bourbon: "Bedtime Story Part 1 " b/w "Bedtime Story Part 2"
Liberty Music Shop L-319 (3442)

Rae Bourbon: "Oriental Opera" b/w "Spanish Opera"
Liberty Music Shop L-320 (3445-1)

Rae Bourbon: "Family Tree "
Imperial 100

Rae Bourbon: "Bourbon To The Cleaners
Imperial 101

Rae Bourbon: "My Ace In The Hole" b/w "Three Guesses"
Imperial 103

Rae Bourbon: "Fountain Of Youth" b/w "Tessie"
Imperial 104

Rae Bourbon: "Gland Opera / To Hell With The Range"
Imperial 107

Rae Bourbon: "Hollywood Appendicitis / Hollywood Drive-Inn"
Imperial 108

Rae Bourbon: "Orchids To Alice" b/w "Queen Of The May"
Imperial 112-A

Rae Bourbon: "Nero / Constance"
Imperial 118

Rae Bourbon: "When Knighthood was in Flower'
Party Record 515

The following titles are unlocated ( released probably during WW2):

Rae Bourbon: "Mr Wong"
New Bourbon Records 103.
USA. 1940?

Rae Bourbon: "The Model"
New Bourbon Records 107
USA. 1940?

Rae Bourbon: "Sahara"
New Bourbon Records 108
USA. 1940?

Rae Bourbon:
"Professor Yussel"
New Bourbon Records 110
USA. 1940?

Rae Bourbon: " If I Had A Piece Of A Union Of Our Own"
New Bourbon Records 201
USA. 1940?

Rae Bourbon (continued)
After the LMS session in 1940 Rae Bourbon continued to record with some regularity. The Imperial releases are WWII era, about the same time as the Musicraft releases. It is thought that the UTC releases (the LP albums at least) were produced at a rate of approx. 1 per year between about 1950-1960, although they are undated, and may have been produced in a short period and reprinted subsequently as required during the following decade. The studio was probably (often) in New Orleans. It seems that they were first issued as 10 inch versions, and later in (several) 12 inch versions.

Rae Bourbon: "An Evening In Copenhagen"
10". UTC 1, 12" also LP UTC 1
USA. 1950?. (DRAG) Artwork
Side 1: "The Wedding" in which Bourbon recounts the story of a 1920's Gay wedding in Chicago and the ensuing chaos that followed.; "Mr. Wong"; "Erma's Weekend"; "The Raid". Side 2: "Mrs. Bevington Swope"; "A Gentlemen's Gentleman"; "Sisters of Charity"; "Extended Play". "Did the events in "The Wedding" really happen and how much came from Bourbon's imagination? It is difficult to say, but this routine, along with "The Raid", "Erma's Weekend" and similar routines convey much about the attitudes of the time -- the listener gets an impression of almost eavesdropping on the past, hearing catch- phrases and nicknames that were clues for those "in the know".

Rae Bourbon: "You're Stepping On My Eyelashes"
10" , UTC 2
USA. 1951?(DRAG) Artwork
Side 1; "Life Goes To A Party" (PART); "Queen Of The YMCA"; "Back In Drag Again"; "Queen Of The Ballet"; "Tom Thumb"
Side 2; "Peter Pan"; "The Family Tree" (FAMI); "Queen Of The Navy" (NAVY); "I Must Have A Greek"; "The Party Line";

Rae Bourbon: "Don't Call Me Madam"
LP. UTC 3
USA. 1952?(DRAG) Artwork
Side 1: "The Neighbor's Party"; "Tennessee"; "Country Ham"; "The Family (a trilogy)" (FAMI); "Sunday Driver"; "The Cafeteria"; "Bed-time Story"

Rae Bourbon: "Tennessee Country Ham"
LP. UTC 3.
USA. 1952?(DRAG)
Re-release of Don't Call Me Madam

Rae Bourbon: "A Girl Of The Golden West"
EP. UTC 4 and LP UTC 4
USA. 1952? Artwork •

Rae Bourbon: "Bourbon 100-proof"
LP. UTC 5
USA. 1955? (DRAG) Artwork Ί
"An Oriental Opera"; "Sailor Boy" ((NAVY); "Hamlet's Soliloquy"; "The Carpenter"; "The New Neighbor"; "Tennis"; "Spots" :

Rae Bourbon: "One On The Aisle"
LP. UTC 6
USA. 1958. (DRAG) Artwork Ί
"Toga Saga"; "Brunhilda's Emulsion"; "Orchids To Alice"; "Sahara"; "Carmen":

Rae Bourbon: "Claque, Claque"
10. UTC 6 (!)
USA. 1958?. (DRAG) Artwork Ί
Same track listing as "One On The Aisle" but missing 'Sahara".
This release has different cover pic, and has a flyer insert picturing the first 6 UTC 10" releases, most of which are shown with different covers than the LP versions

Rae Bourbon: "Let Me Tell You About My Operation"
LP. UTC 7
USA. 1958? Artwork(Sleeve reprints Newspaper) (DRAG) "Let Me Tell You About My Operation"; "Oh! Doctor"(MEDI); "I'm In The Family Way"; "Mrs. Willoughby Will Definitely Object!"; "When I Said "No" to Joe"; "I don't Want To Be A Madam" (PROS); "Millie"; "The Piano Teacher" (EDUC); "Telephone Girl At The Ritz"

Rae Bourbon: "Around The World In 80 Ways"
LP. UTC 8
USA. 1958? (DRAG) Artwork°
Drag cabaret monologues.
Side 1: "Russian Refugee"; " Cleopatra And Her Asp"; " The Stipend Must Rally 'Round Here"; " British Ways"; " Bourbon Goes Native. " Side 2: " The Fortune Teller"; " Spanish"; " Nero; Mr. Wong"; "Ponce
de Leon"; " One For The Road. "

Rae Bourbon: "Hollywood exposé"
LP. UTC 9
USA. 1958? (DRAG) Artwork Ί
"Bourbon Has Been To The Cleaners"; "Percy"; "The Last Of The Bobby Soxers"; "When Yussel Gave Me Muscle"; "Dancers Of Nature"; "My Petty-gree"; "Constance Isn't Constant Anymore"; "She's Only A Link In A Daisy Chain"; "When Knighthood Was In Flower"; "Tessie, The Messy Extra":

Rae Bourbon: "Ladies Of Burlesque"
LP. UTC 10
USA. 1958? (DRAG) Artwork Ί
"Strip Queen"; "Parade Girl"; "Cocktail Time"; "Anne, Fanny, Tessie, Bessie and Flo"; "Old Mrs. Richbit"; "Three Girls At A Matinee"; "Forty Five"; "The Awkward Age":

Rae Bourbon: "Lasses: The Party Tape"
MC. Privately circulated.
USA. 1965.
Infamous, never released "Private Party" tape, it's a performance given at a gay party in Royal St. New Orleans in. 1965, and considerably more "blue" than her pressed discs.
The tape which survives in circulation is known as "Lasses" and includes "Madam Native"; "Dirty Fairy"; "Hollywood Drive Inn"; "Spanish New Woman"; "Barbary Coast"; "Rae Goes To The Movies" and "The Neighbours Party".

Rae Bourbon: "A Trick Ain't Always A Treat"
LP. UTC 11 (Bourbon) and JB 3001 (Jewel Box) (both parties released it separately?)
USA. 1966?
A live performance at the Jewel Box Revue in Kansas City. It's probably the last thing Rae recorded.
It was still being offered for sale in a flyer from the club at the time of the arrest (1968, see biography above).

David Bowie:( David Robert Jones, 8 Jan 1947 - )
After playing with Mannish Boys and the King Bees, "Space Oddity" reached the top, but was followed by extended chart absence for the young Bowie. In 1970? he gave an interview to the gay press (i. e. jeremy), and speculation about his sexuality was established. By 1972 he had re-created himself and "Starman" became the first in a long list of hits inspired by Ziggy Stardust and other alter egos. Bowie caused a storm of (hyped) publicity when he first revealed his "bisexuality" in Rolling Stone (US) and Melody Maker (1972) telling Michael Watts, "Yes! Of course I'm gay, and always have been. His final Ziggy Stardust concert" (July 3 1973, Hammersmith Odeon, London) is documented in the 1982 film "Ziggy Stardust and the Spiders from Mars". Bowie's Stardust-shows characterised other personas, such as Major Tom and schizophrenic Aladdin Sane, but egocentric Ziggy provided the chance to characterize his "perverse" side. He created images which challenged traditional gender roles, wearing negligées and suspenders, and appearing in gay clubs with handsome men on his arm. Bowie fans included many cross-dressing 'space cadets' whose costumes are satirised in "Rocky Horror". Bowie killed his creation saying that 'Ziggy had more power than he knew what to do with'.
One biography, and many reviewers have suggested that the 'whole bisexual thing was a publicity stunt'.
With all this in mind, there are comparatively few overt gay references in the 'Stardust years', and these become scarcer still after 1974 when Bowie moved to America, emerging fully into the mainstream of global pop.
"Diamond Dogs" resulted from Bowie's experiences with William S. Burroughs and the 'cut-up principle'. Later work seems increasingly less concerned with gender and sexuality, (although SEE the cover of "Scary Monsters".
Bowie's filmed work shows some oblique gay sentiments ("The Man Who Fell To Earth", "Merry Christmas Mr Lawrence" and "The Hunger").
References and articles ( of which there are many) about Bowie and his "gay image" are listed below. (c. f. Marc Bolan, Elton John, Alice Cooper etc. )
Bowie's work has been much repackaged and so catalogue data refers to original releases. Reissues and repackaged albums are not listed.
"I'm compulsively heterosexual. I did have a fascination with gays though. In the late 1960's anyone who had a sense of style seemed to be gay. I drifted out of the fascination in my early 20's. I realised that bisexuality was not an adjustment I was willing to make. " (May 1993)
Bibliography:
"Bowie - The Pitt Report; Kenneth Pitt (Design Books, 1983) ISBN 0 9508816 0 0 (covers 1966-70)
"Alias David Bowie"; Peter and Leni Gillman (Hodder & Stoughton, London, 1986)
"Leben, Lieben Legenden"; H. J. Huber. (Fotokunstverlag, Berlin, 1989) page 18
"Free Spirit"; Angie Bowie (Mushroom, London, 1981)
"Bowie"; "Jerry Hopkins (Elm Tree, 1985)
"David Bowie - Theatre of Music" by Robert Matthew-Walker (Kensal, 1985)
"Bowie In His Own Words" Compiled by Miles. Omnibus Press. ISBN 0-86001-4645-5).
"The complete form of Lady Stardust" by Willem Melchior in "Homologie" (NL. 4/87)
John Gill: Queer Noises (p. 110)

David Bowie: "The Wild Eyed Boy From Freecloud"
7".(b/w "Space Oddity") LP. "Space Oddity" RCA AFL14813
UK. 1969.
"so the village-dreadful yawns / pronouncing gross diversion as the label for the dog / AAh, it's the madness in his eyes as he breaks the night to cry "It's really me!"; Really you and really me. "

David Bowie: "David Bowie" (and other titles)
"Little Bombardier", About a father's relationship with his son.

David Bowie: "The Width of the Circle"
LP. "The Man Who Sold The World", Mercury 6338041. CD. EMI CDEMC 3573
UK. 1971. Pop.
"The Width of the Circle" (8:07)(David Bowie, Moth Music Corp. ): "He swallowed his pride and puckered his lips and showed me the leather belt round his hips. My knees were shaking, my cheeks aflame. He said, "You'll never go down to the Gods again". (SEXY)

David Bowie: "Hunky Dory"
LP. RCA LSP 4623
UK. 1971. (Bowie as Garbo on the sleeve)
"Andy Warhol" (HERO)(ARTS) (Warhol hated the song!) " I'd like to be a gallery, put you all inside my show. Andy Warhol looks a scream, Hang him on my wall. Andy Warhol, silver screen, can't tell them apart at all. He'll think about paint, he'll think about glue, what a jolly boring thing to do."
"Queen Bitch" ( )" He dresses like a queen/but can kick like a mule...she's known in the darkest clubs for pushing ahead of the dames. " (TVAA) (NEWY)
"Bewlay Brothers" ( )(INCE) "in the crutch hungry dark, is where we made our mark, We were so turned on. "
"Oh You Pretty Things", "Don't you know you're driving your mamas and papas insane?"

David Bowie: "The Rise And Fall Of Ziggy Stardust And the Spiders From Mars"
LP. RCA LSP 4702 & RCA NL83843.
UK. 1972.
"Five Years" (4:42):contains an oblique passage, where a cob kneels to kiss a priest's feet, and "the queer threw up at seeing that".
"Lady Stardust" (3:22): "people laughed at his long black hair and his make-up. "
"Ziggy Stardust" (3:13):
"Suffragette City"
see also Fabienne Thibeault: "La chanson de Ziggy"
see also Starmania

David Bowie: "Images"
LP. Deram DPA 3018/8.
UK. 1973.
"London Boys" (3:20):about male prostitutes. (PROS)(LOND)
Early Bowie-style anno 1966.

David Bowie: "Aladdin Sane"
LP. RCA RS1001 (UK) RCA 4852 (US)
UK. 1973.
"Time" (5:10)(MAST). Bowie: "All I can do is assemble information that I've received. I've written a song on the new album which is called 'Time', and I thought it was about time, and I wrote very heavily about time, and the way I felt about time - at times - and I played it back, after we'd recorded it, and my God, it was a gay song! And I'd no intention of writing anything at all gay. When I listened to it back I just could not believe it. I thought well, that's the strangest...(January 1973, "Bowie In His Own Words").
"Jean Genie", A tribute to Iggy Pop and a pun on Jean Genet
"Cracked Actor" ( ) An elderly actor pays hustlers on Sunset and Vine (Hollywood). "Suck, baby ! Suck! Give me your head, before you get professing that your wishin me dead!
References to Burroughs; "The Wild Boys" etc.

David Bowie: "John, I'm Only Dancing"
7". RCA BOW12 4 / PC 9482.
LP. "Changesonebowie" RCA RS 1055
UK. 1976. (Rec 1972/75)
(BISE)
"John, I'm Only Dancing" (1972).
"She turns me on, but I'm only dancing, she turns me on, but don't get me wrong, I'm only dancing. I saw you watching from the stairs, you're everyone that ever cared." "John, I'm Only Dancing (Again)" (1975).
Dancing with a girl he wants to tell his (boy)friend, John that he is only dancing. His friend doesn't need to feel threatened. see version by The Polecats
et. al.
David Bowie: "Stage"
2LP. RCA PL 02913
live recording.

David Bowie: "Boys Keep Swinging"
LP. "Lodger" RCA
USA. 1979..
"When you're a boy. Other boys check you out!"
An anthem for masculinity with Bowie's naive gender-stereotyped lyrics.

David Bowie "Diamond Dogs"
"Sweet Thing" ( ) c. f. William S. Burroughs
"Candidate" (PROS)? " in the back of a car, in a cellar, like a church with the door ajar".
"Rebel, Rebel"; "You got your momma in a whirl, she's not sure if you're a boy or a girl. Hot tramp I love you so!"

David Bowie: "Ziggy Stardust The Motion Picture"
2LP. RCA PL84862(24).
UK. 1983. Without lyrics sheet.
Side A: "Hang On to Yourself" / "Ziggy Stardust" / "Watch That Man" / Medley: "Wild Eyed Boy from Freecloud, All the Young Dudes", "Oh! You Pretty Things".
Side B: "Moonage Daydream" / "Space Oddity" / "My Death".
Side C: "Cracked Actor" / "Time" / "Width of a Circle".
Side D: "Changes" / "Let's Spend the Night Together" / "Suffragette City" / "White Light/White Heat" / "Rock'N'Roll Suicide".
Film of Bowie performing live during his "Coming Out" tour

David Bowie: "Santa Monica '72"
CD.
UK. 1994.(1972)
Early Ziggy concert.

David Bowie: "Original Soundtrack zum Film 'Christiane F. Wir Kinder vom Bahnhof Zoo'"
LP. RCA BL84239.
Germany / USA. 1983. With lyrics sheet.
"Boys Keep Swinging" (3:17).
David Bowie performs in the film, which is about the narcotics milieu and male and female prostitutes.

David Bowie: "Beat Your Drum"
LP. "Never Let Me Down" EMI AMLS 3117
UK. 1987..
"I like the smell of your flesh, I like the dirt that you dish, I like the clothes that you wear, I like to beat your drum. - I'd like to blow your horn. "

Bowie
see The Kinks; "Lola"
see Amanda Lear
see also Starmania
see also The Times: "Boys About Town"

Laura Bowly: "Lovin' By The Rules"
LP. "Lovin' By The Rules", Small Dog 003,
USA. 1996. (GLOP)Ί
Songs like "Who I Answer To" provide insight and inspiration to queer youth to hang in there and be proud of who you are. Laura Bowly is a role-model and as good a spokesperson as any for the rights of gays & lesbians to accept themselves in the face of a society that doesn't quite understand them. This inspiration is best exemplified in the title track "Lovin' By The Rules. " The lyrics tell of a mother and sister who have a problem with our heroine because she's not "Lovin' By The Rules. " Bowly takes them to task in a round-a-bout way: "I've got a heart, I've got a mind...and I've got eyes that see right through...and *they* ain't lovin' by the rules. " She even throws in the refrain "Breakin' The Law! Breakin' The Law" from the Judas Priest song to add a playful touch to the track (rock group Pansy Division has also had fun with that song...poking fun at society's condemnation of gay love. ). Laura Bowly's heartfelt singing gives breath to some wonderful music. The sleepy harmonizing ballad "The One You Need To Love" stands out...as does "I Don't Want It," a shuffling ditty that could easily find a home on country radio playlists. The best rocker and, by far, most accessible song on the album is "I'll Never Go. " The album comes full-circle with "It's Gonna Be Okay," another reminder that things are going to work out in the end.
Pride and an effort to inspire others seems to play a large part in the music of Laura Bowly. The album winds up with a reprise of "Who I Answer To".

Bowowwow: "Uomo Sex Al Apache"
MC "Your Cassette Pet" EMI
USA . 1980. LP (later)

"The Boy From Oz": Original Cast Recording
CD. EMI 95660.
Australia 1998.
Peter Allen story, but no gay references in lyric. Just a show built around his songs

Boy George (née George O'Dowd, 1961 - )
Though famous for his cross-dressing and 'gender bending' George seemed unusually reluctant, even coy when, as lead singer of Culture Club, he was asked abut his sexuality in the mid-80's, quipping that sex was so unimportant to him that he'd "rather have a cup of tea", George finally came out to the press in 1985, speaking openly about the break of his relationship with Culture Club drummer Jon Moss. The death of Culture Club was a secondary, but inevitable consequence. George's attempt to pursue a solo career and at the same time mature from teeny-bopper idol to pop icon, resulted in a realignment with political issues a much clearer and public voice in the closing years of Thatcherism.
His first solo releases were aimed at the mainstream; "Everything I Own" which was the first hit single from his LP. "Sold" was a surprise smash. In 1990 he realigned himself again on the Club/ dance/ fashion scene with the satirically named band Jesus Loves You (see below).
"I used to say I was bisexual, which is a lie, and I felt really bad about it. I've always wanted to be a great songwriter, but a gay songwriter, who can write love songs that really affect people and make them realise there's no difference...love is love, pain is pain. " (GT Interview 5/1993)
George's autobiography, "Take It Like A Man" (Sidgewick & Jackson, London, 1995 ISBN 0-283-99217-4-490) declares "I'm attracted to all things cheap and beautiful; "fake jewels, satin jackets and rough pretty boys with cheap tattoo's. ";
"It's about looking back and cackling at myself- all those songs: "Do You Really Want To Hurt Me?"; "Victims"; "To Be Reborn": "What a fucking drama queen!"
In 1995 George was (unsuccessfully) sued by a former lover, Kurt Brandon of Spear of Destiny, for revealing details of their relationship. Mr Brandon denies that when they slept together it was sexual and claims Boy George has ruined his reputation and career with 'lies', "because he's jealous, or some other such excuse".

Boy George: "Live My Life"
LP. Film soundtrack "Hiding Out" , Virgin 90661-2
UK. 1987.
"Ain't nobody's business how I live my life, I learned my lesson whether it's wrong or right, Ain't nobody baby gonna tell me how I should live my life, Do it my way now"

Boy George: "No Clause 28"
7". Virgin. 111550.
(UK) 1988. Picture Sleeve George as Noddy & Thatcher as Terrorist. (LAWS) (CL28) (DISC)(GLOP)
"No Clause 28" (4:15) "No Clause 28 (Beats)" (4:44):Protest against Thatcher's "Clause 28" banning local government from spending money on anything which might "promote homosexuality"

Boy George: "Tense Nervous Headache"
LP. Virgin
UK. 1988..
Does not include "No Clause 28". (and not released in UK!)

Boy George: "No Clause 28 (Acid Remix)"
12".
UK. 1989. (LAWS) (CL28)(DISC) Artwork

Boy George: "Girlfriend"
LP. CD. Virgin 4-99272, (US. 2-91229)
UK. 1989. from "Slaves Of New York" soundtrack Ί
"Take your love and wrap it around the, first sucker that you meet, , I get the feeling you must be screaming, Your love is walking away, I get the feeling you must be screaming, And I just wanted to say, , Girlfriend, everybody needs a boyfriend, Cause when you got a boyfriend,, You've got something else to do, Girlfriend, everybody needs a boyfriend, Cause when you got a boyfriend, You've got something else to do"

Boy George: "High Hat"
LP. Virgin 7567 91022-1
UK. 1989. •
"Don't Take My Mind On A Trip"; "Whisper"; "Whether They Like It Or Not"; "You Found Another Guy"; "You Are My Hero"; "I'm Not Sleeping Anymore"; "Kipsy"; "Don't Cry"; "Girl With Combination Skin"; "Something Strange Called Love"
Ambiguous lyrics about unrequited love and desire.

Boy George: "The Crying Game"
Cover of Dave Berry's conscripted classic.
see also Culture Club
see also Jesus Loves You

Boy George: "The Killing Of Sister George"
EP. Virgin
UK. 1994..
"Miss Me Blind (Ramp Remix), "Generations of Love" (Ramp Remix), "Love Hurts"; "Am I Losing Control"; "Everything O Own".
The devil in Boy George's cover shots parody Marc Almond.

Boy George: "Cheapness and Beauty"
LP. CD. Virgin 40492
UK. 1995. (GLOP)
"Songs about coming out and being a Kamikaze Queer" incl. "Funtime" (Iggy Pop)and "Genocide Peroxide" "It's very personal. It's also very gay, the songs are about AIDS ("Il Adore"), old boyfriends, pans, homophobia, rough trade, Marilyn and coming out. "Next to the song "Unfinished Business" (about a closet queen) (COMI), there is a photo of him french-kissing his 'first great love', former Theatre of Hate singer Kirk Brandon, who then threatened to sue George. "Same Thing In Reverse" Ί(COMI)"How does it feel, what do you do, when he's all alone with you,? do you kiss him, hold his hand, who's the woman who's the man? is it twisted, is it sick, mother nature's little trick, I don't have to feel no shame, in god's image I am made your brother doesn't understand, how you could love another man, and your poor father thinks we're cursed, it's the same thing in reverse it's the same thing in reverse, nothing better nothing worse, it's the same thing in reverse, it's the same thing, it's the same thing what can you say, where do you go, do you want the world to know, make a prison of your fear, be a kamikaze queer bite my lip, hold my tongue, hope I'm not the only one, I don't have to be afraid, in god's image I am made do I love him, yes I love him, so don't question my affection, this is not some damn affliction, it's just love in contradiction black boys in cars, white boys with poisonous hearts, even on the one eyed guru, and why the hell are you looking at me, I never wanted to be part of the gang, I never saw this as part of my plan, I walk down the street with pride, happy that you're by my side".

Boy George: "VH1 Storytellers / Greatest Moments". CD USA. 1998. Compilation in the Storytellers series which led to a revival in the bands fortunes and the reunion tours of 1998. Including "I Just Wanna be Loved" and "Strange Voodoo"(which Boy George calls a queer love song)

Boy-Girl: "Faggot"
MC. "Farce Arcade" private label cassette,
USA. (Houston). 1995. "Faggot" (Katie Dugat & David Neimeyer) "get off his lap, get your arms off him Stop hugging him, stop showing your love for another guy I think I'm going to be sick, y'all are so disgusting I think I'm going to throw up, from all of your revolting smut it is so discusting, why don't you stop. You are scaring me and everyone else, why don't you faggots go to hell then I wont have to see this unchristian satanic display of affection between two guys that is so strong that they could care less about what some homophobic racist poor excuse for a human being says about them. Why do you act like that? It's so gay it's so discusting I think I'm going to puke every where, I feel queasy I'm gonna blow my mind after seeing y'all in action, cuz I think I'm going gay why do you have to give me that disease that you carry around in public come on guys now stop it before I have to go tell our right-wing corporate covenant-christian teacher about what you're doing that is so sickening, I'm scared to death that I might end up like you, so different than everyone else, what would I do if I was different?"

"Boy Meets Boy": Original Stage Recording
LP. (New York) AEI 1102 (USA)
US. (UK). 1975. 1977. (GLOP)(MUSI) Artwork Ί
A Musical Comedy performed by the Out & About Theatre. All versions are;
Lyrics by Donald Ward & Bill Solly and music by Bill Solly. A musical comedy where boy meets boy and then live happily together. The action takes place in London and Paris between December 1936 and June 1937. A romance between an American and an Englishman, set against the background of the abdication of King Edward VIII to marry Mrs Simpson. Detailed information on cover.
Side 1: "Introduction; Boy Meets Boy" (0:51), (4:45), "Party In Room 203" (1:53)(PART); "Giving It Up for Love" (2:18); "Me" (2:32); "The English Rose" (1:53); "Marry An American" (3:02); "It's A Boy's Life" (2:25); "Does Anybody Love You?" (2:17); "You're Beautiful" (4:20); "Tango/ Let's/Let's (Dance)" (6:51); "Giving It Up For Love" (Reprise)/ "Farewell at Victoria Station/ Finaletto" (2:34); "Just My Luck" (2:18); "It's A Dolly" (4:32); "What Do I Care" (2:45); "Clarence's Turn" (4:20); "It's A Dolly" (Reprise) (2:12); "Does Anybody Love You? - It's A Boys Life - Finale: Boy Meets Boy" (4:45).
Different recordings available (?) with different performers, some with a lyrics sheet, some with less songs included. (With Joe Barrett, David Gallegly, Rita Gordon, Paul Ratkevitch, Raymond Woods for The Actor's Playhouse, USA. (New York) Sept 1975

"Boy Meets Boy": Cast Recording
LP. Private Editions Series FRC/PES-1 (UK)
USA. 1980. °

"Boy Meets Boy": Los Angeles Cast Recording
LP. Silva Screen
USA. 1989.

"Boy Meets Boy":New York Cast Recording
CD. AEI Records AEI CD. 009
USA. 1993. (1978)

"Boy Meets Boy",
see "Family Jewels: Gems of Rainbow Stage"

Amy Boyd : " 20/20 , Feminine Protection, Cat in Heat "
see "The Best of Lesbian Comedy, Vol. 1"

Joe Mack Boyd: "That I Could Still Go Free"
EP. God's Growth Garden
USA. 1992. (GODS)
"Jesus Signed My Pardon" and other gospel tracks from gay born-again minister.

Karin Boye
see Lena Nyman: "Ja visst gr det ont "

"The Boys in the Band": Original New York Cast
2LP. A&M SP 6001.
USA. 1970. (GLIT) (GLOP)(FILM) Artwork •
Based on the play by Mart Crowley. Screen version 1970.
The story of a birthday party with one heterosexual guest and a lot of frustrated depressive queens. Soundtrack includes Cole Porter's "Anything Goes" (performed by Harper's Bizarre)

"Boys On The Side": Original Soundtrack
CD. Arista 0782218748
USA. 1994. (FILM)
A film about the relationship between three women.
New tracks: Melissa Etheridge "I Take You With Me" Bonnie Raitt "You Got It"; Stevie Nicks "Somebody Stand By Me"; Pretenders "Everyday Is Like Sunday" (Morrissey); Annie Lennox "Why"; The Cranberries "Dreams"; Joan Armatrading "Willow"; Indigo Girls, Sarah MacLachlan Jonell Mosser "Crossroads";

Boys' Entrance:. "Exit Or Entrance"
MC. Q Ear music 1002
USA. 1992.
"Tribaljolt (Instrumental)"; "Uriahpop"; "Light In The Darkness"; "Yellow Sun"; "Overcome By Taste"; "Dementia 35 (Instrumental)"; "Fetching Dress", ""Would you let me try on your fetching dress, I would like to try on your magik dress, And feel its awesome power, But only for an hour, I'm such a lousy coward in your. . "; "What You Believe"; "Your Secret Fear"; "Laurie's Song (Instrumental)"; "Searching For A Thrill"; "Yellow Sun (Glasspatrick Mix)";
Written by Tim Cain

Boys' Entrance: "The Ballad of Freddie Mercury"
un-released
USA. Sept. 1993.
"Somewhere back in the seventies, when I was just a foppish teen, Glitter Rock had come to town and, it meant everything to me, Bowie, Dolls, and Mott, and Bolan, on the cover of Creem, Maybelline dreams, then there was Queen" excerpt from "The Ballad of Freddie Mercury" (Tim Cain)

Boys' Entrance: "B. E. E. P. - Boys' Entrance E. P. ",
MC. Private Release.
USA. Sept. 1994.
"Baby Crawl"; "Richard Don't Think" (The Organ Grinder Mix); "Mix It Up" "I had a dream of a woman, she was man, he was woman, and she looked just like me"; "Moses" (Fletcher Mix); "As Girls Go" (by Suzanne Vega, arrangement- T. Cain)

Boys' Entrance, "Daddy Do Go Down",
CD? "In Through The Out Door", Q Ear 1,
USA. 1995. Ί
Contact (1997): http://www.afternight.com/music/boys/index. html
see also Cain

Boys' Entrance: "Underdubbed- Boys' Entrance Live",
MC.
USA. 1996?
"Fetching Dress"; "Never Let Me Down" (cover of song by Depeche Mode, M. Gore writer); "Your Secret Fear"

Boys' Entrance: "In Through The Out Door"
MC. CD. Q Ear music
USA. 1996. Artwork OutVoice-1996.
"The Happy Wanderer Goes Gay", (instrumental) (4:12); "Baby Crawl" (4:44); "Mix It Up" (2:40); "Daddy Do Go Down" (4:41)"My lips are pillows where you lay your head, Slip your pride between them when you take me to bed, We'll go down- down Daddy, do go down"; "Weightless In Your Arms" (4:30); "Moses" (5:53); "Snowman" (6:51); "Richard Don't Think" (5:59); "Acting and Appearing Nightly" (4:03); "As Girls Go" (2:02); "It's a Lie" (4:52); "Soul In a Box" (6:40); "Dancing On Your Grave" (a fantasia on the passing of Jesse Helms) (3:26); "Time Is Running Out" (6:21); "Hush" (instrumental) (2:56);

Boys Entrance: "The Queer Punk Folder. "
EP.
USA. 1997. (PUNK)
Harry Hay, co-founder of the early 60's gay activist group called Mattachine Society, promised to lend his voice to a song Tim Cain wrote entitled "Harry Hay". After meeting the activist at a signing of his book "Radically Gay ", Hay provided a cassette of himself asking his three essential questions about gay people: "Who are we?" "Where do we come from and where have we been?" "What are we for?"
Hay's reason for not completeing his contibution to the song?: " You know, Honey, I don't give a damn whether anybody ever remembers my name or not. Most I would like is for people to fly with my vision." (May 1, 1997) see also Cain

Boys Town Gang
(a. k. a. Bill Motley) Taking their name from a Spencer Tracey movie, they achieved some celebrity and media interest from the explicit version of "Cruising The Streets" (1981). After creating some controversy and market, a cleaned-up version was released and became a minor hit, but still failed to reach Hot 100. (ed. It might be concluded that editing out the explicit sexuality also removed the buying interest?) Continued releases under this name were mostly cover versions produced by Motley for Moby Dick/Rams Horn. They became popular gay club hits with sharp female vocals and fleshed out the sparse diet of gay styled material in the late Hi-NRG period.
Variety of mixes and versions reflects the early use of mixing in gay clubs. 12" mixes generally include longer instrumental sections, though not necessarily very interesting variation (c. f. House/Hip-Hop). 7" and album cuts unless otherwise specified are usually minimal instrumental and repeated verse/chorus for the optimum "Air Time" of 2:30.
see Hi-NRG
see Rams Horn Records
see Loverde & Patrick Cowley

Boys Town Gang: "Cruisin' the Streets"
12" single. Moby Dick BTG 231 (US) WEA 58379 (NL)
USA. 1981. (DISC) (SEXY)(GLOP) Artwork •
Lead vocals: Cynthia Manley.
"Cruisin' the Streets" (12:58). (Bill Motley) "Hey there, all you hunky guys, dancing to the beat/ Listen good, I'll tell you about a new way to meet/. you'll make out every time...You might find a big ol' boy, nine inches or more. Cruisin' the street, Folsom, Castro, Fire Island" (CRUI) (SANF)
This originally released, 128 b. p. m. "full version" contains segued tracks including;
i) intro and verse/ chorus (to 0:46)
ii) vocal/ rap/ chorus (to 3. 00)
iii) rap/chorus (to 4:30)
iv) Mix rhythms/fugue/instrumental mix(to 7:15)
v) Dramatised dialogues of four cruising contacts (passing, rejected, hooker, voyeuse, rape by cops) to orgasm (10:50);
vi) verse/chorus, instrumental "Hey there, all you hunky guys", instrumental, (to 12:50)
vii) Spoken; "Stuff that big sausage in me!"
The sleeve front depicts cruising men at Ringold Alley, S. F, while the full lyrics (excluding the dialogue section) appear on the reverse against a half-tone image of an SF Police car.
Front incorporates warning "Caution: May contain material not suitable for children or the prudish"
West Coast disco classic and seminal "Boy's Town" track (band derived its name from the Spencer Tracey movie. " about an experimental community for young offenders. )

Boys Town Gang: "Ain't No Mountain High Enough/ Remember Me", b/w "Cruisin' The Streets"
7". WEA Moby Dick 18. 854 ( DISC)•
"Cruisin' The Streets" (3:35) Cleaned-up 'Radio version' (sections i), ii) above. )
12". WEA Moby Dick DICK 1T
"Cruisin' The Streets" (6:36) (sections i), ii) then longer instrumental mix (euro-style) and iii) (4. 00-5. 50) 'Radio version'
USA. 1981..
No info or warning on sleeve

Boys Town Gang: "Signed Sealed Delivered"
12". Ram's Horn RAMSH 12-3105
USA. 1982. •(DISC)
"Signed Sealed Delivered" (6:02)
"Disco Kicks" (9:34)

Boys Town Gang: "Come and Get Your Love"
12". Rams Horn RAMSH 12-3129
USA. 1982. (DISC)
"Come and Get Your Love"
"You're the One" (9:34)

Boys Town Gang: "Disc Charge"
LP. ERC Records ERCLP. 101
USA. 1981. (DISC)•
"The Boys Town Gang is Jackson Moore (singing lead), Tom Morley (back-up vocals), Bruce Carlton (back-up vocals). "
"Can't Take My Eyes Of You" (9:47), "Come and Get Your Love" (7"03), "Signed Sealed Delivered" (5:43) also (3:57) on "Best of Ram's Horn" LP. RH5044, "You're The One" (8:09), "Disco Kicks (remix)(9:34), "Can't Take My Eyes Off You (reprise)" (4:42).
Bill Motley gets himself a 'front line' for the Remix LP. launch. "Crusin' The Streets" is conspicuous by it's absence.

Boys Town Gang: "I Just Can't Help Believing"
12".RHR 3185
USA. 1983. (DISC)•
"Just Can't Help Believing" (6:19)
"Just Can't Help Believing" (5:36)

Boys Town Gang: "A Cast Of Thousands"
LP. Rams Horn 5096.
USA. 1984. (DISC)
"A Good Man Is Hard To Find"; "Brand New Me"; "In and Out of Love"; "Waiting For You"; "I just Can't Help Believing"; "Dance Trance"; "When Will I See You Again"; "Yester-me, Yester-you, Yesterday":

Boys Town Gang: "Dance Trance Medley"
12" (one-sided). GWP3399 (33 rpm
USA. 1984. (DISC)•
"Dance Trance Medley" (14:24)
a) Boys Town Gang: "Dance Trance"
b) Boys Town Gang: "You're The One"
c) Debbie Jacobs: "High On You"
d) Debbie Jacobs: "Hot Hot"
e) Jessica Williams: "Gamblin' On Your Love"
f) Jessica Williams: "Queen Of Fools"
g) Two Tons/Weather Girls: "I Got A Feeling"
h) Sylvester and Two Tons: "Dance (Disco Heat)"
i) Two Tons/Weather Girls "Earth Can Just Be Heaven"
j) Margaret Reynolds: "Keep On Holdin' On"
k) Boys Town Gang; "Disco Kicks"
l) Marlena Shaw: "Touch Me In The Morning"
m) Boys Town Gang: "Ain't No Mountain High Enough"
n) Debbie Jacobs: "Maybe This Time"
o) Boys Town Gang /Ensemble: "We Are Family" (FAMI)
p) Boys Town Gang; "When I Was Young"

Boys Town Gang: "Mega Mix"
7". BR. music 45281
USA. 1988. (DISC)
Remix by Peter Vriends. From LP. "The Best Of. "
incl. "Cruisin' The Streets: Disco Kicks: Ain't No Mountain: Can't Take My Eyes Off You: Signed Sealed Delivered: Come and Get My Love: When Will I See You Again: Remember Me: Ain't No Mountain. "

Boys Town Gang: "The Best Of The Boys Town Gang"
BR Music, BRLP/MC/CD. 93
USA. 1988?(DISC)

"Boys United": Compilation
CD. Sire/Genre Promo CD (given away with a subscription to Genre Magazine)
USA. 1997.
Book Of Love: "Boy Pop"; Erasure: "Love To Hate you"; DoublePlusGood: "Conga Te"; La Casa: "Get To You"; Marc Almond: "What Makes A Man A Man"; Barenaked Ladies: "What A Good Boy"; Morrissey: "He Knows I'd Love To See Him"; John Wesley Harding: "Save A Little Room For Me"; Deborah Harry: "Bike Boy"; Belly: "It's Not Unusual"; The Judybats: " Pain (Makes You Beautiful)"; Waterlillies: "I Am Woman"; Jose And Luis: " The Queen's English

Boytronic: "The Working Model"
LP. CD.
Germany. 198?
Dedications: "Thanks to A. Schroeder (...once there was love, now there are scars. ), B‰rlib‰r (you're the one who stays)..." etc. etc.

Boyzone, "Ben"
CD. "A Different Beat" Polydor CD. 78182,
UK. 1997. °
Cover of the Michael Jackson song.

Joe Bracco: "Friend In My Pocket"
LP. Private.
USA. 1989. (GLOP) •
"Friend In My Pocket" "Friend in My pocket/ I've got a friend in a rubber.../I never leave home without my friend in my pocket" (SAFE); "Coming Out" (COMI), "Drag Doll" (DRAG), "Best of Friends"; "Window Whacker"; "With Our Voices"; "Great Expectations of a Knight"; "South Shore Boy"; "He Tried To Be An Aardvark"; "Cruiser's Blues" (CRUI), "Kiss Me In Spanish"; "Golden Boy".
Joe Bracco died of AIDS in 1991.

Joe Bracco: "True To Myself"
MC. Fresh Fruit Records JB1
USA. 1992. (GLOP) Artwork
"Friend In My Pocket" (3:06); "Best Of Friends" (2:19); "Drag Doll" (2:40); "Cruiser's Blues" (2:41); "Kiss Me In Spanish" (2:36); "South Shore Boy" (2:22); "Window Whacker" (3:02); "I Don't Like To Say Goodbye" (1:46); "Yo No Pago" (2:36); "Great Expectations Of A Knight" (2:40); "Golden Boy" (2:40); "He Tried To Be An Aardvark" (2:07); "Coming Out" (3:18); "With Our Voices" (3:32); "Home Free, At Last" (3:17)(HOME)
Bracco died of AIDS 3/3/91, age 30. This posthumous re-release of home tapes and recordings including "I Don't Like To Say Goodbye", was produced by his friends Romanovsky and Phillips.

Bradford GLF( Gay Liberation Front): "Glad To Be Gay"
7" EP. Chebel Recs SRI/CUS 016
UK. 1977? (GLOP)
" Glad to be Gay" (2:52)(by Tom, Rose & Annie) / "The Gay Switchboard Jingle" (0:22) / "Schizophrenia" (1:28) / "Stand Together" (1:40). (LIBE)
Tom = Tom Robinson.
Published by the Campaign for Homosexual Equality, Manchester. C. H. E. Entertainments.
see also The Voice Squad

Billy Bragg; "Tender Comrades"
LP. "Talking With The Taxman About Poetry" Go Disc
UK. 1987..
"Brothers in arms, in each others arms, was the only time I was not afraid. " (MILI)

Billy Bragg: "Sexuality"
7". Go Discs LP. "Don't Try This At Home"
UK. 1991.
"And just because you're gay, I won't turn you away. Sexuality warm and wet and wild and free, sexuality, your laws do not apply to me, Safe sex doesn't mean no sex, it just means 'use your imagination'. ". Song celebrating the diversity of sexuality and refusing to accept celibacy as the correct response to AIDS crisis. Produced by Johnny Marr and Grant Showbiz.
"Trust" (AIDS) "He's already been inside me!"

Billy Bragg: "Sexuality"
see "Out Loud" (compilation)

Luc Bral: "Beminnen"
LP. Jojo 21002
Belgium. 1979. Dutch/French. Gay pop/cabaret. (GLOP) (CABA)
Most songs by Luc Bral.
Side 1: "Thuis" (4:16); "Lekkere Pijn" (Lewis Furey) (3:33); "Engel" (2:40); "Angelo" (4:05); "Je Ne Veux Que Toi" (5:13).
Side 2: "Als Ik Bedenk" (3:10); "Mijn Lief" (2:11); "Nacht Vol Kleuren" (3:32); "Ode Aan de Nacht" (Jotie 't Hooft)(2:13); "Ballade Van De Schone Jonker" (8:07).

Brand Nubian: "Punk Jump Up To Get Beat Down"
LP.
USA. 1993. (HIPH)
Story of a queer-bashing. Homophobic band members were tackled by GLAAD for the record. Although they admit to hating queers they defend the disc.

Ralph Brande: "One Art"
CD. One Art OA 0001 CD
USA. 1996.
"Upside Down" (Flor de Lis); "If I Were A Bell"; "A Kiss To Build A Dream On"; "Errand Boy For Rhythm/Swing, Brother, Swing"; "Sophisticated Lady/ The Man That Got Away"; "Sand In My Shoes"; "Looking For Love On Broadway / Don't Let Me Be Lonely Tonight"; "I'll Know"; "An Innocent Man"; "Down For Double"; "Blame It On The Son"; "The Nearness Of You"

Bratmobile: "Panik"
LP "Potty Mouth" Kill Rock Stars KRS 208
USA. 1993.
"She's the hottest whore in town, the dominatrix of my dreams, I know u think it's cheesy, but she's so in love with me"
also; "Love Thing"; "Stab"; "Cherry Bomb"; "Throway""; "P.R.D.C.T."; "Some Special"; "Fuck Yr Fans"; "Polaroid Baby"; "Panik"; "Bitch Theme"; "Richard"; "Cool School"; "Juswanna".

Bratty and the Babysitters "In A State"
EP. State (World Records)
USA. 1988. (GLOP)
"In A State"; "One Sided Love"
"This is a strong stand for lesbian visibility" (Adv. )

Carolina Brauckmann: "Satirische Lesbengesänge"
LP. FBV, Best. -Nr. 26654
W. Germany. 1982. German. (COME) Lyrics on inner sleeve.
"Kleinanzeigen" (2:24)(ADVS); "Verliebt" (3:56); "Beziehungskiste" (3:54); "Queen der Scene" (2:13); "Sub" (4:49); "Johanna-Gay-Town" (2:16); "Volkslied" (3:14); "Hetero-Forte" (2:45); "Lesbian Age" (2:45); "Beziehung Unser" (5:29); "Die Witwen" (5:14); "Schlager" (2:41).
Songs; Carolina Brauckmann

Peter Braun: "That Land"
CD. Braun & Co
USA. 1997.

"Breathe"
USA. 1997.
Musical by Dan Martin and Michael Biello which explores gay sexuality and spirituality.
Recording?

Bertolt Brecht (see Kurt Weill below)

Breaking Up (Index)
see BYE

Breeches Parts
Term used to describe cross-gender roles in opera and Elizabethan theatre.

Jacques Brel:
see Marc Almond - "Jacques"
see Scott Walker

Phillip Brett
see "Queering The Pitch"

"Brideshead Revisited"
LP. Chrysalis 205 944 & CDL 1367.
UK. 1981.
The original music from Granada Television's dramatization of Evelyn Waugh's Brideshead Revisited. Composed and conducted by Geoffrey Burgon.

"Brideshead Revisited- Sir John Gielgud reads excerpts"
3LP. Caedmon/Decca, MC. ARGO SAY1 (UK), Chrysalis C BOX1 (GLIT)

Whistlin' Rufus Bridey: "Who's Gonna Do Your Sweet Jelly Rollin?"
78.
USA. 1933. (11 December) (JAZZ)
Friendly reference, according to Paul Oliver Screening The Blues (p. 196)

Alicia Bridges: "I Love The Nightlife"
7". Polydor 2066 936
USA. 1978.
Favourite gay disco song which is almost unique in being sung by a lesbian. It later (re-)appeared as the main theme in the movie "Priscilla, Queen of the Desert"; Alicia released two subsequent singles and an album called "Hocus Pocus" for Olivia (USA, 1984) and then?. "I became disillusioned. Now I'm a DJ at a gay man's leather bar (The Atlanta Eagle). (1994)
see version by Bronski Beat

Tom Briggs: "Secret Love"
CD. Saturn Disc
USA. 1993?

Tom Briggs: "Moonlight"
CD. Saturndisc SA 9301
USA. 1995.
"Moonlight" (7:05); "If You Never Come To Me"/ inutil paisagen (4:52); "Tom's Samba" (3;12); "Immortal Eyes" (3:19); "Triste" (4:19); "Yesterday's Song" (5:16); "Only Trust Your Heart" (3:39); "Manifestation" (3:03); "Moonlight" (inst) (7:22).
Hispanic Jazz by openly gay musician with AIDS.

Benjamin Britten (Lowestoft, Suffolk, 22nd. November 1913-1976)
Along with his long term partner and leading man, Sir Peter Pears (1910-1986) were an unusually well-known gay couple in the world of classical music. Britten himself was sometimes reticent about his private life, although he never denied his "life-long friendship" with Pears, even describing it publicly as "a marriage". Evidence for the public knowledge of their relationship includes an episode in 1940 when the word "pansy' was scrawled on the posters for one of their London concert's.
Hostile responses from William Walton and Constance Lambert (father of Kit - see below) included redubbing his works as; "The Bugger's Opera"; "Twilight of the Sods" and "The Stern of The Crew".
Friend and collaborator of Auden and Isherwood, he moved to the United States for a while in later life. Like many of his contemporaries he relished the comparative freedom offered by the trans-Atlantic trip. Knighted in 1976.
After Britten's death, Pears gave a frank interview with Stephen Greco about the significance of homosexuality in the composer's work. In 1980 BBC TV broadcast Tony Palmer's documentary "As Time There Was" in which Pears talked openly and passionately about their relationship. "He died in my arms".
"Humphrey Carpenter's biography of Benjamin Britten, published in 1992, outraged some fans. Peter Pears questioned whether it was necessary to know quite so much about his private life. 'He was a musical genius', he says. 'Is one really interested in the sex life of the great musicians?'. But Carpenter argued that the tensions which existed in Britten's emotional life informed his work. He shows Britten enjoying a stable, loving relationship with Pears but also finding inspiration in a succession of young boys. The differing passive/active roles which each kind of relationship entailed came through in his music, said Carpenter." "In 1996, Suffolk Council proposed a statue of Britten near where the composer is buried, beside Pears, in the town's churchyard. Aldeburgh Town Council rejected the plan last week. Town clerk Andrew Harris said: 'We want people to know there is more to Aldeburgh than just Benjamin Britten - in any case, he was born in Lowestoft.' Then Malcolm Williamson (Master of the Queen's Music) waded in. 'Britten's music is ephemeral. It will not last', he opined, adding: 'The homosexual, paedophillia thing is coming to the fore and there's going to be a terrific swing against him.' (The Pink Paper , 2nd. August, 1996, issue 441, page 2.)
Michael Wilcox's short profile of Britten in the Outlines series on gay artists (Absolute Press, UK) is an instance. His chief preoccupation is a gay reading of the operas with chapter headings such as 'Lumberjacks' (Paul Bunyan), 'Queer Fish' (Peter Grimes) and 'Albert Comes Out' (Albert Herring), with some fascinating social history thrown in. His detailed exposé of the homo-erotic significance of Swan Vesta matches in Albert Herring (how could one be so naïve as to have overlooked it?) will doubtless spawn a few PhD theses, but finally it all amounts to a variation on bus-spotting. Bibliography:
Philip Brett "Homosexuality and Music" in "Homosexuality As Behaviour and Identity": ed. L. Mass (Harrington, NY, 1990)ISBN 0-918393-90-6
Philip Brett; "Eros and Orientalism in Britten's Operas" in "Queering the Pitch": Phillip Brett, Elizabeth Wood, Gary C. Thomas (Routledge, UK, 1993) ISBN0-415-90752-7
Humphrey Carpenter: "Britten"
John Gill; Queer Noises (p. 11 et seq. )
Other Refs
http://plaza.interport.net/nycopera/education/britten.htm
http://www.abt.org/bios/britten.htm
http://www.geocities.com/Vienna/Strasse/1523/britbib.htm
http://www.geocities.com/Vienna/Strasse/1523/britten.htm

Benjamin Britten: "Peter Grimes"
UK. 1945..
Discussed with Phillip Brett in "Homosexuality as Behaviour and Identity -Vol 2", p36 (L. D. Mass Ed. )

Benjamin Britten: "Billy Budd"
3LP. Decca SET. 379/380/381.
UK. 1968. 3 LPs + booklet with lyrics. (OPER)
1951 Opera based on Herman Melville's story about the personality clash between a violent sea captain and a handsome young sailor. Libretto by E. M. Forster and Eric Crozier.
see also Morrissey

Benjamin Britten: "Death in Venice"
3LP. Decca Set 581-83.
UK. 1973. 3 LPs + lyrics booklet. (OPER)(PAED)•
Op. 88. Opera in two acts, libretto by Myfanwy Piper based on the short story by Thomas Mann about a mans infatuation with a sublime youth. The first act climaxes with von Aschenbach's realisation, "I Love You".
Peter Pears (life-long companion of the composer. ) appeared in the leading role of Gustav von Aschenbach:
The recurring theme of young boys was continued in "Peter Grimes", "Albert Herring", and "Noye's Fludde"
Music for the film was from symphonies by Mahler.
see also "Death In Venice" Original Film Soundtrack
see also Thomas Mann

Benjamin Britten: "Death In Venice"
see "Club Verboten"

Benjamin Britten: "The Turn of the Screw" (Opus 54)"
English Opera Group conducted by Britten with Peter Pears,
Jennifer Vyvyan, David Hemmings.
LP. ??
UK. 1954. (OPER)
Libretto by Myfanwy Piper based on the short story by Henry James.
"But I saw things I did not like, when Quint was free with
everyone, with little Master Miles, hours they spent together...But he had ways to twist them round his little finger: he liked them pretty, I can tell you Miss, and he had his will, morning and night. "
" Exhibiting the composer's customary intense preoccupations with homosexual love and the futility of struggling against it. " (review in L'Express)
Also other recordings.

Benjamin Britten: "The Burning Fiery Furnace"

Benjamin Britten and Peter Pears: "My Beloved Is Mine" (Canticle No. 1 Opus 40)
LP. ??
UK. 19?? (CLAS)
"Our firm united souls did more than twine; thus I my best
beloved's am, thus he is mine. " (Song of Solomon)

Benjamin Britten: "My Beloved Is Mine" (Canticle No. 1 Opus 40)
LP. EMI CSD 3773
UK. 19?? Lyrics enclosed. (CLAS)
With Philip Ledger (piano) and Robert Tear (tenor)

Benjamin Britten: "My Beloved Is Mine" (Canticle No. 1 Opus 40)
LP. "The Canticles" London 425 716-2
UK. 1990. (CLAS)

Benjamin Britten (piano) and Peter Pears(tenor): "Seven Sonnets of Michelangelo" (Opus 22)
LP. (from original 78 rpm recording) EMI WM 4357-2 (CLAS)
UK. 19??
Britten's setting of Michelangelo's poem; "Se vint'e pres'i'debb'esser beato / Maraviglia non e se nud' e solo/ Resto prigion d'un Cavalier armato" (If, to be happy, I must be conquered and held captive, no wonder that I, nude and alone, remain the prisoner of a Cavalier in arms) Sonnet written for Thomas Cavalieri, a young man with whom Michelangelo exchanged extravagant love letters. The song-cycle is the first piece of music Britten wrote for Pears, and dedicated to him.

Benjamin Britten and W. H. Auden "Johnny"
CD. "Britten's Blues and Cabaret Songs" Unicorn Kanchanna DKP 9138
UK. 1993. (Lyrics enclosed) (OPER) (POET)
"Johnny"; "Last Night I Dreamed Of You, Johnny my lover, You'd the sun on one arm and the moon on the other".
Sung by Jill Gomez.

Britten: "Sea Interlude No 1
see "Out Classics" (Vol 1)

Britten : "Sea Interlude No 3"
see "Out Classics" (Vol 1)

"Broadcasting It": Keith Howes
An Encyclopaedia of Homosexuality on Film, Radio and TV in the UK. 1923-1993.
(Cassell, UK, 1993) see Appendix: Bibliography.

"Broadway for Lovers": Unnamed Artists
CD. Intersound 0-15095-35742
USA. 1996. (Male-male lovers depicted on sleeve) (GLOP)°
Love themes for voices and trio, with sexy cover pics of two shirtless men holding each other.
"It Don't Mean A Thing (If It Ain't Got That Swing)" (2:31)( Sophisticated Ladies), "All I Ask Of You" (3:05) (Phantom Of The Opera), "I've Never Been In Love Before" (2:35) (Guys And Dolls), "Night And Day" (5:24) (The Gay Divorcee), "Ain't Misbehavin'" (3:47) (Ain't Misbehavin'), "With One Look" (3:40) (Sunset Boulevard), "One Hand, One Heart" (2:34) (West Side Story), "The Sound Of Music" (2:43), "Where Is Love" (3:31) (Oliver), "As If We Never Said Goodbye" (5:41) (Sunset Boulevard) Songs from the musicals packaged with topless male lovers on the cover.
Selected tunes from Broadway musicals sung by Dan Gardner and Brad Sharp.
Many songs being are in the first person. None of the lyrics has a man singing about a man. And only 3 or 4 of the 10 tracks are duets. The only one that comes across that it might be gay is "one hand, one heart" from "West Side Story"

Michelle Brody: "Old Woman" (Miss Saffman's Ladies Choir)
LP. "Gay And Straight Together" Folkways Records FS 8580
USA. 1981. Folk compilation. Lyrics enclosed. °
"Old Woman" (Miss Saffman's Ladies Choir)(2:29)(OLDG) "I wanna live to be a deep sea diver, a parachute jumper and an old woman"

David Bromberg: "Will Not Be Your Fool"
LP. MC. "How Late'll Ya Play 'til?"
USA. 1976. (FOLK)
includes "I'll see that faggot dead"

Bronski Beat:
Bronski Beat was created when members of the London Gay and Lesbian Youth Video Project, working on the video-documentary "Framed Youth", needed some music and pressed the reluctant Jimmy Somerville into service. Aided by Steve Bronski (7 Feb 1960 - ) and Larry Steinbachek they not only recorded a number for the video but developed with a performance at "September In The Pink", a controversial state-aided, gay and lesbian arts festival. Shortly after they signed to London Records where they released the singles "Smalltown Boy" and "Why" followed by their first album.

Bronski Beat: "Smalltown Boy" b/w "Infatuation"
7". London
UK. 1984..(FAMI)
The story (shown controversially explicitly in the promotional clip) of a Glasgow-born schoolboy who is caught out while cruising at the swimming pool. When the police reveal his gayness to his parents, he heads for the bright lights of London, " Run away, runaway!"
see version by Balkan Electrique

Bronski Beat: "Smalltown Boy"
see "Glad To Be Gay"

Bronski Beat: "The Age of Consent"
LP. MC. CD. Forbidden Fruit (London Recs.), BITLP. 1 (820 171-1)
UK. 1984. Lyrics . (GLOP)(LAWS)•
"Why?" (3:44);(PHOB)"Ain't Necessarily So" (4:24)(George and Ira Gershwin); "Screaming" (3:56)(COMI); "My man love, my first love, my closetness and pain, My wanting just to scream. "; "No More War (3:37); Love & Money. (4:44); "Smalltown Boy" (4:40): "Mother will never understand why you had to leave, for the love that you need. Pushed around and kicked around always a lonely boy, you were the one that they'd talk about around town" (COMI)(LONE) (PARE)(see Balkan Electrique, see The Nylons) Reached No. 3 in UK. charts, June 1984; "Heatwave" (2:30); "Tattoos and muscle, passion and sweat, heading for a summer heat wave."; "Junk" (3:58); "Need a Man Blues" (4:09): "Boys and heroes, lovers and men, turning me upside down, again and again, I got those need-aman blues hurting me oh so bad. " (CRUI) "I Feel Love/Johnny Remember Me"; Cover of Donna Summer's hit interpolated with John Leyton's 1961 song.
Bronski Beat (Jimmy, Larry, Steve)with John Folarin, The Uptown Horns, Beverly Lauridsen, Jesse Levy, Mark Shuman...et al. Sleeve includes survey of ages of consent for legal homosexual acts around the world and telephone info for Gay Legal Advice. All songs by Somerville, Steinbachek, Bronski.

Bronski Beat
see Deian McBryde: ""Heatwave"

Bronski Beat: "Why"
7". Forbidden Fruit
UK 1984. • "Contempt in your eyes as I turn to kiss his lips, tell me why?" Reached No. 6 in UK. charts, 36 in USA, September 1984.

Bronski Beat: "It Ain't Necessarily So"
7". Forbidden Fruit BITE 3
UK. 1984.Ί
with The Pink Singers (London Gay Choir)

Bronski Beat with Marc Almond: "I Feel Love"
7". Forbidden Fruit BITE4
UK. 1985..
Reached No. 3 in UK. charts April 1985
see also Donna Summer
see also Marc Almond

Bronski Beat: "Hundreds & Thousands(The Remix Plus)"
LP. Forbidden Fruit BITLP. 2, PACLZ 3969 (820 291-1).
UK. 1985..
Side 1: "Heat Wave"; "Why" (PHOB); "Run From Love" ( ):
Side 2: "Hard Rain"; "Smalltown Boy" (COMI); "Junk": Longer Mixes (From 12" singles ?)

New group line-up with John Foster (John-Jon) replacing Jimmy Somerville, (who then formed The Communards).

Bronski Beat: "Hit that perfect beat"
7". Forbidden Fruit BITE 6 (886 007-7).
UK. 1985.
A: "Hit That Perfect Beat" (4:20)B: "I Gave You Everything" (3:50) (Bronski/ Foster/ Steinbachek)
Bronski Beat: John-Jon, Steve Bronski, Larry Steinbachek. Reached No. 3 UK. charts, November 1985.

Bronski Beat: "Truthdare Doubledare"
LP. Forbidden Fruit BITLP. 3 (PACLZ 3995)
UK. 1986. Lyrics on inner sleeve. (GLOP)°
"Punishment For Love": "Under lock and key until he's 21 (age of consent/minimum age for homosexuality in England), uncertain of his love..."; - 'Smalltown Boy' part two? (YOUT) (LAWS)
"We Know How It Feels": "They call me names to hurt me...they don't understand, how I could hold your hand...I'm a prisoner in this age. " (PHOB)
"This Heart": about rumours, and suppression of gays
"Dr. John": "Loving is different, so full of fear, can't love you right, until the cure is here...physical breakdown...emotional blackmail"; song about the AIDS situation. (AIDS)
Other songs on the record without a directly homosexual contents: "Hit that perfect beat", "Truthdare Doubledare" (GODS), "C'mon c'mon", "Do it", "In my dreams".

Bronski Beat and Eartha Kitt: "Cha Cha Heels"
12" single. Arista
UK. 1989.
b/w "My Discarded Men"

Bronski Beat: "Rainbow Nation"
MC. ZYX 20340-4, CD. ZYX 20340-2
UK. 1995. •
(RAIN) "Hit That Perfect Beat"(5:47); "Slow Down" (4:45); Kicking Up the Rain" (4:05); "Forever and A Day" (3:39); "I Love The Nightlife" (3:40); "Tell Me Your Name" (3:58); "Why" (6:19); "Taste Of Tears" (5:05); "Be Serious" (3:48); "Easterize (3:25); "No Difference" (3:36); "Smalltown Boy" '94 (3:20:
Remixes of older material with up-to-date beats.

Garth Brooks: "We Shall Be Free"
LP. "The Chase" Columbia/Liberty CDP 98743
USA. 1992. (LIBE)
"When we're free to love anyone we chose then we shall be free. " Interview:
Ed: When you wrote "We Shall Be Free, " and stood by its lyrics defending interracial and homosexual love, people in New York did sit up and take notice. Let me ask you, do you support gay marriage?
G. B. One of the things that I have noticed in friends of mine that are gay is a lack of commitment to their partner, which marriage brings. It definitely makes you serious up and think. And marriage is a wonderful institution, it's been a great friend to me. So I'm thinking it can be a great friend to somebody else. I don't know where the law sits on it.
Ed: Right now the law doesn't allow it.
G. B. Really. Well. You know me--the fence is never a good place to sit. It's not comfortable. If these people love each other, and they want to get married (voice drops), I don't see why they don't get married.
Ed: Then it sounds like you do have an opinion.
G. B. I guess. I do have an opinion. If these people love each other, and want to get married, get married. That's all I know. If it's against the law, then that's something that you're just going to have to fight for, I guess...If you truly love somebody and you want to get married to them, get married to them.
(Garth Brooks' sister is a lesbian. )

Brothers About Living Loving & Sensuality (BALLS): "I'm A Boy Watcher"
MC. Now Records 1292,
USA. 1992. Ί
Cover of the O'Kaysions hit with pronoun changes and gay rap section added. While my CD. EP lists the group as "Balls", other copies lists the group as "Brothers About Living, Loving and Sensuality". I called the phone number and found that the label was "dormant" but was still able to order a copy.

David Brown: "Splendid Wings"
CD. Chihuahua Rec.
USA. 1996. °
"Teen Freak"; "Every Kiss Is A Revolution"; "Cathie & Claire Mr Right"; "Do You Need Me"; "The Holy Ones"; "Last Winter Annie Doesn't Live Here Anymore"; "Watercolor Heart I Cant See You Again"; "Splendid Wings"(AIDS); "Kiss"
Folk-rock-popish release with Out lyrics on several tracks, including "Every Kiss Is A Revolution"; "Cathie And Claire"; "Mr. Right"; "The Holy Ones"; "Splendid Wings"
Sounding like a blend of the lesbian singer/songwriter Phranc and Simon and Garfunkel (well, I guess he couldn't sound like both Simon AND Garfunkel, but you get the idea...), this New Yorker has lovingly molded a very fine album of stories told from an aware gay male perspective. Accompanying himself on piano and guitar (and, of course, with a little help. from friends), his young, friendly voice sings gentle folk about anonymous sex (Mr. Right), a simple and lovely harmonized duet with Crissy Wade (Do You Need Me?), a gay pride anthem (Every Kiss is a Revolution), the lovely title song about transforming AIDS grief, and a "gay roommate/ sperm donor to lesbian couple" story ("Cathy and Claire")!

Jocelyn Brown
Former Harlette, who left Bette Midler, worked with Quincy Jones, Sylvester, Dan Hartman, moved to the UK. and who has contributed to hits by Right said Fred, Incognito and Snap. Her biggest solo hit was the gay club-classic, "Somebody Else's Guy"
see Right Said Fred

Miquel ("Michael") Brown
One of London's most popular Hi-NRG singers produced by Ian Levine for a string of Hi NRG hits which also included "Close To Perfection"• and "Love Reputation" •, Her appearances in gay nightclubs over many years have given her a loyal fan base in London's Hi-NRG circuit.

Miquel Brown: "So Many Men, So Little Time!"
12". Record Shack SOHOT 6
UK. 1983.
The lyric that started as a gay T-shirt slogan, sold 750. 000 copies (mostly US).

Miquel Brown: "Black Leather"
12". Record Shack SOHO(T) 27
UK. 1984. •
Classic disco tune, clearly aimed at and performed to gay leather crowd by producer Ian Levine. (LEAT)
see also Hi-NRG

Miquel Brown: "It's a Sin"
CD. single
UK. 1997.
Cover of the Pet Shop Boys hit as a "torch song of Shirley Bassey proportions".

Miquel Brown
see "Elegies"

Severine Brown: "Love Song"
7". Tamla Motown
USA. 1974.

Jackson Browne: "Boulevard"
LP. "Hold Out" Elektra
USA. 1987.
"The Golden Cup" (LOSA)= Hollywood hustler bar (late 1960's)

Sam Browne (Jack Hylton orch. ): "I Must Have That Man"
CD. "The Man I Love" (see below)
Italy. 1929. • Male cross vocal "He's only human, if he can be had, I must have that man. " see The Man I Love

Brown-Star: "A Bee's Dream"
7" brown vinyl., timmi-kat ReCoRDS . tk004
USA. 1998. Artwork
b/w "Half the Problem", chugging college rock (with a queer singer) "A Bee's Dream"(Klinker/Trent) Brett & Moon (BMI) "I can feel it getting longer, I can feel it getting thick. It's an obvious reaction, but it almost makes you sick..."
Starting in 1994 as a side project, Brett Klinker (guitar) and Moon Trent (singer) wrote songs and played out for a couple of years with lesbian bassist Consuelo Ramirez. In 1997 Scot Callis (drums) and Andy Lund (bass, cello, vocals) completed the current 4 member group. Moon Trent was formerly with Pale (see below).
Contact (1998) timmi-kat ReCoRDS box 424801 San Francisco, CA 94142.4801 USA. www: Brown-Star

Lenny Bruce: "Homosexuality"
LP. "Midnight Concert" United Artists, 6794
USA.
"Homosexuality" (6:23)

Lenny Bruce: "Homosexuality"
LP. "Carnegie Hall" LP. United Artists 9800
USA. Stand-up Comedy

Bruce & Terry: "Here Comes Summer"
CD: "Here Comes Summer".
USA. 1998. (rec. 1964)
"I've been in school for a long long time, reading history, and dreaming of the boy that I hope I'll find, that's why summer means so much to me, , we'll go walking , down the beach some starry night, then he'll kiss me, and maybe he'll just might, say let's go steady, and he'll make everything all right, cause in the summer time, there's a boy for every girl"
Surf music duo in the early 60s, (like Jan & Dean, but with more talent, and even fewer hits...they never even broke the Top 40).
Terry Melcher is Doris Day's son and Bruce Johnston later joined the Beach Boys. Johnston also later wrote the Grammy winning "I Write The Songs", done by Barry Manilow. "Here Comes Summer" is their version (from '64, and very Beach Boys-ish) unreleased until this 1998 CD and it appears to me that it must have been a demo they did, intended for a girl group. It doesnt get interesting (to us) until the bridge after the second verse with the inconsistent genders in the lyric

Brühwarm: "Mannstoll"
LP. April 006.
Germany. 1977. Gay Rock. Distribution:David Volksmund
Von Brühwarm und Ton Steine Scherben. (GLOP)
"Männercharme" (2:38); "Immer wieder ficken" (4:41)(PROM); "Ich freu' mich schon auf Dienstag" (3:53); "Mitten drin im Jugendrausch" (3:07); "Fummelrock" (2:18); "I Stand On You" (3:18); "Kommen Sie schnell" (4:30); "Geistersongs" (3:21); "Boogie anal" (1:45); "Zimt und Schweiß" (2:15); "Wir müssen ja nicht" (1:45); "Ach müder Mann" (2:46); "Tango" (2:08).
Music/lyrics, all:Littmann - Möbius - Steitz.
Seventies German gay band / cabaret group aggressively agitating against discrimination and suppression.

Brühwarm: "Entartet!"
LP. Volksmund DVP 016.
Germany. 1979. Rock. (GLOP)
"Sie ham mir ein Gefühl geklaut" (5:55); "Komm zu mir" (3:20); "'Raus" (4:10); "Grete Heiser und Zara Frustra" ( ):'Mädel, was bist du progressiv'" (2:23); "Wann, wann, wann" (5:55); "Heute blasen wir den Marsch" (4:28); "Bisex-Boogie" (3:23)(BISE); "Heterrorist" (4:05)(PHOB)(VIOL); "Shit-Hit" (7:14)
Music by Ton Steine Scherben. Music/lyrics, all:Littmann - Möbius - Steitz.

Merritt Brunies and his Friars Inn Orch: "Masculine Women, Feminine Men"
78. Okeh 40593
USA. March 2 1926. (ANDR)•
"Masculine Women, Feminine Men" (3:10)(Leslie/Monaco) "It's hard to tell them apart today, masculine women feminine men, which is the rooster which is the hen, it's hard to tell 'em apart today. " Vocal by Lew King.
see "Can't Help Lovin' That Man": Various Artists
see "Club Verboten"
see also Bill Mayall and Gwen Farrar (1926)
see also Ian Whitcomb

Anita Bryant:(BRYA)
Anti-gay crusader and Moral Majority activist, (former Beauty Queen, failed singer and promoter of Florida Orange Juice sales) who proved the biggest inspiration to gay and lesbian music in the late 1970s. Her "Save The Children" campaign triggered a (gay-led) boycott which cost her the job.
There appear to have been times she has stated that she regretted her actions, but in 1996 she was quoted in a Florida story on her anti-gay campaign as saying she did "the right thing. " Interestingly, she tried to pin much of the blame on her husband, though he has been quoted as saying he thought it was a bad idea from the start. She declared bankruptcy in 1997 with debts of $10 million.
The Moral Majority also had a partner in Australia which used the Campaign name 'Festival of Light'.
Robin Tyler said that "Anita is to Christianity what painting by numbers is to Art"
Among the many recordings directed against her;
Jan Barlowe "Jerry Falwell's Coming To Town"
Choral Majority "Greatest Hits"
Ginni Clemmens; "Thank You Anita"
David Allen Coe "Fuck Anita Bryant"
Conan "Tell Ol' Anita"
Four Swallows "(Lord Knows) I Don't Need Anita"
Lynn Frizzell "Hurricane Anita"
Gay Liberation Quire "Festival of Light" AUS
Ron Kauffman "Anita's Crusaders"
Reg Livermore "Festival of Light" AUS
Rod McKuen "Don't Drink The Orange Juice"
Manfred (Langer); "Message From Holland NL
"Miami Nightmare" Live benefit recording, NL
Tom Paxton "Anita O. J. "
Judy Reagan "Translations"
Malvina Reynolds "Love Someone"
Judy Small "Festival of Light"
Linda Tillery "Don't Pray For Me"
Robin Tyler "Dear Mrs Bryant"
Paul Vincent "Gay Rock For Anita"
Tom Wilson "Second Runner-up"
Zangeress Zonder Naam "Luister Anita" NL
see under artist for more info.

B. Bubba :"I'd Rather Fight Than Swish" b/w "I'd Rather Swish Than Fight"
7", Camp 2B1
USA. 1965. Artwork

see Camp Records (disc No. 1)

John Bucchino
New York-based singer/songwriter who has provided songs for (and toured as pianist with) Holly Near & Ronnie Gilbert (1984-90), Elliot Pilshaw, Romanovsky & Phillips. (see also Suede). Played for Bill Folk on "Lookin' For Mr. Right". Has had songs covered by David Campbell, Barbara Cook, Nancy LaMott and Art Garfunkel.

John Bucchino: "On The Arrow"
MC. Midwest Music (Dinosaur)
USA. 1987? English.

John Bucchino: "Solitude Lessons"
MC. Dinosaur DIN302
USA. 1991..
"If I'd Been With Him", considers how one could help an ex-lover if the old pairing were only still together(EXLO); "Until The Balance Tips"; "Love Quiz"; "If I Ever Say I'm Over You"; "Love Will Find A Way": "To the Heat In Each Other's Eyes,"; "Period of Time,"

John Bucchino: "Until The Balance Tips"
see "Feeding The Flame": Benefit Concert

John Bucchino: "26 Songs By John Bucchino"
MC. Private release. Art Food Music,
USA. 1995. (Various similar versions)
"Sweet Dreams"; "Until The Balance Tips"; "If I Ever Say I'm Over You"; "That Smile";"It Feels Like Home"; "Something Spontaneous"; "Do Not Turn Away" GLAMA '96 nominee. ; "Little Man"; "The Song With The Violins"; "Smile For Me Sometime"; ""Waste""; "After The Spark Has Gone"; "The Undone Things"; "On The Arrow"; "Painting My Kitchen"; "A Dream"; "Playbill"; "A Powerful Man"; "Paper And Pen"; "Taking The Wheel"; "You Can Be The One"; "Sepia Life"; "The Artist At 40"; "A Friend To Them All"; "An Aching In Our Hearts"; "An E. E. Cummings Poem"
(no liner notes at all; and not all songs sung by him, 2 or 3 sung by women, but no info given)
Bucchino has produced discs for Brian Lane Green, et al.

Jeff Buckley': "Grace"
LP. CD
USA. 1994.
'I am a storyteller, lounge singer, I am the entertainer, I am the rock star, I am gay, I am wrong, I am there for the story to go down, the cocktail host-shaman, the little romantic chanteuse wanna-be', Buckley once said, trying to explain the image. He says he wanted it as the cover art for the album, but was talked out of it by friends and the record company. 'All the men hated my Judy Garland jacket. '
Buckley died in a swimming accident in the Mississippi River. in May 1997 His body was found several days after he was pulled under while frolicking in a dangerous section of the river. He was in Memphis to record what would have been his second album. His first, "Grace", released in 1994, was not a particularly big hit. But it was a marvellous starting point, as he poured himself into songs associated with Leonard Cohen ("Hallelujah") and Nina Simone ("Lilac Wine") and made them sound like hymns for people who never set foot inside a church. Buckley originals such as "Grace" and especially "Lover, You Should Come Over" were nearly in league with those songs.

Jeff Buckley': "Sketches (for my sweetheart, the drunk) "
CD. Columbia
USA. 1998.
Posthumous release of unreleased material.

Buena Vista: "Hot Magazine"/"He's Okay"
7". Wet Records BV-21478
USA. 1978. Rock/Soul.Picture Sleeve by Trina (GLOP) Artwork •
Notorious gay identified band, San Francisco Bay Area late 70's. Michael Gomes (falsetto), Nathan Woodruff, Terry Hutchison (first lead), Jon Raskin (sax), Richard Dworkin (drums, see below). "Hot Magazine" (3:01): "Takin' a walk down to the bookstore on a lonely, boring day for me / can't wait to see my latest boyfriend/ under the covers waiting to be free/...covering everything but the bedroom windows/with pictures of boys who beg and cry for me. " (Gerry Kirby and Horus Jack Tolson)(PORN)
""It's Okay" (Blackberri)(2:48) - see Blackberri "Finally"
The band is seen performing this song in the film "Word Is Out" (City / Cabaret, San Francisco)

Buffalo Springfield; "I Am A Child"
LP. "Retrospective" Atco 228012
UK. 1968. °
"I Am A Child" (Neil Young) "It's lots of fun to have you there"; song about father/son incest or gay lovers depending on interpretation.

Mark Bunyan: "Is S/He One ?"
LP. "Coming Out - Ready Or Not", Gayn Rec. GAYN 001 1763).
UK. 1983. (rec 8/12/82). (GLOP)(COME)(PASS)•
"Is S/He One" ( ); "Is he one?/ I'd never have guessed/ still
you never can tell today/ to see one, / they're like all the rest
of us, still live and let live that's what I say". (NAME) (COME). Comedy number satirizing straight reactions to coming out. Styled on music-hall audience participation singalongs (c. f. Noël Coward).

Mark Bunyan: "Mark Bunyan"
MC. Raven's Head
UK. 1980.

Mark Bunyan: "Landladies Shoes"
MC. Souvenir Records OA 0111.
London, UK. (MUSI)(CABA)(GLOP) Artwork
Live recording from Donmar Warehouse, London, by well-known pianist, singer and songwriter including the mini-musical 'Down in the Village', an autobiographical comic monologue about the experiences of a gay pianist (Bunyan) in an amateur operatic society. Also "Is S/He One?" which appears on the compilation "Coming Out - Ready Or Not"

Robin Burdulis, Grant King, Dan Martin: "Chosen Family: Live In
Concert"
MC.
USA. 1996. (rec. March, '96). (FAMI)(GLOP)
Grant King, "Common Ground", (which also is on his "Let Love Out" CD. Dan Martin, "You Don't Know Me" (COMI). The next three Grant King songs on the cassette are "Damaged Goods", "Waiting To Be Claimed" (EXLO), "On The Dream Side Of The River. " "Drumming Is A Conversation", a solo by the recording's drummer Robin Burdulis. She talks/sings though the song. Martin "In My Body", co-written by his life-partner Michael Biello; Kings "I Feel Nothing", "Paws"; "One Boy". "One boy, one special boy, one boy to go with and talk with and walk with, one boy, that's the way it should be". "James And Me" by Rob Costin. King introduces it this way: "it speaks to me as a child, wanting so badly to have one person that I could feel really safe with. "All three artists sing on the last song, "What We Believe Is Right"(LIBE), written by Martin & Biello.
E-mail:KnowMoreSecrets@worldnet. att. net or write: Know More Secrets, P. O. Box 132, New York, NY 10113-0132, (212) 645-1945

Burgess/Phillips: "I'll Remember"
USA. 1995. (AIDS)
Reminiscence of a friend lost to AIDS, prose with music.

Geoff Burgon
see "Brideshead Revisited"

Dave Burland: "Da Doo Ron Ron"
Moonrest LP. MOO 6 "Rollin",
UK. °
Cross-vocal "When HE walked me home"

Matt Burns: "Resonate"
MC.
USA. 1996?
incl. "Stay"; "Standing In The Rain"; "Will You Be There"; "Leave It Behind"

Erin Burnett
"Proud mom Carol Burnett beamed at her daughter Erin's side when the budding young singer publicly came out and revealed her lesbian lifestyle before a cheering crowd at a gay fundraiser in exclusive Beverly Hills. "Erin grabbed the mike and screamed, "We're all here for the same cause. It's time we were open about our sexuality!'" (1998)."

Pete Burns:
see Dead Or Alive

David Burrill: "Bump Da Booty Blue"
CD. Macola Records, MRC-1168
USA. 1993. Cover Boy Publ ASCAP
"Bump Da Booty Blue"; " Face In Your Place"; " Stay With Me"; " Do It With Me"; " Make A Little Love"; " Do The Dance (ext)"; " Lost Without You"; " Face In Your Place (ext)"; " David's Dub".
Dance Music CD from Gay Porn Star.
Contact (1997): Macola Records Group, Inc, 8831 Sunset #202, West Hollywood, CA 90069

W. S. Burroughs (St. Louis, USA. 5 Feb 1914 - 29 July 1997)
Heir to the fortune of the Burroughs Adding Machine Co. William Seward Burroughs escaped his pre-destiny to write poems and novels including "Junkie", "The Naked Lunch" and develop his 'cut-up principle'. After "The Naked Lunch" elevated him to the status of beat generation spokesman, he worked extensively with New York's art elite, recorded poetry and voice samples for many avant garde recordings.
He married a German-Jewish refugee, but only to enable the woman to emigrate to the United States. They were divorced in 1946. The same year, Burroughs entered into a common law marriage with Joan Vollmer.
"Burroughs had yet to begin writing, as Kerouac and Ginsberg had done; at first indifferent to literature, he finally completed 1953's Junky, an autobiographical tale of addiction published in pulp novel format by Ace Books. Queer, a similarly upfront examination of homosexuality, was rejected by the publisher and did not surface for several decades. By the mid-1950s Burroughs, Vollmer and their children had relocated to East Texas to live on a farm; as his descent into heroin addiction worsened, he found himself hounded by authorities, and eventually the family fled to Mexico.
The marriage had already become the stuff of tabloid headlines when, attempting to impress friends with his shooting skills, Burroughs enlisted Vollmer to participate in a William Tell-like target demonstration; a faulty shot left Vollmer dead and sent Burroughs wandering the globe, finally drifting to Tangier. Following the success of their respective "On the Road" and "Howl", both Kerouac and Ginsberg had become media sensations, with the Beat Generation emerging in full force; they tracked Burroughs down in Africa, finding him hopelessly addicted to heroin yet somehow able to write brilliant and wildly experimental fragments of prose. Kerouac began typing up the material and even gave it a title, Naked Lunch. Upon its 1959 publication, Burroughs became a celebrity; the novel was the subject of a high-profile obscenity trial, and even today it remains his best known and most influential book. " (Jason Ankeny)
In later years, Burroughs acknowledged he was homosexual and said Vollmer was the only woman with whom he ever had a serious relationship.
While remaining a critical voice and 'mauvais garcon' of the NY art-circuit on the strength of work like 1971's The Wild Boys: A Book of the Dead and 1973's Exterminator!, aside from compilation appearances he did not issue another major recording until 1975's William S. Burroughs/John Giorno; "Nothing Here Now but The Recordings", compiled by Psychic TV's Genesis P. Orridge.
It was followed, in 1981, by another collaboration with Giorno, "You're the Guy I Want to Share My Money With".
In a biography published in 1982, "Literary Outlaw'' Burroughs said that the shooting of Vollmer led to his becoming a serious writer.
The couple had had a son, Bill Jr. in 1947. He became an alcoholic and drug addict who died of cirrhosis of the liver in 1981.
Burroughs essentially disappeared from the literary scene while living in London in the early 1970s. His influence began to grow again when, at Ginsberg's urging, he returned to New York City in 1974.
Shortly after his return, Burroughs met James Grauerholz, who became his secretary and began renewing Burroughs' career by scheduling readings across the country and in Europe.
Burroughs continued to influence artists and musicians through the hippies of the 1960s and the punks of the 1970s. Musicians such as David Bowie, Lou Reed and Patti Smith have cited Burroughs as an important influence. Steely Dan and Soft Machine were named from his works. In later life his voice has become recognised as a 'sample' in a wide range of work. After 1987's "Break Through in Grey Room", Burroughs recorded 1990's "Dead City Radio", a collection of performances backed by Sonic Youth, John Cale, the NBC Symphony Orchestra and others. In 1992, he guested on Ministry's "Just One Fix" single, and the following year recorded The 'Priest' They Called Him with Nirvana's Kurt Cobain. In 1993 Burroughs recorded his final LP, "Spare Ass Annie and Other Tales", with the members of the Disposable Heroes of Hiphoprisy, and his sampled voice was also heard on recordings from diverse acts including the Jesus and Mary Chain, Laurie Anderson and Material. With Tom Waits, he also co-wrote "The Black Rider". The last major surviving figure of the Beat Generation.

William S. Burroughs:(Poet and Author).
Works which derive from his ideas, written texts and imagery, or simply pay tribute to his work: see Laurie Anderson "Sharkey's Night"
see David Bowie: "Aladdin Sane"
see David Bowie: "Sweet Thing"
see Duran Duran: "Wild Boys"
see Giorno Poetry Systems; compilation
see James: "William Burroughs"
see "The Nova Convention" Poetry/performance compilation.

William S. Burroughs: "Call Me Burroughs"
LP. ESP-1050
USA. 1965. (GLIT)
Burroughs reads from 'The Naked Lunch' and 'Nova Express'.
Sleeve Notes by Emmet Williams and Jean-Jacques Lebel.

William S. Burroughs: "Nothing Here Now But the Recordings"
LP.
USA. 19__. Industrial. (GLIT)
Experimenting with the "cut-up"-principle, arranging words and phrases in a new way. Avantgarde. Burroughs is a well-known gay author and poet with several works published by Giorno Poetry Systems.

William S. Burroughs & John Giorno: "W. S. Burroughs /John Giorno"
2LP. Giorno Poetry Systems GPS 006-007.
USA. 197_. (POET)
Poetry read by the authors. Any more details??

William S. Burroughs: "Elvis of Letters,
LP. MC. TK Recs
USA. 1985.

William S. Burroughs: "Breakthrough in Grey Room"
LP. Sub Risa
USA. 1987. (CD. release Sub Rosa,1994)

William S. Burroughs, "The Western Land et al"
see "A Diamond Hidden in the Mouth of a Corpse"

William S. Burroughs: "Old Man Bickford from 'The Place of Dead Roads' "
see "You're a Hook"

William S. Burroughs
see Dial-A-Poem Poets: "Sugar, Alcohol, & Meat"

William S. Burroughs: "Dead City Radio"
LP. Island
USA. 1991. (CD. Island,1994),
W. S. B. reads from own work accompanied by Chris Stein, Sonic Youth et. al. with musical settings.

William S. Burroughs: "Spare Ass Annie and Other Tales"
CD. Island,1993);

William S. Burroughs: "Vaudeville Voices"
CD.
USA. 1994.

William S. Burroughs: "Call Me Burroughs"
CD. Rhino,
USA. 1995.

William S. Burroughs: "Naked Lunch"
CD. WEA
USA. 1995.

Gary Burton (1943- )
Played vibraphone with George Shearing Quintet, Stan Getz (1964). His work includes a number of solo albums and work on the kd lang album "Ingenue"
Interviewed in John Gill's "Queer Noises" (p 76) he suggests:
"Some individuals include their gay identity as part of their public persona, and it becomes a very colourful aspect of their public persona. kd lang comes to mind as a perfect example. A wonderful musician and singer, but also clearly expressing her gay identity in everything she does, and it holds her audience all the more enthralled.
Then there are those for whom it is not natural to include their gay identity in their public image. I'm out to anyone and everyone. I don't announce it from the stage when I start my concerts, but I make no attempt to hide it either. It's just not that relevant to my performing. "

Gary Burton: "So Many Things"
USA. 1961.
CD. "Club Verboten". DCC Compact Classics
USA. 1997. GLAMA '97 nominee.
see "Club Verboten"

Gary Burton with Fred Hersch: "Departure"
(Concord)
USA. 1997.

Gary Burton: "So Many Things"
• see "Club Verboten"

Kate Bush: "Kashka From Baghdad"
LP. "Lionheart" EMI 7C 064-06859.
Sweden. 1978.
"Kashka From Baghdad" ( ) "Lives in sin they say/ with another man/...at night they're seen laughing, loving. " UK. Number One LP. in 1979

Kate Bush: "Wow"
One verse includes the rhyme "Silver screen/old queen/Vaseline"

Susan Bush: " Susan Bush"
CD. (SEB-001)
USA. 1998. Producer: Dan Martin. Folk (38:58)
"As My Own" (2:57); "When You Hold Me" (2:14); "Don't Forget " (3:33); "Going Away " (2:52); "Periphery " (3:47); "Scared Of The Words" (3:06); "Powerboy Blues" (2:45); "Mary" (2:50); "Mountain Wind" (3:35); "Fly With Me" (5:35); "Beautiful" (2:56); "Sacred" (2:55); " Her first CD includes some particularly insightful love songs. 'Fly With Me', is set during one of the AIDS rides (Susan rode all the rides in 1997):
"Then a man passes by with a sign on his bike with a picture of a man and the man's name and the sign says: You were my lover, my soulmate, my best friend. And now...you are my angel"

Bush Tetras: "Beauty Lies"
USA. 1997.
One of the most important bands to surface from NYC's Lower East Side music scene in the 1980's, these women were pioneers of the punk/ indie movement before that term (or its derivation, the riot grrrl movement) existed. Their 1997 release finds them in top form: Cynthia Sley's contorted vocals have lost none of their primal force, while Pat Place's slash-and-burn guitar work is as riveting as ever, placed over the jagged, unorthodox rhythm section of drummer Dee Pop and bassist Laura Kennedy.

Bush Tetras: "Sister Midnight"
see "We Will Fall: The Iggy Pop Tribute"

Butch Dykes (BUTC)
Seemingly there are some words which a (gay) man hesitates to use in a lyric. (Is this the longest all-female index in OutLoud?)

Lea DeLaria "Bulldyke in a China Shop"
Lea DeLaria "One Butch"
Genderation "Butchbitch"
Marla Glen: "Butch Dyke"
Bessie Jackson "B. D. Woman's Blues"
Lynn Lavner "Butch Fatale: Live In Concert"
Lynn Lavner "butch and femme"
Phranc "Bulldagger Swagger"
Ma Rainey "Prove It On Me Blues"
Ma Rainey "Bull Dagger's Dream"
Judy Reagan "Hollywood Haircut"
Rough Trade "Butch"
Team Dresch "Molasses in January"
Tribe 8 "Butch In The Streets"
Karen Williams "Butches & Femmes"
Karen Williams "Butches Rule / Ruth The Butch"
see Androgyny see Masculinity

The Butchies
New band featuring Kaia (see below) and Melissa (see also Team Dresch).
Touring from late 1998.

Butt Boy: "Feel The Music"
MC. Thrust Records
USA. 1993. (SADO)(LEAT)
"Dance Of The Whip"; "Depths of All Pleasure"; "3 a. m. " and other techno / ambient tracks with a leather theme.
Order from: P. O. Box 29212, Dallas TX 75229

Butthole Surfers
Band's early performances were outrageous/gay, but this quickly evaporated as success materialised.

Buzzcocks: "Ever Fallen In Love With Someone (You Shouldn't've Fallen In Love With)
7". United Artists 36455.
UK. 1978. "I can't see much of a future, unless we find out what's to blame - what a shame. And we won't be together much longer, unless we realise that we are the same. Ever fallen in love with someone you shouldn't have fallen in love with?"
With bisexual lead singer Pete Shelley 'flaunting it' for the press.

Buzzcocks: " A Different Kind Of Tension"
LP. US Liberty Utd. SP009
UK. 1979.
"Raison d'être", "You're always on my side, boy, when it comes to playing games"
"Mad, Mad Judy"
Shelley made publicity capital out of his friendship with fellow band-member Steve Diggle, including a widely-published selection of photos of them kissing. On this later album they are thought to be making "bitchy" remarks at each other.

Buzzcocks: "Orgasm Addict"
LP. IRS LP X2-13153
UK. 1980?
"You're making out with school kids, winos and heads of state...butchers assistants and bellhops, you've had them all here or there, children of god and their joy-strings, international women with no body hair. You're an Orgasm Addict."
see also Pete Shelley

David Byrne: "Now I'm Your Mom"
LP. "Uh Oh" Sire
USA. 1992.
Father gets a sex-change (TSEX)(PARE)

David Byrne: "Independence Day";
see "Get Out": Various Artists

"By Word Of Mouth / Sous La Langue"; Compilation
MC
Canada. (POET) (GLOP)
"What Do They Do In Bed anyway?" (WHAT); "water woman fall"; "Spirit and The Flesh"; "Ah, Those Fingers" (MAST); "French Kiss"
Selections from "Lesbians Write The Erotic" read by Augusta LaPaix in English and Nicole Brossard in French

Douglas Byng (1893-1987)
Developed from music hall and pantomime dames, Byng's recorded pieces are vaudeville songs and inconsequential stories laced with innuendo and double entendre, which interpretation is frequently disclaimed in the next sentence. Recorded from the 30's to the 60's and died at the age of 90 in the late 80's. Artwork

Douglas Byng & Lance Lister: "Cabaret Boys"
CD. "The Man I Love" (see below)
UK. 1928. •
"Always blythe and gay, like the flowers in May, We are starring in a London show, We're the big sensation, and the managers all adore us, so you really ought to know, we're the boys, the cabaret boys" •

Douglas Byng: "Flora McDonald"
78. Decca F3132 (#GB 4597), also MC. "Listen to the Banned", Academy Sound and Vision ZC AJA 5030
UK. 1933. (DRAG) Female Impersonator •
"Flora McDonald" (3:45) (Byng) "People are always telling me "The Campbells are coming, the Campbells are coming. " Funny family the Campbells ! Always coming, never arriving".
Risqué references to 'oats' and 'porridge'.

Douglas Byng: "At The Ball"
78. Decca F. 3132 (# GB 4595)
UK. 1933. (DRAG) Female Impersonator•
"At The Ball" (2:32) (Byng)

Douglas Byng: "Naughty Nellie Gwyn"
78. Decca F 5320 (#GB-6764)
UK. 1934. (DRAG) Female Impersonator•
"Naughty Nellie Gwyn" (3:05) (Byng)

Douglas Byng
see "Masculine Women & Feminine Men"

Byrd E. Bath: "Mixed Nuts"
7". Camp Records 2B8
USA. 196? Artwork
"Mixed Nuts"
see "Queer to the Core"
see Camp Records

David Byrne: "Independence Day"
see "Get Out": Various Artists

"Børnerock for et Børnehus"
LP. Rosen ROLP-3. (COMP)
Denmark. 1981. Enclosed; booklet with lyrics and notes on the bands etc. Recorded highlights from benefit concert in aid of children's refuge.
Parkering Forbudt: "Du spør!" (3:01) "Vores nummer har vi lavet, fordi vi mener, alder er ligegyldigt. " (YOUT)(PAED) (This song was written because we find age unimportant) 3rd verse is about a man enticing children/(PAED). Live-recording from a children's rock festival.

Bøssekoret:
Later called themselves the Plat Sisters