Chris Bell "You and Your Sister"

Chris Bell I Am the Cosmos 7" single (Car Records, 1978)

OK, I admit it . . . I cheated on this one. I don't own this single, but I wish I did! I ripped the song from the I Am the Cosmos CD released by Rykodisc in 1992. It came out as I was trying to get over a boy for whom I'd fallen quite hard. In my case, however, his sister didn't say I was "no good;" rather, I felt like she was trying to push us together. I was still struggling with my orientation, and I had no idea what his was; it's been twenty years since then, and I still have no idea (nothing ever happened between us). Regardless, this song really got to me, and it was a long time before I could listen to it without bursting into tears. Chris was one third of the legendary Memphis power poppers Big Star. He left after their first album, #1 Record, however. In 1978, he released this solo single then died in a car wreck, which may have been suicide. There's a fair amount of debate over whether or not Bell was definitely gay, but it's seems highly unlikely that he was not, based on what I've read. The above-mentioned CD of Bell's post-Big Star recordings is well-worth the money, in my opinion. Rhino Handmade released an expanded version last year, but it's quite expensive ($40 for a two-CD set!) and the bonus material is mainly alternate versions of the songs on the album. I've not heard it, however, so take my comment as you may.

Kitchens of Distinction "The Last Gasp Death Shuffle"

Kitchens of Distinction The Last Gasp Death Shuffle 7" single (Gold Rush Records, 1987)

I've featured Kitchens of Distinction before, but neglected to mention (as it was not relevant to that post) that leader Patrick Fitzgerald is openly gay. I remember when we got their debut LP, Love Is Hell, at my college radio station; there were drawings of naked men on the cover! I was only just in the midst of admitting to myself that I might not be straight, and that was more than I was prepared to handle; I never even listened to it. v_v When their next album, Strange Free World, arrived, however, I did listen, and it took roughly one listen for me to fall in love with it. I often disregard lyrics in music, but Fitzgerald's were far too powerful to miss, and guitarist Julian Swales's, uh, guitar is absolutely enveloping. Today's selection is their debut single, released on the tiny Gold Rush Records imprint. It's rather a bit more post-punk than their later sound, and nowhere near as polished, but it's every bit as insistent.

Antony and the Johnsons "I Fell in Love with a Dead Boy"

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Antony and the Johnsons
I Fell in Love with a Dead Boy
CD single
(Rebis Music, 2001)

I first (consciously) heard Antony (Hegarty) sing on Lou Reed's live Animal Serenade album. My mental image was a tall, lithe, black drag queen wearing gold eyeshadow, and fanning herself with a Japanese, folding, hand fan. The visage that greeted me when I opened the copy I later bought of Antony and the Johnsons's second album, I Am a Bird Now, was rather unexpected, to say the least. That's really entirely beside the point, however. Antony has an absolutely amazing voice and has become a powerful trans icon the world over, with good reason.

Judas Priest "Evil Fantasies" (live)

Judas Priest
Living after Midnight
12" single
(CBS, 1980)

Do Judas Priest need an introduction? It's been a decade or so since lead vocalist Rob Halford came out, and he's still the only major player in the world of heavy metal to do so. Anyhow, today's song is one of their few rarities. It was recorded at the same time as their killer live album Unleashed in the East, but didn't appear on the album or the bonus four-track EP that came with the Japanese pressing or the bonus three-track EP that came with the Dutch version. Halford's voice was shot when the concerts were recorded (he was ill), so he rerecorded his vocals later, hence the long-running joke album title Unleashed in the Studio. You can hear his voice cracking quite badly on the intro to this one. XD

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Unleashed in the East is one third of the holy triumvariat of late 1970s live heavy metal albums. The other two are, of course, UFO's Strangers in the Night and Thin Lizzy's Live and Dangerous.

Starz "Boys in Action"

Starz
Starz
LP
(Capitol, 1976)

October is LGBT History Month, so I've decided to make it an entire theme month! All the songs I post this month will either be by LGBT artists or about LGBT issues. As per usual for Lightning Jukebox, the music will be eclectic; it will not be a month of show tunes, dance music, and lesbians with acoustic guitars. I say that not to denigrate those genres, but because those are the stereotypical ones associated with us, yet we are a varied bunch.

When I was a kid, I was a metalhead. If it wasn't loud 'n' heavy, I wasn't all that interested, usually. Starz was one of my favorite bands then (and still are), and their 1976, eponymous debut album had a very gay sounding song title: Boys in Action. Now, I pretty much knew I was gay by the time I was 11, but I was in deep denial. I also knew the song was really about boys in action with girls (ew!), not other boys. Still, it was a turn-on to 14-year-old me; plus, it was the hardest rocking, fastest song on the album.

It wasn't 'til decades later that I discovered that bassist and song co-writer Peter Sweval was gay. Sadly, he passed away from cancer (i.e., complications due to AIDS) in 1990. There's scant information on the web about this, so my conclusion that he was gay may be wrong. I've read articles that make vague references to his sexuality, however, so it seems unlikely that I'm off the mark.

After he left Starz, Peter was a member of the Canadian band The Skatt Brothers, who were supposed to be the straight answer to the Village People, but who had a gay dance club hit with Walk the Night. I don't know; it sounds pretty gay to me. :-P

Before all this, he was a member of the band Looking Glass, who had a massive hit with Brandy (You're a Fine Girl) back in 1972. I've always loved that song. That's Pete on bass, backing vocals, and beard in the video.