It’s been well over 30 years but I still find myself bewildered and annoyed in equal measure that Geffen Records (presumably label-head David Geffen, specifically) rejected Donna Summer, Giorgio Moroder, and Pete Bellotte’s 1981…
Category: Music
Blog posts
15 Songs About Peace, Love & Understanding
In the days after a tragedy like Orlando where it seems that the world (and certainly the world of Stargayzing readers) are grieving, the usual topics of the blog would seem rather tone deaf. I have struggled to find a way back to Stargayzing in this heightened atmosphere of anger, confusion, and pain. After ruminating for several days, I knew the answer must be musical, hence a list of 16 musical messages of hope, empathy, and peace.
Color Me Hip Hop? An Exclusive Guide to Barbra Streisand’s Secret Place in Rap Music
Am I the only person who noted a feeling of change in the air and, perhaps, even slight cognitive dissonance when Barbra Streisand presented the 2002 Oscar for Best Song to Eminem for “Lose…
13 Over-the-Top Vocal Performances of The 1960s
In the 1960s record production and popular singer’s vocal style were as over-the-top as women’s hair pieces. I was listening to a Jackie Wilson record a few weeks ago and it really hit me…
Lady Bunny Spikes Beyonce’s Lemonade
Thank God for Lady Bunny—the thinking man’s drag queen. Bunny is glad to zig when others zag and refuses to confine her subject matter to the usual drag tropes. Instead, she continues to be…
On Cher’s 70th Birthday: A Stargayzing Tribute to The Patron Saint of Gay Men
“Cher, c’mere a sec, you’re gonna love this.” It was 1999 and we were in the recording studio working. I was assisting the producer of her first post-Believe album, not.commercial. “What is it, Mrs.…
Olivia Newton-John De-Constructed: April 23, 2016
Olivia Newton-John is one of those celebrities who without expending any effort whatsoever, can induce an entire generation of people to revert to their adolescent selves. On April 23, 2016, she did just that…
Prince, 1958 – 2016
“I have written a song that says: If you ever lose someone dear to you, never say the words, ‘They’re gone,’ and they’ll come back.”…
Songs That Should Have Been Top-10 Hits, Volume 6
There are different reasons why songs fail to become hits. In 1970s and 1980s, when artists generally released an album every year or 18 months, it was very common to simply run out of…
Liza Minnelli for President! Making America Great Again, (One 11 O’Clock Number at a Time)
Over the last eight years, while President Obama attempted to do his job and a large percentage of our country medicated itself with important things like reality show star Kim Kardashian’s big ass, the…
Songs That Should Have Been Top-10 Hits, Volume 4: The Elton John Edition
After over forty years of astonishing, peerless success, it might seem odd to be discussing what Elton John has not accomplished, but as a passionate fan I feel compelled to devote this edition of the…
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