Acquired Tastes XLIII: Gay Pulp Fiction, Part 225 - Twilight Classics, Part 2 of 2

Acquired Tastes XLIII

 Gay Pulp Fiction, Part 225

 Twilight Classics

Part 2 of 2

Today we take a final look at the Twilight Classics imprint published by Guild Press. 

Guild Press operated out of Washington D.C. and Twilight Classics was just one of several imprints the company published. Twilight Classics published 24 titles between 1968 and 1969. You'll note that several titles are missing in this listing, as I was unable to find even their title. Although, I did find three that were not listed on Hommi Publishing's Big Ass List (and that never happens).

Twilight Classics were paper-wrapped pamphlet-sized booklets held together with staples in the middle. Many of them were fully or partially illustrated with photos. Typically the cover contained the Twilight Classics name in the upper left corner and the PNC logo in the upper right. The PNC logo represented the Potomac  News Company, Guild Press' distribution company. They operated out of a P.O. Box at Franklin Station in Washington D.C. 

Many of the authors names attributed to these books are authors who provided works for all of Guild Press' many imprints and several Twilight Classic titles were previously published by the Guild Press imprint.

These books originally sold for $1.50, with an increase to $2.95. Today, they are incredibly rare, but can be found for between $50-269. 

Here are the last eleven titles. Came up short once. 

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Only the Weak Cry

 Author: Ronnie Anderson 

Twilight Classics

 1969 

Twilight-111

The in depth story of a young gay man from a small farming community who comes out in New York.

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 Weep No More My Laddie

 Author: J.J. Proferes 

Twilight Classics

 1969 

Twilight-112

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 Prison Punk

 Author: J.J. Proferes 

Twilight Classics

 1969 

Twilight-115

Found a copy for $80!

Available as a downloadable PDF or ebook at Hommi Publishing.

(With Penis)

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 Newcocks

 Author: Ronnie Anderson 

Twilight Classics

 1969 

Twilight-116

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 Hi-Ho the Cherry-O

 Author: Ronnie Anderson 

Twilight Classics

 1969 

Twilight-117

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Big John Little John

 Author: Barton James 

Twilight Classics

 1969 

Twilight-118

(Cover not found.)

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Homo Road

 Author: Anonymous

Twilight Classics

 1969 

Twilight-119

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What Now My Love?

 Author: Jerry Faulk

Twilight Classics

 1969 

Twilight-119

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 Any Man is Fair Game

 Author: J.J. Proferes 

Twilight Classics

 1969 

Twilight-121

With illustrations.

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Goose & Gander

 Author: Jerry Faulk

 Twilight Classics 

1969

 Twilight-122 

Featuring 15 erotic short stories w/b&w photos.

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 “John”

 Author: J.J. Proferes 

Twilight Classics

 1969 

Twilight-124

Carmine had to have them - sailors, marines, men and boys - as long as they were not gay. He lusted for more and more. His friends warned him against it, but his fate was written!

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And that's all for now.

Next up: Tantalizing titles from another Guild Press imprint, Guild Press Award.

Until then...

Thanks for reading.

Fair Game - Kiana Ledé

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Wonderland Burlesque's Down The Rabbit Hole: The Flirtations

Wonderland Burlesque's

 Down The Rabbit Hole:

The Flirtations

Down The Rabbit Hole merely places a spotlight on something slightly unusual that's caught my interest. With the help of Wikipedia, YouTube, and other sites, I gather information and learn something new.

Today, we take a look at the musical legacy of the often overlooked girl group, The Flirtations.

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From Wikipedia:

The Flirtations are an all-female musical group who have recorded since the early 1960s.

In 1962 in New York City, Lestine Johnson and sisters Ernestine Pearce, Shirley Pearce and Betty Pearce from South Carolina formed a group called The Gypsies. By1964, they'd signed to Old Town Records, where they released their debut single Hey There, Hey There. The song achieved airplay on local radio stations, leading to a second single, the J.J. Jackson-written Jerk It, which proved more successful, reaching #111 on the US Pop Chart and #33 on the R&B chart. At that point, Lestine Johnson left the group, replaced by Viola Billups. The Gypsies released two additional singles for the label in 1966, bringing an end to their time at Old Town Records.

The four women landed at Josie Records, renaming themselves The Flirtations. Their first single for the label was the well-regarded northern soul dance song, Change My Darkness Into Light. However, DJs ignored it, sales suffered and they were dropped by the label. The quartet moved to Festival Records, where they released Stronger Than Her Love and Settle Down, but again, there was no interest.

By 1968, Betty Pearce had left the group, reducing the Flirtations to a trio. After winning a small local talent contest to see who could sound the most like the Supremes, they packed their bags and headed for England, where they were signed to the Parrot label. They were immediately enlisted as the opening act for the label's star act, Tom Jones. Oddly, they only recorded on single for Parrot,  Someone Out There. Thanks to a number of television appearances, it rose to #2 on the Bubbling Under chart in September of 1968, and charted in the Netherlands, peaking at #25.

Moving to Deram Records in late 1968, the group recorded what would become their signature recording, Nothing But A Heartache. The song rose to #1 on the Bubbling Under chart in December 1968 and gave the Flirtations a second Top 40 hit in the Netherlands, reaching #36. Somebody was listening, and in March of 1969, they embarked on an 18 date tour of the UK with Stevie Wonder and The Foundations.

Nothing But a Heartache was re-issued in the US in early 1969, debuting at #93 on the Billboard Hot 100 in March of 1969. The song spent 14 weeks on the chart, peaking at #34. The follow-up, South Carolina, was a ballad and reached only #111 in July 1969. In 1970, two singles were released, with What's Good About Goodbye My Love" snagging the #17 spot on the R&B chart. In July 1970, the trio scored another semi-hit with Can't Stop Loving You, a song former labelmate  Tom Jones also recorded. While the ladies' version only got as high as #93, Jones' reached #3 on the US Adult Contemporary chart and #5 on Canada's AC chart.

A sixth, and final, single was released on Deram in 1971, but failed to generate any heat. From that point on, their singles were no longer released for the U.S. market. It was at this juncture that Misty Browning, replaced Viola Billups, embarked on a solo career as Vie and as Pearly Gates. Browning was subsequently replaced by Loretta Noble. Throughout 1972, the group became the resident vocal band on the long running BBC TV series It's Cliff Richard, backing Richard on various numbers, while performing their own songs and singing backup for other guests on the show.

Throughout the 1970s the Flirtations released material on various major labels - Polydor, Mojo, and RCA, with little success. The band was rediscovered in the disco and Northern soul circuits of Australia, Canada, New Zealand, the UK and the U.S. and their sound evolved with the times. They recorded Hi-NRG tracks in the 1980s, including Back On My Feet Again, which reunited Billups with the Pearce sisters. The track became a major hit in South Africa in 1989, reaching #6.

The group enjoyed a bit of renewed notoriety in the UK, when Nothing But A Heartache was used in an advertising campaign for KFC.  In 2007, the ladies were recording  for Centre City Records, and in 2009, released their first single in 20 years, Roulette.  The track peaked at #10 in Music Week's Commercial Pop Club Chart in December of 2009.

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Jerk It - The Gypsies

Change My Darkness Into Light - The Flirtations

Someone Out There - The Flirtations

Nothing But A Heartache - The Flirtations

What's Good About Good-bye, My Love - The Flirtations

Love, Love, Love - The Flirtations

Can't Stop Loving You - The Flirtations

One Night Of Love - The Flirtations

 

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Weekend Onesie: Government Posters

Weekend Onesie:

Government Posters

People who check in on this blog on a regular basis know that I am a huge fan of vintage graphics. Some of the finest? From various governmental agencies. I adore their big, broad use of color and presentation of iconic ideals, characters and images.

Today, I'm cleaning house. These are holdovers which didn't quite fit with any of the themes of my previous posts on these posters, but worth sharing all the same. 

I do think my favorite one is the car-sharing poster above. It's simply so odd.

 

Simple and direct...

These graphics have become iconic.

And part of history.

- uptonking from Wonderland Burlesque

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Bless The Beasts And The Children - The Carpenters

Friday Fun: It's National Moonshine Day!

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