Warning... this is an adult site. If reading or viewing things about what gay men do sexually with one another bothers you - you should not read this blog. This blog is a reflection of my adventures and thoughts. Some are fun, some not so pretty. I won't name names, or kiss and tell... but I will live to tell. And baby, trust me - I am gonna spill it all over your pretty little party dress. Enjoy!
One little piggy went to market. Two little piggies stayed home. Three little piggies... well, you get the idea.
Only, for today's post? We are not talking piggies - just beautiful, bodacious, busty girls!
How many girls does it take to make a Hollywood blockbuster? Well... let us count the ways...
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One Girl's Confession
"I confess I'm the kind of girl every man wants - but shouldn't marry!"
(I believe our Miss Maddie has a t-shirt somewhere that says this exact same thing!)
"Maybe I'm bad... but what makes you so good!"
(Practice, darling. Lots and lots of practice.)
(Oh... and knee pads.)
"Men and money and me... go together!"
(Huh. My list stops at 'men.')
Two Girls On Broadway
(Look at that pairing! Blondell was a favorite on the Warner Bros. lot because she took whatever was offered her, gave it her all and never complained.)
Three Girls About Town
(Another Blondell! This one a bit earlier than the previous. Cagney was in love with her, but married to someone else. She would marry three times: Dick Powell was husband #2 (the two costarred in ten films together) and Mike Todd was husband #3 (She left him a few years before he met Elizabeth Taylor; it was a nightmare marriage).
"Warning all males! Three wild women on the loose!"
(Binni Barnes, a British actress, had only one rule when it came to accepting roles - she would not play a submissive woman. She said,"One picture is just like another to me, as long as I don't have to be a sweet woman." Janet Blair was a big band singer, who toured the supper club circuit, a regular at The Waldorf Astoria. She recorded an album of ballads titled, Flame Out.)
Three Little Girls In Blue
(Quite the cast! June Haver was set to become the next Betty Grable. She ended up marrying Fred MacMurray. Celeste Holm played Bette Davis' best friend in All About Eve. Vivian Blaine originated the role of Adelaide in Guys And Dolls on Broadway, and reprised it in the movie version, opposite Marlon Brando. Vera Ellen danced with Fred Astaire, Gene Kelly, Danny Kaye, and Donald O'Connor. Thin as a rail, she is best remembered as Rosemary Clooney's sister in White Christmas.)
3 Wise Girls
(Not so wise... Harlow, America's 'Blonde Bombshell, would die of misdiagnosed kidney failure. Clarke would be chased by Boris Karloff's Frankenstein and have half a grapefruit shoved in her face by Cagney in The Public Enemy in the same year. And poor Prevost, a chronic alcoholic, would be found weeks after she'd died in a crappy apartment. Her only companion, her little dog, would... well - you can hear all about it in Nick Lowe's song Marie Prevost. Yes, she ended up as a doggy dinner. Joan Crawford paid for her funeral. Her death prompted the Hollywood community to create the Motion Picture & Television Country House and Hospital.)
"They knew men - and how!"
"They scoffed at love, laughed at marriage, lived for luxury alone!"
(Girls after my own heart!)
3 Smart Girls Grow Up
(Deanna Durbin was Judy Garland's biggest competitor back in the day. She possessed a pretty lyric soprano voice - suitable for operettas but, no match for the smoky allure of Garland's alto. She was Anne Frank's favorite actress. The celebrated diarist pasted two photos of Durbin on the wall in the family's hideout; the photos are still on the wall today.)
4 Girls In White
"Romantic secrets of the girls who hold your hand!"
(Girls in white, but not bridal white! Well, not at first.)
(Merkel was the first to decry Harlow's illness as they worked the platinum blonde to death on the set of Saratoga. Rutherford played Polly Benedict in the Andy Hardy films and one of Scarlett's sisters in Gone With The Wind.)
(Nurses, doctors, and hospital administrators; proximity makes for strange bedfellows!)
4 Girls In Town
(They look like paper dolls, huh?)
"A story that could be written inside any girl's heart!"
(And on the wall of any mens room stall!)
Five Wild Girls
"A spectacle of unrelenting passion!"
"Bold! Shocking!"
"...they used every female device to get what they longed for!"
"Possessed by evil, Obsessed with passion!"
"Each searching for the secret of love... and finding it!"
(With all that verbiage, I'm amazed they found room for the name of the movie!)
Six Girls Seeking Shelter
(A Russian film from 1927: The film is by director Hans Behrendt, but the glorious artwork from 1927 is by the Stenberg brothers. This piece is typical of their work, which uses a distortion of perspective, elements from Dada photomontage, an exaggerated scale, and a bold use of color and typography. The Stenberg brothers were pioneers of constructivism and worked in a number of design fields, but their poster designs for Soviet cinema remain their best known work.)
7 Classy Girls
(A film from 1979, seven female friends decide to play an erotic game; they try to seduce as many aristocrats and middle-class men as possible with their charming 'personalities.')
8 Girls In A Boat
"No Men Allowed."
(The 1934 remake of a 1932 German musical. It starred Dorothy Wilson, a young woman who came to Hollywood with no intention of being an actress - she wanted to travel and be a secretary. She would meet her future husband on the set of this film, screenwriter, Lewis R. Foster. Foster would go on to win an Oscar in 1939 for the screenplay of Mr. Smith Goes To Washington, which is based upon a book, also written by Foster.)
A Man - Eight Girls
"Filmed in the great outdoors in blazing natural color."
(Because we didn't have any budget to build sets or rent locations.)
9 Girls
"Nine girls isolated in a snowbound cabin!"
(Wonder how long before they all sync up?)
"Men beware! These girls have love in the hearts! ...and murder on their minds!"
(Sounds like a typical Saturday night to me!)
(Notables: Harding was RKO's answer to Norma Shearer, Keyes played one of Scarlett's sisters in Gone With The Wind, Louise was a child star who became a star as an adult, and Foch would go on to make a number big budget films (Spartacus, The Ten Commandments) and a name for herself as an acting instructor at USC.)
"How to commit a murder."
"They're ready to commit murder... and did!
(Is that a poster blurb or a movie review?)
The "Ten" Girls
"...more is better!"
"Hotter than Bo... and ready to go!"
(Ready to go? Where? The mall?)
(And more is only better once everyone's been checked for STI's!)
Even a rather minor song can have it's moment in the sun, if picked up by a group with enough star power to put it into rotation. Such is the case with today's Who Did It Better? Yes, it remains little more than an asterisk in their extensive catalogue, but it still managed to sell enough copies to earn its place in music history.
Freedom is a song written by David McHugh, a songwriter based in Ireland and London who composed a number of movie soundtracks, including Mystic Pizza (Julia Roberts), Moscow On The Hudson (Robin Williams), Three Fugitives (Nick Nolte), and many more. As a songwriter, he earned a platinum record thanks to the Pointer Sisters’ cover of his song, Freedom, which was originally sung by Chaka Khan for the soundtrack of Moscow On the Hudson. McHugh also earned a gold record for Roberta Flack’s cover of his song, Where I’ll Find You, which appeared on her 1977 album, Blue Lights In The Basement.
Chaka Khan was riding high at the time of the release of the soundtrack for 1984's Moscow on the Hudson. She recorded two of McHugh's songs as part of the project. She'd experienced major career resuscitation due to the success of her version of Prince's I Feel For You and was still busy promoting singles from that album well into 1985, so it was decided by the powers to be not to release her version of Freedom as a single.
Khan's loss proved to be The Pointer Sister's gain. Their version of Freedom would serve as the second single from the follow-up album to their mega-selling 1983 album, Break Out, 1985's Contact. Despite Dare Me just missing the Top Ten (#11), Freedom failed to catch fire, peaking at #59 on Billboard's Hot 100, #25 on the R&B chart, and #16 on the Adult Contemporary chart. The only other country it charted in was Canada, where is squeaked in at #82. Still, despite its lackluster chart performance, the distinctive video, directed by Jerry Kramer, got great traction on VH-1, placing the song in our collective consciousness.
And that's the whole story.
Now? On to the competition!
The Song: Freedom
The Competitors: Khan vs. The Pointer Sisters
Freedom - Chaka Khan
Freedom - The Pointer Sisters
Chaka Khan
This is very typical of mid-eighties movie soundtracks. Everyone wanted the next Footloose, the next Flashdance. And thanks to electronic instrumentation, these soundtracks were a lot cheaper to make. A few big name voices and you were on your way. That said, they tended to feel a bit hollow, a bit thin - both sound-wise and compositionally. I blame programmed synths and computer-generated rhythm tracks. As for this song...
Very subtle intro, until Chaka comes on full power. And when she does? Wow. So few have that kind of vocal power. That said? A little pitchy on at the start of that verse.
There's a lot going on with that rhythm track. And that keyboard is popping in and out of the mix like an air bubble rising to the surface. But... if anyone can handle it, it's Ms. Khan. And when we schmooze into that delicious, "I just wanna love you," I have to say: wish that groove was a bit deeper. Where's the bass?
As we enter the second verse? Typical mid-eighties noise. This is a slight song counting on that vanilla pudding 'African' rhythm track to give it some cred. But the mix is adhering to the 'lite' side of things. And while I'm enjoying the juxtaposition between earth godess Khan and all the muted, mechanical, electronic instrumentation - I am not getting a sense of a lift-off anytime soon.
Those backing vocals need to be leaning into "I just want to love you" and should be much wider in scope, acting as a bed for Khan to lay down on.
We meld right into the chorus, the only definition comes courtesy of a second (thin) vocal line by Khan and that big slam on beat two. I think this should be magical. I would be okay with some glissandos from a 36 bar-chime. I want to be swept away. Khan keeps bringing it. That second half of the chorus - "talking 'bout freedom..." - she soars and folds in on herself. Again, the backing vocals don't provide the bed needed. I think some male voices might have helped. And some reverb. And some bass.
Enter a sax... it's okay. Those wheezy, whiny keyboards, though. Blech. Actually, the sax is dead-on. Very good.
It's as if this production is missing a layer of sound? And why aren't Khan's vocals - which are incredible - richer sounding? I am having serious issues with the mixing. Someone is treble happy.
Now I'm hearing a bit of magic in a buried keyboard. It's overshadowed by that rather annoying one repeating the same couplet over and over again. And it's that keyboard which seems to be the centerpiece of this arrangement and that? That's a big mistake.
Hate the 'Seinfeld' bass sting.
This just keeps repeating the same mistakes. It's not growing deeper, so it's not taking the listener anywhere. Disappointing. Khan's vocals are lovely and generous, even when she's fighting against the rigidity of the lazy-ass arrangement, though what she offers doesn't always work with it.
I like the backing vocals on the second chorus, but they are buried. It's not until "let me go," that I get a sense that Khan has anything to play off of. And then Khan works her usual magic, but to no avail; all those scattershot, kicking rhythm bits of flotsam and jetsam undermine whatever she has in mind. They sound like a car misfiring.
Which is actual what I have to term this... a total misfire.
The Pointer Sisters
Big and warm. Almost from note one. Yep, we have the mechanical pop ticking away like a clock, but this percolator is definitely plugged in.
I can already tell I like this better. It moves. It has direction. I love that programmed nonsense bubbling beneath. It's like listening to an EKG. I have always loved June Pointer's voice. She had such a great sense of pop phrasing, and it's so well articulated. She could put the tiniest flex in a syllable and it would make all the difference.
Chorus. Yes. A bit overplayed, but I do like the backing vocals. Ruth Pointer is the lady with the magic touch. Love the earthiness she brings here.
Eek. Synth strings. Into the bridge. Why? And there is that damn couplet again, wearing out it's welcome. Oh, I wish some kind of organic instrument had come in to do a solo here. Or let the sisters come in from the bottom and breath some life into it. This bridge is a waste of space; it brings nothing to the table and has destroyed the momentum previous built.
Glad June is back. Sadly she is lost amid a sky full of synthetic gnats.
Okay, she can get a little shrill. But again... this is Slow Hand... this should have been Slow Hand, part II, not Richard Perry's fun-time synthesizer hour.
Remember that bed that I wanted for Chaka... "Woah, woah. I just want to love you?" This is it, but it's a bit rushed. Love the backing vocals on the playout. Very nice. I just found my groove.
The Verdict
Well, it's not a homerun for either team.
Khan's vocals are killer stuff, but the arrangement is cold, lifeless and never offers lift-off; she's mired in a drudge that moves at the pace of a traffic jam.
The sisters bring their A-Game and do a super job of warming up the proceedings. Richard Perry, however, undermines them at every turn. And that instrumental bridge? A travesty. That's not radio-ready, dear. Adore the play out.
I'm giving this to The Pointer Sisters. With a bit more real instrumentation and a completely different instrumental bridge, this one could have been a much bigger hit for them.
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And that's my two cents.
Your turn. Leave your thoughts and choice in the comments section. I love to hear a differing opinion.
In light of the green returning to the planet courtesy of spring, I thought we should take a look at what it truly means to 'go green.'
I love this planet, but, sadly, she's not doing all that well; rumor has it she's on her way out!
Today, we'll take a look at what we're individually contributing to the salvation of our dear, beloved, much-abused earth, and, in turn, examine what else we might be able to take on to support these efforts.
Let's dig in...
1/ Do you recycle? What day of the week? What's your opinion of recycling? Does it work?
Yes. Very much so. We recycle everyday and they pick it up every two weeks on a Monday. It's telling that our blue recycle bin is three times the size of our regular trash bin and that the recycle bin is always nearly overflowing, while the trash bin has two tiny bags inside it.
In the kitchen, we have an old wicker clothes hamper with a hinged lid. A quick rinse and in a suitable item goes. Same at The Boyfriend's, minus the hinge. They both add a bit of warmth to the kitchen, so they don't look out of place or industrial.
At The Boyfriends? We have two giant recycle bins and one trash. Again, due to all the board games The Boyfriend kickstarts, the recycle bins are always overflowing.
Does it work? Does it matter? I don't honestly know for sure. I'm not aware of how effective Minneapolis' recycle program is actually; I do wish they'd post information about what they do with all of it. I do know there is a park bench program and that some of the stuff is used to create playground equipment, so there's that. I really should look into it more.
2/ Do you compost? Every tried it? What's your opinion of composting?
The Ex and I did for three years. What a mess. What bother. The only thing I liked about it was that we didn't have to bag our grass clippings. In the end, The Ex couldn't stand looking at it (although it was well hidden, well kept, and a nice looking compost cage.) When the city introduced their organic materials pickup service, good-bye compost.
At my Mom's, I continue to compost and she has had quite a bit of success with hers, creating all sorts of lovely top soil full of nutrients. Her raspberry thicket loves the stuff, as do her strawberries.
Now, all our leavings go in this little ceramic lined metal pot that sits on the stove top. We used to use these biodegradable bags in it, but the bags would dissolve before we had a chance to take them out to the organics bin, so we now do without. It's not an issue at all in the winter, but in summer? Oh, my... the fruit flies. I was never so happy to see winter than this year, for the fruit fly situation was getting out of control.
I have no idea if Minneapolis' organics program is successful. The main plant is right near one of our rental houses - a giant mound of decaying matter. Never smells. It's just a bit unsightly, but then it's an industrial area near the river, so it fits right in. I have no idea what they do with it.
3/ What do you think of solar power? Concerns? Do you have solar panels on your house? Would you?
Love solar panels and I wish we could afford to have them. I suppose, at some point, we won't be able to afford not to have them. I know there are all sorts of programs to help you purchase and install them, but we're a bit complacent about it; something new, you know...
I don't have any concerns about them. They aren't that unsightly and are definitely effective. It's definitely something to think about and look further into. I think a sort of laziness is at the root of our inaction. As the world goes? Can we afford to remain so complacent?
4/ What do you think of wind turbines? Concerns? Any near you?
I haven't seen any in the city, proper, but on the outskirts, like Maple Grove, etc.? Oh, yes. And I don't mind them. I think they look rather majestic. The whole bird killing controversy seems much ado, but, thanks to the orange ogre, that is everyone's main argument against them.
Keep in mind, they go out and kill birds with their guns, but if even one dies due to a wind turbine, well... then that's reason enough to do away with them? It makes no sense, but then those sort of people rarely do.
And they say they're unsightly, but... really? I view them as rather heroic. I mean... think of all the crap we visually have to put up with, like the omnipresent Golden Arches ever five feet. I would much rather look at a field of gently turning windmills.
5/ Do you purchase organic foods? If so, why? If not, what's preventing you?
I will if it is the only produce available, as in, something I need to have... but otherwise, no.
Why? Expense. And it rots so fast. I would have to shop on a daily basis and I hate shopping. Grocery stores are nightmare experiences for me; my anxiety goes through the roof. And I would shop at one of those co-ops (in fact, I have a lifetime membership at the main one near uptown,) but I don't like the offerings, don't like the prices, don't like the people that shop there, and I don't like the people who run it. They're such snobs. Even the nuevo-faux-hippy sorts with their multiple face piercings and white-people dreadlocks. I don't want to support a bunch of deluded posers. And they're so militant about their food choices. Sorry... I like convenience. It makes me feel like I eat garbage food (do I?), but there are enough other things to feel terrible about in the world, so fuck 'em.
I'm a concerned citizen of the world. Sensitive, but not a nut job. All those face piercings don't make you more righteous or a superior social warrior; they render you unemployable and ridiculous looking. And scary. (Mostly I find them scary.)
Now... you show me a nice naked hippy and the woods - minus all the coop trappings? Oh, yes, dears, I'm all over that. They always smell so wonderful (except for those that insist on wearing patchouli oil like water.)
6/ What do you think of plant-based foods? Have you tried them? Any favorites?
Adore. This is the wave of the future. Do away with all the killing and industrial animal harvesting. Eat plant based foods. They are delicious. I don't know why I didn't do it earlier. And they keep becoming more available and more affordable.
I used to assume the worst about all of it, however, once I made a commitment to eliminate meat from my diet - because it's so much healthier to do so and I love animals - I began to experiment. I now love tofu. I've found wonderful tasting plant based substitutes for everything - even fish. Granted, I could make better choices (there is a primo vegan butcher shop in NE which makes the most amazing things, but I'm not a daily sort of shopper, so it doesn't work for me.)
As is? I'm happy with what I'm eating, which, surprisingly, includes a lot of green salads. Huge ones. And I don't know why. I mean, I am a lazy, lazy person; one who couldn't be bothered to chop and clean things, but now? Monday through Thursday. I rather like it, have it down to a routine. Lots of spinach. Lots of fruit. It makes me happy.
As for the plant-based stuff. One simply has to try different things. You'll find you spend as much or more on meat based stuff, so why not try plant based items? I don't feel deprived. In fact, I feel like I am getting away with eating what I want... now, the only issue is - portion control!
7/ Do you make a point of shopping locally? Did shopping locally in any way impact the gifts you gave this past holiday season?
I adore small business day pre-holiday season. This year, The Ex, who opened a shop for his organic soap company this year, gathered his favorite vendors from the various farmer markets where he's sold his goods. I went in and had a ball, dropped big coin and had all my gifts before I left.
I'm now really into soy candles and I don't mind paying more for them when I know the money is going to support a woman and her family. Yes, not a necessity, but for the sake of my well-being? Perhaps it is.
The Ex threw another event for Valentine's day and I swooped in and finally found the perfect set of bowls for the veggie rice bowls I like to make and eat, among other things. I liked that I was placing my cash in the hands of people who actually create what their selling - no middle man, no bank, no price gouging.
I haven't figured out how to extend this idea of shopping locally. I do know we have a grocery market in North Minneapolis that grows their own produce in a vertical farming pod. They sell it half-price on Wednesday mornings, so you'd think I'd be more motivated... but keep in mind, I'm a lazy sort.
Still. Really need to make more of an effort to support such an enterprise... or it will go away.
8/ Do you own an electric or hybrid car. Concerns? Could you see yourself owning an electric car?
I do not and I wish I did.
My next car? Yes. Either a hybrid or a full-on electric. I am done with supporting an industry which price gouges, destroys the planet and helps fund the GOP.
Fuck big oil. Send them packing.
Cut Texas off at the knees, folks. They're arrogant, greedy and evil. They need to be destroyed.
That's why I'm all for what's happening with electric vehicles. I want in. I think I will make the switch when I retire in four or five years. If something happens to my mini in the meantime, yes... I am prepared to switch.
9/ Mass transit? What services are available to you and which do you use?
Have never been on the train. We don't have a line that comes to North. You have to go downtown to catch it and then what? Go to The Mall of Embarrassment? No, thank you.
We have a line that is supposed to go to Burnsville, but it is mired in funding issues and construction problems. It's way over budget and, of course, the GOP want to kill it, because it affects the amount of gas people burn and it only serves people in the metro.
The bus lines in Minneapolis continue to get cut back... which is the wrong direction. Ridership is down because it's simply not safe. I feel for the drivers. They put up with so much. And people now get on and refuse to pay - what's to be done?
So, no. Mass transit in Minneapolis isn't working. It's too expensive and too scary.
I Uber, but that's not the same, is it?
I am biking more in the summer. So, there's that. Hard to go grocery shopping that way, though. Bet I could manage it if I shopped locally...
10/ What do you see as the benefits of going green?
Well, wouldn't we like to save the planet? Not for humans. I think about the polar bears. I think about the choral reefs. Thing is... we're a selfish lot. And I'm no different. I'm certainly not doing all I could. I do the bare minimum and pat myself on the back, saying... good enough. Bah.
I don't have children, so part of me doesn't care. The only thing I do care about is the welfare of animals and, as it stands, we are destroying their natural habitats at an alarming rate. Humankind's arrogance and indifference is toxic. Destructive.
I live a tiny life. My impact? Not huge. Still, I could do more, small things, in order to make a micro bit of difference.
I think about how much water I use on a daily basis and am, what? Shocked? Ashamed? I take it for granted, while there are people in Africa who have no water. How do I make sense of that kind of inequity?
There's so much ignorance and stupidity in the world. I sometimes wonder why we bother trying to save the planet at all. Still. Those of us who know better need to continue to do better. Maybe it will rub off. Maybe it will make a difference. It's better than surrendering to stupidity.
And that's what we're fighting against, folks. Stupidity. Greed - which is simply a form of stupidity.
So, do what you can to fight the good fight. If I didn't? I couldn't live with myself. How some of these people do? I can't say. I don't know. I suppose stupidity comes with a big helping of denial in order for them to justify all the hateful things they do and pursue.
But, the clock is ticking. Even for those fools. Me? At this point, I'm resigned to simply run out the clock, while trying to limit any negative impact my existence might pose to the planet.
My hope is that future generations wake up and make changes sooner than later.
My generation and those before have been very poor stewards of this big beautiful world. And we have to live with that - and, sadly, so does the planet.
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Okay, loves. Your turn. Leave your thoughts and answers in the comments section, or post it on your blog and leave a link.
Just another gay blogger sharing thoughts, stories, adventures, photo essays, and the like. I adore the community found here on blogger. Simply the best people. I feel fortunate to be anywhere and am grateful for the opportunity to write and share my thoughts.
3 Wise Girls
Six Girls Seeking Shelter
