Sunday Diva/Three From The Hip: Marlene Dietrich

Sunday Diva/Three From The Hip: 

Marlene Dietrich

In my own personal big gay church there are many wings. In one such wing reside those who have forged careers by marching to a beat only they can hear. They are originals - unlike any other. Their styles created archetypes upon which many careers were built, but it all began with them. They created it. They own it.

One such sultry siren?

The unforgettable... Marlene Dietrich.

She gazed upon a world with half-lidded eyes and found it wanting. What was it in need of? 

Her.

So, she became Futura; her own Maschinenmensch. She created herself - an image, an attitude, a posture - and the world became instantly enthralled. 

But this diva was not content to color within the lines

She toyed with gender fluidity long before the concept was coined. She was fluid in many ways...

Because she knew things. About the sexes. About sex. And love. 

For her, it was all currency.

With a knowing haughtiness, she dared the world to be her audience. 

Admired. Worshipped. Enshrined. 

And then? 

She tired of it all. Turned her back. Receded from public view.

But the image lived on. The mystique grew... and became iconic.

Others may borrow. Others may imitate or may try it on, like a costume. 

But only one inhabited it. Perfected it. Created it.

Only she. 

The perfect Marlene.

The gospel according to her?

Well, here are three from the hip, dropping from her lips.

The topics? Germany, Film, and The Sexes

"The Germans and I no longer speak the same language."

"America took me into her bosom when there was no longer a country worthy of the name, but in my heart I am German - German in my soul."

"The tears I have cried over Germany have dried. I have washed my face."

"I never enjoyed working in a film."

"I had no desire to be an film actress, to always play somebody else, to be always beautiful with somebody constantly straightening out your every eyelash. It was always a big bother to me."

"I dress for the image. Not for myself, not for the public, not for fashion, not for men."

"Darling, the legs aren't so beautiful, I just know what to do with them."

"The average man is more interested in a woman who is interested in him than he is in a woman with beautiful legs."

"A man would prefer to come home to an unmade bed and a happy woman than to a neatly made bed and an angry woman."

"Without tenderness, a man is uninteresting."

"Most women set out to try to change a man, and when they have changed him they do not like him."

"Once a woman has forgiven her man, she must not reheat his sins for breakfast."

"To be completely woman you need a master, and in him a compass for your life. You need a man you can look up to and respect. If you dethrone him it's no wonder that you are discontented, and discontented women are not loved for long."

"Grumbling is the death of love."

"How do you know love is gone? If you said that you would be there at seven and you get there by nine, and he or she has not called the police yet - it's gone."

"Sex. In America an obsession. In other parts of the world a fact."

"Latins are tenderly enthusiastic. In Brazil they throw flowers at you. In Argentina they throw themselves."

Boys In The Backroom - Marlene Dietrich

Lili Marleen - Marlene Dietrich

Falling In Love Again - Marlene Dietrich

"There is a gigantic difference between earning a great deal of money and being rich."

"I'm worth more dead than alive. Don't cry for me after I'm gone; cry for me now."

"I am not a myth."

"When you're dead, you're dead. That's it."

Who Did It Better? A Long And Lasting Love

Who Did It Better?

A Long And Lasting Love

This week we take a look at yet another song written by hit-meisters Michael Masser and Gerry Goffin and also learn the rather sad story of the one-time gay icon who first recorded it.

 A Long And Lasting Love was written by Michael Masser and Gerry Goffin; a songwriting duo who has appeared a number of times as part of this series (and will continue to, for Masser is responsible for oh-so many songs!)

It was first recorded by Jane Olivor for her fourth album, 1980's The Best Side of Goodbye. The album would include three Masser co-writes, two with Goffin and one with Linda Creed. While it was her highest charting album thus far, The Best Side of Good-bye would serve as her final studio album for Columbia Records and the beginning of what was supposed to be only a six month break. However, Olivor's stage fright, anxiety over her rapid success, and numerous unfavorable experiences with the music industry in addition to her husband's illness and death would cause the singer to take a 10-year career hiatus. In 1989 she would be treated for depression, putting her back on the road to recovery and a return to public life.

The following year, Billy Preston and Syreeta Wright recorded the song on their 1981 album, Billy Preston & Syreeta. Preston and Wright had worked together previously, when they recorded the soundtrack for the film Fast Break the back in 1979. It featured their hit single With You I'm Born Again.

Country legend Crystal Gayle. recorded A Long And Lasting Love as part of her 1985 album, Nobody Wants To Be Alone. Released in August of 1985 as the second single from the album, the song reached #5 on both Billboard's Hot Country chart and Canada's country chart. 

In 1988, Glen Medeiros recorded the song for his second album, Not Me. Released as the album's lead single, it snagged the #68 spot on Billboard's Hot 100. In addition it went to #14 in the Netherlands, #26 in Ireland, #41 in the UK and #113 in Australia.

And that's the whole story.

Now? On to the competition!

The Song: A Long And Lasting Love

The Competitors: Olivor vs. Preston & Wright vs. Gayle vs. Medeiros

A Long And Lasting Love - Jane Olivor

A Long And Lasting Love - Billy Preston and Syreeta Wright

A Long And Lasting Love - Crystal Gayle

Long & Lasting Love - Glenn Medeiros

Jane Olivor

I owned all four of Jane Olivor's first four albums. So did every library in the United States. She was adored, embraced and revered by the gay community and the theatre crowd. And Columbia Records seriously did everything they could to help her find a wider audience. The following she did manage to muster consisted of the kind of music lovers who attend concerts by cabaret singers performing in orchestral halls.

Very pretty piano intro.

I'm telling you upfront - this song? Not one of my favorites. It is maudlin, weepy, to the point of irritation. So, why am I taking a look at it? Because someone liked it enough to record it and someone else liked it enough to buy it. But for those of you who don't like ballads to begin with (Miss Maddie) this is going to be a bit of a chore to get through.

That intro is mixed perfectly. The piano is mixed a bit hot, but everything else is kept well in check. By the way - 22 seconds! Of intro! Yeah... that's not getting played on the radio. 

A key change right from the get go. And sadly, despite Olivor joining the mix, the piano is still the focus. In what world? Granted, Olivor is in hush-hush mode - the lady - and this may be true of all the ladies singing this one - sings in a 'precious' manner, as if cupping a tiny china cup in her hands and cooing at it, so fragile, it will break if mishandled. To a degree Syreeta Wright and Crystal Gayle are just as guilty of this, but Olivor wears the tiarra. 

The backing vocals on that title line... oh, dear. And, I rather loathe the cloying electric guitar lick as we begin verse/chorus #2. Also, for as articulate and precise a singer, I can't understand a word she's singing - and don't get me wrong - back when I was taking vocal lessons, Jane Olivor was the standard; all students were pushed to achieve what comes so naturally to her. 

We get a bit of a build up for the C-section and in come a platoon of strings as Olivor's voice is multi-layered on top of one another to achieve the same shrill effect. 

The instrumental that follows serves up a dollop of pudding in the form of a guitar solo. It is and was of its time, but to my ears today? Blech.

Honestly, at the 1:46 mark? I am done with this. There simply is not enough to the song to keep my interest. 

Yet another key change. This puts Oliver in a lower range which - yay - she sounds human. But sadly, the producer doesn't trust that she can carry this alone, so he treats her vocals and has some weird sort of shadow vocal following her about. And, of course, that stupid backing vocal on the title line... sigh. 

More tired guitar licks. The percussion is kicked in fully. They want to create a drive to this thing... but why? Again, there's simply not enough of a song her to justify all this effort. "Someone to be there for the rest of my life..." - Olivor's best moment thus far. The lady can sing. That voice is one in a million. 

The production is so over-the-top now, it competes with Olivor's vocals far too much. No wonder she's pushing it. Again... at the 2:40 mark... let's call it a day?

Nope... we have to try and sell that upbeat C-section one more time. And if it was shrill the first time? Well, they found a new setting, sort of like when the boys in Spinal Tap set their amps to '11'. 

Ever get the urge to punch holes in the wall? How many key changes are in this thing?

For (what I hope is) the final verse/chorus, we find Olivor switching back into 'precious moments' mode. She has to compete with all the swirls around her, but she still manages to quiver and quake in all the right moments... especially that ending. 

Oh... my.... word. 

And we still have three more versions to slog through!

Billy Preston & Syreeta

So, I have not listened to it in ages, but... Billy Preston & Syreeta's With You I'm Born Again is an amazing moment of MOR magic. It's dramatic and moving and sung with the utmost care by both singers. The song is a marvel of composition. But that is the me that sang it at tons of weddings talking. This side of things? I wonder what I would think. 

Okay. Let's do this. 

They go a bit ghosty-music box as Syreeta hovers in specter-like in the background.

How does she sing like that? There's so much air and she plays within that air with a sound so solid. I got a chill. That was lovely. I could do without that damn echo thing on the title line - that bell tone keyboard sounds so dated now. But, otherwise? Great beginning. 

As Preston takes over, the producers use the bass to introduce him and it works well with Preston's voice and those gritty strings. Preston plays with dynamics in a big way throughout and very effectively so. He also pulls back on notes so he doesn't over-sing. 

As we move to the C-section... up go the strings and in comes the curly-fried guitar. A bit rote, but of the time. Surprisingly, Preston remains in his lower range which creates far too much of a gap between the two singers. That's a lot of space... I would have preferred that they curl up together for this with much less separation. The gusto arrangement doesn't help matters. I do like that they play with the syncopation a bit, but it comes off less R&B and more big Broadway style. Though they do bridge that vocal gap by the end. They are definitely more on the same page as it wraps up.

Syreeta has a lovely voice. She's Stevie Wonder's ex, you know. And she recorded a number of albums, but her work with Preston is the only thing that really clicked with the public. There's so much play in her vocals... she has so many sounds at her disposal. She executes this quite well, making great choices. 

Preston sure had an interesting career, as well. From his days with the Beatles to his early pop/R&B solo hits to this. I had a vocal coach tell me once that we should sing as if speaking and Preston has mastered that trick very well. There's something incredibly earthy and comforting to be found in those first two lines of this fourth verse/chorus. I would love for him to sing that right into my ear. I can almost feel his lips... sigh. 

Oh... yes... ummm. Back to the song.

That instrumental fill reminds me of a section in Melissa Manchester's Talking To Myself.

I like their vocals on the second C-section so much better than the first. They are punching it up Broadway-style, but it works. Though the arrangement is a bit too much - the icing on the cake which pushes us over to diabetes is the introduction of that backing chorus of ooh's. Sugar coma. 

And, of course, that curly-fired guitar slips in their like an STD ruining a good time.

This version feels much more succinct than Olivor's, even though they are almost identical in length. I think it was the combination of the two voices playing off one another - it kept things interesting. 

Hmmm.

I did not mind this as much. In fact, I almost like it. 

Crystal Gayle

I always forget how much I admire and like Crystal Gayle. Her vocal technique is truly unique. There's probably a jazz singer who does something similar, but no one in country or pop music has ever sounded quite like she does. My favorite moment of hers is her work with Tom Waits on the soundtrack for Francis Ford Coppola's ill-fated One From The Heart. I tracked it down on CD and I have to say, it sure holds up after all this time. 

There is something 'precious' in the way she sings, but it's also full-bodied and as comforting as a warm bath. 

The album this comes from marks the beginning of a career decline for her. She's still in fine form, but public tastes were changing, moving in a direction which did not suit her style of singing. 

This is about as cosmopolitan as country ever got. In fact, this is not country at all. 

Nice intro. Very lush strings. Maybe it's the way she pulls back on her notes, but she has tons to play with vocally and her sound comes out right beneath her eyes, right above her cheek bones. It's lovely. 

I also admire the little ache she can push in there on a phrase. Her style is very catch and release, catch and release. I suppose it could come off a bit cloying, but I also think she's an incredibly sincere singer. She and Syreeta have a lot in common vocally.

Oh! Big surprise on that C-section. They do not ramp up. They do not try and 'pop' it up. She remains in lush, MOR mode and I think the song may be better for it. Not that the arrangement isn't way over-the-top. Those backing vocals? Ugh.

This is about as shrill as I've ever heard Gayle get, though, she's smart enough to keep backing off of notes, pulling the rug out from under them so that they sting but don't annoy. And when she moves into confessional mode on 'sealed with a kiss'? All is forgiven. 

The arrangement reminds me of the interplay between piano and strings which was used so effectively on the soundtrack for the film Terms Of Endearment. That said, while the arrangement is treacle-city (wait until you see the video!), I don't mind it too much so far. Gayle is more than capable of holding her own and it is her vocals which remain the focus of the piece. 

But then we get to vocal chorus #4... and she starts over-reaching quite a bit - singing like, well... a vampire? (I vant to drink your blood!) It's a bit much. Listen to ' someone to be there for...' No. Don't sing like that.

Hmm. We seem to be going for the back row of the arena here. This rather slight song can't really handle all this musical drama. By that second C-section this has overplayed it's hand. 

Wisely, they don't remain so for long. Gayle and the arrangement bring it all back down to earth quite quickly - but the damage is done. 

Still... she sounds lovely on that final bit. 

I get it... her achy-breaky style isn't everyone's cup of tea. Maybe you find it annoying, but because I can't get a handle on how she actually produces that sound so consistently? And because it's such a unique sound - I am remain rathe fascinated by her. 

Even if this particular song is like climbing a mountain of vanilla pudding. 

Glenn Medeiros

Medeiros had a huge hit with Nothing's Gonna Change My Love For You. That happened when he was a teen. He's not that much older when he takes on this song and... I have to question the wisdom of one so young tackling this particular song. It seems laughable. And to prove my point? Please watch the video. In fact, please watch both the videos - for they are the reason VH-1 died a horrible death. If you thought Hallmark movies or the CW network had a corner on the market of sappy porn - well, get a load of those two vids.

That intro? Someone has been listening to a lot of David Foster records. 

That's a tiny, thin voice. Huh. Oh, he's got a quiver to his voice. That means he's 'sensitive'. 

Oh, but then, the cynical me parks himself. The second half of that first verse/chorus? He whips out a very lovely pop sound. 

I still want him to dig in a bit more at the start of verse/chorus #2. But his (relatively) full-bodied pop sound is ear-catching. 

Wait. What is that? He threw out the c-section! I feel like Jack Skellington! What is this? What is this? Weird. He's grafted a whole different song on to this one and... well, it doesn't suck, but - it doesn't make any musical sense. Ha! As if the original C- section did?

I was very critical of Medeiros' singing previously. He sounds very good here. Oh, that slight instrumental break, very Shire/Gimbel. I like. Over-the-top, of course, but, hey... we wouldn't want our schmaltz any other way. 

I really hate that grafted on nonsense... 'once in a lifetime'. Blech. Too bad. I actually like what he's done with the bulk of the original song. Maybe he just couldn't stomach that C-section. And who could blame him? But it does eighty-six him as a choice for this competition. Sorry, Glenn. 

It's too bad this kid never worked with Barry Manilow. Listen to him on that substituted C-section and tell me that's not Manilow magic at work there. Or Peter Allen magic, at the very least. 

Oh... my... word. 

So glad this is over.

The Verdict

This is a terrible song which should not be sung by anyone. 

It commits many sins - a repetitious, pandering, treacly mess from note one, but the worse sin it commits? It is boring. I hope to never hear it ever again as long as I live. 

Why is it a terrible song? It tells no story. Oh, it hands out tissue-worthy clichés about love right and left - in fact, that's all it does - but there is no story here. No narrative. That's why I don't want to hear that same verse/chorus more than twice, no matter what key you put it in, for the damn song takes the listener nowhere.

I don't like Olivor's version at all. That arrangement sucks donkey balls. And it is so boring. She's a great singer and deserved better than this song. Also, the mix is all wrong throughout. Bah.

I love the interplay between Preston and Syreeta. And I may give this to them. The C-section sounds like something from a Broadway musical, but the rest works really well. Syreeta is a very underrated singer. 

Gayle sound great until she overreaches in the third inning. Let's ignore that. Her handling of the C-section was much more graceful than Olivor's or Preston and Syreeta's. There is something overly cloying about the way she sings, but I chalk that up to style. 

Medeiros may have won this... had he stuck with the original C-section. No, the C-section of this song sucks Mitch McConnell's balls, but it's better than grafting on the chorus of an entirely different song which makes no musical sense. I mean it's like a track composed of two choruses? Who does that? Nobody. Why? Because it doesn't work. Medeiros sounds great and I didn't mind the arrangement - but that 'once in a lifetime' crap... blech. And, oh, the kid is what? Eighteen! Yeah. He knows what he's talking about. Right!

I'm giving this to Gayle. She charmed me. Preston & Syreeta did, too, but Gayle handled the C-section much better. So, even with some misgivings and the fact that the song is terrible, and the arrangement has me reaching for some insulin, Gayle wins this one. 

Now? Go watch those videos. I dare you!

--- ---

And that's enough of me.

Okay, your turn. You know what to do: leave your thoughts and choice in the comments section. 

That's all for now.

Until next time...

Thanks for reading... and listening!

A Long And Lasting Love - Crystal Gayle

Long & Lasting Love - Glenn Medeiros

Sunday Diva/Three From The Hip: Edith Piaf

Sunday Diva/Three From The Hip 

Edith Piaf

In my own personal big gay church, there is a wing dedicated to what can only be described as...The True Divas. These are ones that may do many things in life, but from the moment they opened their mouths to sing they became the one thing they were meant to become: a true diva.

One such beautiful soul...

Edith Piaf.

Piaf, the little sparrow.

One would never expect such a large voice to come from such a diminutive form. Yet, it sprang forth radiant, jubilant, sorrowful, mournful and defiant - a force to be reckoned with.

Dramatic, emotive, spellbinding... singing songs born of the streets of Paris, the universal need for love, and the heart of a lion.

She lived a life of reckless abandon, following her heart wherever it would lead. Haunted by demons, courted by the stars, seduced by narcotics.

Pain from her body. Pain from numerous car accidents. Pain from love...

It all took its toll, as did the morphine and alcohol upon which she would become dependent. 

As her celebrated life swirled downward, her identity would become forever entwined with a nation, and she, their national heroine, would live forever.

The gospel according to her?

Well, here are three from the hip, dropping from her lips.

The topics? Love, Music, Money, Disobedience and Death

"As far as I'm concerned, love means fighting, big fat lies, and a couple of slaps across the face."

"I think you have to pay for love with bitter tears."

"To sing is to bring to life; impossible if the words are mediocre, however good the music."

"I've always wanted to sing, just as I've always known that one day I would have my own niche in the annals of song. It was a feeling I had."

"Singing is a way of escaping. It's another world. I'm no longer on earth."

"Money? How did I lose it? I never did lose it. I just never knew where it went."

"If God has allowed me to earn so much money, it is because He knows I give it all away."

"Don't care what people say. Don't give a damn about their laws."

"All I've done all my life is disobey."

Hymne à l'amour - Edith Piaf

Je Ne Regrette Rien - Edith Piaf 

La Vie En Rose - Edith Piaf

And one last parting shot...

"I wouldn't mind at all coming back to earth after my death."

"Death is the beginning of something."

"Death does not exist."

"Every damn thing you do in this life, you have to pay for."

His Sins Were Many, But So Were His Pleasures: Rufus Wainwright, Live at the MN Zoo

His Sins Were Many, But So Were His Pleasures: 

Rufus Wainwright, Live at the MN Zoo

Ah, Rufus Wainwright under a twilight sky on a beautifully mild evening at the Minnesota Zoo’s Weesner Family Amphitheatre… does it get any better?

Well, actually, yes, it could have been better, but then we are talking about the ever-precocious, disarmingly charming Mr. Wainwright, so I knew pretty much what to expect; an evening of cabaret-style self-indulgence – which is exactly what he delivered.

The evening got off on the right note, with opening act Lucy Wainwright Roche (what a musical pedigree!), the headliner’s sister, looking coquettish in a pair of ruby red slippers and matching sunglasses.   Accompanying herself on guitar, Ms. Wainwright Roche’s voice and music fell on the slight side, save for a rather sweet cover of Robyn’s ‘Call Your Girlfriend’ (which could have used a bit of trimming).  However, it was her quirky personality and repartee with the audience that made her such a beguiling presence.  Sharing stories about a six week European tour as her brother’s opening act, Lucy managed to charm the pants off the diverse Minnesota crowd before ending her set with a sing-along of the Springsteen standard ‘Hungry Heart’. 

The evening attracted a disparate crowd, which included soccer moms and their husbands, dandy hipsters, aging hippies, Deadheads, late-90’s college graduates, and, of course, tons of gay men.  Whatever the case, Rufus had them mesmerized from note one, kicking off his set with three tunes while seated at the richest sounding grand I have heard in ages.  Striding on stage sockless, in a black/silver lame’ outfit that he appeared to have outgrown (in more ways than one) and a pair of killer black shoes, Mr. Wainwright launched into the brooding ‘Grey Gardens’ with great aplomb. He was in fine voice all evening, even on the undulating, crescendoing  ‘Vibrate’, during which he shared with the audience his displeasure with a certain sustained note.

Vocally strong, Rufus’ slurred, careening vocal style and overall sound frequently reminded me of the late Peter Allen’s, with touches of Billy Joel thrown in.  Accompanying himself on the piano and an electric acoustic guitar, he remarked how much fun it was being on a tour sans backing band, an element that might have served him better.  He certainly would have benefited from the presence of some type of percussion, as his internal sense of rhythm was woefully ‘playful’ throughout the evening. 

The very best and the worst of Rufus Wainwright were on display this night.  When his compositions are concise and focused, he tends to be very, very good (like on most of his excellent 2012 album, ‘Out of the Game’).  When they are unwieldy, rambling, and obtuse, he threatens to try the patience of his audience with songs that tend to overstay their welcome.  Bottom line:  the man could use a nice red editing pen, or at least develop a sense of proportion (how many codas and repeats does a song really need?).

Last night, highlights included the succinct, soaring pop of ‘Out of the Game’, ‘Jericho’, 'Cigarettes and Chocolate Milk', 'Going to a Town', 'Tired of America', and a somber song, written with his father in mind, ‘Dinner at Eight’. 

Trials included a new song written as an answer to Conor Oberst’s scathing ‘Kick’ (about Kathleen ‘Kick’ Kennedy) called ‘Treat a Lady’ – an unfocused, meandering, obtuse, and lingering piece – and the aria(?) ‘Les feux d'artifice t'appellent’ from his impending, threatened “opera” ‘Prima Donna’ – a trifling, maudlin pseudo modern classical affair that had my eyes rolling.  Both songs had me searching the sky above for birds, or planes, or clouds, or anything to focus on other than what was going on onstage.

Questionable might be the best way to describe his odd, ineffectual three-number ode to Liza Minnelli.  His sister Lucy returned to the stage to portray Liza as a sort of unmasked ‘Phantom of the Opera’. As parodies, go, this one was slight, awkward and a tad amateurish.

So, it sounds like I had a bad time, huh?  No, nothing could be further from the truth.  I find Rufus fascinating, even as he revels in his pretentious brand of naval-gazing.  There isn’t another performer like him at the moment.  It is his ego and abundant self-regard as well as his childhood, background, personal demons, apparent insecurities and lack of discipline that help create a type of music that is uniquely his. 

How can you not enjoy a musical unicorn?

So, yes, the evening was far from perfect, for, as stated, I enjoy Rufus best when he is concise and focused.  Last night at the Weesner Family Amphitheatre there were a plethora of Mr. Wainwright-s onstage to absorb and, by and large, the appreciative crowd was absolutely tickled to bear witness.  

Yes, Rufus’ sins were many, but, so too, were the pleasures.