Wednesday's Question Of The Day: Current Obsessions

Wednesday's Question Of The Day: 

Current Obsessions

Hump day? Well, I'll give you something to ponder.

Yes, it's time for Wednesday's Question Of The Day.

Each Wednesday, a new question to give you the opportunity to do a bit of self-examination.  Think of it as a way of getting to know all about you and a chance to learn a little more about me. 

That's right. You know me; spill that tea! For I am the king of over-sharing!

Oh, and please leave your responses in the comments section. 

Why, think of this as a little blogging kiki!

Okay! Ready, set... 

Here's today's question:

What is your current obsession?

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Watching old black and white movies on Youtube for free.

I never knew there were so many available.

I adore those air channels which show the old movies, but I never pay attention to what airs when, so I was constantly coming in during the middle of a movie... one that I was interested in watching. The other downside? Commercials. So many. And so long... some play like mini-informercials. It eats up a lot of time and I find I no longer have the patience for all that noise.

I used to have Netflix, but the price more than doubled in the time I had it and I hate feeding corporate greed. Plus... they didn't carry any classic films. So, I canceled. The BF has Prime - but very few of the black and white movies on there which I want to watch are free. 

While researching Wonderland Burlesque's regular Thursday feature Let's All Go To The Movies, I started to notice all these free films on Youtube. There are whole channels devoted to them, with a number of old films now in the public domain due to the copyright holders failing to renew them. Well... their loss, our gain.

So, I asked the BF for an HDMI to HDMI cable and it was simple as one, two, three. Surprisingly, the films look wonderful on my big screen television. 

You see...

I adore the old stars: Bette Davis, Joan Crawford, Barbara Stanwyck, Paulette Goddard, Garbo, Gene Tierney, Gloria Swanson, Hedy Lamarr, Claudette Colbert, Agnes Moorehead, etc. I grew up admiring them, collecting photos and reading their life stories. There are so many of them. And so many films I want to see. 

Yes, the stories are frequently quite melodramatic, the acting hammy and the writing rather mundane or silly, but I adore them all the same. I like that they tell a story concisely in just over an hour (and rarely more than and hour and a half). I appreciate the fact that there are no commercials. Granted, the film quality varies greatly - many are copies of copies of copies of the original print, but all those squiggly lines and breaks in the film merely add to the charm. 

The lighting, and the sets, and the costumes... economical and elaborate at the same time. I adore monochromatic sets, impossibly tailored costumes, the posing, the eyebrows, the close-ups, the air of film noir. I think they did more with less in those days and it's all real... real sets, real actors, real props - no CGI. I adore reading the credits - and they don't go on for a fifteen minutes after the movie is over like they do with today's films. 

So, yes... I am becoming a bit like Norma Desmond, squirreled away in my basement, huddled beneath a blanket, eating peanut butter on saltines while sipping hot chocolate and  living in the past, but then...

They know me there (and they like me).

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As If We Never Said Goodbye - Elaine Paige

from the musical Sunset Blvd

Tuesday Titillation: My Wild And Raunchy Son by Josman - Chapter II

Tuesday Titillation:

My Wild And Raunchy Son

by Josman

Chapter II

So, for today's post, I decided to share more work by an artist known as Josman. I think his artwork is amazing. As mentioned in the past, I do have my qualms about his work - his themes tend to center on older men having a somewhat taboo relationship with much younger men. 

As I put this collection together, I had to remind myself... this is fantasy. This is a gay fairy tale.

If you don't agree... I understand. But this is the stuff of make-believe. The reality? Well, it looks nothing like this, hons.

I did do a little research on Josman. It seems he used to have a regular comic called Hand Jobs which stopped publishing new material years and years ago. On an on-line discussion board devoted to his work,  someone else mentioned that they believed his work was now licensed by a pay site and that is the reason new material has not been forthcoming.

Thing is, no one seems to know exactly what became of him. Someone on the same forum mentioned that he had published a series of horribly inappropriate works and dropped out of sight. However,  the authenticity of those work has been questioned by others.

One thing I did learn? I am not alone when it comes to my reaction to his artwork. A couple of blogs praise his work, but then also cop to feeling a bit skeezy about enjoying it.
 
Personally, I view these as fairy tales... something devoid of anything approaching reality. And that is the context in which they are being presented here, today.

That said, here is the second of three installments of My Wild And Raunchy Son - from the talented hands of Josman.

Taboo? Fantasy?

An interesting bit of gay history?

You decide. To each their own.

- uptonking from Wonderland Burlesque

Daddy - SAKIMA

Acquired Tastes XLIII: Gay Pulp Fiction, Part 207 - Club Series Books, Part 2 of 3

Acquired Tastes XLIII:

Gay Pulp Fiction, Part 207

Club Series Books

Part 2 of 3

Today we take a second look at the Club Series imprint.

Brought to you by the good people at Star Distributors, LTD., the Club Series imprint lasted a whole two years, from 1973-1974, publishing 36 titles in all. Star Distributors, LTD. operated out of a P.O. Box at the Canal Street Station in New York City.

The books covers feature a solid colored background with a half-dome window ion the lower left side containing an erotic pen and ink illustration, typically having something to do with the subject of the book. The illustrations are of high-quality, depicting masculine, manly middle-age men, sometimes in the company of 'softer' younger men with feminine features.

In the upper left hand corner, you will find the distinctive Club Series logo - opposite, in the upper right hand corner, the price. Across the upper expanse, the title, in a bold, modern white font. The authors names are most likely all pseudonyms. 

On-line, these books can be found for $25.00 - $45.00.

Here are the next 12 titles.

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 Boyflesh for Ted

 Author: C. Kell 

Club Series

 1973 

CLUB-112

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Teenage Jocks

 Author: Alan Donaldson

  Club Series 

1973

 CLUB-113 

According to Hommi Publishing's Big Ass List, this one is about a "lifeguard who admires teenagers at his pool".

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The Photographer

 Author: Rodney Smith 

Club Series

 1973 

CLUB-114

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New York Meat Rack

 Author: Rodney Smith

 Club Series 

1973

CLUB-115

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Teenage Cruiser

 Author: Lindsay Latham

 Club Series

 1973 

CLUB-116

According to Hommi Publishing's Big Ass List, this one is about "teens who have their first experience while spending the night together".

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The Hungry Teacher

 Author: Earl Lowry 

Club Series

 1973

CLUB-117

(Cover not found.)

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Boy Orgy

 Author: Mitchell Cook 

Club Series

 1973 

CLUB-118

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The Star’s Young Boyfriend

 Author: Rudy Scander 

Club Series

 1973 

CLUB-119

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The Dick Director

 Author: Paul Stevenson

 Club Series

 1973 

CLUB-120

Available as a downloadable PDF or ebook at Hommi Publishing.

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The Page Boys

 Author: Randy Williams 

Club Series

 1973 

CLUB-121

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Humping Hitchhiker

 Author: Harold Salter 

Club Series

 1973 

CLUB-122

Available as a downloadable PDF or ebook at Hommi Publishing.

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Crotch Loving Foursome

 Author: Jordan  Styles 

Club Series

 1973 

CLUB-123

Available as a downloadable PDF or ebook at Hommi Publishing.

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And that's all for now.

Next week: 12 more tantalizing Club Series titles.

Until then...

Thanks for reading!

 

Sweet Hitch-Hiker - Creedence Clearwater Revival

Sunday Diva/Three From The Hip: Nancy Wilson

Sunday Diva/Three From The Hip:

Nancy Wilson

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 who 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 elegant soul?

"Sweet Nancy" 

"The Baby."

The sublime Nancy Wilson.

She came into this world singing... and never stopped.

Experimenting early with various sounds, she soon crafted her own - a lovely, subtle, warm-hued vibe mixed with taste and a more than a touch of glamour. 

She earned a reputation - but not the typical one associated with divas of her caliber. Easy to work with, a booking agents dream, level-headed. Smart. 

From day one, she recognized what she wanted when it came to a career in music - and more importantly - what she did not.

Through it all, she created a legacy of music unlike any other, carving out her own, very unique, place in the annals of music. 

The gospel according to her?

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

The topic? Protecting Happiness

"I sang at home, I sang in front of anybody who wanted to hear something, I went to church all the the time, but I left the church I was in to go to the Methodist Church where I could sing in the choir because I was a singer in the Pentecostal Church because I have always sung secular music, that has always been my gift because I have always believed God loved me and I didn’t think I was a sinner at eight years old because I sang ‘pop’ tunes, so I sang with my Mom and her sisters, I sang some Gospel tunes a few times but I have always sung pop, always sung secular music."

"It was a wonderful old house, and I can still remember the happiness there, and music was everywhere. Two of my aunts played the organ as well as the piano, and everybody urged me to sing."

"Boy, I guess I’ve always been a ham. I didn’t need much persuasion to go into my whole little act."

"I was in a band at fifteen, I worked with bug bands all around my home town, and within a hundred mile radius and when I came out of High School I went with Rusty Bryant, who had a major hit nationally [‘All Nite Long’] I travelled the mid-West with him, I worked in Ohio — I mean I was always working, I was never without work at home, I never thought about it too much, when I went to New York and got a manager I was with Capitol Records in a matter of weeks and had to get a keyboard player — I did — that was, that was… and the next thing was a trio."

"I was just wasting my time. Really, I knew exactly what I wanted to do, and the courses I was taking would not help me. If I was ever going to be a singer, I would just have to stop stalling around and get out there and try."

"Nobody seemed to bother to check my identification for my age, and I just sang and stayed out of the way, and it worked out alright."

"The people at New York Institute of Technology were wonderful. They let me take long lunch hours to make auditions, and they gave me time off whenever necessary. And they were so encouraging! I stayed with them for a long time after I went to work in a night club."

"The first time I worked in New York I played a club called The Blue Morocco in the Broncs, I worked in the daytime, sang on the weekends, and when my first record came I was with Capitol, Capitol put the record out, I went to Australia for a few months and when I came back that was it! I mean, they were waiting for me to get back."

"Well, nobody really did that much for me ... I mean what could they do? They said nice things and introduced me when I came into the club or something, but actually, nobody took me seriously. They thought I was just kidding about being a singer, and by the time they began to believe, I was on my way."

"I didn’t want to be about anybody, I didn’t see anybody really happy, I saw Dinah [Washington] married five times, I thought ‘I don’t see women happy,’ I saw the business kick the women, so what was there about this that would make me want to do it?"

"They had ‘people’ around them, who guided their ships as opposed to them guiding it, yeah. I felt great sorrow when I saw things like that, but I figured you might be able, just maybe, do it right! Especially since I had great family, great background, wonderful parents who were very supportive, so I had a great background, I didn’t come from this horrid place, I came from a good place, nd I knew what happiness was, consequently if I ever lost a little bit, you just look inside and find it, because you know what it is, and don’t get too far away from that, just remember your Grandmother’s porch and the swing and picking the tomatoes in the garden — remember that — that was what was real, as well as important."

"But if you have a gift you try to learn, you try to learn how to use the gift, here’s what I am saying about knowing who you are, knowing I don’t want that! But I will do this, but I can’t do it that way. So I went and got the one manager that would understand that."

"The door was open, like I was saying I was never not working, so I just went from Ohio, to a place to be heard in New York and straight to the supper clubs, Basin Street East, the Waldorf."

"I couldn’t have kept that pace up for 30 weeks,. Chicago was really the hardest place for me to work in those days. I knew I had to do something else or it would be all over for me before I really got started."

"I have always sung the American Songbook, I loved the great tunes, Broadway, everything, but that was what I heard, i heard R&B and Broadway, I wasn’t in New York when I heard all the great material, I loved Cole Porter, George Gershwin, the American Songbook, what is a better way to go? I heard, as a girl, I heard Billy Eckstine, Jimmy Scott obviously [laughs] — I sound just like Jimmy [laughs] — And Dinah [Washington], I heard a lot of R&B, Little Esther, LaVerne Baker, Ruth Brown, and I was like kinda fifteen or so, it was a long time until I heard Sarah [Vaughan] and Ella [Fitzgerald] because my upbringing was pretty much male singers who were singing the blues or the big band stuff that my Dad listened to, so I sang more R&B, just the good songs, you know? All the stuff that would come out of Broadway I would hear, and by osmosis you grow, you do it, I never consciously sat down and said ‘Well what do I do next?’ I just did it."

"I’m really tired of hearing ‘what label,’ I’m tired of boxes, yeah! When I first started my music was the ‘pop music’ of the day, so as you grow and you get older, people keep changing who you are, to them. I haven’t changed anything, I have always sang R&B, I have always sang pop and R&B."

"I was never a jazz singer, I was never labelled a jazz singer, I never worked jazz rooms, I worked the major supper clubs in the world, as opposed to jazz rooms, so i didn’t have to go through that, I mean — if you live long enough and you’re black you’ll be called a jazz singer! I don’t care what you think you are!!"

"If you want to play the rooms, you can play the rooms, but it wasn’t where I wanted to be then, I would have stayed there, but as it was I was able to — I can sing what I want, across the board, I can play the Cocoanut Grove, the Waldorf Astoria, but I can also play the Village Vanguard and Basin Street East, but if I had only played the Village Vanguard, Basin Street East, the Jazz Workshop and stuff I wouldn’t have been able to play the major rooms in the country."

"I’ve always been of the firm opinion that if you are not out there people have a feeling that you’re not valid anymore, anytime I have a recording out I like to be out there, where people can see me, I also realise that at some point I’d rather they didn’t! [laughs] But I’ve come to grips with the fact that I’m still working, and I know there is a need, like club owners and people like that — ‘You can’t go, you gotta do it” — but that’s a heavy burden, you know."

The Very Thought Of You - Nancy Wilson

Face It Girl, It's Over - Nancy Wilson

For Once In My Life - Nancy Wilson

And one last parting shot...

"You don’t stop to analyze it, you just do it! I always wanted to make sure the business did not run me, and that it didn’t get away from me, it was important for me to be my parents daughter, my husband’s wife — you understand what I’m sayin’? It was very important to me that I did not let it consume me, it was not enough to be happy! Happiness is not this business, and I always knew that, as a kid, you know? I was trying to have that balance, and I worked hard to get that balance."

"It’s just getting up in the morning and saying ‘Thank you God!’ and moving on. And it’s trying to enjoy every day, trying to enjoy life, trying to have a life, that’s vital, it’s not about the business, it really isn’t. My family has allowed me to do this, they have allowed me to do it, because they don’t want to take it away from me, even though it takes away from their time, their happiness."