Music

[Guest ncm2169]

There are some musical genuises who we should recognize for their unique talents. One is/was Liberace. I'll confess, at the high point of his diamond studded fur coats, he was waaaaay over the top for me, but never for his piano skills. The best part was, he never forgot where he came from, as in --

 

Liberace, doing the Beer Barrel Polka:

 

Enjoy:

 

[+ purplekow]

I understand that on lonely nights in Milwaukee, as a young man Liberace would go over to the brewery and he was a Beer Barrel Poker. Precursor to the glory hole, someone would climb into an empty beer barrel and then you could slide in through

the knot hole in the side of the barrel. Any Wisconsinites care to confirm or deny? "Roll out the barrel, we'll have a barrel of fun." And if you didn't know the words, you could just hum along and there began the hummer. This day in gay folklore brought to you by Schotz Beer. Schlemiel Schlamozel Hausenfeffer Incorporated.

[alanalt]

Purplekow, one of the problems of studying history is that there are periods from which there are no written records or survivors...

 

Alan

[+ g56whiz]

I have a distinct memory - or is it nightmare - of Liberace on the Ed Sullivan show, sitting at his candelabraed piano, ruffles round his neck and check to check with Eleanor Steber as they sang a duet the lyrics to which were "Cement mixer: putty putty" repeated over and over until the emerging nervous titters grew into gales of laughter. I never understood it. Still don't. But then I've always considered Liberace to be high class entertainment for low class tastes.

[MsGuy]

I couldn't find the Liberace version, but this one does feature a cute blond twink covered in dust.

[+ g56whiz]

Well the Liberace/Steber version was more Chopin and less Andrews Sisters via Spike Jones but it certainly liked that gorgeous twink.

 

Despite the music, I watched the whole thing not for that twink but in awe of the generosity of the people and what they were doing. Thank you MsGuy!

[Rick Munroe]

Liberace. I'll confess, at the high point of his diamond studded fur coats, he was waaaaay over the top for me

 

And who could have predicted he'd be such a major influence on today's hip-hop stars, such as 50 Cent and P. Diddy?

 

http://www.50centrapstar.com/files/images/50%20Cent%20Fur%20Coat%20%20Picture.preview.jpg http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_mWQ72omLwKw/RzxnsBYHteI/AAAAAAAAD9c/YcuiR1zY17s/s400/p+diddy2.jpg

[Guest ncm2169]

< I've always considered Liberace to be high class entertainment for low class tastes.

 

Well, g56, nothing snobbish about that statement.

 

In this case, Liberace did a magnificent job, IMO, of playing a very popular polka.

 

Are all those who appreciate polkas and their variations and significance in cultures across the globe guilty of low class taste?

 

Must be pretty lonely in that world where you breathe the best rarefied air.