The Queen, uncensored

[seaboy4hire]

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5odsAZdW-i0

 

I love the rawness of her voice. It's perfectly flawed.

 

Hugs,

Greg

[BabyBoomer]

I expected Aretha.

 

~ Boomer ~

[+ azdr0710]

I was expecting some cut scene from the movie "The Queen" (with Helen Mirren)

[stop]

I expected Elton John swearing about Madonna while listening to Queen Latifa singing an Aretha Franklin song while getting a manicure by Helen Mirin with Queen Elizabeth

[+ Gar1eth]

I was expecting a video of Elizabeth Regina.

 

Gman

[+ nycman]

Thanks for sharing this Greg.

 

She is truly amazing.

 

To this day her Blond Ambition tour is one of the most

amazing performances I've ever seen live.

 

Simply put, It blew me and the world I knew...away!

[seaboy4hire]

Queen of pop. There is only one and will only be one and that is Madonna. Regardless she is the queen of everything to me.

 

Hugs,

Greg

[seaboy4hire]

Thanks for sharing this Greg.

 

She is truly amazing.

 

To this day her Blond Ambition tour is one of the most

amazing performances I've ever seen live.

 

Simply put, It blew me and the world I knew...away!

 

I am so jelouse! I have the show on laser disc that I found in Portland,Oregon. Course I dont havethe proper player and cant watch it.

 

Hugs,

Greg

[stop]

Queen of pop. There is only one and will only be one and that is Madonna. Regardless she is the queen of everything to me.

 

Hugs,

Greg

 

I thought Michael Jackson was the queen of pop

[seaboy4hire]

I thought Michael Jackson was the queen of pop

 

Gotta be startin somethin.....lol

 

Hugs,

Greg

[+ Gar1eth]

I like music. My modus operandi since I was a youngster is if I like song, I play it all the time until I get tired of it. Lately for some reason, I've been stuck on The Pharaoh's Song from Joseph And The...."Pharaoh he was a powerful man with the ancient world in the palm of his hand...."

 

 

But music was never really the be-all or end-all of my teenage or young adult life as it is for some people. Even in my twenties I can remember telling a friend of mine to turn down the radio in the car if the speakers were blaring because my ears were hurting. I also never really got into the Walkman Fad. I was always sure it might lead to hearing loss. The one time I used a portable cassette device continually was at the age of 28 during my one time in Europe. I was there for 6 weeks and used it while traveling. (I also find all these pictures of escorts or guys on hookup sites with buds in their ears strange.). As most of you know I don't work out. But in the past when I looked into it, I was driven away from some gyms by the pounding beat of their music. Working out gives me enough of a headache by itself. I didn't need the added thumping rhythm.

 

I've also never been into diva worship. I mean I like Barbra, Bette, Madonna, and Cher. I even went to Cher's Farewell Tour concert back in 2003. That was mainly because I thought it would be my last chance to see her. I didn't know at the time it was going to go on for 15 years-or did it just seem that long-or that she was going to have another tour after that one-a post final tour as it were. As for Madonna, I liked her earlier stuff and still do . But probably starting around the time of Vogue, I haven't really liked her songs. I'm not sure I could even name a song after Vogue.

 

This Diva Phenomenon among gay men is very interesting to me. I wonder if it is in any way related to why so many guys like drag queens (which leave me cold also).

 

But why when a large majority of us have no real sexual attraction to women do we elevate these, albeit talented women to goddesses walking among us mere mortals? Why are so many of us attracted to what I might call these 'uber' women, these dominant overly lush and aggressive types. These same guys attracted to Divas probably wouldn't be attracted to a woman who expressed her dominance in a stereotypically butch lesbian manner. (Overly butch women bother. But then so do guys who feel they have to act hypermasculine with every third word a 'cuss' word. ).

 

Could liking these overly sexualized/overly dominant women have anything to do with Gay Men's Maternal Fixation? Are these divas substitute (idealized) mothers?

 

Gman

[whipped guy]

This Diva Phenomenon among gay men is very interesting to me. I wonder if it is in any way related to why so many guys like drag queens (which leave me cold also).

 

But why when a large majority of us have no real sexual attraction to women elevate these, albeit talented, are so many attracted to what I might call 'uber' women who are dominant overly lush aggressive types. These same guys attracted to Divas probably wouldn't be attracted to a woman who expressed her dominance in a stereotypically butch lesbian manner.

 

Could liking these overly sexualized/overly dominant women have anything to do with Gay Men's Maternal Fixation? Are these divas substitute (idealized) mothers?

 

Gman

Well as anyone who has followed my postings in the Arts Forum knows I worship the ultimate, talented, dominant, and aggressive diva... Maria Callas. It started way back when I was a teen. Interestingly, my mom resembled Callas in appearance, but I have never thought of it at all as being a maternal fixation. Furthermore I have never even been remotely attracted to drag queens. I guess I simply got that specific "diva gene"!

 

Also, as the OP remarks regarding Madonna's voice, The Callas voice was likewise "perfectly flawed"!

[+ Gar1eth]

PS -During that one Walkman period-one of the cassettes I listened to frequently was one of Madonna's Albums. I think it was True Blue, a bootleg copy I bought somewhere in Europe. I think on a street in London.

 

Also I must confess that to the best of my recollection, I found Waylon Flowers and Madame at least slightly amusing as well as Dame Edna. Ahh now those are two DIVAS I can get behind -Madame and THE DAME.

 

Gman

[+ Gar1eth]

Furthermore I have never even been remotely attracted to drag queens. I guess I simply got that specific "diva gene"!

 

Darn another perfectly good theory shot to heck by reality. But there's still hope for my Diva/Drag Queen Association Theory. After all one swallow does not necessarily disprove that it's summer.

 

Gman

[+ WilliamM]

This Diva Phenomenon among gay men is very interesting to me. I wonder if it is in any way related to why so many guys like drag queens (which leave me cold also).

 

But why when a large majority of us have no real sexual attraction to women elevate these, albeit talented, are so many attracted to what I might call 'uber' women who are dominant overly lush aggressive types. These same guys attracted to Divas probably wouldn't be attracted to a woman who expressed her dominance in a stereotypically butch lesbian manner.

 

Could liking these overly sexualized/overly dominant women have anything to do with Gay Men's Maternal Fixation? Are these divas substitute (idealized) mothers

 

I must be much older that most people because this was discussed and written about a lot in the 1960s when Judy Garlamd had a weekly variety show on CBS Sunday nights 9-10 PM. The rating were not good, so the show only lasted one season.

 

To save money, Garland's last shows were one-hour concerts with Judy Garland. I believe Garland is the only "diva" with her own weekly TV show. All of her shows are available on DVD. Looking back her show were remarkable good, but she was not a great host, despite superb guests including a very young Barbra Streisand. Her wit and personality was not a good fit for weekly TV. Variety shows were soon out of fashion. And Garland's appeal in films and concerts may have have been universal (women & straight and gay men) by the 1960s her audience was mostly gays.

[+ Gar1eth]

I must be much older that most people because this was discussed and written about a lot in the 1960s when Judy Garlamd had a weekly variety show on CBS Sunday nights 9-10 PM. The rating were not good, so the show only lasted one season.

 

To save money, Garland's last shows were one-hour concerts with Judy Garland. I believe Garland is the only "diva" with her own weekly TV show. All of her shows are available on DVD. Looking back her show were remarkable good, but she was not a great host, despite superb guests including a very young Barbra Streisand. Her wit and personality was not a good fit for weekly TV. Variety shows were soon out of fashion. And Garland's appeal in films and concerts may have have been universal (women & straight and gay men) by the 1960s her audience was mostly gays.

 

In the 1960's they wrote about gays liking Garland?

 

Gman

[+ WilliamM]

In the 1960's they wrote about gays liking Garland?

 

In the early 1960s, Garland 2LP album, "Judy at Carnegie Hall" was the number one seller for months. At that point, she sold out arenas with a typical Sinatra-type audience. She never recovered after her TV show only lasted a season. From then on , depending on the city and venue her audience was mostly gay.

 

Time Magazine was the first mainstream magazine to write about her appeal to gays when Garland appeared at the Palace theater and MSG New York in 1967. People then went back and read the reviews of her TV shows and concerts. Me included. It was all there in the subtext in the reviews.

 

 

And people wrote long articles around '67-'68 about her gay appeal. By the time of her death in London in 1969 at age 47 of an accidental overdose, Garland was sometimes homeless and reduced to sleeping in Liza Minnelli's friends' spare bedrooms. By 1969, her gay following was very well known. Her funeral in New York City, open to the public, was relatively dignified. Sinatra paid for her funeral and Liza eventually paid all her many IRS and all debts.

 

I did see Garland perform in person when a freshman in college in '61. For a women less than 5 feet tall, she had an extremely powerful voice and a huge amount of charisma.

[whipped guy]

I must be much older that most people because this was discussed and written about a lot in the 1960s when Judy Garlamd had a weekly variety show on CBS Sunday nights 9-10 PM. The rating were not good, so the show only lasted one season.

 

To save money, Garland's last shows were one-hour concerts with Judy Garland. I believe Garland is the only "diva" with her own weekly TV show. All of her shows are available on DVD. Looking back her show were remarkable good, but she was not a great host, despite superb guests including a very young Barbra Streisand. Her wit and personality was not a good fit for weekly TV. Variety shows were soon out of fashion. And Garland's appeal in films and concerts may have have been universal (women & straight and gay men) by the 1960s her audience was mostly gays.

As a young child I recall my parents watching her shows, but very sporadically. I do recall that she looked ill at ease and not quite with it or as you say "her wit and personality was not a good fit for weekly TV". Though that recollection is probably more a recollection of my parents comments regarding the show. I really had no interest other than that they explained to me that she was the grown up version of Dorthy from The Wizard of Oz, which kind of got me to relate to who she actually was. Incidentally, I got neither the "Judy gene" nor the "Liza version" so when older I continued to have no interest. I did not get the "Show tune/Broadway gene" either. The "classical music/opera gene" was another story.

[+ Gar1eth]

As a young child I recall my parents watching her shows, but very sporadically. I do recall that she looked I'll at ease and not quite with it or as you say "her wit and personality was not a good fit for weekly TV". Though that recollection is probably more a recollection of my parents comments regarding the show. I really had no interest other than that they explained to me that she was the grown up version of Dorthy from The Wizard of Oz, which kind of got me to relate to who she actually was. Incidentally, I got neither the "Judy gene" nor the "Liza version" so when older I continued to have no interest. I did not get the "Show tune/Broadway gene" either. The "classical music/opera gene" was another story.

 

 

I've seen some clips of Judy's shows. I think the documentaries I've seen or articles I've read often point out how she was either drunk or on drugs during the shows.

 

I like a lot of classic older Broadway musicals although not all of them and some but not all of the current ones. I do like many of Webbers but not all of his. I don't really have any interest in Hamilton.

 

I was never really exposed to opera as a youngster. We went to a classical music concert a few times as a school field trip in elementary school. But I'm definitely not a fan of that or opera. For symphonies/classical music the music can be pretty. But I'm very interested in words. I get bored with long pieces of music without words. As for opera again it's the words-they are foreign. I can't get into that. I want to understand what they are singing. Yes I know most operas these days provide translations. It's not the same as understanding the words. But additionally I don't like most operatic voices. In general most sound strained to me.

 

In the synagogue I attended growing up, the director of the small choir was a professor of voice at the local university. He had a tenor voice. I can remember my mother talking about what a beautiful voice this guy had. I never liked it. It always sounded strained and forced to me. But that's what most opera singers sound like to me.

 

I can't really sing myself. If I could, I'd be a tenor voice-possibly a high tenor. And I hate that. Tenor voices -at least in the classical world -seem to be the ones that sound the most strained. Baritones sound much more soothing to me.

 

Gman

[+ WilliamM]

I've seen some clips of Judy's shows. I think the documentaries I've seen or articles I've read often point out how she was either drunk or on drugs during the shows.

 

Working with Garland was not easy, especially in getting her through the nights when she could not sleep. Her show was taped, not live, so any evidence of being drunk or on drugs was not evident (they used a lot of tape shooting some segments several times).

 

In Garland's defense, the entire 1961 "Judy at Carnegie Hall" has been available in CDs for a very long time. I saw her sing much the same program of songs at Boston Garden in October 1961. Garland sang at least 25 songs without forgetten more than a few words. She was alone on stage with the orchestra and no opening act. Nobody could have performed at that level for more than two hours if they were drunk or on drugs.

 

Let me say that I am only writing about 1961, when after years of problem (including voice problems) everything came tigether -- for a relatively short period of time.

 

The Carnegie Hall concert and album were the high point of Garland's career. She would listen to the album endlessly near the end of her life.

[gallahadesquire]

I have chronic Tinnitus. The last time I remember not hearing it was at a performance of Mahler's Eighth, when the assemble Orchestra and Chorus drowned it out. It was a little painful, but great!

 

Oh, and my mother died two weeks later. She was a vivid Mahler fan.

[+ WilliamM]

As a young child I recall my parents watching her shows, but very sporadically. I do recall that she looked ill at ease and not quite with it or as you say "her wit and personality was not a good fit for weekly TV". Though that recollection is probably more a recollection of my parents comments regarding the show. I really had no interest other than that they explained to me that she was the grown up version of Dorthy from The Wizard of Oz, which kind of got me to relate to who she actually was. Incidentally, I got neither the "Judy gene" nor the "Liza version" so when older I continued to have no interest. I did not get the "Show tune/Broadway gene" either. The "classical music/opera gene" was another story.

 

Interesting post because Frank Sinatra, Ella Fitzgerald, Tony Bennett and Peggy Lee sang many of the same song as Judy Garland. Sinatra and Garland had a way of adding a personal message which made the lyrics of songs sound very personal (especially songs by Harold Arlen, George and Ira Gershwin, Cole Porter and Irving Berlin).

 

So I am not sure if you have little liking for Garland, or all the singers and songwriters I mentioned

[whipped guy]

Interesting post because Frank Sinatra, Ella Fitzgerald, Tony Bennett and Peggy Lee sang many of the same song as Judy Garland. Sinatra and Garland had a way of adding a personal message which made the lyrics of songs sound very personal (especially songs by Harold Arlen, George and Ira Gershwin, Cole Porter and Irving Berlin).

 

So I am not sure if you have little liking for Garland, or all the singers and songwriters I mentioned

Well, with the possible exception of Sinatra I really never got into any of those singers nor the song writers that you mention either. As a very young child, and I'm talking at about the age of 8, I got interested in classical music. I did not begin to gravitate to my true love of opera until the ripe old age of 14. To this day the Baroque period, Classical period, and Italian Opera to which I was most attracted in my early days persists as my musical core. Of course along the way other musical genres fit into the picture such as contemporary country and pop, but only as an aside. Heck I guess that regarding certain musical aspects I was a strange child. To this day I still have some of the Mozart Köchel catalog memorized: K 191 Bassoon Concerto in Bb!