It's Late ... So Here's My Secret Guilty Pleasure ..

[mrdreamjeans]

It's late Saturday night and I know no one is reading, so I'm going to admit this ... Without being specifically tied into the message, I love to listen to "The Gaither Family Homecoming". "Why", you'd ask if you were home alone like me?

1. It's this program, an HGTV repeat, wrestling or the National Cheerleader Championships:)
2. The amazing voices ... especially The Happy Goodman Family ...
3. The complicated A Capella harmonies ... The close harmonies with the shifts in key are so hard to do well.
4. Bluegrass and Gospel music melodies resonate with me ...
5. Seeing LuLu Roman from HeeHaw days ...
6. Seeing Larry Gatlin in tonight's edition ... Must be forgiveness day, cause he sure has been a sinner:)
7. The big hair and wigs ... and that's just the men!
8. Copious amounts of polyester and makeup ... and that just the men!
9. The key changes ... half a step, then another and then some more ... always up!
10. The plaintive sound of steel guitar and harmonica.

Some of these big-bird-nested be-wigged, polyester-wearing folks may be style victims and hypocrites (I know Gay men who are in the industry and have to stay closeted or lose their recording contracts), but I love it when people can flat out sing! (flat out "sang" is how we say it in Texas.)

Talent doesn't always come with an open mind, but I'm listenin' with one:)

Now, let's all sing a chorus of "Loooooookin' for a City, where we'll never die ...." (Get ready! It has six key changes!!!)

Comments

well sounds like a good time

[redbearmark.livejournal.com]

Eclectic programs are a treat on many levels. Gospel programs are sometimes an exercise in too much.

Hope you are keeping cool there.

Re: well sounds like a good time

[mrdreamjeans.livejournal.com]

An exercise in too much". I like that. It means I was in the mood for excess:) There was a family on the program .. three women and one guy ... who performed a song A Capella (I missed the caption for their name) who sang the closest, most beautiful harmonies I've heard in a long while.

I dislike the stagy violence and trash talk of the pro wrestling; though, I suppose there will be some people who consider the Gospel program's message trash talk too. I just focus on the music and the voices and enjoy.

Whatever someone feels about it ... the campy hair, makeup and clothes are worth the price of television admission ... Free!

HUGS!

Re: well sounds like a good time

[bearhedded.livejournal.com]

"an exercise in too much."

An excessercise.

Re: well sounds like a good time

[mrdreamjeans.livejournal.com]

LOL! Perfect!

[furrbear.livejournal.com]

You mention the song and don't post a link to it? Shame on you 8-}

Happy Goodman Family - Looking For A City (mp3)

Used to be quite popular with the TGRA fund raiser crowd, especially The Austin Church Ladies.

Crystal Clear!

[mrdreamjeans.livejournal.com]

ps ... I just listened to the song via your link for the first time in years. I simply don't know how she (Vestal) sings it! I was right ... six keys, five key changes, each a half step up. Thanks again for posting it!!!

HUGS!

[mrdreamjeans.livejournal.com]

I saw the church ladies perform it at a fundraiser about five years ago. It's a fun song and they were a hoot!. It's also fun to two-step to.

It took quite a bit of research to track down the Happy Goodman family the first time I went looking. I couldn't tell if the lead singer was a man or a woman. Course, now I know it was Vernal:) I actually had a chart of the song made in my key. I can sing it ... almost. It stays high for so long, that I feel like I want to throw up after singing it. LOL!

[bearhedded.livejournal.com]

So, "Looking For a City" IS sung by a woman, I'm getting...We've been going round and round about that here!

I first heard it in Scott's car. He says it's used liberally at drag shows in Atlanta, and they all (performers AND audience) get out their little church-lady hankies and wave them during the number! A sight I'd rather like to see....

I had pretty much decided it was a man singing, probably enormous, with no neck! A taller Pavarotti.....

[mrdreamjeans.livejournal.com]

Yep! It was sung by Vestal Goodman of The Happy Goodman family out of Waco, Texas. I had no idea that it was such an anthem for Drag Shows. I thought it was particular to the BRB in Houston and I did hear the "Austin Church Ladies" perform it once. Silly me:)

Vestal had an enormous neck ... was a very large woman ... a female Pavarotti! I played the mp3 link that furrbear provided and just smiled away this morning. I have no idea how she kept it up key change after key change, solid throughout.

HUGS!

[bearhedded.livejournal.com]

Somewhere along the line, I started designing a costume for the imaginary drag act I envisioned, based on this number.....Including the animated fat-suit.

Real bulk is hard to convey in poly-batting, this was gonna be a spring-loaded, mechanical extravaganza! I doubt it'll ever come to pass......

I wish there had been new stanzas for each key-change.....it 's impressive (it'd be even MORE impressive, had it been a man, singing), but it just seems to be showing off the vocal range, not building the 'message' of the hymn.....

Still and all, it's nice to be able to look up more material from them!

and, do you think they flat-out sang, cause it's flat-out flat, out there?

[mrdreamjeans.livejournal.com]

If your voice is up to it, I'll send you a copy of the chart I had made several years ago. Each separate chorus of Lookin for a City, I sing well ... All of the choruses sung in succession, each a half step up, with the tessitura staying from an E above middle C to a high b flat makes me literally gag:) LOL! The exploding suit isn't so imaginary:)

By the way, you would have appreciated the fat suit I wore when I played Piangi in Phantom. It had to be light weight because some of the costumes weighed 60-80 lbs, had to give me a 55 inch waist and it had to be durable enough to be laundered daily .. between shows on weekends if necessary.

HUGS!

[bearhedded.livejournal.com]

Oh, thanks, but, the Seattle Mean Chorus put an end to my singing days...I had an A, back my choral years (lots of Randall Thompson, "Alleluia", in HS), but I doubt it was of musical quality! All my power was in my falsetto.....I could actually belt, but there's very little call for that sort of thing! I remember having to tilt my head back, to hit the A, (well, the LU-u-u-u, actually!)......unless we were singing outside in the winter, then I could hit anything in chest, no problem!

Do you remember any details of the fatsuit? Like, materials? Hoops? mesh?

That heavy nylon mesh they make football uniforms out of is a new favorite on mine.....cool to wear, dries fast, you could pick up an elephant with it, and it takes color like a dream!

I wonder when Equity is going to crack down on over-weight costumes? It seems there should be limits.....We did Animal Farm (the singin'est, dancin'est musical about animal cruelty EVER!), with the actors on those crutches that wrap around the wrist, that had hooves on the tips (weighed a TON!), and they dropped like flies! No reason for it! "B &the B" was the same. A friend was the clock on the NT, and he said the pendulum weighed 40#! Ridiculous!

The imagined suit wasn't going to explode, but that'd be fun to rig!

OMG!! She could gain 50# on every key change!!

There WERE plans for expanding bouffant wigs at, "The Prom You Never Went To", once......:

"I was born, born, born..............born in a bee-hive!"

[perkk.livejournal.com]

I can't believe you just got me interested in listening to someone like this. That's what I have friends for, to open my eyes to things I may not otherwise have noticed or considered.

[mrdreamjeans.livejournal.com]

Ditto, my friend! If you have a chance, listen to some of it just for the music and the quality of the singing. Let me know if you come away feeling happy about it:)

I picked up the photos today from your special birthday extravaganza! Once I organize them, they'll be on their way to you. I have copies of special ones for your Mom, for Claire and for Tim too.

Big HUGS from gully-washed Brenham! We've had two inches of rain in the past four hours. Everything looks so very green.

[milehigh33.livejournal.com]

i know a few closeted ones myself.....spent some quality time with a few......**sigh**

its tradition when i go home to my Mom's that we sit and watch the Gaither videos for hours......and sing along.....i love it

Gospel Singer Sleepovers

[mrdreamjeans.livejournal.com]

sigh* They are always so grateful, aren't they:) My main experience (though I know others) was with a gospel singer who was 6'5", bearded and a male pin up for one of the magazines/calendars back in the 80s. He had sung back-up for years in the white Christian music industry and had signed a contract to record his first solo album. That is till his "best friend", a woman recording artist, got jealous over the competition and casually outed him to the label. He was dropped immediately.

He was bummed out for years ... rightly so ... but so much more devastated that his friend destroyed his career before it got going .. rightly so ... He was such a wonderful singer and I remember our conversations. He was convinced, that since people knew him, that they would accept him being Gay. So wrong in 1981 ...

Hmmm ... maybe we both slept with some of these people .. One of these days, we'll have to compare gospel singer sleepovers:)

Re: Gospel Singer Sleepovers

[milehigh33.livejournal.com]

i feel bad for him......but you're right, 1981 was not the time to expect people to understand

we'll definitely have to compare notes someday!

Re: Gospel Singer Sleepovers

[mrdreamjeans.livejournal.com]

I started to say that maybe we shared this guy in common, but then realized that you are impossibly young compared to me and that it isn't likely! LOL!

Off-topic ... I'm glad that you are looking after and being a support for our friend guiser1. His virtual friends thank you, handsome! HUGS!

Re: Gospel Singer Sleepovers

[milehigh33.livejournal.com]

no need to thank me......he reminds me of a crazy aunt i have.....lol.....and i'm sure he'll slap me for that

[musicbearmn.livejournal.com]

I LOVE LOVE LOVE the Gaither Homecoming Series. There. Said it. Something else out of my closet. I've sung so many of those songs. Southern Gospel Music = love :)

I love the Happy Goodman family. I've read Vestal Goodman's biography cover to cover, and saw them when I went to the Gaither SpiritFest in Tennessee a few years back. Vestal especially had quite a following in the GLBT community, because she loved everyone, no matter what.

[mrdreamjeans.livejournal.com]

I was sad to hear that she had passed. Which, of course, means I was watching an older program last night. She had a voice like a trumpet! We used to two-step to "Lookin for a City "at the Brazos River Bottom. It took me awhile (pre-computer) to track down The Happy Goodman Family, but I did. Turns out they were just up the road a ways from me in Waco, Texas:)!

Hmmm ... Maybe, I'm not so alone in my guily pleasure:)

It was great chatting with you on the phone. BIG HUGS!

[musicbearmn.livejournal.com]

Same here. Big hugs to you as well, and Keith says hi!

Another note about Vestal...

[blt4success66.livejournal.com]

Vestal was the epitome of Christian grace. One of the stories told about her before she passed was how she would have dessert ready for anyone who came by.

I don't know if you remember Michael English (and he was a hottie...did I say THAT?!) and the scandal that ensued days after he won multiple Dove awards. Apparently one of the singers from First Call and he were having an affair. It was a messy affair but one of the things that Michael could testify to afterwards was that when others fell away, it was Vestal that came to support and encourage him.

Just like Ruth Bell Graham, the world is a little less brighter without her star.

Re: Another note about Vestal...

[mrdreamjeans.livejournal.com]

I have heard many stories of Vestals's walking the walk. I remember the scandal with Michael English. Also, with Amy Grant, Sandi Patti ...etc

Re: Another note about Vestal...

[musicbearmn.livejournal.com]

I did know about the Michael English thing. After he had his drug scandal et al, it was on one of the Homecoming tapes when he was welcomed back into the family, so to speak. Guess who did the welcoming after Bill did....and Michael bawled on her shoulder. It was really moving.

Re: Another note about Vestal...

[mrdreamjeans.livejournal.com]

One of my favorite singers in this genre is Sandy Patti. Remember how she was treated? Just because she chose to get divorced. I can't quote accurately, but isn't there something about "Judge not, lest ye be judged."?

[quietdanmn.livejournal.com]

Great voices are great to listen to, plain and simple!

I sometimes enjoy listening to just the instrumental versions of some of these tunes, also. Both their traditional and non-traditional interpretations, as they can provide a sense of comfort or joy, and allow the listener to either sing to themselves or just contemplate.

One musician I recently found has a site that may be of interest: http://www.hymnancipation.com/home.html He does some really cool twists on traditional hymns, and his story is interesting also.

[mrdreamjeans.livejournal.com]

Thanks, Dan! I appreciate the reference! Regardless of the politics of religion, the Gaither Series features fine singers and wonderful old hymns done well. Sometimes, that's all I care about. As you said, just letting the music wash over you is a treat. I smiled the whole time I was listening and writing this post. AND I truly didn't think anyone would be reading it. LOL!

Lordy, some of those men do need to wash those overly styled wigs though. You can see the seams. *giggle*

Happy Daddys Day! HUGS!

[bearfuz.livejournal.com]

Hey, if all those gay C&W dancers can't resist dancing to "Lookin' for a City," then I guess your guilty pleasure is shared by a big group! Of course, I know it's that androgynous voice and the six key changes that keep 'em coming back.

I've always been impressed, especially since my cruise ship days, at how well Southerners in general sing and the level of training they seem to get. The second cruise ship I worked on, in 1989-1990, had a small revue cast of four, all from the Carolinas and Georgia. They sure had the chops! And I know from conversations I've had with former Texas high school music teachers how competitive the solo-and-ensemble competitions are, right down to the group sightreading sessions. There's something the folks from those parts "get" about all this that northerners just sometimes can't seem to be bothered with.

And I likes me some stell guitar too, sometimes. ;-)

[mrdreamjeans.livejournal.com]

I just listened to the mp3 link that furrbear provided in his comment. I'm still smiling! LOL! I didn't realize that the song was so big with C&W dancers. I just thought it was particular to the BRB in Houston at the time. Live and learn!

We'll have to compare notes on Cruise Ship gigs. My years were 1982 and 1983. Come to think of it, 2/3 of us were from the South or Texas:) All three music supervisors were from the South: Phillip and Keith were from Mississippi, John Visser was from Florida, though I can't remember where our musical director (and my roommate), Mark Mitchell, was from. (I just know he's married to Betsy Joselyn these days:) Still my favorite job. Three hours a week, passenger cabin, no cruise staff duties, 3 1/2 days off in Bermuda each week, Saturdays in NYC ... till we changed seasons:)

Maybe we should put together something and go out as headliners:) Big HUGS!

[bearfuz.livejournal.com]

"stell"="steel"! Duh.

[unzeugmatic.livejournal.com]

The next time you're in the Twin Cities I'll have to invite you to one of the gospel song evenings some friends of mine have every now and again. It's a somewhat different mindset than the Gaither stuff -- no accompaniment of any sort, ever, for one thing -- but it could be of interest to you.

We do the male-on-melody thing (where modern gospel uses soprano), although men and women double the tenor and soprano lines in their octaves, as for shapenote. My friend Jim pores through his piles of old Stamps-Baxter songbooks looking for the cool stuff. And he's found some doozies.

[mrdreamjeans.livejournal.com]

Sounds like great fun!

HUGS!

[designerotter.livejournal.com]

"...but I love it when people can flat out sing!" - I do love the "sang" version of the sentence ...brings me back to my school days in Dallas. And I do like that type of music too.
You're making me wish I had a TV. But as it is, I'm already addicted to YouTube ...TV would do me in fer sure!

Saw a lovely one-woman show in Milwaukee the other night ...she did a fabulous job of channeling Edith Piaf. So I got back and had to check out Piaf on YouTube. The new bio movie ("La Vie en Rose") hasn't hit Madison yet, but it's on my list.

Tonite it's off to the movies to see the documentary "Show Busines: The Road to Broadway" - you'll sure to be on my mind. HUGS!

[mrdreamjeans.livejournal.com]

Let me know what you think of the documentary.

I always look forward to Sunday nights because you take time to read LJ:)

Sounds like your summer is going to be just as busy as the rest of the year:)

HUGS!

[designerotter.livejournal.com]

I'll blog about the documentary...I think you'd find it interesting.
Yeah, summer is turning out to be busy ... but I'm also getting to do little profligate things, like painting part of my kitchen red -- to match my oriental carpets!

[mrdreamjeans.livejournal.com]

YAY! Pictures please! I'm trying to decide it I should paint one wall of my kitchen red too! :)

[designerotter.livejournal.com]

I just rolled on the final coat of paint. It took three coats: first a primer, then two coats of the red to make for an even look. Started Saturday afternoon, so there's been several hours of drying time between coats (not strictly necessary, but a good idea just the same).

The red is a Ralph Lauren color: "Burning Umber" - it's like a super-rich barn red.

I like the idea of a kitchen with a red wall ... warm and festive - good for the appetite too.

Pics to follow, once I've cleaned up the tarps, etc.

Secret?

[blt4success66.livejournal.com]

Hon, you don't need to feel guilty about listening the Homecoming series. I don't care where I am in my life, I have several of their CD's and it's always a great time to sit and listen.

My favorite was Vestal Goodman, God rest her soul. I attended the sold out Homecoming Concert here in Sioux Falls, SD (a lot of talk about never being in South Dakota at that concert, who would have thunk that we have Southern Gospel Fans here...well we are "SOUTH" Dakota). LOL

Anyway, I got to see Vestal at that concert. It wasn't long after that she died in the winter. Vestal's signature hankie was there and so was Jessie Dixon, and one more I forget. It was wonderful.

I may be gay but I'm a Christian first and there's worship in those songs.

Re: Secret?

[mrdreamjeans.livejournal.com]

That's a testament to carving out an unique identity for yourself.

Re: Secret?

[blt4success66.livejournal.com]

Yeah, that's unique alright. Some might say the two are compatible, but they are.

Thanks!

Re: Secret?

[mrdreamjeans.livejournal.com]

I hope you mean "incompatible" and that you have found that being Gay and a Christian aren't mutually exclusive ... I wish for you that you find what ever works for you in this lifetime, that makes you happy.

By the way, I didn't say it before, but Happy Fathers Day to you.

Re: Secret?

[blt4success66.livejournal.com]

Yeah, I meant what you said. I've got to stop writing this stuff at work!

Thanks for the Happy Father's Day wish. That's awfully sweet of you.

My path is moving forward, there are going to be some awesome days ahead...and some painful ones too. Thanks!