Bibliography

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Gay Music (General)

in chronological order

"Lavender Culture": Eds. Karla Jay & Allen Young
Jove Press, NY, 1978 - ISBN 0-515-04462-8
Collection of liberationist essays and papers including;
This important collection of early essays has been frequently reprinted and is a standard 'gay studies' text. The high profile given to music (under the heading of popular culture) shows an interest which is not apparant from comparable (later) anthologies.

Gay Discography: Hans Christophersen. Privately circulated 1986 et seq.

Ned Rorem: "The Later Diaries 1961-72" (North Point Press, San Francisco, 1983) ref. page 433 on "the attempt to link homosexuality and music."

The Encyclopedia of Gay and Lesbian Recordings (1st edition of 25 copies)
(72 pp) Jay Mclaren (Nov 1990)

Franklin Abbott: "Gay Men's Music" in "Gay and Lesbian Library Service" (McFarland, NY, 1990.)

"The Encyclopaedia Of Homosexuality", Ed. Wayne Dynes (McMillan, NY, 1991).

The Encyclopedia of Gay and Lesbian Recordings Jay McLaren (2nd Edition)
(102 pp + notes Edition of100) Jay Mclaren (Sept 1992)

"The Vinyl Closet": Boze Hadleigh
Los Hombres Press San Diego. CA, 1992. ISBN 0-9623497-9-8 General and wandering survey of 'popular gay music', with many apocryphal, unattributed, and questionable references. very disorganized approach to material.
Adam Block's review from The Advocate (22.Oct.1991) "Most of what is best here is borrowed. But biographical sketches and pithy anecdotes are repeatedly sidelined by risqué rumors and historical gaffes,". Richard Smith, reviewing in London's Gay Times" said "This is a dreadful book- and not even 'so crap it's brilliant'-just crap crap. Here's one closet that should have stayed shut."
"Sing Out": Boze Hadleigh
Reprinted edition of the above with hard cover and some corrections (??).

"Queering The Pitch- the new gay and lesbian musicology": Eds. Phillip Brett, Elizabeth Wood, Gary C. Thomas.
(Routledge USA, 1994) ISBN 0-415-90752-7
Musicological papers on classical music and opera with technical and historical background.

OutLoud: An Encyclopedia of Gay and Lesbian Recordings Jay McLaren (3rd Edition)
(142 pp + notes. Edition of 20) Jay Mclaren (Sept 1994)

"Will Grega's Gay Music Guide": Will Grega.
(Pop Front Press, USA, 1994) ISBN 0-9639871-9-4
Critical reviews of 100 (?) gay and lesbian recordings. Addresses and brief quotes from artistes (USA) who have been producing material for the US (mainland) mail-order market during 1990-1993.
Selection omits Pansy Division, Sister Double Happiness, Two Nice Girls, Meg Christian, Holly Near and Cris Williamson and other contemporary notables. Only "currently available" material is listed (as per December 1993).
No attempt to extend beyond mainland USA. Few historical notes. No attempt to refer this generation of "Queermusic" to previous forms. Many of the artists do not sing about gay issues, and therefore their oft quoted response to the idea of "gay music" is "What? No! I'm a gay person who makes music" As a result much of this material is not lyrically explicit in gay content, although it indexes a generation of American gay-oriented product. Addresses and order information is supplied for each recording (many of which are privately produced cassettes) alongside illustrations from sleeve artwork. Free tape cassette sampler offer .

"Rock On The Wild Side: Gay Male Images in Popular Music of The Rock Era": Wayne Studer
(Leyland Publications, USA, 1994) ISBN 0-943595-46-0
Attempts to index reference from mainstream recordings and charting groups in USA (and some UK) Approx 200 entries. Most texts contain little biographical background or historical perspective, often prefering to attemp critical discussion of the possible (gay) intentions of songwriters.
Quality of factual information on recordings is variable. Often fails to find the material (Miracles: Ain't Nobody Straight in LA; Rolling Stones; "When The Whip Comes Down"), appropriate journalistic evidence to support conclusions, (e.g. Paul Simon: "Me and Julio" ).
Contains a lot of text which concludes that various tracks are not gay! (but are still included), and in 'testing' for "gay music" (implicitly) examines political correctness and (social) values expressed (The Who: "Fiddle About"), along with the author's opinion of their (political and moral) "acceptability" (Pussy Tourette). Very difficult to read.

"Queer Noises"; John Gill
Male and Female Homosexuality in 20th Century Music.
Cassell UK, 1994. ISBN 0-304-34302-1
Polemic book which searches in vain for a unifying theory (which failure is in part attributable to) using information of dubious quality.
Particularly inaccurate on facts, dates, etc.

Richard Smith "Seduced and Abandoned- Essays on Gay Men and Popular Music"
Cassell UK, 1995 (ISBN 0-304-33343-3)
Collection of essays reflecting the author's personal taste in (mainstream) music, as well as selected anecdotes and interviews about rock and pop in the 80's and 90's.
Ecclectic yet highly readable, the book is somewhat fractured by the essay format, yet taken as a whole provides an interesting view of the impact of mainstream (gay) pop on a typical contemporary faggot.
Smith has been the regular music contributor for London's Gay Times since 1990, during which time he has interviewed many of the biggest names for the magazine (sometimes repeatedly), and commented on their 'gayness' as reflected in both image and (lyrical) content. His writing style moves uncertainly between the roles of critic, observer and consumer.
"Hot Licks" edited by Lee Fleming
Gynergy, 1996 (ISBN 0-921881-42-8)
Discography and comment by/about 24 Lesbian identified artists/bands.
Azucar y Crema, Jenifer Berezan, Heather Bishop, Alix Dobkin, Melissa Ferrick, Ferron, Girls in The Nose, Janis Ian, Nedra Johnson, kd lang, Connie Lofton, Faith Nolan, Genvieve Paris, Phranc, Random Order, Toshi Reagon, Judy Small, Topp Twins, Tribe 8, Well Oiled Sisters, Cris Williamson and Tret Fure, Wyrd Sisters, Zrazy.

"Outsounds The Gay and Lesbian Music Alternative"; Will Grega and Randy Jones
Pop Front Press (USA 1996, ISBN 0-9639871-7-8)

Gays and Opera

"I Could Go On Singing; Diva Vocal Crisis" by Wayne Koestenbaum . Paper read at Lesbian & Gay Studies Conference (Harvard, 1990)

"The Queen's Throat; Opera, Homosexuality and the Mystery of Desire" Wayne Koestenbaum.(Poseidon Press, 1993) ISBN 0-671-75457-2
  1. Opera Queens.
  2. The Shut-in Fan: Opera At Home
  3. The Codes of Diva Conduct
  4. The Callas Cult
  5. The Queen's Throat: Or, How To Sing
  6. The Unspeakable Marriage of Words and Music
  7. A Pocket Guide to Queer Moments in Opera
    ,

Women's (Wimmins) Music

"An Endangered Species: Women's Music for, by and about Women" ; Toni Armstrong. Hot Wire 5 (September 1989) 17-19, 57.

"Women's Music"; Valerie Eastman and Ellen Greenblatt, with Lor Reiman, Liz Wheeler and Anne Montes: in "Gay and Lesbian Library Service" (McFarland, NY, 1990.)

"Feminine Endings: Music, Gender and Sexuality"; Susan McClary: (Univ. Minnesota Press, 1991)

Jazz Women"; Sally Placksin" (1985)(ISBN 0-7453-0089-8)

"Women's Music"; Ruth Scovill. In Women's Culture: The Women's Renaissance of the Seventies ed. Gayle Kimball (Scarecrow Press N.J. 1981)

"Lesbians and Women's Music"; Maida Tilchen. In "Women-identified Women ed, Trudy Darty and Sandee Potter (Mayfield Pub. Palo Alto CA. 1984)

"The Music Of Women- A Selection Guide" ; Nancy Vedder Shults. Wisconsin Women Library Workers 1984 (P.O. Box 1425, Madison, WI 53701)

Gays and Lesbians in Pop Media

The following books have helped to establish a background for this volume:

"The Celluloid Closet"; Vito Russo (1985) Harper and Row ISBN 0 06 096132 5)

"Hollywood Babylon"; Kenneth Anger (1981) Dell Books, ISBN 0 440 15325 5

"Hollywood Babylon II"; Kenneth Anger (1984) Arrow Books. ISBN 0 09 945 110 7

 : "Men In Frocks"; Kris Kirk (with photos by Ed Heath) (1984) GMP. ISBN 0 09 07040 48 9

"Broadcasting It - An Encyclopaedia of Homosexuality on Film, Radio and TV in the UK,
1923-1993 "; Keith Howes (Cassell, UK. 1993) ISBN 0-304 32702-6

"Now You See It: Studies on Lesbian and Gay Film"; Richard Dyer (Routledge, UK. 1990) ISBN 0-415-03555-4

"Leben, Lieben Legenden"; H.J. Huber (1989) (ISBN 3-922257-97-6)


Photographs

 Irene Young: "For The Record" (Olivia Recs, 1982)
Photos of Cris Williamson, Holly Near, Meg Christian, Margie Adam, Alive!, Teresa Trull, Linda Tillery, and Mary Watkins.

General (Pop Music / Sexuality)

"Rock and Roll Babylon"; Gary Herman (Plexus, London. 1982) ISBN- 0-85965-131-2
Virgin Encyclopedia Of Rock (Virgin, 1991)
"The Sex Revolts: Gender, Rebellion and Rock & Roll"; Simon Reynolds and Joy Press (Serpents Tail, UK, 1995)
"Facing The Music" (ed. Simon Frith) (Mandarin/Pantheon) ISBN 0-7493-0181-. Esp. Jon Savage: "The Enemy Within-Sex, Rock and Identity", Steve Perry: "Ain't No Mountain High Enough - The Politics Of Crossover"

Disco and Hi-NRG

"Tribal Rites": David Diebold, (Timewarp, UK. 1988) ISBN 0938889 03 6
"The Disco Divas": Kris Kirk, (Him #67, Mar. 1984)

Bibliographies relating to individual artists are included under the biography in the main text.