TransVocalizers: CD Review — “God Shave The Queen!”
This is one of those odd months where my column deadline falls in such way that I’ll end up having two postings for this particular feature in one month. Because of that, I saved this unique CD I found on-line a while back for just this moment. God Shave The Queen! is a compilation CD originally released in 1996. (It’s also one of the best titles for an album of music by drag queens I’ve ever encountered.) The project includes 10 tracks, each by a different artist. A couple of them have been previously featured in either this column or our companion Perpetual Change column.
Musically, it covers several different genres. Of course dance/disco material is included, but so are styles such as smooth jazz, light rock, funk, and cabaret/show. What helps with the great diversity of the material is the fact that each artist had a hand in her own producing and in most cases, song writing. The CD is on Swoon Records, with Dickse Fitzgerald as executive producer.
The project opens with The Pussycat Song by none other than Lady Bunny. Ms. Bunny as you’ll recall, has been featured here in August 2008 and again in January 2012. This tune is pure disco, with tongue-in-cheek suggestive lyrics. Written by J. Gilday, Connie Vannett, and Harley T. Skidmore, Jr., and produced by Lady Bunny and Warren Rigg, the song has been considered something of an underground classic for years. In the CD liner notes, Lady Bunny says, “I first heard The Pussycat Song within the blue-glitter walls of (a) Chattanooga, Tennessee go-go club…” She goes on to say it was her desire to one day “wow” audiences with the same song. Well, here it is, and it’s a definite in-your-face version. For more information on Lady Bunny, check out her website.
The next contribution on the project is Hush, by a singer who calls herself Lily Of The Valley. I could find no information on this artist, which is unfortunate because she contributes what is probably the closest thing to Brit pop/rock to the album. Her voice is interesting, right on that edge of being very feminine but also somewhat a definite mid-range male voice. Hush is written by Lily Of The Valley and Indrek Kostabi.
Ebony Jet contributes All The Things, a mid-tempo, keyboard dominated tech tune with very good production values. Her voice is powerful and briefly plays with an operatic timbre. Once again, no information available on this artist. Written by Mike Iveson, Jr., and Ron Thal.
The ever entertaining Varla Jean Merman contributes her cover of the Grace Slick/Jefferson Airplane hit, White Rabbit. From the Airplane’s 1967 album Surrealistic Pillow, this is one of band’s best known songs, and definitely a classic for Grace Slick’s career as well. Ms. Merman gives it a very whacked out operatic treatment. This version sounds live, like it was recorded during a Broadway production, but it isn’t. It’s a highly orchestrated production by Ron Thal.
God Shave The Queen! is dedicated to Donna Giles, who passed away in 1993 shortly after an appearance at that year’s Wigstock. She was a very well known drag artist in the New York City area, and her contribution to the album is After The Sex. Written by Steve Mercer and Eve Nelson, the song is a definite disco number, the kind of material she was know for during her live performances. While there isn’t a web site for Ms. Giles, there are plenty of YouTube videos of her performances.
Antony Hegarty, who appears on this album simply as Antony, is another well known entertainer in the NYC area who came to prominence in the early ’90s. He is also known for his work with Antony And The Johnsons, and the music collective known as Hercules And Love Affair. His song Cripple And The Starfish is kind of the odd-man-out on the album, in that it borders on Brit prog rock. While the tune tends to be monotonous at times, it does contain excellent keyboard work. Written By Anotny Hegarty, with keyboards by Antony and Ron Thal. Check out his website and you can also find him on YouTube.
Joey Arias is another artist who has been featured here, October 2011. He is one of the best known cabaret performers on the East Coast, and his contribution, No One Knows, (written by Joey Arias and Ron Thal), is an excellent example of what he sounds like live. The tune can be classified as smooth jazz and is probably the best production moment on the project. Arias vocals are very strong and very dynamic throughout. (Joey Arias’ website is compromised, but there are several other entries under his name on Facebook and YouTube.)
Raven O’s contribution Living Pains (by Raven O and Ron Thal) is a sort of hybrid of light rock and funk, with some of the better production on the entire project. There’s a great sax part, and the overall feel of Living Pains gives it an anthem like quality. Raven O is an incredibly hard working entertainer who has performed in London as well as New York, and has a previous CD release called One, which also features Joey Arias and Sherry Vine.
Sherry Vine was featured here in January 2011. Her contribution, It Happens, is another example of smooth jazz included on this project. Written by Ke’/B. Damon and T. Agathos, Vine gives what is probably the overall best vocal performance on the entire project. I know that sounds like a put down towards the other artists, but it’s not meant to be. Sherry Vine delivers an amazing vocal performance, and it’s worth noting how much it stand out. It Happens is also one of the better production moments on the project.
God Shave The Queen! concludes with Who Does She Think She Is? by Pussy Tourette. The song is listed as a re-mix version, and is Ms. Tourette’s own composition. Definitely pure, unadulterated disco. By the way, Pussy Tourettte was one of the first artists to be featured in our companion Perpetual Change column, back in March of 2000. There is no website listed for Ms. Tourette, but there are plenty of YouTube videos and other Internet information available.
I found this album simply by doing a web search on “drag artist recordings.” It’s listed on more than one site, and is available through Amazon.com. For complete musician and studio credits, please check out the CD insert. (Available to view online at Queer Music Heritage.)
ALSO THIS MONTH
Georgie Jessup
Georgie Jessup will be hosting an open mic night at Edith May’s Paradise on January 4th, 8 p.m., featuring special guest Tony Denikos. Upcoming events at Edith May’s include January 11th, featuring Ankira and Node 18; February 1st, open mic night; and February 22nd with the Geoffrey Himes Trio. (Edith May’s Paradise is at 7711 Apple Ave., Jessup, MD For more information, follow Edith May’s on Facebook, or contact Georgie via email or visit her website for more info.
Category: Drag Queen, Music, Transgender Fun & Entertainment
About the Author (Author Profile)
Pamela DeGroff been writing for TGForum since the start of 1999. Her humor column, The Pamela Principle, ran until 2005. She started the Perpetual Change music column in May of 1999, and in 2008, Angela Gardner came up with the idea for the Transvocalizers column and put Pam to work on that. Pamela was a regular contributor to Transgender Community News until that magazine's demise. While part of a support group in Nashville called The Tennessee Vals she began writing for their newsletter, and also wrote for several local GLBT alternative newspapers in Tennessee. Pamela is currently a staff reporter for a small town daily paper in Indiana, and is also a working musician.Subscribe
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