Strong Love: Songs Of Gay Liberation 1972-81 - Vinyle Rose

Description

Strong Love explores the first wave of openly gay songwriting that emerged after the 1969 Stonewall riots in New York, which sparked the modern gay rights movement. It only took a few years for the provocative chants and linked arms of early 70s parades to find their way onto record. Strong Love begins with one of the earliest recordings of openly gay songs in history, 1972's "A Gay Song" by the London hippie collective Everyone Involved. Across 15 tracks, the compilation brings together disarmingly intimate folk, uplifting soul, outsider country, and dark synth-rock. Eccentric one-man band Chris Robison played with the New York Dolls and Elephant's Memory, while members of the Stooges and Quiet Riot backed Los Angeles charmer Smokey's band. Steven Grossman was covered by Twiggy, and Scrumbly & Martin are known for their famous work with the Cockettes, San Francisco's drag hippies. The songs on Strong Love illustrate the vision, talent, and real courage that drove these 1970s songwriters to sacrifice their careers in the name of honesty and freedom of expression. Compiled by Guy Blackman of Chapter Music, with an evocative introduction by drummer Richard Dworkin (who played with Blackberri and Buena Vista, and is one of the few to have directly witnessed many of the Strong Love artists), the album is a true tribute to these pioneering and committed artists whose music has been neglected for too long.