a b "Golden Culture" (PDF). Music & Media. Vol.44, no.50. 14 May 1983. p.34 . Retrieved 20 February 2020– via American Radio History.

Holiday and Rainey, along with her prodigy, Bessie Smith, were all bisexual — an identity that along with their race and gender threatened their professional careers. They faced not only social ostracization, but also legal threats due to their sexuality. Yet these pioneers still expressed their emotions openly, as Ma Rainey sings on "Prove It on Me Blues": "I went out last night with a crowd of my friends'/It must've been women, 'cause I don't like no men/ Wear my clothes just like a fan/ Talk to the gals just like any old man." Canadian album certifications – Culture Club – Kissing to Be Clever". Music Canada . Retrieved 9 February 2020.Norwegiancharts.com – Culture Club – Kissing to Be Clever". Hung Medien. Retrieved 9 February 2020. Matrix / Runout (Runout side A stamped except for E19 and G1 etched, variant 4): G1 P AL 38398-2D COLUMBIA NY E19

Contrasting this increase in openly queer anthems and depictions of queer people in media is a sharp political reality: anti-trans laws proliferate in many states and lawmakers attempt to limit the rights of LGBTQ+ people, threatening many of the forward momentum in queer liberation. The "second British invasion" was well underway in the U.S. when Culture Club ’s debut album, Kissing To Be Clever , was released in late 1982. In Britain, punk had given way to new wave, synth pop, and the androgynous-leaning New Romantic fashion movement, pioneered by David Bowie and Roxy Music. Musically, groups like the Police and the Clash were incorporating Jamaican influences into their post-punk sound. So when Culture Club’s reggae-pop hit "Do You Really Want to Hurt Me" was released, it fit right in. And really, any song can be a queer anthem if it speaks to someone on a personal level, providing a sense of connection and belonging. As Geffen notes, the magic occurs when a piece of music creates a moment of collective celebration or momentary bliss. In 2018, the queer icon reflected on the moment during an interview with Variety: "I didn't really consider what it meant for anyone else, as I was in England…But people [in the U.S.] were freaking out when I said that. My press agent at the time, Susan Blond, literally cried. And now you have RuPaul and ' Drag Race,'which my nephew in Leeds watches. Look, sometimes the world just isn't ready—for a word, for a shift of the moral compass. I'm glad I said it now. I just wish I had said it with a bit more intention at the time." Dutchcharts.nl – Culture Club – Kissing to Be Clever" (in Dutch). Hung Medien. Retrieved 9 February 2020.

Culture Club наступил застой, во время которого Крейг, Мосс и Хей занимались музыкой вроде как сами по себе, в то время как Джордж, ранее на публике отрицавший свое пристрастие к наркотикам, впал в жуткую героиновую зависимость. Кроме того, его отношения с гомосексуальным партнером Моссом, которые и ранее были неровные, совсем разладились. Все эти проблемы до поры до времени оставались неизвестными широкой публике, но с возвращением коллектива на музыкальную сцену весной в 1986 году, стало очевидно, что Culture Club столкнулся с внутренними противоречиями. Хотя их первый после долгого молчания сингл "Move Away," стал хитом (#7 UK, #12 USA), последовавший альбом From Luxury to Heartache (1986) продержался в чартах лишь пару месяцев. Все усиливавшееся пристрастие Джорджа к героину достигло кульминации, и он был вынужден публично объявить о своей болезни. В июле он был арестован британской полицией за хранение наркотиков. Спустя несколько дней клавишник Майкл Рудецки (Michael Rudetski), игравший на From Luxury to Heartache был найден мертвым в доме Джорджа в результате передозировки героина. Родители Рудецки пытались обвинить в смерти сына Бой Джорджа, но безуспешно.

I am a real completist. Even though I have been working hard against the impulse as an adult, more often than not the impulse wins out. So, for my podcast, I find myself listening to music I never would have bothered with, because it's the anniversary of a particular record. Most of the time, my preconceptions get in the way but, occasionally, the music overwhelms my preconceptions. George O'Dowd, 14 июня 1961) - увлекся глэм-роком T. Rex и Дэвида Боуи (David Bowie) еще когда был тинейджером. В конце 70-х он стал регулярным посетителем ново-романтических клубов (в том числе и культовых "У Билли" и "Блитц"). Вместе со своими друзьями Мэрилином и Мартином Дегвиллами (Marilyn and Martin Degville) (будущими членами Sigue Sigue Sputnik), он стал широко известен в среде Лондонского андеграунда из-за своего экстравагантного чувства стиля, благодаря чему и был приглашен Малколмом МакЛареном (Malcolm McLaren) в ранний состав Bow Wow Wow. Вскоре Джордж ушел, чтобы с басистом Мики Крейгом (Mikey Craig) сформировать проект In Praise of Lemmings. Когда к ним присоединился гитарист Джон Сьюд (Jon Suede), они изменили название на Sex Gang Children. Через пару-тройку месяцев к коллективу присоединился профессиональный ударник Джон Мосс (Jon Moss), ранее уже игравший в Adam & the Ants и the Damned. Outside of mainstream music, the 1990s saw queer female artists asserting their identity, accompanied by the riot grrrl movement and Lilith Fair. These ranged from the Indigo Girls ’ reflective "Closer to Fine" to k.d. lang ’s yearnful "Constant Craving" to Bikini Kill’s "Rebel Girl,""the queen of my world."

For Sale on Discogs

October 1982 in the United Kingdom. [2] It includes Culture Club's international breakthrough hit single, " Do You Really Want to Hurt Me", which reached number one in the band's native UK and the top 10 of many charts around the world. The album has reportedly sold over 4 million copies worldwide, [3] including over 1 million in the US where it has been certified Platinum by the RIAA. Matrix / Runout (Runout side B stamped except for B1 and G1, variant 5): G1 P BL 38398-2A P COLUMBIA NY B1 Openly queer artists also began asserting themselves more than ever by the 1980s and the rise of synth pop, finding fans among straight and queer communities, often in a "you know if you know way," according to Geffen. The sound coming from British groups like Culture Club ("Do You Really Want to Hurt Me"), Soft Cell ("Tainted Love") or Bronski Beat ("Smalltown Boy") was inextricable from queerness; an uptempo beat and thematic undercurrent ran through many of the era's biggest pop songs. These artists were "talking about an experience that was very specific to the queer community — this idea of figuring out who you are and leaving home and not knowing where you're gonna be ending up and just trusting something out there might be better than what you've got," Geffen notes.