02/07/2007
Music for the Bedroom from John Waters
John Waters talks to the Provincetown Banner about a new CD he has produced that is set to arrive on Valentine's Day. It's described by the paper as "a combination of the teen angst music of the ’60s along with lounge-y love ballads, rhythm and blues and a liberal sprinkling of cuts that defy categorization. It is both eclectic and electric on a lot of levels with everything from Dean Martin and Ray Charles to Ike and Tina Turner blended with punk rock and movie themes." The CD contains 14 of the director's favorite tracks
Waters says as a teenager he fantasized about being a DJ from his Baltimore bedroom: "I had a top 10 board over my bed and once a week or so I would call the record stores in Baltimore and pretend I was the radio station and ask them what sold the most and average them out and put the top 10 up with a blank piece of cardboard over each title, pull off the cardboard and say, ‘Number 10 is…’ and name the record and dance around the room. I was really obsessed by it."
Waters notes that one of the songs on the CD has an intimate Provincetown connection: "Every summer I ask, why are there no mixed bars, half gay half straight [in Provincetown]. I’m most comfortable with that. I like it when you don’t know what everybody is. Provincetown used to have that. I remember every summer, in the beginning, would be the Back Room [formerly part of The Crown & Anchor] and the A-House. One would be straight and one would be gay. You didn’t know, it just happened that first night. For a while the Back Room had a club once a week which [Waters’ movie regulars] Cookie Mueller and Sharon Nesp were the hosts of. It was kind of a punk rock gay club or mixed club which was unheard of at the time. ‘Jet Boy Jet Girl’ was played over and over. It’s the only song that got me a warning on the CD. I mean compared to ‘Johnny Are You Queer.’ This one says, I’m gonna penetrate, make you a girl . There aren’t very many gay punk rock songs — this may be the only one."
Dirty Dancing with John Waters [provincetown banner]
A Date With John Waters
Posted 11:45 AM EST by Andy Towle in John Waters, Music, News, Provincetown | Permalink
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Ummm, he looks kinda hot there...???
Posted by: Michael | Feb 7, 2007 12:17:53 PM
Does "Groovy Underwear" by Pansy Division count as a gay punk rock song? Punk or not, it's a great song.
Posted by: Kepster | Feb 7, 2007 12:31:21 PM
i love john waters- if no one as seen "this filthy world" they should...it's his one man show came out on dvd a few months back.
it's amazingly funny and wouldn't ya know it- insightful.
and he DOES look kinda cute there...curious.
Posted by: Leo | Feb 7, 2007 12:32:15 PM
Jet Boy was YEARS before Pansy Division, but yes, I think it would qualify.
But, oh the memories--Rock n' Roll Fag Bar (it was pretty mixed despite the name), Jet Boy, The Smiths. I was soooo young.
Posted by: Daniel | Feb 7, 2007 12:54:40 PM
Wayne/Jayne County was before Jet Boy Jet Girl, before punk was punk.
Posted by: GBM | Feb 7, 2007 1:34:09 PM
GBM, Wayne County--one of the most amazing, fascinating, horrifying performances I've ever seen. I've seen video of those performances but that is something you had to see live.
Posted by: Daniel | Feb 7, 2007 1:54:34 PM
Is she still alive and touring? I saw on YouTube an October 2005 concert. Sadly I was not yet alive to see Jayne in her heyday, but maybe she still puts on an amazing, fascinating, horrifying performance.
Posted by: GBM | Feb 7, 2007 2:57:49 PM
I haven't seen her in years but I guess she is still recording and performing. I believe she has a website.
Posted by: Daniel | Feb 7, 2007 4:47:36 PM
Hey pallies, like how totally cool that Mr. Waters has such groovy taste as to include a Dinosong. No one ever was, ever will be as cool as the King of Cool. Oh, to return to the days when Dino walked the earth.
Posted by: dino martin peters | Feb 7, 2007 5:26:09 PM
If you want an additional dose of Mr. Waters, go to amazon & look up the album. There's a "human trailer" with JW talking about each track on the CS.
Also, check out his Christmas album if you already haven't done so...very, very tinselly.
Posted by: basis4insanity | Feb 7, 2007 5:48:05 PM
um...that would be CD not CS...
Posted by: basis4insanity | Feb 7, 2007 5:48:40 PM
I'm really glad Waters is doing these CDs. The music is always great in his films, and his Christmas CD is fabulous.
Posted by: Daniel | Feb 7, 2007 7:35:05 PM