unicornmeat

AAAAHHH. MY CALIFONE! IT’S BROKEN!
What the hell man. Tonight it just wouldn’t spin. The sound works, the light works, but it never makes the shift from “standby” to “play.” I opened it up and all wires are secure and fuse is fine, etc. So I guess the motor died or something. How infuriating. And sad. So.. no ‘party record’ tonight.
Instead, something that’s actually funnier, yet also more substantial. I have no idea how I got this record. Well I know how I got it. I bought it online because it contained two of my favorite themes – burlesque and drag queens. But I have no idea how I got it for ten dollars. On the back of this record sleeve it lists 9 other Ray “Rae” Bourbon releases, which I just looked up on ebay and are for sale at around $50 each.
Why are these such collectors items? Well, Rae Bourbon is a pretty special character. The best information can be found in this tribute site.
Rae Bourbon was a female impersonator and gay icon, performing from the 1930s up until his imprisonment in the late 1960s. He’d been convicted of “Accomplice to Murder with Malice,” against a man who had disposed of dogs that Rae had put in his care. He died in prison in 1971.
He appeared in a few silent films in the 1920s after entering his photo (as a female) in a Photoplay contest. In the early 1930′s he performed in the “pansy shows”, gay and mainstream nightclubs, and vaudeville.
Another bit of his story from this site offers some enlightenment regarding party records:
From 1935 through the early forties, Ray would record with Bob and Chet, Howard, and other musicians in a series of sides released under various small labels such as “Bourbana”, “Liberty Music Shop” and “Imperial” (not related to the R&B label of the fifties). Like other “blue” party records of the period, they were sold at Ray’s shows, through mail order, and “under the counter” by discrete record dealers. A surprising number of Ray’s records were pirated under anonymous labels and many were pressed in small quantities for use in jukeboxes in adult establishments such as bars and nightclubs.

Rae seems to be an expert about vaudeville, burlesque, and Mae West. Now there’s a broad after my own heart.
Seriously, I urge you to read this life story.

Rae Bourbon
Strip Queen
Ladies of Burlsque
UTC 1950s

Hey. For extra fun here’s a wav of me singing into an answering machine a few years ago.
If you have any 78 player recommendations, let me know. I’m mostly likely to just get another Califone exactly like the one I have.

A few weeks ago I read this book:

“No Applause- Just Throw Money: The Book That Made Vaudeville Famous” by Trav S.D.

I can’t recommend it enough, especially to readers of this blog. It revived my interest in Vaudeville, educated me quite a bit, and riled me up over the timeless tale of corporate takeover of entertainment.

Before Vaudeville was of much interest to me there was Mae West. I believe the second book I read about Mae was “Becoming Mae West” by Emily Wortis Leider. In reading this book I became intrigued by a Vaudeville superstar influence on Mae that kept popping up: Eva Tanguay. In the words of Trav S.D.: “She was crazy.” She’s basically like… the queen of Vaudeville. I’ve read tidbits about her, seen a lot of photos where she looks weird and/or unattractive, and as with Lillian Russell, I’ve always hoped to hear her for myself. Thanks again to “They Stopped The Show,” I can. Now, if only there were some footage..

I Don’t Care
Eva Tanguay
from “They Stopped The Show” Audio Rarities compilation 1969

the gang’s all here

P.S. Speaking of books about Mae, I absolutely loved “Mae West: It Ain’t No Sin” by Simon Louvish. It’s my new favorite Mae Biography. Louvish is a good writer, he had access to newly released documents, he focuses on the early years and Mae West the writer. Good stuff.

I hate drinking water. It tastes weird and gross to me.
But I have been drinking it lately. It’s been hot out. I like it icy cold. As cold as possible.
Mostly though, I’ve been drinking the demon liquor. The thing is, I usually try to avoid talking about drinking like it’s an event. My multi-faceted personality has so much else to offer. Like all of the music featured here. Yeah… booze is more interesting to most people.
I am just tryin ta live.
ANYWAY.
I’m a little tipsy. And so I thought it would be appropriate to make one of these WC Fields mp3s. Talk about drinking-bragging. WC Fields is the predecessor to generations of celebrity drunks – people who make their identity out of a habit that a bajillion other people have just as emphatically.. If that word is appropriate. I meant like.. “severely.”

Soooo Mae West comes into play once again – because she shares this record with Fields. They appeared together in “My Little Chickadee,” to dubious comedic benefit. Mae seemed very unwilling to accept Fields as a romantic counterpart, first of all. Secondly, the plot is clueless and Mae lacks fodder for her brand of lusty one-liners. Her lack of interest shows. I know about this, because I might just be Mae re-incarnated: Why bother putting effort into this movie if I’m not scoring some mega hot co-star to try and bone?
Yes, exactly. That’s what it seems to me like Mae was thinking.
SO. WC Fields. This record. Yeah…

W.C. Fields
The Day I Drank A Glass of Water
W.C. Field & Mae West
(5:52 by the way)

Mae hated Fields’ drinking. She was never actually a drinker herself. Didn’t touch the stuff. Maybe I’m not her after all.

Mae West:
A Guy What Takes His Time (1933)
A Guy What Takes His Time (1955)

Here we have two versions of one of my favorite Mae West songs, “A Guy What Takes His Time.”
The first version was recorded in 1933, and is available on several of the common Mae West CDs. She sings the song in the movie “She Done Him Wrong,” although it is highly cropped due to film censorship. Watching Mae sing these songs in her films is strange… she rolls her eyes and smiles as she purrs “ooooh,” and it sounds really weird.
The second version I don’t like so much. I found this 1950s Mae West record “The Fabulous Mae West,” which features a few of her hits re-recorded, as well as some new-ish songs. The production just doesn’t suit her. Her songs are better when presented more simply… one would imagine them being performed in a sleazy saloon or nightclub. Singing with a big full band doesn’t have the same effect. In the 1930s version of “A Guy What Takes His Time,” the character singing is Lady Lou (aka Diamond Lil.) In the 1950s version, the character singing is Mae West. By the time she recorded it she was already pushing 60 years of age.

Pick up Mae West “I’m No Angel,” from the amazing Venerable Music site, to hear this and some other great Mae songs.

Also, check out the Mae West blog, which is basically my favorite blog ever.