Village People

Village People were a disco band of the late 1970s. The gay-themed group was as well known for their outrageous on-stage costumes (the members dressing up as a police officer, an American Indian chief, a construction worker, a soldier, a leatherman (biker), and a cowboy) as for their catchy tunes and lyrics, which had gay themes but were subtle enough to be missed by many heterosexuals.

Related Topics:
Disco - 1970s - Gay - Costume - Police officer - American Indian - Construction worker - Biker - Cowboy - Heterosexual

~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~

The band was assembled (in 1977) and managed by two French musicians, Jacques Morali and Henri Belolo

Related Topics:
1977 - French - Jacques Morali - Henri Belolo

~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~

(see picture), specifically to showcase and perform their disco music creations. Much like Frank Farian's Boney M or Trevor Horn's Frankie Goes To Hollywood the group was manufactured. Despite the French song writers, the songs were all in English.

Related Topics:
Frank Farian - Boney M - Trevor Horn - Frankie Goes To Hollywood - English

~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~

The band's name references a well-known gay area of New York City, Greenwich Village. Jacques Morali and Henri Belolo got the inspiration for creating an assembly of American man archetypes based on the gay men of The Village who frequently dressed in various fantasy ways.

Related Topics:
New York City - Greenwich Village - Jacques Morali - Henri Belolo

~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~

The United States Navy considered using the Village People hit "In the Navy" in a recruiting advertising campaign on television and radio. They contacted Belolo, who decided to give the rights for free on the condition that the Navy help them shoot the music video. Less than a month later, The Village People arrived at the San Diego Naval base. The Navy provided them with a war ship, several airplanes, and hundreds of Navy men. When the video started showing and the Navy started the planned ad campaign, some newspapers protested using taxpayer money to fund music videos (especially for a group considered by some to be "morally dubious"). The Navy quickly cancelled the campaign. The scandal tremendously boosted the popularity of the song.

~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~

Other hits include "Macho Man" and "YMCA". More than twenty years later, a dance that involves forming the latter four letters with the dancer's arms and legs is still popular at summer camps, office functions, and sporting events. Possibly due to the ease of the dance that accompanies "YMCA", it is often played at straight wedding receptions. The irony of dancing to a song about gay men who find fertile flirting-ground at the all-male YMCA is lost on the celebrants.

Related Topics:
YMCA - Summer camp

~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~

The group also appeared in their 1980 feature film Can't Stop the Music, directed by Nancy Walker, written by Allan Carr and Bronte Woodard, music and lyrics by Jacques Morali and starring Steve Guttenberg, Valerie Perrine, Bruce Jenner, and The Village People. The movie "won" the Worst Picture and Worst Screenplay prizes at the 1980 Golden Raspberry Awards in March 1981 and was nominated in almost all the other categories.

Related Topics:
1980 - Film - Can't Stop the Music - Nancy Walker - Allan Carr - Bronte Woodard - Jacques Morali - Steve Guttenberg - Valerie Perrine - Bruce Jenner - Worst Picture - 1980 Golden Raspberry Awards - 1981

~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~

In 1981, with the popularity of disco waning and New Wave music on the rise, the Village People replaced their on-stage costumes with a new look inspired by the New Romantic movement, and released the New Wave album Renaissance; it was not a commercial success.

Related Topics:
1981 - New Wave music - New Romantic

~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~

Starting in 2004 The Village People performed as the opening act for Cher in her Farewell Tour until it ended in April 2005.

~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~

The members of the Village People are:

~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~

• Ray Simpson (the police officer, replacement, since 1980)
• David "Scar" Hodo (the construction worker)
• Eric Anzalone (the biker, replacement, since 1995)
• Alex Briley (the soldier)
• G. Jeff Olsen (the cowboy, replacement)
• Felipe Rose (the Native American)
• Victor Willis (the cop, original, from 1977 till 1980; he co-authored certain songs, notably "In the Navy")
• Glenn Hughes (the biker, original)
• Randy Jones (the cowboy, original, until 1980)

Village People singer Glenn Hughes died of lung cancer on March 4, 2001. (He is no relation to Glenn Hughes, the former Deep Purple bassist and vocalist.)

Related Topics:
Cancer - March 4 - 2001 - Glenn Hughes - Deep Purple

~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~

 
Village People: See also ►