Village People

Village People

From left: Randy Jones, Glenn Hughes, Felipe Rose, Victor Willis, David Hodo, Alex Briley in 1978
Background information
Origin New York City, New York, U.S.
Genres Disco
Years active 1977–1985, 1987–present
Labels Casablanca, Black Scorpio, RCA, Polygram
Website www.officialvillagepeople.com
Members Felipe Rose
Alex Briley
Ray Simpson
Eric Anzalone
Bill Whitefield
Jim Newman
Past members Victor Willis
Randy Jones
Glenn Hughes (deceased)
Ray Stephens (deceased)
Mark Lee
Miles Jaye
G. Jeff Olson
David Hodo
Alec Timerman
Mark Mussler (deceased)
Stephen Hewitt
Dave Forrest
Lee Mouton
Peter Whitehead
Py Douglas
AJ Perrelli (deceased)

Village People is an American disco group well known for their on-stage costumes depicting American masculine cultural stereotypes as well as their catchy tunes and suggestive lyrics. Originally created by Jacques Morali and Henri Belolo to target disco's gay audience by featuring popular gay fantasy personae,[1] the band quickly became popular and moved into the mainstream. The group scored a number of disco and dance hits, including "Macho Man", "Go West", the classic club medley of "San Francisco (You've Got Me) / In Hollywood", "In the Navy", and their greatest hit, "Y.M.C.A.". They have sold more than 100 million records worldwide.[2]

History

1977–1979

The group was the creation of Jacques Morali, a French musical composer. He had written a few dance tunes when he was given a demo tape recorded by singer/actor Victor Willis. Morali approached Willis and told him, "I had a dream that you sang lead on my album and it went very, very big". Willis agreed to sing on the eponymous debut album, Village People.[3]

It became a hit, and demand for live appearances soon followed. Under the collaboration Can't Stop Productions, Morali and his business partner Henri Belolo hastily built a group of dancers around Willis to perform in clubs and on Dick Clark's American Bandstand. The band's name refers to New York City's Greenwich Village, at the time known for its large gay population.[4] Morali and Belolo created a group of stereotypes based on the fantasy attire often worn by gay men of Greenwich Village when socializing. As the Village People's popularity grew, Morali, Belolo, and Willis saw the need for a permanent "group". They took out an ad in a music trade magazine which read: "Macho Types Wanted: Must Dance And Have A Moustache."[3]

Morali met the first recruit, Felipe Rose (who dressed as a Native American), on the streets of Greenwich Village. Rose was a bartender who wore jingle bells on his boots, and was invited to take part in the sessions for the first album. Alex Briley (who started portraying an athlete but eventually took on the soldier persona) was hand-picked by Willis to be in the group. The others were Mark Mussler (construction worker), Dave Forrest (cowboy), Lee Mouton (leatherman), and Peter Whitehead (one of the group's early songwriters), who appeared on American Bandstand and in the video for the group's first hit, "San Francisco (You Got Me)". They were later replaced by David Hodo (construction worker), Randy Jones (cowboy), and Glenn Hughes (leatherman). Hughes had first been spotted as a toll collector at the Brooklyn–Battery Tunnel.[3]

Songwriters Phil Hurtt and Peter Whitehead were brought in to write lyrics for the first group album. Victor Willis took over writing duties for the group's biggest albums (Macho Man, Cruisin' and Go West), scoring their biggest hits, including "Y.M.C.A.", "Macho Man", "Go West", and "In the Navy". He also wrote for other Can't Stop Productions acts, such as The Ritchie Family and Patrick Juvet.[5] Gypsy Lane (Village People band), and their conductor Horace Ott provided much of the musical arrangements for Morali, who did not play any instruments.[6]

The 1978 single "Macho Man" brought them mainstream attention, and their follow-up single "Y.M.C.A." became one of the most popular hits of the 1970s.

In 1979, the United States Navy considered using "In the Navy" in a television and radio recruiting campaign. Belolo offered them permission if the Navy would help film a music video for it. The Navy provided them access to the San Diego Navy base, where the USS Reasoner (FF-1063), several aircraft, and the crew of the ship would be used.[7] This song was also performed on the TV series The Love Boat, and in the 1995 Navy comedy movie Down Periscope.

The group's fame peaked in 1979, when they made several appearances on The Merv Griffin Show and traveled with Bob Hope to entertain U.S. troops. They were also featured on the cover of Rolling Stone, Vol. 289, April 19, 1979. Willis left the group at the end of an international tour in 1979, and a decline in popularity followed.

1980–1985

Ray Simpson, the brother of Valerie Simpson (of Ashford & Simpson), replaced Willis for the group's highly anticipated 1980 feature film Can't Stop the Music. The film was directed by Nancy Walker, written by Allan Carr and Bronte Woodard, music and lyrics by Jacques Morali (except Willis penned the lyrics to "Milkshake" and "Magic Night") and starring Steve Guttenberg, Valerie Perrine, Jean-Claude Billmaer, and Bruce Jenner (now known as Caitlyn Jenner).[lower-alpha 1] By the time it was released, however, disco's popularity had waned, and at the March 1981 Golden Raspberry Awards, the movie was named Worst Picture and Worst Screenplay, and was nominated in almost all the other categories. Although the title song became a club play chart success and moderate radio hit, it was nominated for Worst Original Song "Razzy" and did not live up to sales expectations, never obtaining gold status as a single or album.[9] The soundtrack also featured the talents of David London, who under his real name Dennis "Fergie" Frederiksen became the future lead singer of Toto and one of the main contributors to Village People's next album. The movie itself has since become a cult favorite.

The group were among the weekly guest stars on the November 22, 1980, episode of Love Boat (season four, episode seven: "Secretary to the Stars/Julie's Decision/The Horse Lover/Gopher and Isaac Buy a Horse"). At the end of 1980, cowboy Randy Jones left the group and was replaced by Jeff Olson.

In 1981, with new wave music becoming more popular than disco, Village People replaced its on-stage costumes with a new look inspired by the New Romantic movement, and released the album Renaissance. It only attracted minor – mostly negative – attention and produced no hits.

Victor Willis returned to the group briefly in late 1981 for the album Fox on the Box, which was released in 1982 in Europe and Japan, and in 1983 in the United States under the title In the Street. Ray Simpson left the group in 1983 and was replaced by Miles Jaye. Jaye contributed an extra track to In the Street and performed numerous live shows and television appearances. Mark Lee replaced David Hodo in 1982.

Their last album containing new material, the 1985 dance/Hi-NRG release Sex Over the Phone, was not a huge commercial success, but it fared better in sales and club play than Renaissance. The title track, when released as a single, was banned by the BBC because of its subject matter: credit-card phone sex.[10] The album featured yet another new lead singer, Ray Stephens (of The Great Space Coaster fame). Py Douglas came in to sub for Stephens for some of the group's live appearances in 1985.

In 1985 the group took a hiatus, but reunited in 1987 with the line-up of Randy Jones, David Hodo, Felipe Rose, Glenn Hughes, Alex Briley, and Ray Simpson. Since 1988, the group has managed itself under the name Sixuvus Ltd.[11]

1990s–present

Village People receive their star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame September 12, 2008. L to R (front row: David Hodo, Felipe Rose, Jeff Olson / back row: Ray Simpson, Alex Briley, Eric Anzalone)

In popular culture

Star Wars characters, a Jawa, Greedo, Chewbacca and an Imperial Stormtrooper, assume the roles of the Village People for the "Y.M.C.A." dance at a Disney "Star Wars Weekends" event in 2007.

Due to their easily recognizable characters, the group have frequently been imitated or parodied in movies, television series, video games and music. Numerous covers and homages of their songs have been recorded. The stereotypical masculine characters, particularly the leather-clad biker character with a horseshoe moustache, have also become a widespread pop culture icons associated with male gay culture and Y.M.C.A. has become something of an anthem of the LGBT community. Examples of homages and parody include an episode of the 1990s CGI show ReBoot, a scene in the 1993 movie Wayne's World 2, a 1993 episode of Married... with Children, the 1997 video for U2's single "Discotheque",[20] a 2000 episode of 3rd Rock From the Sun, and the 2013 movie Despicable Me 2.

In 2006, Village People themselves were featured in an episode of the television series That '70s Show titled "We Will Rock You".[21]

The 2013 video game Scribblenauts Unmasked: A DC Comics Adventure, in which the player solves puzzles by summoning arbitrary objects, features a set of characters resembling the group that can be called upon by entering the word "Band."

Discography

Studio albums

Title Album details Peak chart positions Certifications
(sales thresholds)
US Bill
[22]
US R&B
[22]
AUT
[23]
CAN
[24]
GER
[25]
NED
[26]
NZ
[27]
NOR
[28]
SWE
[29]
UK
[30]
Village People 54 36 70 29
Macho Man
  • Released: February 1978
  • Label: Casablanca Records
24 31 21 37
Cruisin'
  • Released: September 1978
  • Label: Casablanca Records
3 5 1 2 1 6 6 5 3 24
Go West
  • Released: March 1979
  • Label: Casablanca Records
8 14 22 2 14 8 28 4 7 14
Live and Sleazy
  • Released: September 1979
  • Label: Casablanca Records
32 57 23 13 25
Can't Stop the Music
  • Released: May 1980
  • Label: Casablanca Records
47 20 4 17 35 9
Renaissance
  • Released: June 1981
  • Label: RCA Records (US)
    Casablanca Records (Japan)
138 34
Fox on the Box/In the Street
  • Released: May 1982
  • Label: RCA Records (US)
    Casablanca Records (Japan)
Sex Over the Phone 47
"—" Denotes single was not released or failed to chart in that territory.

Compilations and other albums

Singles

Year Single Chart Position Certifications Album
US
[35]
AUS
[36]
BEL
[37]
CAN
[38]
GER
[39]
IRE
[40]
NED
[41]
NZ
[42]
NOR
[43]
SWE
[44]
UK
[30]
1977 "San Francisco" 102 15 9 45 Village People
"In Hollywood (Everybody is a Star)" 27
1978 "I Am What I Am" 32 Macho Man
"Macho Man" 25 3 16 7
"Y.M.C.A." 2 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 2 1 1 Cruisin'
1979 "In the Navy" 3 7 1 1 3 2 1 7 2 3 2 Go West
"Go West" 45 12 41 15 29 15
"Ready for the 80's" 52 Live and Sleazy
"Sleazy" 9
1980 "Can't Stop the Music" 1 7 10 18 2 15 11 Can't Stop the Music
"Magic Night" 88
1981 "Do You Wanna Spend the Night" 48 Renaissance
"5 O'Clock in the Morning"
1985 "Sex Over the Phone" 40 59 Sex Over the Phone
"New York City"
1989 "Livin' in the Wildlife" Single Release Only
"Megamix" 14
1993 "Y.M.C.A. '93 Remix" 96 12 46 12 The Best of Village People
1994 "In the Navy '94 Remix" 42 36
"Far Away in America" 44 Single Release Only
1999 "Y.M.C.A. Remix" 35
2013 "Let's Go Back to the Dance Floor" Single Release Only
"—" Denotes single was not released or failed to chart in that territory.

Songs which reached the Billboard Club Play Singles chart

Lineup

Original seven members

Temporary members

Timeline

See also

Notes

  1. Jenner changed her name following her gender transition in 2015.[8]

References

  1. "Spin Magazine Online: Y.M.C.A. (An Oral History) ''". Spin.com. May 27, 2008. Retrieved August 19, 2011.
  2. "Village People – The Official Site". Officialvillagepeople.com. Retrieved August 19, 2011.
  3. 1 2 3 Village People, Rolling Stone Magazine Vol. 289, April 19, 1979
  4. Review: Gay Sex in the 70s: , 2000
  5. Village People Official Tour Program, 1979, Can't Stop Productions
  6. Straight, No Chaser by Victor Willis, 1990
  7. Vulliamy, Ed (November 12, 2006). "Everyday people". The Guardian (London). Retrieved May 27, 2010.
  8. Leibovitz, Annie (June 1, 2015). "Introducing Caitlyn Jenner". Vanity Fair. Retrieved June 1, 2015.
  9. IMBD http://www.imdb.com/event/ev0000558/1981
  10. Juke Magazine February 13, 1985.
  11. Obituary, Glen Hughes, The Guardian, 30 March 2001
  12. Village People's Hughes Dead Rolling Stone; March 13, 2001
  13. Rashbaum, Alyssa (May 11, 2004). "Village People's Cowboy Ropes Himself A Husband – Music, Celebrity, Artist News". MTV. Retrieved August 19, 2011.
  14. Rohter, Larry (May 8, 2012). "Village People Singer Wins a Legal Battle in Fight to Reclaim Song Rights". The New York Times.
  15. "Disco greats team up for TV documentary – MSN TV News". Tv.msn.com. Retrieved February 1, 2014.
  16. Rohter, Larry (September 10, 2013). "A Copyright Victory, 35 Years Later". The New York Times.
  17. 1 2
  18. Eriq Gardner (March 5, 2015). "Jury Decides Village People 'Y.M.C.A.' Songwriter Has 50 Percent Song Share". The Hollywood Reporter.
  19. "U2 – Discotheque (Official Video)". YouTube. 2012-09-06. Retrieved 2014-04-01.
  20. ""That '70s Show" We Will Rock You (TV Episode 2006)". IMDb.
  21. 1 2 "Village People in US charts". allmusic.com. Retrieved 2014-08-25.
  22. "Austrian Charts:Village People (albums)". Hung Medien. Retrieved 2014-09-07.
  23. "RPM: Village People (albums)". RPM Magazine. Retrieved 2014-09-07.
  24. "Charts.de:Village People Albums" (in German). Charts.de. Media Control. Retrieved 2014-09-07.
  25. "GfK Dtch Charts:Village People (albums)". GfK Dutch Charts Hung Medien. Retrieved 2014-09-07.
  26. "New Zealand Charts: Albums – Village People". charts.org.nz. Hung Medien. Retrieved 2015-02-04.
  27. "Village People in Norwegian charts". norwegiancharts.com. Hung Medien. Retrieved 2014-09-07.
  28. "Village People in Swedish charts". swedishcharts.com. Hung Medien. Retrieved 2014-09-07.
  29. 1 2 "UK Official Charts Company Village People". Official Charts Company. Retrieved 2014-09-07.
  30. 1 2 3 4 5 "Certified Awards Search". Music Canada. Retrieved on 2012-01-15. Note: User needs to enter "Village People" in the "Search" field, "Artist" in the "Search by" field and click the "Go" button. Select "More info" next to the relevant entry to see full certification history.
  31. 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 "riaa.com Certifications". Recording Industry Association of America.
  32. 1 2 "Gold-/Platin-Datenbank (Village People)" (in German). Bundesverband Musikindustrie. Retrieved 2014-09-06.
  33. 1 2 3 "Certified Awards Search". British Phonographic Industry. Retrieved on 06 September 2014. Note: User needs to enter "Village People" in the "Search" field, "Artist" in the "Search by" field and click the "Go" button. Select "More info" next to the relevant entry to see full certification history.
  34. "US Charts". Billboard. Prometheus Global Media. Retrieved 2014-09-06.
  35. Kent, David (1993). Australian Chart Book 1970–1992. St Ives, N.S.W.: Australian Chart Book. ISBN 0-646-11917-6.
  36. Hung, Steffen. "Belgian Charts". Belgium Charts Portal. Hung Medien (Steffen Hung). Retrieved 2014-09-06.
  37. "Canadian Charts". RPM magazine. Retrieved 2016-01-06.
  38. "German Charts" (in German). Charts.de Media Control. Retrieved 2014-09-06.
  39. "Irish Charts". Irish Charts. Retrieved 2014-09-06.
  40. "Dutch Chart". Dutch Top 100. Retrieved 2014-09-06.
  41. "New Zealand Charts: Song – Village People". charts.org.nz. Hung Medien. Retrieved 2015-02-04.
  42. "Norwegian Chart". Norwegian-Charts. Retrieved 2014-09-06.
  43. "Swedish Charts". swedishcharts.com Media Control. Retrieved 2014-09-06.
  44. "The Village People awards". Allmusic. Retrieved 2014-09-08.
  45. "Village People Sub And Astoria Native, Perrelli, Celebrated Life". Queens Gazette. 2013-10-23. Retrieved 2014-07-12.

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