#A live backup choir

[windfighter]

I keep hearing people say "that's not what eurovision is about" but no on ever says what eurovision is about so I had to go check out the first ever winner of it and

amazing. I wish modern eurovision could be a little more like that

Anyway my conclusion is that: Ballads is what Eurovision is about and y'all are cowards for hating on them ;P

[thetaoofzoe]

‘It Was Fun to Be Wanted by Someone Like Elvis Presley’: An Interview With Darlene Love

The gifted singer reflects on Elvis’s collaborative presence and his relationship to gospel music

by MICHAEL MUSTO August 7, 2018

The swaggering real-life Jeff Koons statue named Elvis Presley is hot again. Eugene Jarecki’s June-released documentary The King involves a road trip taken in Elvis’s old Rolls to survey his impact on the culture and determine that the American dream the singer represented is officially dead. (But oh, when it lasted!) Even darker is the film’s exploration of Presley’s appropriation of African-American culture, covering songs like “Hound Dog” — originally a non-hit for the brilliant Big Mama Thornton — and making them rock and sell. For singers like Thornton, the American dream never existed.

Enter powerhouse singer Darlene Love, who is represented on another new project, Where No One Stands Alone, a fourteen-track compilation of Elvis’s gospel work due out August 10 on RCA/Legacy. The L.A.-born minister’s daughter started singing in the church choir at ten, on the road to being scooped up by producer Phil Spector to belt hits like “He’s a Rebel,” “Today I Met The Boy I’m Gonna Marry,” and “Christmas (Baby,Please Come Home).” The lead voice of such groups as the Blossoms and Bob B. Soxx & the Blue Jeans, Love ended up working as a maid in the Eighties, but when she heard one of her old hits on the radio while she was scrubbing, it inspired her to get back into performing full-time. Her appearance in the Oscar-winning 2013 documentary 20 Feet From Stardom was memorable, especially when it addressed the way Spector promised her a solo career, but gave other singers credit for her work.

I recently talked to Darlene about her backup singing for Elvis, and how she feels about the King’s relationship to the music he both co-opted and celebrated.

Hi, Darlene. What is some of the gospel work you did with Elvis?

There is “Let Us Pray,” the one from the movie we did with Elvis, Change of Habit. That was his last film.

It was in 1969, with Elvis as a doctor and Mary Tyler Moore as a nun.

We, the Blossoms, are in the first scene. And we were in his 1968 comeback special [Singer Presents … ELVIS].

His new gospel compilation album should be quite interesting.

They [recently] had me do some fill-ins, what we call ad libs, throughout the album to make it sound more gospel. I haven’t heard it yet. Hopefully it’s a wonderful thing.

Elvis went to church and listened to gospel singers to soak up what they did, right? 

Even today, it’s more mixed than it was in the Fifties and Sixties. Whites and blacks didn’t go to church together back then. What Elvis told me he would do — we had night service on Sunday night when we did what we called “praise songs.” A lot of them were songs he loved, what we called “hymn songs.”

We didn’t have air conditioners. We had pushup windows, with a little rope. Elvis said he would stand outside the church rather than going in, because they didn’t think black and white should be in the same churches together. He said he would listen through the windows. It gave him such a thrill. It’s a big difference between the way blacks sang gospel and the way whites sang gospel.

Do you feel he was dedicated to the music or he was just taking it for himself? 

I found out years later, when we were doing the comeback special, that his mother’s favorite music was gospel. He would always sing gospel around her. I think if he could have had a big career in gospel music, that’s where he would have been. But you can always make more money off secular hits. Elvis had 10 or 15,000 people come to his shows to see him. Today, they have mega churches that hold 25,000, but back then, you were doing great if you had 500 people.

I bet they have air conditioning now.

Oh, lord, yes. [Laughs] I lived in Texas for five years as a young kid with my father, and it was so hot we couldn’t even breathe. There was no air conditioning in church or the house. What a difference it makes to have a cool ensemble. You still sweat because of the energy, but back then, we were soaking wet, when we sang in church.

I love gospel music. If I had a calling — meaning from the Lord — just to sing gospel, I would have, but the secular music got to more people. I bet a lot of secular singers like Sam Cooke and Aretha Franklin felt the same way. They never paid us no money. “Do it unto the Lord.” “OK.” [Laughs] We would drive to the gigs and they’d give you an offering — gas money. They were hardly giving us a whole lot of money. But it was worth it, every penny of it. It was a wonderful experience singing gospel.

But was Elvis appropriating the music, or that’s just the way it was?

That’s just the way it was. A lot of people think a white person is copying the black person. He just loved the music and he was singing it the way he felt. He sang “Hound Dog” completely different than Mama Thornton. [Elvis’s version was rock, whereas Thornton’s was blues.] Even today, they take secular music and put it in gospel, and vice versa. You know, Elvis won three Grammys, and they were all for gospel records. 

What were your experiences like with Elvis?

One time, Elvis decided we’d all go to the movies. He bought this theater out that night.

What did you watch — Change of Habit?

Don’t even ask me. I don’t remember. [Laughs] We had a lot of free time when we were recording and when we were making the movie. That’s when the Blossoms and myself got a chance to know the gospel side of Elvis. He’d want to know the songs we knew. He’d get his guitar and say, “You know this song?” “Yes, we grew up on it.” He’d say, “Let’s do it.”

Was he funny or serious?

He was funny and he was serious sometimes. If he didn’t think he was doing great, he’d say, “Hey, girls, how’m I doing?” He was very, very funny. I call it that “country funny.” He would do his moves in the studio the way he was gonna do them onstage. It made it easy to be around him, but sometimes it was not easy because his bodyguards were keeping people from him. He wanted to be with the Blossoms, where he could pull out his guitar. We’d say, “We think you’d better go. You’re gonna get us in trouble.” We’d never forget, because he’d be giving us his personal time.

You’d just be hanging out and singing?

Yes! Whatever song he knew — “Amazing Grace” or “River of Jordan” or “Heaven Is a Wonderful Place” or “Sweet Hour of Prayer.” We called them hymns of the church. There was another one called “Pass Me Not, O Gentle Savior.” The Blossoms were known for their harmony. We’d harmonize with him. There’s something we had with Elvis that others didn’t have. It was fun to be wanted by someone like Elvis Presley.

He had tremendous respect for you.

Yes, he did. That was great. I always say he left us way too soon. He is where I plan to go one day, so I’ll see him again.

You were all rather young and great-looking. Was there any sexual tension in the air? 

There was. It could have been. But I was too scared to do anything.

You fool! [Laughs] Kidding. You wanted to keep it professional.

And I definitely did. Something about dating someone you’re working for, it takes away from that. “I know he’s never gonna look at me the same after this.” [Laughs] He’d start playing with me. He’d tap you on the shoulder or do a hip shake, and me and Elvis knew what that meant.

Flirting?

Yeah, I think so, and I think it showed his human side. I wasn’t bad-looking — and I was thin, too. [Laughs] He wanted to take out time and be around us. The reason we sang on his ’68 comeback special is he was the one that insisted that the Blossoms sing in the music section of the show.

So Elvis treated you better than Phil Spector did?

Oh my God, I’d say so.

That’s an easy one.

That’s a real easy one. Phil took advantage of me and my talent. With Elvis, he wanted us to work, and we got paid well. It wasn’t like Phil Spector cracking the whip and us running around!

[musemelodies]

hey folks, sorry it's been pretty slow on here. work has been really hectic and it's only gonna increase with the holiday months. still searching for a new job and trying to stay positive in the meantime. i did the morning shift yesterday and i'm closing tonight and then i gotta be back in tomorrow morning and it's...a lot.

a few years ago, i was thinking about going back to school for library science but the only one around here that offers it is ridiculously expensive and i got rejected anyway and then the pandemic happened and welp, here we are. i don't wanna cue the violin music or anything but i've just been feeling so stuck and in low battery mode a lot of the time. so much of my life consists of working and being exhausted and dreading going back to work.

i know it could always be worse, i could be homeless again or living with my terrible mom but it just feels like there's no balance. i would love to just walk out tomorrow (this place is embarrassingly anti-union and the current ceo is a third generation nepobaby and i have to deal with that micromanaging coworker way too often) but i don't really have a backup plan. also anxiety and the whole needing money to live thing.

anyway, i know i'm preaching to the choir and again, it could be a lot worse but it's really been wearing me down lately. as a wise philosopher once said: when the working day is done, oh girls, they wanna have fun...

[manyfandomocs]

Big Time Rush OC Introductions

I was a ginormous fan of Big Time Rush when I was young so, I see people I follow making BTR ocs and I have no choice but to agree so after some struggles here we have (there will end up being others I'm sooooo sure of it I already have another fc in mind)

Montgomery Queen (Jeremy Shada FC), Carlos Garcia ship. Goes by Monty, he is the bassist and backup vocalist in his own band that he has been in since he was 14. As the youngest member of his band, he's the only one that lives at the Palm Woods, though he meets the boys late because he was on tour when they first moved in. He gets involved in the boys' shenanigans pretty quickly.

Serenity Meyer (Virginia Gardner FC), James Diamond ship. A former religious cult choir singer that, following her excommunication, has made her way to Los Angeles to be a singer. She's very new at most teenager things, and luckily Jo lets her live with her at the Palm Woods when she hears about her story, but the boys are very happy to help her figure out how to be a teen.

Juniper Poole (Olivia Rose Keegan FC), Kendall Knight ship. A child Broadway star, Juniper has always lived in New York City and that's where she was intending on always living. But then she gets cast in a movie, and her father/manager doesn't want to pass up the opportunity, so while she's filming and doing promo, she gets to stay at the Palm Woods. Which leads to her meeting the boys of Big Time Rush.

Vera Hewitt (Courtney Eaton FC), Logan Mitchell ship. Vera's one of the most well known young figure skaters around, bronze medalist two years in a row at the Olympics, gold at the Grand Prix more than she can count, there was not a name in sports that wasn't as known. Then she gets hurt. A bad fall leads to an early end and needing money for her family, cue sponsorship commercials and guest tv spots and moving to Los Angeles, where she met some hockey playing boys that may help her get back on the ice.

Gideon Gardner (Cameron Gellman FC), Kendall Knight, James Diamond, Carlos Garcia, and Logan Mitchell ship. Being from Minnesota, Gideon had grown up with the boys, playing hockey with them and having a good time when they hung out after games. Then, they got the opportunity of a lifetime and left. So Gideon was on his own, until his little sister got cast in some pre-teen show and they were moving to Los Angeles, coincidentally, to the Palm Woods, where he got to see the boys again and realize he's missed them much more than a normal friend would.

Tagging @daughter-of-melpomene because BTR!!

[crimium]

My thoughts on the new Hifuu Album

Well, Taboo Japan Disentanglement just came out! after reading the story and listening to the tracks, I thought I'd share my thoughts on the album!

The tracks

I'm going to go through the album tracks in order and give my individual thoughts on them.

1 - Morning Comes on Tanabata Hill (Original)

This is surprisingly emotional for an opening track. The new drum set here is wonderful, and the piano is soothing and atmospheric. I do think the melody is kind of all over the place though, and it's a bit hard to follow. All in all, a really nice calming song.

2 - Tinkerbell of Inequality (Original)

I've been excited to listen to this one ever since the album got announced because of the interesting title, and HOLY SHIT THIS SONG IS AMAZING. The instrumentation is so weird but oh so good. The track is ominous but jazzy. The melody is catchy. It reminds me of GFC and CoSD, with it's apocalyptic futuristic vibe. This is easily the best track in the album. Solid.

3 - Does the Forbidden Door Lead to This World, or the World Beyond? (HSiFS arrangement)

Now we get to the arrangements. The song is sporting a new drum set and piano, and I can safely say that the instrumentation is a huge improvement to the original. To be frank, I'm not too much of a fan of HSiFS's instrumentation, now don't get me wrong, the songs are great, but they suffer a bit because the instruments ZUN uses are a bit lackluster. Here, that is not the case, this a great arrange. Something I do want to note, is that the BPM of the arranges seems to be lowered a bit from their original counterparts. Not a bad thing, but it's interesting to keep in mind as you keep listening.

4 - Smoking Dragon (UM arrangement)

HOOOOOOLYYYYYY SHIIIIIIIT. The key change. the new drumset. the new, climactic/triumphant atmosphere. The new section added in??? It's all so perfect, this does the original song justice. I love this so much. One of my favorite arranges in the whole album.

5 - Mugen Noh ~ Taboo Marionette (Original)

This song is calming, but sinister sounding as well. It hits a nice balance of calming and uneasy. The instrumentation, once again, is really good here. I do feel that the electric guitar a bit later in feels a bit out of place, but in general, the song creates a really good atmosphere, and it's definitely a standout track.

6 - Crazy Backup Dancers (HSiFS arrangement)

I don't really have much to say about this one, other than that it's a fairy good arrangement of the original song. ZUN added a new synth(?) into the mix, which gives it a distinct sound from the original. It's fun!

7 - Yorimashi Between Dreams and Reality ~ Necro-Fantasia (AoCF arrange)

ZUN. you can't keep getting away with this. This is peak. The song has a newly added intro of the Necrofantasia main theme before the song kicks in, and WOW does it create an atmosphere. The instrumentation is once again great and the key change (that just dissapears half-way through lmao) is also really cool. This is a great track.

8 - The Lonesome Path in Hitachi (Original)

A surprisingly upbeat track given the title. It's composed in swing rhythm, and because of that, it kinda reminds me of Let's Live in a Lovely Cemetery and Like the Brilliance of Fairies. Not that that's a bad thing, but it does make it sand out a bit less for me. Still a good track, though! Also ZUN chill out with those reverbs

9 - The Lamentations Known Only by Jizo (WBaWC arrange)

I like the new choir here, it makes it sound more dramatic. I am a bit disappointment that the flute kind of overshadows the Spooky Lead from the original, but it's not a bad arrangement at all. And man this drum set is really doing wonders rn

10 - The Concealed Four Seasons (HSiFS arrange)

WOW. TALK ABOUT A GREAT FINALE. This arrangement tweaks just enough without completely changing the vibe of the original song, and it's fantastic. About halfway through, there's a key change that makes it sort of feel like a phase 2 to the song, and it really completes the whole package. Fantastic.

11 - Apparitions Abound Even Outside of Night (Original)

Oh cool, what a nice, calming, uplifting trac- ZUN WHAT ARE YOU DOING. So the song starts off very calming and atmospheric, and then turns into digi-rock like a minute in. It's kind of jarring but I think it works, the song is still fantastic, and does a good job wrapping things up for the album, and the story. Speaking of which...

The story (spoiler warning)

Without going into too much detail, because I highly recommend you read the story on your own, the predictions of Merry and Renko being separated where not exactly wrong, although I think the story was a lot less heartbreaking than everyone thought it would've been. It serves as a nice drama and really shows how these characters relate to each other. Seeing Renko drop everything just to save Merry shows that even if they get on the wrong foot, they're still the Hifuu club, through and through.

In conclusion, this album is absolutely stellar. ZUN's instrumentation this time around is incredibly diverse, and I can tell he was having fun experimenting. The story is also well written, showcasing these two characters and their conflicting yet similar ideals. Please, go give this album a listen! It may have been 8 years since the last hifuu album, but it was definitely worth the wait.

[acanth3]

追憶＊マリオネットの糸の先 / Reminiscence＊End of the Marionette's Strings

EPISODE 13

Valkyrie Stage

Nazuna: ……!?

(Huh, the song has stopped!? Direction..? No, we didn't plan for this!)

(Our backup vocals have been interrupted! The recording of me and Mika-chan’s voices have stopped playing…the recording has disappeared!?)

(The microphone has turned off so I can only hear Oshi-san’s voice!)

(No…! Oshi-san is also surprised by the sudden intrusion and has stopped singing! Everything is going wrong!)

(Our fans are also confused, what is this!? An accident, a power outage!?)

(No! The light’s are still on! Only our recording has disappeared…?)

(I can help with the directing but I have to stay put. We just have to wait for the song to begin again!)

(Sing! All i have to do is move around a little and perform our live song! Just like back in choir!)

(It’s okay, I can sing/I can do it! I practise properly every day on the rooftop!

(But, I'm scared! My voice was packed and thrown away like in a garbage bag seen as worthless!)

(Won’t I just make Oshi-san angry again..?)

(My voice will be thrown away again right? Don’t sing without permission, I’ll get cursed at…No I will be punished.)

(If that happens, this performance will be over!)

(If such a miserable thing will come out of this, it’s better to just stay silent…?)

Mika: ~..... ♪ 

 ♪~ ♪~ ♪

Nazuna: (Mika-chan, you too…You were practising by yourself too, weren’t you?)

(Always left behind us..)

(I laughed thinking your position was too easy. You wanted to sing too! You are an idol after all, aren’t you?)

(Mika-chan is much more obsessed with Oshi-san than I am. He’s always cursed at and called a failure..)

(And still, he was with me.)

(He always laughed, worked harder, and followed me around desperately!)

(He’s so good at it! It’s a much more beautiful voice than mine! I think I would fall in love with you, you’re really an idol!)

(Mika-chan…you kept quiet and obediently followed us, didn’t you?)

(Oshi-san who’s nervous and in high spirits with a bad mouth, and me who's expressionless and unfriendly!)

(Everyday we spent together as ‘Valkyrie��...I don’t want to be stopped here!)

(His favourite Oshi-san that he loves get’s frustrated with him, and he sang, overcoming his fears of being thrown away!)

(Yea…! I don't even want it to end here! In a stage like this!)

(I also want to put on that costume for my birthday! And more costumes and more..!)

(Yes! I'll give you a birthday present! So, let’s all sing together please!)

(From now on, forever we’ll be ‘Valkyrie’..!

Nazuna:  ♪~ ♪~ ♪

Shu: (Kagehira…Nito…I see, that’s right..!)

(Aa..really, I can't believe I was a fool.)

(I thought about our failure so much, if either of us showed our weakness we would have been taken advantage of. So that’s why I…)

(It’s far too late to regret any of this now, it’s a bit hard to hear..)

(Our live performances as Valkyrie must stay perfect, and yet both of their voices..)

(Of course it’s a consequence for me, I didn’t help them practise singing and sync my voice with them. I thought I had protected them.)

(I couldn’t see their true value, through my blinded eyes.)

(My body lost its balance a little, I feel as though my body is going to shatter..)

(Because we’re just antique dolls, relics from the past..)

(I noticed it too late, even if we just get a scratch I’ll only continue to sink down further.)

(But we should at least go out until the end. Nito, Kagehira, my youth…my dear ‘Valkyrie’.)

 ♪~ ♪~ ♪

Nazuna: (We really all sang, I feel like crying to death.)

(.....Our reputation amongst the audience is tattered now.)

(We sang together over the recorded one…this was our first and last time.)

a/n cant upload nazuna and shus singing part ill post it seperately mayb

[fromtenthousandfeet]

How about a change of topic, @fromtenthousandfeet?

Last night I watched the JK Golden mini-concert on YouTube. Hold on, I am going to relate this to Jimin, promise. Here are some things I noticed:

He only sang 12 songs. 10 from his album, and two from his BTS days: Still with You and Magic Shop (singing his part with the recording.)

There was a fair amount of talking. Also two brief videos. So that took up some time.

I wondered how he would work the collabs. As far as I could tell, he just sang Seven and 3D without including the others.

He used the backtrack for his BG vocals. Why don't they ever use real background singers? This seems so inexplicable to me.

The production values were, I would say, modest. As in, sparse.

This was definitely an event for Army and JK solos. RM was there and did speak briefly from the audience on how much he admired JK. He said the others couldn't attend because they had schedules or words to that effect.

OK, here's how this relates to Jimin. I keep hearing that Jimin doesn't have enough songs to do a concert, but he certainly has more than 12! He wouldn't even have to include his collabs (except SGMB?)

Does he have enough time to rest between the intense choreo ones and the no-choreo ones? I think so? And please include his Black Swan solo. And maybe a cover or two. Keeping hope alive for something in Spanish, como siempre, but there are other possibilities. Recently I read a recommendation for Human Nature by MJ. What a brilliant idea. I could totally see (hear) that.

Everybody seems to agree that the 1st song has to be SetMeFree, pt2. Hell, yeah! But could they bring in the actual choir, please? And I wonder if Suga would do the rap part--I'm glad he isn't on the album, but it would be cool to have a truly live performance... and something that ISN'T just like the recording. That's why you go to a concert, isn't it?

I mean, I get why they have to have a backtrack, but how about some live background vocals from background singers, too? I found it disconcerting when Jimin sang WHO on Jimmy Fallon and there were those moments when his recorded voice came in. Isn't there a way to use BG singers in those moments?

But...bottom line: Jimin has enough material to do his own concert. Perhaps not a full two hours, unless he had an opening act, but his own concert is entirely feasible and very desirable. I believe he has the fan base to support him, or am I being delusional?

Should we start making a set list?

Anon,

Thank you for this wonderful ask. I'm sorry I'm a bit late in responding.

All of your points are so on point (lol)! I'm now obsessing over the idea of Jimin covering the best song from MJ's Thriller (IMHO). JM was born to sing Human Nature!

While it wouldn't allow him a chance to rest, I would love an award show-style dance performance or two. Marionette Fake Love? Blindfolded Lie? OMG. And yes, let's get Black Swan in there, too. He doesn't have to repeat these performances, of course. Something new would be amazing. Do people understand just how one of a kind Jimin is? His dancing is on another level.

Backup singers? Yes, please! I beg. Rearrange his songs so that he doesn't need to rely on backtrack vocals and use real, human backup singers since add such warmth and depth to songs. Why is BH so violently opposed to them? And that choir from LA? They are breathtakingly talented. Please add them to the tour, too.

Finally, a song in Spanish? Claro que si! We know he has it in him - it's only a matter of time.

Anon, let's get the set list started, vet some possible opening acts, and start crowd funding for the tour because I don't trust BH to do anything.

[bluedalahorse]

For the drabbles!

Sarah

Reunion

Backup: Fear

Thanks for the request! You’re my very last drabble for this year’s challenge. :) Couldn’t resist doing reunion as a future saraugust drabble because one must create what one wants to see in the world. Enjoy!

Tagging @youngroyals-events since this event was their brainchild.

Close Harmonies (link to AO3)

In their twenties, Sara and August cross paths at Christmases and stray birthdays.

Sara works on the opposite coast and visits family when she can. August starts living his apology to Simon after some initial halting conversations.

When Sara turns thirty, a concert celebrates Simon’s choral compositions. Sara drives across Sweden to attend and discovers August in the audience.

“You don’t have to…” August starts when Sara asks.

“It’s alright. Sit with me.”

From the choir: an unguarded melody, weaving around dissonant chords, persisting toward change.

Sara sees tears glint at the corners of August’s eyes. She catches his hand.

[shewhoworshipscarlin]

Doris Troy

R&B Singer Doris Troy was born Doris Elaine Higginsen in Bronx, New York, on January 6, 1937. Both a singer and a songwriter, her biggest hit, “Just One Look,” was released in 1963 and peaked at no. 10 on the Billboard Hot 100 chart.

Troy’s father was a Barbadian Pentecostal minister, and she began singing in the church choir.  Her parents disapproved of R&B and rock ‘n’roll music and forbade their four children to listen to it. Despite their ban on that music, she became an usherette at the Apollo Theatre in Harlem where she heard and met many of the performers including James Brown, who was credited with “discovering” her.

In 1957, Troy formed a three-girl group named the Halos and began writing songs. A publisher paid her $100 for her song “How About That,” which became a hit for Dee Clark. To earn a steady income, Troy began singing backup and teamed with Cissy Houston and her cousins Dionne and Dee Dee Warrick for Atlantic Records in 1963. Calling themselves the Sweet Inspirations, they sang backup for The Drifters, Solomon Burke, and other established artists.

After writing “Just One Look” with Gregory Carroll in 1963, the couple took the demo to Jerry Wexler of Atlantic Records who immediately signed them. The record was released under the name Doris Troy, as Higginsen changed her name to Troy after the legendary heroine, Helen of Troy.  “Just One Look” was a smash success and was later recorded by The Hollies and Linda Ronstadt. Unfortunately, Doris Troy was never able to match her first hit.

In 1964, Troy visited London and became enamored with the British music scene. She moved to the United Kingdom in 1969 and signed with Apple Records, owned by the Beatles. Throughout the 1970s, she collaborated with British artists and developed a loyal following. She once did a live show backed on piano by Elton John, who at the time was not well-known. Troy sang backup on George Harrison’s hit, “My Sweet Lord,” Carly Simon’s “You’re So Vain,” and Billy Preston’s album That’s the Way God Planned It. Returning to the U.S. in 1974, she shared the stage with Otis Redding, Rufus Thomas, and other noted artists.

Perhaps her most memorable stage performance was in Mama, I Want to Sing, a musical she wrote along with her younger sister, Vy Higginsen, and her husband, Ken Wydro. Based on Troy’s life, the musical featured Troy playing her mother, Geraldine. When it opened at the Heckschers Theatre in Spanish Harlem on March 23, 1983, it ran for 1,500 performances before going on a national and international tour. From 1986 to 1999 the musical toured Germany, Italy and Japan, and was performed at the West End Theatre in the UK. The musical was made into a motion picture titled Mama, I Want to Sing starring Ciara, Patti LaBelle, and Hill Harper and released on DVD in 2012.

Respiratory problems forced Troy to move from New York to Las Vegas, Nevada, for the dry desert climate. She continued to perform in supper clubs and casinos. Doris Troy died of emphysema on February 16, 2004, at the age of 67 in Las Vegas.

[thislovintime]

Peter Tork with the Fairfax Street Choir (in their bass vocal section); pictured in photo 1 with Ralph Pennuneri, Hosanna Bauer, and Bill Craig. Via the Fairfax Street Choir Facebook page, except for photo 4 (courtesy of Mark Kleiner).

Photo 2: “Peter Tork has his banjo but never played it with the choir that I remember but He was a really good musician and I remember him playing at the Lady. [...] I've heard some of his live stuff on tape that he did at the Sleeping Lady and was blown away by how great he really was as a musician.” - Marla Hunt Hanson, Facebook, January 3, 2021

“Peter showed me some banjo picking patterns... he was a nice guy fun to play music with.” - David Carlson, Facebook, January 2021

“To us, he wasn’t famous, he was just Peter. [...] He was just a sweet, dear man that, you know, everybody loved... He was just a good guy. You know, ‘Sleep on the couch, have a good one. You know, we love you. Come on in.’ [...] His destiny in this lifetime was with The Monkees. We were like his backup friends, or his backup band, whatever you want to call it.He came to us wounded, like a wounded bird, really. […] He never really got to escape from being one of The Monkees. It was very hard, you know, it was hard for him. I wish we could have given him more. [...] I said to him, ‘Well, why are you going back when they treated you so badly, and blah blah blah?’ And he said, they offered him something he couldn’t turn down, something like that, so it had to do with money of course, because… so, yeah, he went back, poor thing. God bless him. [...] [W]hen you’re a Monkee, the fans will come out of, you know, somehow they’ll seep in through the furnace floor or a little crack in the window. You’re always on display, you’re always having someone looking at you or tagging at you or pulling at you or saying, ‘God, I remember that episode…’You know, and you’re always having to be on the stage or on— in gear, or answering with a smile to your fan group, whatever that is. You’re trained to do that through the industry itself. You know, anyway, I don’t want to go that far. In this group consciousness that he was a part of for a short period of time, he didn’t have to do that. He just didn’t have to do that. And that’s why I think that was — he’ll never forget that group or the Sleeping Lady however many lifetimes he lives. And I’ll tell you this, he was happy in a very strange way for as long as he was there with us. He was happy in a different way, not in the way that you are when you’re famous. In the way you are when you’re happy. [...] Someone like Peter Tork, who shines a light out onto this world, can only shine as brightly as we allow them to. […] When you see a flame, move back and let it shine, don’t go in there and try to get it, because the reason that it’s alive is because it’s got oxygen, air, and there’s not a lot of moths hanging out around it trying to, you know, take its life. I think a lot of that is true about Peter. That’s how — what I think.” - Marla Hunt Hanson, interview with the Nesmith Tork Goffin & King podcast, February 2020

"Back in Marin. Peter Tork began to hang out at the Sleeping Lady. (He works there as a waiter now). One night The Fairfax Street Choir was there. He was amazed, saw a home, and joined. He grins as he adds: ‘In some ways I was a cold, lonely hitchhiker being picked up by a warm school bus.’ [...] He’s happy. Content. And hopeful. For the Choir. And himself." - San Diego Reader, December 6, 1973 (originally published in the Chicago Reader; interview conducted by Chuck Stepner) (read more here)

“What a group! 35 voices strong; some harmonies! It was something, very encouraging, very comforting.” - Peter Tork, Goldmine, May 1982 (x)

Peter Tork: "As soon as The Monkees was over, I went to Marin County to try to recapture some of my Greenwich-Village-days happiness, and I did. I was very, I was very lucky, there was a lovely scene in Fairfax, Marin County, and I had a great time up there for a couple of years, worked as a waiter in a cooperative restaurant and it was great, it was actually great. The thing about The Monkees, it was so difficult, was to be yanked out of — off the street, flung to the pinnacle and then, you know, and then dropped.” Q: “Yeah.” PT: “So, so I went back to the street, where I’d, you know, gotten my roots together. It was great.” - GOLD 104.5, 1999 (x)

[sleepanonymous]

Hello! I’m a bit confused about timelines still so I figured I’d ask you if that’s okay? The Choir in past shows like the St. Pancras ritual and The Room Below ritual is Espera/the one we have today, right? They are so stunning and their voices are so beautiful, it makes me happy that they’ve done background vocals live with the band for so long if they’re indeed the same 😭🖤 Their upgraded looks are so cool too, they look like the fates

Hello Anon, ty for the ask 🖤 It’s more than okay, I’m always happy to answer questions (I just have an awful response time at the moment).

I have the majority of Sleep Token's timeline in a post here, but it is a long read so I’ll summarize the parts that may help clarify things for you.

Specific to Espera/The Choir, you’re correct. They’ve been the same three women each time they performed/toured with Sleep Token. They’ve opened for several of Sleep Token’s rituals in the band Exploring Birdsong, and as far as I can tell, the first time they did so was for Ritual XI at St Pancras Old Church on October 11, 2018. They also performed The Way That You Were with Vessel and the Keyboardist, concluding the ritual for that evening. The first full ritual they performed with Sleep Token, however, was when the band opened for Baby Metal and Amaranth on July 2, 2019.

The Choir wasn't a staple of Sleep Token’s rituals until more recently. They would perform alongside Sleep Token at most UK/European rituals, but had not followed Sleep Token overseas to Australia or The United States until 2023.

It’s worth noting that the Keyboardist did backup vocals for Vessel as well, until she left the band after Ritual XI to pursue personal projects. You can hear her singing in some live videos from 2018, but she’s most easily heard in the Maida Vale session recordings that Sleep Token did in April 2018. My friend has this video on his YouTube channel, and I put his mp3 files in my Google Drive under “Maida Vale Session 2018.”

[fizzingwizard]

I was never a Gleek, never even watched Glee but this stuff is so friggin wild to me:

Lea Michele and Idina Menzel singing a sentimental ballad version of "Poker Face"

an all boys' high school whose favorite pastime is impromptu quasi-barbershop chorus renditions of Kelly Clarkson and Katy Perry

characters bursting out in tears whenever someone sings something emotional, by which I mean a normal pop song, and storming out of the room, which appears to happen on the regular

interrupting the best part of Living on a Prayer to sing a different song instead, for some outrageous reason. like some songs mix well others do NOT need editing

entire Gospel choirs singing backup from within the walls I guess

just how much of the show is actors playing high schoolers sitting still with no lines, pretending to have their lives changed by the vocals of other actors also playing high schoolers as they belt pop songs at each other???

and the utterly transcendent "Justin Bieber's 'Baby' is an anthem of our generation"

[bracketsoffear]

I got a bit bored, so I decided to think up that the winner's tourney/bracket are essentially all the avatars in each fear bracket trying to out-ritual the other avatars (or pulling a Gertrude in the case of the non-avatars, or existing in the case of the End and Web avatars). So I wanna see what happens if the submitted Stranger avatars and some suggested avatars (through those 'character(s) I wish I submitted' posts, identified in italics) did the Unknowing:

Organized the Unknowing: The Substitute

Music/Choir: Other Mother (via Other Father/Spink), The Substitute (via puppets, he also sings himself), Jane Doe, Fiddlesticks

Danseuse Étoile/Lead dancers: The Substitute, Sumire, Steve, Toy Soldier

Corpse du Ballet: Ennard (still wearing Michael Afton), Pavi Largo

Backup dancers (Group 1 - Shapeshifters): Envy, Odo, the Thing, Vee, Clayface, Double Trouble, Sado

Backup dancers (Group 2 - Lookalikes): Kevin, M3gan, The Tethered, Yoshikage Kira (paired with a living mannequin of Kosaku), Alpharion (and Omegon), Isabel Lovelace

Made costumes/disguises from people: Other Mother, Count Olaf, Mimikyu, Koh the Face Stealer

Kidnapped and made taxidermy people for the choir: Other Mother, Norman Bates, Nosk, Kier Eagan, Waxworks, The Thistle Men

Objects (eventually comes to life): Woody (maybe the other toys too), Slappy the Dummy

Provided said objects: The Substitute, Spamton

Interchangeable (aka I really don't know or they could take on any of the roles): Agent Smith, Tiffany Korta, Autons, Peter Nureyev

Wow, that's impressive. I would say Autons could go under Objects (eventually come to life) since they tend to mostly be mannequins and dolls; though, perhaps they could also provide the decor for the show with their plastic daffodils. Agent Smith and Tiffany Korta, both being legions of identical copies of themselves, have the potential to make a truly dizzying display of dancers who twirl and move in lock-step. No ideas for Nureyev, though.

[ella-ashmore]

Ok. first off, that sounds amazing and I’ll watch it soon. Second, what do the choirs songs sound like? They all break into song and dance, so what’s the vibe and theme of their songs :)

oceans is kind of similar to sugar cloud !! very bubbly and upbeat, high energy, mostly talking about how meaningful constance is to her. how happy she is to have her in her life and the choir. it gets mildly dark at the end but im not sure what those lyrics would entail. probably something about not feeling as if either of them are truly happy at all. ocean kisses constance, infecting her in the process. definitely not the worst way to go but she still ends up in the hivemind so, not the best either (the intent of the kiss was to infect but ocean just wanted to kiss her i think)

noels would be very somber. not very similar to noels lament but kind of the same genre yk?? he would sing of his tragedy and how he never felt as if he fit in here in uranium. but now he does! now that he's one with the others, he feels so welcome and loved, wouldnt you want to be one with them too? he sings of heartbreak, and longing, and how maybe the real tragedy of his life was living in uranium, not becoming infected

i think constance would get a song with ocean and noel as vocal backup (what gets the remaining three to figure out something is deeply wrong if they hadnt already encountered infected before finding these three). its also a bit similar to noels lament in genre, talking about how shes so much more than the nicest girl in town, theres so much more to her than that shallow image everyone else has given her. its about her wants, her desires, her dreams, just.... herself. ofc, there is a bit at the end where she acknowledges that theres nothing wrong with being the nicest girl in town. she deserves to figure that out

ricky gets to sing about zolar i cant take that away from him. however, he also sings about how he felt kind of... discarded maybe? because of his disabilities and the ableist way hes been treated throughout his life (ocean infantilizing him, etc etc etc). he wont be treated as something other than normal anymore, the hivemind will make sure of that, wont you please join us?

its a few hours before mischa is infected. he and penny think theyre safe, locked away somewhere secure, somewhere theyre sure the infection cant reach them. they dont know how it happened, the door is blocked, they can hear the people they once knew as neighbors behind it, clamoring to be let in, shouting and screaming and banging on the one barrier keeping them apart. but... somehow, a few got in. a woman dressed in a wedding gown, flanked by ocean and constance. she sings of a love he can still have. she sings of his yearning for talia, and how the hivemind can bring them together. how he can hold the love of his life in his arms. hes so tired. he gives in, allowing them to infect him, much to pennys horror, and takes lead of the song. he sings so desperately for his beloved, he sings of his longing, the pain in his chest when he thinks of the distance between them. he sings of the anger he feels at that separation. he sings of how he wishes, with all of his heart, to be united with her for eternity.

penny doesnt get a song of her own. shes backed into a corner by mischa and the others. she can see the pain in his eyes as he infects her without showing any mercy. finally, all of uranium is one. finally.

[alwaysvivid]

1 for every one of the girls 🩷

1. have u always wanted to become an idol? if not, did u have a "revelation moment" that made u want to be one?

✮ ⋆ ˚｡𖦹 𝐝𝐚𝐲𝐧𝐚 ™ 𓂃 ࣪˖ ִֶָ𐀔

“ i knew i wanted to be an idol at around 10. my mom was a huge k-pop stan through her life and as soon as i saw boa i knew that’s what i wanted to do. the final push i needed was seeing 4minute live and that’s how i ended up auditioning for cube. ”

✮ ⋆ ˚｡𖦹 𝐲𝐮𝐫𝐢 ™ 𓂃 ࣪˖ ִֶָ𐀔

“ i actually wanted to be a doctor or chef growing up, i hate attention and didn’t really sing outside of church choir so being a full time musician was never a thought. when i was scouted i was like ‘well i guess let me try’. it only really became my passion during cubbies when we actually did performances in front of people. ”

✮ ⋆ ˚｡𖦹 𝐬𝐨𝐫𝐚 ™ 𓂃 ࣪˖ ִֶָ𐀔

“ 10000% i knew. since i was a kid i loved music and would write shitty little songs until i actually got good. i dont even think i had a specific time where it clicked, it was always what i saw myself doing. ”

✮ ⋆ ˚｡𖦹 𝐬𝐢𝐬𝐢 ™ 𓂃 ࣪˖ ִֶָ𐀔

“ i actually wanted to be a professional dancer and that’s what i originally auditioned for. i just planned to be a backup dancer at angelico but when i arrived they asked if i could sing and i guess i wasn’t absolute shit cause they offered to sign me as an idol instead. and after binge watching every after school and snsd performance i realized this is literally exactly what i wanted to do. ”

✮ ⋆ ˚｡𖦹 𝐥𝐞𝐨 ™ 𓂃 ࣪˖ ִֶָ𐀔

“ surprisingly it was something i thought about a lot. i loved dancing and i was a huuuuuuge kpop fan growing up like i would learn dances as soon as they came out. but it seemed so out of reach so i just dropped it. then hyunjin got scouted for jyp and i was like oh shit i can actually do this and i auditioned everywhere and here we are. ”

[rippeanuts1950-2000]

The story of how Ocean released snakes upon St. Cassain 

Based on my last post.

“Noel why are you insisting that we watch the show instead of movie?” Ocean asked, grabbing a handful of popcorn. It was the choir’s monthly sleepover and like usual it was a huge debate on what to watch. However, instead of insisting on some obscure French movie, Noel was vouching for some Disney fantasy show. Ocean has no idea why he was insisting on it, given that when they were seven he declared that the only thing Disney related media worth watching was Beauty and the Beast. This had interested the rest of choir so most of the votes went to watching the show. Except for Ocean’s but she was outvoted. 

“Because it’s a good show. Also it’s gay but that happens later.” Noel said. “So are we watching the whole thing?” Mischa asked and Noel shrugged. “The nights young. Literally. It’s only 7. But I need to get you guys invested in this show too, so probably.” Noel said with a mischievous grin. Ocean groaned. “The whole night! Seriously? You guys can’t be okay with this.” She exclaimed, turning to the rest of the choir. Ricky poked the coffee table with his crutch which caught everyone’s attention. He was sitting comfortably on the couch with Penny snuggled up under a blanket next to him. 

I’ve heard good things about it. And I’ve been meaning to watch it anyway. He signed. Penny giggled. “I saw a few photos of one of the characters online. I like the design.” She said with a smile. “Like Noel said. Night young, we have time.” Mischa said and Constance nodded next to him. “Yeah Oce! I’m sure it’s good if Noel is recommending it.” Constance said. Ocean sighed, she was clearly outvoted. “Fine, put it on.” She muttered, flopping back on the arm chair. 

Noel pulled up Disney+ and cued up the show. Since Ocean had been complaining about watching it, she had no idea what it was called. “The Owl House.” She muttered as it started. The show opened like a normal Disney cartoon. Except for the “Eat this sucker!” line. The was out of the ordinary for a Disney show, at least to her anyway. The show seemed fine until a certain line was said. “Oh so that’s where the backup snakes went!” The main character, Luz, said after glancing outside of the principal’s office to reveal kids being chased by snakes. Ocean froze. Then she kicked Noel. 

“Noel you jerk! Did you just put this on to remind me of the snake incident!?” She snapped. Noel blinked, confused. “Uh no. This literally has nothing to do with the….Snake incident.” He trailed off at one point, glancing at the screen and then back at Ocean. “Oh my god. This IS just like the snake incident!” Noel said with a cackle. This caused Constance to start laughing and Ricky to grin like manic. Ocean blushed in embarrassment. “Shut up! It’s not that funny!” She exclaimed. “What’s the snake incident?” Penny asked and Mischa nodded. “I would also like to know what snake incident is.” He said. 

Constance snorted. “Let’s just say Ocean doesn’t have a perfect record.” She said with a smirk. Ocean groaned. “Can we please not talk about this.” She said with a sigh. No can do. The incident was the ONE time you got detention. Of course we’re gonna talk about it. Ricky signed. “Ocean got detention?” Mischa said, surprised. Noel nodded with glee. “Yup! A whole months worth to be exact.” He said in a sing song voice. “Oh we have got to hear this story now.” Penny said with a laugh. Ocean sighed.  “Fine just after the story’s finished, never speak of the incident again. Got it?” Ocean said. Mischa and Penny nodded. “Noel, I know you want to tell it so you can.” Ocean said, making Noel grin. “Thank you, darling! Anyway it all started in 10th grade….”

_______

An 15 year old Ocean skips to her Biology class. In her hands she carries a shoe box. Today it was her turn to do a report on a living creature. You had to do an essay and a model. She chose to do hers on snakes. Now most kids had done simple models but Ocean had done something better and it would be the greatest thing that St Cassian had ever seen.

Since Biology was first period for her, she had no time to waste. She got to her classroom ten minutes early and was able to confirm with her teacher that she was going first. She spent those ten minutes going over her report until the bell rang. Kids started milling in, looking tired as they did so. Ocean wasn’t offended, she knew they would be more alert when she did her report. Constance sat down next to her.

“Hey Ocean!” She said, grinning at her friend. Ocean smiled back. “Hey Constance, you ready for my report today?” She asked and Constance nodded. “I’m sure you’re gonna do great!” Constance said. “Of course I will. I always do.” Ocean said as the teacher took attendance, not noticing the slightly irritated look on Constance’s face. 

“Time for reports. Ocean you’re up first.” The teacher announced after attendance. Ocean jumped up from her seat, grabbing her report and the box that contained her “model”. She looked over the students. She only knew 3 of them properly. Ricky, Noel, and Constance. Constance was paying attention, Noel appeared to be staring off into space, and Ricky was reading a comic book.

Well at least someone she knew was paying attention. “Fellow students. Today I will tell you about snakes. But first, like always, I must show you my model.” Ocean said and opened the box. The plan was to scoop up one of the snakes she had in there and start talking about it.

However when she opened the box, Ocean realized that the snakes were missing. She had put 5 snakes in the box because they were in her backyard and she needed a model. But now there were no snakes in the box. She panicked. “Uh so slight change of plans. Everyone run.” Ocean said quickly. “Why?” Noel asked. 

“Because the 5 live snakes I brought in as my model are missing.” Ocean said carefully, trying to remain calm. Silence fell over the room before someone screamed. This lead to everyone running out of the classroom, Ocean included. 

“Miss. O’Connell Rosenberg! My office now!” The principal announced after the teacher filled him in. Ocean gulped. This wasn’t good. “Sit down.” He said when she walked in. Ocean sat. “I have been told that you’re the reason why I saw a snake in the teachers lounge and why half of our students are running around screaming?” He said sternly. Ocean started crying. “Please sir! I didn’t mean to! Please don’t expel me!” She wailed. The principal looked at her alarmed. 

“You’re not getting expelled child. Your record is clean so there is nothing that would get expelled with this. However, I do have to give you a punishment.” He said, making Ocean blink. “Oh. So what’s my punishment?” She asked. “A month of detention.” He said simply.

Ocean sighed. At least it was better than expulsion. 

________

“And that’s the story of how Ocean got detention!” Noel finished. Mischa was laughing while Penny looked deep in thought. “Wait os Ocean the reason why we can’t bring in live animals?” She asked and Noel nodded. “Yes, I think so.” He said and Penny laughed. “Congratulations Ocean, you officially had a rule made because you.” She said and Ocean rolled her eyes. 

“Yes yes. And now let’s never speak of it again.”