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| The "Stonewall" movie Columbia
Records-produced soundtrack
was/is available on compact discs (c/d's) and cassettes.
Columbia was most expansive in their promotion. Gay
promotion of both the c/d and the cassette were handled in the GLBT
community
throughout New York City and the New York tri-state
metropolitan area mainly by the Imperial QUEENS & Kings of
Greater New York ("IQKNY") and the STONEWALL
Veterans' Association ("S.V.A."). Columbia Records promotion and
marketing departments dealt directly with IQKNY and,
specifically, Queen Allyson Ann, who not only appeared in
the movie "Stonewall" as Herself with a 'Stonewall Testimonial'
and was presented on stage
at the movie premier, but had the entertainment clout of
all her shows to highlight the "Stonewall" soundtrack songs. It
was a fact the combination of all of the above, and much more,
resulted in a surge of interest in The Shangri-Las featuring the
inimitable Mary Weiss. A different generation and new
fans were introduced to The Shangri-Las' songbook. Promotion of
the movie "Stonewall" was also achieved locally through the
IQKNY
newsletter, "Imperially Yours", and the S.V.A.'s "Stonewall Newzletta" -- plus S.V.A.'s entertainment events with "Stonewall
Showtyme" and guest appearances.
Of course, Columbia Records' own marketing division did plenty of their own GLBT-targeted promotion of the "Stonewall" soundtrack with full-page ads in GLBT newspapers such as the New York Blade News and in GLBT national magazines such as The Advocate and Out! and in New York City magazines such as Time-Out and Next. Columbia Records also took full-page ads in the newsletters of the S.V.A. and the IQKNY. Furthermore, Queen Allyson & The Allysonians, who were already known for their right-on performances of songs of the girl group Mary Weiss & The Shangri-Las, several songs of which are in the movie, were in even greater demand at the time of the forthcoming movie "Stonewall". Columbia Records representatives literally attended -- and enjoyed -- every performance at this time of Queen Allyson & The Allysonians at clubs such as Rome, Barracuda and Claire's in Chelsea. Rocco S. and his boys at Columbia Records smartly distributed brochures and free (now collector item) promotional music cassettes of "Stonewall: Music from A Revolution" (see below) before, during and after the movie was finally released in the Summer of 1996. Coincidentally, The Shangri-Las had their last hit song exactly 30 years before in the Summer of 1966, "Past, Present and Future". Intentionally, it served perfectly as the three-part, effectively-interspersed theme and time-frame of the movie "Stonewall". |
| "Stonewall" the movie received
most of its factual music "411"
(information) directly from the S.V.A.'s Founder and President
Williamson Henderson, author of the
renowned, unique and informative "Songs of The Stonewall". See
the S.V.A. website
icon "Songs of The Stonewall" for a complete and interestingly uniquely
detailed listing of 1966 to 1969 song favorites
at The Stonewall Club. There is also the special listing of
"Perennial Favorite Songs of The Stonewall", which is where you
will find most of The Shangri-Las' songs that graced The
Stonewall jukebox. Williamson specifically suggested which would
be the best Shangri-Las songs popular at The Stonewall that could best
reflect the sensitive story in the movie. The songs included
"Remember", "Out In The Streets" and "Past, Present And Future".
For fast dance and fun, the essential choice was "Give Him A
Great Big Kiss". All four of the songs were used in the
"Stonewaall" film!!!! The promotional card pictured above
is the flipside of the top movie soundtrack card. And this
one actually peeled off so that you could post the frontside
movie card, depicting a very symbolic embrace of the two male
co-stars of "Stonewall". (Notice the "peel here" tab in the
upper left corner of the card.)
"And that's called 'glad'." Songs in the movie "Stonewall" not listed above for the soundtrack but actually in the film include The Shangri-Las' "Out In the Streets" (very kicky and melodramatic). And most notably absent is the three-part, story-telling theme song of the movie by The Shangri-Las: "Past, Present and Future" -- a very unusual 'pop' record by any standards, most of the song actually spoken by lead singer Mary Weiss with haunting, almost Wagnerian background music. The Shangri-Las are the girl trio who had the wild, international number one song "Leader of the Pack" (replete with reved-up motorcycle sounds and a very effective motorcycle crash). "The Shangs", as they were nicknamed by the youth then, had the incredibly girlish, very teenage, strongly emoting and blue-eyed soul Mary Weiss (from Cambria Heights in Queens, New York City) as their appealing and convincing lead singer. She was backed up very effectively by her sister Betty Weiss and the Ganser twins, Mary Ann and Margie. Mary's voice, the impassioned and sometimes tragic stories that their songs told and the dramatic, lilting music were all just a perfect combo for the coming-of-Gay-age movie "Stonewall", just as they were for the patrons at the original club Stonewall. "And that's called 'good'." |
| "Stonewall Movie Excerpt #1" is uniquely and
appropriately the
actual spoken words of five Stonewall Veterans (plus a snide,
retired police officer from 1969 at the rebellion scene, not included herein) of the
Stonewall Rebellion. In the movie all are included -- and shown
-- in the opening
interview sequence interspersed with civil rights film footage.
It is the following excerpted words that were most riveting. Queen Allyson Allante: "It was beyond frightening. It was... um... traumatizing! And, in part, I am still traumatized by it to this day." Randy Wicker: "I personally thought... oh, my God, homosexuals are going to be the boogie man of the 1970s. I was with the Mattachine Society and we sort of believed in wearing a coat and tie and making as respectable an appearance as we can." Tommy Lanigan-Schmidt: "Nobody on that particular night showered and shaved to go to a riot." Sasha Loren: "Well, I think it had something to do with Judy Garland's death." Bob Kohler: "Every other group had made their point in the 1960s. But not the Gays (sic)! You could do what you wanted with the them. But suddenly, now, there were the Gays (sic) revolting." And in a surprise second interview quip.... Queen Allyson states her well-quoted/oft-repeated remark -- the only laugh line in the Stonewall interviews and which got quite a roar in previews and from audiences in the movie theatres. Queen Allyson: "If my Mother even hears the word 'Stonewall', she has to take another heart pill." The drag queen lead character in the Stonewall movie then appears and her opening words are also included with "Movie Excerpt #1". La Miranda: "You see, there are as many Stonewall stories as there are Gay queens in New York.... Well, this is my legend, honey! Okay? My Stonewall legend." Track #2 - The entire Stonewall Veterans interviews and La Miranda connecting segment then very cleverly and effectively segues into the actual movie, with the upbeat, bouncy, telling-a-story song, "The Boy from New York City", prominently playing full volume in the background. It leads us to the main Gay male character. Track #3 - A brief Gay humor excerpt from a scene in the movie: "What's between your 'maleness' side and your 'femaleness' side? Fabulousness!" Track #4 - The first line, literally spoken (with very danceable music in the background) of The Shangri-Las' song, the hand-clapping, foot-stomping "Give Him a Great Big Kiss", with lead singer Mary Weiss declaring the popularly-quoted: "When I say I'm in love, you best believe I'm in love, l-u-v." That spelling has been popularized ever since! "Kiss" (as it was shortened in talk) is a great, lively and even campy song. The foot stomping segments of the girls "I'm gonna walk right up to him...." are very effective. It was a big favorite by demand at The Stonewall -- even years after it was off the charts. In New York it was #1! In the New York GLBT community, Queen Allyson & The Allysonians are known for performing that song in their tribute to The Shangri-Las shows, which have been used at fund-raising benefits and even at political candidate events. Notes: Both sides of this promotional cassette are identical. "Testimonial" excerpts of the Stonewall Veterans named herein are also included on the commercially-sold "Stonewall" movie sound track C.D. (compact disc). |
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