LGBT-themed songs from the early and mid 20th Century

Some time ago we paid tribute to some LGBT pioneering artists, like Bessie Smith, Tony Jackson, Ethel Waters, Ma Rainey and others. Today our focus will be on individual songs, mainly from the US, but also some from France. Some will be by LGBT artists, while others will be by straight artists, or by artists about whom we don't know either way.

Dave

In 1923 Guildford Payne recorded Peachtree Man Blues, using a variety of voices. He was nicknamed Peachtree and he was reported to be a hermaphrodite, with female breasts and male genitals. Unfortunately, none of his songs are to be found on youTube.

Carroll Boyd was an openly gay piano player, who was very popular in Harlem in the 20s through the 40s. Unfortunately, none of his songs are to be found on youTube either.

Porter Grainger was a noted composer and musician. He accompanied on piano a who's who of the blues during the 1920s and early 30s, and for a time was in Bessie Smith's inner circle, and he was reported to be flamboyantly gay. His most famous composition is probably 'Tain't Nobody's Biz-Ness If I Do. This is a version sung by Anna Meyer in 1925:

Here he is on his own in 1937 with Give It To Him:

This song, called Le Trou De Mon Quai (The Hole In My Dock) was written in 1906. Here it's performed by Dranem in 1926:

The song is ostensibly about the subway construction in Paris, but there's wordplay that gives the song a gay subtext. Les Charlots remade the song in 1971:

Dranem released another song in 1929 that belong to this genre: Henri, Pourquoi N'aimes Tu Pas Les Femmes? (Henry, Why Don't You Like Women?).

A year earlier, in 1928, Waymon "Sloppy" Henry released Say I Do It. With lyrics such as "Pete run with Mose 'cause he powdered his nose and even wore ladies' hose. (The) two could be seen running hand in hand in all kinds of weather", it's a natural for our list.

In 1929, Rufus Perryman, better known as Speckled Red, recorded Dirty Dozen, where he talks about seducing a whole family, including the daddy.

In 1930, the openly gay George Hannah gave us two remarkable songs. First, there was Freakish Man Blues, a song about being gay:

A few months later came Boy In A Boat (an euphymism for the clitoris) which is about lesbian love:

Here's another song that doesn't get interesting, to us, until the last verse. In 1930 the Hokum Boys recorded this one, called Somebody's Been Using That Thing. Near the end they sing about female impersonators and very butch women.

Also in 1930, Rufus & Ben Quillian wrote and recorded It's Dirty But Good. It contains the lyrics "I know women that don't like men /The way they do is a crying sin / It's dirty but good, oh, yes, it's dirty but good /There ain't much difference, it's just dirty but good."

Billy Banks moved from Cleveland to New York in the early 30s and soon found himself leading a band at the famous Connie's Inn in Harlem. He was acclaimed for his comedy and impersonations, including female impersonations. Oh, Peter (You're So Nice) from 1932 has man on man lyrics.

Gene ("Jean") Malin was the utmost star of the gay "pansy" craze that flourished under prohibition. Under the control of underground speakeasys, a bohemian culture flourished, including openly-gay "pansy" performers. Jean Malin was a bright star, who performed in Hollywood, and on the screen, with Mae West. He recorded this (his only) record in 1932. Sadly, one year later in 1933, at the age of 25, he died after a tragic accident. Here's I'd Rather Be Spanish:

This is the B-side, called That's What's the Matter with Me. The lyrics certainly feel fresh enough for an 84-year-old song.

Speaking of Mae West, we cannot not feature her in this piece. She was one of the first gay icons of the 20th century. Here she is, from classic 1933 movie She Done Him Wrong. Beside her, a very young Cary Grant. In this scene she sings I Wonder Where My Easy Rider's Gone.

We've already listened, a couple of months ago, to 1925's Sissy Blues by Ma Rainey. Now here's Sissy Man Blues from late 1934 or early 1935 by Kokomo Arnold. It includes the lyrics: "Woke up this mornin' with my pork grindin business in my hand... If you can't send me a woman, send me a sissy man..."

The song was recorded three more times. There were two recordings in 1935. One by George Noble and this one, by Josh White, who sometimes went by the name of Pinewood Tom:

From 1936, here's Connie McLean's Rhythm Boys' version:

In 1938 Louis Powel recorded one more song called Sissy, with some interesting chatter the beginning, including lines such as "we're all sissies and we must stick together." Unfortunately, the song is currently unavailable.

In the 1936 song Garbage Man, by the Harlem Hamfats, after the first 45 seconds the rest of the song is instrumental, but they do get down to business right away. They talk about sticking out your can, or butt, for the garbage man. And as if it wasn't clear enough, the song is subtitled The Call of the Freaks.

Lucille Bogan recorded Women Don't Need No Men in 1927. But eight years later, in 1935, going under the name Bessie Jackson, you'll hear the same phrasing, but this time it's BD women who don't need no men. And in BD Women's Blues the BD stood for the slang terms bull dykes or bull daggers. And it became one of the most openly lesbian songs of the blues.

Jacques Dufresnoy was a famous French transvestite better known as Coccinelle. Here she is in 1957, singing Je cherche Un Milliardaire (I'm Looking For A Millionaire):

Jean-Claude Pascal was a gay singer and actor. Pascal won the 1961 Eurovision Song Contest for Luxembourg with the song Nous Les Amoureux (We The Lovers):

One of the most famous and respected singer-songwriters in France is Georges Brassens. Here he is performing a gay-themed song from 1962 called Les Copains D'Abord (Friends First):

The fabulous Régine sings La Grande Zoa (1966), about a woman who could be a man.

Dave (born Wouter Otto Levenbach) was a Francophone singer from the Netherlands who had a string of number one hits in France in the 1970s. (See photo). He came out as gay in the 90s. Here's one of his biggest hits, in 1970, Copain, Ami, Amour (Companion, Friend, Lover):

The legendary Juliette Gréco, also in 1970, gave us a gay parable with Les Pingouins:

Finally for today, a Disco hit from 1978 by Starmania called Le Travesti (The Transvestite):