Village People were a novelty disco band of the late 1970s. The group were as well known for their outrageous on-stage costumes (the members dressed 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 suggestive lyrics.
Band Info
Genre/s: Disco Years active: 1977 - present Current members: G. Jeff Olsen Eric Anzalone Ray Simpson Felipe Rose Alex Briley David "Scar" Hodo Former members: Randy Jones Glenn Hughes Victor Willis
The band was assembled (in 1977) and managed by two French musicians, Jacques Morali and Henri Belolo, specifically to showcase and perform their disco music creations. Much like Frank Farian's Boney M or The Spice Girls, the group was manufactured. Despite the French song writers, the songs were all in 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. Although the group exploited gay themes, the original line-up was a mixture of gay and straight members.
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, 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 their trademark "Macho Man", "Go West (song)|Go West", 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, wedding receptions, school dances, sporting events and B'nai Mitzvah. At the end of the fifth inning of each baseball game at Yankee Stadium, the grounds crew take an on-field break from grooming the infield to dance as "YMCA" is played, typically to enthusiastic cheers from the fans.
An interesting fact about the Village People recordings is that all of the background vocals for their best known recordings were provided by two session musicians who went on to front notable bands; Bill Champlin from Chicago, and Richard Page (musician) from Mr. Mister.
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 Village People. The movie "won" the Worst Picture and Razzies|Worst Screenplay prizes at the 1980 Golden Raspberry Awards in March 1981 and was nominated in almost all the other categories.
In 1981, with the popularity of disco waning and New Wave music on the rise, 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.
In 1994, the Village People joined the German national soccer team to sing its official World Cup '94 theme, "Far Away in America."
Starting in 2004, Village People performed as the opening act for Cher on her Farewell Tour until it ended in April 2005.
From July 18th to July 20th, 2004, Village People performed in Berlin for three shows as an opening act for the German punk band Die �rzte.
On June 6, 2006 Village People are scheduled to be the headline act at Asbury Park's famous GayPride parade and festival.
The Village People also appeared as minor characters in the animated series Reboot.
Cultural references
*U2 pays homage to the Village People by dressing up in similar costumes in the video for "Discoth�que (song)|Discotheque".
Discography
*Village People - LP/USA/Casablanca 1977 *Macho Man (album)|Macho Man - LP/USA/Casablanca 1978 *Cruisin' - LP/USA/Casablanca 1978 *Go West - LP/USA/Casablanca 1979 *Live and Sleazy - 2LP/USA/Casablanca 1979 *Can't Stop The Music - LP/USA/Casablanca 1980 *Renaissance - LP/USA/Casablanca 1981 *Fox On The Box - LP/USA/RCA-Victor 1982/In The Street - LP/USA/Casablanca 1983 *Sex Over The Phone - LP/France/Black Scorpio-CBS 1985 *Greatest Hits - LP/USA/Rhino 1988 *Greatest Hits '89 Remixes - CD/BCM Records 1989 *The Best Of Village People - CD/USA/Polygram 1994 *The Very Best Of - CD/USA/Polygram 1998 *20th Century Masters, The Millenium Collection...The Best Of Village People - CD/USA/Universal 2001
Original 'People'
*Alex Briley (the soldier) *David "Scar" Hodo (the construction worker) *Felipe Rose (the Indian) *Glenn Hughes (the leatherman/biker), Hughes died of lung cancer on March 4, 2001. (Not to be confused with Glenn Hughes, the former Deep Purple bassist and vocalist.) *Randy Jones (the cowboy) - until 1980. Then from 1985 until 1987. *Victor Willis (the police officer) - until late 1979; he co-authored certain songs, notably "In the Navy", and served as lead vocalist.
Replacement 'People'
*Eric Anzalone (the leatherman/biker, replacement, since 1995) *G. Jeff Olsen (the cowboy, replacement) *Ray Simpson (the police officer, replacement, since 1980) *Miles Jaye (the police officer for two years) *Ray Stephens - Lead singer in 1985. Died in 1990 *Mark Lee - Construction worker in 1985.
