Village People
Encyclopedia
Village People is a concept
disco
group that formed in the United States
in 1977, well known for their on-stage costume
s depicting American cultural stereotypes, as well as their catchy tunes and suggestive lyrics.
Originally created to target disco's gay audience by featuring popular gay fantasy personas, the band's popularity quickly brought them into mainstream. Village People scored a number of disco
and dance
hits, including their trademark "Macho Man
", "Go West
", the classic club medley of "San Francisco (You've Got Me)
/ In Hollywood (Everybody is a Star)", "In the Navy
", "Can't Stop the Music
", and their biggest hit, "Y.M.C.A.".
They have sold upwards of 100 million records world-wide.
, 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 first album, Village People
.
It was a success, and demand for live appearances soon followed. Morali and his business partner, Henri Belolo
(under the collaboration Can't Stop Productions), hastily built a group of dancers around Willis to perform in clubs and on Dick Clark's American Bandstand
. As 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."
Morali literally bumped into the first recruit, Felipe Rose (Native American), on the streets of Greenwich Village. Rose was a bartender who wore jingle bells on his boots. He was invited to take part in the sessions for the first album. Alex Briley (who started as an athlete, but eventually took on the soldier persona) was Willis' friend. The others, Mark Mussler
(construction worker), Dave Forrest (cowboy), Lee Mouton (leatherman) and Peter Whitehead
(one of the group's early songwriters) 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, Randy Jones and Glenn Hughes, who all had more experience as actors/singers/dancers. Hughes had first been spotted as a toll collector at the Brooklyn Battery Tunnel.
Because Morali could not speak English, songwriters Phil Hurtt and Peter Whitehead were brought in to write the lyrics for the first album. However, Willis wrote the lyrics to the group's biggest hits, including "Y.M.C.A.", "Macho Man," "Go West" and "In the Navy," and for other Can't Stop Productions acts such as Ritchie Family and Patrick Juvet
). Likewise, Gypsy Lane (the Village People band) and their conductor, Horace Ott, provided much of the musical arrangements for Morali, who did not play any instruments.
The band's name refers to New York City's
Greenwich Village
, at the time known for its large gay population. Morali and Belolo decided to create a group of stereotypes based on the gay men of Greenwich Village, who often dressed in fantasy attire.
"Macho Man" brought them attention, and in 1978 their recording of "Y.M.C.A." became one of the most recognizable hits of the 1970s.
In 1979, the United States Navy
decided to use "In the Navy" in a television and radio recruiting campaign. Belolo offered them the rights for free if the Navy would help them film the music video. 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. However, the Navy canceled the campaign after a short time.
The group's fame peaked in 1979, when the Village People made several appearances on The Merv Griffin Show
and travelled 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.
, brother of Valerie Simpson (of Ashford & Simpson
), replaced Willis for the group's highly anticipated 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
(although Willis penned the lyrics to Milkshake and Magic Night) and starring Steve Guttenberg
, Valerie Perrine
, Jean-Claude Billmaer, Bruce Jenner
, and Village People. By the time it was released, however, disco had waned and the movie won the Worst Picture and Worst Screenplay prizes at the 1980 Golden Raspberry Awards
in March 1981 and was nominated in almost all the other categories. Despite that, the song Can't Stop the Music became a Club Play chart hit and moderate radio hit. However, it too (Can't Stop the Music, the song) was nominated for Worst Original Song by the 1981 Razzies, and flopped by Village People standard in that it never obtained gold status as a single or album. The soundtrack also featured the talents of "David London", who under his real name Dennis "Fergie" Frederiksen went on to become the future lead singer of Toto
and one of the main contributors to the Village People's next album. The movie itself has since become a cult favorite, developing a worldwide fan base.
The group was one of the featured guests on a November 22, 1980 episode of Love Boat
, (7th episode of season 4), entitled "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 the popularity of disco having faded and New Wave music
on the rise, Village People replaced its on-stage costumes with a new look inspired by the New Romantic
movement, and released the New Wave 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 only in Europe but did have limited release in the United States in 1983 under the title In the Street
. Miles Jaye
had briefly taken over for Ray Simpson as lead singer by 1983 and contributed an extra track to In the Street. 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 their Renaissance album. In recent years, "Sex Over the Phone" has become a cult classic. Recently, an Associated Press declared "Sex Over the Phone" to be the Citizen Kane' of music videos." The Sex album featured yet another new lead singer, Ray Stephens. 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..
Due to their easily recognizable characters, the group have frequently been imitated or parodied in films, 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 YMCA has become something of an anthem of the LGBT
community.
The song "In the Navy" was featured in an episode of The Muppet Show
.
In the film Wayne's World 2
, Wayne and his friends disguise themselves as members of the Village People in order to spy on Wayne's girlfriend; Wayne dresses as a construction worker, Garth as a cop, Neil as a leather-clad biker and Terry as a sailor. They are then chased into a men's club where they are mistaken for the real Village People.
A 1993 episode of Married with Children had Peg disguising herself as the Indian, along with Kelly as the sailor, Bud as the construction worker and Jefferson as the biker in order to appease angry Halloween party guests of Marcy's, and a joke being they could only lip synch to one song, YMCA, as that was the sole Village People album Marcy owned. When the real Village People appear at the party, they start their concert with YMCA, causing the enraged women who were sick of the song to pelt them with toilet paper.
In 1995, a parody of the Village People was seen on the CGI
show ReBoot
with the group the Small Town Binomes singing "BSnP", a parody of "Y.M.C.A." They were seen in the ReBoot episode "Talent Night" and each individual was modeled after a singer from the Village People using the show's common Binome characters. Their song "BSnP" was a jab at ABC network's Broadcast Standards and Practices organization, which frequently edited content from the show which they deemed not suitable for its younger viewers (lyrics included "Oh, it's fun to play in a non-violent way").
In the episode of 3rd Rock from the Sun
titled "Frankie Goes to Rutherford", the character Dick begins to frequent a gay bar which he thinks is a bar for undercover aliens. At the end all of the alien characters don different costumes for different reasons (Dick as a construction worker, Tom as a sailor, Harry as an Indian and Sally as a leather clad biker). They are joined on the porch roof by Don in his police uniform as Village People songs play.
In the film The Producers
, the number "Keep It Gay" ends with a dance routine that features The Village People, or close look-alikes. Matthew Broderick
's character Leo refers to them in the next scene.
In a 2010 episode of The Cleveland Show
called "Buried Pleasure", police officers are riding jet skis along with other police officers trying to bust Holt, to the beat of YMCA. Later in the episode when a police officer is tackled, the Village People cop jumps on top and says, "Dog Pile".
In 2010 the crew of the Space Shuttle Atlantis
dedicated "Macho Man" to Garrett Reisman.
Concept
The word concept is used in ordinary language as well as in almost all academic disciplines. Particularly in philosophy, psychology and cognitive sciences the term is much used and much discussed. WordNet defines concept: "conception, construct ". However, the meaning of the term concept is much...
disco
Disco
Disco is a genre of dance music. Disco acts charted high during the mid-1970s, and the genre's popularity peaked during the late 1970s. It had its roots in clubs that catered to African American, gay, psychedelic, and other communities in New York City and Philadelphia during the late 1960s and...
group that formed in the United States
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
in 1977, well known for their on-stage costume
Costume
The term costume can refer to wardrobe and dress in general, or to the distinctive style of dress of a particular people, class, or period. Costume may also refer to the artistic arrangement of accessories in a picture, statue, poem, or play, appropriate to the time, place, or other circumstances...
s depicting American cultural stereotypes, as well as their catchy tunes and suggestive lyrics.
Originally created to target disco's gay audience by featuring popular gay fantasy personas, the band's popularity quickly brought them into mainstream. Village People scored a number of disco
Disco
Disco is a genre of dance music. Disco acts charted high during the mid-1970s, and the genre's popularity peaked during the late 1970s. It had its roots in clubs that catered to African American, gay, psychedelic, and other communities in New York City and Philadelphia during the late 1960s and...
and dance
Dance music
Dance music is music composed specifically to facilitate or accompany dancing. It can be either a whole musical piece or part of a larger musical arrangement...
hits, including their trademark "Macho Man
Macho Man (song)
"Macho Man" is the seond single recorded by the American disco group Village People. The song "bubbled under" the charts during summer 1978 before picking up substantial airplay that August...
", "Go West
Go West (song)
"Go West" is a song by the 1970s disco group Village People. The song eventually found greater success when it was covered in 1993 by the synthpop duo Pet Shop Boys.-Village People version:...
", the classic club medley of "San Francisco (You've Got Me)
San Francisco (You've Got Me)
"San Francisco" is the title of a song recorded by American disco group the Village People. It was released in 1977 as the lead single from their debut album Village People. The song reached number 45 on the UK pop charts and peaked at number 2 on the U.S. Billboard Bubbling Under Hot 100...
/ In Hollywood (Everybody is a Star)", "In the Navy
In the Navy
"In the Navy" is a song recorded by American disco group Village People released in 1979. It was the last top 10 hit for the group in the United States.-Background and writing:...
", "Can't Stop the Music
Can't Stop the Music (song)
"Can't Stop the Music" is the title of a song recorded by American disco group the Village People. It is the title track for the soundtrack album of their feature movie, Can't Stop the Music. While the single was successful both in the U.S. , the UK and Australia the film by the same name was...
", and their biggest hit, "Y.M.C.A.".
They have sold upwards of 100 million records world-wide.
1977–1979
The group was the creation of Jacques MoraliJacques Morali
Jacques Morali was a French music producer, who is best remembered for being the creator and driving force behind the disco group, Village People....
, a French
French people
The French are a nation that share a common French culture and speak the French language as a mother tongue. Historically, the French population are descended from peoples of Celtic, Latin and Germanic origin, and are today a mixture of several ethnic groups...
musical composer. He had written a few dance tunes when he was given a demo tape recorded by singer/actor Victor Willis
Victor Willis
Victor Edward Willis is a singer, songwriter, actor; and most known as the original lead singer of the disco group Village People. His persona was the Cop and Naval Officer....
. 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 first album, Village People
Village People (album)
Village People is the debut album by Village People, released on July 11, 1977. Its hit song "San Francisco " was a top 50 hit in the UK, peaking at #45.-History:...
.
It was a success, and demand for live appearances soon followed. Morali and his business partner, Henri Belolo
Henri Belolo
Henri Belolo is a French music producer active during the disco era. Together with his friend and composer Jacques Morali, he created The Ritchie Family as well as their most successful group, Village People....
(under the collaboration Can't Stop Productions), hastily built a group of dancers around Willis to perform in clubs and on Dick Clark's American Bandstand
American Bandstand
American Bandstand is an American music-performance show that aired in various versions from 1952 to 1989 and was hosted from 1956 until its final season by Dick Clark, who also served as producer...
. As 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."
Morali literally bumped into the first recruit, Felipe Rose (Native American), on the streets of Greenwich Village. Rose was a bartender who wore jingle bells on his boots. He was invited to take part in the sessions for the first album. Alex Briley (who started as an athlete, but eventually took on the soldier persona) was Willis' friend. The others, Mark Mussler
Mark Mussler
Mark Mussler was a singer, make-up artist, and original member of the disco group Village People. His persona was the "Construction Worker"....
(construction worker), Dave Forrest (cowboy), Lee Mouton (leatherman) and Peter Whitehead
Peter Whitehead
Peter Whitehead was a British racing driver from England.-Career synopsis:...
(one of the group's early songwriters) 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, Randy Jones and Glenn Hughes, who all had more experience as actors/singers/dancers. Hughes had first been spotted as a toll collector at the Brooklyn Battery Tunnel.
Because Morali could not speak English, songwriters Phil Hurtt and Peter Whitehead were brought in to write the lyrics for the first album. However, Willis wrote the lyrics to the group's biggest hits, including "Y.M.C.A.", "Macho Man," "Go West" and "In the Navy," and for other Can't Stop Productions acts such as Ritchie Family and Patrick Juvet
Patrick Juvet
Patrick Juvet is a former model turned singer-songwriter, who had a string of hit records in France...
). Likewise, Gypsy Lane (the Village People band) and their conductor, Horace Ott, provided much of the musical arrangements for Morali, who did not play any instruments.
The band's name refers to New York City's
New York City
New York is the most populous city in the United States and the center of the New York Metropolitan Area, one of the most populous metropolitan areas in the world. New York exerts a significant impact upon global commerce, finance, media, art, fashion, research, technology, education, and...
Greenwich Village
Greenwich Village
Greenwich Village, , , , .in New York often simply called "the Village", is a largely residential neighborhood on the west side of Lower Manhattan in New York City. A large majority of the district is home to upper middle class families...
, at the time known for its large gay population. Morali and Belolo decided to create a group of stereotypes based on the gay men of Greenwich Village, who often dressed in fantasy attire.
"Macho Man" brought them attention, and in 1978 their recording of "Y.M.C.A." became one of the most recognizable hits of the 1970s.
In 1979, the United States Navy
United States Navy
The United States Navy is the naval warfare service branch of the United States Armed Forces and one of the seven uniformed services of the United States. The U.S. Navy is the largest in the world; its battle fleet tonnage is greater than that of the next 13 largest navies combined. The U.S...
decided to use "In the Navy" in a television and radio recruiting campaign. Belolo offered them the rights for free if the Navy would help them film the music video. The Navy provided them access to the San Diego Navy base, where the (USS Reasoner (FF-1063)
USS Reasoner (FF-1063)
USS Reasoner was a Knox class frigate of the US Navy. Reasoner, originally , was laid down 6 January 1969 by Lockheed Shipbuilding and Construction Company, Seattle, Washington and launched 1 August 1970; cosponsored by Mrs. James C. Curry and Mrs. Robert Svinger. Reasoner was commissioned 31 July...
), several aircraft, and the crew of the ship would be used. However, the Navy canceled the campaign after a short time.
The group's fame peaked in 1979, when the Village People made several appearances on The Merv Griffin Show
The Merv Griffin Show
The Merv Griffin Show is an American television talk show, starring Merv Griffin. The series ran from October 1, 1962 to March 29, 1963 on NBC, September 20, 1965 to September 26, 1969 in first-run syndication, from August 18, 1969 to February 11, 1972 at 11:30 PM ET weeknights on CBS and again in...
and travelled with Bob Hope
Bob Hope
Bob Hope, KBE, KCSG, KSS was a British-born American comedian and actor who appeared in vaudeville, on Broadway, and in radio, television and movies. He was also noted for his work with the US Armed Forces and his numerous USO shows entertaining American military personnel...
to entertain U.S. troops. They were also featured on the cover of Rolling Stone
Rolling Stone
Rolling Stone is a US-based magazine devoted to music, liberal politics, and popular culture that is published every two weeks. Rolling Stone was founded in San Francisco in 1967 by Jann Wenner and music critic Ralph J...
, 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 SimpsonRay Simpson
Ray Simpson is the replacement lead singer and "Cop" of noted musical group Village People. Victor Willis is the original lead singer. Like his predecessor, Victor Willis, Simpson is straight...
, brother of Valerie Simpson (of Ashford & Simpson
Ashford & Simpson
Nickolas Ashford , and Valerie Simpson , were a husband and wife songwriting/production team and recording artists....
), replaced Willis for the group's highly anticipated 1980 feature film Can't Stop the Music
Can't Stop the Music
Can't Stop the Music is a 1980 musical comedy film directed by Nancy Walker. It is a pseudo-biography of disco's Village People which bears only a vague resemblance to the actual story of the group's formation...
, directed by Nancy Walker
Nancy Walker
Nancy Walker was an American actress and comedienne of stage, screen, and television. She was also a film and television director...
, written by Allan Carr
Allan Carr
Allan Carr was an American producer and manager of stage and screen. Carr was nominated for numerous awards, winning a Tony Award and two People's Choice Awards, and was named Producer of the Year by the National Association of Theatre Owners.-Early career:Born Allan Solomon in Chicago, Illinois,...
and Bronte Woodard
Bronte Woodard
Bronte Woodard was an American writer best known for penning the adapted screenplay for the hit film Grease. He was born October 8, 1940 in Alabama. While he is most well known for his work on Grease, he also co-wrote the screenplay for the 1980 Village People film Can't Stop the Music with...
, music and lyrics by Jacques Morali
Jacques Morali
Jacques Morali was a French music producer, who is best remembered for being the creator and driving force behind the disco group, Village People....
(although Willis penned the lyrics to Milkshake and Magic Night) and starring Steve Guttenberg
Steve Guttenberg
Steven Robert "Steve" Guttenberg is an American actor and comedian. He became well known during the 1980s, after a series of starring roles in major Hollywood films, including Cocoon, Three Men and a Baby, Police Academy, and Short Circuit.-Early life:Guttenberg was born in Brooklyn, New York, the...
, Valerie Perrine
Valerie Perrine
- Life and career :Perrine was born in Galveston, Texas, the daughter of Winifred , a dancer who appeared in Earl Carroll's Vanities, and Kenneth Perrine, a Lieutenant Colonel in the US Army. Owing to her father's career, Perrine lived in many locations as the family moved to different...
, Jean-Claude Billmaer, Bruce Jenner
Bruce Jenner
William Bruce Jenner is a former U.S. track and field athlete, motivational speaker, socialite and television personality. He won the gold medal for decathlon in the Montreal 1976 Summer Olympics....
, and Village People. By the time it was released, however, disco had waned and the movie won the Worst Picture and Worst Screenplay prizes at the 1980 Golden Raspberry Awards
1980 Golden Raspberry Awards
The 1st Golden Raspberry Awards were held on March 31, 1981 at John Wilson's living room alcove to recognize the worst the film industry had to offer in 1980. Each category included as many as ten nominees; the maximum was lowered to five the following year to mirror the Oscars...
in March 1981 and was nominated in almost all the other categories. Despite that, the song Can't Stop the Music became a Club Play chart hit and moderate radio hit. However, it too (Can't Stop the Music, the song) was nominated for Worst Original Song by the 1981 Razzies, and flopped by Village People standard in that it never obtained gold status as a single or album. The soundtrack also featured the talents of "David London", who under his real name Dennis "Fergie" Frederiksen went on to become the future lead singer of Toto
Toto (band)
Toto is an American rock band formed in Los Angeles in 1977. The group currently consists of Joseph Williams , David Paich , Steve Porcaro , Steve Lukather , Mike Porcaro , and Simon Phillips . Toto is known for a musical style that combines elements of pop, rock, soul, funk, progressive rock, hard...
and one of the main contributors to the Village People's next album. The movie itself has since become a cult favorite, developing a worldwide fan base.
The group was one of the featured guests on a November 22, 1980 episode of Love Boat
Love Boat
The Overseas Compatriot Youth Formosa Study Tour to Taiwan, informally known as the Love Boat, is currently a four-week summer program for about 400–600 college-aged Overseas Chinese. In Chinese, it is also colloquially referred to as mei-jia-ying - America and Canada Camp, a reference to where...
, (7th episode of season 4), entitled "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 the popularity of disco having faded and New Wave music
New Wave music
New Wave is a subgenre of :rock music that emerged in the mid to late 1970s alongside punk rock. The term at first generally was synonymous with punk rock before being considered a genre in its own right that incorporated aspects of electronic and experimental music, mod subculture, disco and 1960s...
on the rise, Village People replaced its on-stage costumes with a new look inspired by the New Romantic
New Romantic
New Romanticism , was a pop culture movement in the United Kingdom that began around 1979 and peaked around 1981. Developing in London nightclubs such as Billy's and The Blitz and spreading to other major cities in the UK, it was based around flamboyant, eccentric fashion and new wave music...
movement, and released the New Wave album Renaissance
Renaissance (Village People album)
Renaissance is an album by the Village People released in 1981. The title reflects the band's departure from the disco genre with which they had long been associated to a New Wave style following the downfall of disco as well as the discontinuation of their signature costumes.The album failed...
. 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
Fox on the Box
Fox on the Box is the 8th album by the Village People and featured the return of its original lead singer Victor Willis. Ray Simpson who had replaced Willis is featured on two songs on the album . The G.I. Alex Briley also sings lead on one song with Victor Willis singing lead on all other songs...
, which was released in 1982 only in Europe but did have limited release in the United States in 1983 under the title In the Street
In the Street
In the Street is an album by the Village People featuring the return of its original lead singer Victor Willis. Ray Simpson who had replaced Willis is featured on two songs on the album . The G.I. Alex Briley also sings lead on one song...
. Miles Jaye
Miles Jaye
Miles Jaye Davis, known professionally as Miles Jaye, is an American R&B and jazz singer, violinist, songwriter, and record producer. He had several hits on the US R&B chart in the late 1980s and early 1990s, the biggest of which was "Let's Start Love Over" in 1987.-Life and career:He was born in...
had briefly taken over for Ray Simpson as lead singer by 1983 and contributed an extra track to In the Street. Mark Lee replaced David Hodo in 1982.
Their last album containing new material, the 1985 dance/Hi-NRG
Hi-NRG
Hi-NRG describes a form of high-tempo disco music as well as a genre of electronic dance music originating in the United States during the late 1970s...
release Sex Over the Phone, was not a huge commercial success, but it fared better in sales and club play than their Renaissance album. In recent years, "Sex Over the Phone" has become a cult classic. Recently, an Associated Press declared "Sex Over the Phone" to be the Citizen Kane' of music videos." The Sex album featured yet another new lead singer, Ray Stephens. 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..
1990s to present
- November 15, 1991: Village People founder Jacques Morali dies from AIDSAIDSAcquired immune deficiency syndrome or acquired immunodeficiency syndrome is a disease of the human immune system caused by the human immunodeficiency virus...
in Paris, France. - 1993: the group makes a guest appearance on the hit show Married With Children in the episode "Take My Wife, Please".
- 1994: Village People join the German national football team to sing its official World Cup '941994 FIFA World CupThe 1994 FIFA World Cup, the 15th staging of the FIFA World Cup, was held in nine cities across the United States from June 17 to July 17, 1994. The United States was chosen as the host by FIFA on July 4, 1988...
theme Far Away in America. - 1994: Cowboy Randy Jones sings Greg Brady's part on a punk cover of The Brady BunchThe Brady BunchThe Brady Bunch is an American sitcom created by Sherwood Schwartz and starring Robert Reed, Florence Henderson, and Ann B. Davis. The series revolved around a large blended family...
classic Time to Change. - 1995: Eric Anzalone replaces Glenn Hughes as the Leatherman/Biker.
- 1996: Village People appears with Kelsey GrammerKelsey GrammerAllen Kelsey Grammer is an American actor and comedian. He is most widely known for his two-decade portrayal of psychiatrist Dr. Frasier Crane on the sitcoms Cheers and Frasier...
, Rob SchneiderRob SchneiderRobert Michael "Rob" Schneider is an American actor, comedian, screenwriter, and director. A stand-up comic and veteran of the NBC sketch-comedy series Saturday Night Live, Schneider has gone on to a successful career in feature films, including starring roles in the comedy films Deuce Bigalow:...
, and other cast members during the end-credits sequence of the film Down PeriscopeDown PeriscopeDown Periscope is a 1996 comedy film starring Kelsey Grammer as the captain of a rust-bucket Navy submarine, the USS Stingray, who is fighting for his career....
. - 2000: The group releases new material under the name Amazing Veepers.
- 2001: Felipe Rose appears as himself on the game show To Tell the TruthTo Tell the TruthTo Tell the Truth is an American television panel game show created by Bob Stewart and produced by Goodson-Todman Productions that has aired in various forms since 1956 both on networks and in syndication...
. - March 4, 2001: original member Glenn Hughes (Leatherman) dies from lung cancer in New York City.
- 2004: Village People perform as the opening act for CherCherCher is an American recording artist, television personality, actress, director, record producer and philanthropist. Referred to as the Goddess of Pop, she has won an Academy Award, a Grammy Award, an Emmy Award, three Golden Globes and a Cannes Film Festival Award among others for her work in...
on her Farewell TourLiving Proof: The Farewell TourLiving Proof: The Farewell Tour is the seventh concert tour by American singer, Cher. The tour supported her twenty-fourth studio album, Living Proof and eleventh compilation album, The Very Best of Cher...
until it ends in April 2005. It was a highly successful tour for both artists. - May 7, 2004: Original Cowboy Randy Jones marries Will Grega, his boyfriend of 20 years.
- September 4, 2006: Village People perform on Jerry Lewis' MDA Telethon.
- August 31, 2007: Victor Willis gives his first live concert in 28 years in Las Vegas.
- October 23, 2007: Village People perform on the NBCNBCThe National Broadcasting Company is an American commercial broadcasting television network and former radio network headquartered in the GE Building in New York City's Rockefeller Center with additional major offices near Los Angeles and in Chicago...
game show The Singing BeeThe Singing BeeThe Singing Bee may refer to the game show franchise:* The Singing Bee , the original US version* The Singing Bee , the Australian version* The Singing Bee , Philippines version...
. - November 17, 2007: Victor Willis weds long-time love, Karen, a lawyer and executive.
- July 15, 2008: At the Major League Baseball All-Star Game at Yankee StadiumYankee StadiumYankee Stadium was a stadium located in The Bronx in New York City, New York. It was the home ballpark of the New York Yankees from 1923 to 1973 and from 1976 to 2008. The stadium hosted 6,581 Yankees regular season home games during its 85-year history. It was also the former home of the New York...
, Village People perform "Y.M.C.A." with the Yankees grounds crew during the 7th inning stretch. - September 12, 2008: Village People receive star on the Hollywood Walk of FameHollywood Walk of FameThe Hollywood Walk of Fame consists of more than 2,400 five-pointed terrazzo and brass stars embedded in the sidewalks along fifteen blocks of Hollywood Boulevard and three blocks of Vine Street in Hollywood, California...
. - September 3, 2010: Village People perform at the American Music Festival in Virginia Beach, Virginia.
- August 16, 2011: Victor Willis files notices of copyright termination for his portion of the songs (as lyricist) under the 1976 copyright act which allows recording artists and writers to reclaim their master recordings and publishing rights initially granted to record companies and publishers after 35 years.
Cultural references
Horseshoe moustache
A horseshoe moustache is a full moustache with vertical extensions grown on the corners of the lips and down the sides of the mouth to the jawline, resembling an upside-down U or a horseshoe...
, have also become a widespread pop culture icons associated with male gay culture and YMCA has become something of an anthem of the LGBT
LGBT
LGBT is an initialism that collectively refers to "lesbian, gay, bisexual, and transgender" people. In use since the 1990s, the term "LGBT" is an adaptation of the initialism "LGB", which itself started replacing the phrase "gay community" beginning in the mid-to-late 1980s, which many within the...
community.
The song "In the Navy" was featured in an episode of The Muppet Show
The Muppet Show
The Muppet Show is a British television programme produced by American puppeteer Jim Henson and featuring Muppets. After two pilot episodes were produced in 1974 and 1975, the show premiered on 5 September 1976 and five series were produced until 15 March 1981, lasting 120 episodes...
.
In the film Wayne's World 2
Wayne's World 2
Wayne's World 2 is a 1993 comedy film starring Mike Myers and Dana Carvey as hosts of a Public-access television cable TV show from Aurora, Illinois. The film was adapted from a sketch on NBC's Saturday Night Live and is the sequel to Wayne's World....
, Wayne and his friends disguise themselves as members of the Village People in order to spy on Wayne's girlfriend; Wayne dresses as a construction worker, Garth as a cop, Neil as a leather-clad biker and Terry as a sailor. They are then chased into a men's club where they are mistaken for the real Village People.
A 1993 episode of Married with Children had Peg disguising herself as the Indian, along with Kelly as the sailor, Bud as the construction worker and Jefferson as the biker in order to appease angry Halloween party guests of Marcy's, and a joke being they could only lip synch to one song, YMCA, as that was the sole Village People album Marcy owned. When the real Village People appear at the party, they start their concert with YMCA, causing the enraged women who were sick of the song to pelt them with toilet paper.
In 1995, a parody of the Village People was seen on the CGI
Computer-generated imagery
Computer-generated imagery is the application of the field of computer graphics or, more specifically, 3D computer graphics to special effects in art, video games, films, television programs, commercials, simulators and simulation generally, and printed media...
show ReBoot
ReBoot
ReBoot is a Canadian CGI-animated action-adventure cartoon series that originally aired from 1994 to 2001. It was produced by Vancouver-based production company Mainframe Entertainment, Alliance Communications, BLT Productions and created by Gavin Blair, Ian Pearson, Phil Mitchell and John Grace,...
with the group the Small Town Binomes singing "BSnP", a parody of "Y.M.C.A." They were seen in the ReBoot episode "Talent Night" and each individual was modeled after a singer from the Village People using the show's common Binome characters. Their song "BSnP" was a jab at ABC network's Broadcast Standards and Practices organization, which frequently edited content from the show which they deemed not suitable for its younger viewers (lyrics included "Oh, it's fun to play in a non-violent way").
In the episode of 3rd Rock from the Sun
3rd Rock from the Sun
3rd Rock from the Sun is an American sitcom that aired from 1996 to 2001 on NBC. The show is about four extraterrestrials who are on an expedition to Earth, which they consider to be a very insignificant planet...
titled "Frankie Goes to Rutherford", the character Dick begins to frequent a gay bar which he thinks is a bar for undercover aliens. At the end all of the alien characters don different costumes for different reasons (Dick as a construction worker, Tom as a sailor, Harry as an Indian and Sally as a leather clad biker). They are joined on the porch roof by Don in his police uniform as Village People songs play.
In the film The Producers
The Producers (2005 film)
# "Overture" - Orchestra# "Opening Night" - Opening Nighters# "We Can Do It" - Max and Leo# "I Wanna Be a Producer" - Leo, Accountants, Mr. Marks and Dancing Chorus Girls# "Der Guten Tag Hop-Clop" - Franz, Max, and Leo...
, the number "Keep It Gay" ends with a dance routine that features The Village People, or close look-alikes. Matthew Broderick
Matthew Broderick
Matthew Broderick is an American film and stage actor who, among other roles, played the title character in Ferris Bueller's Day Off, Adult Simba in The Lion King film series, and Leo Bloom in the film and Broadway productions of The Producers.He has won two Tony Awards, one in 1983 for his...
's character Leo refers to them in the next scene.
In a 2010 episode of The Cleveland Show
The Cleveland Show
The Cleveland Show is an American animated television series that premiered on September 27, 2009, as a part of the "Animation Domination" lineup on Fox in the United States...
called "Buried Pleasure", police officers are riding jet skis along with other police officers trying to bust Holt, to the beat of YMCA. Later in the episode when a police officer is tackled, the Village People cop jumps on top and says, "Dog Pile".
In 2010 the crew of the Space Shuttle Atlantis
Space Shuttle Atlantis
The Space Shuttle Atlantis is a retired Space Shuttle orbiter in the Space Shuttle fleet belonging to the National Aeronautics and Space Administration , the spaceflight and space exploration agency of the United States...
dedicated "Macho Man" to Garrett Reisman.
Main albums
| Year | Album Title | Chart Positions | Label | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| US Billboard 200 The Billboard 200 is a ranking of the 200 highest-selling music albums and EPs in the United States, published weekly by Billboard magazine. It is frequently used to convey the popularity of an artist or groups of artists... |
US R&B |
|||
| 1977 | Village People Village People (album) Village People is the debut album by Village People, released on July 11, 1977. Its hit song "San Francisco " was a top 50 hit in the UK, peaking at #45.-History:... |
54 | 36 | Casablanca Casablanca Records Casablanca Records was an American record label started by Neil Bogart, who partnered with Cecil Holmes, Larry Harris, and Buck Reingold in 1973, and based in Los Angeles. The label was formed after all of them had left Buddah Records and secured financing by Warner Bros. Records to start the venture... |
| 1978 | Macho Man Macho Man (album) Macho Man is the second album by Village People, released on February 27, 1978. The album gained success due to its hit singles, "Macho Man" and "Key West."This album was reissued to CD in 1999.-Track listing:... |
24 | 31 | |
| Cruisin' | 3 | 5 | ||
| 1979 | Go West | 8 | 14 | |
| Live and Sleazy Live and Sleazy Live and Sleazy is the fifth album by the Village People. It was released as a double-LP with studio and live recordings. The album featured numerous lead singers: the original cop Victor Willis , the current cop Ray Simpson , the construction worker David Hodo and the G.I... |
32 | 57 | ||
| 1980 | Can't Stop the Music Can't Stop the Music (album) Can't Stop the Music is the soundtrack album by Village People for their movie Can't Stop the Music released in 1980. Though the movie was a commercial failure, the album did better, reaching #9 on the UK Albums Chart, #47 on the The Billboard 200 in the U.S.A., and #1 in the ARIA charts... |
47 | — | |
| 1981 | Renaissance Renaissance (Village People album) Renaissance is an album by the Village People released in 1981. The title reflects the band's departure from the disco genre with which they had long been associated to a New Wave style following the downfall of disco as well as the discontinuation of their signature costumes.The album failed... |
138 | — | RCA RCA Records RCA Records is one of the flagship labels of Sony Music Entertainment. The RCA initials stand for Radio Corporation of America , which was the parent corporation from 1929 to 1985 and a partner from 1985 to 1986.RCA's Canadian unit is Sony's oldest label... |
| 1982 | Fox on the Box Fox on the Box Fox on the Box is the 8th album by the Village People and featured the return of its original lead singer Victor Willis. Ray Simpson who had replaced Willis is featured on two songs on the album . The G.I. Alex Briley also sings lead on one song with Victor Willis singing lead on all other songs... |
— | — | |
| 1983 | In the Street In the Street In the Street is an album by the Village People featuring the return of its original lead singer Victor Willis. Ray Simpson who had replaced Willis is featured on two songs on the album . The G.I. Alex Briley also sings lead on one song... |
— | — | Casablanca Casablanca Records Casablanca Records was an American record label started by Neil Bogart, who partnered with Cecil Holmes, Larry Harris, and Buck Reingold in 1973, and based in Los Angeles. The label was formed after all of them had left Buddah Records and secured financing by Warner Bros. Records to start the venture... |
| 1985 | Sex Over the Phone | — | — | Powerworks |
Compilations and other albums
- Live: Seoul Song Festival (1984)
- Greatest Hits (1988)
- Greatest Hits '89 Remixes (1989)
- The Best of Village PeopleThe Best Of Village PeopleThe Best of Village People is an album that was released in 1994 with the greatest hits of Village People.-Track listing:#"Y.M.C.A."#"Macho Man" #"Can't Stop the Music"#"San Francisco "...
(1994) - The Very Best Of (1998)
- 20th Century Masters, The Millennium Collection ... The Best of Village People (2001)
Singles
| Year | Single | Peak chart positions | Album | |||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| US Billboard Hot 100 The Billboard Hot 100 is the United States music industry standard singles popularity chart issued weekly by Billboard magazine. Chart rankings are based on radio play and sales; the tracking-week for sales begins on Monday and ends on Sunday, while the radio play tracking-week runs from Wednesday... |
US Disco |
CAN RPM (magazine) RPM was a Canadian music industry publication that featured song and album charts for Canada. The publication was founded by Walt Grealis in February 1964, supported through its existence by record label owner Stan Klees. RPM ceased publication in November 2000.RPM stood for "Records, Promotion,... |
UK UK Singles Chart The UK Singles Chart is compiled by The Official Charts Company on behalf of the British record-industry. The full chart contains the top selling 200 singles in the United Kingdom based upon combined record sales and download numbers, though some media outlets only list the Top 40 or the Top 75 ... |
|||
| 1977 | "San Francisco (You've Got Me) San Francisco (You've Got Me) "San Francisco" is the title of a song recorded by American disco group the Village People. It was released in 1977 as the lead single from their debut album Village People. The song reached number 45 on the UK pop charts and peaked at number 2 on the U.S. Billboard Bubbling Under Hot 100... " |
102 | — | — | 45 | Village People |
| "Village People" | — | — | — | — | ||
| 1978 | "I Am What I Am" | — | — | — | — | Macho Man |
| "Macho Man Macho Man (song) "Macho Man" is the seond single recorded by the American disco group Village People. The song "bubbled under" the charts during summer 1978 before picking up substantial airplay that August... " |
25 | 4 | 16 | — | ||
| "Y.M.C.A." | 2 | 2 | 1 | 1 | Cruisin' | |
| 1979 | "In the Navy In the Navy "In the Navy" is a song recorded by American disco group Village People released in 1979. It was the last top 10 hit for the group in the United States.-Background and writing:... " |
3 | 14 | 1 | 2 | Go West |
| "Go West Go West (song) "Go West" is a song by the 1970s disco group Village People. The song eventually found greater success when it was covered in 1993 by the synthpop duo Pet Shop Boys.-Village People version:... " |
45 | — | 41 | 15 | ||
| "Ready for the 80's Ready for the 80's "Ready for the 80's" is the title of a song recorded by American disco group the Village People. It was released in 1979 as the lead single from the group's fifth album Live and Sleazy... " |
52 | — | — | — | Live and Sleazy | |
| "Sleazy" | — | 26 | 87 | — | ||
| 1980 | "Can't Stop the Music Can't Stop the Music (song) "Can't Stop the Music" is the title of a song recorded by American disco group the Village People. It is the title track for the soundtrack album of their feature movie, Can't Stop the Music. While the single was successful both in the U.S. , the UK and Australia the film by the same name was... " |
10 | 30 | — | 11 | Can't Stop the Music |
| "Magic Night" | — | — | — | — | ||
| 1981 | "Do You Wanna Spend the Night" | — | — | — | — | Renaissance |
| "5 O'Clock in the Morning" | — | — | — | — | ||
| 1985 | "Sex Over the Phone Sex Over the Phone (song) "Sex Over the Phone" is the title of a song recorded by American disco group the Village People. It reached number 59 on the UK Singles Chart.-Content:... " |
— | — | — | 59 | Sex Over the Phone |
| "New York City" | — | — | — | 97 | ||
| 1989 | "Livin' in the Wildlife" | — | — | — | — | Singles only |
| 1994 | "Far Away in America Far Away in America Far Away in America is a song sung by the players of the German national football team featuring the American disco group Village People. It was produced in the occasion of the Football World Cup 1994 that took place in the United States. They performed it on the TV show Wetten, dass..? in Hanover... " |
— | — | — | — | |
Original "People"
- Alex BrileyAlex BrileyAlexander "Alex" Briley performed the "G.I." role in the disco era music group, Village People. Briley was born and raised in Harlem, New York and later Mount Vernon, New York. A minister's son, he sang in church from an early age and studied voice at the University of Hartford...
– G.I./Sailor - Mark Mussler – Construction Worker, 1977 (prior to Hodo)
- Dave Forrest – Cowboy, 1977 (prior to Jones)
- Lee Mouton – Leatherman, 1977 (prior to Hughes)
- Peter Whitehead – (co-songwriter with Belolo, Phil Hurtt & Morali) in 1977; briefly performed onstage with the group
- Felipe RoseFelipe RoseFelipe Ortiz Rose is a founding member of the disco group the Village People, in which he is the Native American. His mother is a Puerto Rican and his father is a Native American .-Early years:...
– Native American - Victor WillisVictor WillisVictor Edward Willis is a singer, songwriter, actor; and most known as the original lead singer of the disco group Village People. His persona was the Cop and Naval Officer....
– Cop/Admiral (original lead singer/writer)
Replacement "People"
- Eric AnzaloneEric AnzaloneEric Anzalone is the leatherman/biker of the musical group Village People. He replaced Glenn Hughes in 1995. Anzalone was born in Dayton, Ohio, but grew up in Santa Barbara, California...
– Leatherman/Biker since 1995 - David HodoDavid HodoDavid "Scar" Hodo is the construction worker character in the group, The Village People. He is one of three original members still performing with the group .Hodo graduated from California State University, Sacramento in 1969 where he majored in Speech and acted...
– Construction Worker - Glenn Hughes – Leatherman/Biker (deceased)
- Randy JonesRandy Jones (singer)Randy Jones is an American disco and pop singer and was the original cowboy from Village People.As of 2006, he currently lives in New York City....
– Cowboy - G. Jeff Olson – Cowboy 1980–1985, 1991–present
- Ray SimpsonRay SimpsonRay Simpson is the replacement lead singer and "Cop" of noted musical group Village People. Victor Willis is the original lead singer. Like his predecessor, Victor Willis, Simpson is straight...
– Lead vocalist/Policeman 1980–1982; 1987–present - Miles Jaye – Policeman 1983–1984. He was the lead vocalist on the In the StreetIn the StreetIn the Street is an album by the Village People featuring the return of its original lead singer Victor Willis. Ray Simpson who had replaced Willis is featured on two songs on the album . The G.I. Alex Briley also sings lead on one song...
bonus track "America" and "Live: Seoul" - Ray StephensRay Stephens (singer)Ray Stephens best known for starring in the 1980s TV series, The Great Space Coaster, as the character "Roy." In 1985, Stephens became the lead singer of the Village People. His sole recording with the group was their album, Sex Over the Phone.-External links:...
– Policeman 1985. Lead vocalist on Sex Over The PhoneSex Over The Phone (Album)Sex Over the Phone is the 9th and final studio album by the Village People. The title track, "Sex Over the Phone", had some airplay in Europe, but did not reach the height of the group's earlier releases...
. He died in 1990 - Py Douglas – Policeman (briefly replaced Ray Stephens in some television appearances during their 1985 European tour promoting album Sex Over the Phone)
- Mark Lee – Construction Worker, 1982–1985
- Bill Whitefield – Construction Worker 2002 and 2003
- Alex Timmerman – G.I. 2004
- Angel Morales – Native American (stand-in for original member Felipe Rose from 2008–2009 )
- Richard Montoya – Construction Worker (stand in for David Hodo at some concerts in 2008).
Current "People"
- Eric Anzalone – Leatherman/Biker
- Alex Briley – G.I./Sailor
- David Hodo – Construction Worker
- G. Jeff Olson – Cowboy
- Felipe Rose – Native American
- Ray Simpson – Lead vocalist/Policeman
See also
- List of number-one dance hits (United States)
- List of artists who reached number one on the US Dance chart
- List of artists who reached number one in Ireland
External links
- Village People Home Page
- Official Randy Jones Website
- Interview with Henri Belolo
- Official Miles Jaye Website
- Official Victor Willis Website
- Official Felipe Rose Website
- Village People at Rolling StoneRolling StoneRolling Stone is a US-based magazine devoted to music, liberal politics, and popular culture that is published every two weeks. Rolling Stone was founded in San Francisco in 1967 by Jann Wenner and music critic Ralph J...
- Village People Channel on Youtube from the record label
- Felipe Rose on their Walk Of Fame Star with Maynard ABC Australia