Swag Tuesday

Courtesy of Fantasy Records, today's Swag Tuesday prize is a special pink double vinyl copy of Sylvester's Mighty Real: Greatest Dance Hits, which has been reissued nationwide today. Proceeds from this re-release benefit San Francisco's AIDS Emergency Fund and Project Open Hand, per Sylvester's will.  You can download the album on iTunes or purchase a physical CD copy at Amazon.

Twenty-five years after his untimely death, the iconic legacy of Sylvester, the “Queen of Disco,” will be resurrected with Mighty Real: Greatest Dance Hits, due out June 25th on Fantasy Records. This collection will celebrate the life and music of the artist who once danced his way into the hearts and minds of the disco and LGBT communities.

As a dear friend of Harvey Milk and an icon to the LGBT community, Sylvester has long held a special place in music and socio-political history. Sylvester was not only one of the first disco stars to stand openly gay, but bravely crossed beyond the boundaries of race, gender and sexuality to become a proud figure of the gay liberation movement.

“Sylvester James was an unlikely star: an androgynous, cross-dressing, openly gay, African American, falsetto-singing, unapologetically flaming man-diva influenced primarily by church women, black blues singers, drag queens, hippies and homos,” said liner notes writer Joshua Gamson. “Like very few before him, and quite a few after, Sylvester rode his marginality right into the mainstream.”

We have three copies of the pink vinyl version to give away. Enter to win by commenting on this post and please remember to include an email address. Entries close at midnight on Thursday, west coast time. Publicists: If you'd like to take part in Swag Tuesday on JMG, please email me.

Sylvester Impressionist To Play NYC

Sylvester impressionist Anthony Wayne plays NYC on pride weekend at Le Poisson Rouge. Two shows on Sunday, June 30th. Tickets at the link.

RELATED: The reissue of Sylvester's greatest hits launches on June 25th with proceeds to benefit San Francisco's AIDS Emergency Fund and Project Open Hand.

Billboard's 25 Great Gay Musical Moments

Billboard Magazine has published a Buzzfeed-y list of 25 great gay moments in pop music. On the list: the coming out of Frank Ocean and Ricky Martin, Adam Lambert's first #1 album by an out artist, Jay-Z's endorsement of same-sex marriage, and Lady Gaga's campaign for LGBT rights. Sylvester suitably makes the list pretty much just for having been Sylvester.

RELATED: Speaking of Sylvester, you can pre-order the reissue package of his greatest hits right now. Proceeds benefit San Francisco's AIDS Emergency Fund and Project Open Hand.

Sylvester's Greatest Hits Re-Release To Benefit San Francisco AIDS Charities

As some of you doubtlessly know, Sylvester willed the future royalties from his catalog to San Francisco's AIDS Emergency Fund and Project Open Hand.  And just in time for gay pride, next month Fantasy Records will re-issue his greatest package on multiple formats. From the press release:

Twenty-five years after his untimely death, the iconic legacy of Sylvester, the “Queen of Disco,” will be resurrected with Mighty Real: Greatest Dance Hits, due out June 25th (international release dates vary) on Fantasy Records. This collection will celebrate the life and music of the artist who once danced his way into the hearts and minds of the disco and LGBT communities. A quarter of a century after his passing, Sylvester will make a fabulous debut back into a prolific time in the LGBT community just the way he would have liked it – through dance music. This 11-track release, available on CD and on double pink vinyl, will feature a number of original album tracks and 12” mixes that are rare or no longer available on CD, as well as the brand new remix of the iconic “You Make Me Feel (Mighty Real)” by Grammy-nominated remixer and DJ, Ralphi Rosario (Rihanna, Mariah Carey, Beyonce, Madonna, etc.).

The liner notes for the new release have been written by Joshua Gamson, author of The Fabulous Sylvester: The Legend, The Music, The Seventies in San Francisco.  Pre-orders for the reissue are launching today on iTunes and on Amazon.  The release will be supported on social media at Twitter, Facebook, and Tumblr.

Even if you already own all of Sylvester's catalog, please consider adding this special reissue package to your collection and help the two San Francisco organizations that will benefit. I'm working with the label and representatives from the AEF and will help promote the release over the next few weeks. Below is Ralphi Rosario's bonus track.

Sylvester's 65th Birthday Was Thursday

I forgot to mention Sylvester's 65th birthday, what with all the DNC hullabaloo. Here's some disco-gay education for the tender ones.

#1 Twenty-Five Years Ago Today

His final dance chart topper. Recognize the girl?

Happy Birthday, Sylvester

Sylvester James would have turned 64 today.

Remember The Party 2011

The patrons and performers of San Francisco's legendary Trocadero Transfer will once again gather for Remember The Party on Sunday, October 9th. This year's event is a tribute to Sylvester!

Prepare to be cookin' on your feet in the Disco Heat as DJ JERRY BONHAM serves you a heaping helping of Disco deliciousness from all over the world, featuring a GRANDE SALUTE to the sweetest and hottest music that San Francisco ever served up! There's more in the mix to this Disco Dish. Think, a pinch of Patrick Cowley, a Dash of Sarah, a whiff of BearEssense, a chunk of Paul Parker, a little Boystown Gang on the side, a hint of Johnny Mathis, Loverde, Pointer Sisters, Patti Austin and more. It's all in the Technique and the whole thing's gonna be Two Tons O' Fun!

I plan on being there. And maybe this year on Monday I'll actually remember the party.

RELATED: TVOne's excellent biography on Sylvester has been posted to YouTube in its entirety. Watch it while you can.

Martha Wash - I've Got You

Weather Girl and former Sylvester back-up singer Martha Wash is back with a lovely non-dance pop number. I'm betting the remixes will be killer.

(Tipped by JMG reader Chris)

Today Is Sylvester's 63rd Birthday

San Francisco AIDS Groups Get $140K From Estate Of Disco Legend Sylvester

The Bay Area Reporter notes that two San Francisco-based AIDS relief agencies are sharing $140,000 in music royalties from the estate of the late disco diva Sylvester. Matthew Bajko reports:

Twenty-one years after the death of Sylvester James, a flamboyant and openly gay disco superstar from San Francisco, his music is now profiting two local agencies that serve people living with HIV and AIDS. James died December 16, 1988 at the age of 41 from complications due to AIDS. But it wasn't until last week that the AIDS Emergency Fund and Project Open Hand split a check from the drag performer's estate totaling nearly $140,000. "When I came into this job seven and a half years ago, I inherited three bankers' boxes filled with all of the early records from Sylvester's estate. The documents were page after page of all the financial records of his estate, which clearly showed tremendous amounts of debt and no clear path to having them paid off," said Mike Smith, executive director of the AIDS Emergency Fund. "AEF never expected this estate to pay out the way it just has."

Shortly before his death Sylvester had bequeathed his future royalties to local AIDS groups, but as he died deeply in debt there was no money to distribute until the late 90s. Once his advances were repaid, his early-career label Fantasy Records then kept the money in an account until its proper recipient could be legally determined. The advent of iTunes and the recent usage of Sylvester's music in movies means that more money will be coming. Project Open Hand reports that their 25% share of the first distribution will buy 13,000 meals for people with AIDS. Sylvester would be thrilled.

TONIGHT: Unsung - Sylvester

Tonight TV One's Unsung series spotlights the late gay disco diva Sylvester. The below clip covers several of the series' subjects including Sylvester. Go here for recap clip about tonight's episode. The show airs at 9pm on Time-Warner channel 90 in NYC and repeats at midnight. Find TV One's location in your area here. (And set your DVR, this is up against RuPaul's Drag Race. It's a TV dragstravaganza!)

(Tipped by JMG reader Chris)

80's Flashback

Sylvester, Someone Like You, 1986. Not my favorite Sylvester track and definitely not one of his better live vocal performances, but this clip is worthwhile for the post-song chat he has with Joan Rivers, who was subbing for Johnny Carson on New Year's Eve. Rivers fawns over Sylvester's jewelry and he drops the bomb (on national TV! In 1986!) that he is married to a man named Rick. (Rick died several months later.) He also uses his famous expression: "I'm not a drag queen! I'm Sylvester!" The back-up singers for this performance, Charlene Moore (silver dress) and Jeanie Tracy (who was Sylvester's end-of-life caretaker), have both commented several times on this YouTube clip, mentioning that he was already not feeling well in late 1986 and had a sore throat, hence the sketchy vocal. Nevertheless, his Sylvester-ness shines through.

Get Your Pride On

Here's a few Pride classics to put you in the mood.

Non-Sequitur Sunday

If there's anything better for erasing the blues of a gloomy, muggy, rainy Sunday afternoon than dancing around your apartment in your underwear to Sylvester, I'd like to know what it is. I feel mighty real and yes, I do wanna funk. That's all I got.