louiesmixtape hashtag performance

by the mid-1970s, donna summer had firmly established herself as a pop and dance music icon. crowned the “queen of disco,” summer’s innovative artistry redefined the sound of the pop music, blending soulful vocals with pulsating dance rhythms. “winter melody” was released as the second single from summer’s 1976 concept album, four seasons of love. co-written by summer and produced by giorgio moroder and pete bellotte, “winter melody” is a lush and cinematic soulful ballad with a tinge of a disco rhythm. “winter melody” reached top 30 on billboard’s r&b singles chart and just missed the pop top 40 peaking at #43. donna summer elevated disco to an art form, proving that the genre could be innovative, emotional, and enduring. summer was more than just the voice behind club anthems. she had the ability to infuse emotional depth into her music was unmatched—a talent she showcased beautifully on the often-overlooked gem “winter melody.” happy heavenly birthday, miss summer. #louiesmixtape #donnasummer #musichistory #1970s #lgbtqia #70smusic

my gawd, the children will never know just how GOLDEN the era of dance/house music was in the mid-1990s. yes, artists like gloria estefan, janet jackson, whitney houston, mariah carey, madonna, deborah cox, amber and ultra naté all helped to take the sounds of gay nightlife to mainstream radio, there were songs that were never made that crossover. songs that were only heard in the queerest of spaces were sung by the queerest of DJs who were regarded as therapists and spiritual guides. am i being hyperbolic- yes — and no. one of the songs that reigned supreme in new york clubs was the urban exchange’s “wannna drop a house (on that bitch).” and this was in large part due to the pulsating remix by junior vasquez, who was the resident DJ for the once legendary night club the sound factory. breaking out in the underground scene in early 1995, “wanna drop a house” featured the vocals by new york singer heather leigh west. however, she was not credited. that would not happen until the song’s re-release in remix form over a decade later. i remember dancing on the podium at woody’s to this song every wednesday night. it was the only place i could dance to the song as it was not released on CD and cassette single in the US in 1995. i would not get my hands on the junior vasquez remix until the advent of limewire. thirty later, “wanna drop a house (on that bitch)” is still a bop! And if you have read “wicked” the book, then you know that nessarose probably deserved a house to drop on her. #louiesmixtape #1990s #housemusic #musichistory #90smusic #lgbtqi

we didn’t grow up celebrating the holidays the way i saw on TV sitcoms. my mother didn’t bake cookies, and we didn’t drink coquito. we didn’t decorate a tree or put up colorful lights. chyle, i didn’t even know what a parranda was until I was well into my 20s. my mother, who was essentially estranged from her family, didn’t have any traditions to pass down. so christmas and every damn holiday were like tuesdays and thursdays—we just got through them. the saving grace was that we got through them together. but what was constant in our house was music, and by default, christmas songs were in the background. songs like RUN DMC’s “christmas in hollis,” new edition’s “it’s christmas (all over the world) and alexander o’neal’s “my gift to you.” “my gift to you” is the title track from alexander o’neal’s first and only christmas album released in november 1988. by the late 1980s, o’neal was an established star in R&B with hits like “fake,” “criticize,” and the timeless duet, “saturday love”with cherrelle. written and produced by o’neal’s longtime collaborators jimmy jam & terry lewis, “my gift to you” is a slow-burning christmas ballad that centers on love, gratitude, and emotional connection while highlighting every reason why alexander o’neal is national treasure. while not officially released as a single, “my gift to you” garnered extensive rotation at R&B radio and remains a holiday fixture. #louiesmixtape #1980s #80smusic #jimmyjamandterrylewis #flytetyme #christmasmusic