Eurobeat Easter Eggs & Oddities

Everything that is eurobeat can be discussed here.
drnrg
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Post by drnrg » 10 Feb 2015, 07:50

UFOPOLI
I second that theory. When you look at the lyrics of this category of songs, they typically have also other characteristics that suggest the lyricist had a different gender vocalist in mind. I guess they just didn't care enough to rewrite the lyrics, thinking that the Japanese won't care, or maybe thinking it was funny.
Songs were just given to the artist that sounded best singing them. The transgender lyric thingwasn't even taken into concideration. Some producers ;like, Gino Caria ,actually got a kick from writing very suggestive lyrics. Weather they be about male or female.

but in all honesty. Look at the history of Italo disco/Hi-NRG. Divine, Sylvester,Fancy,Bronski Beat, Dead Or Alive ect. The transgender thing has always been a big part of it.

synthjunkie
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Post by synthjunkie » 10 Feb 2015, 10:14

drnrg wrote:UFOPOLI
I second that theory. When you look at the lyrics of this category of songs, they typically have also other characteristics that suggest the lyricist had a different gender vocalist in mind. I guess they just didn't care enough to rewrite the lyrics, thinking that the Japanese won't care, or maybe thinking it was funny.
Songs were just given to the artist that sounded best singing them. The transgender lyric thingwasn't even taken into concideration. Some producers ;like, Gino Caria ,actually got a kick from writing very suggestive lyrics. Weather they be about male or female.

but in all honesty. Look at the history of Italo disco/Hi-NRG. Divine, Sylvester,Fancy,Bronski Beat, Dead Or Alive ect. The transgender thing has always been a big part of it.
I agree with drnrg. Even if some songs might have been a last minute change of singers, I think that some circumstances it was just left intentionally.

Also, look at some of the lyrics with male singers talking about their junk. I could go on and on about which songs I mean. And I don't think they were meant to be listened to by women in the clubs, by the innuendos in the lyrics towards other males.

Just as drnrg said, look at Divine and Dead Or Alive acts? Come on, they were all drag queens, and/or gay cross dressers.
Also the god fathers of hi-nrg, such as the early Hi-NRG albums of San Francisco producer Patrick Cowley with such singers such as Sylvester and Paul Parker were all homosexuals.

The origin of Italo was always played first in underground gay clubs before it became more popular. This is how it was first discovered by the ever so popular producers, Stock Aiken Waterman. Very popular in gay night clubs during the 80's in Greece such as in Mykonos, known as the gay party island.

"the Stock Aitken Waterman-produced hits by Dead or Alive, Bananarama, Jason Donovan, Sonia, and Kylie Minogue which were heavily based on the British experience with Italo disco during holidays in Greece and elsewhere."
-wikipedia, eurobeat

There was a huge outbreak in the late 70's, and early 80's in America to stop the disco sound, because it was deemed to be too "gay" in nature.
Many turned to rock instead, or new wave, but little did they know that disco never died but was retransformed and remarketed as 80's pop synth music, with slightly less intense pulsing Italo sounds. Italo, along with new wave, and 70's acts like Sylvester, Patrick Coweley, Giorgio Moroder, are really the basis of 80's synth pop music, as well the gay community have always been the first to experience this music before it ever came out in any way or form into the mainstream light.

You might want to also look at a few of the covers of the vinyls over the years by Eurobeat and Italo artists. Many have very sexual covers, and nudity. Even the men are sexualizied. Saifam records has even released some gay friendly albums with covers of almost nude men, or in their underwear.

So in the end, I strongly believe without a doubt that these "same sex" themes are there for a reason in the songs. A sort of "tribute" to the history of Eurobeat, Italo, and HI-NRG, in the same way as some of the titles of the songs are exact song titles of famous 80's songs, again a "tribute" to the 80's.
I am not saying that Italo and Eurobeat are exclusive to gays, but rather, it is inclusive towards them, as well as to anybody who is open to it and enjoy it for what it is: something for everyone. There are tons of songs about heterosexual love in Eurobeat and Italo, so everybody is included.

drnrg
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Post by drnrg » 11 Feb 2015, 05:12

I seriously think you hit the Bullseye with the word "Tribute"
It's a definate tribute thing. This is most evident on how many Eurobeat singers used falsetto vocals for their artist names.

Think of Dave Rodgers. Not gay at all, but he did use those Jimmy Summerville vocal style when he sang at FLEA records. T Boy "Dancer" would be one of the best examples. he also did James Cooler at ABeatC. So yeah, the tribute thing makes the most sense.Other lables that did the whole falsetto thing would include Asia, Radiorama, High Energy, ABeatC, TIME. Even Bonini tried a few x at Stil Novo and once for Sandy Bee on "Ready Fopr My Lovin"

Now that I think of it, I really miss the falsetto vocals of the 80s,90s in Eurobeat?Italo. Wish one of the producers would bring that style back. 8)

WinterdrivE
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Post by WinterdrivE » 12 Feb 2015, 03:05

The Aggressive remix of ELT's 出会った頃のように/deatta koro no you ni is pretty clearly inspired by Night of Fire.

The intro to Johnny Go by Volta & Gabbana also tips its hat to Johnny B Goode by Chuck Berry

And of course Ike Ike and We Like to Party, but maybe this one's a little more obvious.[/b]

Shawaazu
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Post by Shawaazu » 12 Feb 2015, 05:42

Mega NRG Man - Strong Beat > Iggy Pop - Real Wild Child
Riki 1 - Shake Shake Shake > MMM Feat. Lady Lust - Hi-Voltage

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Lebon14
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Post by Lebon14 » 12 Feb 2015, 11:16

WinterdrivE wrote:And of course Ike Ike and We Like to Party, but maybe this one's a little more obvious.
It's one single voice sample...
椛ちゃん、助けてぇぇぇぇぇ!

WinterdrivE
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Post by WinterdrivE » 12 Feb 2015, 13:21

^

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6Zbi0XmGtMw
(skip to 0:25 to skip the intro)

The synth riffs are the same.

para_rigby
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Post by para_rigby » 12 Feb 2015, 14:07

WinterdrivE wrote:^

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6Zbi0XmGtMw
(skip to 0:25 to skip the intro)

The synth riffs are the same.
Yeppers. I remember the first time I heard Ike Ike, I was all, "sounds like We Like To Party! Did they just rip off the melody?!"

Javy
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Post by Javy » 12 Feb 2015, 17:45

Ely Kotero - Sheik Yarbati Moves - Vengaboys - Boom Boom Boom Boom
"SHES PLAYING WITH THE GOD DAMN NUMBERS!" Phil on explaining Play With The Numbers
<img src="http://supereuropowerhour.com/EuroLogWhite.jpg" height="200" width="430">
Podcast available on iTunes & supereuropowerhour.com

synthjunkie
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Post by synthjunkie » 24 Feb 2015, 21:07

To go along with some of the LGBT themes we have talked about on here before regarding lyrics...

Heck look at one of Time Records songs:

Men to Men - Male Stripper. Sung by Fred Ventura. The title says it all

Anyway...
Anybody ever notice the drag queen on the front cover of
Mike Hammer's "Big Hole Black Hole" from 1996, Time Records?
Image


How about the drag queen on the cover of
Triumph - Baby, Baby Run, 1996 Time Records?
Image

On a related note:
For those who don't know, Max Coveri (Massimo Brancaccio), is also a drag queen in real life, under the name of Billy Moore
http://www.discogs.com/artist/105033-Max-Coveri

drnrg
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Post by drnrg » 25 Feb 2015, 00:56

you know what's even funnier?

The drag queen on Mike Hammers sleeve cover and the song titles "Big Hole, Black Hole" :P

you wanna an obvious example. Take a glance at Coo Coos's - You can Set Me Free" Nothing shy about that cover:wink:

Image

synthjunkie
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Post by synthjunkie » 25 Feb 2015, 02:53

drnrg wrote:you know what's even funnier?

The drag queen on Mike Hammers sleeve cover and the song titles "Big Hole, Black Hole" :P

you wanna an obvious example. Take a glance at Coo Coos's - You can Set Me Free" Nothing shy about that cover:wink:

Image
This is too funny!!
Notice how katy perry is the white one, and the legs in the backround up in the air are the black ones (Madonna's), just like on COO COO'S cover! hahahaha!

Image

Javy
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Post by Javy » 25 Feb 2015, 02:59

Neo - King Of Chinatown
is basically a song about Neo trying to get another guy into bed.
"SHES PLAYING WITH THE GOD DAMN NUMBERS!" Phil on explaining Play With The Numbers
<img src="http://supereuropowerhour.com/EuroLogWhite.jpg" height="200" width="430">
Podcast available on iTunes & supereuropowerhour.com

drnrg
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Post by drnrg » 25 Feb 2015, 05:55

seems like mainstream pop stars secretly listen to Italo/Eurobeat :D

synthjunkie
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Post by synthjunkie » 25 Feb 2015, 06:29

Javy wrote:Neo - King Of Chinatown
is basically a song about Neo trying to get another guy into bed.
Cool. Never payed attention to this one before. Thanks for sharing!

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