The Killing Of Georgie

[Tramp The Dirt Down]

At the height of his popularity Rod Stewart released this classic single.

I was too young at the time (14) but with hindsight I think the subject matter was very brave for him to release it as a single (with his reputation as a ladies man) , it would have been far easier to leave the song as an album track.

Any other examples of artists doing something similar?

[WOM]

Um....I don't get it.

[Sits]

I was thinking about this song recently; it had slipped deep in my subsconscious. And in retrospect I'd agree it was a progressive step for an artist like Stewart.

[Amor de Cosmos]

Long John Baldry — A Thrill's a Thrill

A good mate of Rod's, and the guy who gave him his first break in the biz. I saw them both at Bowes Lyon House in Stevenage (Bo's A-Go Go) a couple of times. In I978 this was a very controversial song, so much that it was initially censored by his record company.

[adams house cat]

Donna Fargo - "A Sign Of The Times."

[tee rex]

I was a similar age to Tramp when "Killing of Georgie" was in the charts, with standard adolescent homophobia, unquestioned in an environment where nothing - and I mean nothing - in the mainstream media was pushing back. John Inman was supposed to be funny and poofs were Liberals and/or spies, that was the prevailing "wisdom". The alternative to hatred was cheap laughs.

The lines "gay, I guess ... nothing more, nothing less" were probably the first time I ever heard a different perspective. or gave it a moment's thought. It was like Kirk kissing Uhura. Long journey, first step. I think it mattered a lot.

[Sits]

Great post Tee Rex. All of that applies to me.

[Rogin the Armchair fan]

I always thought Part II was about George Best.

[Jah Womble]

You thought George Best had already died by 1976?

[Nefertiti2]

Stewart on the song

he references Long John Baldry here Amor- and Lola, a mainstream hit single with a gay theme which preceded Georgie

though there must have been lots of Noel Coward and so on. Mad about the Boy

[Gangster Octopus]

Don't forget Under One Roof by The Rubettes, which was out at about the same time as The Killing Of Georgie.

[Jah Womble]

Yes, from such a straight-up (manufactured) pop combo, that was both unlikely and unexpected. Unfortunately, thanks to lack of airplay owing to its subject matter, UOR failed to trouble the UK chart beyond #40.

[Duncan Gardner]

Good call on the Rubettes.

[Stumpy Pepys]

Lola by the Kinks springs to mind. Strangely the BBC were less concerned by the subject matter than the fact that Ray Davies sang 'Coca Cola'.

[Jah Womble]

Similarly, the BBC had no idea what Lou Reed's Walk on the Wild Side was about a few years later.

[Amor de Cosmos]

The Beeb never had a clue what was going on back then.

Edit: Someone said they couldn't see the Baldry song so here are the pertinent lyrics:

A thrill's a thrill
Now the young boys are all hanging out in the bars
Old men they don't have to cruise all night in cars
And those young girls love the smell of flowers
Old women love to play with them for hours
Gays are straight -
And straights are weird
The bi's just call
Everybody 'dear'
You know a thrill's a thrill
I said a thrill's a thrill
Even in paradise
I said a thrill's a thrill
Down to get up -
Yeah, up to get down
Oh, I will try anything
If it makes my head go round
Leather whips
And fingertips
I know a boy who is growing tits
A thrill's a thrill
A thrill's a thrill
Even in paradise
I said a thrill's a thrill
Take a hard look around you, baby
Ain't nobody got it made
You can live in your head
You can live in your heart
And if you don't live at all
Then why the hell did you start?