Jacques Morali, Creator of "The Village People", Dies of AIDS (November 15, 1991)
French music producer Jacques Morali, creator of the Village People, succumbed to AIDS in Paris on November 15, 1991 at the age of 44. Besides the Village People, Morali also wrote classic disco hits for the all-female group the Ritchie Family, including Best Disco in Town, Life Is Music and African Queens. Morali died one week after Magic Johnson announced he was HIV+ and a week-and-a-half before Queens' Freddie Mercury died of AIDS.
Part of the burgeoning gay scene of the late '70s, The Village People were embraced by gay men with the release of their song San Francisco/Hollywood. Despite lyrics filled with gay double entendres they crossed over to the general market, which got a kick out of the group's "camp pop". First came Macho Man followed by the ubiquitous YMCA, which spent three weeks at #2 on Billboard's Hot 100 in the winter of 1979. Their third album Go West was released in the spring and the single In the Navy went to #3. Rolling Stone Magazine even put them on its cover. However, overexposure soon ensued and the group "jumped the shark" in 1980 with their embarrassingly bad movie Can't Stop the Music.
The late '70s happened to be my formative coming-out years. I bought the Village People's eponymous first album (right) during the spring of my junior year at Penn State. I'd get a frisson of excitement listening to the lyrics of songs such as Key West and Fire Island - places I'd yet to experience. The dorm complex I lived at in University Park was where many members of the football team lived and some on my floor occasionally asked to borrow this LP for parties.
Unfortunately, Village People videos from You Tube aren't available for sharing but here's one of the Ritchie Family performing African Queens. From it you can see/hear the origins of the Village People sound/costuming.
Dear Sir or Madam
Please take the time to read my email
I am desperately seeking help to contact
Victor Willis or Jacques Morali re using their musical track for YMCA
to help battle Cancer.
I have tried in vain through social media to make contact myself.
would you be kind enough to make a few phone calls on my behalf
to try and locate Victor Willis or Jacques Morali's existing family members
through your connections so i may have licence to use the music.
my name is Maurice McCarthy
and live in the U.K
I would like to have permission to use the music from the song YMCA by the Village People.
I have changed the lyrics completely and as such I believe I have created a derivative
of the song,
The song is all about fighting Cancer. I have called the song Cancer Rebel Live and
the purpose of the song is to further Promote Cancer Awareness through all forms of media.
Hopefully this will raise vital funds for further research and equipment throughout the Globe
and maybe give my fellow Cancer sufferers and their Families an up beat song
to inspire them to keep fighting and battling through their very difficult times ahead.
I myself have Cancer in my throat and I have just completed 6 weeks of radiation and Chemotherapy
in the Beacon Cancer Department at Musgrove Park Hospital Taunton Somerset United Kingdom
all the best Maurice McCarthy
Below you will see the song including the Chords and Lyrics.
You may contact me, Maurice Mccarthy, aka Mo on:
Landline U.K 01458 279 920 or mobile 07557 332099
Email [email protected]
Cancer Rebel Live
YouTube link below:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7vG7lB9ZJfs
Awaiting your reply
Regards
Maurice McCarthy
Capo 4
intro D
@!speed9
D
cancer you take the young and
the old
Bm
i said cancer you are so cruel
and so cold
G
i said cancer we will stand up to you
A G A G F"m Em
i said cancer we will fight you
D
cancer you take the Rich and the Poor
Bm
cancer we will beat you for sure
G
with Radiation and Chemotherapy too
A G A G F"m Em
i said cancer we will fight you
D D D D D D
let me hear you sing it now come on
D
i said cancer we will beat you
Bm
cancer we will beat you
Em
my radiation's strong
Em
with chemo you wont last long
A7
i said cancer you wont defeat me
D
i said cancer we will beat you
Bm
cancer we will beat you
Em
my radiation's strong
Em
with chemo you wont last long
A7
i said cancer you wont defeat me
D
cancer you are really unfair
Bm
i said cancer because i lost all
my hair
G
i said cancer i am sick and tired
of you
A G A G F"m Em
cancer we will fight you
D
cancer i will grow back my hair
Bm
i said cancer it will grow back
i swear
G
i said cancer i'll get the
better of you
A G A G F"m Em
cancer we will fight you
D D D D D D
let me hear you sing it now come on
D
cancer we will beat you
Bm
cancer we will beat you
Em
my radiation's strong
Em
with chemo you wont last long
A7
i said cancer you wont defeat me
D
cancer we will beat you
Bm
cancer we will beat you
Em
my radiation's strong
Em
with chemo you wont last long
A7
i said cancer you wont defeat me
D
cancer you take the young and
the old
Bm
i said cancer you are so cruel
and so cold
G
i said cancer we will stand up to you
A G A G F"m Em
i said cancer we will fight you
D
cancer you take the Rich and the Poor
Bm
cancer we will beat you for sure
G
with Radiation and Chemotherapy too
A G A G F"m Em
i said cancer we will fight you
D D D D D D
let me hear you sing it now come on
D
i said cancer we will beat you
Bm
cancer we will beat you
Em
my radiation's strong
Em
with chemo you wont last long
A7
i said cancer you wont defeat me
D
Bm
Em
Em
A7
D
i said cancer we will beat you
Bm
:-)cancer we will beat you
Em
my radiation's strong
Em
with chemo you wont last long
A7
i said cancer you wont defeat me
Posted by: maurice mccarthy | 05/06/2018 at 11:02 AM