Jobriath

Early life and career

A native of King of Prussia, Pennsylvania, and raised in Houston, Texas, he showed early musical talent for playing the piano, and soon played organ in his local church.^[2] It was during this time his talents soon led him to being introduced to Eugene Ormandy as a child prodigy.^[3] While he was a high school student, he became further interested in classical music, and favored composers (such as Sergei Prokofiev), and he wrote the first two movements of his first symphony by his senior year in high school, but for reasons unknown chose not to complete it.^[4] After graduating from Upper Merion High School (in King of Prussia, PA) in 1964, Jobriath took an interest in folk music, partly inspired by seeing Peter, Paul and Mary, in concert several times.^[5] and he briefly formed a folk group with the help of his music teacher who arranged for two identical-twins, Marty and Grace, to join him. As a trio they named themselves "The Last Three", and played several regional shows in the PA area before Marty and Grace soon departed for college. While Jobriath briefly attended Temple University for one semester in the music program, ^[6], he soon dropped out before he was drafted into the military in the mid-1960s, and then soon went AWOL within months.^[3] Renaming himself Jobriath Salisbury, he relocated to Los Angeles.

After accompanying a friend to the audition for the musical Hair as a piano player, he impressed the producer and director with his singing and talents on the piano, and was soon casted by the director Tom O'Horgan into a leading role as 'Woof', an implicitly gay teenager.^[7] He appeared in the legendary West Coast production at the Aquarius Theater on Sunset Boulevard. Despite receiving positive reviews in his performances, he was fired from the production for "upstaging" the other actors.^[8]. ^[9] After leaving the production in 1969, he joined the folk-rock band Pidgeon as their lead singer and guitarist, which was then signed to Decca Records. The band recorded a debut album originally titled "First Flight From the Forest" which was re-titled by their label as the self-titled 'Pigeon',^[10]. and shortly after the album's release the band released the single "Rubber Bricks" b/w "Prison Walls" before disbanding.^[11] Both were produced by Stan Farber. At this time he was traced by the military police and arrested, spending nearly six months in a military psychiatric hospital after suffering a breakdown.^[7] During this period he began writing the songs that would lead to his next musical incarnation.

Jerry Brandt, the hype and Jobriath Boone

In mid-December 1972 Jerry Brandt, Carly Simon's former manager, overheard a demo tape being played by Clive Davis at Columbia Records. Davis rejected the tape as "mad, unstructured and destructive to melody", but Brandt was quick to step in. Jobriath later remarked "that coming from a man who discovered both Patti Smith and Barry Manilow...so much for sanity and structure!"^[12] Brandt located Jobriath in California, where he was living in an unfurnished apartment and working as a prostitute. Brandt: "In walked this beautiful creature dressed in white. I said, Why don't you come out to Malibu and hang out?"^[12] This became a feature of the mythology used to promote Jobriath, and helps to explain the acrimony that followed the dissolution of their professional and personal relationship.

Brandt signed Jobriath, now calling himself Jobriath Boone, to Elektra Records for a reported $500,000, in what was allegedly the most lucrative recording contract of its time.^[13] The label's president David Geffen signed Jobriath for a two-album deal.^[14] A huge marketing campaign and media blitz ensued, including full-page advertisements in Vogue, Penthouse, and Rolling Stone magazines, full-length posters on over 250 New York City buses and a huge 41' by 43' billboard in Times Square. All featured the forthcoming debut album sleeve design by noted photographer Shig Ikeda, which featured a nude Jobriath, made to resemble an ancient Roman statue.^[15] Plans were announced for a lavish three night live debut at the Paris Opera that December, at a cost of $200,000 and a subsequent tour of European opera houses. Jobriath informed the press that the show would feature him dressed as "King Kong being projected upwards on a mini Empire State Building. This will turn into a giant spurting penis and I will have transformed into Marlene Dietrich."^[16] Elektra, concerned about spiraling production costs, postponed the Paris Opera shows until February, later canceling them due to expense.

Amidst this barrage of promotion, the debut album Jobriath was released, garnering mostly positive reviews. Rolling Stone stated that Jobriath had "talent to burn", Cashbox called it "truly one of the most interesting albums of the year" and Record World hailed it as "brilliantly incisive", referring to Jobriath as "a true Renaissance man who will gain a tremendous following". Esquire disagreed, calling it "the hype of the year". The album was co-produced by Eddie Kramer and Jobriath, featuring string arrangements by Jobriath, recorded at Olympic Studios with the London Symphony Orchestra.^[17] Kramer described Jobriath in Mojo as "a romantic soul, really. He wanted orchestrations like old film music, though he knew nothing about scoring. So he bought a book on orchestration and within a week he'd come up with scores of a haunting quality". Peter Frampton is also credited on the album, though his contribution is unclear.^[18]

During this period, Brandt continued making extravagant statements such as "Elvis, the Beatles, and Jobriath" and declaring that both he and Jobriath had booked flights on Pan American's first passenger flight to the moon. Meanwhile, Jobriath declared himself "rock's truest fairy", a comment that did little to increase his popularity at the time but has since confirmed his status as the first openly gay rock singer to be signed to a major record label.^[19][20]

Jobriath's debut public performance was made on television, when Brandt secured him an appearance on the popular show The Midnight Special. The costumes were designed by Jobriath and the choreography was by Joyce Trisler, of the Joffrey Ballet.^[21] Two songs were performed: "I'maman" and "Rock of Ages", the latter substituting for "Take Me I'm Yours" which was pulled after the producer objected to its overtly sado-masochistic theme. The long-awaited live performance finally came in July 1974 with two sold-out shows at New York's The Bottom Line club.^[7] Sales for the album however, were poor and it failed to secure a chart placing.

Six months after the release of the debut album, Creatures of the Street was released, again featuring Peter Frampton, as well as John Paul Jones of Led Zeppelin.^[22] The costumes were by Stephen Sprouse. The photography was by Gered Mankowitz. Compiled from the extensive sessions for its predecessor, it was launched without any fanfare or media promotion and failed commercially. A US tour followed, where Jobriath and his backing-band (called 'The Creatures') did several residencies around the US (in Philadelphia, Boston, Chicago, San Francisco, Los Angeles & Memphis) during which recordings took place at local studios for a projected third album. Despite the tour having several well-attended shows and/or several sold-out nights, both Brandt and Elektra stopped financing the tour midway through. Despite this, Jobriath and the band completed the tour, continuing to bill Elektra for expenses. A final show, at the University of Alabama, ended in five encores and the fire department being summoned when the excited audience set off the alarm.^[23]

Cole Berlin, cabaret and The Chelsea Hotel

In January 1975 Jobriath announced his retirement from the music industry and moved into a pyramid topped rooftop apartment at the Chelsea Hotel in New York City. He attempted to resume his acting career, and was invited to audition for the role of Al Pacino's lover in the film Dog Day Afternoon.^[24] According to keyboard player Hayden Wayne, Jobriath had the script for 'Dog Day Afternoon' backstage at a concert at Nassau Coliseum, and claimed he didn't want to do the film due to the character's wearing of a dress. ^[25] Calling himself "Cole Berlin" (a play on both Cole Porter and Irving Berlin), he worked as a cabaret singer^[26] at a restaurant called The Covent Gardens, as well as clubs and cabarets, augmenting his income with occasional prostitution.^[7]

Studio albums

• 1969 Pidgeon – Decca (DL 75103 WLP)
• 1973 Jobriath – Elektra (EKS-75070)
• 1974 Creatures of the Street – Elektra (7E-1010)

Compilations

• 2004 – Lonely Planet Boy – Attack / Sanctuary (ATKCD010)
• 2014 As The River Flows – Eschatone (ESC018)
• 2015 "Popstar: The Lost Musical" – Factory25

Singles

• 1969 "Rubber Bricks" / "Prison Walls" (with Pidgeon) – Decca (832545)
• 1974 "Take Me I'm Yours" / "Earthling" – Elektra (EK-45878)
• 1974 "I'maman" / "Rock Of Ages" – Elektra (EK-45888) / Barclay (620 062)
• 1974 "Liten Up" / "Ooh La La" – Elektra (E-45210)
• 1974 "Street Corner Love" / "Rock Of Ages" – Elektra (EK-12146)
• 1974 "Ooh La La" / "Gone Tomorrow" – Elektra (K-12156)
• 2004 "I Love a Good Fight" + "Scumbag" – Attack / Sanctuary (ATKXS012)
• 2013 "Amazing Dope Tales" + "As The River Flows" + "City Freak" – Eschatone (ESC1001a)