Village People :: still (happily) singing "Y.M.C.A."

It was in 1977 that gay clubs began playing the driving sound of the Village People. With strong vocals by lead man Victor Willis and songs about major gay meccas (San Francisco, Hollywood, Fire Island and Greenwich Village), it appeared disco found a gay voice. The cover to their first album - a black-and-white photo featuring men with various gay looks popular at that time - only confirmed that fact.

The group (according to the Village People website) came about when Producer/Composer Jacques Morali and his partner Henri Belolo "found Felipe dancing in his Indian costume in a crowd in NY's Greenwich Village. Felipe's special visual attraction brought the idea to mind to put together a group of Village icons from various American social groups."

Not long after Morali saw Willis on Broadway in The Wiz and asked him to sing lead. Other members - each representing a Village icon - soon followed, and the group went out on its first tour.

But the Village People wasn't going to stay a niche group for long. Disco ruled radio and within months their music went viral with such monster hits as "Macho Man," "YMCA" and "In The Navy." They appeared on major television shows, made the cover of Rolling Stone and had a movie - Can't Stop The Music - built around them.

By the early 1980s, disco faded, but not the group. They secured the group's name (from its original owners Can't Stop Productions) and continued to perform throughout the world. Willis left the group and was replaced by Ray Simpson at the time Can't Stop The Music was being filmed. There were other personnel changes as well, though by the end of the decade (and through today) three of the original members were still with the group: Felipe Rose (the Indian), Alex Briley (the Soldier) and David Hodo (the Construction Worker). Simpson (the Cop) remained its lead singer, with Jeff Olson (Cowboy) joining in 1980 and Eric Anzalone (the Leatherman) joining in 1995.

In the early 1980s no less than the up-and-coming Madonna opened for the group. Today, like Madonna, they remain pop culture icons, recognizable for their unique look and immediately identifiable sound. In 2008 they were honored with a star on the Hollywood Walk of Stars. At Yankee Stadium "Y.M.C.A." is played at the bottom of the fifth inning at every Yankees' home game, and in 2006 football fans from a working-class neighborhood of London rewrote the lyrics to "Go West" as a mantra sung during a game with French rivals. Their hits are karaoke favorites throughout the world. In 2004 no less a personage than then Secretary of State Colin Powell sang a version of "Y.M.C.A." at a summit for Asian foreign ministers. Over the years they've sold some 65 million records worldwide.

Today they continue to perform to gay and straight fans alike, be it on cruise ships, casinos or clubs, such this Saturday night in the Boston area at Quincy's Marina Bay. Upcoming tour stops include Virginia Beach, VA (9/3), New Orleans (9/16), Mitchell, SD (10/2) and a three-week tour of Australia from 10/8. (For more information on their upcoming dates, visit the Village People's website.

EDGE recently spoke to Village person Alexander Briley (the original Soldier) about the group's appeal, its history and their longevity.

Key to success?

EDGE: 30 years is a long time for an act to stay together. What is the key to the group's success?

Alexander Briley: We love what we're doing. That's the truth. Every time we go on stage, we are energized by the audience.

EDGE: What's been the high point for the group?

Alexander Briley: There are so many. Getting a star on the Hollywood Walk Of Fame, working with Dick Clark, Michael Jackson, Madonna - all high points!

EDGE: And have there been any rough patches over the years?

Alexander Briley: The roughest was losing our friend and colleague Glenn Hughes, the original Biker.

EDGE: How did the group come about in the first place?

Alexander Briley: Check our website for the full history of the group (www.officialvillagepeople.com). In a nutshell, two Frenchmen Jacques Morali and Henri Belolo saw Felipe rose dancing in Native American garb in NYC's Greenwich Village and the idea was born.

Story continues on following page:

Watch the original video for "Y.M.C.A." (1978):

Tongue-in-cheek gay persona

EDGE: How would you describe your music. Disco? Dance? Pop?

Alexander Briley: all of the above.

EDGE: There are two people who appeared to help shape the group - Jacques Morali and Neil Bogart. Who were they and what were their contributions to the Village People?

Alexander Briley: This is too hard to answer in a sentence.

EDGE: Who came up with the idea of using a different cultural archetype for each member of the group?

Alexander Briley: A combination of Jacques Morali, Henri Belolo, Felipe Rose and others.

EDGE: Were these based on gay looks that were popular in the late 1970s?

Alexander Briley: They were based on gay and non-gay iconic looks in Greenwich Village of the 1970s.

EDGE: During the early years, the group's gay association was apparent to anyone who picked up on it. Yet most people didn't catch the clues. Were there concerns back then about the group's tongue-in-cheek gay persona?

Alexander Briley: No.

EDGE: Is it accurate to call the Village People an iconic gay group?

Alexander Briley: Yes and no. The group is and has always been comprised of gay and straight performers. The tongue-in-cheek image and characters portrayed by the group has always been open to interpretation by the audience. Family groups see the group as fun; gay groups see the group as gay icons.

EDGE: Were you surprised by the vehemence of the anti-disco movement in the early 1980s?

Alexander Briley: No. Music trends are cyclical. Dance Music will always be in style. Dance music just moved away from Disco to a different sound. Now Disco is just one of the accepted and fun dance sounds available to the public.

EDGE: Is it true the Navy once recruited the group to sing "In The Navy" as part of an ad campaign?

Alexander Briley: It was being considered, but the Navy chose not to use it.

EDGE: You got a star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame. Is the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame next?

Alexander Briley: The Village People would love to be accepted in the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame- but that hasn't happened yet.

EDGE: The YMCA is changing their name - what do the Village People think of that?

Alexander Briley: We were "dismayed". But we will continue to sing all four letters in the song.

EDGE: Dance music is pretty big these days - does the group have any new music that we might hear in the clubs?

Alexander Briley: We sing new original music in our show, but there are no plans to release it to the clubs.

EDGE: What are your audiences like - old, young, somewhere-in-between?

Alexander Briley: Grandparents and parents bring their children to our concerts. From 4 to 84. Gay and straight - All ethnicities. It's amazing and totally gratifying.

EDGE: Approximately how many records (including downloads) have the Village People sold over the years?

Alexander Briley: We are told it's over 100 million records sold.

EDGE: What's next for the group?

Alexander Briley: We spend the month of October in Australia and then continue to perform in the USA and worldwide as we have been doing for the past 33 years!

The Village People perform on Saturday, August 28, 2010 at the Ocean Club, Marina Bay, Quincy, MA. For more information visit . Upcoming dates for the group include Virginia Beach, VA (9/3), New Orleans (9/16), Mitchell, SD (10/2) and a three-week tour of Australia from 10/8. (For more information on their upcoming dates, visit .

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