He was certainly influenced by artists such as Bowie or Freddie Mercury, especially his Cole Berlin performance. He was one of those love 'em or hate 'em artists. No one can deny his talent, although his fame was short lived. He would have been a superstar had he been around now.
I just watched the BBC documentary on the Chelsea Hotel and that brought me here. He played elegant piano and had a crystal clear voice in the documentary (which was filmed quite a few years after this performance), but it goes to show his versatility. Never seen anything like him. Very probably the world wasn't ready for him, in terms of mainstream success. Very sad that he died alone.
Eagerly awaiting the day when straight, married* men such as myself are more likely to say, "This song is awesome," without the preceding (and unnecessary) caveat of, "I'm straight, but even I think..."
It makes no sense. Straight guys can listen to, say, Aretha Franklin singing about men without qualifying it with, "But I'm not, y'know, a woman into dudes like Aretha is!"
Jobriath had more balls than any homophobe ever has.
There are a lot of myths about how things went down back then, pardon the expression, and how "brave" or otherwise it was to go onstage like this. True music fans loved the music, whether it was Jobriath and Bowie, or the Allman Brothers and Little Feat. Sure, there was some nudge-nudge discussion in the playground, but we soon got back to the music. The people threatened by it then are the same people who would be threatened by it now.
THE GREAT GLAM TOUR THAT SHOULD HAVE BEEN: Tim Curry, followed by Jayne County, followed by the New York Dolls... headlined by none other than our beloved JOBRIATH~!!! anyoen feel me on this?
folklorish: Beautiful comments about the misunderstood Jobriath. I think I heard David Bowie is looking into compiling all his material into an incredible box set to be released in 2012. I love the thought that one of the biggest Glam Rockers may be watching out for a fellow, fallen hero.
Poor Jobriath: The Misunderstood Glam Rocker! Bruce Wayne Campbell transformed into Jobriath, shaken and taken from us by unscrupulous managers and a suspicious public. I saw his self-titled album in 1973, the one where he looks like a decaying, purple statue, and I grabbed it off the record shelf. I loved it but my friends didn't like him at all, even the Bowie fans who were scarce in those days as well. His life reads like a tragic novel revealing his sexuality and ending in AIDS.
With all stars in music all wrote about dreams, poems, forbiden stuff, space stuff, monsters, but at the end, they are usual guys, but Jobriath wrote and sing about Jobriath, a unique True Original, I`m no gay and not support any gay stuff but i can recognize true art when I saw it.
@swccmty "I`m no gay and not support any gay stuff but i can recognize true art when I saw it." Aww, how patronizing. It looks like YOU are the faggot here, in all the derogatory sense of the word that you really intend. Why do I even bother with YT comments? It's the dirtiest bag of collective vomit on the internet.
@ultraconservative is called Free speech dumb ass, derogatory? the only ofended was you, you stand any intended comment, and please! dont bother reading YT comments. stay in there sister!
in other hand, Jobriath was so unique! i really wish see him in live performances, a shinig star who never blink again ..but still is a star.
@BestMusicExpert No Axl never acted like this, but the singing, the emphasis, and the drawling accents are the same. I'd prfer it it wasn't Axl I was talking about, as I do like Jobriath, but there it is: I think Axl ripped off Jobriath. It's easier to do that to a person once they're dead.
Dear Jobriath: A very Happy Belated Birthday to you dear friend. Where ever you are, your the star of the stage and have stolen everyones heart...."I'll always remember you." xoxox Molly Mae
Jobriath, un invisibile icona del glam anni 70, un artista che ha saputo materializzare con la sua musica uno stile unico...solo in pochi hanno potuto godere della sua talentuosa capacità...happy birthday bruce wayne campbell.
Who cares about talking about OTHER glam rockers, really, everyone, this is it. Can't get better. I've loved this song for SOOOOOOO long thank you for posting!
The world had already BOWIE and wasn't prepared to change him for jobriath.... Even though this little tune has some nice variations on the coda.... And with a little bit more of work one could get a masterpiece of a cover without the synthetizer and the flamboyant shouting..... Jobriath was a talent the world will never be prepared for.... Only a guy like Warhol would appreciate his "art" and to Anne who said better than Bowie... I just reply with all due respect ...BLASPHEMY !!!! :D
40 years ago I was lucky enough to win this album at a bar mitzvah. Thinking I was the loser having no idea who it was. Once it hit the turn table I couldn't believe what I was hearing and seeing (he's pretty much naked on the cover). I love it and will never forget. YouTube once again comes through :-)
Dear Jobriath: Total balls & guts to git out on stage like that...even today 2010...bloody outrageous!!.. "A *STAR* at 18, then suddenly gone, down to a few lines in the back page of a faded annual, but I remember you, I remember you"
What a strange description. "Openly gay"? Was he ever closed about it? Why even bother mentioning he was gay. Byw the other day I saw some swimming fish... oh yeah and they were wet.
A MAJOR Bowiefile in the 70s, I bought into his 'bisexuality' chic. But like every Bowie-persona, this was marketing rather than felt experience. Like Madonna later he allied great pop songwriting with a genius for sniffing the cultural zeitgeist ...and like her under the songs is a big empty phoney...JUST AS A POP STAR SHOULD BE! Jobriath I suspect was just too honest and near the bone. Rufus Wainright & Adam Lambert have it so much easier today!
jimdivax I think you're right, he seems to be trying a bit too hard, a bit too sincere to pull it off, Bowie seemed so weird and other worldly a bit more relaxed and cool. I remember the first time I saw Bowie getting interviewed, and being surprised that he was a real person, just a normal bloke like everyone else, and that weird alien shit was just an act, but that made me like him even more. Maybe because glam wasn't as big in the us it made Jobriath seem more original, he seems loved though.
He was proudly gay and totally open about that, but his management team attempted to market his music based almost entirely on that fact, which backfired. And he originally got his start in the theater, having been a cast member in the first production of the musical "Hair," so it's pretty understandable that his quirky theatrical tedencies would appear in his incarnation as Jobriath, too.
Not goog enough to be a big star, and to gay to be accepted. he was more gat than the likes of Boy George. He should have worked in musicals like Rocky Horror, that sot of thing. he would have been good at that.
For information on our upcoming feature documentary about Jobriath, check out our facebook page. Go to facebook and type in Jobriath A.D. Youtube won't let me post the link. Join us for updates and check out our kickstarter page for ways you can get prizes for pledges.
It's about time that the comparisons with Bowie stop. People who make that comparison are simply mimicking what certain naive journalists said at the time. The fact is that their music is completely different. Jobriath's music is far more eclectic than Bowie's.
He was overhyped, mismanaged, and pushed at the mainstream before he had even had a chance to build a gay following so he could cross over. It was a kamikaze mission.
His last show as Jobriath, after he had been abandoned by his crazy manager and his record company, is legend. He had finally found his voice, but the industry no longer cared.
Jobriath was a completely original artist who someone decided to market as the next Bowie. 25 years after this poor misunderstood pillow-biter has been dead and in the ground, the comparisons still haunt him. Bowie sang about being a freaky androgynous rock star from outer space. Jobriath sang about being a queer faggot who loved other men "the way a man loves a woman".
No offense to Bowie, but there's no question about who was the more honest and courageous artist: the pillow-biter.
Jobriath is a fantastic piano player, songwriter and arranger. His singing is not completely suited to glam-rock I agree. His Cole Berlin stuff is far more believable. In my opinion, his backing band is stellar.
The other thing that killed him was being openly gay. Look what happened to Elton John when he came out in 1976, that and having fired his GOOD band, KILLED his career for at least 6 years!
@jrmetmoi He came out as Bi in 1976. I think he married Renate in 84. Trying to lead a "normal life" I guess. After he divorced her, he fully came out as gay.
@BestMusicExpert: I disagree. Jobriath (as Rolling Stone put it in 1973) had "Talent to burn". His backing group The Creatures were a damn good Rock band too. Every bit as solid as any other Glam unit of their day, INCLUDING the Spiders from Mars....
This comment has received too many negative votesshow
This deluded cunt tried to out do Bowie but was about 3yrs to late and is really shit, he is just a cult item because the likes of morrisey like him cos he died in squalor and misfortune. A shambles from the get go.
Yes, Beef from Phantom of the Paradise has a very similar look and sound. And of course Brian Slade from Velvet Goldmine appears to have a very similar look and sound to Jobriath.
Problem is, who came first? Beef or Jobriath? I think Jobriath predates Beef by a few months.
During his 15 min of fame, he was one of those guys you'd love one min and then hate the next. It was only later on that I understood what he was going through at the time
America's answer to David Bowie. (Didn't know anybody asked the question.)
Morissey idolises him apparently. Personally I think it's just a means to irritate Bowie with whom he has a long running, 'disagreement' shall we say.
actually, morrissey bought jobriath's albums religiously as a teenager, and was going to invite him as a support act for his '92 your arsenal tour before finding out he had died of aids 9 years earlier.
morrisseys "disagreement" with bowie happened 1995, and they have since half-madeup, covering each others songs. so please dont assume things like that.
i love his music listen everyday with the kids while washing up ha hes a genius bowie who i love has a great contempory i wish hed could still be here his music lives on oh yeah genius
jobraith,love to death,my sister and I picked the album,for the sheer genious,and rushed home to play, we thought we were ingenious, we hid away and told na'ery a soul
Funny that at the time we just dismissed him as a Bowie clone and who needed that when you had the real deal? But in hindsite maybe we were being a bit unfair. He definately got his act from Bowie, no doubt, but some of the tunes stand up on their own merit. The tearing off of costumes on stage is pure Ziggy though.
I've heard that but I don't think so - Jack Fairy was, first of all, started much earlier than Brian Slade; and secondly, he's definitely British. Jobriath is American and based at least some of his persona and music on Bowie's. But that doesn't mean, obviously, that Todd Haynes wasn't inspired by Jobriath when making V.G.
Somebody showed me the picture of a record cover of Jobriath's and the mock-up of Brian Slade's 'Maxwell Demon' record for 'Velvet Goldmine' was near identical. So they took that from Jobriath.
1972 - Bowie writes "The Rise and Fall of Ziggy Stardust". Ziggy Stardust is the human manifestation of an alien life form, sexually promiscuous and lover of excess...sex, drugs, and rock n roll.
1973 - Jobriath makes "Jobriath". Jobriath is an alien who comes down to earth to have sex with earthlings, do drugs, and play some rock n roll.
Both kick ass...but Jobriath is undoubtedly the one who is ripping off an idea...not Bowie.
That being said, I don't want to be misunderstood. I love Jobriath. The film "Velvet Goldmine" got me into him as well as some old Morrissey interviews. Love his stuff, own it on vinyl, wish he was still with us.
FINALLY somebody sees the Stones thing. I've been saying that for 30 years. Pure Mick on "Rock of Ages". I just found this vid today and I'm a little stunned this many people are aware of this stuff. For my money, "I'm a Man" and "Inside" proved he was more than hype.
Hey, come on you guys; it's been a week and nobody has added anything to the debate. I was really begining to enjoy your slanging match - sorry, I mean reasoned arguments.
I could ask the same thing of you. Why do you keep responding? I'm afraid you lack basic logic if you think it doesn't make sense to respond to a post simply because it's "sad." Perhaps you aren't socialized enough to realize such obvious things. In which case, I'd say you're more "pathetic" than "sad." Growing up can be a challenge!
Look in the mirror, seli; you're projecting. Anybody who thinks in terms like "shitwhore" has issues, clearly. I mentioned meds to needle you, obviously. But really, "shitwhore"? That's just so juvenile, and frankly pretty sad.
selimaazouri, sounds like you've got some serious problems. i realize you're probably a "special needs" person (or "differently abled") and maybe deserve more leeway than normal people, but when terms like "shitwhore" are repeatedly whirling through your mind, it's probably time to either up your anti-psychotics or get a new psychiatrist. you might also try both.
geez, dude (or girl) - take yr meds. it's possible - and sensible! - to like both bowie and jobriath. it doesn't have to be one or other other, binary boy (or girl). sheesh.
The deal on this was, the manager noted that all the stars who were piling up yardage playing the "gay" card - Bowie, Reed, Cooper, et al - were married or in relationships with women, ergo he could score big by marketing Jobriath as rock's "one true fairy". A shame, because he and the band were pretty good, but the music had to refer heavily both to the gay thing and to the music it was supposed to be the pure alternative to, a lot of excess baggage to saddle creativity with.
I'm glad I stuck with this... The finale lit up my chakras like a dimestore christmas tree. An expression of self-acceptance and pride for the ages. I think 'the act of tomorrow' sums it up quite nicely.
This is personal. Jobraith is really singing about himself here, and this is one big reason why he was no Bowie. Bowie played roles and created characters. Bowie sang about Ziggy Stardust. But here, Jobraith is singing about Jobraith.
I'm not gay, so I guess I'm not all that up on gay culture, but I don't know of a braver more beautiful queer anthem.
It's horribly filmed, and the outfit is ridiculous, though it may have worked in a concert hall. But "I Maman" is a really great song, and as a singer, Jobraith knew exactly how to handle the phrasing.
Yes. He becomes a great presence around 2:50 - wonderfully strong, unapologetic, magnetic. A fantastic queen, and more real (though perhaps in a different category) than Bowie, Reed, et al. in the queer mode.
David Bowie did not invent Glam. He never claimed to (quite the opposite, in fact) so why would anyone else?
From this period, it was Jayne County who publicly accused him of having ripped off "Rebel Rebel" from a song her band had been working on.
So Bowie lucked out. Good. But why slag off lesser known, yet equally talented musicians? You wouldn't wanna witness a piano match between Bowie and Jobriath... I can assure you Bowie would lose.
Well for one thing, did this guy ever write/perform any songs with more then 8 different words in them? From what I've read, his was one of the all-time greatest flame-outs in rock history, bar none.
This is obviously a single. There must be some 50 tracks of Jobriath available out there:
- His first long play was with "Pidgeon";
- Under the name "Jobriath" there were two long play releases: "Jobriath" & "Creatures of the Street".
Now search & listen, which is much more effective than placing our opinions under someone else's reviews (especially considering the massively homophobic climate at the time).
And again, keep in mind this was the early 70's. Very different from 2009.
The flame-out wasn't his fault, based on what I know. Job's manager totally mishandled him, overhyping him (the infamous nude Time Square Billboard) , idiotically taking him to the mainstream, and then losing interest when he didn't catch fire immediately. Online sources indicate that after the hype ended and he seasoned as a performer, the shows improved. The audience response at his last show with the band is legendary... but the industry no longer cared.
Why do people feel the need to slag Jobriath off and call him a Bowie rip-off? what about Iggy Pop and the rest of the Bowie clones? Jobriath had a certain appeal that was more Jagger than Bowie. There's an appeal that's none of the others that's just Jobriath and should be celebrated, not compared.
Brilliant! It's about time this was made avialable... it's been the "holy grail" for years. It's a shame that things went as they did, but at least there are 2 albums full of amazing music to enjoy. And, those too are now readily available for those who want to discover Joby. Thanks for posting this :)
Jobriath.........
charley8118 1 day ago
this guy is the love child of Spock and Ziggy Stardust
barrylighthouse 6 days ago
I saw this short video-clip of Jobriath on "avro's Toppop" when I was twelve or something!
Immediately I fell in love with his music and performance! My schoolmates then disliked him,
but no, not I !!! Gay or not, what the f***!!! It's music that matters!
mclarsj 1 month ago
this song kinda kicks ass.
onemorebrando 2 months ago
He actually had a really good voice. Such an odd story. Would make a hell of a biopic.
MelodyMaker151 2 months ago
Way ahead of his time.
ne1cool 2 months ago
so sweet!
sonicsteev 3 months ago
He was certainly influenced by artists such as Bowie or Freddie Mercury, especially his Cole Berlin performance. He was one of those love 'em or hate 'em artists. No one can deny his talent, although his fame was short lived. He would have been a superstar had he been around now.
enisorian 3 months ago
"Jobraith"? Someone fix Gladys' cue cards...
Babaziba 3 months ago
Way cool...I'm a fan.
mudkatz48 4 months ago
Really???? WOW !!!!
stansatin 4 months ago
Fascinating
mpjgbx 4 months ago
I just watched the BBC documentary on the Chelsea Hotel and that brought me here. He played elegant piano and had a crystal clear voice in the documentary (which was filmed quite a few years after this performance), but it goes to show his versatility. Never seen anything like him. Very probably the world wasn't ready for him, in terms of mainstream success. Very sad that he died alone.
aerialkate 4 months ago
bowie, eat this!
ScarletUtopia 5 months ago
I ain't gay but the song is catchy as hell.
roscoegino 5 months ago
dig those spock ears!
biggodhead 6 months ago
Jobriath was a man among men.
Eagerly awaiting the day when straight, married* men such as myself are more likely to say, "This song is awesome," without the preceding (and unnecessary) caveat of, "I'm straight, but even I think..."
It makes no sense. Straight guys can listen to, say, Aretha Franklin singing about men without qualifying it with, "But I'm not, y'know, a woman into dudes like Aretha is!"
Jobriath had more balls than any homophobe ever has.
*Also awaiting marriage for all.
izationalizer 6 months ago 10
wtf is this shit roflmao
skaterock7734 6 months ago
@skaterock7734
Well said...my thoughts exactly. A faux Bowie.
nicestrat 4 months ago
gladys knight and jobriath on the same show. this is why the 70s were so phenom. nothing had to be pigeonholed much.
roscoegino 6 months ago 3
There are a lot of myths about how things went down back then, pardon the expression, and how "brave" or otherwise it was to go onstage like this. True music fans loved the music, whether it was Jobriath and Bowie, or the Allman Brothers and Little Feat. Sure, there was some nudge-nudge discussion in the playground, but we soon got back to the music. The people threatened by it then are the same people who would be threatened by it now.
AK2927 7 months ago 2
@selimaazouri and that sort of thing must turn you on.... cause here you are...
samthor 7 months ago
DAMN HOT HOST!!!!!
BootyFister 7 months ago 2
THE GREAT GLAM TOUR THAT SHOULD HAVE BEEN: Tim Curry, followed by Jayne County, followed by the New York Dolls... headlined by none other than our beloved JOBRIATH~!!! anyoen feel me on this?
ElectricKGod 7 months ago
folklorish: Beautiful comments about the misunderstood Jobriath. I think I heard David Bowie is looking into compiling all his material into an incredible box set to be released in 2012. I love the thought that one of the biggest Glam Rockers may be watching out for a fellow, fallen hero.
55kudu 7 months ago
Poor Jobriath: The Misunderstood Glam Rocker! Bruce Wayne Campbell transformed into Jobriath, shaken and taken from us by unscrupulous managers and a suspicious public. I saw his self-titled album in 1973, the one where he looks like a decaying, purple statue, and I grabbed it off the record shelf. I loved it but my friends didn't like him at all, even the Bowie fans who were scarce in those days as well. His life reads like a tragic novel revealing his sexuality and ending in AIDS.
55kudu 7 months ago
Lmfao don't worry dear Jobriath, we believe you. You're all man, thru and thru. All haters can fuck themselves. x
dirtynuke 7 months ago
i like when he takes off his spacesuit and you can see his bulge
BritishPoliticansex 8 months ago
Imagine an entire concert shot the night instead of just two songs. He was under-
documented.
NightGallery 8 months ago
With all stars in music all wrote about dreams, poems, forbiden stuff, space stuff, monsters, but at the end, they are usual guys, but Jobriath wrote and sing about Jobriath, a unique True Original, I`m no gay and not support any gay stuff but i can recognize true art when I saw it.
swccmty 8 months ago
@swccmty "I`m no gay and not support any gay stuff but i can recognize true art when I saw it." Aww, how patronizing. It looks like YOU are the faggot here, in all the derogatory sense of the word that you really intend. Why do I even bother with YT comments? It's the dirtiest bag of collective vomit on the internet.
ultraconservative 8 months ago
@ultraconservative is called Free speech dumb ass, derogatory? the only ofended was you, you stand any intended comment, and please! dont bother reading YT comments. stay in there sister!
in other hand, Jobriath was so unique! i really wish see him in live performances, a shinig star who never blink again ..but still is a star.
swccmty 8 months ago
david bowie scary monsters before david bowie scary monsters
HAPL0GR0UP 8 months ago
I lived in NYC during the 70s. The vibe was totally different then, throughout society, in music, everything. I remember Jerry Brandt....lol!
Anyway, this act is contemporary for 2011! I really love this video but I can see why it didn't work out for him.....then.
I'd be surprised if Adam Lambert didn't work this tune into his act.
ColeHan100 9 months ago 3
Song rocks.
hollies65 9 months ago
brilliant performance, great band as well
Topicarmno 9 months ago
Comment removed
Topicarmno 9 months ago
sad to know that he's passed on. what a talent.
brannimikal 9 months ago
with focussed and serious management he could have been mega
Topicarmno 9 months ago
I can't believe I'm about to say this but.....you know who I think Jobriath REALLY influenced, or at least ripped off Jobriath's style?.....
Axl Rose.
jrmetmoi 11 months ago
@jrmetmoi When the hell have you EVER seen Axl act like THIS?
BestMusicExpert 11 months ago
@BestMusicExpert No Axl never acted like this, but the singing, the emphasis, and the drawling accents are the same. I'd prfer it it wasn't Axl I was talking about, as I do like Jobriath, but there it is: I think Axl ripped off Jobriath. It's easier to do that to a person once they're dead.
jrmetmoi 11 months ago
I'mman ele-gent man, I'maMAAAAA-YYYANN....
I love this!
jrmetmoi 11 months ago
Superb clip of this insanely underrated performer. Fearless dude! Thanks for posting.
ivycompton 1 year ago
Dear Jobriath: A very Happy Belated Birthday to you dear friend. Where ever you are, your the star of the stage and have stolen everyones heart...."I'll always remember you." xoxox Molly Mae
mollymaemorrissey 1 year ago
Jobriath, un invisibile icona del glam anni 70, un artista che ha saputo materializzare con la sua musica uno stile unico...solo in pochi hanno potuto godere della sua talentuosa capacità...happy birthday bruce wayne campbell.
bennygoldtop57 1 year ago
Dear JOBRIATH: Happy Birthday 14 December....what ever happens , we will never forget you...
mollymaemorrissey 1 year ago
Wow he had a great voice, a rocker's voice.
jrmetmoi 1 year ago
Gladys Knight was so pretty there!
jrmetmoi 1 year ago
Who cares about talking about OTHER glam rockers, really, everyone, this is it. Can't get better. I've loved this song for SOOOOOOO long thank you for posting!
lonemilkman 1 year ago
The world had already BOWIE and wasn't prepared to change him for jobriath.... Even though this little tune has some nice variations on the coda.... And with a little bit more of work one could get a masterpiece of a cover without the synthetizer and the flamboyant shouting..... Jobriath was a talent the world will never be prepared for.... Only a guy like Warhol would appreciate his "art" and to Anne who said better than Bowie... I just reply with all due respect ...BLASPHEMY !!!! :D
supraludwick83 1 year ago
40 years ago I was lucky enough to win this album at a bar mitzvah. Thinking I was the loser having no idea who it was. Once it hit the turn table I couldn't believe what I was hearing and seeing (he's pretty much naked on the cover). I love it and will never forget. YouTube once again comes through :-)
Hondo51058 1 year ago 2
@Hondo51058
Cool story. And yes, thank god for youtube!
ivycompton 1 year ago
is this Gladys Knight as host?
Wiruebermensch 1 year ago 2
Dear Jobriath: Total balls & guts to git out on stage like that...even today 2010...bloody outrageous!!.. "A *STAR* at 18, then suddenly gone, down to a few lines in the back page of a faded annual, but I remember you, I remember you"
mollymmorrissey 1 year ago 24
HEAVEN!
TheNouveauxdecadence 1 year ago
What a strange description. "Openly gay"? Was he ever closed about it? Why even bother mentioning he was gay. Byw the other day I saw some swimming fish... oh yeah and they were wet.
cinemar 1 year ago
@cinemar He was the FIRST openly gay rockstar is the reason why it's important.
whitetrashoutlaw 1 year ago
better than bowie
annemarie326 1 year ago
@annemarie326 Don't exaggerate :)
MrMauNunez 6 months ago
@MrMauNunez I'm not exaggerating. : )
annemarie326 6 months ago
ronaldweasleyfan55-I hope you're very proud of your dad,I would be...
TheRevDante 1 year ago
interesting
adric137 1 year ago
that guy is the original lady gaga
oldcarlover14 1 year ago
This has been flagged as spam show
any Christians up in here? check my video out, I was born Red(u weren't born gay).
LordsLight 1 year ago
Sounds better than the album version actually.
mystered 1 year ago 3
Wow that was actually really good, I've heard about dude. I'm definitely gonna try to find out more about him
timmy841212 1 year ago 2
This comment has received too many negative votes show
what a faggot!!
ThisYoungLibertine 1 year ago
A MAJOR Bowiefile in the 70s, I bought into his 'bisexuality' chic. But like every Bowie-persona, this was marketing rather than felt experience. Like Madonna later he allied great pop songwriting with a genius for sniffing the cultural zeitgeist ...and like her under the songs is a big empty phoney...JUST AS A POP STAR SHOULD BE! Jobriath I suspect was just too honest and near the bone. Rufus Wainright & Adam Lambert have it so much easier today!
jimdivax 1 year ago 2
jimdivax I think you're right, he seems to be trying a bit too hard, a bit too sincere to pull it off, Bowie seemed so weird and other worldly a bit more relaxed and cool. I remember the first time I saw Bowie getting interviewed, and being surprised that he was a real person, just a normal bloke like everyone else, and that weird alien shit was just an act, but that made me like him even more. Maybe because glam wasn't as big in the us it made Jobriath seem more original, he seems loved though.
yakacm 10 months ago
what a fuckin show!!
09rockmusic 1 year ago 2
Jo Bray?
I'd been pronouncing it JOB RYE ATH......
meltedmoonlight 2 years ago 2
He was proudly gay and totally open about that, but his management team attempted to market his music based almost entirely on that fact, which backfired. And he originally got his start in the theater, having been a cast member in the first production of the musical "Hair," so it's pretty understandable that his quirky theatrical tedencies would appear in his incarnation as Jobriath, too.
folklorish 2 years ago 12
Not goog enough to be a big star, and to gay to be accepted. he was more gat than the likes of Boy George. He should have worked in musicals like Rocky Horror, that sot of thing. he would have been good at that.
mcwolfus 2 years ago
Amazing!
merseyonme 2 years ago 2
For information on our upcoming feature documentary about Jobriath, check out our facebook page. Go to facebook and type in Jobriath A.D. Youtube won't let me post the link. Join us for updates and check out our kickstarter page for ways you can get prizes for pledges.
kieranturn15 2 years ago 2
Am definitely interested in a Jobriath Doc. Keep me posted. Thanks
PrickleeHeat 2 years ago
I guess even in the glam 70's there was a point where something was considered too gay.
BufordStone 2 years ago
It's about time that the comparisons with Bowie stop. People who make that comparison are simply mimicking what certain naive journalists said at the time. The fact is that their music is completely different. Jobriath's music is far more eclectic than Bowie's.
uItravioIet 2 years ago
@uItravioIet - and yet J is not as accomplished or interesting.
tdwon 1 year ago
@uItravioIet
how can you say there music is completely different!!!! i got the Jobriath lp and even if i like it it's just such a Ziggy Stardust clone!
prunepurple 1 year ago
they say that he was just a Bowie glam-era clon
but he is grreat
pipolo15161 2 years ago 2
The sad truth is...after the split with his management...he was contractually permitted from using the name or likeness "Jobriath" for TEN YEARS.
jude0620 2 years ago
Great!
7seattle7 2 years ago
Is it me or does this performance remind you of that last group on Emmet Otter's Jug Band Christmas? (Looking for the snake and the fish!)
just sayin.....
BestMusicExpert 2 years ago
He was overhyped, mismanaged, and pushed at the mainstream before he had even had a chance to build a gay following so he could cross over. It was a kamikaze mission.
His last show as Jobriath, after he had been abandoned by his crazy manager and his record company, is legend. He had finally found his voice, but the industry no longer cared.
spiderbaby1958 2 years ago 2
Jobriath was a completely original artist who someone decided to market as the next Bowie. 25 years after this poor misunderstood pillow-biter has been dead and in the ground, the comparisons still haunt him. Bowie sang about being a freaky androgynous rock star from outer space. Jobriath sang about being a queer faggot who loved other men "the way a man loves a woman".
No offense to Bowie, but there's no question about who was the more honest and courageous artist: the pillow-biter.
spiderbaby1958 2 years ago 6
@spiderbaby1958 Great post
Hondo51058 1 year ago
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And she looks really thrilled to have him on the show! NOT!
He was ok, nothing special. Bowie and even Queen had it over him in the good glam department.
Maybe if he was a bit better of a singer or had better backing musicians, he'd have made it farther.
BestMusicExpert 2 years ago
Jobriath is a fantastic piano player, songwriter and arranger. His singing is not completely suited to glam-rock I agree. His Cole Berlin stuff is far more believable. In my opinion, his backing band is stellar.
roygrif 2 years ago 3
The other thing that killed him was being openly gay. Look what happened to Elton John when he came out in 1976, that and having fired his GOOD band, KILLED his career for at least 6 years!
BestMusicExpert 2 years ago
@BestMusicExpert He came out in 76 and still married that Renate in 82 anyway?
jrmetmoi 11 months ago
@jrmetmoi He came out as Bi in 1976. I think he married Renate in 84. Trying to lead a "normal life" I guess. After he divorced her, he fully came out as gay.
BestMusicExpert 11 months ago
@BestMusicExpert - He was long dead by '84.
mg196 9 months ago
@mg196 We were speaking of Elton John marrying someone, not Jobriath,
BestMusicExpert 9 months ago
@BestMusicExpert - My bad. Didnt Elton marry Princess Di or something? They were old.
mg196 9 months ago
@roygrif Plus, he could really dance and act! A complete artist.
NeverGetOld2009 1 year ago
@BestMusicExpert: I disagree. Jobriath (as Rolling Stone put it in 1973) had "Talent to burn". His backing group The Creatures were a damn good Rock band too. Every bit as solid as any other Glam unit of their day, INCLUDING the Spiders from Mars....
NightGallery 2 years ago 2
They sound alright, to each his or her own I guess. I'll have to sit and check out some more of his stuff and reanalyze my point of view I guess....
BestMusicExpert 2 years ago
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This deluded cunt tried to out do Bowie but was about 3yrs to late and is really shit, he is just a cult item because the likes of morrisey like him cos he died in squalor and misfortune. A shambles from the get go.
TheChrisrg 2 years ago
Jobriath needs a biopic.
MetalionSOS 2 years ago 4
I played this for a friend and practically fell over: "I can't breathe!" A unique, amazing, thrilling talent. We're both in love with Jobriath.
ivycompton 2 years ago 3
now you know where klaus naomi came from, huh? see kids....it all happened before...retro began in the 80's.
comicwarrior69 2 years ago
Yes, Beef from Phantom of the Paradise has a very similar look and sound. And of course Brian Slade from Velvet Goldmine appears to have a very similar look and sound to Jobriath.
Problem is, who came first? Beef or Jobriath? I think Jobriath predates Beef by a few months.
roygrif 2 years ago
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He's a man huh? Glad he told us cause I wasn't quite sure! LOL
BestMusicExpert 2 years ago
he's an ELEGANT man.
ChrisWestaway 2 years ago
lol
ibanez87 2 years ago
"Beef" from Phantom of the Paradise is also based on him?
fortgarrypale 2 years ago
really wasn't expecting the costume change...
like a vulcan strip tease!
mangojimmy 2 years ago 2
During his 15 min of fame, he was one of those guys you'd love one min and then hate the next. It was only later on that I understood what he was going through at the time
hermannsam1 2 years ago 4
America's answer to David Bowie. (Didn't know anybody asked the question.)
Morissey idolises him apparently. Personally I think it's just a means to irritate Bowie with whom he has a long running, 'disagreement' shall we say.
Aueneye 2 years ago 4
@Aueneye
actually, morrissey bought jobriath's albums religiously as a teenager, and was going to invite him as a support act for his '92 your arsenal tour before finding out he had died of aids 9 years earlier.
morrisseys "disagreement" with bowie happened 1995, and they have since half-madeup, covering each others songs. so please dont assume things like that.
Mozzerella100 1 year ago
Rufus Wainwright has been repeating that lie for years. He must know better by now.
sugarpIumfairy 2 years ago
i love his music listen everyday with the kids while washing up ha hes a genius bowie who i love has a great contempory i wish hed could still be here his music lives on oh yeah genius
jake888999 2 years ago
Totally OTT camp.
lezzliea 2 years ago
1974.*****
Pentakubol 2 years ago
que buena esta esa prieta
ReadyFreddie2009 2 years ago
Great voice and more homo than David.
KRISPYKWENT29 2 years ago
does it _get_ more homo than bowie?
jas282 2 years ago
I think so, Bowie was more fay and coy rather than out there Jobriath.
KRISPYKWENT29 2 years ago
Of course he is - David's bi
MmeLEnfer 2 years ago
Wow, John Cameron Mitchell got a lot of his Hedwid chops from Jobriath, didn't he?
kevinguyer 2 years ago
jobraith,love to death,my sister and I picked the album,for the sheer genious,and rushed home to play, we thought we were ingenious, we hid away and told na'ery a soul
maidmoira 2 years ago
Love the spock ears by the way...
departments2006 2 years ago
Funny that at the time we just dismissed him as a Bowie clone and who needed that when you had the real deal? But in hindsite maybe we were being a bit unfair. He definately got his act from Bowie, no doubt, but some of the tunes stand up on their own merit. The tearing off of costumes on stage is pure Ziggy though.
departments2006 2 years ago 3
from all reports, his tour of southern biker bars was NOT a success.
sugarjoe50 2 years ago 2
He's VULCAN!!!
pailsOfGrease 2 years ago
Jobriath is the real Jack Fairy from Velvet Goldmine.
cabeef 2 years ago
I've heard that but I don't think so - Jack Fairy was, first of all, started much earlier than Brian Slade; and secondly, he's definitely British. Jobriath is American and based at least some of his persona and music on Bowie's. But that doesn't mean, obviously, that Todd Haynes wasn't inspired by Jobriath when making V.G.
0hmaryk 2 years ago
Somebody showed me the picture of a record cover of Jobriath's and the mock-up of Brian Slade's 'Maxwell Demon' record for 'Velvet Goldmine' was near identical. So they took that from Jobriath.
MmeLEnfer 2 years ago 2
Yes they sure did...yet Todd Haynes denies any association with VG and Jobriath....pfft.
jude0620 2 years ago
I love this video.
sugarpIumfairy 2 years ago
Oprah??
JohnnyMonstro 2 years ago
Gladys Knight..
AlleyK26 2 years ago
amazing how much Bowie ripped this guy off
thedivys 2 years ago
the divys, some chronology for you.
1972 - Bowie writes "The Rise and Fall of Ziggy Stardust". Ziggy Stardust is the human manifestation of an alien life form, sexually promiscuous and lover of excess...sex, drugs, and rock n roll.
1973 - Jobriath makes "Jobriath". Jobriath is an alien who comes down to earth to have sex with earthlings, do drugs, and play some rock n roll.
Both kick ass...but Jobriath is undoubtedly the one who is ripping off an idea...not Bowie.
Cheers.
Hamptonio 2 years ago 3
That being said, I don't want to be misunderstood. I love Jobriath. The film "Velvet Goldmine" got me into him as well as some old Morrissey interviews. Love his stuff, own it on vinyl, wish he was still with us.
Cheers!
Hamptonio 2 years ago
I like some of his stuff. Some of it a littl Stones influenced.
But there is great songwriting here.
LunaSeaSane 2 years ago
FINALLY somebody sees the Stones thing. I've been saying that for 30 years. Pure Mick on "Rock of Ages". I just found this vid today and I'm a little stunned this many people are aware of this stuff. For my money, "I'm a Man" and "Inside" proved he was more than hype.
TheOuterBoogie 1 year ago
And what about "Good Time"?
You can sure get where -of all people- Axl Rose got his "unusual timbre" from. They sound almost exactly alike. It's just striking.
Wanna be friends?
LunaSeaSane 1 year ago
this is so fuckin' cool
zomloa 2 years ago
Hey, come on you guys; it's been a week and nobody has added anything to the debate. I was really begining to enjoy your slanging match - sorry, I mean reasoned arguments.
Riordan59 2 years ago
this is badass... too bad he never caught on
ajdc88 2 years ago
I could ask the same thing of you. Why do you keep responding? I'm afraid you lack basic logic if you think it doesn't make sense to respond to a post simply because it's "sad." Perhaps you aren't socialized enough to realize such obvious things. In which case, I'd say you're more "pathetic" than "sad." Growing up can be a challenge!
ivycompton 2 years ago
Look in the mirror, seli; you're projecting. Anybody who thinks in terms like "shitwhore" has issues, clearly. I mentioned meds to needle you, obviously. But really, "shitwhore"? That's just so juvenile, and frankly pretty sad.
ivycompton 2 years ago 2
selimaazouri, sounds like you've got some serious problems. i realize you're probably a "special needs" person (or "differently abled") and maybe deserve more leeway than normal people, but when terms like "shitwhore" are repeatedly whirling through your mind, it's probably time to either up your anti-psychotics or get a new psychiatrist. you might also try both.
ivycompton 2 years ago
geez, dude (or girl) - take yr meds. it's possible - and sensible! - to like both bowie and jobriath. it doesn't have to be one or other other, binary boy (or girl). sheesh.
ivycompton 2 years ago 2
The deal on this was, the manager noted that all the stars who were piling up yardage playing the "gay" card - Bowie, Reed, Cooper, et al - were married or in relationships with women, ergo he could score big by marketing Jobriath as rock's "one true fairy". A shame, because he and the band were pretty good, but the music had to refer heavily both to the gay thing and to the music it was supposed to be the pure alternative to, a lot of excess baggage to saddle creativity with.
lezzenzero 2 years ago
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Gay, glam, bad manager, self absorption, overhype, who cares? He's terrible. Poor Gladys Knight having to deliver that b.s. intro.
ro810grl 2 years ago
I'm glad I stuck with this... The finale lit up my chakras like a dimestore christmas tree. An expression of self-acceptance and pride for the ages. I think 'the act of tomorrow' sums it up quite nicely.
sonnenberg 2 years ago 2
the pianist hayden wayne is my dad
ronaldweasleyfan55 2 years ago 20
@ronaldweasleyfan55 really?
BackPorchPoet4 1 year ago
@BackPorchPoet4 hell yea!
ronaldweasleyfan55 1 year ago
"act of tomorrow"... unfortunately, she was wrong :-(
busenlilly1 2 years ago
tomorrow... today?
lebleufleur 2 years ago
Job was a completely different artist that someone decided to dress up like Bowie cause that was the fashion.
spiderbaby1958 2 years ago
I've watched this 12 times, and this is the first time I've noticed the pointed ears!
spiderbaby1958 3 years ago 2
This is personal. Jobraith is really singing about himself here, and this is one big reason why he was no Bowie. Bowie played roles and created characters. Bowie sang about Ziggy Stardust. But here, Jobraith is singing about Jobraith.
I'm not gay, so I guess I'm not all that up on gay culture, but I don't know of a braver more beautiful queer anthem.
spiderbaby1958 3 years ago 15
It's horribly filmed, and the outfit is ridiculous, though it may have worked in a concert hall. But "I Maman" is a really great song, and as a singer, Jobraith knew exactly how to handle the phrasing.
spiderbaby1958 3 years ago
Yes. He becomes a great presence around 2:50 - wonderfully strong, unapologetic, magnetic. A fantastic queen, and more real (though perhaps in a different category) than Bowie, Reed, et al. in the queer mode.
ivycompton 2 years ago
Leotard'ed.
chrisclean 3 years ago
steve strange wannabe.
love your witticism!
i am certain he is very well-received by his followers on neptune.
(he keeps insisting he's a man.
perhaps he is not sure?)
methinks he dost proclaim too much...
silmalila 3 years ago
c'mon he's a man. he says it over and over.
ghostsonatasong 3 years ago
he is rather insistent about it, too, isn't he? all he needs is the makeup and he could be klaus nomi...
haha
silmalila 3 years ago
Great track,cheers ghosts!!
Love those guitar riffs!!
shum65 3 years ago
And another thing: There's a very well known cover that is in fact, a "Jobriath" song.
It's title? "Rock of Ages".
LunaSeaSane 3 years ago
David Bowie did not invent Glam. He never claimed to (quite the opposite, in fact) so why would anyone else?
From this period, it was Jayne County who publicly accused him of having ripped off "Rebel Rebel" from a song her band had been working on.
So Bowie lucked out. Good. But why slag off lesser known, yet equally talented musicians? You wouldn't wanna witness a piano match between Bowie and Jobriath... I can assure you Bowie would lose.
Keep in mind this was the 70's; not today.
LunaSeaSane 3 years ago 2
Well for one thing, did this guy ever write/perform any songs with more then 8 different words in them? From what I've read, his was one of the all-time greatest flame-outs in rock history, bar none.
vegetablemagnetism 3 years ago
This is obviously a single. There must be some 50 tracks of Jobriath available out there:
- His first long play was with "Pidgeon";
- Under the name "Jobriath" there were two long play releases: "Jobriath" & "Creatures of the Street".
Now search & listen, which is much more effective than placing our opinions under someone else's reviews (especially considering the massively homophobic climate at the time).
And again, keep in mind this was the early 70's. Very different from 2009.
LunaSeaSane 3 years ago
The flame-out wasn't his fault, based on what I know. Job's manager totally mishandled him, overhyping him (the infamous nude Time Square Billboard) , idiotically taking him to the mainstream, and then losing interest when he didn't catch fire immediately. Online sources indicate that after the hype ended and he seasoned as a performer, the shows improved. The audience response at his last show with the band is legendary... but the industry no longer cared.
spiderbaby1958 3 years ago 2
Sweet.
Although a bit dated (...73?), you can tell there is talent there.
LunaSeaSane 3 years ago
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this is crap
tigapatriot 3 years ago
grow up, haterboy.
ivycompton 2 years ago
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fag
tigapatriot 2 years ago
Why do people feel the need to slag Jobriath off and call him a Bowie rip-off? what about Iggy Pop and the rest of the Bowie clones? Jobriath had a certain appeal that was more Jagger than Bowie. There's an appeal that's none of the others that's just Jobriath and should be celebrated, not compared.
mandingo1 3 years ago 3
Brilliant! It's about time this was made avialable... it's been the "holy grail" for years. It's a shame that things went as they did, but at least there are 2 albums full of amazing music to enjoy. And, those too are now readily available for those who want to discover Joby. Thanks for posting this :)
jobriathboy 3 years ago
Thank. God. For. Bowie.
5winston 3 years ago