Talk:Village People

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Background vocals?[edit]

"An interesting fact about Village People recordings is that all of the background vocals for their best known recordings were provided by two session musicians who went on to front notable bands; Bill Champlin from Chicago, and Richard Page from Mr. Mister."

Give a source. Their album credits state that vocals were sung only by the members of the Village People.


First, a good portion of sessions are not listed in album credits when the record company pays the session musician to remain anonymous.

Links to prove the vocals:

[1] [2]

  • Answers.com is typically a mirror site to wikipedia, so beware. Wahkeenah 00:16, 13 January 2007 (UTC)[reply]

Ray Simpson had done background vocals before he stepped into the lead. And Victor Willis is also part of the "back-up" band. Hotcop2 (talk) 14:26, 22 March 2008 (UTC)[reply]

Village People and "the American Songbook"[edit]

By 2010, somehow we have to document the fact that anyone born after 1990 may no longer learn to sing "Oh Susannah" or "The Daring Young Man on the Flying Trapeze" in kindergarten, but they all learn "YMCA" and can pantomime the letters while they sing. It's kind of wonderful that YMCA has joined what's loosely called "the American Songbook" right up there with "Take Me Out to the Ballgame." It's one of the songs of American childhood. But how to document this?Profhum (talk) 08:55, 19 September 2010 (UTC)[reply]

Clean up the history section[edit]

I think the history section should be rewritten to be in better chronological order. Bombofin 16:19, 10 December 2006 (UTC)[reply]

Agreed. Also, there's quite a few references that are Victor Willis specific. These would be more appropriate in his own Wiki entry. If no one objects, I'll remove them. --Eddylyons (talk) 17:33, 2 September 2008 (UTC)[reply]

Willis' "comeback" from years of drug abuse is noteworthy on this page. Cowboy Randy Jones married his boyfriend a couple of years back, perhaps that should be included on here. Hotcop2 (talk) 01:42, 3 September 2008 (UTC)[reply]

Disagree. See my earlier comment. Anything about Willis should be in his separate article. --Eddylyons (talk) 00:09, 7 July 2010 (UTC)[reply]
Removed the non-pertinent Willis-heavy info. What's left is the same info afforded Rose, Jones, etc. Hotcop2 (talk) 01:20, 7 July 2010 (UTC)[reply]

Sources for In The Navy "protests"[edit]

I was trying to find newspaper sources to illustrate the scandal, but haven't been able to find anything so far. I was wondering what sources you used for this article and where I might be able to find more information. I would appreciate any contributions. You can email me at gishii@usc.edu.


On Victor Willis' homepage he says that he was the only straight member. However other sources inform that at least the original Cowboy and Indian were gay. Not sure about the 3 remaining.

I'd like to know who's gay and who's straight in the group. I know the rumor is that the AA guy is supposedly straight but has had some substand abuse problems in San Francisco.

Didn't they once refuse to say, for fear of losing half their fans? (Both of them?) ;) And they've claimed to have a 12" "Macho Man". (Do your own joke.) Trekphiler 22:21, 17 December 2005 (UTC)[reply]

I heard that only one of them was gay.. dunno which one though



Of the Original 'People', Felipe Rose, Randy Jones, and Alex Briley are openly gay. David Hodo apparently refuses to state, but according to Intelius, the only Richard Davis Hodo (63) in the country is listed with a Margaret Lee Hodo (57) at three different NY locales. Unless he's been living with his sister for the past decade, we could conclude Margaret is/was his wife. Bummer... the Construction Worker looked the gayest of all, and was always the first to come to mind whenever I thought of the VP's... Richiestern (talk) 01:47, 9 July 2010 (UTC)[reply]



The articile says they wrote a song called "Vincent" but I can find no reference to it on the net, could someone check this up?

http://www.allmusic.com/ does not list a song "Vincent" under the Village People. I'll remove it from the article. —Wrathchild (talk) 14:51, 24 January 2006 (UTC)[reply]

The Ray Simpson link goes to some polititian.

Photo not of the village people[edit]

That photo is not the real village people. Looks more like impersonators.

I agree, that needs to be replaced with a photo of the real band. Midusunknown 10:15, 7 April 2006 (UTC)[reply]
You mean a photo of the band during their earlier years, which has the more commonly know line-up. It might be worth having both a photo of the current band, and another of the band during their most quintessential era. - 81.179.97.0 16:20, 13 May 2006 (UTC)[reply]

Quote from article "and "YMCA". More than twenty years later, a dance that involves forming the latter four letters with the dancer's arms and legs is " Doesnt the dance form the letters only using arms? The YMCA link details it only using the arms. -Osic 11 April 2006

Only the arms are moved, but the letters (certainly and most obviously the Y) are formed by the arms and legs. 213.249.135.36 (talk) 21:14, 7 July 2011 (UTC)[reply]

It's a fair cop...[edit]

Victor Willis has recently had a fair few drug-related run-ins with the law, and at one point over the last few months he was a fugitive. Ironic, given he played the 'Cop'. Would it be worth mentioning this in the article?

Such references would be more appropriate in his own Wiki entry. (PS, sign your entries)--Eddylyons (talk) 17:35, 2 September 2008 (UTC)[reply]

We've omitted a major detail[edit]

I know it will be hard finding specific sources to cite, but I find it amazing that the article doesn't mention that in the 1970s, much of the U.S. audience was oblivious to the gay references and subtexts of the group. The ignorance is implied, of course, in the Navy's having featured them in an ad campaign, but we need to add this to the article in some credible way. Lawikitejana 16:34, 23 August 2006 (UTC)[reply]


Isn't it the 7th inning?[edit]

Don't they play YMCA during the 7th inning stretch (aka after the top and before the bottom of the 7th) at yankee games rather than after the 5th?

No, it's after the fifth when the ground crew comes out to rake the infield dirt; they touch up the field halfway through the game. NYCityRat 07:38, 11 June 2007 (UTC)[reply]


"cultural references"[edit]

Calling it "cultural references" doesn't keep it from being a trivia section. It should go, as per http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Wikipedia:Avoid_trivia_sections.--345Kai 00:07, 7 September 2007 (UTC)[reply]

It probably should be incorporated into the main text rather than removed. Benjiboi 20:54, 20 December 2007 (UTC)[reply]
Actually, in popular culture sections (cultural references) are allowed. 75.55.51.147 (talk) 02:09, 3 February 2009 (UTC)[reply]
How, exactly, would a reference to a canadian animated tv show fit in the main text? Jesus, you people. —Preceding unsigned comment added by 165.82.72.181 (talk) 01:16, 28 January 2010 (UTC)[reply]

Saturday Night Live had a VP parody reaction to Trump's use of their music: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vLk-dxZyp1Q . Kdammers (talk) 06:01, 26 October 2020 (UTC)[reply]

Updates and background[edit]

Hello all, I filled in some background info and timeline entries. Hotcop2 18:17, 31 October 2007 (UTC)[reply]

I also edited the aticle for flow and continuity. Hotcop2 00:42, 4 November 2007 (UTC)[reply]


I fixed up some links, made some pages, and gave it a haircut. Mister ricochet (talk) 09:02, 8 December 2007 (UTC)[reply]

Anyone have a date or any information on the Family Feud episode they were on? It was notable enough for them to add it to their history page. Notable enough for us? DeMyztikX (talk) 01:17, 13 January 2009 (UTC)[reply]

I saw them this week on GSN. Not sure when they were taped (somewhere 2002-2004) -- if we can find a date we can include it. Hotcop2 (talk) 17:10, 13 January 2009 (UTC)[reply]

Section 5 - Set List[edit]

The 2nd sentence in the paragraph is incomplete and therefore awkward. (Psychoneko (talk) 12:26, 31 December 2007 (UTC))[reply]

Please be more specific, the paragraphs may, for instance not be numbered for all users. Please quote the sentence and offer an alternative if possible. Benjiboi 14:27, 31 December 2007 (UTC)[reply]
Also, what say we call this the current set list. I'm pretty sure they haven't used this set list since their inception. --Eddylyons (talk) 17:37, 2 September 2008 (UTC)[reply]

New Pics[edit]

Commons:Category:Village People --Fg68at de:Disk 01:12, 2 March 2008 (UTC)[reply]

I've added a few that seemed of better quality. Benjiboi 02:35, 3 March 2008 (UTC)[reply]


I believe we're allowed to use album covers... I like the photo you've added, but shouldn't it be in the "present day section" and we capture an original 6 cover for the lead off photo? let me know what you think Hotcop2 (talk) 13:42, 11 March 2008 (UTC)[reply]

We are allowed to use album covers, but do we have any? Benjiboi 15:52, 11 March 2008 (UTC)[reply]

Can I email you a good scan of one? I'm not too good with posting photos on Wiki Hotcop2 (talk) 16:15, 11 March 2008 (UTC)[reply]

Hey Benji, I have a picture waiting for you. Email me so I can email you back (your email contact is not on). Hotcop2 (talk) 14:52, 13 March 2008 (UTC)[reply]

Actually, what I recommend ... if it's an album cover, find another album cover image and copy the fair use rationale from it. If it's a photo you own then I suggest uploading to commons. Benjiboi 23:21, 13 March 2008 (UTC)[reply]

Benji, why don't you switch the photos. Your new one makes sense in the "current day" section, and that other one, boring and inferior as it may be, is the original group and should head up the article. Hotcop2 (talk) 12:34, 15 March 2008 (UTC)[reply]

I agree but I didn't remove it so Satryn may have some concern I'm not aware of, they stated unfree concerns which may have now been met as I've added fair-use rationale to the image. I'd say go ahead and switch them as you suggest. If someone reverts we can discuss what's up. Benjiboi 12:49, 15 March 2008 (UTC)[reply]

Village People and Gayness[edit]

Although now accepted as a gay group, it was their sublety and "undertone" that made them so popular. The gay population got it; the straights were fairly oblivious to anything but the music. YMCA raised a few straight eyebrows, but it wasn't until the Navy pulled "In The Navy" from it's ad campaign that the gay aspect was fully established.

Morali made it a point that the members wouldn't discuss sexuality. Willis' lyrics are delightfully ambiguous -- they fit if you want them to fit. Hotcop2 (talk) 22:38, 10 March 2008 (UTC)[reply]

Down Periscope[edit]

The VP sang "In the Navy" in a music video style with the film's cast over the closing credits. These credits are, interestingly, occasionally omitted when the movie is shown on TV lately. A rights issue, maybe? Karinagw (talk) 16:35, 17 March 2008 (UTC)[reply]

More likely the airing station's excising material to fit into a time slot. Benjiboi 20:14, 17 March 2008 (UTC)[reply]

We have to fix the info box[edit]

The ORIGINAL members were Willis, Rose, Briley and Mark Mussler (construction worker), Dave Forrest (cowboy}, Lee Mouton (leatherman) and Peter Whitehead. Although this is not the best known lineup, Hodo, Jones and Hughes replaced them which technically makes them "replacement people" too. Hotcop2 (talk) 23:17, 25 February 2010 (UTC)[reply]

correcting/reordering the info box?[edit]

Greetings,

I have been mulling over switching the info box to reflect the best known version of the band, i.e. the information that almost any user is going to be looking for when they arrive at the page. Maybe having a listing of "members" and then "current lineup" below. It just seems strange and like a strange piece of misinformation to have the "people who currently tour and legally own the name Village People" to take precedence over "people who recorded as Village People and are performing on the records you own," although this has an added dimension of strangeness to the VPeople, since the dancers didn't perform on the original recordings. I mean, is the purpose of the info box to supply quick and easy information about the band and its recordings, or is it an advertisement for the current lineup?

I am posting a similar message to this on several other band wikis in similar shape, in the hopes of getting some type of forward momentum or consensus on the problem. Seanmercy (talk) 00:55, 15 April 2010 (UTC)[reply]

This is a tough one. Tho, Henri Belolo legally owns the name and "leases" it to the current performing group. Perhaps "core" members (the 70's hey-day line up) and "other" members, which would include today's lineup would work? The way it is now, tho, is not correct because technically, Hodo, Hughes and Jones are "replacement" members, which is confusing. Hotcop2 (talk) 13:29, 15 April 2010 (UTC)[reply]

Sounds good, and like a big improvement over the current display. Do you want to do it, or should I? Seanmercy (talk) 01:42, 16 April 2010 (UTC)[reply]

You take a stab at it. There's a code in there I can't find, so it won't make me change anything. Hotcop2 (talk) 02:36, 16 April 2010 (UTC)[reply]

"The Cleveland Show" reference to the Village People...[edit]

I just had to point out that the following paragraph reads like it was written by someone with a 6th grade education (Given that they watch the Cleveland Show further supports that =P )


"In a 2010 episode of The Cleveland Show called "Buried Pleasure," police officers are riding jet skis along with other police officers trying to bust Holt, to the beat of YMCA. Later in the episode when a police officer is tackled, the Village People cop jumps on top and says, "Dog Pile.""

Can someone rewrite this so it doesn't sound like your annoying nephew is trying to tell a joke. —Preceding unsigned comment added by 68.99.208.152 (talk) 11:48, 16 June 2010 (UTC)[reply]

"Yule Log: A Very Village People Christmas"[edit]

The only source on the internet for the existence of this album is Wikipedia, and the sites that mirror Wikipedia. This site: [3] lists a very thorough discography for the group, with no mention of any Christmas album. You'd think that if such an album existed, SOMEONE would have cataloged its existence somewhere on the internet. I'm ready to chalk this up to a bit of vandalism. Any objections to deleting? AtomicRED (talk) 00:20, 23 November 2010 (UTC)[reply]

I think you can delete that one. Hotcop2 (talk) 04:23, 23 November 2010 (UTC)[reply]

Merge tag[edit]

Our article on Sixuvus has no properly sourced indication of notability as an independent topic; it seems to me that it would be more appropriately handled as a subsection of this article rather than a standalone article, as its notability is entirely about the band rather than the company itself. Bearcat (talk) 07:15, 31 January 2011 (UTC)[reply]

It's one line long. Put it in the 1980s section. Hotcop2 (talk) 23:42, 31 January 2011 (UTC)[reply]

line-up[edit]

even though they're recognized as a "gay" band, only two of the members were gay which two?--99.101.160.159 (talk) 18:13, 7 November 2011 (UTC)[reply]

that's not true. Hotcop2 (talk) 00:20, 8 November 2011 (UTC)[reply]

Pop culture trivia[edit]

Not every reference or parody of something is notable enough to be listed in Wikipedia. It trivializes both WP and Village People to include one-off parodies or jokes as if they were necessary to establish the band's significance. -Jason A. Quest (talk) 20:19, 22 May 2015 (UTC)[reply]

External links modified[edit]

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External links modified[edit]

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Added quote box by critic Christgau removal[edit]

User Dan56 has added a box quote a quote from Christgau's review of Village People's Cruisin album onto the main page. Besides being an opinion offered by the critic and not particularly profound, it is out of context. if anything, it belongs on the Cruisin album page and even there, it certainly does need to be featured in a block quote. Thoughts? Hotcop2 (talk) 23:26, 18 March 2019 (UTC)[reply]

It's been consolidated into an "Appraisal" section in this article. This article, where there's absolutely nothing--definitely nothing verified--offering insight into the group's usage of gay stereotypes or camp sensibilities, or the social context of their signature song's appropriation of "macho" during the 1970s. All things Christgau's blurb encapsulates. Yet, you find it "not particularly profound"? Dan56 (talk) 21:47, 20 March 2019 (UTC)[reply]

A Commons file used on this page or its Wikidata item has been nominated for deletion[edit]

The following Wikimedia Commons file used on this page or its Wikidata item has been nominated for deletion:

Participate in the deletion discussion at the nomination page. —Community Tech bot (talk) 13:52, 22 February 2020 (UTC)[reply]

Fisherman[edit]

Was there an early rendition of the village people with one of the members a fisherman 2601:402:4280:17B0:7D8D:EED8:88C0:1E04 (talk) 23:11, 6 August 2022 (UTC)[reply]

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