Living in San Francisco in the 1960s, he performed in a musical production called Women of the Blues, then joined a short-lived group of transvestite performance artists called The Cockettes in the early 70's (famed transvestite Divine was a member of the group as well). Sylvester can be seen in The Cockettes' outrageous short film Tricia's Wedding, lampooning the wedding of President Nixon's daughter Tricia, and in an eponymous 2002 documentary about the group.
In 1972, Sylvester supplied two cuts to Lights Out San Francisco, an album complied by the KSAN radio station and released on the Blue Thumb label. In 1973, Sylvester & his Hot Band released two rock-oriented albums on Blue Thumb (their self-titled debut was also known as "Scratch My Flower," due to a gardenia-shaped scratch-and-sniff sticker adhered to the cover). Signed a solo act to Fantasy Records in 1977, and working with the production talents of legendary Motown producer Harvey Fuqua. Sylvester later alleged that Fuqua cheated him out of millions of dollars.
Sylvester soon met his frequent collaborator Patrick Cowley. Cowley's synthesizer and Sylvester's voice proved to be a magical combination, and pushed Sylvester's sound in an increasingly dance-oriented direction; his second solo album - Step II (1978) - unleashed two disco classics: "You Make Me Feel (Mighty Real)," and "Dance (Disco Heat)." By this time both his live shows and recordings also recognizably featured the back-up vocals of Two Tons O' Fun: future Weather Girls Martha Wash and Izora Rhodes. 1979 brought three Billboard awards and an appearance in the movie, The Rose, starring Bette Midler.
Moving to Megatone Records in 1982, Sylvester quickly landed a Hi-NRG classic with "Do You Wanna Funk." He was close friends with other Megatone artists Linda Imperial and Jeanie Tracy. Sylvester was also very close to the legendary Patti LaBelle.
Later pressure from the label to "butch up" his image would result in him attending meetings in full-on drag. A drag photo shoot, which he staged and presented to label heads as a gag (calling it his "new album cover") would later grace the cover of Immortal after Sylvester died; it was the label's way of paying tribute to his spirit. In 1985, one of his dreams came true as he was summoned to sing back-up for Aretha Franklin on her Who's Zoomin' Who comeback album. His sole Warner Bros. album was Mutual Attraction in 1986; a single from the album, "Someone Like You," featured original cover art by Keith Haring.
Sylvester died of complications from AIDS on December 16, 1988. His good friend Jeanie Tracy took care of Sylvester during his last days.
In the late 1990's, performance artist Djola Branner (co-founder of the highly influential Pomo Afro Homos troupe) created his acclaimed solo piece and CD Mighty Real around the life of Sylvester.
On September 20, 2004 Sylvester's anthem record, You Make Me Feel (Mighty Real), was inducted into the Dance Music Hall of Fame. A year later, on September 19, 2005, Sylvester himself was inducted into the Dance Music Hall of Fame for his achievement as an artist.
In 2005, a biography written by Joshua Gamson and titled The Fabulous Sylvester: The Legend, The music, The 70s in San Francisco was published.
2. Sylvester (Sylvester Larsen , born 1973) is a danish artist, who has released 4 albums. He is the son of Kim Larsen. See www.sylvesterlarsen.dk
I
Sylvester Lyrics
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It looks like it don't know what to say
Maybe it's sorry you've gone
Maybe now it knows it's wrong
And it should have kissed you with rain on your cheeks
The thunder hasn't roared in three weeks
If I were the sky, I'd comfort you with pillows, pillows of white
If I were the sky, I'd comfort you with pillows, pillows of white
It looks scared under the stark moonlight
Maybe if you kept it company
You could warm this frightened sea
And warm waves would wrap you in their tender peaks
The tide hasn't come in for three weeks
If I were the sea, I'd carry you far beyond this shore
If I were the sea, I'd carry you far beyond this shore
You know I'm looking mighty sad right now
Alone and asking myself, How
Maybe if I changed a single word
Or if I hadn't used my anger
I'd be with you and I wouldn't be so weak
I haven't heard from you in three weeks
If I were the sky, I'd comfort you with pillows, pillows of white
If I were the sea, I'd carry you far beyond this shore
If I were any thing but me, I'd be with you, until the end of time
If I were anything but me, I'd be with you, until the end of time
In Sylvester's song "I," the lyrics depict a sense of longing and loss. The singer is observing the sky, water, and himself as if they were sentient beings with the ability to comfort their beloved. The sky is gray, perhaps reflecting the singer's feelings of melancholy, and the thunder hasn't roared in three weeks, indicating a lack of energy or passion. The singer wishes to be the sky so that they could provide comfort with "pillows of white." Similarly, the water is cold and scared, and the singer wishes to be the sea to warm it and carry their beloved far beyond their current troubles.
The lyrics transition to the singer's own feelings of sadness and regret. They wonder if changing a word or controlling their anger would have led to a different outcome, one where they wouldn't feel weak and alone. The final lines emphasize the depth of the singer's devotion, stating that they would be with their beloved until the end of time if only they could be "anything but me."
Overall, the lyrics in "I" are a poignant reflection on the desire to comfort and be comforted, and the regret that can come with the loss of a loved one.
Line by Line Meaning
The sky is feeling mighty grey today
Today, the sky appears gloomy and depressing.
It looks like it don't know what to say
The sky seems uncertain and speechless.
Maybe it's sorry you've gone
The sky may feel apologetic for your absence.
Maybe now it knows it's wrong
Perhaps, the sky has come to acknowledge its mistakes.
And it should have kissed you with rain on your cheeks
The sky regrets not showering you with rain before.
The thunder hasn't roared in three weeks
There has been no thunder in the sky for the past three weeks.
If I were the sky, I'd comfort you with pillows, pillows of white
If the singer were the sky, they would give you comforting clouds.
The water's feeling mighty cold tonight
The water is freezing this evening.
It looks scared under the stark moonlight
The water appears frightened and timid beneath the moonlight.
Maybe if you kept it company
The water may feel at ease in your presence.
You could warm this frightened sea
Your warmth could comfort the fearful sea.
And warm waves would wrap you in their tender peaks
The soft, warm waves would embrace you in their gentle swells then.
The tide hasn't come in for three weeks
For the past three weeks, the tide has been low.
If I were the sea, I'd carry you far beyond this shore
If the singer were the sea, they would carry you far away from the shore.
You know I'm looking mighty sad right now
The singer feels overwhelmingly sad presently.
Alone and asking myself, How
Solitarily contemplating on a probable solution.
Maybe if I changed a single word
Perhaps tweaking a single word could have made a whole lot of difference.
Or if I hadn't used my anger
The result might have turned out differently had I not acted out of emotion.
I'd be with you and I wouldn't be so weak
If the singer was with you, they would not feel as fragile and powerless.
I haven't heard from you in three weeks
It's been three weeks since the artist last heard from you.
If I were any thing but me, I'd be with you, until the end of time
If the artist was anybody but themselves, they would stay with you forever.
If I were anything but me, I'd be with you, until the end of time
If the artist was anybody but themselves, they would stay with you forever.
Lyrics © DistroKid
Written by: Patrick Sylvester
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind