Sylvester James (September 6, 1947 in Los Angeles, California – December 16… Read Full Bio ↴Sylvester James (September 6, 1947 in Los Angeles, California – December 16, 1988 in San Francisco, California) was an American disco and soul musician, and a gay drag performer. Known for singing in falsetto (and occasionally a rich baritone voice), he is also considered one of the first Hi-NRG artists. His grandmother was the jazz singer Julia Morgan. He performed under his first name only, Sylvester.

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

You Make Me Feel
Sylvester Lyrics

Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴

When we're out there dancin' on the floor, darlin'
And I feel like I need some more
And I feel your body close to mine
And I know, my love, it's about that time
Make me feel mighty real
Make me feel mighty real

You make me feel mighty real

You make me feel mighty real

When we get home, darlin'
And it's nice and dark
And the music's in me
And I'm still real hot
Then you kiss me back
And it feels real good
And I know you'll love me
Like you should

Oh, you make me feel mighty real
You make me feel mighty real
Make me feel mighty real
Make me feel mighty real
Make me feel mighty real
Make me feel mighty real

I feel real
I feel real
I feel real
I feel real
Real, real
I feel real
I feel real
I feel real, woo

I feel real
I feel real
I feel real
Oh, real, real

Woo, I feel real
Woo, I feel real
I feel real
I'm real, real
I feel real
I'm real, real

You make me feel mighty real
You make me feel mighty real
Oh, you make me feel mighty real
You make me feel mighty real

Oh, I feel real when you touch me
I feel real when you kiss me

I feel real when you touch me
I feel real when you hold me

Overall Meaning

The song "You Make Me Feel (Mighty Real)" by Sylvester is a classic disco anthem that is about the power of dance and physical connection. The lyrics describe the feeling of being on the dance floor and feeling a need for more, but then finding that deeper connection with someone when they come back home. Through physical touch and intimacy, the singer feels "real" and alive. The repetition of the phrase "make me feel mighty real" emphasizes the importance of this connection and the validation it gives. The song is a celebration of the joy and freedom that can be found in dancing and expressing oneself through movement and physical touch.

The lyrics are set to a pulsing disco beat and are delivered with Sylvester's powerful and soulful voice. The song was released in 1978 and became a hit on the disco charts. It has since become a beloved classic and is often played at dance parties and celebrations. The song has been covered and sampled by numerous artists over the years, including Kylie Minogue, Junior Vasquez, and Jimmy Somerville.

Line by Line Meaning

When we're out there dancin' on the floor, darlin'
When I’m dancing with you on the floor

And I feel like I need some more
And I want to feel more of you

And I feel your body close to mine
And your body feels so close to mine

And I know, my love, it's about that time
And I know it’s time for us to connect

Make me feel mighty real
Make me feel like this is really happening

When we get home, darlin'
When we’re alone at home

And it's nice and dark
And the ambiance is perfect

And the music's in me
And the music is still in my head

And I'm still real hot
And the desire is still burning inside me

Then you kiss me back
Then you respond to my kiss

And it feels real good
And it feels amazing