"I Was Born This Way" is a disco song written by Chris Spierer and Bunny Jones. The song was first recorded by Valentino, released in 1975, then by

Carl Bean Carl Bean (May 26, 1944 – September 7, 2021) was an American singer and activist who was the founding prelate of the Unity Fellowship Church Movement, a liberal protestant denomination that is particularly welcoming of lesbians, gay and bisexu ...

in 1977 (both artists for

Motown Motown Records is an American record label owned by the Universal Music Group. It was founded by Berry Gordy Jr. as Tamla Records on June 7, 1958, and incorporated as Motown Record Corporation on April 14, 1960. Its name, a portmanteau of ''moto ...

). The record was first released on the Motown-distributed Gaiee Records and performed by Valentino (real name Charles Harris).

Frankie Crocker Frankie "Hollywood" Crocker (December 18, 1937 – October 21, 2000) was an American disc jockey who helped grow WBLS, the black music radio station in New York. Early soul radio According to popeducation.org, Crocker began his career in Buffal ...

WBLS WBLS (107.5 MHz) is an urban adult contemporary formatted FM radio station, licensed to New York City. It is currently owned by Mediaco Holding and operated by Emmis Communications under a shared services agreement, along with sister stations ...

in New York first aired the song and it was an instant hit. For the past 46 years since it was written, it has become an anthem for the gay community and has been on countless compilation albums as well as being (sampled) on other recordings many times.

Background

The writers, Spierer and Jones, wanted to write a

gay anthem A gay anthem is a popular song that has become widely popular among, or has become identified with, the gay community, although some of these songs have also become anthems for the wider LGBT community. Not all songs labelled as "gay anthems" ...

and make the plight on gay issues known and bring it to the forefront. The song's lyrics are about a man who proclaims that he's a homosexual and that he was "born this way". It was one of the first gay disco songs written specifically for the gay community, before the

Village People Village People is an American disco group known for its on-stage costumes and suggestive lyrics in their music. The group was originally formed by French producers Jacques Morali, Henri Belolo and lead singer Victor Willis following the release ...

wave.

Success of each version

Valentino's version was a success in UK (where it was a #1 disco hit) and in the USA. In 1978, the Carl Bean version on Motown Records became a club hit on the Billboard National Disco Action, Top 40 chart, peaking at #15. The song was remixed by

Shep Pettibone Robert "Shep" Pettibone (born 10 July 1959) is an American record producer, remixer, songwriter and club DJ, one of the most prolific of the 1980s. Career Shep Pettibone surfaced after his work with Arthur Baker on Afrika Bambaataa & the Jazz ...

and Bruce Forest in 1986, and along with a mix by

Timmy Regisford DJ Timmy Regisford is an American DJ and producer. After working at the WBLS radio station in New York and as an A&R Director at Atlantic Records and MCA Records, he became Vice President of A&R at Motown Records, then Vice President of A&R at ...

was re-released on Next Plateau records. The "Better Days" mix became a huge club anthem during the 80s. The song was remixed again in 1995 on Next Plateau Records.

Other recordings

* In 2005, the

Pet Shop Boys The Pet Shop Boys are an English synth-pop duo formed in London in 1981. Consisting of primary vocalist Neil Tennant and keyboardist Chris Lowe, they have sold more than 50 million records worldwide, and were listed as the most successful duo i ...

' included it on their 20th anniversary album ''Back to Mine''.

West End Records West End Records is an American music record label based in New York City. Led by co-founder Mel Cheren, West End was one of the most prominent labels in dance music's history, along with Prelude Records, Salsoul Records, and Casablanca Records ...

released a CD mixed by DJ Gomi which included six versions of the song as well as a two-part 12" Vinyl Edition. * In 2008,

Magnus Carlsson Lars Magnus Carlsson (born 24 June 1974) is a Swedish singer and former member of the bands Alcazar and Barbados as well as a solo performer. Early life Magnus Carlsson was born in Borås and grew up in Fristad. He attended comprehensive up ...

, Sweden's popular gay male vocalist, re-recorded three versions of "I Was Born This Way" in addition to Paul Oskar of Iceland. Magnus Carlsson can be seen performing "I Was Born This Way" on YouTube as well as Marty Thomas of the hit Broadway musical ''

Wicked Wicked may refer to: Books * Wicked, a minor character in the ''X-Men'' universe * '' Wicked'', a 1995 novel by Gregory Maguire that inspired the musical of the same name * ''Wicked'', the fifth novel in Sara Shepard's ''Pretty Little Liars'' s ...

''. * Two versions of "I Was Born This Way" (Bean's, and a newer recording by

Jimmy Somerville James William Somerville (born 22 June 1961) is a Scottish pop singer and songwriter. He sang in the 1980s with the pop groups Bronski Beat and The Communards, and has also had a solo career. He is known in particular for his powerful and sou ...

) were featured in the 2006 independent film ''

Another Gay Movie ''Another Gay Movie'' is a 2006 American romantic comedy film directed by Todd Stephens. It follows four gay friends, Andy, Jarod, Nico and Griff, who vow upon graduating high school that they will all lose their " anal virginity" before their fri ...

''. Bean went on to entitle his autobiography ''I Was Born This Way''.

Influence and samples

*In 2011, shortly after the release of the album " Born This Way", the American singer and songwriter

Lady Gaga Stefani Joanne Angelina Germanotta ( ; born March 28, 1986), known professionally as Lady Gaga, is an American singer, songwriter, and actress. She is known for her image reinventions and musical versatility. Gaga began performing as a teenag ...

revealed in an interview with radio show host

Howard Stern Howard Allan Stern (born January 12, 1954) is an American radio and television personality, comedian, and author. He is best known for his radio show, ''The Howard Stern Show'', which gained popularity when it was nationally syndicated on terre ...

that the album title, as well as the title track, were inspired by Carl Bean's earlier use of the expression. *It was also sampled in 1999 by Adam Blake and

Stuart Price Stuart David Price (born 9 September 1977) is an English electronic musician, DJ, songwriter, and record producer known for his work with artists including Madonna, Dua Lipa, The Killers, New Order, Kylie Minogue, DMA's, Example, Take ...

, using the alias ''Pour Homme'', as "Born this Way". It was a tremendous hit in Europe.

References

External links

* {{authority control American disco songs LGBT-related songs Carl Bean songs Jimmy Somerville songs 1975 songs