Guest Editor’s Special Guest #3 – Nathan Gregory Wilkins’ 10 Campest Records Of The Day

Music

EDITOR'S NOTE: When I was asked to edit The Ransom Note, the first person that sprang to my mind for contribution, given or forced, was Nathan Gregory Wilkins. I just did not know why and what to ask him. Nathan and myself know each other too well, we are like an old couple and this was one of those "without" moment in our lives.

Even if we needed a break, I still owed him a lot: a brummie accent, a 1000 nights on his couch, quite a few stupidly expensive records that I now don't listen to and, a radio show, and more than anything,an indefectible friendship drowned in giggles. I'm sure he'll have a different opinion and will express it with the discreet panache he wears like a carnation on his lapel, or voice it loud, like the prints of those shirts that, one day, seduced me.

Nathan makes music under the Cowboy Rhythmbox moniker – find him on Soundcloud/Facebook/Twitter.

Channeling is on every other Tuesday on NTS at 6pm GMT: http://www.nts.live/shows/channeling

NATHAN: I was mildly insulted earlier this week when I learnt that my 'good' friend Ivan had taken over Ransom Note as guest editor and hadn't asked me to contribute. Then all of a sudden on Thursday with less than 24 hours to go he asked me to contribute. And then I was profoundly insulted. What did he want? He wanted me to submit 10 of my favourite camp records. I sometimes feel that nobody takes me seriously? And I'm a hell of a serious guy. Like a newsreader, or a fireman. These are not by any stretch of the imagination my all time favourite camp records, they simply are the first ones that sprang to mind whilst in a state of mild panic. If you'd asked me tomorrow then it could have been ten totally different records.

LISTEN

Buena Vista - Hot Magazine

This song rhymes magazine with vaseline, so it’s quite obviously one of the the greatest songs ever written, camp or otherwise.

Buena Vista - Hot Magazine

This song rhymes magazine with vaseline, so it’s quite obviously one of the the greatest songs ever written, camp or otherwise.
Amanda Lear/Hollywood Flashback

Ah, sweet sweet Amanda. And here Salvador Dali’s mysterious muse treats us to a shimmering slice of sublime silver screen nostalgia. In a perfect world this would be the theme music during the Oscars In Memoriam interlude each and every year.
Pantherman - Pantherman [1974 Netherlands]

A Dutch glam rock masterpiece, a bit of an obsession of mine this one. Another one with wonderful lyrics,
“I am your Pantherman, I am your Pantherman, I’ll show you my claws.” And that outfit on the sleeve!
Cher Bad Love From Foxes Movie

Taken from the wonderful Foxes soundtrack. One of Moroder’s most underrated records in my book. And Cher singing about bad love is just about as camp as it gets, right?
Smokey - Dtna (Official Audio)

Smokey is a God. The “How Far Will You Go?” compilation has become an all time favourite since it’s release last year, it was easily my most listened to album of 2015. It was hard to choose one song. In the the end it was a toss-up (sorry I really could not resist) between this and “Piss Slave.”
I M T The Devil Made Me Buy Jaimes Mix

Of all of those Sound Factory / Tranny records this one has always stood out for me. I still play this out from time to time and it sounds awesome. It’s camp, yet deeply sinister, a killer combination. I probably sounds great on drugs too. I wouldn’t know.
Josie Cotton - Johnny Are You Queer

A camp cracker on the mighty BOMP! label. There’s even a camp back story to accompany this one. I was in NYC for my very first visit in 1999 to do the music for a fashion show as one of my best friends (Giles Deacon) had taken over as head designer at Bottega Veneta. I’d never had to kiss so many people on both cheeks before.. I spent every bit of spare time I had in record shops (there were so many back then) buying disco, new wave, punk etc. This one was one of the sillier finds from that trip.
Klaus Nomi - The Twist

Klaus was quite the enigma wasn’t he? A genuine one of a kind. A German opera singer resplendent in sci-fi drag. This is a genuinely amazing piece of music. The groove is worthy of some kind of otherworldly hip hop record. Klaus, wherever you are now, I salute you (no, not that kind of salute!!!)
Régine - Je Survivrai (I Will Survive) [12" Version]

Just how do you make a camp perennial that little touch camper? Well it’s easy, you simply get an ageing European club doyenne to sing it in French. It’s as easy as ABC.
Den Harrow - To Meet Me (1983 A Version)

Now this is a really special one (and perhaps the most appalling record on this list). Ivan gave me this as a gift (I think it was a sarcastic gesture) circa 2001 when I was DJ’ing for him at Le Pulp in Paris.
It’s another one that’s all about the lyrics. “I have a tweedy suit and pointy shoes, My hat is not on straight, Oh baby nothing to do.” Thanks Ivan. With friends like you…