Editing Jobriath (section)

===Jerry Brandt, the hype and Jobriath Boone===
In mid-December 1972, [[Jerry Brandt]], [[Carly Simon]]'s former manager, overheard a demo tape being played by [[Clive Davis]] at [[Columbia Records]]. Davis rejected the tape as "mad, unstructured and destructive to melody", but Brandt was quick to step in. Jobriath later remarked "that coming from a man who discovered both [[Patti Smith]] and [[Barry Manilow]]...so much for sanity and structure!"<ref name="CFTP">{{cite web |url=http://www.crapfromthepast.com/jobriath/mojo.htm |title=Jobriath: I'm Ready for my Close-Up |author=Rob Cochrane |publisher=Crap from the Past |access-date=May 24, 2010 |archive-date=September 29, 2011 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110929164340/http://www.crapfromthepast.com/jobriath/mojo.htm |url-status=dead }}</ref> Brandt located Jobriath in California, where he was living in an unfurnished apartment and working as a [[Male prostitute|prostitute]]. {{clarify span|text = Brandt:|explain = It's unclear what context Brandt said this in. Something like "According to a later interview with Brandt" or even "In Brandt's words", depending on the context (which I unfortunately can't access; see the tag at the end of this sentence), would be much appreciated. Thanks in advance to whoever fixes this.|date = December 2018}} "In walked this beautiful creature dressed in white. I said, Why don't you come out to Malibu and hang out?"<ref name="CFTP" />{{Additional citation needed|date=December 2018|reason = The reference included appears to have nothing to do with the content of the sentence that it is attached to.}} This became a feature of the mythology used to promote Jobriath, and helps to explain the acrimony that followed the dissolution of their professional and personal relationship.{{Citation needed|date=February 2024}}

Brandt signed Jobriath, now calling himself ''Jobriath Boone'', to [[Elektra Records]] for a reported $500,000, in what was allegedly the most lucrative recording contract of its time.<ref>The Rolling Stone Encyclopedia Of Rock And Roll edited by Jon Pareles and Patricia Romankowski, Rolling Stone Press, 1983</ref> Jobriath was signed to a two-album deal.<ref>November 1998 issue of Mojo Magazine (pp. 69–70)</ref> A huge marketing campaign and media blitz ensued, including full-page advertisements in ''[[Vogue (magazine)|Vogue]]'', ''[[Penthouse (magazine)|Penthouse]]'', and ''[[Rolling Stone]]'' magazines, full-length posters on over 250 New York City buses and a huge 41' by 43' billboard in [[Times Square]]. All featured the forthcoming debut album sleeve design by noted photographer Shig Ikeda, which featured a nude Jobriath, made to resemble an ancient Roman statue.<ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.locationny.com/jobriath/jobriathphoto.html |title=Original Jobriath Unretouched Album Photo |website=Locationny.com |access-date=May 9, 2010 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20100126050349/http://www.locationny.com/jobriath/jobriathphoto.html |archive-date=January 26, 2010 }}</ref> Plans were announced for a lavish three night live debut at the [[Paris Opera]] that December, at a cost of $200,000 and a subsequent tour of European opera houses. Jobriath informed the press that the show would feature him dressed as "King Kong being projected upwards on a mini Empire State Building. This will turn into a giant spurting penis and I will have transformed into [[Marlene Dietrich]]."<ref>{{cite web |author=Ron Gerber |url=http://www.crapfromthepast.com/jobriath/mojo.htm |title=Jobriath: the Mojo article |website=Crapfromthepast.com |access-date=May 9, 2010 |archive-date=September 29, 2011 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110929164340/http://www.crapfromthepast.com/jobriath/mojo.htm |url-status=dead }}</ref> Elektra, concerned about spiraling production costs, postponed the Paris Opera shows until February, later canceling them due to expense.

Amidst this barrage of promotion, the debut album ''[[Jobriath (album)|Jobriath]]'' was released on June 15, 1973, garnering mostly positive reviews. ''Rolling Stone'' stated that Jobriath had "talent to burn", ''[[Cashbox (magazine)|Cashbox]]'' called it "truly one of the most interesting albums of the year", and ''[[Record World]]'' hailed it as "brilliantly incisive", referring to Jobriath as "a true Renaissance man who will gain a tremendous following". ''[[Esquire (magazine)|Esquire]]'' disagreed, calling it "the hype of the year". The album was co-produced by [[Eddie Kramer]] and Jobriath, featuring string arrangements by Jobriath, recorded at [[Olympic Studios]] with the [[London Symphony Orchestra]].<ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.newmillenniumrecords.com/indulgence.html |title=A Pictorial History of Sexual Indulgence|author=Hayden Wayne |website=Newmilleniumrecords.com|access-date=May 24, 2010}}</ref> Kramer described Jobriath in ''[[Mojo (magazine)|Mojo]]'' as "a romantic soul, really. He wanted orchestrations like old film music, though he knew nothing about scoring. So he bought a book on orchestration and within a week he'd come up with scores of a haunting quality". [[Peter Frampton]] is also credited on the album, though his contribution is unclear.<ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.crapfromthepast.com/jobriath/album1st.htm |title=Jobriath: The 1st Album, Jobriath (1973) |author=Ron Gerber |publisher=Crap from the Past |access-date=May 24, 2010 |archive-date=September 20, 2010 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20100920050021/http://crapfromthepast.com/jobriath/album1st.htm |url-status=dead }}</ref>

During this period, Brandt continued making extravagant statements such as "Elvis, the Beatles, and Jobriath" and declaring that both he and Jobriath had booked flights on [[Pan Am]]erican's first passenger flight to the Moon. Meanwhile, Jobriath declared himself "rock's truest fairy", a comment that did little to increase his popularity at the time but has since confirmed his status as the first openly gay rock singer to be signed to a major record label.<ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.classicrockmagazine.com/news/cult-heroes-no-4-jobriath/ |title=Classic Rock » Blog Archive » Cult Heroes No. 4: Jobriath |website=Classicrockmagazine.com |access-date=May 9, 2010 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20100913151525/http://www.classicrockmagazine.com/news/cult-heroes-no-4-jobriath/ |archive-date=September 13, 2010 }}</ref><ref>{{cite web|last=Metzger |first=Richard |url=http://boingboing.net/2009/03/30/jobriath-boone-rocks.html?__mp-comments=4 |title=Jobriath Boone: Rock's Fairy Godmother |website=Boingboing.net |date=March 30, 2009 |access-date=May 9, 2010}}</ref>

Jobriath's debut public performance was made on television, when Brandt secured him an appearance on the popular show ''[[The Midnight Special (TV series)|The Midnight Special]]''. The costumes were designed by Jobriath and the choreography was by [[Joyce Trisler]], of the [[Joffrey Ballet]].<ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.newmillenniumrecords.com/indulgence.html |title=A Pictorial History of Sexual Indulgence |author=Hayden Wayne |website=Newmilleniumrecords.com|access-date=May 24, 2010}}</ref> Two songs were performed: "I'maman" and "Rock of Ages", the latter substituting for "Take Me I'm Yours" which was pulled after the producer objected to its overtly [[sado-masochistic]] theme.{{Citation needed|date=May 2010}} The long-awaited live performance finally came in July 1974 with two sold-out shows at New York's [[The Bottom Line (venue)|The Bottom Line]] club.<ref name="autogenerated1"/> Sales for the album, however, were poor, and it failed to secure a chart placing.

Six months after the release of the debut album, ''[[Creatures of the Street]]'' was released, again featuring Peter Frampton, as well as [[John Paul Jones (musician)|John Paul Jones]] of [[Led Zeppelin]].<ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.crapfromthepast.com/jobriath/album2nd.htm |title=Jobriath: The Second Album, Creatures of the Street (1974) |author=Ron Gerber |publisher=Crap from the Past |access-date=May 24, 2010 |archive-date=September 20, 2010 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20100920045207/http://crapfromthepast.com/jobriath/album2nd.htm |url-status=dead }}</ref> The costumes were by [[Stephen Sprouse]]. The photography was by [[Gered Mankowitz]]. Compiled from the extensive sessions for its predecessor, it was launched without any fanfare or media promotion and failed commercially. A US tour followed, where Jobriath and his backing-band (called 'The Creatures') did several residencies around the US (in Philadelphia, Boston, Chicago, San Francisco, Los Angeles & Memphis) during which recordings took place at local studios for a projected third album. Despite the tour having several well-attended shows and/or several sold-out nights, both Brandt and Elektra stopped financing the tour midway through. Despite this, Jobriath and the band completed the tour, continuing to bill Elektra for expenses. A final show, at the [[University of Alabama]], ended in five encores and the fire department being summoned when the excited audience set off the alarm.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.newmillenniumrecords.com/indulgence.html |title=Hayden Wayne on Jobriath |website=Newmillenniumrecords.com |access-date=May 9, 2010}}</ref>