Let My People Come"  1974

Opening Number

Give It To Me

I'm Gay

Come In My Mouth

Dirty Words

Linda, Georgina, Marilyn & Me

I Believe My Body

Take Me Home With You

Choir Practice

And She Loved Me

Whatever Turns You On

Doesn't Anybody Love Anymore

Let My People Come

1974

"Let My People Come" was born on January 8, 1974, of Capricorn birthright, truly destined to reach the people.

This sexual musical, called a "theatrical emancipation" and a "milestone for freedom of expression", touches upon all forms of human sexuality in the disguise of a thought-provoking, suggestive, bitingly satirical, outrageously refreshing, innocent and entertaining childish romp.

The ingenious music, "light and refreshing, yet dark and searching", will revitalize, replenish, and touch your soul with its message.

The message: People are sexual, if only because they are human and mortal, and if they understand and deal with that fact they will be able to move on to something else, something more spiritual.

Earl and Phil are presently working on a new Broadway Musical called "Spirit."

Credits

Music by Earl Wilson, Jr.

Lyrics by Earl Wilson, Jr. & Phil Oesterman

Music arranged & conducted by Billy Cunningham

Choreography by Ian Naylor

Lighting by Centaur Productions

Produced & directed by Phil Oesterman

Published by Gnostic Music Co., ASCAP

CAST: Christine Rubens, Ray Colbert, Tobie Columbus, Denise Connolley, Daina Darzin, Lorraine Davidson, Marty Duffy, Joe Jones, James Morgan, Ian Naylor, Barbara Niles, Larry Paulette, Peachena, Shezwae Powell, Dean Tait, Alan Evans, Jim Rise

Show produced for records by Henry Jerome for Green Menu Music Factory Inc.

Music arranged & conducted for records by Billy Cunningham

Choral Direction: Jerry Graff

Art direction & cover design: Jim Rise

Recording Studios: A & R Studios and Soundtek Studios, New York City

Chief Recording Engineer: Stephen Y. Scheaffer

Session Engineer: Elliot Shiner

Mixing Engineer: Stephen Y. Scheaffer

Photography: Tim Boxer

"LET MY PEOPLE COME" opened at Village Gate on January 8, 1974

Original Cast Album recorded April 29, 1974

Let My People Come: A Sexual Musical (Original Cast Album) LP        19,321 views

TAGS: Let My People Come

Not actually Rocky Horror related at all, this musical opened off-Broadway in 1974. According to its creator, Earl Wilson Jr: "it is a musical revue about SEX... with some nudity and a lot of X-rated language. It was nominated for a Grammy in 1974 and has appeared all over the world. It is a really fun show that takes the attitude that everyone loves sex... when they are honest enough to admit it... and that we'd probably all be a lot better off if we were less uptight about it". A review of the time said: "it broke all barriers - simulated sex, orgies, lesbianism, homosexuality, simulated oral sex, bisexuality, all celebrated, all hilariously carefree."

"Let My People Come" opened at the Village Gate Theater on Bleecker Street in Greenwich Village, New York. It apparently came about during a conversation between Earl Wilson, Jr. and Phil Oesterman: "Phil told me that the time was right to do a show about sex, and make it explicit and beautiful and funny and young. I said, 'Didn't they do that in Oh, Calcutta!?' and he said 'No, there were no songs to speak of in Oh, Calcutta! Sit down and write a song and make it outrageous." The show broke all box office records at the Village Gate and played for 1,167 performances. Its transfer to the Morosco Theatre on Broadway was not as successful though, and closed after 106 performances.

One of the show's songs, The Cunnilingus Champion of Company C, was the subject of a copyright infringement lawsuit by MCA Music in 1976 (MCA Music v. Earl Wilson). They claimed copyright infringement and wrongful appropriation of their copyrighted song, "Boogie Woogie Bugle Boy". Earl Wilson Jr claimed that the song was a parody or burlesque on Bugle Boy and that any similarity between the two songs was permissible fair use. The court disagreed, arguing that Cunnilingus Champion could not be construed as a parody of Bugle Boy specifically but was instead a vehicle for a broad burlesque of the 1940s, World War II activity, and in particular the sexual mores and taboos of the time. Later pressings of this album replaced Cunnilingus Champion with a different song, "Whatever Turns You On".

Let my people come