 Terence Trent D’Arby, Setting an 80s tone from the beginning of the book, this tune plays as I zoom down the AC Expressway, with killer looks and an amazing body, the entire world is in front of me at age 21, on my way to a male exotic dancing gig. I think about how the song made me feel very grown up. |
Taylor Dayne, The hard hitting, gutsy, gritty words and sounds of TD have been something I’ve personally identified with since she came on the scene. This song pumped through many nights in the clubs and helped me form and express a confidence in my own talents and abilities. |
Donna Summer, You can hear this playing in the background while I’m getting heated up with a conquest in the beginning of the book before meeting Tom. I associate it with many irresistible sins. |
 This was one of the primary practice songs I used when I was learning how to perform as a male exotic dancer. At one point, I actually couldn’t bear listening to it because of all the relentless practice sessions. That passed quickly because it’s a superb funky tune and it’s playing while I’m tearing it up on the dance floor at the big South Jersey gay club, Gatsby’s, with another conquest early on in the book. |
What else would you expect for a male exotic dancing routine? This song plays while I perform an interview gig for the owner of another entertainment agency. The book chronicles the stripping experience, one that I certainly do not regret. When I think of this song, I recollect hanging out at a dive nightclub in Camden, NJ and watching all the beautiful black people demonstrating what dancing is supposed to look like. |
This song was all over the radio when I met Tom and he had some of the same looks and expressions as the lead singer in this band. This song was pretty intense for me as the relationship progressed and I questioned his intentions. If you really listen to all the words, you can connect with exactly what I was feeling back then. I swear I thought the songwriters were following me around when they came up with this stuff. |
Rick Astley, There was never a better song to end my book with, and it was played continuously in the clubs for a while back then. This is my “get fired up and kick some ass” tune. It’s one of those powerful anthems, similar to the stuff I adore from Taylor Dayne, that can actually reduce me to tears. I didn’t realize the mess I was getting into with Tom but it reminds me of the emotional investment I made in the relationship. It reminds me of how much I cherished him and defines why I thought he was worth fighting for. It reminds me that I didn’t give up or back down. It reminds me why I have no regrets. |
 Boy Meets Girl, Okay, this is the official love song for my relationship with Tom. When I hear it today, I can still smell his cologne (Obsession) and see his smile. It’s astonishing that such a perfect melody coupled with relevant lyrics would be paired up with the time I developed the relationship with Tom. I hear it and think what brilliant luck to find the person I envisioned in my dreams. Waking up and seeing him next to me was always an amazing feeling. I thought I dreamed this, and here – it’s real. Too cool. |
If you’re wondering – here it is: My favorite song and video of all time. To me, this song says it all. It’s got the soft bump and grind groove coupled with a rock like beat that does it for me. The lyrics sum it all up. The song was exactly what I was feeling when I met Tom and then even more powerful as I met subsequent lovers that followed. Funny thing is, I have always been in a rush. Never one to take things easy or slow, always one to jump right in with both feet, the song epitomizes an inner desire I’ve always had – and that’s what makes it so special to me. When I hear it, it is me talking to myself and I long to heed the words expressed in the lyrics. |
 The Boys Club, Another 80’s perfect song, perfect vocals and lyrics for setting the mood. Captured in the book for one lovemaking scene, it made me feel very grown up. |
Kylie Minogue, Another big club dance hit, it’s playing as I do another stripping gig in the book. It’s not a sexy song, but a fun, upbeat and cutesy one that everyone loved hearing. |
George Michael, Another tune that made me feel all grown up when I was in an “official” relationship with another man in the book. No comment on the lyrics. |
 Brenda K. Starr, This talented woman had no idea how phenomenal this song was for my short-lived career as a male exotic dancer. The energy is resonant and it always helped me give it all I had for the crowd. The punchy tune and cool lyrics made it fun to perform gigs in any number of wild and crazy costumes from nerd to pizza delivery boy to cop. |
 Will To Power, Mentioned several times in the book, this song’s powerful lyrics tugged at my heart-strings throughout the relationship with Tom. When I hear it, I could almost smell his cologne. The song builds such epic aspirations for the relationship in the book. I truly did love his ways back then. He gave “gay” a classy face for me. |
In the book, I’m making love to Tom during a weekend get-a-way to the beach while this song plays. Whenever I heard this song back then, I saw snippets of our life in a music video. The song is sufficiently addicting and brings me to recall cravings I experienced for things I have today. |
Tom once asked me to listen to the lyrics of this song and the memory of his association of the song with gay life at the time had a lot of logic for me. I don’t know if that was the intention of the producer/writers but we all seemed to be forever moving from one place to another and the spirit of the song always helped me feel proud of being gay. So 80s. |
 The Communards, When I hear this song, I’m instantly transported back in time to summertime in the Philly Gayborhood. As dusk chases the day away, the cool sensation of feeling grown up enough to party in the big city ignites an inner joy that influenced me to keep coming back for more. I associate this song with the whole mystique of being a gay male. A strong memory of days in the former Cartwheel in New Hope, PA, as well, flows when I hear it. |
 Jellybean Featuring Elisa Fiorillo, I mention my first gay experience in the book with a guy called John and his partner Doug. This song was out when I encountered John and I’ve always been attracted to how it fit the experience of discovering a male-to-male attraction so well. The lyrics also made sense and matched up later when I was with Tom. This is such a sexy and racy tune, one that still gives me the goose-bumps you get with first time experiences. |
Full Force, I love this song. Incorporated it into many dancing routines and found it groovy. It has always had a way of helping me shake off negative feelings. |
Fine Young Cannibals, When the French woman in my book, known as Noémie, performed to this song as a female exotic dancer for the first time, we were mortified. This isn’t the best choice for showcasing sensuality and causing a turn-on. |
 Joyce Sims, Steamy and sensuous, this reeks of candles and wine, and for me, sexual experimentation under the influence of mind altering lust. Great song and it’s one we played often during our lovemaking. |
 Janet Jackson, This is funny. Reviews on my male exotic dancing skills were mixed. I got relentless praise from the majority of straight women and Tom. Most negative feedback came from a few boyfriends I had after Tom and I always wondered if they felt comfortable enough to share whereas others were just feeding me a line. My exotic dancing techniques and moves were influenced mostly by Janet and in particular from her video for this song. |
 Paul Lekakis, Pure and unfiltered 80s gay club music. How can you not adore it? How lucky we were to have stuff like this to enhance our experience? This song was a staple on the dancefloor at Gatsby’s every Saturday night. Nothing subliminal about this one. When you’re in your early 20s and every guy smells so good and looks so good, what more could you ask for? |
The Escape Club, I had my turn with a bad song to strip too. This is in the book. At least I didn’t pick this song. You’ll have to read the book to hear how it went. This was another song that was not effective in a male stripper routine – at least without a cowboy hat. |
This song picked up my spirits after I embarrassed myself by asking Tom to take me back at the end of the book. It came on the radio while I was driving home after meeting with him. I was feeling incredibly defeated and completely dysfunctional. The song has a unique way of reminding me of what’s important within. It’s a self-love type of song to me. |
Taylor Dayne/Siedah Garret, My all-time favorite singer, TD captures the essence of what raw drive and determination in a relationship can be. The song was one I used to practice my routine, improve my confidence on the floor and ultimately I incorporated it into my gigs as a mainstay. Siedah Garrett’s version rivals TD’s. Love them both. |
For some reason this song always grounds me in a good way. It’s one more playing during sex with Tom and encapsulates all my desires for something warm, cozy and normal. The “me” in the book back then found it hard to have friendships without sex. The song made me feel like I had that need filled with Tom. |
Dead or Alive, Well into a new chapter in my life, post-Tom, this song and this group had an amazing way of scraping some of the regret and depression I was experiencing off my soul. This song was one I incorporated into several exotic dancing routines. When I hear this song today, I go back to the memories of my short relationship with the guy Ed that I met at the end of my book. Very cool song that covers it all. Leave it to Pete Burns. |
 Breakfast Club, To me, this was one of the most motivating songs to come over the radio in the 80s. It was one I used to perform my exotic dancing routine many, many times. I associated the lyrics and song with what I was feeling for Tom. During my early 20s, the theme for my life was to stray from the rigid and disciplined formula I had in place for my behaviors and actions. This song epitomizes that movement. Besides that, it was and still is, one that makes me feel really good. |
 Tony Terry, Tony was so stylish back in the 80s and I emulated his look, dress and dance moves. If you ever see the video for “She’s Fly,” you’ll get a glimpse at what I’m talking about and get an idea of what some of my routine looked like. In my opinion, folks just dressed better in the 80s – it was constant fashion show – and ultra sexy. Clothes that fit snug, not tight, were hip. Form fitting and accentuating garments, levis and leather together, all so fly and fresh. Both of these songs were often used in my dance routines. |
 Glen Medeiros, I clearly remember Nadine singing this song into a cassette recorder when we were together. She had a beautiful voice and I always loved the song. So…when Tom and I split up in the book, it was one that I immediately tortured myself with. The lyrics were brutal after the break-up, but to this day I adore the sound of the sweet words and melody. |
This is kind of deep, but when I hear this song, I think of Tom.It’s so him. The song captures the yearning spirit inside of me that was the perfect bait for Tom. Despite having a religious theme, I heard the words as Tom’s and dreamed of satisfying my many needs for male bonding, affection and love. I hear this song and lust over the strength in Tom’s sensual masculinity and potential healing power over my broken past. |
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