BijouBlog

Hi Folks - Will here. Yep, another crazy title. But, it's the first thing that I could think of that describes what I encountered when I returned to the East Coast. I had been gone for fourteen years and it was not an easy transition coming "home!"

It took me four days driving to hit this brick wall.

The transcontinental drive did some good. On this long drive back, I just meditated. I don't even remember listening to any music! Four days is a long time to be alone and in deep thought. But, my Guardian Angel was my co-pilot and provided me with a lot to think about... the rest of my life.

Me and my trusty steed arrived 2,945 miles later.

How does anyone trade San Francisco for New Jersey? Simple answer was I had to! Back on the West Coast, I was in constant battle with some pretty scary demons - Sex, Drugs and Rock and Roll... or in my case, "Disco!"

When my partner Tommy passed in 1989, so did my guardrails. Looking after him in his state of declining health was my main job on the planet. With him gone, I was quite lost. I needed a place where I could "dry out" and look for a new path in my life.

My Great Aunt (also my Godmother) offered me a place to come and sort out my thoughts. She had always been my rock when I was in a difficult spot. But, there was a (painful) hesitation in her offer this time. I was forty and pretty much flat on my ass, jobwise and financially. I told her I just needed a brief period of time to bring my mind into focus and get my life back on track. 

Within a couple of weeks of my return, I found work again as a salesman. Through a strange set of circumstances, I found a job that I really liked and that seemed to fit me very well. My sister mentioned me and my organ playing to her fiancée's brother... who worked for an organ/piano showroom.

I was excited. It felt like my transcontinental conversations with my Guardian Angel had paid off! The position required my kind of outgoing personality - one that is not afraid to strike up a conversation with a stranger. It worked! I sold organs, made friends with my clients and networked my way into managing my own showroom(s).

The brick wall I referred to in the title was the conservative nature of the Jersey Shore vs the fourteen years of Sodom and Gomorrah life that I just left in S.F. I really had to slam on the brakes in a lot of areas of my life. I was no longer in Oz! Now, being gay seemed almost clandestine. Nevertheless, I ventured out to old local haunts. They had changed a lot over the years. Even though I was still pretty good looking for forty, I couldn't seem to break the ice with any of the locals. I was dying of boredom. So, I ventured the sixty short miles north to New York City. What a relief it was to go to clubs and mingle with other gay folks.

Just when I was starting to feel comfortable with my relocation, my Great Aunt had a massive stroke. She died within a week. My second set of guardrails was no more. To add to this nightmare, my mother seemingly came out of the woodwork to claim the house where I was living (and thought I was inheriting). With a will in her hand, she generously gave me two months to find another place to live.

Shell-shocked by all of this, I moved into an apartment in Northern N.J. to be close to a new showroom location that I was managing. Workwise, I was doing okay. But, my personal life was nothing short of boring. All I needed to add to this was one of the worst winters in a decade. Every weekend was a snowstorm. My fourteen years on the West Coast had turned me into a "weather wimp!"

Looking at my lackluster social life, matching career and snow banks, I started to get the itch to move south... far south... I wanted to take one more daring leap into the unknown. The sunny surf of South Beach was beckoning. This whole new "Sodom and Gomorrah" by the sea was awaiting.

Trading one wall for another.

 

Bio of Will Seagers:

Will Seagers (also credited as Matt Harper), within his multifaceted careers and participation in numerous gay communities across the country in the '70s and '80s and beyond, worked as a print model, film performer, and DJ, just to name a few. He made iconic appearances in releases from Falcon, Hand in Hand, Joe Gage, Target (Bullet), J. Brian, Steve Scott, and more, including in lead roles in major classics like Gage's L.A. Tool & Die (1979) and Scott's Wanted (1980). He brought strong screen presence and exceptional acting to his roles and was scene partners with many fellow legends of classic porn.

Will Seagers, present day

You can read Will Seagers' previous blogs for Bijou here:

Welcome Matt/Will | What's For Dessert? | On and Off the Set of L.A. Tool & Die | Wanted, Weekend Lockup and Weekends in Hermosa Beach | Honeymoon in the Palms | Birds of a Feather | The Stereo Maven of Castro Street | The Pass Around Boy | The Ecstasy and the Agony | Fitness and Fantasy | Chasing the Boys and Chasing the Sun | Becoming Invisible | The Reverse Story of Dorian Gray | Pin Money | One Organ Leads to Another! | The Wheels of Steel | Feast and Famine | An Alphabet Soup of Powders and Pills | Merry Christmas (and Getting Re-Organized) | Now and Then | DEEP INSIDE THE CASTRO: The Badlands | DEEP INSIDE THE CASTRO: Moby Dick Bar | DEEP INSIDE THE CASTRO: "Just Another Stroll Down the Castro!" | Diving Into SoMa/Folsom: Hamburger Mary's | Diving Into SoMa/Folsom: Long Live the Stud! | Diving Into SoMa/Folsom: Club Life..."Hit me with your Rhythm Stick!” | A "Split Ticket": SoMa/Folsom and The Haight! | Staying Vanilla in a Flavorful Culture | A Little Secret | Recollections of the 1977 S.F. Gay Pride Parade | Life's a Beach | Flora & Fauna | Once Is Just Not Enough! | A Love of Cultures – A Knack for Languages! | For the Birds | It's About Time! | The Perfect Storm | Hello Chicago/Adieu Fire Island Pines! | Sex in the Woods! | My Life at the Gym | The Last Picture Show | Cumming Attractions! | The Peter Pan Syndrome | Valentine's Day Reflections | The “Idus Martias” and a Peacock! | Taxing I.M.H.O. | Nope...This Sure Ain't Kansas! | The French Connection | Water Baby | Pride: You Wear It Well! | Life Goes On... | The Dance Floor and the Booth, Part 1 | The Dance Floor and the Booth, Part 2 | The Dance Floor and the Booth, Part 3 | A Christmas Haiku | It's My Party & I'll BLOG If I Want To! | "Werk!" | It's My Party & I'll BLOG If I Want To! | Heart Throbs from the Past! | Traveling the Arc | Music Is My Way of Life, Part 1 | Music Is My Way of Life, Part 2 | Music Is My Way of Life, Part 3 | Music Is My Way of Life, Part 4

By Josh Eliot

The movie Big Guns, shot in 1986, is synonymous with the name William Higgins and the Catalina Video brand. I remember renting Big Guns at our local video store on 18th and Castro street in San Francisco when it first came out, months before I started working for Catalina Video. I was very well aware of Mike Henson and John Davenport, so when they showed up at our San Francisco studio to work on some movies I was definitely star-struck, as I wrote in my previous blog, "Bringing In the Big Guns." I worked as videographer with John Davenport in two movies for John Travis: My Best Buddy (1988) and Powerline (1989). Mike Henson worked in My Best Buddy as well and, as fate would have it, eleven years later he performed in the opening scene of Powertool 2, which I directed alongside Chi Chi LaRue. It felt like a full circle moment to have Mike in front of the Catalina cameras again after a decade had passed. Same awesome personality, but the only difference was that he was a bit more manly. Another actor from Big Guns who I worked with in My Best Buddy, Powerline and The Young Cadets (1988) was Mike Ryan. Mike Ryan‘s debut in A Matter of Size (1984) connected him with John Travis, who in turn brought him to Catalina where he also worked in the bisexual films Innocence Lost (1987) and In Hot Pursuit (1987). In addition to the three castmates from Big Guns that I actually worked with there are many more that became “gay-household” names.

Chad Douglas and Kevin Wiles are two of them, and their scene together almost instantly hit iconic status. The set up was that of a young newspaper delivery boy and his customer signing a personal check while wearing only a house robe, where he let it all hang out. Remember that classic scene?! Chad Douglas first appeared in the movie Below The Belt by Philip St. John, followed by Tyger Tales and Too Big For His Britches for Tyger Films. After his astonishing scene in Big Guns, Falcon Studios snatched him up for Giant Splash Shots 2 (1987), Spokes 2 (1988), Spring Break (1988) and Man-Rammer: A Battle of Size (1989), which turned out to be his final movie. Even though he was under contract with Falcon, Matt Sterling was not about to miss out, so Falcon loaned Douglas to Huge Video for a role in Larger Than Life (1988). Chad Douglas was born on Feb 4th, 1957 and it is written that he passed away on October 11th, 1999 at age 42.

Chad’s co-star from Big Guns, Kevin Wiles, actually has the most movies released out of any of the cast members in this film. His first movie, Big and Thick (1984) for H.I.S. Video, undoubtedly set him on the path to be an insatiable bottom. Stiff Sentence (1985), Two Handfuls (Bijou Video, 1986) and Motel California (Catalina, 1986) were shot prior to the performance in Big Guns that really put him on the map. After Big Guns, Kevin Wiles went on to work for most of the studios of the time including Sierra Pacific, Avalon (YMAC), Falcon, First Class Male, Pleasure Productions, Metro, Le Salon, In Hand and others before leaving the industry.

Some of the biggest actors of the film only have a handful of titles to their names, like top-billed stars Jeff Quinn, John Rocklin and Jeff Boote. Jeff Quinn appeared in the December 1985 issue of Playgirl Magazine and did a total of six movies between 1985 and 1987, including a scene with Chad Douglas and Lance in Giants Splash Shots II: More Memories of Summer, where Douglas pounds his hole like there’s no tomorrow! Other credits include Inch By Inch (1985) and Bigger Than Life (1986) for Matt Sterling and Huge Video, followed by Big Guns (1986), Hot Rods: The Young and The Hung 2 (1986) and Paul Norman’s bisexual hit Innocence Lost for Catalina Video. He dropped off the map with no explanation that I could find throughout all of my research. His co-star in the movie, John Rocklin, had a similarly short career, as well, after his debut in Try To Take It (1986) for Falcon. He, like the others, worked in Giants Splash Shots II, then performed in Hard Men: No Strings Attached (1987) and William Higgins' Screentest (1988). Another Big Guns cast member with so much potential who had a short career was Jeff Boote. Appropriately named, because his booty was all that and more and his bottoming scenes in Big Guns and In Hot Pursuit were standouts. His very first performance, again, was for Matt Sterling in Big and Thick and his only other performance was in a J/O for Video 10 in the movie Backstrokes. He and Rocklin for sure could have parlayed their careers for a much longer time, as they were solid in their screen performances.

One star who was super young-looking but worked his career into longevity is a name that “everybody” knows: Kevin Williams. Even though he only made a little over a dozen movies, his name is synonymous with the industry. His early work in Screentest, Big Guns, The Switch is On and Stryker Force (1986) led to roles in Tyger Film’s Bare Tales (1987) and Bad Boys Club for Catalina (1988). He then made the move to Falcon for the movies Out of Bounds (1988) and In Your Wildest Dreams (1988). He retired from his career in the 1980s, only to pop up again with a Falcon Studios contract in the late 1990s and early 2000s. His return to the screen included movies Hot Wired 1, FULLfilled, Deliverance: Code of Conduct 2 and Betrayed.

Rocky Armano, whose sex scene was not in the original VHS cut of Big Guns but has since been restored in the 20th Anniversary Director’s Cut, was in the industry a year at the most. Simultaneous shoots for Big Guns and Hard Men No Strings Attached in 1986 introduced Rocky Armano to the world. Bulge: Mass Appeal, the very first movie I worked on (but not his scene, damn-it!) was held for some time, then released in 1987. There was a release called Hand Tools in 1990 with Rocky Armano, but it was just an old J/O that was shot for Hard Men: No Strings Attached. In Hard Men, the models would dance and strip down to a raging hard on, then the viewer could order their exclusive J/O separately for what was a low price back then of $29.95 + shipping. Those J/Os all made it into Hand Tools many years later.

By comparison, Chris Gray, from the ultra-iconic shooting range scene with John Davenport, had a super quick but impressive two-year stint in the industry. His Bigger Than Life (1986) role for Sterling led to Mansize (1986) for director Michael Zen and Bijou Classics, The Bigger They Come for Catalina, Paul Norman’s Passion Bi Fire (1986) and finally In Hot Pursuit (1987) before leaving the industry. His co-star John Davenport, as I wrote about at the beginning, had a similar career path that lasted three years, 1986-1988, and had roles in some very popular productions including Powertool, Full Grown/Full Blown, Perfect Summer, Sunstroke, Bad Boys Club and Hot Rods.

The movie Big Guns won the 1987 XRCO Award for Best Picture, which was no surprise as everyone knew Big Guns was something special from the moment it was released. Max Southern, a writer for Man Net Magazine, wrote:

Mike Henson, the star of Big Guns, also received an XRCO Award for Best Actor that same year. Born October 4th, 1963, Mike Henson became one of the most popular gay adult performers of the 1980s. He graduated from UCLA in 1994, having studied computer science. His return to the screen for Powertool 2 and Score 10 for Matt Sterling did not cause the sensation industry insiders had hoped for and his comeback was short-lived. On September 6, 2002, Mike Henson passed away from an accidental overdose of heroin at the age of 38. His mark on the industry will certainly live on. The remainder of the cast could all very well be living their best lives getting ready to collect social security, as little is known of their whereabouts. Their performances and contributions to Big Guns are as timeless as the movie itself.

Watch Josh Eliot's 40th Anniversary Trailer for Big Guns!
Plus his trailers for My Best Buddy, Young Cadets and Powertool 2

Bio of Josh Eliot:

At the age of 25 in 1987, Josh Eliot was hired by Catalina Video by John Travis (Brentwood Video) and Scott Masters (Nova Video). Travis trained Eliot on his style of videography and mentored him on the art of directing. Josh directed his first movie, Runaways, in 1987. By 2009 when Josh parted ways with Catalina Video, he'd produced and directed hundreds of features and won numerous awards for Best Screenplay, Videography, Editing, and Directing. He was entered into the GayVN Hall of fame in 2002.

Hi Folks, Will here. And, I am ready with another installment in what has become my mini-series! LOL. Little did I know that when I undertook this saga that so many memories would surface in the process. Thank you readers for jumping from one cliff-hanger to another with all of these installments... fifty years is a lot of time to cover! 

Linking up with the last installment, it was the fall of 1976 and I had just landed in the arms of friends in the outrageous City by the Bay! My job offer from Chuck Holmes was waiting and that was a source of stability and comfort in my new life on the other side of the country.

Chuck owned a restaurant/bar called Trinity Place (located on the street that bore the same name in S.F.'s financial district). At first I tended bar. That didn't last too long, as I wasn't fast enough to keep up with vast number of clients that flowed in at five o'clock when the stock market closed. Playing solo on a 25' bar was not in my resume. So, I agreed to move to the dining room and join the waitstaff. Soon, I was made aware that we the bartenders and waitstaff were also on the menu. Lots of money was to be made on the "side hustle." New to town and trying to set up my own headquarters, this money came in handy. I found a couple of pleasant "Johns" and did repeat performance$.

Chuck was also good to me with the film and magazine work that he offered. The S.F. chapter of my porn career took off quickly and successfully. Soon, I worked with Al Parker and a number of other Falcon luminaries. The pay was great! (But, I still had a hard time calling it work!) It was with this "pin money" that I slowly started to put my first DJ mixing console together - a pair of Technics 1800s and a Numark mixer. This extra bit of cash also came in handy during the non-stop weekend partying of the late 70s. My circle of friends grew quickly along with these regular Saturday night outings.

Bones was the first club that I called home during this time. Jack and Jerry were the dynamic duo who owned this club located at the end of Haight St., across from Golden Gate Park. They dared to play the most underground and soulful music that I had heard since leaving New York. Timmy Rivers and Michael Lee were the resident DJs, and were not satisfied unless you left their dance floor soaking wet! (And we did!)

A brief aside. I not only was a patron of their club, but I started my lighting career with Jack at his "parties at large." Without any real training, I jumped in head first and learned on the fly... going to lighting rental houses and getting truckloads of lighting instruments to erect and "play" at various venues around town.

Steve Fabus lugging vinyl!

It was at these parties that I met Steve Fabus, who was the go to DJ for all of these "At Large" events. We have remained friends over the years... and he is still playing to fans in San Francisco and around the globe. One of the most memorable of these parties was held at The Peoples Temple on Geary Blvd. If that name sounds eerily familiar, it's because it is the same place where Rev. Jim Jones preached before leading his flock to Jonestown, Guyana! It was a massive old synogogue screaming out for my best lighting efforts! Steve played the music, I did the lights, and Bruce Trondson did the sound. I was always glad for Bruce's help connecting my lighting controller to the electrical sources in all of these buildings. I also need to mention that Vincent Carleo (of Flamingo fame) made a cameo appearance that night and played a couple of his legendary standards.

Peoples Temple sign & interior

Me, staying cool and shirtless doing the lights at The Peoples Temple.

 

Back to club life evolution. The next big club after Bones - big enough to be called a "Disco" - was the I-Beam. This was also located on Haight St. just a block or so east of Bones. Sanford Kellman was the owner/entrepreneur. He had a very successful leather bar in the South of Market area called The Bolt. The size, scale and DJs at The I-Beam made it an instant sensation. Timmy Rivers once again graced the wheels of steel. The only thing that wasn't great was that it was located in an abandoned loft. The only way in was a huge staircase. It was just about as infamous as N.Y.'s "Loft" staircase. Just about as many steps but much wider. It used to get quite packed with revelers trying their best to get in. This was also during the height of the Quaalude era. So, the steps could be a bit tricky! LOL. 

I-Beam exterior & ad

 

Next came The Music Hall on Larkin Street in the Tenderloin section of town. Originally, it was a dinner theater that was converted to a club by removing the theater seating, flattening the floor and adding beautiful hardwood. This club reminded me of The 10th Floor (from a prior blog). Bruce Trondson did the sound. I not only helped him with the lighting design, but was one of two resident light men. I worked most of my shifts with Lester Temple spinning... (another S.F. DJ of major fame). I was delighted to see Lester on one of my recent trips back to S.F. He's still making music!

Exterior of Music Hall in its theater days & recent pic of Lester Temple.

 

There was a major rumble that was starting to be heard South of Market - Trocadero Transfer. There was no doubt that this was a full-scale disco. Everything about it was huge. The hardwood dancefloor, the Graebar (NYC) sound system and the extensive lighting grid extended across the massive ceiling. Dick Collier was its owner and designer. This former CBS TV studio was the perfect place for a venture like this. Nothing was the same after this club was launched. The I-Beam and the Music Hall faded off into oblivion.

Troc - exterior shot with usual line to get in.

 

Originally, Vincent Carleo was brought out from New York City to head the DJ entourage. "Vinnie," of Flamingo fame, was used to serving up a lower-paced, very masculine and urban musical fare. I was in heaven... as this was my kind of music. However, it seems that there was more than just two thousand miles separating the coasts. It was the music itself. The great hope for a lot of us was that "The Troc" would give S.F. the underground club that it was missing. But, Vinnie's tenure was not long. Except for a handful of us, his music did not go over well. After he left, lots of pop-oriented L.A. DJs were flown up to do their thing. Although I worked the lights for a couple of months, I rarely went there to dance - the music was just too "bubble gum" for me.

My tenure ended at the Troc after their new messiah from Florida arrived. I will say that, professionally and technically, he was miles over the people he replaced. But, it still wasn't the kind of music that "floats my boat." He noticed my lack of interest and started telling me what to do with the lights. That was enough for me. Being there for those twelve hour shifts became too much to bear. I went back to my "At Large" gigs and soon had some of some of the most memorable events added to my portfolio.

Showing my continued love and admiration for Patti LaBelle, Roger, Tommy and I attended another fabulous concert of Miss LaBelle's at the George Moscone Center in S.F. in 1980, this time as a solo artist. The featured tune at this concert was "Music Is My Way of Life" - and when Miss LaBelle performed that song with her legendary verve, the crowd went nuts! Unfortunately, I don't have many other memories of that concert due to being pharmaceutically challenged. LOL.

Rod Roderick

And now onto the undisputed Godfather of Disco in San Francisco, William P. Roderick, aka "Rod Roderick." He was friends with sound engineer, Bruce Trondson, and had attended several parties where I had designed and operated the lights. He invited me to "do the lights" at several of his parties held at the Kabuki Theater in San Francisco's Japantown. I had the pleasure of being connected with John Tadesco of Industrial Power and Light fame. He took me to his Bay Area warehouse where hundreds of theatrical and movie lighting pieces adorned the shelves and ceilings. More amazing was when he asked me, "What would you like to use?" I was like a kid in a candy shop... I went nuts! AND... I had no budget!

S.F.'s Kabuki Theater

Needless to say, with Mr. Tadesco's help, I strung together some of the most bizarre yet impressive lighting effects in my career. The leader of this group was a giant "chandelier-ish" 10' sphere that was flown from the highest point of the Kabuki's ceiling (some 30'). This creation was encrusted with small strobe lights and small Fresnel theater lights. At just the right times, it was slowly lowered to just above the heads of the dance floor revelers. The dance floor responded with screams and squeals of joy. But there was more! John and I had rigged six emergency halide lights up by the ceiling. They looked like inverted garbage cans. These were of the same ilk as street lamps, in that they fired up slowly to a ferocious bright peak! I had them gelled with Urban Blue, a very dark blue that could only work with the intensity of these emergency lights. I waited for just the right song from DJ Frankie Corr. When that moment arrived, I turned on the emergency lights. Slowly, the whole theater turned a "thick blue" - you could almost taste it. Then, at the peak of the song, I shot ceiling mounted teal-gelled pin spots through the "navy blue" and quickly killed the navy blue, leaving only a black theater with teal blades of light from dance floor to ceiling. Once again, the dancers confirmed my design with their roar! This was a crowning moment and my last major lighting job. I had begun mixing and recording my own urban music cassettes and peddling them around town. As the requests grew for my tapes and cashflow improved, I upgraded my mixing console with a classic pair of Technics 1100s. A change was coming.

My last entry on the great clubs of San Francisco would not be complete without the inclusion of Dreamland. This was another very large club situated in San Francisco's South of Market warehouse district and was intended to be the foil of Trocadero.

I had the distinct honor and pleasure of having some of this club's original planning happen right in my living room on 10th St. I'll never forget when Michael Maier, the club's originator, asked me if he could bring some folks over to my apartment to discuss the forming of his dream club.

Michael and I had a wonderful affair in 1978 in The Pines. We both worked there. I was a lifeguard for the pool at The Boatel. He was part of the waitstaff at The Sandpiper just down the wharf. I don't know how either one of us survived the work and the all-nighters we pulled! But, love conquers all. We both loved to dance and party after work. And, we had a unique commonality - we both played the tambourine! Back then, dance audiences loved to contribute with all sorts of percussion instruments. It really made the music seem alive!

Our affair was intense but without a lot of commitments. The future was never really brought up in our lighthearted play. So, it was a bit of a shock when I found out that Michael not only was a stockbroker, but that he had moved to S.F. right after that summer on Fire Island! Add to that was his secret ambition to start a night club in San Francisco.

Anyway, back to my little apartment on 10th St. He arrived with blueprints and several potential investors for his project. I have to laugh. The very coffee table upon which those blueprints were spread was mirror-topped... just perfect for what was to follow in celebration of starting this project (wink!).

Everything was to be light and airy in design, like an Italian villa. It was white with large arches. The New York firm of Graebar was called upon again to provide another breathtaking sound experience. The dancefloor was vast and a very light hardwood. Adjacent to the dancefloor was the bar area with small two-top tables and lots of potted palms and ficus trees. Yes, this brought back memories of dance palaces of the past.

Dreamland's arches, dancefloor & membership card

The DJ booth was upstairs, at first. The upstairs continued the theme of the arches. I think for purely contact reasons, the booth was moved downstairs in one of the dancefloor corners with banquettes surrounding it. Mr. Carleo was once again the choice to inaugurate the club. He was joined by many different N.Y. DJs. Howard Merrit was the most famous of these imports. He and Vinnie had played together at Flamingo. Roy Shapiro, a long-time friend from N.Y., and I were the light men. While he was fully enthralled with doing lights, I was starting to get the itch to play music.

It was when one of my aforementioned music cassettes fell into the hands of Michael and Roy that I was invited to move to the other side of the DJ booth and play some of what they heard! My debut was Easter Sunday Tea Dance in 1980. I rehearsed myself silly during the preceding week. I brough a ton of records with me - all songs that had inspired me through the years to make this leap of faith. Although my mixing was dreadful, the crowd roared at the content of what I was playing. People were lined up at the back of the booth to wish me well and get me astronomically high! How I played one record after another was really a miracle. But, it must have worked because Sunday afternoon Tea Dances became my time slot!

Soon, I had the unique pleasure of sharing the turntables with Howard Merrit. He wanted in on this fun daytime slot. What was great was that when he played, I went down to the dancefloor for a break and visa versa. But, the same inevitability that hit Vincent also came my way. The audience wanted more upbeat and commercial sounding music - the kind that I was averse to playing. Soon, I was relegated to playing the off shifts, which barely lasted till two or three AM. I had to face the reality that I might be only a "cassette DJ." My tenure at Dreamland came to an end.

One door closes and another opens, as they say. Little did I know that Ron Holmes, Badlands and Phoenix bar owner and entrepreneur, heard about my leaving Dreamland and wanted me to play at his Castro Street locations. I started at The Phoenix, where I remained for only a couple of weeks. Then, I was "promoted" to The Badlands, where I remained for over four years. (That's an unheard of timespan for a DJ!) Mr. Holmes thought my style of music was perfect for his stand up bar. I took to it like a fish takes to water. I grew as a musician and technician. In no time, I was playing the key shifts including Saturday nights. Being a stand up bar, I could get away with all sorts of experimental stuff... I just needed to keep them happy.

As a working bona fide DJ, I was finally qualified to be a member of the record pool "TOP 25," with George Ferren at the helm. He and I have remained friends and keep in touch to this day. I was always delighted to break the newest and most promising tunes after my weekly visits to the pool. 

George Ferren

I soon found out that The Badlands was a key music bar in S.F., and working there garnered me a lot of respect. Although it was not a dance bar, I shared the booth with major S.F. DJs like Timmy Rivers, Jorge Martinez and Johnny "Disco" Hedges. Although I received a lot of compliments during that time, it had never dawned on me that I was considered a good DJ. (After Dreamland, I was a bit crestfallen.) I came to work at Badlands right after L.A. Tool & Die was released. That had a major impact. There wasn't a Saturday night when the entrance to my booth wasn't lined up with shots, drinks and "party favors."

Four years of constant late nights with all that you would expect to accompany them were taking a toll on me. When I announced my intention to leave Badlands, Carl, the bar manager, was crushed. I was his rock. Despite the "Sodom and Gomora" atmosphere of bar life, I always treated the position with responsibility and dignity. He was truly sorry to see me go.

Most of the electronic toys that I had accumulated in the seven years of being in S.F. came from Eber Electronics, just off the corner of Castro and Market St. I threw out the idea of working there to my favorite salesman. He arranged an interview with the owner, which I aced. Eber's became my new home for the next five years.

During this hiatus of playing DJ at one location, I still maintained my cassette business. I had to keep my fingers on the pulse of current music. That paid off several times with the wonderful man, Michael Goglia. Michael was a bartender at Badlands and, unbeknownst to me, was a huge fan of my music. He left Badlands a couple of years before I did to become the bar manager of Moby Dick Bar on 18th St., just down one block from Badlands.

Twice, Michael had me play at his "At Large" parties at the Russian River. One was called "Search" and the other was called "Rescue." They were wonderful outdoor, all night affairs. I became concerned when my dance floor was empty several times. Michael reassured me... "They're in the woods fucking - you're doing fine!" 

My denouement to playing music in my beloved "City by the Bay" was at Moby Dick Bar at Michael's request. This is where I really "styled out" and was at my artistic best. And, to top it off, guess who I got to work with? None other that the legendary Vincent Carleo! Although we had been close over the years in San Francisco, our friendship and musical relationship grew to new heights. I remember so many nights that we stayed in the booth after the bar closed playing for each other. Now, how many people actually get to become friends with and fans of their mentor? Although I only played there for a year or so, it was a perfect way to end this chapter of my life.

Sadly, my partner of thirteen years, Tommy, had passed from AIDS two years prior. And without his help, I wasn't taking good care of myself. I could feel the nudge of my Guardian Angel telling me it was time to move on. The East Coast and a reinvention of myself was waiting. However, one thing remained the same - "Music Is My Way of Life."

(Click to play.)

Stay tuned for a short but musical follow up...

 

Bio of Will Seagers:

Will Seagers (also credited as Matt Harper), within his multifaceted careers and participation in numerous gay communities across the country in the '70s and '80s and beyond, worked as a print model, film performer, and DJ, just to name a few. He made iconic appearances in releases from Falcon, Hand in Hand, Joe Gage, Target (Bullet), J. Brian, Steve Scott, and more, including in lead roles in major classics like Gage's L.A. Tool & Die (1979) and Scott's Wanted (1980). He brought strong screen presence and exceptional acting to his roles and was scene partners with many fellow legends of classic porn.

Will Seagers, present day

You can read Will Seagers' previous blogs for Bijou here:

Welcome Matt/Will | What's For Dessert? | On and Off the Set of L.A. Tool & Die | Wanted, Weekend Lockup and Weekends in Hermosa Beach | Honeymoon in the Palms | Birds of a Feather | The Stereo Maven of Castro Street | The Pass Around Boy | The Ecstasy and the Agony | Fitness and Fantasy | Chasing the Boys and Chasing the Sun | Becoming Invisible | The Reverse Story of Dorian Gray | Pin Money | One Organ Leads to Another! | The Wheels of Steel | Feast and Famine | An Alphabet Soup of Powders and Pills | Merry Christmas (and Getting Re-Organized) | Now and Then | DEEP INSIDE THE CASTRO: The Badlands | DEEP INSIDE THE CASTRO: Moby Dick Bar | DEEP INSIDE THE CASTRO: "Just Another Stroll Down the Castro!" | Diving Into SoMa/Folsom: Hamburger Mary's | Diving Into SoMa/Folsom: Long Live the Stud! | Diving Into SoMa/Folsom: Club Life..."Hit me with your Rhythm Stick!” | A "Split Ticket": SoMa/Folsom and The Haight! | Staying Vanilla in a Flavorful Culture | A Little Secret | Recollections of the 1977 S.F. Gay Pride Parade | Life's a Beach | Flora & Fauna | Once Is Just Not Enough! | A Love of Cultures – A Knack for Languages! | For the Birds | It's About Time! | The Perfect Storm | Hello Chicago/Adieu Fire Island Pines! | Sex in the Woods! | My Life at the Gym | The Last Picture Show | Cumming Attractions! | The Peter Pan Syndrome | Valentine's Day Reflections | The “Idus Martias” and a Peacock! | Taxing I.M.H.O. | Nope...This Sure Ain't Kansas! | The French Connection | Water Baby | Pride: You Wear It Well! | Life Goes On... | The Dance Floor and the Booth, Part 1 | The Dance Floor and the Booth, Part 2 | The Dance Floor and the Booth, Part 3 | A Christmas Haiku | It's My Party & I'll BLOG If I Want To! | "Werk!" | It's My Party & I'll BLOG If I Want To! | Heart Throbs from the Past! | Traveling the Arc | Music Is My Way of Life, Part 1 | Music Is My Way of Life, Part 2 | Music Is My Way of Life, Part 3

By Josh Eliot

A few weeks ago, I happened to come across a VHS copy of the William Higgins classic Big Guns on a re-sale site online. My mini collection of VHS tapes already includes a copy of my very first movie for Catalina Video, Runaways, as well as VHS copies of Valley of the Bi Dolls and Revenge of the Bi Dolls. When I saw that a copy of Big Guns, in pristine condition, was up for sale at only $20, I just had to have it. It seems that among the younger generation, VHS collecting is back in vogue, and I was thrilled to see Bijou World's website offering vintage tapes for sale, as well. What I really want to find is the original printing of Hot Rods: The Young and The Hung 2, which is the official sequel to Big Guns. The VHS box for Hot Rods, in its original printing, had a cranberry-colored, embossed foil coloring to it for the words Hot Rods. Later versions were just a flat box without the protruding title. That foil-embossed box would be the crown jewel in any collection, as there where only 2000 originally printed that way, and all other printings where pale in comparison. The sick thing is that I had a VHS of every single movie Catalina distributed, back in the day, as we could buy a copy for $5 each as employees. I foolishly sold them at a yard sale many years later, not realizing their value, and they jumped off the table at 2 for $1. Okay, I’m an idiot!

What I loved about my purchase of the Big Guns VHS is that, in addition to being in the original aspect ratio, I could tell that it was created from a 1” original master, which kept the quality amazing even while losing a generation of picture quality when transferring it to VHS. Back when we were making movies, it was always a bummer that you would have generation loss from when you shot the movie on ¾” to when it came out in stores on ½” VHS or BETA. Once digital video came along, there was no longer “generational loss,” so what was shot on the set looked exactly the same once it was released on DVD. Because of the generational loss with movies from the 1980s and early 1990s, there is a major variation from movie to movie as far as the quality. For many years, we would duplicate the movies from a 1” master to VHS, and the quality held its own, pretty much. But in later years, to save money, an S-VHS master or ¾ master was used to duplicate, and a lot of the time the picture looked muddy. This was not the case with the Big Guns VHS I purchased, and I was just thrilled to be able to use it to create a tribute for its upcoming anniversary on social media. The movie was shot in 1986 but released on video in early 1987.

I mentioned that Hot Rods was the official sequel to Big Guns, which came about in a not so ordinary way. William Higgins' original vision for Big Guns was to have it end with the Rocky Armano, Mike Henson and Jeff Quinn scene. In that scene, the three guys, in military garb, have a paintball battle in the countryside where the loser (Rocky Armano) gets tied to a rope and stripped to his undies. Higgins' intent was to continue the scene into their tent, where a highly charged threeway ensues. The problem that came about was the fact that either the VHS tapes' running time was limited or theater owners wanted to have as many showings per day as possible, and that final scene would have put the running time over what they considered suitable. I’ve heard both stories, so I’m not sure which one was the real reason, but in any case a decision was made to end the movie with a cliffhanger. The final scene of Big Guns plays to the point where Rocky Armano is tied up and hanging from a tree in his undies. The shot freezes and a title card comes across the screen stating that this scene would be continued in Hot Rods: The Young and The Hung 2. Because Big Guns was such a massive hit for Higgins, it left audiences salivating for the release of Hot Rods to see Rocky Armano, Henson and Quinn finish what they started. Hot Rods, in turn, became an even bigger hit, not only for the fact that it included the threeway, but also thanks to the Kevin Williams scene on the horizontal rotisserie, where his hot ass is spun in a circle for an array of leather dudes to penetrate.

Twenty years ago, I worked on remastering William Higgins' Big Guns for its 20th anniversary on DVD. Now, mind you, twenty years ago we did not have the technology that companies like Bijou have today to properly remaster the movies with enhanced picture, white balancing, sharpening, etc., but we did have an ace up our sleeves to promote the sales of it. It was decided to restore the movie to its original running time and to include the full threeway sex scene that was originally cut out of the movie to please theater owners. We removed the cliffhanger and let the scene continue naturally to where the movie ended as intended, extending the running time by about seventeen minutes. If you are in the market to own this little treasure of a film, I would suggest looking for the 20th anniversary edition, as it contains more bang for your buck! Oh, how I wish that the current owners of the Catalina Video library of movies would release a 40th anniversary edition of this classic, with all the bells and whistles of enhancement, but DVD versions of these movies are harder and harder to find, as more companies opt to only stream them instead of offering physical copies. Melusine.com (check them out) is doing amazing work on restoring and repackaging “straight” adult classics in limited edition pimped out packaging for movies like Behind The Green Door! They include many “on set” photographs, in book form, and bonus footage. Most sell out, and these limited editions will one day be collectors’ items, like my fabulous copy of Big Guns!

Here I am chatting away, and I haven’t even gotten into the “meat and potatoes” of the movie Big Guns, itself, or it’s incredible cast, which includes Mike Henson, Jeff Quinn, John Davenport, Chris Gray, John Rocklin, Jeff Boote, Kevin Wiles, Chad Douglas, Mike Ryan, Rocky Armano and a super young Kevin Williams! Well, I guess you know what that means! Yes, in Part 2 of the Big Guns 40th anniversary celebratory blog I will talk about the boys, and that very, very famous Chad Douglas/Kevin Wiles scene that was burned into my brain as a young 24-year-old when I first saw it. Not to mention the John Davenport/Chris Gray scene on the firing range, which I will go out on a limb to say was one of the sexiest seduction scenes ever in a gay adult film, past or present! It really is a “dream cast” who worked in this movie, and I’m looking forward to highlighting and honoring all of them! Like the original version of the movie, Big Guns, I am ending this blog with a “cliffhanger,” as the real payoff will be in the sequel!

Watch Josh Eliot's trailers for the following classics:

Big Guns, Runaways, Valley of the Bi Dolls, Revenge of the Bi Dolls

Bio of Josh Eliot:

At the age of 25 in 1987, Josh Eliot was hired by Catalina Video by John Travis (Brentwood Video) and Scott Masters (Nova Video). Travis trained Eliot on his style of videography and mentored him on the art of directing. Josh directed his first movie, Runaways, in 1987. By 2009 when Josh parted ways with Catalina Video, he'd produced and directed hundreds of features and won numerous awards for Best Screenplay, Videography, Editing, and Directing. He was entered into the GayVN Hall of fame in 2002.

Hi Folks - Will here with another installment of my musical journey. This time, I will share my thoughts on what led me to DJing and what led me to move from New York City to San Francisco in 1976.

For any of you that have been following my blogs over the past couple of years, I apologize in advance for any repetitions or redundancies. Hopefully, these memories will explain how the parts of my musical puzzle fall into place.

In the summer of 1975, I "worked" on Fire Island in The Pines in many capacities. I say this with tongue in cheek because I was everything from a houseboy to a live-in sex worker over that incredible summer. "The Island" and The Pines were where I wanted to be - by hook or by crook. But, I wanted to be there on my own terms and not be hindered in any way from discovering its magic.

"La Isla del Fuego"

 

Twice a houseboy and twice it didn't work out, as some of my implied duties were not to my liking. The first of these two jobs was so limiting that I hardly had any time to experience the Island. The second time morphed quickly into a problem when my sexual "duties" became non-stop. I made a pact with myself not to get into any more "sticky" arrangements like that again. Okay... Enough of the melodramas of a pretty 24 year old and onto a fateful meeting at Cherry Grove's Ice Palace.

Inside The Ice Palace... anything but chilly.

 

It was at a Tea Dance at The Ice Palace where I met Roger. He looked like a page right out of a Tom of Finland book! Muscular, bearded, and with all the right moves on that tea dance floor, too! We tore back to his place and didn't come up for air for what seemed like days! That night turned into that weekend and ultimately the rest of that summer.

I do remember us taking a break from the Island to come into the City (NYC) to see the LaBelle "Night Birds" concert at the Harkness Theater adjacent to Lincoln Center. The concert was extremely well attended. We were in the balcony, which seemed to be the default gay section! When they sang their national hit, "Lady Marmalade" (Voulez-Vous Coucher Avec Moi Ce Soir?), our balcony exploded into a sing along with such fervor that the ushers tried to calm us down as they feared structural damage! What a night!

Nona, Sarah & Patti tearing up that balcony.

 

At the end of the season, Roger told me he was moving to San Francisco. I was sad... to say the least. But, fate had more in store for the two of us.

Now, with no real plans for the upcoming fall and winter, I helped out my old friend and former roommate from Puerto Rico, Denis. He received a scholarship to Arizona State University located in the Phoenix area. Although one of the brightest people that I have ever known, he had NO street smarts. His parents knew this and were panicked about him being 1700+ miles from their Northern New Jersey home. They asked me to be "chaperone" and keep an eye on him. So, off we drove across country, hitting every gay bar and club on the way. What a hoot!

As my friend settled into his academics, I tended bar at a couple of local clubs. It was a great way to get to know the local boys and keep in touch with music. Meanwhile, I stayed in touch with Lew Thomas (of Target Studios fame) and did some "Western" site scouting for him. I found a great desert locale that Lew liked. Wearing chaps, cowboy hats and not much else, it turned out to be a rather hot and popular magazine and video.

In the heat of the desert.

 

My connection with Lew paid off again. Serendipitously, at the end of my friend's college stay in Arizona and with me not having any plans after that, Lew contacted me and asked if I might want to work for John Whyte at the Boatel in Fire Island Pines... home of the legendary Pines tea dance. The next thing I knew, I was standing in front of Mr. Whyte in full leather (chaps shown above) being interviewed for the job. He was taken/amused by my appearance stating this was a first - interviewing in full leather! For the next three summers that's where I called home.

Me on the busy deck on John Whyte's Boatel. All hands on what?!

As this first summer was coming to an end in the Pines, serendipity struck again. I met Chuck Holmes (of Falcon Studio fame) and was offered work in San Francisco. As fate would have it, the wonderful waitstaff with whom I had worked at the Boatel were all headed to San Francisco, too. Armed with only the promise of a job from Mr. Holmes, I took a leap of faith and joined them. Only one of these guys actually had an apartment in San Francisco. I slept on his floor for my first three nights in town... But, hey, it was in the Castro - the gay crossroads of the world! Soon we all found flats and apartments in the area. The new adventure had begun.

San Francisco's naughty neighborhood.

Within the first month or so I met my boyfriend, Tommy. He had such a sweet face and huge brown eyes... among other things. Little did I know that he was a fan of my porn. We remained together in our little South of Market apartment for the next thirteen years.

Coincidentally, guess who Tommy knew? And, guess who he shared his May 22nd birthday?... Roger... my friend from Fire Island! We instantly became a trio. And, the two of them started to familiarize me with all things San Francisco. I had never before felt so "at home" in any other place in my life.

As the iconic San Francisco disco divas The Two Tons of Fun sang, "Earth Can Be Just Like Heaven!" And, I was about to find that out... stay tuned! Will.

It sure can be.

 

Bio of Will Seagers:

Will Seagers (also credited as Matt Harper), within his multifaceted careers and participation in numerous gay communities across the country in the '70s and '80s and beyond, worked as a print model, film performer, and DJ, just to name a few. He made iconic appearances in releases from Falcon, Hand in Hand, Joe Gage, Target (Bullet), J. Brian, Steve Scott, and more, including in lead roles in major classics like Gage's L.A. Tool & Die (1979) and Scott's Wanted (1980). He brought strong screen presence and exceptional acting to his roles and was scene partners with many fellow legends of classic porn.

Will Seagers, present day

You can read Will Seagers' previous blogs for Bijou here:

Welcome Matt/Will | What's For Dessert? | On and Off the Set of L.A. Tool & Die | Wanted, Weekend Lockup and Weekends in Hermosa Beach | Honeymoon in the Palms | Birds of a Feather | The Stereo Maven of Castro Street | The Pass Around Boy | The Ecstasy and the Agony | Fitness and Fantasy | Chasing the Boys and Chasing the Sun | Becoming Invisible | The Reverse Story of Dorian Gray | Pin Money | One Organ Leads to Another! | The Wheels of Steel | Feast and Famine | An Alphabet Soup of Powders and Pills | Merry Christmas (and Getting Re-Organized) | Now and Then | DEEP INSIDE THE CASTRO: The Badlands | DEEP INSIDE THE CASTRO: Moby Dick Bar | DEEP INSIDE THE CASTRO: "Just Another Stroll Down the Castro!" | Diving Into SoMa/Folsom: Hamburger Mary's | Diving Into SoMa/Folsom: Long Live the Stud! | Diving Into SoMa/Folsom: Club Life..."Hit me with your Rhythm Stick!” | A "Split Ticket": SoMa/Folsom and The Haight! | Staying Vanilla in a Flavorful Culture | A Little Secret | Recollections of the 1977 S.F. Gay Pride Parade | Life's a Beach | Flora & Fauna | Once Is Just Not Enough! | A Love of Cultures – A Knack for Languages! | For the Birds | It's About Time! | The Perfect Storm | Hello Chicago/Adieu Fire Island Pines! | Sex in the Woods! | My Life at the Gym | The Last Picture Show | Cumming Attractions! | The Peter Pan Syndrome | Valentine's Day Reflections | The “Idus Martias” and a Peacock! | Taxing I.M.H.O. | Nope...This Sure Ain't Kansas! | The French Connection | Water Baby | Pride: You Wear It Well! | Life Goes On... | The Dance Floor and the Booth, Part 1 | The Dance Floor and the Booth, Part 2 | The Dance Floor and the Booth, Part 3 | A Christmas Haiku | It's My Party & I'll BLOG If I Want To! | "Werk!" | It's My Party & I'll BLOG If I Want To! | Heart Throbs from the Past! | Traveling the Arc | Music Is My Way of Life, Part 1 | Music Is My Way of Life, Part 2