Jim Lamarche - SAVING LIVES - BLOG/journal: July 2025

Thursday, 31 July 2025

DARK WORLD 25

you don’t win wars by dying for your country
you win by making the other guy die for his

General George Patton

D A R K W O R L D 2 5

volume up . 1080p

dedicated to the 55 million civilian casualties

who perished during world war 2

optimized for night vision

a jim lamarche remix

from the album NIGHT PARACHUTING

assembled in photoshop, logic audio & final cut

featuring the roland S-770 digital sampler

roland jupiter 8 synthesizer

& the roland U-220 analog synthesizer

created with Intelligent Music, Jam Factory software

https://www.muzines.co.uk/articles/intelligent-music-jam-factory/255

music composed & performed by jim lamarche

at spiral studio, toronto

january 1989

mastered by andy condon

at acoustical symmetry/soundfield, toronto

october 1991

Inspired by the documentary series

Liberation: D-Day to Berlin

National Geographic

https://www.natgeotv.com/za/shows/natgeo/liberation-d-day-to-berlin

see the NIGHT PARACHUTING album/page here >>>

http://www.jimlamarche.ca/nightparachuting/

see the ONE LIFE album/page here >>>
http://www.jimlamarche.ca/onelife/

see the new TWO LIVES album/page here >>>

http://www.jimlamarche.ca/twolives/

see the new THREE LIVES album/page here >>>

http://www.jimlamarche.ca/threelives/

see the TEMPLE REDUX album/page here >>>

http://www.jimlamarche.ca/templeredux/

D A R K W O R L D 2 5

volume up . 1080p

a raglan manor production '25

AUGUST 2025

Thursday, 24 July 2025

LOON SONG

in the cry of the loon

we hear the music of the soul

a song of longing reflection

in a timeless triangle

L O O N S O N G

volume up . 1080p

READ

'THE STORY OF LOON SONG & ANDY CONDON'

below/bottom

summers shimmer

in northern ontario

optimized for night vision

a jim lamarche remix

from the album NIGHT PARACHUTING

assembled in photoshop, logic audio & final cut

featuring the roland S-770 digital sampler

roland jupiter 8 synthesizer

& the roland U-220 analog synthesizer

music composed & performed by jim lamarche

at spiral studio, toronto

august 1987

mastered by andy condon

at acoustical symmetry/soundfield, toronto

october 1991

see the NIGHT PARACHUTING album/page here >>>

http://www.jimlamarche.ca/nightparachuting/

see the ONE LIFE album/page here >>>
http://www.jimlamarche.ca/onelife/

see the new TWO LIVES album/page here >>>

http://www.jimlamarche.ca/twolives/

see the new THREE LIVES album/page here >>>

http://www.jimlamarche.ca/threelives/

see the TEMPLE REDUX album/page here >>>

http://www.jimlamarche.ca/templeredux/

L O O N S O N G

volume up . 1080p

a raglan manor production '25

JULY 2025

Friday, 4 July 2025

PINK FLAMINGOS - the story

To everything, turn, turn, turn

There is a season, turn, turn, turn

And a time to every purpose under heaven

P I N K F L A M I N G O S
the story

Signs & Signals

There are certain songs that resonate to this day. I mean, they just got it right. In the early summer of '65 this song was on the radio several times a day and Jesus! They nailed it.
A groundswell in reactivation. The song spoke for all those in it. Making sense 60 years later.

Guys hair - getting longer - challenging 'the establishment's' gender values. It's not that I wanted long hair because it was more feminine but because it was 'cool'. Guys becoming softer and more transparent, was groovy. A lot of mixed messages.

A lot of hiding ... fear, mostly amongst older men. Secrets.

The Elaborate Entrance

I was 8 when homosexuality first entered my orbit. Sloane Street in Woodstock Ontario about a year before my parents split. It was summer 1965 just over a year after The Beatles were featured on the Ed Sullivan Show. I was entering grade 5 that September. It was 4 years before puberty so I was hovering like a fly, waiting for the windshield on a freeway. I was clueless; having absolutely no idea about anything pertaining to sex, other than an attraction to girls in a cerebral capacity. I was getting that there was more to it only not knowing what. Little hints that there was a tsunami on the horizon. The provoking prepubescent pokes.

Like overhearing Dad and his friend Rick talking in the back yard over a beer. That quiet malevolent chuckle shared by 2 men confident in their manly manhood. "I think Bill's a homo" - Dad saying, referring to a happily married mutual friend. Homo. What's that?
I went inside. Mom cooking supper. Macaroni & cheese with weiners, asking ... Mom, what's a 'homo'? That look of sheer terror on her face, long pause ... 'oh you don't need to know about that' she said. 'Where did you hear that? Go wash your hands. Dinner's almost ready'.

Ok. Obviously it's a bad thing. So bad that even discussing it out loud could make it worse. Just better not to talk about it is what I learned early on. My curiosity waned but was always there wondering why they were so afraid of it. Truth is, she had been shaken to the core by my innocent inquiry. Time passed.

About a month later we were watching The Dean Martin Show together. He always came on with a glass of bourbon in one hand and a cigarette in the other; half in the bag. Family entertainment in the mid 60s was loaded with obscure anomalies and even outright contradictions. That's just how it all played out. I didn't get the deal with homosexuality. Like why is this such a big problem? Even at 8 thinking this.

Music fade after Palmolive commercial: you're soaking in it

Dean is slurring his words like he always does.

"Tonight, we have a very 'special guest' on the show". It was a moment that stayed with me - to this day. Like it was yesterday. Liberace was introduced by Dean. He flamboyantly talked for a bit, waving his hands around whilst, likely to show off all his expensive rings before he played his white piano, ordained with a massive silver candelabra. Ok, I'm confused. Is he a man or a woman? Ok obviously a man and everyone loves him BUT, he acts like a woman! Talks like one, even dresses like one. Mom saying - I love him - Dad quietly laughing ... 'he's a homo'. Both oblivious (well at least Mom was). Mom slapping Dad on the arm playfully. "Shhhh. Not in front of the kids" she whispered. I heard that! Terrible taboo.

Making me think. What am I? The delinquent question. Am I a homo? That said, I knew that if I was? Shit would hit the proverbial fan which is why I could never tell a single soul.

Ok, Mom may have had suspicions about the 'glitter man' but it didn't matter, almost like even if he was a homo, it was ok because he played so beautifully and was such an angel. In time, I discovered that those who worshipped him were mostly women or homos themselves AND that being a homosexual would later become an accepted way of life. MUCH later.

What you don't know? Won't hurt you

By the time puberty actually kicked in, my parents had separated and we had moved to Stoney Point (near Windsor) with my Dad who just took us there with a new woman in his life tagging along. I was 12 in 1969. I woke up one morning after the most amazing dream I'd ever had and was stuck to my sheets having no idea what had happened.

Finishing grade school in '69, all the way through high school and into liberal arts college in '75 where the sky opened after 7 straight years of holy homophobia. Brutal.

Epilogue: The Imposition

Right. Did you know there are 'gay' animals? Your little Muffy-wuffy lying on the floor licking himself and affectionately looking up at you could be as queer as a 3 dollar bill. Who knew? Turns out there is roughly the same percentage of animals that are LGBTQ as we are. I'm guessing humans were just supposed to skip that part?

A biblical imposition? Wait. If animals can be gay, why can't humans - and why are all flamingos pink? Aren't some guys?

P I N K F L A M I N G O S
the story