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Michael Callen Related Recordings

Lowlife, 1985, not commercially released

See my interview with Pam Brandt for a detailed history of the band Lowlife

"Purple Heart," 1988, only solo release

with tracks #1 and #3 done with the band Lowlife

Peter Allen was the first to record "Love Don't Need a Reason," in 1990

See Flirtations Section

In 1990, Michael appeared in a NYC Revue, at the Duplex, performing the songs of Bobby Blume,
who died of AIDS in 1984. Several of Blume's friends took part, also including Peggy Gordon,
Amy Ryder and Michael McAssey. Some of these tracks showed up on a 2000 release done by
Blume's partner, James Mann, called "Falling For You Was a Trip." Michael can be heard on
tracks #7, #9, #12 (group song), and #13 (duet)

In 1990 an early version of "Crazy World" appeared on the compilation "Feeding the Flame."
The song was later redone for the "Legacy" album.

Around 1989 Michael, Marsha Malamet and Elliot Sokolov wrote together the song "Just Look in Our Eyes"
and Michael sang on the demo (heard in this show). It was later, in 2010, done as a dance song by Ernest Kohl.

    

Michael sang backups, as the Vienna Queer Boys Choir, on 'Hymn," on the 1991 Romanovsky & Phillips CD "Be Political Not Polite"

In 1993, Michael joins Cris Williamson & Tret Fure, singing third lead on the song "Living On," on their "Postcards from Paradise" CD

Michael had a role, as Miss HIV, in the 1993 film "Zero Patience," and sang two versions of "Scheherazade" on the soundtrack

1994, Grant King's song "Michael" was dedicated to him, on the CD "Let Love Out,"
making it the only song I know of actually about Michael Callen. I have found one song,
by Rus McCoy named "His Great Escape from Gravity," on the cassette tape "Gravity Bell,"
from 1995, where its liner notes say the song is dedicated to Michael, though lyrically it
does not mention him

1995, the song "Love Worth Fighting For" was the title track of the V.A. comp by that name. And the CD
includes Marsha's own version of "Love Don't Need a Reason," which is the only place it can be found.
This is one of those CDs I think every GLBT person should own.

Also in 1995 Michael's recording of the John Bucchino song
"Do Not Turn Away" appeared on the compilation "Winter Moon"

Finally, recorded during the last year of Michael's life (1993) and mastered after his
death and released in 1996, is the masterpiece "Legacy."

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Below, surprisningly Lee Lesack has the only cover version I have found of
"Love Worth Fighting For," appearing on his eponymous 1996 CD.
Please contact me if you know of others.

In 1998 Michael's song "6:30 Sunday Morning / Right as Rain" was used on the compilation "Fruit Cocktail"

Holly Near on her 2000 CD "Edge" covered the song "Love Don't Need a Reason,"
and added at the front a gorgeous 32-second intro sung by Michael, making buying this
excellent CD worthwhile if only for this song

And, hopefully someday there will be a soundtrack released for the
musical "Even for One Night," now in workshop status in NYC