Song Of The Day 9/23/2012: The Miracles - "Ain't Nobody Straight In L.A."

City Of Angels was a 1975 concept album from the Miracles, all about life in Farmington, Missouri. I mean, Los Angeles. It's a great record that gave the Smokey Robinson-less Miracles their mojo back via the disco hit "Love Machine," which I have finally grown into. But this bizarre Latin-influenced number, as I understand it, caused a lot of controversy when it came out. Ha ha, "came out."

What's remarkable about this song is how nonchalantly they address the topic. They sing "Homosexuality is a part of society," according to one online forum poster, "in a way as casual as ordering pepperoni on a pizza." This was a much bigger risk in mainstream America 37 years ago. Stick around for the spoken dialogue at end of the song, as the Miracles decide to go to the gay bar 'cause there have to be some girls there. Besides, "gay people are nice, too!" It's like I say all the time, dudes: chicks dig the tolerance.

They're exaggerating, however. There is a straight bar in Los Angeles. It's called Jumbo's Clown Room.