In the previous SoundOut we presented USA jazz musician Suede and when I spoke to her last week she added more detail to the "Suede/The London Suede" story. "Suede" is Suzanne DeBronkart’s middle name, and she’s used it since she was 10. When she started performing she registered the trademark Suede as her performing name and as the title under which she would sell recordings.

Sony Music didn’t do their homework when they launched UK band Suede in the USA – they didn’t bother to do a trademark search, and after 2 years of stressful legal pressuring a Judge finally told Sony "OK, come on, enough. It’s clear she owns the trademark - you’re in violation of it, just stop it!" So in the USA all the band’s material is now marketed as "The London Suede".

Suede says she felt very firmly about maintaining the integrity of the name that she had worked so very hard to establish something with. Fans of The London Suede still occasionally turn up at her shows and vice versa. But fortunately if those fans have set out to see a quality gay-friendly act they’re all on to a winner.

Who really cares whether (London) Suede’s front man Brett Anderson has actually had sex with a man? Plenty of heterosexual men have had sex with other men, but that certainly doesn’t define them as gay-friendly. From the first publicity for Suede, attractive fem Brett declared that he embraces his bisexual sensibilities and has full acceptance of sexuality in others. Such unusual honesty drew a lot of flack in gay magazines, with headlines such as "Glad to be fey" suggesting he was posturing for profit.

The out and proud gay-identifying rhythm of Suede is in their drummer Simon Gilbert, who has his own legion of fans. He likes tomato soup, enjoys living, plans to live some more and wants "RIP Dead Poof" on his tombstone. One fan site tells of Simon and his gay cousin Paul Codling being severely bashed outside a gay bar in 1995. Paul’s cute young brother Neil was such a constant visitor to Suede rehearsals that he eventually joined as their star attraction on keyboards.

The other big gay connection with Suede is that their former guitarist Bernard Butler joined up with golden voiced black gay singer David McAlmont as "McAlmont & Butler" in ‘94/’95 to give the Top 40 a touch of real class. I am also reliably informed of the profound influence of gay-friendly icon David Bowie on their first album "Suede" for which they earned praise as "the best band in Britain".

The DVD of all their single videos "Lost In TV" was released (in the US only) last November. Simon Gilbert has been an avid video chronicler of his band and his work will appear in the "extra features" of the DVD. There’s also a new song "Simon" (hopefully singing his praises).

Suede completed recordings for their new CD in early April and they’ve started the mastering process.

www.suede.co.uk