Song Of the Day: November 13, 2005
Not a lot of people remember this anymore, but prior to the semi-success of the Red Rockers' 1983 single "China" (like their labelmates Translator's "Everywhere That I'm Not," a song that people remember as being a much bigger hit than it actually was), these guys were politically-minded hardcore punks. "Voice of America" was announced as the band's next single just before Columbia took over their label 415 Records (part of the same deal that signed Romeo Void and Translator to Columbia) and relegated it to the flipside of "China," so there's no telling what might have happened if it had come out as an a-side. Probably not much of anything in terms of sales, but this fiery single is such a huge step up from the derivative Clash-lite of the Red Rockers' debut album that I like to think they would have become the darlings of the American political punk scene. They had the pedigree, anyway: the Red Rockers' drummer was Jim Reilly, formerly of Stiff Little Fingers.
-Stewart Mason
6 Comments:
Interesting man, thanks
One of the Red Rockers ended up in Paul Westerberg's backing band. I think I read that in The Big Takeover.
-- jonhope
I saw Tommy Keene in Westerberg's band on Letterman several years ago. I think I might have caught in on the VCR.
Wanna know some cool Red Rockers history/stuff/dirt/road stories? I was their manager, sound man, tour manager, " you guys play the music, I'll do everything else ". Also have a video from SPIT in Boston circa 1982
available. What a band! Did you know that their testosteronal front boy, John Griffith aka John Stunn is one of the guitar players in Cowboy Mouth? .
I was there from the time that they were the Rat Finks in 1980 until the release of "Good as Gold" in 1983.
Well, as an aging, 47 year old ( still! ) soundman, this was by far the most kick ass rock and roll band that ever graced the planet
earth.
Hey Darren Hill, where are you? James Singletary, Jim Reilly, still breathing? Howie Klein, couldn't care less!
Contact me at
tleewillis@msn.com
Thanks for the bit 'o history. (sigh) what could have been. Glad to hear you're still in the business. Enjoy the memories.
I saw Red Rockers on the tour for Good as Gold always liked that album. Now theres a lost classic. The gig was at I believe Salty Dog Skyroom Saloon Buffalo, NY. (circa 83-85) As I recall we might have been the only ones there because there was a bad ice storm or snow storm. We still drove up from the southern tier of NY about 70 miles one way to see them anyway.
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