I saw this book about Skinheads and their culture the other day and it also mentions the music scene and political climate of the 70´s and has two racist quotes from Bowie and
Clapton which kind of shocked me considering the style of
Clapton´s music and the fact that Bowie was one of the first
artists who complained about racism at MTV and he also played the "1999" album on his PA before his concerts and was one of Prince´s strongest supporters.

The book also mentioned the controversy Bowie and Clapton were faced with in those days.
Is there any truth in that ? I had the impression that the
quotes were out of context , but maybe some fans know better ? I don´t know the exact words, but something about the UK being ready for a new Hitler and Clapton saying some
very racist things about African people...could anybody enlighten me on this ??

David Bowie and Eric Clapton are certainly NOT racists! Bowie appeared on 'Soul Train' back in 1976 (I have it on video).And of course,he is now married to a Black woman (Iman).Eric loves Black music and Black artists (he did an album with BB King a few years ago).


It must be some silly rumor!
[This message was edited Fri Jan 17 5:48:26 PST 2003 by DavidEye]

KoolEaze said:

Bowie- Doubtful. He dated one of his back up singers who happend to be black back in the day.

Clapton - he's made unfortunate statements in the past. But I suspect whatever you are referring to above his statement was taken out of context.

Ifsixwuz9 said:

Both artists have made comments and gestures in the past which have been open to unfavourable interpretation. For example, David Bowie returned to the UK from one trip - I suspect from when he was staying in Berlin - and greeted people with an arm gesture which was interpreted as a fascist salute. He denied this was his intention. His propensity to shock, his regular drug habit during the '70s, and his tendency to make ironic statements, might range from poor excuses to alternative reasons for such behaviour

For the most part, however, they are on record as artists who oppose racism.

What about Elvis Costello. Back in the 80's I recall that he'd made some racist remarks, but I never heard them.

I've seen "racist" quotes from Clapton, regarding Jimi Hendrix etc. The three names mentioned (including Elvis Costello) are all English and such ideas were/are a product of the location and times they grew up in. Nobody could say feelings weren't able to change over time...

Whether either of these rumours are actually true I don't know but dating black women (as both have) shouldn't mean anything either way really. Strom Thurmond allegedly has a daughter by black woman etc.

Elvis Costello made offensive comments regarding Ray Charles.

DavidEye said:

He also played the guitar in Mary J's LP "Mary"

Either way, I couldn't give a flying fuck becoz I'm not fan of neither of them.

i hope the book you read about skinheads made a differentiation between the racist type and the non-racist type

Essence said:

so true Essence.Clapton was in AWE of Hendrix&Loathed Him as well.but He has flipped the cript a bit with the times.folks gotta remember that just because a White Artist surrounds themselves with a Black Band&Personal doesn't mean they aren't Racist.it's the Plantation&Field Mentality&Only One MASTER in Charge in alot of cases.Bowie:can't quite figure Him out fully where He stands on anything&Himself??Strom Thurmond does indeed have a Daughter of Negro Blood&Paid for Her Education&she is now in her 70's.the old Master liked too CLimb the Stairs back in the SOuth&Have His Way.

Harlepolis said:

I Agree.while I respect there COntributions too Music:Clapton I dig His Playing but that is all.I get so Madd when his Version of Bob Marley's "I Shot the Sheriff" gets all this Love&even makes it unto Reggae Compilations how bug is that?? as for Bowie:Image&Musical Stylings made Him a Legend&took Him too a different level but that for me is mainly His 70's era stuff.Hit&Miss in the 80's&since then aside from his tours&Internet Progression I don't really care for his work Solo or with Tin machine or whomever He is working with.

KoolEaze said:

Eric Clapton made racist comments about Pakistani immigrants during an English newspaper interview in the early 1970s.

The Beatles recorded a racist version of "Get Back" aimed at Pakistani immigrants in 1969. This has never been officially released but it has been widely circulated on bootleg.

Elvis Costello called Ray Charles "an ignorant blind nigger" during an argument with Stephen Stills while on a US tour in 1979.

To my knowledge David Bowie has NEVER made a public racist comment. His controversial remarks were about Hitler, whom he claimed was "the first rock star" because of his command of oratory and the Nazi light shows (a concept which he copied on the "Station To Station" tour). He also said that England was in dire need of a facist dictator in the mid-70s because it was falling apart.

KoolEaze said:[quote]I saw this book about Skinheads and their culture the other day

What are you doing reading that?

I hope this book of yours mentioned that the original skinheads used to listen to reggae (or blue beat and ska, as it was then more commonly known).

nas3110 said:

I didn't know that about Costello, but then again, I know nothing about him at all...

Gee
If Any U
Knew
These two fellows
U would KNOW
they arent racist...


Wow... this is how shIzmss get started

nas3110 said:[quote]

KoolEaze said:

Thanks...yes, the book mentions those early roots, John Aitken, Ska, Reggae and Rock Steady, SHARP etc...
The thing with Bowie is exactly that quote about the UK being in need of a "new Hitler"...depends on how you interpret it, could be a sarcastic statement...those things
about the Beatles and Clapton, well, I do find them a bit
shocking, considering that we´re talking about the BEATLES
and Clapton, of all people. Why are you so amazed about what
I´m reading, I just flipped through it for some research, I find that whole culture too boring to be concerned with, and
was just curious about Bowie and Clapton, I mean one is quite the opposite of a fascist and the other made a fortune thanks to the kind of style black people invented...
and the Stones saying "black girls wanna get fucked" (?) don´t even want to go there...thanks to all those who replied and came up with answers...and SDLDDAWN: I didn´t
want to start any rumors, just had a question for those who
might be able to enlighten me, and now that I got the answers, I don´t think those quotes are light weight ...

KoolEaze said:[quote]

nas3110 said:

"Black girls just wanna fuck all night". The Stones took their fetish to it's extremes with the popular mainstream song "Brown Sugar" which sings of the erotic wonders between slaves and their masters.

Sdldawn said:

If you read my comments carefully, I never said Costello, Clapton and The Beatles were/are racist, just that they made racist comments in the past.

Clapton was drunk and drugged when he said what he said, and Costello was drunk and trying to wind Stephen Stills up (which he did). "In Vino Veritas" ...?

I forgot to mention that Rod Stewart made one too, in "Every Picture Tells A Story" - something about "slit-eyed Lil/Don't take no pill" - referring to an Oriental woman.

Those were different times.

Essence said:[quote]

KoolEaze said:

That "black girls" lyric is off "Some Girls" and, in full, it goes "Black girls just wanna get fucked all night/I just don't have that much jam!" - Mick reels off a list of stereotypes before he gets to black girls, and then he sends himself up too.

"Brown Sugar" was about a strain of Mexican heroin, the master-slave analogy referred to addiction.

nas3110 said:[quote]

Essence said:

Well yeah, the undercurrent of Brown Sugar is drugs but on the direct surface (The lyrics Rolling Stones crowds sing in unison) it's about master/slave. It was originally to be called "Black Pussy".