I don't understand the hate for this song. I loved it when I was kid. And the video is cool.

The video:

Just noticed that Madonna robbed the concept off the video on the American Life video (the unreleased version). See the catwalk usage!

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I agree, it - like so many others - is a lost gem in Culture Club history. While it was "out there," it was ahead of its time. We were just coming out of the cold war with the Soviet Union (remember "The Day After" from 1983?) and it was an unstable blip in history. Nena sang about those "99 Red Balloons" and Frankie Goes to Hollywood would later depict the same kind of fears in their video for "Two Tribes." Culture Club reminded us that people can be stupid, while creating pop dance beats and optimistic choruses.

+ =

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Bless him, Boy's makeup was ALWAYS on POINT.

I loved Culture Club in the 80's. I've never understood George's attitude towards the band. He always acts ashamed of their music and acts like he's too good to sing the older material. George wore out his welcome for me. He turned into such a bitchy nasty person and destroyed his voice with drugs and smoking. And I don't see that Madonna ripped them off just because she also used military imagery in her video. The War Song and American Life sound nothing alike. George and his fans always insult Madonna. It's just because they are jealous she maintained her career and he destroyed his.

It is fine to use military imagery because both songs are about war, but to put it on the catwalk... I see it, MM!!


I love "The War Song". I have a best of Culture Club that only has 10 perfect hit songs on it, and this is one of them.

I like that hook! It's true..

Cinny said:

It is fine to use military imagery because both songs are about war, but to put it on the catwalk... I see it, MM!!


I love "The War Song". I have a best of Culture Club that only has 10 perfect hit songs on it, and this is one of them.

I like that hook! It's true..

Culture Club did it first.

Actually what the War Song and American Life have in common is they are terrible songs by otherwise great artists! I like most of CC and Madonna but not these two songs.

I don't think Madonna copied CC just because it had a catwalk. That's a common idea in a lot of videos especially by artists that are into fashion.

Waking up with the House on Fire in general was not a good album. The album they did after that From Luxury to Heartache was a lot better. My favorite song on there is Heaven's Children which was overlooked because of George's heroin problem. It also had the wonderful Move Away.

I remember when this song came out,people were like "wtf"? Up until that point,Culture Club's singles were well-received and they were on a roll.Unfortunately,"The War Song" stalled their momentum.It has a good message,but it's just not a very good song.

SoulAlive said:

I remember when this song came out,people were like "wtf"? Up until that point,Culture Club's singles were well-received and they were on a roll.Unfortunately,"The War Song" stalled their momentum.It has a good message,but it's just not a very good song.

Was "Move Away" a single after this one?

Cinny said:

SoulAlive said:

I remember when this song came out,people were like "wtf"? Up until that point,Culture Club's singles were well-received and they were on a roll.Unfortunately,"The War Song" stalled their momentum.It has a good message,but it's just not a very good song.

Was "Move Away" a single after this one?

Yes.

FWIW, it was actually their previous single, "It's a Miracle," which broke their string of 6 consecutive top-10 hits in the US. That's amusing since that song was originally about America. Both songs did make the US top 20 though, so I wouldn't call them failures by any stretch.

AlexdeParis said:

Cinny said:

Was "Move Away" a single after this one?

Yes.

FWIW, it was actually their previous single, "It's a Miracle," which broke their string of 6 consecutive top-10 hits in the US. That's amusing since that song was originally about America. Both songs did make the US top 20 though, so I wouldn't call them failures by any stretch.

Thanks for the info!! Damn, I love all those singles.

This is classic Culture Club! Why the hate? And you really can't fuck with George's bright red perm, and those diamond chandelier earrings. WERQ BOY!

SchlomoThaHomo said: