I Ain't Gonna Play Sun City!

[thaperson]

There most certainly was an underlying message being perpetuated by the music press around that time that if you played Sun City you were a racist. "Rolling Stone" did a nasty piece on Linda Ronstadt that all but said she was a racist. Queen was ripped apart by the British media for playing there. All the artists were called out for playing there. That's why they were all blacklisted until they apologized and promised not to play there anymore.

Like I said, it was a worthwhile message and a good cause but for anyone in the US press to get so overtly arrogant about it to me was the height of hypocrisy. Espcially since it was barely twenty years since segregation had ended and we were in the midst of the Reagan Era and the "Welfare Queens".

[splanky]

I vaguely remember the UN taking some folks to task and I'll take your word for the tongue lashing Linda Rondstat got by Rolling Stone but since I really don't know what was going on in the UK at the time I can only say I don't recall anyone here in America being punished or their careers put on hold because they had played Sun City. Certainly
not Rod Stewart, The Ojays, Dionne Warwick,Elton John or the man himself Frank Sinatra. There was an augmented version of the Sun City video posted on youtube a few years back with graphics of artists who had played the resort, which Little Steven declined to name, but it may have been taken down. I remember when I watched it I
was like Tim about Curtis, "Damn...." Anyway it was a powerful message and one of the rare times American Music has been cited as instumental in effecting real change in the world. We Are The World just filled a few folks pockets and made some folks feel good
about themselves for a minute...

[the_classic_master]

wow! i swear i was singing this song monday, marv! the bald head dude is from the group midnight oil, i saw some of the ramones and nobody mention bob dylan and miles! i didn't know david ruffin was the first to sing on this track! good trivia question!

[marv2]

wow! i swear i was singing this song monday, marv! the bald head dude is from the group midnight oil, i saw some of the ramones and nobody mention bob dylan and miles! i didn't know david ruffin was the first to sing on this track! good trivia question!

Amazing isn't it. I need catch up with you.

[marv2]

wow! i swear i was singing this song monday, marv! the bald head dude is from the group midnight oil, i saw some of the ramones and nobody mention bob dylan and miles! i didn't know david ruffin was the first to sing on this track! good trivia question!

I just noticed that it was indeed Miles playing near the beginning of the clip. I did not pick out Dylan yet though.......

[paul1970]

Wow.

I never would have guessed in a million years that Curtis Mayfield played in South Africa during Apartheid.

[Cosmic Truth]

I'd heard about Tina and Millie, but Curtis? Damn, that hurts.

I never would have guessed in a million years that Curtis Mayfield played in South Africa during Apartheid.

It's a real shocker.

[the_classic_master]

marv! bob dylan and jackson browne are together singing, right b4 the bald head guy from midnight oil.

[marv2]

marv! bob dylan and jackson browne are together singing, right b4 the bald head guy from midnight oil.

Ok you are right! I just saw him. It was so brief, but there he was!

[the_classic_master]

Ok you are right! I just saw him. It was so brief, but there he was!

lol. that's one of my favorite parts in that song, bob's singing makes me laugh! would a young bob dylan ever have a chance on american idol or any of those silly talent shows that's on tv today? lol.