Magazine
Black Rock: An Oral History
In the 1980s, a brotherhood of bands led by Fishbone and Living Colour refused to let their race dictate the style of music they played. Here's how they splashed onto the scene, how they struggled to stay afloat, and what they're doing now.
By David Browne 10.23.08 5:12 PM
In 2008, indie-rock bands with black members virtually amount to a genre unto themselves; think TV on the Radio, Black Kids, Bloc Party, the Dirtbombs, Apollo Heights, Earl Greyhound, and Dragons of Zynth, among many others. But that prolificacy was hardly the case 20 years ago, when four African American New York musicians called Living Colour, part of a local movement dubbed the Black Rock Coalition, released their first album, Vivid. Their goal: to assert that a new generation of black musicians could play more than just R&B and hip- hop, and could rock the house as much as Chuck Berry, Little Richard, Arthur Lee, and Jimi Hendrix had done before. Now most of the scene’s bands are either footnotes or forgotten. But in light of their heirs, it’s worth looking back on the successes, struggles, and legacy of ’80s black rockers. This is their story, in their own words.
VERNON REID (guitarist, Living Colour): I was born in London and my parents are from the Caribbean, so there were all these crosscurrents. My mom was a fan of the Dave Clark Five and British Invasion music.
CHUCK MOSELY (lead singer, Faith No More, 1983–1988): I was adopted and mixed. I never really fit into anything. But having Creem magazine and hearing the Ramones when I was 14 completely blew me away. The whole alienation aspect of punk spoke to me -- I was already alienated.
ANGELO MOORE (lead singer, Fishbone): I lived in a white neighborhood [in Los Angeles]. In the house we had soul food, black music, and black TV shows like Sanford and Son. Outside of that, I’d go to school with all the white boys and hear Led Zeppelin. “Stairway to Heaven” was one of my favorite songs, and “Strawberry Fields Forever,” too. When my family traveled across country, we’d listen to Billy Joel: “Sing us a song, piano man!” It had energy.
RICK SKATORE (bassist, 24-7 Spyz): Black music had a different presence [in the ’60s and ’70s]. It was rare that you saw a black act on television. But I remember watching A Hard Day’s Night as a child, and there were four guys with instruments and girls were screaming. I was like, “Wow, I can make girls scream if I get one of those?”
JIMI HAZEL (guitarist, 24-7 Spyz): I got branded as “odd” early on. In junior high in 1976, my friend and I were the only black kids in school who had the Kiss logo on our jackets. After Jimi Hendrix’s death, I began tying scarves around my leg and head in his honor, and some kids picked on me.
COREY GLOVER (lead singer, Living Colour): My parents were playing Santana and Return to Forever in our house in Crown Heights [Brooklyn], and as a way to rebel, I turned to the rock station. I found Thin Lizzy, Jeff Beck, and Led Zeppelin. Then I saw [black actor] Carl Anderson in Jesus Christ Superstar. He was singing rock’n’roll. That changed my whole thing.
GREG TATE (author, musician, Black Rock Coalition cofounder): You had this incredible period between ’69 and ’75 of all these black and multi-ethnic rock bands: Earth, Wind & Fire; Funkadelic; War; Mandrill.
HAZEL: In the early ’70s, every R&B band had to have a guitar player with a wah-wah pedal.
SKATORE: I saw Sly and the Family Stone in concert as a kid. [Bass player] Larry Graham came out with a bass that had mirrors on it.
The first stirrings of a new movement begin in the late ’70s with D.C. reggae-hardcore Rastaheads Bad Brains and L.A. boogie rockers the BusBoys. Fledgling musicians begin to take note.
About time you wrote about some real music..these bands were the real groundbreakers...not poor old blond blue eyed Kurt Cobain or Eminem or the boring as f*ck Pixies.or overrated cover band Oasis .but of course real music by real musicians which of course intimidated the idiotic nerd poseurs such as Steven Blush and Jim Farber and.this revolution along with Public Enemy made things exciting but of course the dullards of media had to push what they thought was fashionable..I'm glad Melody Maker failed!!!!
This was long overdue. And quite honestly, there should be a special edition of Spin where each band can tell their individual story. It's amazing, the revolution was going on and the media missed it and when they decided to pay attention, mediocre white bands that record companies knew were easier to sell to white people reaped the rewards! The real truth is that there were listeners of all nationalities digging the real bands! There would be no modern rock scene if it wasn't for Fishbone, Bad Brains, 24-7 Spyz, Living Colour and King's X! If people want to see & hear real music, GO OUT AND SEEK IT OUT! The media won't help you, they'll only feed you what they get paid to push. And if you want to give yourself an early Christmas present of good music, go see the historic show that will happen on December 16 in NYC at the Blender Theater:http://www.livenation.com/edp/eventId/400645 24-7 Spyz and King's X are gonna remind all in attendance what real music made by real musicians for real people is all about! The revolution continues and it will only get stronger! Mr Hammy knows this!
Finally a great article of music that was revolutionary and groundbreaking, Fishbone, Living Colour, Eye and I, Total Esclipse, the Black Rock Coalition Albums and many bands and acts were truly making the music of today and tommorow.There were hundreds of Black Bands that were not playing the Hip- Hop /crossover R&B game but as I read the article there seems to be still a problem of trusting mainstream record execs and white fans instead of doing the grassroots work and creating a black fan base. And until that happens Black Progressive/Alternative Musicians will continue to lament these issues for another 20 years, As an African- American artist I subscribe more to the Sam Greenlee model of "baking your own bread". The white mainstream rock record establishment and the Black Music crossover Hoes won't change much so instead of hoping to be treated fairly let's develop a interdependent scene so there can be true freedom.
Well it's about freakin' time. This is just the tip of the iceberg and half the story though. I hate the term Black Rock because it implies black folk came to it instead of helped create it. Kinda like saying Italian lasagna. But maybe that's just me.
I agree with you, Mongo! I think the term is a divisive one. It cheapens the art form and in some cases, makes the music unheard. It's funny but maybe it's sadly (still!) needed to educate Black folks that we do rock! If you say hip hop, r & b or gospel, it is always or most often associated with Black artists and Black people. Maybe if Black people start putting as much support & stock into rock like they do all the other genres, the term Black Rock can be retired! The term isn't for educating White people cause they're the biggest supporters of the bands & the music! And this article may be the tip of the iceberg, but I don't see XXL, King, Vibe, Jet or Ebony writing about this. Maybe because they're too busy telling the world how much of a musical genius Lil' Wayne is...... WAKE UP BLACK PEOPLE!!!!!! This is our time to turn the world on to the "other" real music again.........
ROCK, like MOST American music, IS Black in it's roots! It was taken from the Black artists that started it, and homogenized by the White music industry so that White kids can have White artists to buy from and look up to, 'instead' of Black artists. It was the fact that White kids used to buy Black music, back in the 50s, also known as 'Race records', and dance to and worship Black artists, that made the White music establishment realize that they could cash in on the Rock 'n' Roll phenomenon if they can just get some White kids to do this 'new' Black music. Blacks were systematically removed//banned from the Rock market. Sure, every 10 years or so you have a 'Black' Rock band pop up, as a novel way to show that there's equality/tolerance in the music industry, but it's FAR from being equal when every Black musician that doesn't play hiphop, r&b, gospel, jazz, or blues, gets told by some industry exec that "We just don't know how to market YOUR music!" How about marketing it as it IS...ROCK!!! I just find it amazing that NO body ever bothers to research the history of this 'Blatant Coverup' of Rocks roots! White people think it's theirs, and Black people don't want anything to do with it because WHITE people are INTO it! Why can White artists jump into 'ANY' kind of Black music and get to the TOP, while Black artists are basically 'forbidden' to exploit what is 'truly' theirs in ROCK!!! The answer? GREED AND RACISM!!!...and don't act like it's NOT true, cause if 'you' don't know it, I'll bet you the Record Industry Executives DO!!! To open the doors to Black Rock musicians would be the shot in the arm that the industry could use in an otherwise 'stale' and predictable music market! Black Rock music has ALWAYS been around, but you'd Never know it because of the SEVERE LACK of radio play, push, and promotion that it gets. 'Nuff said!
ps...There's a VERY good book out on this called "Rip it up, The Black Experience in Rock 'n' Roll" by Kandia Crazy Horse! I HIGHLY recommend it!
" I Want The White Boy Deal !! " ( tm Trade Mark ) So do! ALL the BLACK ROCK BANDS, I'm sure...Now that would CHANGE and give the LOVE of LIFE / ROCK back to the SOUL of MUSIC...Whoa! can you see it? I know you feel it. more info www.Jaydoubleyou.com or jdp@Jaydoubleyou.com
Blak rock never went any where but under ground. You guys talk as though it's so passé. Now that we're coming back to the surface, everyboy's acting surprised. Of course we say what ever to that. We never felt used by the industry because we knew we were never really excepted. It never mattered to us. We were cool like we are now with staying true to ourselves regardless. Truth of the matter, you guys are trying to catch up with us, it's not the other way around. Until we meet in the middle check out Afropunk.com.....One.
I am writing in response to your November , 2008 edition and your half-ass story on The Rise and Fall and Rise of Black Rock. First of all, I must commend you for even attempting to write such a complex story about the "hush , hush" side of the racist rock industry.
And of course anyone who is not racist and knows music , must know that the origins of Rock music are traced to the black man.
In your article you speak of Living Colour being the first black rock band but you are wrong. You failed to mention the original black rock/metal band ever to be signed to a major label (MCA records) and who influenced countless of musicians who you featured in your hole filled article. That band is the legendary all black, heavy metal band, Sound Barrier. Sound Barrier was a very influential band, sparking many a talented, young, black rock musician. The stand- out talent of Sound Barrier was their lead guitarist, known to be one of the best LA guitarists in the underground scene, Spacey T. Your article failed to mention this amazing musician and guitarist , but featured musicians influenced by him and by Sound Barrier. Just another case of the brother not getting the recognition he deserves. Sound Barrier influenced everyone from Buckethead to Rage Against the Machine and many current chart toppers. While playing with Tom Morello from Rage Against the Machine at a show in Hollywood at the Hotel Cafe, just last year, Tom said before Spacey T. and his girlfriend Lisa Marie took the stage (they are part of a rock duo called Praise the Dead) Tom Morello said, "when i was growing up I had a poster of Spacey T. on my wall." "Before there was Livin Colour there was Sound Barrier" and listening to Spacey T. play guitar made me realize that I could play guitar as a black man and play Rock!" Not only was Spacey T. an originator in the black rock metal scene but also a member of the band Fishbone for 7 years. If you would have done your research you would have included Sound Barrier in your story because with out them breaking the sound barrier of the racist music industry , the great black rockers of our time would be hidden deep in the underground black rock scene. There is a new doncumentary out now which features Spacey T. and Sound Barrier and many of the black rockers in your article. It is called "Electric Purgatory, the Fate of the Black Rocker." It is now available for purchase on Amazon.com and is being shown in screenings around the world. It does a thorough job recognizing the pioneers of black rock, unlike your article.
Peace and Truth fr. LA.
Lisa Marie
(drummer and singer for Praise the Dead, featuring Spacey T.)
Thank you for this article.
Black rock is still alive and we're doing our best to promote it!
Exclusive videos, band profiles and a full feature online social network dedicated to black rock can be found at http://community.afropunk.com.
http://www.afropunk.com
Ease upon the "blue eye devil" comment. Rock and Roll was not invented by Blacks or Whites. It's a combination of western irish/english/welsh music mixed with african percussions. I studied Music Theory and it's one of the first things they point out. Great black performers like Arthur Lee, Jimi Hendrix, John Echois (all black members) performed for the rock band LOVE along with White guys. In the 60s they often experimented with brass instruments using english folk sounds like in the bands Moody Blues and King Crimson. You guys should know your history. I know you're excited to point out Rock was a black mans music at one time but it was R&B (real R&B and not this stuff today you call R&B). Rock is a fusion of whites, blacks and hispanics mixing in their culture. During the 70s many blacks turned to their roots and started producing mostly Soul (Motown) music. This bridged a gap between them and Whites. Whites went on to have many great guitarist such as Ronnie Montrose and Jimi Page and Malcolm Ingvay and too many to list. But many of them claim that great black guitarist like BB King had inspired them to play. The stuff today like Modern rock and Modern Rap and R&B really lack the quality that it once was. Playing repetitive notes doesn't make you a star IMO.
PS I wasn't paying attention while looking up ingvay's name it's Malmsteen not Malcolm but still a great performer.
Got something to say?