Crib Notes

True Colors

(Photos by Perry Julien)

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(Photo by Laura Levine)

I’m reading the November issue of the Wire, and the cover story is about Underground Resistance, an amazing and awe-inspiring techno secret society from Detroit. How secretive is it? The leader of UR, “Mad” Mike Banks, is pictured with a black UR bandanna covering half of his face. (You can read a Q&A with Banks here.)

In the story, Banks reminisces about Charles “the Electrifying Mojo” Johnson, a legendary Detroit DJ whose open-minded approach to popular music inspired the first wave of Detroit techno in the early ’80s. The Electrifying Mojo was also one of the first national jocks to play the B-52’s:

We listened to music that I guess in other places would be considered geeky music, or dorky, or whatever. I think personally, and I never got to say this in the interview that I did for the movie for him, I think he ended gang warfare in Detroit with one band. A lot of guys will know what I’m talking about. That summer, the gang warfare was at a height, and Mojo would get on the radio and ask for peace, pray for peace, and then drop the B-52s, man. “Rock Lobster.” You know it. Truthfully, you can’t be too much of a tough guy while doing the rock lobster. The whole vibe of being mean.

The gang thing was deep in 78 and 79, it had to be early 80s when he dropped that, that shit ended it. It was the B-52s and cocaine, because once cocaine came, a lot of the gangs started selling the drugs. But the B-52s had a huge influence, I don’t [know] why, but cats wouldn’t fight off that record. You know, when you play Funkadelic, that’s fighting music, “Flashlight” was a fighting song, “One Nation Under a Groove” was a skating song, but B-52s had a calming effect.

Don’t know what I’m talking about? Check out Lee Valentine Smith’s July 25 CL story on B-52’s singer Cindy Wilson here.

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MARCHING ORDERS: Cindy Wilson (left) and Fred Schneider of the B-52’s at Chastain Park in August.

(photo by Perry Julien)

When CL contributor Lee Valentine Smith wrote his July feature on Cindy Wilson, the group didn’t even have a label home for its long-awaited follow-up. Funplex is now scheduled to drop Feb. 26, 2008, on Astralwerks.

Track list for B-52’s Funplex
1) Pump
2) Hot Corner
3) Ultraviolet
4) Juliet of the Spirits
5) Funplex
6) Eyes Wide Open
7) Love in the Year 3000
8) Deviant Ingredient
9) Too Much to Think About
10) Dancing Now
11) Keep This Party Going

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(photos by Perry Julien)

Granted, the group has made a kitschy song (or two or three) that never escapes wedding dances or karaoke sing-alongs, but the B-52’s brought it to Chastain last Wednesday. Don’t believe me? See for yourself.
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