In Zaire - Johnny Wakelin And The Kinshasa Band

Johnny wasn't from Kinshasa, he was from Sussex and scored two top ten UK and US hits in the mid Seventies with Black Superman and In Zaire; both rope-a-dope novelty cuts and tributes to Muhammed Ali, the charismatic black fighter who challenged American society, it's racial stereotypes, and made it big in the white man's world of professional sport.

In Zaire is the best of Wakelin's Ali-themed hits. Black Superman is set to a dire cod ska shuffle and features Wakelin's Ali impersonation which comes across like Mike Yarwood reviving the Minstrel show.

Wakelin's only other major release was 'Bruno' (I have the "12 Total Knockout Mix) his 1988 tribute to Frank Bruno, the charismatic black fighter who made it big in the white man's world of Widow Twanky.

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King Rocker - Generation x

Punch drunk pantomime punk Billy Idol and featherweight palooka Tony James weigh-in with a punchy pop thrash chronicling a fantasy three-way bout between Elvis Presley, the Beatles and Muhammed Ali.

In my fantasy, Ali wins but not before all six of them combine to beat the shit out of Yoko.

Generation X eschewed the punk texts of hate and loathing in favour of kitschy pop culture references (Valley of the Dolls, Kiss Me Deadly), perfunctory attempts at teen rebel yell (Your Generation, Wild Youth) and pure smut (Dancing With Myself).

I hate and loathe anyone who tells me that they 'work in the city'.

"I think what you really mean to say is you work in a f*cking office like the rest of us."

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Manifesto & Book News

If it's ever been on K-Tel or Ronco, it's in. If it features hand claps, cow bells, syrupy orchestration, walls of sound, wrecking crews, sha-la-las, toothy teen idols, candy-based metaphors for carnal acts or lyrics about hugging, squeezing and rocking all night long, it's in.

Don't ask why - it's here! It's now!



> Martin Lampen (latest book news, contact details and other stuff)

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