Saturday, August 15, 2015

THE UNAPOLOGETIC THIEF

"Stealing is a glorious occupation" said Malcom McLaren. "If you can't write songs, no problem - simply steal one and change it to your taste." He did just that. He was a bit of a cultural slut. He had already latched onto the situationists, Teddy Boys, the New York Dolls, the Sex Pistols, and Bow Wow Wow. Why not South Africa, South America and rap? He didn't play an instrument, and he didn't really sing or write songs. But he had a knack for slapping shit together and making something else. And he didn't give a shit. 

Here are a couple songs from his 1983 LP Duck Rock. It was a salad bowl of scratching, international music and studio flotsam. And, of course, McLaren's sparse nonsensical lyrics. The two McLaren songs below feature uncredited South African musicians, Mahlathini and the Mahotella Queens, and the Boyoyo Boys. They didn't even get their names on the record.

~ NOTE: ALL MEDIA IS HOSTED BY THE BLOGS & SITES NAMED BELOW ~
Listen:
Malcolm McLaren - Double Dutch mp3 at Brain Magazine
Malcolm McLaren - Punk It Up mp3 at Coconut Swedish Boy (?)
Mahlathini and the Mahotella Queens - Stop Crying mp3 at Vokaribe (?)
Mahlathini and the Mahotella Queens - Kazet mp3 at CIN (?)
The Boyoyo Boys - Son Op mp3 at Soul Safari
The Boyoyo Boys - Back In Town (streaming) at YouTube
Video:
Malcolm McLaren - Duck Rock mini-documentary (1984) at YouTube

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