There is no way I could make a list of top 20 personally most important songs without including Kid Creole and the Coconuts. Although not terribly well remember when most people make a list of top 80s musicians (despite signs of possible break out success such as an appearance on Saturday Night Live and another in the major Hollywood film Against All Odds --both of which are shared below. ) Kid Creole and his band were somehow never quite able to become part of the mainstream.
Perhaps part of it was the lyrics and the themese. And then there was that habit of inserting references to race in places that just made people uncomfortable.
For instance, we have this classic, "The Jungle" which includes the classic music line "I don't believe in integration, just to achieve miscegenation."
And how could anyone not enjoy this one?
And what can really be said about this one? Hmmmm? Quite dancable though.
But there's something about this one, which was a big hit in not just the UK but also the US "Urban Contemporary" charts when it came out, that does tend to make one a bit uncomfortable, but, then again, isn't that the real purpose of much art?
Notice all those White back up singers? Of course, you do. Two reasons for those were stated. First, Kid Creole (real name August Darnell) said he did that because many White singers had Black women as back-up singers and he wanted to invert the trope. Second, one of those women was his wife. For those who wonder, he eventually gave them their own album.
And this remains a personal favorite. How could anyone not love it?
Finally, as promised the Saturday Night Live appearance . . .
And the scene from "Against All Odds."
Finally, how someone will ask, "Pete, hey Pete, how could you possibly talk about Kid Creole without once mentioning Cab Calloway --featured in the Blues Brothers.
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