Wednesday, June 5, 2019

With Anxiety


The Ruts : Babylon's Burning


On June 5 1979 The Ruts's new single was about to debut on the U.K. pop charts at #61. "Babylon's Burning" would be one of the great singles of the Summer of '79, peaking at U.K.#7, and providing a soundtrack as Margaret Thatcher's  anti-union, anti-immigrant, monetarist policies took effect. 

The Ruts started out playing free benefit gigs, working with the reggae band Misty, responding to the rise of the fascist National Front with the "Rock Against Racism" movement. The Ruts continued to sing about the same causes as reggae bands in songs like "S.U.S.", "Jah War" and "Babylon's Burning".  Not that everyone thought it was right. As the single climbed the charts, the band received letters from black activists saying they should leave out all references to Babylon because only Black people can understand things like that.

After touring with The Damned, The Ruts would be offered opening slots with Thin Lizzy and Van Halen. They would turn down both.


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