Bad Brains : Pay To Cum
In June of 1980 the all black Washington, DC punk band Bad Brains released "Pay To Cum" b/w "Stay Close To Me , their debut single. The A side is 91 seconds of thrashing guitar and truth. It takes money to make it:
In this world we all must pay
Pay to write, pay to play
Pay to cum, pay to fight
Originally a jazz fusion outfit called Mind Power, the band of Rastafarians took their name from a Ramones song and set the standard for thrash. A song that blasts out of the speakers and ends as quickly as it began. It's all here on "Pay To Cum": Dr. Know's flawless guitar, the in sync seizures of Darryl Jennifer's bass and Earl Hudson's drum and the intense energizer vocals of Hudson's brother H.R.
The single was recorded after the band tried to follow Rat Scabies' advice and tour England. But officials at Gatwick turned the band around and put them on the next flight back. All of their instruments had been stolen. The New York City punk community donated instruments and studio time, but months after recording this hardcore staple Bad Brains were back in DC penniless and homeless. Banned from clubs, they played in houses and co-ops.
Bad Brains were equally inspired by reggae music as the B side reveals.
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