You know Little Steven deserves a Nobel Peace Award for this. He was instrumental in letting the world know just what was going on in South Africa and In Nelson Mandela being released from jail to go on and be President.🎼❤️🇦🇺❤️🇺🇸🕺🏻💃🎸☘️
Fantastic protest song of its time. I can't believe that when they review charity and protest songs they always skip this one, it's a travesty. I really wish they would do something as great for the times now but some of the great ones that were in this song and video are now gone. So much better than that sickening sweet "We are the World".
I had a Yugoslavian girlfriend in Germany whose father managed a resort in Sun City, circa 1989 and refused to visit him there because of (her words) "the absolute moral evil of apartheid." Kudos to Little Steven for his...wokeness?... and to Suzanna, a white Croatian girl who was also the most hardcore antiracist human being I have ever met😘
@@thegreatergood8081Not the first time that the vision of a revolutionary genius was betrayed by some of his opportunistic followers. And sadly, it won't be the last.
Oh my god, it's like "We Are The World" for cool people. No, seriously. That's gotta be the answer to a trivia question. "What song features the vocal talents of Bonnie Raitt *and* Joey Ramone?"
OMG -- that's exactly what I thought in 1985. Still think it. This work has heart, soul, and whenever else have Hall, Oates, Lou Reed, Pat Benitar, Ruben Blades and dozens of other artists ever appeared together.
The lyrics of the original version included a dis verse listing names of artists who played Sun City. That part of the song had to be dropped to get everyone in this video released from their contracts to appear in this project. And in four years Botha would be out and De Klerk would start changing things.
I remember as a 10 year old kid watching this video on MTV as my first introduction to apartheid. I, being girl in CA having no idea what this was.it hit me hard. This video was educational for my generation.
This was the anthem to my "cause" as a white-arsed Brit undergraduate back in the day. I'm not entirely sure that our efforts amounted to much. We are still all slaves to capital.
@@auntiecarol But people tried as best they could to make things better and were heard. Now activists seem to be pilloried as being overly concerned and are mocked by those who simply don't care or enjoy spreading discord and hate. Look for example at how Greta Thunberg is constantly vilified for her brave actions and desperate words about the world she has inherited. :(
+Jay George they are needed now. South Africa NEVER committed the massacres of Apartheid Israel. Soweto 176 Student youths protest attacks on Education, July/ August Gaza 565 innocent sleeping children. Zionist racism compares only with that "democratically elected" government of central Europe 1930s.
Some facts to consider about the Israel/Palestine issue: 1. The fighting between Jews and Arabs began long before the creation of the modern state of Israel and there were culprits on both sides; Lehi/Stern Gang (Jewish Palestinian Zionist terrorists) and Black Hand (Arab Muslim Jihadist anti-Zionist terrorists)..."both sides" of that pre-Israel conflict in British Mandatory Palestine were guilty of racist ethnic cleansing, religious extremism, theocracy, and the mass murder of innocent civilians)...before the modern state Israel existed. 2. The original borders dividing Jewish and Arab areas were largely decided upon by the British to keep these minorities of Jews and Arabs from killing each other, but were drawn in such a way as to force Arabs and Jews to cross each other's territory to enter into other parts of their own territory. Most Arabs and Jews were trying to live in peace with each other. It was a minority on both sides doing most of the violence, including the violence against the British. 3. "Palestinian" does not mean "Arab". Palestine is the Roman name for the region that was later adopted by the British. Jews who lived Palestine were also considered to be "Palestinian" before the modern state of Israel was created. 4. Almost a third of Israel citizens are Palestinian Arabs whose families chose Israel citizenship when it was offered in the early days of Israel. Most of these Arab Israelis are Sunni Muslims. However a sizable minority are Christians and those Israeli citizen Arab Palestinian Christians make up about 80% of all Christians in Israel, so when "Christian Zionists" blindly support one side or the other out of their Christian faith they should consider the fact that most Israel Christians are Palestinian Arabs. 5. Besides that fact that Jews and Arabs are closely related ancient Middle Eastern tribes whose languages and religions are also closely related, there is the fact that genetic studies have repeatedly confirmed that many, if not most, "Arab" Palestinians are partial descendants of the same Jews that most Jewish Israelis are descended from. In other words: Jews, Arabs, Turks, Copts, Amazigh, Kurds, Romans, Greeks and many others left their genetic mark on the people of Palestine and many of the "Arab" Palestinians come from Jewish families who chose to convert to Islam or Christianity and intermarried with Arabs, adopting their culture and language. 6. The early Zionists were largely secular and many were atheists, whose concerns stemmed more from the mistreatment of ethnic Jews globally, than from anything to do with religion or ethnic supremacy. Unfortunately, in order to gain the support of the majority of Jews these secular Zionists made the decision to allow Jewish religious fanatics into the leadership of the movement. Similarly, the Palestinian liberation movement has always had conflicts between different factions, some who just want a fair deal for the Palestinians, others who are secular Arab nationalists, and the Islamists and jihadists. 7. If it were not for the fact that Jerusalem is the holiest city on earth for religious Jews while simultaneously being one of the holiest cities on Earth for Christians and the site of the third holiest Mosque on Earth for Muslims, the conflict would have been resolved long, long ago. 8. The often mentioned "Occupation" refers to the disputed areas of Palestine seized and largely controlled by Israel (while still officially consider to be parts of Palestine) after the 6 Day War and not to the entirety of Palestine or Israel. This is an important point that many around the world who take one side or the other seem to not understand. These are the areas in which Israeli "settlers" keep encroaching in an attempt to eventually officially annex these regions in Israel. 9. In Israel many family laws issues are handled by religious courts. Israel has Jewish, Sunni Muslim, Christian, Druze, and Baha'i courts. There are many Arab Israeli politicians and Arab Israeli led political parties and including anti-Zionist parties. There are also anti-Zionist Jewish political movements in Israel. 10. The first Palestinian suicide bombings were the work of the PFLP, a Communist secular Palestinian organization founded and led by George Habash who was a Christian Communist Arab Nationalist Palestinian. Later the anti-Zionist Lebanese Shia Muslim Islamists of Hezbollah took up the practice under the influence of both the PFLP and the Islamic Republic of Iran. At a much later date the practice was taken up by Sunni Muslims in Hamas and other smaller factions. 11. Hamas began as a Sunni Islamist movement providing charitable services to Palestinians including hospitals. Some in Israel erroneously thought that if an ultra-conservative fascistic Islamist group dominated Palestine rather than a Leftist, semi-secular one like the PLO, it would lead to a reduction in the global support for Palestinian causes whether peaceful, political, humanitarian, military or terrorist in nature. This is why Israel donated to Hamas charities in Hamas's early days. It was a huge miscalculation. 12. Palestinians in Israel and in the West Bank have far more freedom and human rights than those in Gaza and this is because of Hamas. 13. Both Israelis and Palestinians as well as their respective "supporters" around the world often lie and mislead intentionally about events in the region, including by deceptive editing of video and audio and cherry picking of information. When we talk about the conflict we must realize that it is not just Palestinians and Israelis of various ethnic, religious and political persuasions (including those on "both sides" who want justice and peace for "both sides") but also those who staunchly take one side or the other not out of concern for Palestinians or Israelis but in support of religious and political agendas in which Palestinians and Israelis are mere pawns: End Times prophecy obsessed "Christian Zionists", Islamists of various Muslim sects globally, Jewish supremacists, neo-Nazis, anti-Arab bigots, anti- Jewish bigots, various types of conspiracy theorists most especially those who blame all of the world's problems on "Zionists", the far-left, the far-right, those who think Jews can do no wrong, those who think all Jews are evil, those who think all Arabs are Muslims, those who think all Muslims are terrorists, those who think no Muslims are terrorists, those who think Israel has no right to exist, those who think Palestinians don't exist, those who lie about history on "both sides", those Arab countries who treated Palestinian refugees as badly as Israel while using the issue for their own propaganda, those who make excuses for deliberate killing of innocent people (on either side), those who think either side has no right to self-defense, those who want to conflict to continue because it is not their blood being spilled but it somehow serves their religious, political or business interests (selling arms for instance)... 14. It would be better to be an Arab living in Israel than to be a Jew living in the West Bank or Gaza. 15. It would be better to be an Arab living in the West Bank or Israel than to be an Arab living in Gaza where Hamas will oppress you and if Hamas doesn't shoot rockets at Israel another jihadist faction will and then Israel will retaliate against the civilian homes, hospitals, schools and playgrounds where Hamas and others launch these rockets from. Hamas wants Israel to create more "martyrs" which is why this is done. Israel is often stupid and callous enough to give Hamas exactly what they want: dead civilians. 16. It would be better to be an atheist in Israel than in the West Bank and in the West Bank than in Gaza where it would likely get you killed. 17. It would be better to be LGBT in Israel than in the West Bank and better in the West Bank than in Gaza where it would get you killed. 18. It would be better to be a woman in Israel or the West Bank than to be a woman in Gaza where women are second class citizens. 18. Hamas has always been trying to walk a line between being a Palestinian liberation movement, an Arab Nationalist movement, a Sunni Islamist movement, a Sunni jihadist movement, and a bunch of greedy thieving gangsters. 19. Supporting Hamas is supporting the death, maiming, brainwashing, and oppression of moderate, liberal, libertarian, leftist, secular, democratic, pluralist, pro-peace, Christian, Druze, atheist, agnostic, LGBT, and women/girls Palestinians. Women are about half the population so...
Football Against Apartheid Such fucking bullshit. And what about SA now?? They got their land and positions and now commit atrocious genocide against whites who had nothing to do with the apartheid back then. With the governments support and approval. Well done blacks of SA! Just shows you can’t rule without white interference. You just don’t want peace - you want war.
*BETTER AND DOPEST THAN 'WE ARE THE WORLD'* , this aid artist assembly had a bunch of the Coolest no extreme 80s Pop artist: Afrika Bambaataa, Kurtis Blow, Melle Mel, Duke Bootee, Run DMC, Bob Dylan, Jackson Browne , Nona Hendrix, George Clinton, Eddie Kendricks, Bobby Womack, Joey Ramone, Bono, Lou Reed, Ruben Blades etc
Always nice to see the rockers and rappers getting together for a common cause (and not just for the buck) - and I can't help it, I still like the beat. A nice time travel to those "cheesy" 80's that I still miss at times!
Funny to read the anti-Bono comments..Come back here when you've done more than he has for all the people suffering around the world..A lot of people in music, film etc have egos, that's part of their personality for making it to the top..Many of the people in the video are probably like that, to some extent. Good song though and Little Stevie went on to play a great role in The Sopranos!
Bono has done more for humanity than most people realize. They just see his swaggering public persona. If I were to meet him, I'd shake his hand and thank him for all the good he's done in the world.
Yes indeed. I can't remember but I think the other rapper that comes right after him is Curtis blow but I'm not 100% sure. You got to remember right around this time the movie breaking and Beat Street was all over the place too. You also see the fat boys in there
It's scary that this song has mostly been forgotten, and I'm not talking about the piece of music which is, btw, terrific. Things changed, but is the world a better place now?... Was it a dream to believe thing s could really, really improve?
I don't know. Of course things changed, but the world is not so optimistic as it was back then, I mean... I don't know. Maybe I'm just getting older. May I ask where you're from?
as did Dame Kiri Janette Te Kanawa, Elaine Page, Frank Sinatra, Queen, Elton John, Linda Ronstadt, Julio Iglesias, The O'Jays, Ray Charles, Boney M, Black Sabbath, Rod Stewart, Tina Turner, Dionne Warwick, & Laura Branigan, etc... - SMH!
Hang on ... this wasn't made by Little Steven's as it was Steve Van Zandt's baby ... what a man ... "Just when I thought it was sfe ... they drag me back in" ... legend
Thank you Little Stevie for taking on this cause and to anyone else who contributed to ending this crime. Apartheid was a travesty and the fact that it didn't end until 1994 is hard to believe. Thank you Nelson Mandella for changing not only South Africa but the world. R.I.P.
Little Stevie wrote the song and fronted the performers and Bruce was quick to support his friend in this. And now Bruce's attention has turned from Sun City to North Carolina. He'g getting some flack for canceling his concert there but he didn't stand for racial inequality then and won't stand for sexual inequality now. I'm supporting him now and won't forget this great song/video.
Love truly is the most powerful force, it conquers everything. Hate can only last so long, love will eventually crush any barrier between human beings.
Man! There were a lot of legends in this video! Sadly many of them have passed on...Thanks Little Steven for bringing awareness to me of the situation about SA when I was a teen.. RIP Mr. Mandela
OMG ! have not seen the video but I did hear the song back in the early 80"s my good all of the artist on this wow. Some are no longer with us but I do appreciate there work. Thank You for helping to make a change in society.
And the celebrities just keep coming. If I was the guy who ran Sun City, I'd be like "shiiiit... no Bruce? No Bono? No Bob Dylan?!? No Midnight Oil?!?!? I mean... ok, I didn't expect the Midnight Oil guy to wanna play Sun City cuz, like, he's the Midnight Oil guy... but... THE FAT BOYS ain't gonna play Sun City? Dammit APARTHEID IS CANCELLED, YOU GUYS! SHUT IT DOWN!"
Boycotts are the most powerful tool we have. A Dollar is a Vote, in the capitalist world. Withhold $ from unethical people/companies. This was an artist-sponsored boycott (usually consumers). Fund what you believe [Buycott].
This is a great protest song about Apartheid in South Africa. Kudos to little Steven in putting this together with great collection of artists. 2:15. How hot does Bruce Springsteen looks in his leather jacket and tight Jean's? Damn.
Stand against Apartheid….sure….nice trendy tune for the times….What about now? South Africa is falling apart…..where are these people now…silent…gone…not a sound from the cast of hundreds getting screen time and big noting themselves….South Africans needs you now. Just as they did then.
The 80's were awesome because of people like this. Everyone getting together behind a cause and killing it. So awesome. And to think, Mandela was released. Great movie that shows this is The Power of One. One of my all time favorite movies. Would be nice to see artists do this again for a good cause.
Agreed, then I look around today, common sense, integrity, love, has left the stage for many in the US. It it brainwasheed, indoctrination, MSM, poly's. People like B/gates, Soros, klause that want control and destruction of humanity. Breaking news ! old tyrants&adrenochrome gives no one an extended life.
The lazy cynicism is daft. Whatever gets the message across, even if it's done by celebrities you scoff at, is welcome. I don't know how anyone could have built their careers off of this considering half the US radio stations refused to play this cause of the 'controversial' nature of the song and the criticism of the Reagan administration. What did you do to end Apartheid?
Fair enough. I'd still argue that the benefits of this action (the increased visibility of the issue in the US and elsewhere) outweigh the costs (the economic costs born by the people of South Africa due to the boycott or whatever it was).
To share my opinion of this song, with real facts to it: In intent, effect and collective talent Artists United Against Apartheid are the greatest band ever. A lot of charity singles are really good and important, but these are all my favorites right here! Lou Reed, Joey Ramone, Darlene Love, Bruce and pals just to name a few. To me, the moment of realization where Little Steven decided to record this song is truly the most important "DIY" moment in all of rock and roll, envisioned by one who had literally seen it all, and then seen beyond that. Good work SVZ! In terms of human decency and proven results this really is the "coolest song in the world", even cooler than "Moulty", Doris Troy, Eddie Hodges or Kelly Osbourne.
Agree with everything. And I add that I was thrilled, at the time, to see alongside the names you mentioned (also faves of mine) also Stiv Bators (ex- Dead Boy and then singer of The Lords of the New Church) and Mike Monroe (singer with Hanoi Rocks)
Great to see this after so many years, and so fun to pick out the musicians. Rare footage of very young Zak Starkey there with Ringo I believe at 5:25... Great cameos from so many people like Peter Garrett. Totally forgot how prominent certain people were like Daryl Hall, the Temps, and Lou Reed.
I owned the album, but haven't seen this video in decades. A few thoughts: am I the only person who finds Jackson Browne's "cholo" look...well, slightly embarrassing (even if he was shagging Darryl Hannah)? Also: Bono is such a twat. Lou Reed and Bobby Womack, on the other hand, are empirically cool.
That was a powerfull tune that should resinate in the hearts of man...Constructive ingagement is Ronald Regan's plan...Contructive engagement is still the norm esp.. in The U.S. and other countries..For you Star Trek Fans...That's the Prime Directive at work..
You can't honestly expect all who care and want a change in this world to go to the specific countries. You lived there. Demonstrations in other countries had a big impact and put pressure on people in charge seeing as how major the support for anti-apartheid truly was becoming.
