Ted Nugent has been suing venues lately for cancelling his scheduled shows because of "derogatory racial remarks" he allegedly made during a May 5 radio interview with some dumb morning show in Denver.
We at Glorious Noise thought this would be as good a time as any to remind people of the hilarious interview Bob Mack conducted with Ted Nugent in Grand Royal magazine, issue #2. Grand Royal is sadly missed; the magazine, the record label and the website were all exemplars of excellent taste.
Back in the day, on their audio/video page, Grand Royal offered the following mp3: Bob Mack vs. The Nuge. It's quite possibly the funniest three minutes and twenty-four seconds you'll ever hear. Enjoy.
Update: Here it is, Bob Mack's Grand Royal interview with Ted Nugent, quite possibly the best rock and roll interview in the history of rock and roll.
This is used here without permission. If the copyright owners would like us to take it down, we certainly will. Let us know.
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When I moved to Detroit, I was disappointed to find that the Nuge no longer had his WWBR radio show - it would have been hilarious listening to his blathering on each morning. Shit, WWBR didn't even exist anymore. It had been bought by an UAC format station. I wonder what the racially sensitive Ted Nugent thinks of urban adult contemporary music?
JTL
Nice find in the old archives, Jake. The next time some nut case tries to tell me that AmeriKKKa is ready for a black president, I'll play this for them.
Nugent makes an excellent case for segregation. Now all we need to do is find somewhere to keep all of the racist assholes.
Your commnet made me laugh, Jaime! ;) ALternatively we could "kill and grill" the racsists! ;)
Okay, I realize any attempt at a real conversation about racism in America is bound to fail. But is everybody totally convinced that the Nuge is a racist? He definitely throws the N-bomb around more than any honky should, but look at the context: he's talking about real human soulfulness as opposed to artificial music programmed by tech geeks. And he's right! Compare any Funkadelic album to anything on any urban radio station and you'll hear that the jist of what the Nuge was saying was absolutely correct, just very badly articulated.
I know it's fun to laugh at rednecks -- I do it too -- but I think this interview does not prove that the Nuge is a total racist. It proves that he's fucking insane and really fun to listen to (and that Bob Mack is a fucking genius), but I don't think the Nuge comes across as racist. I bet he would vote for a black president as long as the candidate supported unrestricted gun rights, especially if the brotha was from Detroit!
Remember, you can be an asshole who's not very culturally sensitive with their choice of words, and not be a racist. Check out Lester Bangs: http://www.gloriousnoise.com/images/bangslast.jpg
Don't get me wrong: I'm not saying it's okay or even acceptable, but it does not prove charges of racism. It's just funny.
While he claims that he never watches MTV back in the day, the Nuge's house was featured on the MTV show Cribs (at the bottom of the page -- mtv.com sucks). Not exactly a doublewide paradise.
http://www.mtv.com/onair/cribs/episode_archive/index_5.jhtml
Jake, I agree this one interview does not prove him racist. He is though, and he is an ignorant fuck too. I used to enjoy cat-scratch fever back in high school, but his blanket writing off of an entire "genre" of art only proves his ignorance once again. I am no rap afficianado (sic?) but I will admit it does have some good points, and nugent is no virtuoso himself. He is an arrogant conceited twat, who only gets press becasue he is obnoxious. I hope his 15 minutes end soon.
Jake, while I agree that throwing the N-word around does not necessarily make you a racist (if we take that to mean that you hate an individual based solely on their race rather than expanding it to include simple racial insensitivity and ignorance) but what is this shit about genuinely soulful music as opposed to artificial music composed by tech geeks? That sounds like a blanket condemnation of hip hop as a genre, and that's got more to do with Nugent's personal taste, as well as your own, than any actual lack of "soul" or "emotion." Hip hop has clearly touched a great many people in as real a way as Sam and Dave or Wilson Pickett ever did, and if a person can't hear any genuine soul in the booming raps of Chuck D. or KRS-One, or in the turntablist pyrotechnics of old Afrikka Bambatta, that's the listener's loss.
And I'll put another question to you... do you think Nuge would have been throwing that word around if Chuck D., Bootsy Collins or any other brother were sitting there next to him? I maintain that he wouldn't because he knows it's a blatantly racist, dehumanizing term. When you call someone a nigger, you're classifying them as something other than yourself, and quite frankly, a good deal lower than yourself... especially if you're white. Unless Nuge is ready to drop the gloves, I doubt for a second he'd be saying that shit in front of a black guy. If he says different, I'd like to set up a meeting between him and NHL forward Mike Grier and see how freely Nugent throws that word around before Grier caves in his face. You can tell Grier later that Nugent isn't a racist just because he called Grier a nigger... of course, it will be too late, because Nugent's face will be caved in.
It was a stupid and crazy thing for him to say, and he's totally an asshole for saying it, don't get me wrong. But I don't think Nugent has ever heard Chuck D, KRS-One, or Afrikka Bambatta. I think he was talking about the soulless r&b and lame hip hop that was all over the top 40 at the time:
End Of The Road - Boyz II Men
Baby Got Back - Sir Mix A-lot
Jump - Kris Kross
All 4 Love - Color Me Badd
2 Legit 2 Quit - Hammer
Humpin Around - Bobby Brown
"When you call someone a nigger, you're classifying them as something other than yourself, and quite frankly, a good deal lower than yourself..."
In this particular interview, Nugent says, "I'm more of a nigger than any of these guys." Not that that makes it okay, but he's saying that HE is the "nigger." So what does that mean?
Dude, you know I love hip hop. I don't like Boyz II Men or Color Me Badd though. And I'm not ashamed to admit that I think that the Nuge has WAY more soul than either of those groups or most other mainstream r&b and hip hop groups.
To me, "soul" means letting it all hang out, taking your guard down, and letting your emotions take over.
Are you dissin' Kriss Kross? ;)
I love Kriss Kross as much as anybody (well, maybe not this guy: http://www.gloriousnoise.com/arch/000044.php ), but it's not the most soulful music in the world.
On a side note, I just watched a video of a wedding I attended recently and the videographer had the audacity to tape the dance floor after everybody was loaded. Let's just say that watching myself "jump" to Kriss Kross proved to me once and for all that I have no sense of rhythm whatsoever. I'm more honky than Pat Boone and the guy from Coldplay combined!
The Nuge has been making headlines for his outrageous remarks for years; why should anyone be surprised by this interview? While not excusing his stupidity and insensitivity, I believe he was inferring that he was indeed more "soulful" than most of the lightweights on the charts at that time. The fact that Nuge is a staunch right wing conservative making inappropriate statements shines the "racist" light even brighter on him. Is it any different though, than when Russell Simmons called into a television talk show and accused the black host of being a "house nigger?" Simmons is the one who comes off as a lowlife scumbag; Nugent sounds just like his idiotic loudmouth self.
Lots of good points, Jake. I'll make one more point before I stop spending time talking about Ted Nugent (unless you want to discuss what a stone-cold classic tune "Free For All" is), and that's the fact that when Nugent calls himself a nigger, it doesn't mean a hell of a lot. The word wasn't created to marginalize white men. When Nugent calls a handful of black artists "Niggers" because he doesn't like their music, it means a lot more, because the word was coined specifically to dehumanize and sort of segregate through language black people specifically. There is a big difference, I think.
As for the Simmons comment, I don't think there is a hell of a lot of difference between Nugent throwing the word around and Simmons calling a black TV host a "house nigger." In that instance, he's using it to de-legitimize the host and he's playing on the word's powerfully hurtful and hateful history. It's not right, but neither is Nugent's use of the word.
And let me just close by saying "Wang Dang Sweet Poontang." I think it's cool that we can sit here writing about this complex, charged, sensitive issue without levelling the "R" word at each other. It's what makes this a good community.
"Free For All" is one of the best songs ever. And "Cat Scratch Fever" has just about the coolest production/engineering of any record ever -- it just sounds so cool. And the line: "I'll make your pussy burn..." Awesome. Too bad he's such an obnoxious maniac. But hey, that's rock and roll for you.
And as right-wing weirdo as it may be, you've got to admit that starting off a show by riding onto the stage on a BUFFALO is pretty damn sweet!
Man I miss Grand Royal magazine. Glad to see someone giving it props.
The first sign of a racist mentality is the use of the "N-Word" by white arseholes, followed by feable attempts to justify its use.
definitely miss grand royal magazine. but the spirit of it lives on in some of the splinters that remain. ian rogers has begun dabbling into politics with some of his crew on http://www.fuckedstate.com and is one of the best places I've found for finding out the real deal on the california elections.
jon
I just saw the Nuge last night in NYC, and he was ALL over the black thing.
He kept referring to himself as "the black entertainer of the year" and he was proud to accept the award$$??
Then he congratulated his two bandmates on their being named "black entertainers of the year" as well...???
Did I miss the in-joke? Or is it in reference to the May 5th thing?
Who the fuck knows with Ted - he was clearly rockin' last night - two hours plus...but his inbetween song verbal garbage? Sheesh!
So what is the deal? People are mad b/c this hillbilly calls people nigger? What do you expect? People act as if racism is dead and buried just b/c it's only voice in hushed private exchanges in these politically correct times we live in. Wake up. There are a lot more "Ted Nugents" out there than the media would have you believe.
Hey Myers, it's not like we're unaware of racism's existence, but you make it sound like it's okay to be racist and say racist things as long as you're loud about it. If I don't hear a guy mutter a racist term, how can I call him on it? What am I supposed to do? Assume everyone is a racist? Nugent had the courtesy to say it in a public forum, which means I get to say what a racist moron I think he is. Why the fuck shouldn't we be mad?
While I'm not going to sit here and defend Nugent (the guy is a moron), I think some of you virtually putting a klan hood on him is a little over the top. His politics and grandiose pronouncements aside, his use of the word "nigger" is meant to connotate something good. When he's saying that he's more of a "nigger" than certain groups and saying that the older soul groups mentioned are as well he means that as a compliment. I'm not going to defend him using the word, even in that context though, because it still doesn't make it right. Also, Bob Mack knew what a loon Nugent was(is) going in. It was like shooting fish in a barrel. I'll give you 2/1 odds during this same time period he wasn't breaking Ice Cube's balls over No Vaseline or Black Korea.
You wish you could have 15 minutes
"genuine spirited African- Americans... those are Niggers"... First of all, he equates being AA with being a Nigger... that's racist ass shit if I ever heard it. The Nuge will be speaking @ my school on Wednesday and I will definately be there to hear his BS. I'm offended that people can sit here and say this guy isn't racist... get it together people.
Obviously none of you know a Goddamn thing about Ted Nugent. And his "15 minutes" have been going since 1967. And will continue until HE decides it is over.
It is incredibly refreshing to see you stupid fucks that think that THE NUGE will ever go away until it is his time....it will never happen. Ted FUCKING Nugent IS the man, and fuck any of you who say different, and moreover, prove it!!
Who _is_ this Ted Nugent you all are speaking of?
damn i didnt read that until just now, but that was probably one of the best interviews Ive read in a while...Bob and Ted are both geniuses of the interview...Ted Nugent gets a kick out of you thinking he is an asshole. If he really was aracist as people think his publicity folks wouldnt let him get near an interview like this...sweeeeeeeet
A minor correction:
"...made the pussy PURR with a stroke of my hand..."
More fun that way.
Ted: He may be a son-of-a-bitch, but he's OUR son-of-a-bitch.
The funniest interview ever, I about lost it when I read that. Grand Royal the magazine was probably one of the best magazines out there.
Why is it that no one can use the word nigger, but every black rapper can sing about it as much as they want in every one of their songs. F-them and if they don't like it let them go back to their beloved Africa! Ted ROCKS!!!!!
If you listen to this guy, I suspect that you're ok with his off-the-charts bigotry. Enjoy yourselves.
Nugent may or may not be a racist, but he is indeed a foul-mouthed loon who inspires like-minded individuals to follow and defend him. (As well as a has-been who's not made a relevant contribution to music in 30 years.)
Like many right-wing fools Nugent loves to label those who differ with him on gun control issues as cowards. Yet he has readily admitted he showed up in front of the draft board dressed in clothing caked in his own feces so that he could avoid the Vietnam draft.
Now, that's a patriot!
Nugent may or may not be a racist, but he is indeed a foul-mouthed loon who inspires like-minded individuals to follow and defend him, as Dale Johnson readily demonstrates in his post. (Let's not forget that Nugent is a has-been who's not made a relevant contribution to music in 30 years.)
Like many right-wing fools Nugent loves to label those who differ with him on gun control issues as cowards. Yet he has readily admitted he showed up in front of the draft board dressed in clothing caked in his own feces so that he could avoid the Vietnam draft.
Now, that's a patriot!