Sun City (song)

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"Sun City"

Single by Artists United Against Apartheid
Released	November 1985
Format	12-inch
Recorded	January 28, 1985
Genre	Multifaceted
Length	5:45
Label	Manhattan Records
Writer(s)	Steven Van Zandt
Producer(s)	Steven Van Zandt
Chart positions
#38 (U.S. pop singles) #21 (UK pop singles)

"Sun City" is a 1985 protest song written by Steven Van Zandt and recorded by Artists United Against Apartheid to convey opposition to the South African policy of apartheid.

[edit] History

Van Zandt was interested in writing a song about Sun City to make parallels with the plight of native Americans. Danny Schechter, a journalist who was then working with ABC News' 20/20, suggested turning the song into a different kind of "We Are the World", or as Schechter explains, "a song about change not charity, freedom not famine."

As Van Zandt was writing it, Schechter suggested that he include the names of the artists who had played Sun City in defiance of a UN-sanctioned cultural boycott. "I was probably still thinking of 20/20's exposé of conservative Africanists fifteen years earlier," says Schechter. Van Zandt wasn't sure that was wise, but did it anyway, asking in one of the original lyrics, "Linda Ronstadt, how could you do that?" and singling out Julio Iglesias, Queen, the O'Jays, Ray Charles and Rod Stewart. Van Zandt wasn't enthusiastic about writing those lyrics and soon dropped them to avoid offending those artists. Musically speaking, the song was a cutting edge fusion of hip-hop (which was still in its early development), R&B, and hard rock.

When Van Zandt was finished, he and Schechter spent the next several months searching for artists to participate in recording it.

No less than 303 tracks were mixed-down to create "Sun City," possibly a record for a pop single. A music video directed by Jonathan Demme with Godley and Creme was also produced.

"Sun City" only reached #38 on the Billboard Hot 100 chart in December 1985, the reason for that low chart rank was because only about half of American radio stations played "Sun City", with some objecting to the lyrics' explicit criticism of President Ronald Reagan's policy of "constructive engagement." R&B stations felt it was too rock-oriented, while rock stations considered it too steeped in hip-hop and R&B. Not surprisingly, the song was banned in South Africa.

The song did somewhat better overseas, reaching #21 on the UK Singles Chart, becoming a substantial hit in The Netherlands, and achieving chartal action in a number of other European countries.

"Sun City" was picked as record of the year by many of the most influential music critics, topping the prestigious international Pazz & Jop Critics Poll for best single of the year.