JON SPENCER BLUES EXPLOSION - CONTROVERSIAL NEGRO [PROMO] (LP, US) DATE: 7.MAY.1997 LABEL: Matador Records CAT NO.: OLE255-1 A1. Get With It A2. Can't Stop A3. Son of Sam A4. Cool Vee A5. Afro A6. R.L. Got Soul A7. Blues X Man B1. Watermain B2. Love All of Me B3. Fuck Shit Up B4. Hot Shot B5. Skunk B6. Vacuum of Loneliness B7. Sticky NOTES: VIEW: Promo only live album. US vinyl edition, all copies shrink-wrapped with die-cut white paper inner-sleeve. Available as a promo album in the US and UK (CD only). Officially released in Japan with five additonal tracks (1997) with an expanded edition released in the US (2010) featuring a total of 29 tracks. The sleeve for this release is referred to in a 2000 word article titled Mo' Bitter Blues (Vox, May 1997): "To the casual observer the Jon Spencer Blues Explosion may seem like little more than surly, self-important nihilists with an all-encompassing persecution complex. Yet their studious reserve in the face of journalistic interrogation is hardly surprising when you consider that the staunch traditionalists of the American rock media have recently branded them as racists, simply because they've dared to treat the blues as something other than a sacred museum piece. A situation soon to be exacerbated by the band's forthcoming promo live album, rather incautiously titled 'Controversial Negro' and garishly illustrated with a day-glo Warhol print of Mick Jagger's iconic countenance. Ultimately, Jon Spencer is playing with fire. He’s gleefully taunting the inverse-racists of so-called liberal America with incendiary images. He is, after all, a graduate of semiotics (the brand of linguistics concerned with signs and symbols), so he knows exactly what he’s doing. 'Controversial Negro' works on two distinct levels: firstly it’s a timely reminder to the journalistic 'squares' of far simpler times, when Jagger and his Rolling Stones (now untouchable old-guard stalwarts) were similarly decried for 'bastardizing the blues'; secondly, it’s a forceful visual communiqué that the Jon Spencer Blues Explosion staunchly refuse to be intimidated into artistic compromise." - Vox, May 1997  The title for this album comes from the Public Enemy song Burn Hollywood Burn from their 1990 album Fear of a Black Planet. Towards the end of the track someone asks Flava Flav the following question: "Now we're considering how do you for a part in our new production, how do you feel about playing a controversial negro?" The artwork used on the promotional version along with the title Controversial Negro was originally intended for Now I Got Worry. VIEW: Controversial Negro / Hotel Congress: Released Tracks VIEW: Jon Spencer Blues Explosion - Controversial Negro [CARD SLEEVE] (CD, JAPAN) VIEW: Jon Spencer Blues Explosion - Controversial Negro [PLASTIC CASE] (CD, JAPAN) VIEW: Jon Spencer Blues Explosion - Controversial Negro [PROMO] (CD, UK) VIEW: Jon Spencer Blues Explosion - Controversial Negro [2010] [PROMO] (CD, US) VIEW: Jon Spencer Blues Explosion - Controversial Negro [2010] (CD, UK) VIEW: Jon Spencer Blues Explosion - Controversial Negro [2010] [PROMO] (CD, UK) VIEW: Jon Spencer Blues Explosion - Controversial Negro [2010] (CD, US) VIEW: Jon Spencer Blues Explosion - Rocketship (CD, AUSTRALIA) VIEW: Jon Spencer Blues Explosion releases SONG CREDITS: Recorded live November 25, 1996 at The Hotel Congress in Tuscon, Arizona. Mixed: Jim Waters Assisted: Saylor Breckenridge The rear sleeve to this release gives credits as follows: (c) (p) 1997 Matador Records All Songs by Spencer/Explosion (BMI) Except: Get With It (Feathers/Explosion) Son Of Sam (Chain Gang) Fuck Shit Up (Dub Narcotic) The following writing/publishing credits are as they appear on the releases stated: A1. Get With It Writers: Feathers/Explosion © JSBE/Meteor Pub. [Get With It (7", US)] A2. Can't Stop Writers: Explosion/Nishita Published: Copyright Control/Fido Speaks Music [Now I Got Worry (CD, UK)] A3. Son of Sam Writers: Luanda & Gee © 1977 Kapitalist Music LTD (ASCAP) [Son Of Sam (7", UK)] A4. Cool Vee Writers: Spencer/Explosion Published: Spencer/Explosion (BMI) [2Kindsa Love (CD, UK)] A5. Afro Writers: Spencer/Explosion Published: Spencer/Explosion [Afro (7", UK)] A6. R.L. Got Soul  Writers: Spencer/Explosion Published: Spencer/Explosion [Now I Got Worry (CD, UK)] A7. Blues X Man Writers: Spencer/Explosion Published: Spencer/Explosion [Orange (CD, US) this credit was later changed to 'Dirty Shirt, BMI' on the re-issue of Orange] B1. Watermain Writers: Spencer/Explosion Published: Copyright Control [Crypt Style (CD, GERMANY)] B2. Love All of Me Writers: Spencer/Explosion Published: Spencer/Explosion [Now I Got Worry (CD, UK)] B3. Fuck Shit Up Writers: Dub Narcotic Published: Gravedigger Blues [Now I Got Worry (CD, UK)] B4. Hot Shot Writers: Spencer/Explosion Published: Spencer/Explosion [Now I Got Worry (CD, UK)] B5. Skunk Writers: Spencer/Explosion Published: Spencer/Explosion [Now I Got Worry (CD, UK)] B6. Vacuum of Loneliness Writers: Spencer/Explosion Published: Copyright Control [Crypt Style (CD, GERMANY)] B7. Sticky Writers: Spencer/Explosion Published: Spencer/Explosion [Now I Got Worry (CD, UK)]  SLEEVE INFORMATION: "Recorded live November 25, 1996 at The Hotel Congress in Tuscon, Arizona. For Promotional Use Only, Not For Sale. Mute, 429 Harrow Road, London, W10 4RE." DETAILS: ARTWORK: Back Cover Photograph: Brian Velenchenko BARCODE: n/a* *although this item does not actually have barcode as such the artwork does feature the number "7 44861 02551 1" which is probably what the barcode number would have been had this been commercially released. RUN-OUT GROOVE ENGRAVING: A: "OLE-255-1-A  AMERIKKKA'S MOST RACIST  SAE MASTERING" B: "OLE-255-1-B  CUT THE ROCK STAR BULLSHIT  SAE MASTERING" RELATED LINKS: matadorrecords.com