[Gailh]

Originally Posted by slipkid

I agree, but this is years before political correctness, and people weren't afraid to say what they were thinking. I'm sure what John said was pure instinct, very poor instinct.


Here's how it was written by Martin Celmins in Peter Green's biography page 81:

"Pete also sometimes had quite a cruel sense of humour, and I think this was under Jeremy (Spencer)'s influence. The whole band could be really wicked at times. I had a tape once of Mac recorded live at a club near the Oval cricket ground. Christine Perfect was in the wings at the side of the stage, watching the show. They did one number during which Peter introduced the band individually. When it came to John, Pete mentioned how his bass player was a really shy person, and John dipped his head as if to lay it on a bit. Pete then said something like, "You know, it took John six months before he could even summon up the gall to hold Christine Perfect's hand..." Then there was a big silence before Peter said, "...let alone f**k the arse of her!" John was really annoyed by this. He went up to the microphone and shouted, "You f**king Jew!" He managed to control himself, but it was close. I'm sure Peter only said that for Jeremy's benefit. It was the kind of thing that [Jeremy] loved to do."



This is off-topic but I've heard that Gene Simmons and Paul Stanley used to get a lot of anti-semitic flak from bandmates Ace Frehley, and Peter Criss (KISS). For a real whopper of a story, Eric Clapton had a drunk tirade on stage sometime in the mid-70's. He was complaining that there too many arabs, and non-whites in Britain, and they all needed to leave. Britain (to Clapton) was a whites only country.

I'm sure John was very angry but it was a stupid thing to say. Peter was very, very rude but that had nothing at all to do with being Jewish. It had everything to do with him being a rude git.

As for Clapton's tirade that led to the formation of Rock Against Racism

Gail