Q+A: Daniel Rachel on Pop Music's History with Fascism and Nazi Imagery
Timely book out now in UK and Feb. 3 in US!
Today, we’re excited to share a Q+A with Daniel Rachel, author of This Ain’t Rock ‘n’ Roll: Pop Music, the Swastika, and the Third Reich. The book is out now on White Rabbit Books in the UK and is coming Feb. 3 in the US via Akashic Books.
Tamara Palmer/Music Book Club: How long did you work on This Ain’t Rock ‘n’ Roll, and what was your process like?
Daniel Rachel: The research and writing took around two years. My approach was to read, watch and listen to as much as I could for months on end and make copious amounts of notes. The structure of the book is loosely chronological. So, I could kind of order the notes. Then, it was like chipping at a piece of rock to sculpt an object: slowly making the language readable and the ideas and arguments as strong as possible. I’ve been fascinated by the Third Reich most of my life, so I went back to many books and films and documentaries with a fresh mind as how best to apply the ideas to the behaviour of musicians who have flirted with Nazi ideas and images for the past 80 years.
What most surprised you when you were conducting the research?
The extent to which the swastika and Nazism has been present in rock ‘n’ roll but without accountability. Very little has historically been challenged: by either fellow artists, the music press, the record industry, or fans. The swastika, particularly, is invariably passed off as a symbol to shock. But there is a deeper story. Often artists are assumed to be just messing about with Nazi imagery. Yet many have a considered understanding or connection to its source. John Lennon’s private Nazi collection was surprising. David Bowie’s interest was greater than I expected. Also the extent to which women were subjugated by the Nazi regime and used in brothels reflects badly on the artists who have used Nazi terminology about their persecution for artistic gain.
Do you have any apprehension that you’ll receive hate mail or comments about the book from white supremacists?
It’s inevitable, sadly, I suspect. But pretty much everything written in the book is within the public domain already. It’s the collation of the history that is new and shocking.
Did you listen to other types of music as well while creating?
Writing the book has certainly introduced me to tens and tens of songs I’d previously never heard. From the Indigo Girls and Slayer to Tom Paxton, Lady Gaga and Fat White Family. Still, there’s always time to spin the Beatles, Dylan, the Stones, Arctic Monkeys, Oasis, Specials, Blur, Elastica, Mattiel, Yard Act… the records I love are endless!
Would you like to recommend some of your favorite music books from any era to our readers?
There’s been several really compelling reads recently, regardless of whether you know or even like the artists. I would recommend Street-Level Superstar, A Year with Lawrence by Will Hodgkinson. Also, Rickie Lee Jones’ memoir, Last Chance Texaco: Chronicles of an American Troubadour - it’s a fabulous read. I’m a fan of Tracey Thorn’s books (more so than her music!). Louise Wener’s account of Britpop is very funny and always England’s Dreaming by Jon Savage. Lady Sings the Blues is a stunning account of Billie Holiday’s life and the prose of Just Kids by Patti Smith is beautiful. Much like Chronicles by Bob Dylan. A final favourite would be Miki Berenyi’s Fingers Crossed.
Previously in our Q+A series:
Dan Beck on Working with Michael Jackson, Sade and Luther Vandross
Jibola Fagbamiye and Conor McCreery on Their New Fela Kuti Graphic Novel
Al Shipley on His Brand New Book on Baltimore Club Music
Paul D. Miller on Lead Belly and Digital Fiction, His Upcoming Book About Algorithms and Music Discovery
Martin Popoff on Guns N’ Roses at 40 and Writing 135 Books
Katie Bain on Her Forthcoming Book Desert Dreams: The Music, Style, and Allure of Coachella
Colin Steven on Publishing Electronic Music and Counterculture Books at Velocity Press
Yoel Gaetán on Chronicling Punk in Puerto Rico with Forgotten Youth Records and Books
Jason Pettigrew on Writing a Book About Ministry’s Third Album
Melissa Locker on Her Brand New Book About Oasis Fans
Ira Robbins on Publishing Peter Silverton’s ‘London Calling New York New York’ and What’s Coming from Trouser Press Books
Donna-Claire Chesman on How CRYBABY Came to Her in a Dream
Cary Baker on His First Book and How Busking Can Help Main Street USA
Gina Arnold on The Oxford Handbook of Punk Rock and Working with Academic Publishers
Tom Beaujour on His New Lollapalooza Book and Producing Successful Oral Histories
John Morrison on Boyz II Men and Chronicling Philadelphia Music History
Mark Angelo Harrison on Telling the Spiral Tribe Sound System Story
Lyndsey Parker on Writing a ‘Stranger Than Fiction’ Memoir with Mercy Fontenot
Christina Ward on Running Feral House, a 36-Year-Old Indie Book Company
Ali Smith on Speedball Baby and Telling Stories Without Shame
Arusa Qureshi on Her Love Letter to Women in UK Hip-Hop
Lily Moayeri on Her Favorite Music Books and Writing from a Personal Place
Megan Volpert on Why Alanis Morissette Matters and Writing 15 Books in 18 Years
Mark Swartz on Biggie + Yoko Ono as a Crime-Fighting Duo and Other Fictional Ideas
Annie Zaleski on Cher, Stevie Nicks and Pushing Past Writing Fears
Nelson George on His Next Book and Making Mixtapes in Paper Form
Michaelangelo Matos on Writing and Editing Music Books
Sounds fascinating. It is a reality that’s tough to confront, but the Nazi regime was an integral part of what became modern culture, from marketing and graphic design to architecture and film, and I think that’s part of what attracted some of the creative people in your book, in addition to the pure transgression of embracing what their parents fought so hard to destroy.