Death — 16 October 2019 on Rocket Shop Radio Hour

Dannis, Bobby, and Bobbie

Death joined host Tom Proctor on ‘Rocket Shop‘, Big Heavy World’s weekly local Vermont music radio hour on 105.9FM The Radiator. Catch up with them at facebook.com/deathworldwide and at 2 special events:

Tonight, Oct 18 7pm at Burlington Record Plant for a record signing session: Pine St. Burlington

Saturday Oct 19 6:30pm at Double E Essex (TRex Theater) — A Band Called Death documentary, Q&A Session, then… Live Show! Our very own Tom Proctor will be MC’ing.

On Wednesday, October 16, Death sat down with host Tom Proctor for a half hour of discussion, music, and Detroit rock history. The Hackney brothers, Dannis and Bobby, along with guitarist Bobbie Duncan make up the current Death lineup. Unfortunately no instruments were present, but we like to think that they’re just saving their energy for a raucous concert at the Double E on Saturday. The concert includes a screening of their documentary film, A Band Called Death, along with a Q&A session and concert.

Death came together in Detroit in the 1970s, and made a name for themselves as the loudest and fastest band in the city. At the time they pushed the boundaries of acceptable, marketable music, but today rock historians celebrate them as one of the first proto-punk bands in the world. The Hackney brothers, then including late brother David, formed in 1971 and originally played funk, but transitioned to hard-driving rock influenced by other Detroit rockers like Iggy and the Stooges, Grand Funk 5, MC 5, Ted Nugent, Bob Seeger, and The Rationals.

The brothers recorded their first set of singles in 1974, but had trouble gaining market success due to a few factors. First was their divisive name. Columbia Records president Clive Davis begged the band to change their name, but the brothers wouldn’t budge. Second was their aggressive sound. At the time of Death’s recordings, the Ramones were just forming. Nothing like Death had been heard yet, and most audiences weren’t accustomed to such head banging rock, unless they had spent significant time at garage and warehouse gigs. 

The third factor affecting their reception was the band’s image. An all black band from Detroit’s east side playing hard rock in the early 70s was not universally palatable at the time, even within the black community. At the time, African-American music centered on Motown: R&B, soul, funk. Bands like The Supremes and the Jackson 5, and artists like Marvin Gaye and Stevie Wonder defined popular music. The brothers were alienated from their community to a degree.

Suffice it to say, the band experienced rejections often, but this just made them play harder and faster.

Four decades later, some things have changed, but not all. Dannis mentioned on air that only two days ago the band had been kicked out of a Detroit venue:

“When factory workers get out of work they want blues and they want blues.”

Unfortunately for Death’s audience, the first song was “Jumping Jack Flash,” and things only picked up from there.

After the music “you could hear a pin drop in there,” says Dannis. Only one listener stayed till the end, and afterward he came up to the stage holding his ears saying, “You’re too loud.”

That said, people usually know what to expect these days, and they’re usually excited.

Jack White, lead for the White Stripes and another Detroit rocker, has high praise for the band:

“The first time the stereo played “Politicians In My Eyes,” I couldn’t believe what I was hearing. When I was told the history of the band and what year they recorded this music, it just didn’t make sense. Ahead of Punk, and ahead of their time.”

The brothers have also been praised by artists like Kid Rock, Elijah Wood, and Alice Cooper. Their original recordings, including the song “Politicians In My Eyes,” were inducted into the Smithsonian African American History Museum as a part of the album, For the Whole World To See. 

But how does such an accomplished Detroit band wind up on a show about Vermont musicians? 

Well, in the late 70s, after folding the band, the brothers moved to Vermont to live with family. In the Green Mountains the brothers started again, forming new bands including The 4th Movement and the reggae band Lambsbread, through which they met guitarist Bobbie Duncan.  

In 2000, after moving back to Detroit, David Hackney passed away. The brothers continued to perform, but David unfortunately never witnessed the band’s revival. During the mid-2000s, vinyl curators and rock historians uncovered the forgotten band’s few recordings. Amid small circles, the band experienced a resurgence. Bobby’s son Julian learned this before his father. Julian heard the songs at underground events. He called his father, exclaiming his surprise, as Bobby never bothered to mention Death to anyone. 

In 2009, Drag City Records re-released their 70s demo, known now as For the Whole World to See. Death has recorded three original albums with Drag City Records since then. Their most recent album was produced at Egan Media in Colchester, Vermont. They continue to maintain the same vision as they had in the 70s: unwavering in their values, and always topical. Death doesn’t shy away from difficult topics, as one of their most recent songs illustrates. “Ceasefire,” written by Bobbie Duncan, is meant for a nation like our own, where parents worry about the safety of their children at school.

Death continues to stay active in the music scene, writing, playing, and advocating. If you can’t make their performance on Saturday at the Double E, don’t fret. You can find them in and around the Vermont area. Check out their website and Facebook for information about upcoming events.

Text by Luke Vidic.

Photo by James Lockridge.