The song that defined the CBGB movement, according to Kate Pierson: “No artist from that era who had more presence”
Every movement needs its headquarters, but punk rock was such a vast, sprawling scene that it quickly became difficult to pinpoint the origins of its sound. However, if punk rock did have a birthplace, it would undoubtedly be within the sweat-stained walls of the CBGB club in New York City.
Producing a wealth of now-iconic groups, ranging in sound from the Ramones to Talking Heads, the club was a haven for the misfits, outcasts, and punks of Manhattan, and artists flocked from far and wide to soak up its inspiration. One such group that made the pilgrimage was the Athens, Georgia outfit, The B-52’s.
Emerging in the wake of the punk movement, The B-52’s took the defiant attitude of the genre and incorporated that into their own brightly-coloured, kitsch take on new wave sounds. Coming together in 1976, when punk was just beginning to hit the airwaves, the band took full advantage of this cultural revolution, managing to establish its own unique and expansive sound in the wake of its presence. As you might expect from listening to the band’s diverse repertoire, they came with a wide range of influences but drew a lot from the landscape of the CBGB movement.
After all, the club didn’t only house the blitzkrieg punk rock that made a name for groups like The Ramones. Even during the early days, bands like Talking Heads and Blondie were already beginning to eclipse the sonic conventions of punk, incorporating other influences and genres into their sound. The B-52s used this inherent spirit to conjure up a distinctive sound which drew upon everything from 1960s surf rock to cutting-edge synthpop.
Of course, the Athens band was fascinated by the blossoming scene in Manhattan, and they certainly had their favourites. Vocalist and multi-instrumentalist Kate Pierson, for instance, has always maintained a deep appreciation for Patti Smith.
The story of punk rock and the story of New York City’s musical history, is not complete without mentioning the groundbreaking writing and performance of Smith. In fact, it was her 1975 album Horses which paved the way for all future punk rock albums, even if The Ramones’ 1976 debut album is often cited as the first punk record.
A stalwart of CBGB, Smith set the stage for the punk scene that followed. Blending a defiant, abrasive attitude with profound poetry, the performer was consistently in a league of her own making. That fact has certainly continued into the modern age, where Smith is still performing and inspiring artists across the globe.
It is Smith’s 1988 single ‘People Have The Power’ that Kate Pierson holds particularly close to her heart. Recalling the moment she first encountered Smith, the multi-instrumentalist shared to Line of Best Fit, “Well, it was Robert Waldrop, who wrote some of our lyrics, who first went to see Patti Smith in New York. When he came back, he told Keith he had seen this amazing poet – he didn’t even know she was doing music.”
Adding: “When we started going to New York and playing at Max’s Kansas City and CBGB’s, I got to meet her and see her perform. There’s no artist from that era who had more presence than Patti Smith: that shamanistic presence she has on stage.”
Pierson even drew comparisons between her chosen Smith anthem and one of The B-52s defining hits. “When she came out with this song, it was new and joyful, and some of the lines in it were fantastic: ‘People have the power to rule, to wrestle the world from fools’. It reminds me of ‘Love Shack’: ‘Stay away from fools, ’cause love rules at the love shack’. It’s an idea that feels current: people do have power but don’t always use it.”
Pierson continued to heap praise onto the 1988 track, saying, “The chorus is very simple. ‘People have the power!’ She just repeats it. By the end, she’s got this anthem going. And her voice is unusual; it isn’t typical. It’s powerful and real.”
‘Powerful and real’ might as well be the mantra for the punk movement in general, which certainly tracks with just how influential Patti Smith was on the development of the movement and its enduring success through groups like The B-52s.
