#21: Sun City by Artists United Against Apartheid

City: Ottawa, ON
Radio Station: CFRA
Peak Month: December 1985
Peak Position in Ottawa ~ #1
Peak position in Vancouver ~ #22
Peak Position on Billboard Hot 100 ~ #38
Peak Position on Dutch Singles chart ~ #3
Peak Position on Australian Singles chart ~ #4
Peak Position on New Zealand Singles chart ~ #4
Peak Position on Swedish Singles chart ~ #5
Peak Position on Belgian Singles chart ~ #5
Peak Position on Irish Singles chart ~ #8
YouTube: “Sun City”
Lyrics: “Sun City”

Artists United Against Apartheid was a protest ensemble created by Steven Van Zandt in 1985. It consisted of DJ Afrika Bambaataa, Puerto Rican bandleader Ray Barretto, punk rocker Stiv Bator, Pat Benatar, Jamaican DJ Big Youth, Panamanian singer-songwriter Ruben Blades, rapper Kurtis Blow, U2 lead singer Bono, Jackson Browne, jazz bass player Ron Carter, E Street Band member Clarence Clemmons, Jimmy Cliff, George Clinton (of Parliament-Funkadelic), Bob Dylan, The Fat Boys, Peter Gabriel, Peter Garrett (of Midnight Oil) Bob Geldof (of the Boomtown Rats), rapper Grandmaster Melle Mel, Herbie Hancock, actress Daryl Hannah (Jackson Browne’s girlfriend at the time), Labelle “Lady Marmalade” singer Nona Hendryx, B.T. Express singer Kashif, Eddie Kendricks, hip-hop artist DJ Kool Herc, Darlene Love (lead singer on “He’s A Rebel” credited to the Crystals), Finish rocker Michael Monroe, Bonnie Raitt, lead singer of the Ramoes – Joey Ramone, Lou Reed, Keith Richards (of the Rolling Stones), David Ruffin (of the Temptations), Run-DMC, poet and singer Gil Scott-Heron, Indian musician L. Shankar, Beatles bandmate Ringo Starr and his son Zak, Pete Townshend (of The Who), Bobby Womack, and Ronnie Wood (with the Faces, Jeff Beck Group and Rolling Stones).

What each of these artists had in common was a promise anever to perform at Sun City, because to do so would in their minds seem to be an acceptance of apartheid. The ensemble recorded the Sun City album featuring the single “Sun City”.

Sun City is a luxury resort and casino, developed by hotel magnate Sol Kerzner as part of his Sun International group of properties. It was officially opened on 7 December 1979, then located in the Bantustan of Bophuthatswana. As Bophuthatswana had been declared an independent state by South Africa’s apartheid government (although unrecognized as such by any other country), it could provide entertainment such as gambling and topless revue shows, which were banned in South Africa proper. In protest of apartheid, an international boycott by performers continued for years, although some, such as the Beach Boys, Linda Ronstadt, Cher, Millie Jackson, Liza Minnelli, Frank Sinatra (1981), Paul Anka, Status Quo, Rod Stewart (July 1983), Elton John (October 1983), and Queen, ignored it.

The lyrics in “Sun City” include the following sung by Pat Benatar, Eddie Kendricks, David Ruffin, and Bruce Springsteen: “Relocation to phony homelands. Separation of families I can’t understand. Twenty-three million can’t vote ’cause they’re black. We’re stabbing our brothers and sisters in the back.”

“Sun City” was written by Steven Van Zandt. He was born in 1950 in suburban Boston, Massachusetts, with the given name Steven Lento. His mother remarried and he became Steven Van Zandt. At the age of 13, he formed a band called the Whirlwinds, and later the Mates, and then the Shadows. Bruce Springsteen heard Van Zandt in the latter band when it was performing a cover of the Turtles hit “Happy Together”. In the early 70s Van Zandt worked in construction before becoming part of the backing band for the Dovells in 1973-74 on rock ‘n roll revival tours. The tour ended in Miami and van Zandt got the nickname “Miami Steve” when he returned to his home now in New Jersey. In 1975, he co-founded Southside Johnny and the Asbury Jukes, and in 1976 the Miami Horns. As well, in 1975 he joined the E Street Band backing Bruce Springsteen on tour.

In 1979, Steven Van Zandt co-produced Bruce Springsteen’s Top Ten hit “Hungry Heart”. In 1987, he was the opening act for US on their Joshua Tree Tour. As well, he performed at Wembley Stadium for the 70th birthday tribute concert in honor of Nelson Mandela. Van Zandt has also released seven studio albums and three live albums. His most recent, Summer of Sorcery Live! At the Beacon Theatre, is from a live concert at the Beacon Theatre on the Upper West Side on Broadway on November 6, 2019. The album was released in July 2021.

From 1999 to 2007, Steven Van Zandt was cast as Silvio Dante in the HBO TV series The Sopranos. Among his subsequent acting roles, Van Zandt appeared in the 2019 gangster film The Irishmen. Since 2002, he has hosted Little Steven’s Underground Garage which is heard weekly on over 200 radio stations across the USA. His memoir, Unrequited Infatuations, was published in 2021. His most recent film appearance is in a dark comedy titled The Trainer, released in October 2024.

“Sun City” peaked at #1 in Ottawa, #2 in Montreal, #5 in Sacramento (CA), #7 in San Francisco, Los Angeles, and Providence (RI), #8 in Toronto, Seattle, New Haven (CT), and Sydney (NS), #10 in Toledo (OH), Hartford (CT), and Albuquerque (NM), and #11 in Buffalo, Honolulu, Duluth (MN), and Fort Worth (TX).

Internationally, “Sun City” peaked at #4 in Australia and New Zealand, #5 in Belgium, the Netherlands and Sweden, #8 in Ireland, # in Canada, and #21 in the UK.

In the United States, the song was banned on half of the radio stations. This was some stations Some stations objected to the lyrics’ explicit criticism of US President Ronald Reagan’s policy of “constructive engagement”, particularly George Clinton, Joey Ramone, Jimmy Cliff, Darlene Love and Daryl Hall’s lines in the song “Our government tells us / We’re doing all we can / Constructive engagement is / Ronald Reagan’s plan.” The song was also banned in South Africa.

The album and single raised more than US$1 million for anti-apartheid projects.

In 1986, a documentary was aired on PBS titled The Making of Sun City.

Ruben Blades ran as a candidate for president in the 1994 Panamanian election, where he received 17% of votes cast.

Pat Benatar had a Top Ten hit in 1985 with “Invincible”.

Ringo Starr was part of an ensemble in the 2009 charity single “The Official BBC Children in Need Medley” in aid of supporting disadvantaged children and young people across the UK. In 2025, Starr released his 21st studio album titled Look Up.

Gil Scott-Heron’s 15th studio album, I’m New Here, in 2010 before his death at age 62 in 2011.

The Fat Boys collaborated with the Beach Boys for an international Top Ten cover of “Wipeout” in 1987, and a new version of “The Twist” with Chubby Checker in 1988.

Lou Reed had number-one charting singles on the Billboard Modern Rock Tracks chart with “Dirty Blvd.” (1989) and “What’s Good” (1992). He also was part of an ensemble of musicians who had a number-one hit in the UK in 1997 with “Perfect Day” for the Children In Need campaign.

Jackson Browne had Top Ten hits on the Billboard Mainstream Rock chart in the late 80s with “Chasing You Into the Light”, “World In Motion” and “For America”.

In 1985, Eddie Kendrick, David Ruffin and Hall & Oates had a Top 20 hit with “A Night at the Apollo Live!”.

Darlene Love’s “Christmas (Baby Please Come Home)” has continued to be a seasonal seller during the Christmas holidays.

In 1985, Bobby Womack had his last Top Ten R&B hit with “I Wish He Didn’t Trust Me So Much”.

In 1986, Peter Gabriel’s album So was an international best seller. It featured the hit singles “Sledgehammer” and a duet with Kate Bush titled “Don’t Give Up”.

In the late 80s, the Rolling Stones (including Keith Richards and Ronnie Wood) enjoyed hit singles with a cover of the 1964 R&B tune by Bob & Earl “Harlem Shuffle”. They also had another Top Five hit with “Mixed Emotions”, which was their last Top 40 hit on the Billboard Hot 100.

In 1987, Bono and U2 released their chart-topping album The Joshua Tree. It was the second in a string of number-one charting albums, with the most recent being Songs of Surrender in 2023.

Hall & Oates had their last notable hits with “Everything Your Heart Desires” (1988) and “So Close” (1990).

After releasing over thirty studio albums, Jimmy Cliff finally had his first number-one album on the Billboard Reggae chart with Rebirth in 2012.

Pete Townshend has continued to record and tour with The Who. The band’s twelfth studio album, Who, topped the Top Rock Album chart in 2019.

In 1985, Herbie Hancock released his thirty-first studio album titled Village Life. His most recent album was released in 2010 titled The Imagine Project – his 41st studio album.

Rap group Run-DMC had a Top Ten hit with Aerosmith in 1986 titled “Walk This Way”.  And in 1997, their single “It’s Like That” topped the singles charts in over a dozen countries.

Bob Dylan has enjoyed Top Ten chart success with his singles “Everything Is Broken”, “Slow Train” (with the Grateful Dead), (both in 1989), and “Silvio” (1988) on the Billboard Mainstream Rock chart. He released his fortieth studio album, Shadow Kingdom, in 2023.

Afrika Bambaataa had a #5 hit single in the UK in 1991 titled “Is Anybody Out There?”.

Joey Ramone, with the Ramones, released the bands’ 14th studio album in 1995 titled ¡Adios Amigos!

Rapper Kurtis Blow released his seventh studio album, Back By Popular Demand, in 1988.

Nona Hendryx’s 33rd single release, “Keep Funkin'” was recorded in 2018.

George Clinton released his tenth studio album in 2008 titled George Clinton and His Gangsters of Love. 

July 12, 2025
Ray McGinnis

References:
Ricardo De Querol, “Steve Van Zandt, the nice guy who stood up to apartheid,” El Pais, Madrid, Spain, July 14, 2024.
“The Making of Sun City,” PBS, 1986.
Dan Solomon, “Steven Van Zandt Tells the Story of “Sun City” and Fighting Apartheid in South Africa,” Fast Company, December 13, 2013.
Daniel Gauss, “They Refused to Play Sun City, and Helped Change the World,” February 10, 2025.

CFRA 580-AM Ottawa Top Ten | January 3, 1986