Serials 【MONTHLY CCC SESSION] VOL.12 Ronnie Jordan / WAR "Inspiration Beyond Music

City Country City" is an anonymous brand that does not disclose its design team, but has been steadily increasing its presence. In this Series, we interview creators who have been close friends of City Country City since its establishment, in order to find out what the brand is really like. We will be looking into the contents of this mysterious brand from all angles.

This time, Ronnie Jordan, an original member of WAR, makes an appearance. As we have mentioned many times in this series, the brand name "City Country City" comes from the name of his band's song. To commemorate the event, they collaborated with "City Country City. We decided to interview Ronnie to find out more.

No matter who you are or where you come from, everyone can have the same problems.

When and how did the song "City, Country, City" come about? Is there a theme to the song?

Ronnie:The song "City, Country, City" was produced for a film in the early 70s. It starred Samantha Egger and Robert Culp, and I think the title was "The Grove". But unfortunately, the movie was never released. Still, we liked the performance of this song so much that we decided to include it on the album. And so "City, Country, City" became our own film.

Why was the song named "City Country City"?

Ronnie:I got the inspiration for the song from watching the movie footage. The footage included garden scenes, which made me feel like I was in the country side. On the other hand, there were some bad scenes in this film work. It was filmed in the city side and I wanted to take the viewer on a journey through all the places in the film.

What is the message behind the jacket of "THE WORLD IS A GHETTO," which contains this song?

Ronnie:It was created by one of our members, Lee Oscar, in conjunction with the art department of our record company. The scene depicted is of Sunset Boulevard in Los Angeles, which was very close to our old studio and Far Out, our production company. The Joe Burger here is actually another place we used to frequent.

The concept of this art shows that no matter who you are or where you come from, everyone can have the same problem. Even Rolls-Royces can get a flat tire, right? Lee had such a vision, and it took shape as something really great.

What was it like back then? And what was the mood in California at that time?

Ronnie:At the time, I was immersed in my own creative world with my band members. I lived in a movie studio while we were recording, and it was a great feeling. Not just because I was in a music studio, but because I could really get inspired and creative.

What motivated you to play music?

Ronnie:I loved playing, but I was also motivated by listening to all kinds of music on the radio and watching TV shows with Lawrence Welks, Johnny Otis, and Nat King Cole to get a taste of music. It is also because of my fans, the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame inductees, who support me today.

Since then, "City, Country, City" has been on the playlists of many DJs, including DJ David Mancuso at the legendary "The Loft" party. What do you think when you imagine your music making dancers dance at various parties?

Ronnie:I am very proud that people not only understand the message, but also feel our music.

City Country City, a Japanese fashion brand, is also named after a WAR song. Do you have any thoughts or feelings about this name in the fashion world beyond music?

Ronnie:I am truly happy. I am most honored to have inspired you beyond music.

They are also heavily influenced by house music. Do you like house music?

Ronnie:I love all kinds of music, all genres. Anything that inspires people. That includes house music.

City Country City" has produced T-shirts featuring the artwork of WAR's "THE WORLD IS A GHETTO" in the past. What did you think when you received the offer?

Ronnie:We are very honored and grateful. It is really exciting to see such creations and we are very impressed that someone has felt inspired by what we have created.

I have no intention of quitting. I want to continue to do so for a long time to come.

What kind of shows are you planning for this tour?

Ronnie:Many different variations are planned. We will be performing in our usual local venues and around the US, but we are really looking forward to getting back to Japan. We also plan to visit England and other countries.

City Country City" produced T-shirts for the Japan tour. How do you feel about it?

T-shirt ¥9,900 each (navy only, limited to BLUE NOTE TOKYO)

Ronnie:Really cool! Good quality and I look forward to wearing it.

How did you come up with the artwork for the "Why can't we be friends?

Ronnie:The original plan for the album title was to be "Smile Happy". Then our manager at the time, Steve Gold, brought in a cartoon drawing with a big smile on his face, and we all laughed. It was a gag of sorts. Steve ordered, "Put your gold teeth on there," and our producer, Jerry Goldstein, said, "Why don't we change the title to 'Why can't we be friends?'" He suggested that we change the title to "Why can't we be friends?

What are you looking forward to when you come to Japan besides the live performances?

Ronnie:Food and nice people. I also want to walk around in different places and see beautiful scenery.

What do you think WAR will look like in the future?

Ronnie:We are going to do anything we can think of: more music, more shows, a Broadway play based on the WAR story. We don't intend to stop. We want to keep going for a long time to come.

Photo by Great The Kabukicho

Ronnie Jordan
He is a founding member of WAR, one of the leading funk bands of the American West Coast, formed in the 1970s. Over the years, he has served in a variety of roles as vocalist and performer on guitar, piano, synthesizer, and percussion. He is currently the only original member of the group.
Official Site

Text_Yuichiro Tsuji