How the Brits Rocked America

BBC4 recently showed a 3 part series about how British bands have infiltrated the difficult American market titled: How the Brits Rocked America: Go West. The final episode "We're the Kids in America" deals with the 70's punk movement and then the new wave invasion of the 80's. Interviewees include John Lydon from the Sex Pistols, Jim Kerr from Simple Minds, Elvis Costello, Nick Rhodes and John Taylor from Duran Duran, Adam Ant, Debbie Harry from Blondie, Bob Geldof, Robert Smith from the Cure, Ian McCulloch from Echo and the Bunnymen, Stewart Copeland and Sting from the Police, Boy George from Culture Club, Gary Numan and many other commentators.

Those in UK can watch the episode on the BBC4 website. Great quotes include:

"Journey or Duran Duran" - John Taylor
"I was supposed to get the cover of Rolling Stone but someone decided I was a Nazi" - Adam Ant
"They were the enemy" (on Duran Duran) - Robert Smith

For those not in the UK, please see the below YouTube links.Thanks to Tracey Thorn for tweeting about this (which is how i heard about this series) and my friend Peter Dixon for giving me the lowdown on this show.

Part 1 

Part 2 

Part 3 

Part 4