‘I Can’t Believe George Sold Out,’ Says Disappointed Man
HAMMOND, IN—George Thorogood fan Hank Flores was disgusted to learn Friday that the white-boogie-blues musician had licensed his single “Bad To The Bone” for commercial purposes, expressing disbelief that one of his musical and philosophical idols would sell out in such a fashion. “Man, that song used to really mean something to me,” said a disillusioned Flores, lamenting that Thorogood’s musical celebration of outsiderdom and artistic rebellion rings hollow now that the iconic, subversive anthem had been used in a marketing context. “When it first came out, I was truly and deeply moved—I felt like it spoke directly to my struggles as a heartbreaking nonconformist from central Indiana. But now I feel almost ashamed even though, really, it’s a betrayal…You almost have to ask yourself if George was just doing the whole rebel thing as some kind of act.” At press time, Flores was even more disgusted upon discovering that one of his favorite bands, The Troggs, had done the same thing with their single “Wild Thing.”