CHAIN GANG
1977
"We cut that single before he was caught. Besides the publicity machine that goes with the record, we were real close on his ass. We know the city so well that we knew he lived in Mt. Vernon or Yonkers. And we knew that he had taken a shot at somebody in a certain section of the Bronx and we sorta had a feel for him. We also knew some lowlifes who had broken into Berkowitz's apartment -- we found this out weeks after they caught him. The record was still being pressed, but we were out looking to grab that thirty grand reward. We needed the money. We ran across this woman...We were at this bridge. It's like a no man's land in this part of north Manhattan. Nobody walks over this bridge or this strip. We were just sort of lurking in the shadows, leaning against the car, drinking a few beers, and most people would avoid us if they'd see us. This woman comes running. We hear her coming, like in the movies, right? We hear her heels (makes tapping sounds), running down the stairway and she's panting and crying, "Son of Sam tried to shoot me!" It was unbelievable. We were that close. That thirty grand started to look like ours."
Excerpt from an interview with the band's lead singer, Ricky "Don't Call Me Ricky" Luanda. It was conducted in July of '87 at Brewski's in New York City. Available in it's entireity on the Matador Records website.
More Chain Gang material available on their posthumous release "Perfumed."
