Sergeant Slaughter and Camouflage Rocks America

Sergeant Slaughter and Camouflage

Rocks America

Cobra Records, 1985

'MURRICA !!!!!!!!!!!!!

I'm pleased to present this bit of mid-1980s magic and mystery.

Sergeant Slaughter, everyone is behind you

Sergeant Slaughter, you defend our red-white-and-blue

'Cause you love everybody, in this land so much

But if somebody puts down America, they better beware

Of the Cobra Clutch.........! 

Robert Rudolph Remus (b. 1948) grew up in Eden Prairie, Minnesota, and served in the Marines. In the 1970s he began a career in professional wrestling, under his own name and later, the moniker 'Super Destroyer Mark II'. But it was in 1980, when he joined the World Wrestling Federation and performed as 'Sergeant Slaughter', that fame came to Robert Remus. 

Wearing a campaign hat and sunglasses, Slaughter initially was a villain, and during the early 80s, pitted against the wholesome, All-American WWF wrestler Bob Backlund in some memorable matches. 

By the time of 1984's 'World War Three', a titanic battle with the Iron Sheikh, Sgt. Slaughter had transitioned into a good-guy persona and the embodiment of American patriotism (although in the 1990s, Slaughter reverted to evil again, and portrayed himself as a Iraqi sympathizer). 

Slaughter's signature wrestling move was the 'Cobra Clutch', which was so powerful and inexorable that no adversary could recover, once Clutched........................

In 1985, Remus recorded a record album, titled Sgt. Slaughter and Camouflage Rocks America (‘Camouflage’ apparently was another wrestler, about whom little information is available). Slaughter's participation was rather limited (he wasn't all that keen on doing the album in the first place). 

On the lead track, 'Cobra Clutch', his contribution was limited to growling the eponymous phrase. 

However cheesey the idea of the album, there is no getting around the fact that some of the tracks on Sgt. Slaughter and Camouflage Rocks America are pretty catchy. I found 'Cobra Clutch', with a great 80s- style guitar riff, to be an Earworm ! 

I invite you to listen and see what you think............and don't blame me if you succumb !