Tom Mooney

On my FB page this morning was a link to FORGET THE HATE, a song and video by Vietnam Veteran, Tom Mooney. I listened and felt the short hairs rise. If you follow the VAC then you know how music and song with a focus on social commentary is a way of life around here. VAC projects like the New White Trash (with uber-activist, Michael C. Ruppert), Fell Music, The Cheeters and the VAC Music Project all interject themselves with interpretative commentary relative to issues of social justice, equal rights and the essential elements of image-rich truth-telling.

TOM MOONEY earned the title of American Hero for his service as an Army soldier in Vietnam. Hesh Rephun at RAGING ARTIST details Mooney’s Vietnam experience and how the album containing ‘Forget The Hate’ came to be called, #10 GI. According to Mooney, “When my son, who’s a Marine, came home safe, I knew it was time to make this album. I’ve been writing this song for over 40 years.”

I’ve known Tom Mooney for 15 of those 40 years. His career in the commercial production/ad business is legendary. So is his charm and his whip-smart persona. Our paths have crossed frequently, having worked together on international film projects from Los Angeles and New York to Paris and Prague. A minute into our very first meeting those many years ago, Tom said to me, without asking, “You’re a musician…” I said I was, and he then told me about his early exploits in music, playing drums and guitar up and down the east coast.

That’s one reason why hearing Forget The Hate this morning left me feeling almost giddy. Mooney’s passion, his playing and singing, drives this song into territorial high ground, a place reserved for those who have seen and now have no choice but to speak out about what they have witnessed and what they know to be true. Listening and watching Forget The Hate is an enlightening experience. The energy in Forget The Hate is exactly what I would expect from Tom Mooney – fast, furious, unsinkable. This song, this music, this Tom Mooney is the real deal.

Read the full Raging Artist article by Hesh Rephun here. 100% of the profits from the single will go to support our troops and veterans. Info will be posted on Tom Mooney’s Forget The Hate Facebook page. Right on Tom Mooney – You ROCK! Doug Lewis - Venice Arts Club

“#10 G.I.,” the new album from Vietnam veteran Tom Mooney, pays tribute to the men and women of the U.S. Armed Forces. The first single, "Forget the Hate," is accompanied by a black and white video that features Mooney performing the song against a backdrop of historic images of war and politics. “Politicians think wearing a flag pin and talking bullshit is sufficient," says Mooney. "It’s not.” All proceeds from the song and video benefit our troops and vets.

New York, NY (PRWEB) March 29, 2012
With the release of the video and first single from his new album, “#10 G.I.,” Vietnam veteran Tom Mooney pays tribute to the men and women of the U.S. Armed Forces - and makes the plea to bring them home with honor, once and for all. “I have been writing this song for over 40 years,” Mooney said of “Forget the Hate.” “When my son, who’s a Marine, came home safe, I knew it was time to make this album. Soldiers come home and then what? We do it over and over. There’s a cycle of hate - for the enemy, for the price of war, for the warriors. We have to break the cycle.” 100% of the proceeds from the single and album will go to support our troops and veterans (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gyZuvoaILeA).
With its guitars and saxophone, “Forget the Hate” recalls Creedence Clearwater Revival, and Mooney’s raspy vocal - a passionate growl - has been described as a cross between Bruce Springsteen and Tom Waits. Conceived by Mooney and director Alex Engel, the black and white video has Mooney performing the song against a backdrop of historic images of war and politics. “Politicians think wearing a flag pin and talking bullshit is sufficient. It’s not.”
“#10 G.I.” features Jay Folk on lead guitar, Paul Ducker on sax, Phil Calico on bass guitar, with Mooney on guitar and vocal. The album was recorded and mixed in the homes of Folk and Calico. Ray Karl served as Associate Producer on the album, which was produced by Mooney and Calico. Dan Klein Executive Produced the music video, which was shot on the Curious Pictures stage in NYC. Everyone involved with the project donated their time and talents.
The name of the album comes from an inside joke Mooney recalls from his time served at Camp Eagle near the city of Hue in Vietnam, where he was stationed from October 1967 to October 1968. “The Vietnamese used to call us #1 if they liked us and #10 if they did not, especially the prostitutes,” Mooney laughed. “It then became an inside joke between us. ‘Hey, Mooney, you # 10 G.I.’ The locals who worked in our camps would call us #1 or #10. So this album is for all the #10 G.I.’s.” After two years in the service, Mooney went to school on the G.I. Bill at Hunter College in NC, where he studied film and theatre. He formed the band The Yorkville Saints in New York City, playing in that and other bands all over the east coast until 1983, when he entered the ad business. He made his mark as a founding partner in iconic production company Headquarters Films, and continues that legacy as a partner in ADDigital Productions.
“In an election year, politicians and politics tend to take center stage,” Mooney added. “We want to stand up for all the Vets and put them in the spotlight for a change.” The song and album will soon be for sale, with all relevant info appearing on a Forget the Hate Facebook page established for that purpose. Mooney said that’s just the beginning. “I want to produce a concert for the Vets, a welcome home party. They deserve it, and what’s more, they need it. We need it, as a country, and as human beings.” Marjorie Giberson
- Raging Artists