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Banned Music?
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Subject: Banned Music? From: Victoria H. Date: 07 Oct 00 - 09:49 PM I have a friend who wants to incorporate a topic into her University class regarding banned music, and I am trying to aid her in a little research. I recalled a story regarding P.F. Sloan's "Eve of Destruction" (recorded by Barry McGuire) but am looking for other songs that have been banned in the history of our country and other countries as well, or writers/singers that were blacklisted as a result of songs they wrote or recorded. Can anyone help? The unit she is teaching is on banned books, but she would like to expand that topic to include other art forms as well. She is interested not only in contemporary, but in traditional songs as well. Any help would be appreciated, if anyone can suggest anything, I can send it on to her. Thanks! -Victoria |
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Subject: RE: Banned Music? From: bbelle Date: 07 Oct 00 - 09:52 PM Janis Ian's "Society's Child" was banned from most radio stations around the country, because it was about the relationship between a white girl and an African-American boy. Mid-1960's. moonjen |
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Subject: RE: Banned Music? From: Sorcha Date: 07 Oct 00 - 10:01 PM Is she interested in as far back as the '50's? Woody Guthrie, Pete Seeger; lots of others were sucked into the McCarthy/Communisim business. From what Little Hawk says, Buffy St. Marie was (for all practical purposes) banned because of her involvement with the American Indian Movement. |
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Subject: RE: Banned Music? From: catspaw49 Date: 07 Oct 00 - 10:05 PM Just refreshed an older thread for you...titled "banned songs".......Try it too. Spaw |
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Subject: RE: Banned Music? From: Oversoul Date: 07 Oct 00 - 10:36 PM "Poor Ellen Smith"...there was a time when you could be fined $50 for singing it. I have the lyrics somewhere, and, of course, a recording by the New Lost City Ramblers. |
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Subject: RE: Banned Music? From: Rich(bodhránai gan ciall) Date: 07 Oct 00 - 11:19 PM Going a little further back, the whole practice of lilting aka mouth music in Ireland and Scotland, and the Appalachian play party game, were sprung for various times when the fiddle was banned as "a tool of the divil" Rich |
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Subject: RE: Banned Music? From: Mbo Date: 08 Oct 00 - 06:23 PM "Lola" by the Kinks, because it mentions a brand name "Coca-Cola." |
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Subject: RE: Banned Music? From: Quincy Date: 08 Oct 00 - 07:33 PM I believe that the Paul McCartney and Wings song...Give Ireland back to the Irish was banned for a while. Yvonne |
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Subject: RE: Banned Music? From: MudGuard Date: 09 Oct 00 - 02:01 AM Some years ago I bought a double cd in Dublin which had a sticker on it with some text similar to "This item is illegal in the UK. Do not bring this item to the UK". It was "The Fighting Men From Crossmaglen: 50 Complete Irish Rebel Songs". Last year I was in the same shop and saw this same CD, but that time there was no sticker attached. MudGuard |
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Subject: RE: Banned Music? From: GUEST Date: 09 Oct 00 - 03:19 AM Didn't Dougie McLean have the same problem somewhere with "Caledonia"??? That some stupid soccer fans who were bent on violence picked it up as their theme or that it was picked up by a beer add that soccer fans didn't take to well or something?? I seem to recall that there was some trouble over Caledonia at some point, but can't recall the details.. it may not have been banned outright... Donno... {~` |
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Subject: RE: Banned Music? From: Clinton Hammond2 Date: 09 Oct 00 - 03:27 AM That was me above.... dang cookie crumbled! {~` |
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Subject: RE: Banned Music? From: Lady McMoo Date: 09 Oct 00 - 04:42 AM The song McCafferty (or McCaffery in some versions) used to be banned by the British Army (and may still be for all I know) for its lyrics concerning injustice towards the lower ranks from the officer class. Peace mcmoo |
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Subject: RE: Banned Music? From: GUEST,Roger the skiffler Date: 09 Oct 00 - 04:55 AM I believe the mystery success of Jasper Carrot's record: "Funky moped" was because the other side was a wicked and funny parody of children's cartoon "Magic Roundabout" including words that mainstream radio stations wouldn't broadcast so the other side was the one that got played on "Top of the Pops" or "Pick of the Pops" type programmes. The success of the unplayed side was by word of mouth, live performances and probably pirate radio stations, and was a favourite of students. Strangely, this one isn't in my collection! RtS ["Time for bed" said Zebedee] |
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Subject: RE: Banned Music? From: sian, west wales Date: 09 Oct 00 - 04:55 AM My sister told me that Black Day in July (Lightfoot) was banned - I suppose that was in the late 60s? She told me a lot of porky-pies, including that mohair sweaters were made from the hair of mo-s and I being gullible believed everything. Still, I can't think why she'd make the BDIJ up. But then, why would she have made up the bit about mohair? Oh, and BBC Wales has banned songs by Dafydd Iwan before now. Dafydd isn't / wasn't known as Margaret Thatcher's biggest fan ... I understand that the ban did wonders for sales ... sian |
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Subject: RE: Banned Music? From: SINSULL Date: 09 Oct 00 - 08:26 AM "Buddy Can You Spare A Dime" (written by the same man who write "Over The Rainbow" and whose name escapes me now) was banned during the depression. "Teen Angel" and "Running Bear" were banned (60s?) for promoting teenage suicide. Never figured out how going back for a ring could be interpreted as suicide but... |
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Subject: RE: Banned Music? From: bill\sables Date: 09 Oct 00 - 08:40 AM I don't know of any banned songs but I think melodeon players should be banned |
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Subject: RE: Banned Music? From: Susan of DT Date: 09 Oct 00 - 08:42 AM All these make good stories, but who "banned" these songs? The fact that certain stations wouldn't play them reflects more on the individual stations than on any actual ban. And, despite the popular story, McCafferty was never banned; it's remained quite well-known and quite popular for a couple of centuries. "Eve of Destruction" wasn't banned either; it got lots of airplay. So did "Brother an You Spare a Dime" during the Depression years. Urban legends? (dick greenhaus--who forgot to change cookies) |
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Subject: RE: Banned Music? From: paddymac Date: 09 Oct 00 - 09:02 AM The Wolfe Tones did a song called "Rock on Rockall" about English efforts to extract oil from a tiny Island which Ireland claimed. I have heard them tell the story from the stage of how the British government banned that particular song from air play because they thought it seditious. The Dubliners had a similar experience with their shortened version of "Seven Drunken Nights". That was banned for twenty-five years in Ireland by church influence as promoting drunkeness and fornication. I would imagine that documentation would be difficult for many bannings, because it can be done so easily in autocratic and aristocratic societies without leaving a paper trail. |
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Subject: RE: Banned Music? From: SINSULL Date: 09 Oct 00 - 11:13 AM According to the PBS Special I saw (at least ten years ago) "Buddy Can You Spare A Dime" was banned nationwide from radio play by presidential request because it was seen as detrimental to the nation's self confidence. By the time it was banned it was popular which is why it attracted attention. The "suicide" rock songs were banned by various radio stations - nothing official. |
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Subject: RE: Banned Music? From: Gary T Date: 09 Oct 00 - 11:17 AM "The Ballad of John and Yoko", by the Beatles, was banned in many communities, particularly in the American South, because of the lyric, "Christ, you know it ain't easy". Many stations that did play the song blanked out the word "Christ". |
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Subject: RE: Banned Music? From: Clinton Hammond2 Date: 09 Oct 00 - 11:40 AM The Kildare House, my local pub has banned the playing of "The Unicorn Song"... And we musicians who play there are damn thankful for it!!! {~` |
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Subject: RE: Banned Music? From: Bert Date: 09 Oct 00 - 11:55 AM In the Fifties, the BBC banned 'Nobody Loves Like an Irishman' because the reference to the Koran was felt might be offensive. They also banned 'Answer me Lord Above' and accepted the altered version 'Answer me Oh My Love' The Royal Navy banned sea shanties and used a fiddler to accompany work on board. |
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Subject: RE: Banned Music? From: Mbo Date: 09 Oct 00 - 12:28 PM HEY! Jeff Lynne wrote "Funky Moped". I've never heard the song, but it's gotta rock if Jeff wrote it. Everytime I see a moped I go "oooh funky moped.." |
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Subject: RE: Banned Music? From: Morticia Date: 09 Oct 00 - 12:44 PM Working Class Hero by John Lennon was also banned as it contained the f-word,as was Relax by Frankie Goes to Hollywood as it referred to sexual gratification, so was My ding-a-ling by Chuck Berry as it was considered too risque......all banned by the BBC in this country ( U.K) and all resulting in record sales for the records concerned. |
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Subject: RE: Banned Music? From: Mbo Date: 09 Oct 00 - 12:49 PM 2 years ago MTV banned 2 Live Crew (2 Dead Shrews) and their ick-rap (Me So Horny, etc.) They got very close to banning Prodigy's "Slap My Bitch Up"...but decided to air it only a few times, and at 2am. The video was even worse than the song. Ugh. |
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Subject: RE: Banned Music? From: Kim C Date: 09 Oct 00 - 01:21 PM During the Civil War, both Armies didn't like Home Sweet Home because it promoted homesickness and consequently, desertion. I have read of its being forbidden but I don't know if it was officially "banned." A few years back, country artist Holly Dunn had a single that went "When I say No I mean Maybe, and maybe I mean Yes." Women's groups got all over this, saying it promoted date rape. I don't know if it did or didn't but all I can say is I knew exactly where Holly was coming from. They used to call it playing hard to get. Anyway several stations stopped playing it. The latest furor has been over the Dixie Chicks' Goodbye Earl, about a battered woman who kills her husband. Far as I can see it's just another murder ballad, woop-de-doo. The only problem I have with it is that is just ain't a very good song. :) |
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Subject: RE: Banned Music? From: GeorgeH Date: 09 Oct 00 - 02:01 PM To say "The Royal Navy banned sea shanties" is less than accurate . . but as Susan pointed out, it's difficult to define "banned" here. The BBC "decined to broadcast" the Hard Cash TV series (about the world of work from the worker's perspective) because they felt Margaret Thatcher wouldn't approve (yes, others would claim that statment was "less than accurate", too) . . however the CD of the never-broadcast programmes is well worth locating. G. |
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Subject: RE: Banned Music? From: Cobble Date: 09 Oct 00 - 02:36 PM Watch it Sables, I only live four miles away. And who borrowed my melodeon for his world tour of the USA and Canada? Cobble. |
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Subject: RE: Banned Music? From: GUEST,michael batory Date: 09 Oct 00 - 02:37 PM What about je t'aime..... etc and the Garden of Eden by Frankie Vaughan and others? The was also a motorbike song, you know young girl + biker = accident = Harleys in the sky, but I can't remember the name or the artist at the moment. I was banned or at least one of my records was. It was called Knoxville Girl and was produced by Joe Meek. My band was a bluegrass outfit called The James Boys and we all wore stetsons. Sad eh? anyway it was banned before it was ever released, so no one ever made anything out of it. Funny though - O. Newton-John and Joan Baez had great success with Banks of the Ohio which was the same song really, at least the story was the same. Bye. Michael |
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Subject: RE: Banned Music? From: Bert Date: 09 Oct 00 - 02:41 PM That's interesting GeorgeH, I know I read it somewhere. I assumed that it wasn't a ban for the whole time that the Royal Navy existed, otherwise we wouldn't have songs like 'Spanish Ladies'. So what's the REAL story? |
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Subject: RE: Banned Music? From: Gary T Date: 09 Oct 00 - 03:19 PM Michael, "Knoxville Girl" is apparently a standard for BR-549, the rockabilly band. Now I'm curious--where and when was it banned in your experience? Going off on a bit of a tangent--I like to sing "Cedartown, Georgia" (written by Sammi Smith, I know it by Wayon Jennings). It's a murder ballad which, unlike "Banks of the Ohio", lets you know why he wants to kill her. I get frequent comments about how dark or depressing it is, but I've never heard anyone lament the unexplained murder in "Banks of the Ohio". |
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Subject: RE: Banned Music? From: wildlone Date: 09 Oct 00 - 03:52 PM Martin Luther's . song A Mighty Fortress was banned 400 years ago and I am sure that some of the songs in the Little Red Song book .were as well the above were found on This Site . |
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Subject: RE: Banned Music? From: Amos Date: 09 Oct 00 - 03:57 PM Either Burl Ives or Woody tell a tale of being arrested for singing "The Foggy Foggy Dew"; the paddies reportedly said they knew all about that kind of song, with its subtle anti-Victorian sentiments condoning improprietous intimacies between alleged adults who, although consenting, should not have been. (Not the battle song; the bachelor at the weaver's trade song). A |
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Subject: RE: Banned Music? From: Uncle_DaveO Date: 09 Oct 00 - 07:02 PM Amos, that was Burl. Dave Oesterreich |
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Subject: RE: Banned Music? From: Burke Date: 09 Oct 00 - 07:25 PM Someone teaching a class needs real citations not anecdotes. Go to the library. Here are some citations it took me very little time to find. There's lot's more. Don't forget that Israel had a ban on Wagner. Banned music. (history of censorship of music)(Brief Article) The Economist (US) Nov 28, 1998 p91(1) Smashed hits. (censorship of music) Julian Petley. Index on Censorship Nov-Dec 1998 v27 i6 p10(1) You can't play that: a selective chronology of banned music: 1850-1991. (includes related article on ways to defuse censorship in libraries) Edward J. Volz. School Library Journal July 1991 v37 n7 p16(3) |
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Subject: RE: Banned Music? From: Haruo Date: 09 Oct 00 - 08:27 PM Re: "The Little Red Song Book" linked by wildlone above: Oddly enough (I really don't recall why — I thought I had Silent Night there) my romanized Japanese Christmas carols collection has L’Internationale as bgmusic. Liland |
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Subject: RE: Banned Music? From: khandu Date: 09 Oct 00 - 09:06 PM Street Fighting Man by the Stones was banned on many stations. Brown-Eyed Girl by Van Morrison was banned by many stations because of the line "Makin' love in the green grass behind the stadium". There is an "acceptable" version still heard on some oldie stations in which the "offensive" line is replaced by an earlier line in the song. All of Cat Stevens were banned by many stations, and some stations had a Cat Stevens record burning, during the Salmon Rushdie death warrant thing. Listening to todays radio I would say that most of the "New Country" should be banned due to supreficiality! khandu |
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Subject: RE: Banned Music? From: Cap't Bob Date: 09 Oct 00 - 09:15 PM If you can locate a copy of "The Incomplete Folksinger" by Pete Seeger I'm sure that you will find it quite interesting. During the 50's and 60's there were quite a few prominent folksingers or groups that suddenly found it impossible to find work. Cap't Bob |
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Subject: RE: Banned Music? From: Mbo Date: 09 Oct 00 - 09:21 PM Oasis does a kick-ass version of "Street Fighting Man." When the Yugoslavia revolution floodgates broke last week, all I could think of was "Now the time is right for a valourous revoluuuuuution!" F***ing wires! F***in', c***in' wires everywere! B*****d! |
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Subject: RE: Banned Music? From: Rich(bodhránai gan ciall) Date: 09 Oct 00 - 10:51 PM Ok, neither were technically banned but both the Beatles and Elvis had records burned. The Beatles for John's misunderstood statement "We're more popular then Jesus now." Elvis for thrusting his pelvis (although anyone listening to the records would not have seen his hips moving.) Elvis was filmed from the waist up on Ed Sullivan, for that reason. The Doors were told they had to change "Light My Fire", to "Girl, we couldn't get much better". Of course, it didn't occur to them that on live TV, Jim Morrison could sing anything he wanted during the broadcast, despite what he may have sung in the dress rehearsal! Rich |
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Subject: RE: Banned Music? From: GUEST,michael Batory Date: 10 Oct 00 - 03:36 AM Hello Gary, The track was recorded in Joe Meek's Holloway Road studio late 65/early 66, I can't quite remember. The tape still exixts I believe but it is one of those waiting in the Cliff Cooper treasure box waing to go to the National Sound Archive at the British Museum. At that time Joe Meek had several outlets, Decca, Pye and EMI being the most prominent I think, but all of them said no. Joe then tried to get some pre mrelease plugging but the Beeb would not touch the record saying it was too blood thirsty. Of course, it could have been our singing. Thanks for your interest. Michael. |
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Subject: RE: Banned Music? From: Haruo Date: 10 Oct 00 - 10:54 AM From: Rich(bodhránai gan ciall)
Only someone with a very weak imagination would fail to see Elvis's pelvises moving while listening to his records. ;-) |
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Subject: RE: Banned Music? From: Kim C Date: 10 Oct 00 - 11:18 AM I never have understood what the problem was with Burl Ives' Foggy Foggy Dew. I never thought of it as "that" kind of song. |
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Subject: RE: Banned Music? From: Haruo Date: 10 Oct 00 - 11:24 AM Glamorizes premarital hanky-panky don't it? Or at least justifies it as a remedy against cold and foggy night air. Liland At least if Burl Ives' version is anything like the Esperanto one |
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Subject: RE: Banned Music? From: GUEST,CLETUS Date: 10 Oct 00 - 11:50 AM I haint never figgered owt whut thet thair Espyrantur stuff iz nohow. Seemz like sumthin fer folks whut aint got a gud grip on the Inglish langwage. Ize allus figgered thet I wuz lucky ta git me a gud forth grayed edgykashun an am rite perfishent in talkin an ritin reel gud. And I like banned music. I like them folks whut sing by themselfs too, soze I gess I like both kinds. CLETUS |
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Subject: RE: Banned Music? From: Mbo Date: 10 Oct 00 - 12:13 PM In 1991, the R.E.M. song "Losing My Religion" was banned in Ireland. That was a dumb move, really! The guys from R.E.M. are from Athens, Georgia. "Losing my religion" is a Souther-ism that means "losing my temper." Heck, Ms.Fine, one of our educational technology teachers, is trying to hook a camera up to a PC, not 2 feet away. She keeps saying that she's really starting to lose her religion. The folks in Ireland should have understood that before they banned it! |
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Subject: RE: Banned Music? From: GUEST,Fibula Mattock Date: 10 Oct 00 - 12:21 PM I never knew that about "Losing my religion" - weird! Mind you, the Chart Show on ITV censored the Samshing Pumpkins video for "Today" when it showed 3 people snogging together in the long grass. And Evan Dando from the Lemonheads was not allowed to use the words "suck my dick" on a live radio broadcast, so it was changed to "duck my sick". Oh, and they censored Radiohead's "Creep", changed the phrase "fucking special" to "very special" for the radio edit. And Little Angels (naff soft rock group whose cheesy lyrics I used to have a soft spot for) got their single "Boneyard" banned during the Gulf War as it was deemed too insensitive. It was a crap song anyway. |
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Subject: RE: Banned Music? From: Mbo Date: 10 Oct 00 - 12:32 PM Banned for snogging and not for vadalizing an ice cream truck? ;-) (LOVE THAT SONG!) I knew about "Creep"...personally I prefer the "very special" one, and that's how I sing it. Also, when the Rolling Stones went on Ed Sullivan, they had to change the words to "Let's Spend The Night Together". Basically Mick Jagger just kind of garbled the lyrics so they couldn't be understood. |
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Subject: RE: Banned Music? From: GUEST,Fibula Mattock Date: 10 Oct 00 - 12:35 PM Hang on, just remembered a REALLY stupid censorship: Aon Focal Eile (excuse me if I spell it wrong, my Irish is atrocious) was banned because "focal" (the Irish for "word")was thought to sound too rude. Half the point of the song... Actually... I do believe that's a macaronic song... Now I've nailed two threads with the one tune! |
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Subject: RE: Banned Music? From: catspaw49 Date: 10 Oct 00 - 12:35 PM MICK? GARBLED SOME LYRICS??? REALLY??? Oh my, that's so unusual........Tell me, how did anyone know? Spaw |
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