Clear Channel Communications, And Some

Banned Songs: Part 3

Surprisingly, British cutie Lulu even had a banned song, however, the ban took place over two decades after the song's release in 1969. Performed by Lulu, "Boom Bang-a-Bang" was the UK entry to the Eurovision Song Contest 1969, and was a joint winner with entries from Spain, France, and the Netherlands. The song scored #2 on the UK singles charts and was a major hit throughout Europe. Although the lyrics are clearly about the singer's heart going "boom bang-a-bang" whenever her lover is near, the song was actually included on a blacklist of banned songs by the BBC during the Gulf War in 1991. Guess they were concerned the lyrics might be mistaken for gunfire? Anyway, here's the actual footage from the Eurovision contest.

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On that note, I think I'll mention a few other songs from 1960s that were also blacklisted decades later. In 2001, Clear Channel Communications (the largest owner of U.S. radio stations) released an advisory list of songs which stations were to avoid playing immediately following the terrorist attacks on 9/11.
One of the 165 songs on that controversial list includes a classic by The Happenings, a pop music group known for recording cover versions of songs and making them better than the original. First recorded by The Tempos in 1959, "See You In September" became a huge hit for The Happenings in 1966, reaching #3 on the charts and selling over a million records. Although this song is clearly about two lovers saying goodbye for the summer (and has nothing to do with terrorism), it was suggested to be pulled from the airwaves after 9/11, probably because of 'September' in the title. Filmed at Lake Calhoun in Minneapolis, it's the good ol' days of wholesome entertainment.

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(Denny) Zager & (Rick) Evans, a pop-rock duo from Nebraska, hold the distinct record for being the only act to achieve a #1 hit in both the U.S. and the UK, and then never had another chart single for the rest of their career. Released in 1969, "In the Year 2525 (Exordium and Terminus)" claimed the #1 spot for six weeks, and struck a chord with millions of people as the song describes a nightmarish vision of the future as man's technology eventually destroys the human race. Written by Evans, and backed by a ominous, orchestral accompaniment, the song even references technologies and concepts that had not been brought up by the mainstream media at the time, such as robots, In vitro fertilization, and parents choosing the gender of their future children. It's interesting that Zager and Evan's psychedelic rock/space rock song was just another deemed inappropriate by the CCC following the September 11th attacks (maybe because the song's predictions are frighteningly realistic?).

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Often thought of as a one-hit wonder, American singer-songwriter Norman Greenbaum is best known for "Spirit in the Sky," a psychedelic rock song ,that is among the 500 Greatest Songs of All Time (I really need an acronym for that!). Selling two million copies after its release in 1969, this song hit #3 on the U.S. charts and #1 on the UK, Canadian, and Australian charts. Inspired by gospel music, Greenbaum included a Christian theme in the lyrics, even though he was/still is a practicing Jew. Remembered for its innovative, 'heavy' guitar intro, this song has been used in numerous films, TV shows and commercials. Guess you'll have to read between the lines as to why this tune was considered 'questionable' and added to the blacklist in 2001.

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British Invasion duo Peter & Gordon had two songs on Clear Channel Communications' 'inappropriate' list including "A World Without Love" and "I Go to Pieces" (the latter featured during British Invasion Weeks at The '60s Beat). However, these guys had another hit song in the mid-1960s that caused a little controversy at the time, so I'm posting that one instead since it cracks me up. Released in the fall of 1966, "Lady Godiva" was banned by the mayor of Coventry, England, who felt the song was obscene. Back in the early 11th Century, Coventry was the hometown of the real Lady Godiva who, supposedly, rode naked through the streets to protest the oppressive taxes under her husband's rule. With Gordon on guitar and Peter on banjo, he's the classic duo performing another million-selling single.

Rhapsody In The Rain

Banned Songs: Part 2

New to The '60s Beat, Lou Christie was a popular American singer-songwriter known for his impressive, three-octave vocal range. Released in the spring of 1966, his song "Rhapsody In The Rain" caused a storm of controversy with its suggestive lyrics. With the opening melody inspired by Tchaikovsky's "Romeo and Juliet" (a music history refresher on that famous love theme here), the song tells of a teenager's regret over "what happened" in the backseat of a car during a rainstorm. Many radio stations banned the song, resulting in Christie re-recording a "toned down" version. Despite the ban, the song managed to hit #16 on the U.S. charts, with the controversy aiding its popularity. Backed by the familiar, female singers known as The Tammys, Christie effortlessly soars into falsetto vocals in this classic.
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A popular, American girl group in the mid-60s, The Shangri-Las were known for their heartbreaking, teen melodramas like their biggest hit, "Leader of the Pack." Although this is one of my least favorite songs of the decade (sorry Leiber & Stoller), it was a #1 hit in 1964 and is now even ranked among the 500 Greatest Songs of All Time. Despite its popularity, this song was banned by the BBC in the UK because it glorified motorcycle gangs. However, by the end of 1964, The Shangri-Las were quite an established act, getting to perform with The Beatles and touring with The Drifters and James Brown (who were surprised the girls were white) as well as with Dusty Springfield and The Zombies (whose drummer, Hugh Grundy, got to rev up the motorcycle backstage during the girls' live performances of this song). Here's Mary Weiss singing lead, backed by twin sisters Mary Ann and Marge Ganser, performing on I've Got a Secret with singer Robert Goulet on the motorcycle.

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Featured during Psychedelic Rock Week, we all know the story of how The Doors asked to change the lyrics to "Light My Fire" on The Ed Sullivan Show, however, Jim Morrison still sang "higher" in the live performance, resulting in their ban from the show. Since it's such a classic song, I thought I'd post the mellow, Latin-influenced cover version by the blind, Puerto Rican singer and guitarist, Jose' Feliciano. Released in 1968, Feliciano's interpretation brought him international success, reaching #3 in the US, and #1 in several other countries, earning him a gold disc, as well as two Grammy Awards including Best New Artist of the Year and Best Pop Song of 1969. However, Feliciano caused a lot of controversy that same year when he sang a slow, Latin-jazz version of the "Star Spangled Banner" at Game 5 of the 1968 World Series, resulting in the ban of his music by many radio stations.
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One of the biggest songs of 1967 was Van Morrison's "Brown Eyed Girl," his first single after leaving the British Invasion group Them (revisit Them, whose hit song "Gloria" was actually banned as well by a Chicago radio station in 1964). Written by the Northern Irish singer-songwriter, Morrison had to record an alternate, radio-edit version of this song since it was considered too racy and suggestive at the time, however, the original recording is widely familiar today, reaching over 9 million radio and TV air plays in 2009 (yeah, wow). Although this tune has become Morrison's signature song, he signed the record label without legal advice, and unfortunately has never received any of the royalties for writing or recording the song. Here's a very serious Morrison performing on American Bandstand.

 
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We'll finish this post with one of the premiere groups on Motown's roster, Martha Reeves and the Vandellas (check them out from Motown Week). Known for their harder, R&B sound, their 1964 release of "Dancing in the Street" is a signature song for the girls (and for Motown), and has become one of the most covered and popular songs in rock and roll history. Although it was recorded as an innocent dance single, the song was banned by many radio stations in concern that the song was a call to riot, as the Civil Rights Movement was just getting underway. Regardless, the song reached #2 on the U.S. charts, even becoming a global success. In 2009, it became one of 50 sound recordings to be preserved by the Library of Congress, and is #40 of the 500 Greatest Songs of All Time.

Those Darn Kids and Their Music

Banned Songs: Part 1
So how about a three-part segment of songs that were either banned or edited for the radio due to questionable lyrics?!
For anyone that knows a little about The Beatles, they probably can guess a few of their tunes were banned including "A Day in the Life" (for lyrics about a graphic car accident) and "Lucy in the Sky with Diamonds" (which was thought to be a drug reference, however, it was based upon drawing by John Lennon's son). "I Am the Walrus" was another of those banned songs, although it's quite clear what substance contributed to some of these lyrics. Released in November 1967 as the B-side to "Hello, Goodbye," Lennon composed this psychedelic rock song by combining three songs he had been working on. He also added a verse of nonsensical words when he had a learned that a teacher at his old primary school was having students analyze his lyrics. The walrus is a reference to Lewis Carroll's "Walrus and the Carpenter" (from the sequel to Alice In Wonderland), however, Lennon was 'bummed' when he later learned that the walrus was the 'bad guy.' From their 1967 TV film Magical Mystery Tour, here's a Beatles tune banned by the BCC for a couple of inappropriate lines.

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And here's Peter, Paul, and Mary, the beloved folk group just discussed a few posts ago. Although they were often politically outspoken in their lyrics, their only song to actually be banned was "Puff, the Magic Dragon," a simple song about the loss of childhood innocence. Based upon a 1959 poem written by 19-year-old Cornell student Leonard Lipton, an acquaintance of Peter Yarrow (of the trio), Lipton was given half of the songwriting credits along with Yarrow after the song's release in 1963. Throughout the sixties, there was lots of speculation about the lyrics referring drugs leading to its ban in several countries, but the authors consistently deny this rumor. Since, this song is considered a popular children's classic, and has become a part of American and British pop culture.

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From Portland, Oregon, The Kingsmen were a garage rock band best known for their 1963 recording of Richard Berry's "Louie Louie." It held the #2 spot on the Billboard chart for six weeks and is still well-known today. However, because of lead singer/rhythm guitarist Jack Ely's indistinguishable enunciation of the lyrics (try saying that ten times fast!), the song became immediately controversial, with millions of teenagers and their parents thinking it was "dirty." As a result, the governor of Illinois banned it, and the FBI even got involved investigating the lyrics, but found nothing. The words are, in fact, innocent, which you can actually hear a bit clearer in this video footage from Shindig! compared to the garbled vocals on the original recording.

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Finally, we all know that The Rolling Stones were the 'bad boys' of the British Invasion as their music was often quite suggestive. Written by Mick Jagger and Keith Richards, "Let's Spend the Night Together" was released as a double A-sided single with "Ruby Tuesday" in January 1967, and was definitely controversial at the time. On the Ed Sullivan Show, the band was initially not allowed to perform this song, but a compromise was met by changing the lyrics to "let's spend some time together." However, during the live performance, Jagger clearly rolled his eyes at the TV camera every time he sang that line (seen in this footage below). This, combined with their antics backstage (something about wearing Nazi uniforms), Ed Sullivan announced the band was banned for performing on the show again.