Banned Music

Written by Eric Olsen
Published September 21, 2002
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The Parks Department in San Antonio, Texas, removes all rock and roll records from jukeboxes located at city swimming pools, terming it "jumpy, hot stuff" that is unsuitable for teens.

Network officials ban the novelty hit "Transfusion" by Dot and Diamond from ABC, CBS, and NBC radios in June. According to one NBC executive, "There is nothing funny about a blood transfusion."....

The '60s:

    1960

    In October, several radio stations refuse to play Ray Peterson's "Tell Laura I Love Her," calling it the "Death Disk."

    1962

    New York Bishop Burke forbids Catholic school students from dancing to "The Twist." Burke considers R&B music, and its associated dances, to be lewd and un-Christian.

    1963

    The FBI begins collecting data on folk singers Phil Ochs. Ochs is one of several popular musicians to be tracked by the FBI during their careers (Bob Dylan, Jim Morrison, Pete Seeger and Woody Guthrie).

    Bob Dylan refuses to perform on the Ed Sullivan Show in February after producers tell him he cannot sing "Talking John Birch Paranoid Blues."

    1964

    Fear it contains obscene messages, Indiana Governor Matthew Welsh attempts to ban the Kingsmen hit "Louie, Louie." After review by the FCC, the agency determines that the song's lyrics are indecipherable.

    1965

    After splitting his pants while dancing wildly at a European concert in February, the boisterous P. J. Proby is uninvited to perform on ABC's music variety show Shingdig.

    Cleveland Mayor Ralph Locher bans all rock concerts in the city following a Rolling Stones performance.

    The Barry McGuire song "Eve of Destruction" is pulled from retail stores and radio stations across the country after some groups complain that it is nihilistic and could promote suicidal feelings amongst teens.....

The '70s:

    1970

    A group known as the Movement to Restore Democracy calls for the banning of rock music to end the spread of Socialism in America.

    MCA Records drops 18 acts from their record label because they believe the performers promote hard drugs in their songs.

    Under the direction of President Richard Nixon, Vice President Spiro Agnew ignites widespread interest in censoring popular music by making statements concerning drug imagery in rock music.

    Claiming that he fears the song "Ohio" will incite further violence on college campuses following the killing of four students at Kent State University, Governor James Rhodes attempts to order Ohio radio stations to ban the song.

    Concerns over drugs and rioting cause a wave of protests of large rock festivals. Citizen groups in Chicago, Houston, Tucson, and Atlanta rally to cancel large, outdoor rock festivals in their cities.

    Country Joe McDonald is fined $500 for uttering an obscenity during a concert performance of his song "I Feel Like I'm Fixin' To Die Rag."

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Career media professional Eric Olsen is honored to be the founder and publisher of Blogcritics.org, which, quite frankly, rules - as do his wife and four children.
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Banned Music
Published: September 21, 2002
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Section: Books
Filed Under: Music: News
Writer: Eric Olsen
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Comments

#1 — September 22, 2002 @ 23:16PM — Chris [URL]

There are several examples in there of real Censorship, but the rest of the list is not. Only when the Government supresses speech in some form can it be truly called censorship. The rest are examples of people/businesses exercising judgement about what they will/will not release and/or play. There is no right to a record contract, and there is no right to radio play. Ask David Allan Coe.

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