Saturday, April 10, 2010

Why Were So Many Songs Banned: 60's n 70's

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Many Singaporeans screamed when the Singapore authorities banned, Puff The Magic Dragon (1963) and Lucy In The Sky With Diamonds (1967). We think that only this island ban songs over the airwaves. 

 It's a myth because below are the titles of 60s and 70s songs that have been banned even in Western countries because of moral, military, religious and political motivations. Even up till today some of these songs have not been played on certain broadcast stations.
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Music censorship is the practice of restricting free access to musical pieces and range from the complete prohibition of the piece to the removal of content when it appears in a certain context. 

 There are definitely extremities in lyrics as Yoko Ono's *Open Your Box (1970) proves, but to ban **Tell Laura I Love Her (1960) is questionable.
'Tell Laura' was banned because of the death theme.


So you be the judge:
*"Open your box,/Open your box,/Open your trousers,/Open your thighs,/Open your legs,/Open, open, open, open, oooh./Open, open, open, open,/Open your legs,Open your flies,/Open your ears,/Open your nose,/Open your mouth,/Open, open, open, open, oooh.

 Open./Open your cold feet,/Open, open,/Open, open, open, lets open, lets open the cities./Open the cities,/Open, open, open the world,/Open, lets open the world./Open, open, oooh/Open, open, ooh!"


'Tell Laura I Love Her' Partial Lyrics
**"No one knows what happened that day/Or how his car overturned in flames/But as they pulled him from the twisted wreck/With his dying breath, they heard him say/Tell Laura I love her/Tell Laura I need her/Tell Laura not to cry/My love for her will never die..."

The Beatles: Come Together (1969) - product advertising
Rolling Stones: Lets Spend The Night Together (1967) - sex?
Cliff Richard: There's a Honky Tonk Angel Who'll Take Me Back In (1973) 
HT Angel = hooker

 Adam Faith: Made You (1960) - sex
Paul McCarney n Wings: Hi Hi Hi (1972) - sex
Donna Summer: Love To Love You (1976) - breaths, groans

 Yoko Ono Plastic Ono Band: Open Your Box (1970) - obvious
Paul McCartney: Give Ireland Back to the Irish (1972) - obvious
Johnny Horton: Battle of New Orleans (1959) - 'bloody British'
'Charlie Brown' by the Coasters was banned 
because of its hooliganism theme.


 Ray Peterson: Tell Laura I Love Her (1960) - death
Mungo Jerry: Have A Whiff On Me (1971) - drugs
Lonnie Donegan: Digging My Potatoes (1971)

 The Beatles: A Day In The Life (1967) - drugs
Rolling Stones: Stoned (1964) - drugs
Ten Years After: Good Morning Little Schoolgirl (1969) - sex

 The Coasters: Charlie Brown (1959) - hooliganism, spitballs.
The Everly Brothers: Ebony Eyes (1961) - death
The Kinks: Lola (1970) - product advertising

This song was banned because of its death theme.


 The Beatles: Lucy In The Sky With Diamonds (1967) - drugs
The Four Aces: Stranger In Paradise (1953) - ?
Bobby Darin: Mack The Knife (1928) - gang violence

In certain cases censorship is not permanent and banned songs have been known to be given airplay again. Now you know why the songs Charlie Brown and Ebony Eyes were banned. 

And Stranger In Paradise was not played over the airwaves once upon a time?  Do you know why... Tell us.
Image: google
Information: Wikipedia Songs and various websites.
Original article: Andy Lim
at

20 comments:

  1. Teoh10.4.10

    Andy, I see nothing wrong with the lyrics of "Tell Laura I Love Her" too. The song has nothing to do with moral, military, religion or politics. What's you guess?

    ReplyDelete
  2. ANDY: Pop Music Not Pills. ©11.4.10

    It's banned by a broadcasting station in the West because of the theme of death in a stock car race.

    Personally I don't see anything wrong with the lyrics. Perhaps it's the morbidity of the topic?

    Even the song, 'Ebony Eyes' by The Everly Brothers has the same theme of death.

    ReplyDelete
  3. Anonymous12.4.10

    Hi Andy,

    There is a website and book about banned songs called Taboo Tunes.

    http://www.tabootunes.com/thebook.html

    There is lots of interesting info there

    Steve

    ReplyDelete
  4. ANDY: Pop Music Not Pills. ©12.4.10

    Thanks Steve. I shall check it out.
    It's a very interesting topic to read and discuss.

    ReplyDelete
  5. CHOW WEN HING [SINGER/COMPOSER]12.5.22

    I think Yoko was also asking authorities to be open minded about progressive thinking.. but anyway I would have banned Yoko’s song for the awful screeching 😂

    ReplyDelete
  6. ANDY: Pop Music Not Pills. ©12.5.22

    HI WEN HING
    yes, but not in such a crude way, coming from a progressive lady like her. True, it wasn't a song at all. THANKS WH.

    ReplyDelete
  7. ERICBRONSON WONG [HONGKONG]12.5.22

    Yes Brother Andy,,U R so right on that,those were d bloody blooming days where they ban dis ban dat so frustrating it was,,It seems they r playing God those so called autourities back then,,however l do not trust their judgement, l see it for myself Seeing Is Believing anyway,,

    ReplyDelete
  8. ANDY: Pop Music Not Pills. ©12.5.22

    Yes, I guess it's to protect young minds, ours. Even today some are still banned but it's a new world.

    THANKS ERIC.B.

    ReplyDelete
  9. STEPHEN HAN12.5.22

    I’m indeed surprised that “Tell Laure I Love Her” is banned .
    Andy, you provide good information of the banned songs.

    ReplyDelete
  10. ANDY: Pop Music Not Pills. ©12.5.22

    Yes, the song had its death theme. And stock car races were popular those days. I didn't mind the lamenting style it held.

    ReplyDelete
  11. ANDY: Pop Music Not Pills. ©19.2.25

    Andy Young
    Thanks JOHN KLASS for being the first visitor. The list is helpful during chat time with your listeners and it was posted way before AI became active, 15 years ago...

    ReplyDelete
  12. JENNIE LAW19.2.25

    Jennie Law
    In Singapore every little thing also ban..nothing wrong with the songs..is their brains has got problem..so sensitive

    ReplyDelete
  13. IVOR LESSLAR19.2.25

    Ivor Lesslar
    Jennie Law They even banned the local bands.

    ReplyDelete
  14. JENNIE LAW19.2.25

    Jennie Law
    Ivor Lesslar Not supporting our own band... that is idiotic.

    ReplyDelete
  15. ANDY: Pop Music Not Pills. ©19.2.25

    Andy Young
    Even CLIFF RICHARD's song - ' There's a Honky Tonk Angel Who'll Take Me Back In ' was banned by Cliff himself, when he realised its meaning.

    ReplyDelete
  16. CHIT CHAT20.2.25

    Andy Young
    Johnny Horton: 'Battle of New Orleans' (1959). Have you checked why this song was banned?

    ReplyDelete
  17. JOHN CHER21.2.25

    Andy Young
    Johnny Horton: 'Battle of New Orleans' (1959). Have you checked why this song was banned?

    John Cher
    Andy Young I remember that during his Golden Peacock days at The Shangrila, MATTHEW would be very tactful before he sang this song, especially when there are British expats in the audience. Fond memories 😊

    ReplyDelete
  18. ANDY: Pop Music Not Pills. ©21.2.25

    Andy Young
    John Cher hi, thanks for sharing this piece of information. I am not aware that Matthew has this song in his repertoire. Yes, indeed he had to be very careful. 🙂

    ReplyDelete
  19. ANDY: Pop Music Not Pills. ©21.2.25

    THANKS TO THE FOLLOWING FOR
    LIKING OR LOVING THIS POSTING:

    John Cher
    Stephen Han
    Patrick Teng
    Ann Rowena Lim
    Rose Khoo
    Koh Daisy
    Jennie Law
    Somkid Lakhawat
    Yip Dick
    Roop Singh
    Jeff Lawrence
    Raymond Cho
    Jalani Mohamed
    John Klass
    Peter Cheong
    Ser Kiong Tan

    ReplyDelete
  20. RICHARD RAJOO22.2.25


    As We always knew, the Administration have their *Priorities, all Wrong* Many of us in ASIA & WORLD WIDE were enjoying the Song...👍🏼

    ReplyDelete