I P Knightley Posted January 26 Share Posted January 26 Lots of songs have been banned from BBC airplay or have had a radio-friendly version of the lyrics (e.g. Don't marry her - have me) and, in most cases, I can understand why. But a posting of this Chas'n'Dave Top of the Pops video of Gertcha on another thread in the Terrace has me scratching my head. I had to rewind and replay to be sure my ears weren't deceiving me. As a Londoner, Chas'n'Dave are royalty and Gertcha is practically a London National Anthem. So, why-oh-why-oh-why did they have to not sing the "Cow, son" that featured loud and clear on the single? I've got Londoner pals who look back nostalgically to that phrase being used during their childhood by parents or uncles/aunties. I've no idea what it means and "Cow, son" is a phonetic translation of how it sounds ("Caah,sahn" being the cockney it's said in the song). Any Mary Whitehouse devotees able to explain this one? Are there any other equally mystifying edits or bans? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Tazio Posted January 26 Share Posted January 26 Louis Louie being banned despite them not knowing what the lyrics actually were and presuming they must be rude. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Hagar the Horrible Posted January 26 Share Posted January 26 I'm Gonna be (500 miles) was banned in America because they did not know what haver meant. but it could be coz them are Hibs Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Dawnrazor Posted January 26 Share Posted January 26 Goodbye Mr Mackenzie The Rattler. "Eating them beavers on my way" was changed to "Eating them, cheating team on my way" Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
JWL Posted January 26 Share Posted January 26 Wasn't banned back in 1969/70, but don't think Melting Pot by Blue Mink would get the go ahead these days. Lyrics like 'Curly black and kinkies, mixed with yellow chinkies'. !!!!😮 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ri Alban Posted January 26 Share Posted January 26 My Generation was banned. Still made number 2. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Statts1976uk Posted January 26 Share Posted January 26 (edited) The James song "Laid" had to change from "she only comes when she's on top" to "she only sings when she's on top" when it was released but I heard it a while ago on Radio 2 and it seems to have changed back. Edited January 26 by Statts1976uk Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
the posh bit Posted January 26 Share Posted January 26 Is Paul McCartney's Give Ireland back to the Irish still banned? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
William H. Bonney Posted January 26 Share Posted January 26 The BBC banned lola because the song mentioned coca cola. They had to re-record it to change the lyrics to cherry cola. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Cade Posted January 26 Share Posted January 26 What's even stranger are the dodgy songs that DIDN'T get banned. Does Your Mother Know - ABBA. Young Girl - Gary Puckett Take a Walk on the Wild Side - Lou Reed I Touch Myself - Divinyls Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Punks No Deid Posted January 26 Share Posted January 26 Did the BBC not say that they couldn't play Enola Gay? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Dawnrazor Posted January 26 Share Posted January 26 26 minutes ago, Punks No Deid said: Did the BBC not say that they couldn't play Enola Gay? Feckin homophobic twats. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
henrysmithsgloves Posted January 26 Share Posted January 26 Mungo jerry in the summer time,got banned years after due to the line," have a drink have a drive" Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
leginten Posted January 26 Share Posted January 26 Off topic, but what the hell. The first song banned on the radio that I was aware of as a youngster was Max Romeo’s “Wet Dream”. There was no real mystery about the banning. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
GinRummy Posted January 26 Share Posted January 26 (edited) It was just so stupid banning songs and it was stupid people that tried to pick the songs to ban. I always remember the Depeche Mode songs video Master and Servant, a single which was openly about bondage, getting played on Saturday morning TV (Wide Awake Club I just looked the name of the TV show up) while Relax by the Frankie’s was banned amid moral outrage. Edited January 26 by GinRummy Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
GinRummy Posted January 26 Share Posted January 26 Another interesting one is Billie Holidays version of Strange Fruit, a song about lynching black people, originally written as a poem. Her record company refused to record it and Holliday had to find another label to release the song. It was banned by many local radio stations in America and simpy not played by the radio networks. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
GinRummy Posted January 26 Share Posted January 26 4 hours ago, Cade said: What's even stranger are the dodgy songs that DIDN'T get banned. Does Your Mother Know - ABBA. Young Girl - Gary Puckett Take a Walk on the Wild Side - Lou Reed I Touch Myself - Divinyls You could include Knock Three Times by Tony Orlando and Dawn in that list. A song about coded messages a woman sent to her lover neighbour to signal if her husband was at home or not Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
heatonjambo Posted January 26 Share Posted January 26 Was the undertones teenage kicks line not originally I want to hold it tight get teenage kicks right though the night? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
luckyBatistuta Posted January 26 Share Posted January 26 4 hours ago, Cade said: What's even stranger are the dodgy songs that DIDN'T get banned. Does Your Mother Know - ABBA. Young Girl - Gary Puckett Take a Walk on the Wild Side - Lou Reed I Touch Myself - Divinyls A classic that, still listen to it on one of my playlists regularly. Friggin in the Riggin…was truly shocked Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
been here before Posted January 26 Share Posted January 26 4 hours ago, Cade said: What's even stranger are the dodgy songs that DIDN'T get banned. Does Your Mother Know - ABBA. Young Girl - Gary Puckett Take a Walk on the Wild Side - Lou Reed I Touch Myself - Divinyls And where do you start with Young Girl by Gary Phuckett and the Union Gap? Young girl, get out of my mind My love for you is way out of line Better run, girl You're much too young, girl With all the charms of a woman You've kept the secret of your youth You led me to believe You're old enough To give me love And now it hurts to know the truth, oh oh oh Young girl, get out of my mind My love for you is way out of line Better run, girl You're much too young, girl Beneath your perfume and make-up You're just a baby in disguise And though you know That it is wrong to be Alone with me That come on look is in your eyes, oh oh oh Young girl, get out of my mind My love for you is way out of line Better run, girl You're much too young, girl So hurry home to your mama I'm sure she wonders where you are Get out of here Before I have the time To change my mind 'Cause I'm afraid we'll go too far, oh oh oh Young girl, get out of my mind My love for you is way out of line Better run, girl You're much too young, girl Young girl, get out of my mind My love for you is way out of line Better run, girl You're much too young, girl 😮 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Statts1976uk Posted January 26 Share Posted January 26 2 hours ago, leginten said: Off topic, but what the hell. The first song banned on the radio that I was aware of as a youngster was Max Romeo’s “Wet Dream”. There was no real mystery about the banning. Recently Wet Leg released a song with the same title and didn't even try to hide its meaning. It was played on nearly all the popular stations at all times of the day, how times change! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Craig_ Posted January 26 Share Posted January 26 2 hours ago, been here before said: And where do you start with Young Girl by Gary Phuckett and the Union Gap? Young girl, get out of my mind My love for you is way out of line Better run, girl You're much too young, girl With all the charms of a woman You've kept the secret of your youth You led me to believe You're old enough To give me love And now it hurts to know the truth, oh oh oh Young girl, get out of my mind My love for you is way out of line Better run, girl You're much too young, girl Beneath your perfume and make-up You're just a baby in disguise And though you know That it is wrong to be Alone with me That come on look is in your eyes, oh oh oh Young girl, get out of my mind My love for you is way out of line Better run, girl You're much too young, girl So hurry home to your mama I'm sure she wonders where you are Get out of here Before I have the time To change my mind 'Cause I'm afraid we'll go too far, oh oh oh Young girl, get out of my mind My love for you is way out of line Better run, girl You're much too young, girl Young girl, get out of my mind My love for you is way out of line Better run, girl You're much too young, girl 😮 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
SwindonJambo Posted January 26 Share Posted January 26 7 hours ago, ri Alban said: My Generation was banned. Still made number 2. I didn't know that! I have absolutely no idea how Squeeze Box escaped a ban. Given that it was 1975 and the prevailing standards of the time 😂 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Tazio Posted January 26 Share Posted January 26 I never understood how the BBC seemed to miss the very first line of Honky Tonk Women by The Rolling Stones. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ulysses Posted January 26 Share Posted January 26 Streets of Sorrow by the Pogues. It's no mystery why it was banned, but it's a mystery why it was banned, IYSWIM. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
redjambo Posted January 26 Share Posted January 26 6 hours ago, Punks No Deid said: Did the BBC not say that they couldn't play Enola Gay? The song was banned from being played on popular BBC1 children's programme Swap Shop, because it was thought to promote homosexuality. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Enola_Gay_(song) Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Punks No Deid Posted January 26 Share Posted January 26 FFS 🤦♂️ Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Diadora Van Basten Posted January 26 Share Posted January 26 Pulp Common People Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
leginten Posted January 26 Share Posted January 26 41 minutes ago, Tazio said: I never understood how the BBC seemed to miss the very first line of Honky Tonk Women by The Rolling Stones. Maybe they thought she was trying to take him upstairs for a rye… Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jim_Duncan Posted January 26 Share Posted January 26 This band struggled for any air time, although it wasn't down to a particular song's lyrics. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Doctor FinnBarr Posted January 27 Share Posted January 27 1 hour ago, Jim_Duncan said: This band struggled for any air time, although it wasn't down to a particular song's lyrics. Thats odd Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Day@theraces Posted January 27 Share Posted January 27 I know Mark K starting using maggot instead of the F word when singing money for nothing live. And I know it isn't a song likely to be heard on the radio much, but Queens march of the black queen contained the N word ( not naggers ). Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Day@theraces Posted January 27 Share Posted January 27 (edited) Looking back I totally bypassed the mysterious part of the OP 😔 Edited January 27 by Day@theraces Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
That thing you do Posted January 27 Share Posted January 27 Elvis Costellos "Olivers Army" was banned for use of the N word "One more widow one less white N" A white N was a derogatory term for Irish Catholics. Wierdly, it was banned as activists assumed the N related to people with dark skin. I remember Elvis Costello got interviewed about it and was pretty depressed at how easy it is to get a mob to protest something even when they are wrong. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
That thing you do Posted January 27 Share Posted January 27 11 hours ago, Cade said: What's even stranger are the dodgy songs that DIDN'T get banned. Does Your Mother Know - ABBA. Young Girl - Gary Puckett Take a Walk on the Wild Side - Lou Reed I Touch Myself - Divinyls Does your mother know isnt contraversial its about someone being mature enough to get a suitor to think carefully what they are doing. I touch myself was a great song. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
trotter Posted January 27 Share Posted January 27 It got even sillier didn't it? When the Sex Pistols - God Save The Queen got to no. 1, the charts stopped at no. 2 and just had '----' for no. 1. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ri Alban Posted January 27 Share Posted January 27 (edited) 10 minutes ago, trotter said: It got even sillier didn't it? When the Sex Pistols - God Save The Queen got to no. 1, the charts stopped at no. 2 and just had '----' for no. 1. Pistols best tune. 👌 Edited January 27 by ri Alban Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
trotter Posted January 27 Share Posted January 27 3 minutes ago, ri Alban said: Pistols best tune. 👌 Somewhat ironically 😅😅 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
PaddysBar Posted January 27 Share Posted January 27 Saturday Nights alright for fighting by Elton John was banned during the 1st gulf war. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
superjack Posted January 27 Share Posted January 27 To this day, I still cannot work out why I never hear the macc lads on the radio. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Punks No Deid Posted January 27 Share Posted January 27 10 minutes ago, superjack said: To this day, I still cannot work out why I never hear the macc lads on the radio. Or So What by Anti Nowhere League 🤷🏻♂️ 🙃 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Doctor FinnBarr Posted January 27 Share Posted January 27 3 hours ago, superjack said: To this day, I still cannot work out why I never hear the macc lads on the radio. Most likely because of Julie the schoolie. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
superjack Posted January 27 Share Posted January 27 3 hours ago, Doctor FinnBarr said: Most likely because of Julie the schoolie. No sheep till Buxton probably has a say as well. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Doctor FinnBarr Posted January 27 Share Posted January 27 6 hours ago, superjack said: No sheep till Buxton probably has a say as well. Great vid on YouTube of that. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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