Título: Eight Miles High
Seção: U.S. radio ban
Background: "Eight Miles High" is a song by the American rock band the Byrds, written by Gene Clark, Jim McGuinn (a.k.a. Roger McGuinn), and David Crosby and first released as a single on March 14, 1966 (see 1966 in music). Musically influenced by Ravi Shankar and John Coltrane, "Eight Miles High", along with its McGuinn and Crosby-penned B-side "Why", was influential in developing the musical styles of psychedelic rock, raga rock, and psychedelic pop. Accordingly, critics often cite "Eight Miles High" as being the first bona fide psychedelic rock song, as well as a classic of the counterculture era. The song was subject to a U.S. radio ban shortly after its release, following allegations published in the broadcasting trade journal the Gavin Report regarding perceived drug connotations in its lyrics.

Conteúdo: The song's lyrics are, for the most part, about the group's flight to London in August 1965 and their accompanying English tour, as hinted at by the opening couplet: "Eight miles high and when you touch down, you'll find that it's stranger than known." Although commercial airliners fly at an altitude of six to seven miles, it was felt that "eight miles high" sounded more poetic than six and also recalled the title of the Beatles' song "Eight Days a Week".  According to Clark, the lyrics were primarily his creation, with a minor contribution being Crosby's line, "Rain grey town, known for its sound"--a reference to London as home to the British Invasion, which was then dominating the U.S. music charts. Other lyrics in the song that explicitly refer to the Byrds' stay in England include the couplet: "Nowhere is there warmth to be found/Among those afraid of losing their ground", which is a reference to the hostile reaction of the UK music press and to the English group the Birds serving the band with a copyright infringement writ, due to the similarities in name. In addition, "Round the squares, huddled in storms/Some laughing, some just shapeless forms" describes fans waiting for the band outside hotels, while the line "Sidewalk scenes and black limousines" refers to the excited crowds that jostled the band as they exited their chauffeur-driven cars.  Although the basic idea for the song had been discussed during the band's flight to England, it didn't actually begin to take s

user: What was banned on the radio?

assistant: This resulted in "Eight Miles High" being banned in a number of states

user: Why was it banned?

assistant: Following its release, the band faced allegations of advocating the use of recreational drugs

user: How long did the ban last?

assistant: Teehan notes that the radio ban was not suggested by the Gavin Report until April 29, 1966, almost seven weeks after the single had initially been released

user: How did the band react?

assistant: The Byrds and their publicist, Derek Taylor, countered by strenuously denying that the song was drug-related,

user: Did the song ever get "unbanned"?

assistant: Teehan points out that although the Gavin Report recommended that radio stations withdraw the single from airplay, many stations did not comply with this request.

user: Was there anything else interesting about the ban?

assistant: The song's lyrics are, for the most part, about the group's flight to London in August 1965 and their accompanying English tour,

user: Was there anything else interesting in the article?

assistant: ", Teehan has uncovered evidence suggesting that the progressive and uncommercial nature of the song was a much bigger factor in its failure to reach the Billboard Top 10.

user: What evidence was this?

assistant: He concludes that the groundbreaking song lacked strong commercial appeal by virtue of its complexity, unique sound, and excessive length

user: What number did it actually reach on the Billboard list?

assistant: reaching number 14 on the Billboard Hot 100,

user: Did the controversy of the radio ban help popularity?

assistant: Teehan has uncovered evidence showing that "Eight Miles High" was already decelerating on the national charts before the end of April 1966.