BBC NEWS | UK | Northern Ireland | Troubles tunes which annoyed Auntie Troubles tunes which annoyed Auntie By Johnny Caldwell BBC News It may not get the biggest cheer of the night but the Police's hit Invisible Sun might well generate the most conversation among those attending the group's gig at Belfast's Stormont Estate. The Police play Stormont as part of their world tour The song was banned by the BBC in 1981 because of its overtly political, Northern Ireland-inspired lyrics, which refer to the "barrel of an Armalite" and "keeping out of trouble like the soldiers say". And it continues: "And they're only going to change this place by killing everybody in the human race." The Police, reformed and on a world tour, play Stormont, the seat of Northern Ireland's fledgling assembly, on Friday night. Their video for Invisible Sun, which featured on the same album as Every Little Thing She Does Is Magic, also contained footage of life in Belfast and beyond during the Troubles. However, Sting and the boys were far from the only act to be sanctioned by Auntie over a song linked to Northern Ireland's Troubles.

Songs referring to the Troubles in Northern Ireland were often banned Paul McCartney and Wings' response to the events of Bloody Sunday, Give Ireland Back to the Irish, similarly fell foul of the BBC in 1972. In fact the song title was even not allowed to be mentioned on the air, and it was refered to on Radio 1's chart countdown as "a record by the group Wings". Around the same time, McGuinness Flint's Let The People Go which was linked to internment in Northern Ireland was also banned by the BBC. 'Tiocfaidh Ar La' More recently in 1993 hip-hop outfit Marxman's Sad Affair, which protested against the presence of British troops in Northern Ireland, was almost universally banned by UK radio stations, including those operated by the BBC. The song, also contained the Irish phrase "Tiocfaidh Ar La", or 'Our day will come', which is associated with Irish republicans. The most famous song the BBC has banned is probably Frankie Goes to Hollywood's "Relax". While it has no obvious link with Northern Ireland, it demonstrated that being taken off the airwaves isn't necessarily a bad for the artist concerned.

Relax was banned while at number six in the charts, but went on to top the UK singles chart for no less than five weeks. Please Email Me your entries. Thanks to Geoffrey Corner of Philadelphia for starting the list in April 1996. Other Resources:- For a comprehensive list of US Banned recordings: For a detailed account of the recordings listed here and more, in November 1998 a book titled Smashed Hits was published by The Freedom of speech Group. More stuff on "bans" in the UK can be found in the book "Banned! Censorship of Popular Music in Britain: 1967-1992" by Martin Cloonan mcloonan@ace.gla.ac.uk (Arena, Aldershot, UK, 1996). NOTE! The ban on many of the records has subsequently been lifted and some only carried a daytime ban. Banned by the BBC Sexual › Jane Birkin - Je T’aime - Maybe it wasn't helped by Serge Gainsbourg singing about the joys of going "entre tes reins" - between your kidneys - i.e. up your bum (alledgedly).

On top of the pops an instrumental version by "Sounds Nice" was used - 1969 & 1974 › Frankie goes to Hollywood - Relax - Sexual references - 1983 › The Au Pairs - Come Again - Referred to orgasm - 1981 › Lil Louis - French Kiss - "Heavy breathing" - 1989 › The New Yorkers - Love For Sale - "Sexual" content - 1930?? › Judge Dread - Several records with titles as Big 6, Big 7,Big 8, 10 etc - "Sexual" content - 1972 - 1975 › Ivor Biggun - The winker's song (misprint) - Sexually explicit - 1978 › Troggs - I Can’t Control Myself - The sound Reg Presley makes at the end of the song was said to be like someone climaxing.

- 1966 › Rolling Stones - Lets spend the night together - Promoted promiscuity - 1967 › Cliff Richard - Honky tonk angel - Self imposed ban as "saint" Cliff didn’t know that a Honky tonk angel was a Hooker! circa ‘72 -’73.

› Adam Faith - Made You - Banned for lewdness/Sexual Content Double A-Side with "When Johnny Comes Marching Home" - 1960 › The Stranglers - Peaches - Considered "woman baiting" - 1977 › Scott Walker - Jackie - Reference to "authentic queers" - 1967 › George Michael - I Want Your Sex - banned only before the "watershed" - 1987 › Paul McCarney & Wings - Hi Hi Hi - Banned, not due to drug references but to explicit sexual lyrics - 1972 › Joe Brown & The Bruvvers' revival of George Formby's "My Little Ukelele" (1963, Piccadilly/Pye) was banned as "too risque" › Max Romeo - Wet Dream - A song about his bedroom ceiling.

No the BBC wouldn't buy that - 1969 › Donna Summer - Love to love you - Groans & heavy breathing secured the ban - 1976 › The Prodigy - Smack my bitch up - Despite denials, this single was never herd during the day - 1997 › Pete Shelley - Homosapien - "SPIN Alternative Record Guide." The book claims "Homosapien" was banned for containing the line "Homo superior in my interior."(About 1982) › Yoko Ono Plastic Ono Band - Open Your Box - From the album of the same name and B side of a single, it was banned for containing the lyric "open your legs" - 1970 Political › Marxman - Sad Affair - Contained IRA slogan - 1993 › Police - Invisible Sun was banned (certainly by R1/TOTP, maybe others) references to Northern Ireland (Barrel of an Armalite, etc.) - 1981 › Paul McCartney - Give Ireland Back to the Irish - Obvious - 1972 › Johnny Horton - Battle of New Orleans - Reference to "Bloody British" - 

1959 › Hawkwind - "Urban Guerrila" - early 1970's.

Banned due to mainland UK terrorist attacks at the time. › Sex Pistols - God Save the Queen - Anti monarchy - 1977 › Blow Monkeys - The Day After You - Anti Margaret Thatcher - 1987 › Split Enz - Six Months In A Leaky Boat - Too provocative (Falklands) - 1980 › Elaine Page/Julie Covington "Don't Cry for Me, Argentina" Falklands Crisis - 1980 › McGuiness Flint - Let the people go - Government policy on the IRA - 1975 › Heaven 17 - (We Don't Need This) Fascist Groove Thang" - The "All-Music Guide" says "Fascist Groove Thang" was banned by the BBC for its overtly political nature. (About 1981) › Six Months In A Leaky Boat. - 'Split Enz' 1984 - During the Falklands war, their song that went 'I just spent six months in a leaky boat, Lucky just to keep afloat.' I think that you might have to be careful about using the term "banned". E.g.

During the Falklands those records were not banned as such, but local BBC radio DJs were asked to think carefully about what to play - especially close to news bulletins on the war. Martin Cloonan mcloonan@ace.gla.ac.uk Political 2 - The Gulf War 1 All these recordings were banned during the gulf war in 1990. Jose Felicano & The Doors - Light My Fire Something Happens - "Parachute" The Cure - Killing an Arab Little angels - Bone yard Massive Attack had the word "attack" dropped during the gulf war. Bomb the Bass also suffered during this period. ‘The Word,’ listed 64 songs on its February 1st program that BBC Radio have deemed "unsuitable" to play during the Gulf Crisis: Lee McMurray Abba Waterloo A-ha Hunting High And Low Alarm 68 Guns Animals We Got To Get Out Of This Place 5. Arrival I Will Survive 6. Joan Baez The Night They Drove Old Dixie Down 7. Bangles Walk Like An Egyptian 8. The Beatles Back In The USSR 9.

Pat Benetar Love Is A Battlefield Big Country Fields Of Fire Blondie Atomic Boomtown Rats Don't Like Mondays Brook Bros. Warpaint Cher Bang Bang (My Baby Shot Me Down) Eric Clapton I Shot The Sheriff Phil Collins In The Air Tonight Cutting Crew I Just Died In Your Arms Tonight Skeeter Davies End Of The World Desmond Dekker Israelites Dire Straits Brothers In Arms Duran Duran View To A Kill Jose Feliciano Light My Fire First Choice Armed And Extremely Dangerous Roberta Flack Killing Me Softly Frankie Goes To Hollywood Two Tribes Eddie Grant Living On The Frontline Eddie Grant Give Me Hope Joanna Elton John Saturday Night's Alright For Fighting Johnny Hates Jazz I Don't Want To Be A Hero John Lennon Give Peace A Chance John Lennon Imagine Jona Louis Stop The Cavalry Lulu Boom Bang A Bang McGuinness Flint When I'm Dead And Gone Bob Marley Buffalo Soldier Maria Muldaur Midnight At The Oasis M*A*S*H Suicide Is Painless Mike And The Mechanics Silent Running Rick Nelson Fools Rush In Nicole A Little Peace Billy Ocean When The Going Gets Tough Donny Osmond Soldier Of Love Paper Lace Billy Don't Be A Hero Queen Killer Queen Martha Reeves Forget Me Not B.A.

Robertson Bang Bang Kenny Rogers Ruby (Don't Take Your Love To Town) Spandau Ballet I'll Fly For You Specials Ghost Town Bruce Springsteen I'm On Fire Edwin Starr War Status Quo In The Army Now Status Quo Burning Bridges Cat Stevens I'm Gonna Get Me A Gun Rod Stewart Sailing Donna Summer State Of Independence Tears For Fears Everybody Wants To Rule The World Temptations Ball Of Confusion Stevie Wonder Heaven Help Us All Morbid › The Moontrekkers - Night Of The Vampire - morbid /"scary" content (backing group to Rod Stewart, produced by Joe Meek - 1961 › Sam M.Lewis - Gloomy Sunday - Too mournful - 1930?? › Mike Berry & The Outlaws - Tribute To Buddy Holly -"morbid concern" for a dead teenage idol - A Joe Meek masterpiece - 1961 › Ricky Valance - Tell Laura I love her - banned because of the reference to dying in a stock car race?

- 1960 › The Downliners Sect's 1965 EP, "THE SECT SING SICK SONGS" was banned for poor taste/morbidity; it included a cover of Jimmy Cross' - I WANT MY BABY BACK (where a necrophiliac boyfriend digs up & jumps in his girlfriend's coffin) › Napoleon XIV - They're coming to take me away ha-haaaa - Preceded rap by some 25 years. Man going bonkers over lost dog - 1966 Advertising › Paul Simon - Kodachrome - Advertising - 197? › The Kinks - Lola - was originally banned because it mentioned Coca-Cola, was later changed to Cherry Cola to get airplay. - 1970 › Paul Simon - Me and Julio - Originally banned for referring to Newsweek magazine. - 1972 › Dr Hook & the Medicine show - The cover of Rolling Stone - Advertising - 1972 › Dr Hook & the Medicine show - The Cover of the Radio Times - Tried to get around the ban by sucking up to the BBC with this version!

- 1972 › Danny Williams - "You're Fabulous Babe" - 1977. Banned due to advertising. Babe was a perfume. › Pink Floyd - IT WOULD BE SO NICE, April 1968. The lyrics mentioned the British newspaper The Evening Standard. The record could not be played on UK radio. As a result, Pink Floyd had to spend about $1000 to replace the Evening Standard with Daily Standard to appease the BBC. The record failed in the charts despite the touch of controversy. Another thing, the copies sold in shops were the Evening Standard version, but all releases available now are the corrected version. › Jimmy Buffett's single, "come Monday" contained the line, "I've got my Hush Puppies on." Since the BBC considered this to be advertising he re-recorded that line so it said, "I've got my hiking shoes on." F Word - Part 1 37 Tracks Unlikely To Be Herd On Daytime Radio In The UK Anytime Soon... • Fuck Me Pumps - Amy Winehouse - Frank • Who The Fuck Are The Arctic Monkeys? - Arctic Monkeys - Who The Fuck Are The Arctic Monkeys?

• Fuck Forever - Babyshambles - Down In Albion • Fuckin' With My Head (Mountain Dew Rock) - Beck - Mellow Gold • Get Fucked Stud - Biffy Clyro - Puzzle • Fuck You - Cee Lo Green - The Lady Killer • Get Your Hands Off My Woman Motherfucker - The Darkness - Permission to Land • Mother Fucker From Hell - The Datsuns - The Datsuns • Too Drunk To Fuck - Dead Kennedys - Fresh Fruit For Rotting Vegetables (Disc 2) • You Fucking Love It - Dirty Pretty Things - Waterloo to Anywhere • This Fucking Job - Drive-By Truckers - The Big To-Do • Still Don't Give a Fuck - Eminem - The Slim Shady LP • Fucking In Heaven - Fatboy Slim - You've Come A Long Way, Baby • Big Bad Mean Motherfucker - Girls - Album • Fuck You, It's Over - Glasvegas - A Snowflake Fell... (EP) • Who the Fuck?

- Graham Coxon - Sky Is Too High • Fuck the Valley Fudge - Grandaddy - Excerpts From the Diary of Todd Zilla • Fucking Ada - Ian Dury & The Blockheads - Laughter • Fucking song - Jarvis Cocker - Further Complications • Fuck The People - The Kills - Keep On Your Mean Side • Your Fucking Sunny Day - Lambchop - Thriller/Hank • Fuck You - Lily Allen - It's Not Me, It's You • How Fucking Romantic - The Magnetic Fields - 69 Love Songs, Vol. 1 • Fuck It, I Love You - Malcolm Middleton - A Brighter Beat • Bloody Mother Fucking Asshole - Martha Wainwright - Martha Wainwright • Fuck Tha Police - N.W.A. - Straight Outta Compton • Fuckin' Up - Neil Young & Crazy Horse - Ragged Glory • Fuckin' In The Bushes - Oasis - Standing On The Shoulder Of Giants • You Fuckin' Die...!

- Pixies - Surfer Rosa & Come On Pilgrim • Sexy Mother Fucker - Prince & The New Power Generation - The Love Symbol Album • Song For The Deaf (The Blind Can Goes Get Fucked Remix) - Queens Of The Stone Age - First It Giveth (Single #1) [UK] • Fuck School - The Replacements - Stink! [Deluxe Edition] • Man Don't Give a Fuck - Super Furry Animals - Outspaced • Some People Try to Fuck With You - Teenage Fanclub - Mellow Doubt • Fuck Nicole - The Teenagers - Reality Check • Peace The Fuck Out - Travis - 12 Memories • My Shit's Fucked Up - Warren Zevon - Life'll Kill Ya A Few More With The Offending 'Word' Too Prominent To Gain Daytime Airplay. › John Lennon - Working Class Hero - 1970 › Black Grape - "Shake your money" - 1995 Use of F word. › Linda McCarytney - The light comes from within - Even the inclusion of the F word & being dead she can't get a hit!

- 1999 › Richie Kavanagh - "Aon Focal Eile" Banned in Britain because first syllable of "Focal", (the Irish for "Word") sounded too much like "Fuck"... › The Rolling Stones - Star Star. Despite the title being changed, the words star fucker (repeated dozens of times) could still be herd in the chorus! - 1973 Banned but saved by the radio edit - F word part 2 › Radiohead - Creep - Edited to make the F word disappear - 1992 › Beautiful South - Don't marry her have me - Originally titled and contained the line "Don't marry her fuck me" - 1996 › Prince's "Sexy Motherfucker" which was renamed "Sexy MF" 1992 ›The Stranglers - "Peaches" The lyrics were changed for radio. 1977 › XTC - "Respectable Street", from '82, lyrics about abortion, sex positions, and neighbors retching over each other's fences were replaced.

› Monty Python's "Always look on the bright side of life" where "Life's a piece of shit / when you think of it" was replaced to suit the BBC's tastes. Thanks to Liam O'Brien for most reminding me of the following... › Lemonheads-"Big Gay Heart". Lyrics changed from "suck my dick" to (comically) "duck my sick" for radio play. Also "piss me off" to "tick me off" › Smashing Pumpkins-"Vieuphoria" (video) on back cover "Silverfuck" re-named "Silvercrank". › Puff Daddy & Jimmy Page "Come To Me", obviously all single versions had F-word deleted, but the Japanese Import single had Godzilla roars over the swearing moments. › Marilyn Manson-"Beautiful People". They rerecorded a version substituting "every other hater" for "every mother fucker", but left the word "shit" on their that had to be blanked out when played.

› MC5's-"Kick Out The Jams", first recorded use of motherfucker, banned by major chain in US (can't remember who, might be Wal*Mart) so the band ran a full page advert in mags saying FUCK...(whoever it was). Fucking Heroes ay? Then they got dropped by the record company, SPINELESS BASTARDS!!! › When the Sex Pistols were taken to court for their album title "Never Mind The Bollocks" and the judge decreed that "Bollocks" isn't a swear word. HOORAY!!! › Ce Lo Green - Fuck You - 2010 - Banned for obvious reasons, however managed to reach No 1 in the UK charts by changing the words & title to 'Forget You'. NOTE on Austraila's Tripple J Radio & US Sirus Satalight stations they have no problem playing the original un edited version during daylight hours!

Miscellaneous › Nero & The Gladiators' - "Hall Of The Mountain King" was banned for its spoken intro-a short beatnik query about the location of "the king's pad" - 1961 › Roberta Flack - Killing me softly - Reason Unknown - 1973 › Mungo Jerry - Have a Whiff on Me - Drug references - 1971 Banned by "Top of the Pops" (BBC) › D-Mob - We Call It Acieed - Drug reference - 1988 › The Pouges - A pair of brown eyes - Video ban - 1985 › Bjork - Alarm Call - For her animated nipples! - 1998 Lonnie Donegan - Digging my Potatoes - 1956 This song seems to be generating more discussion than any other banned recording....

Lonnie Donegan's single "Digging My Potatoes" was banned in the UK and US on its release in 1956 for lyrical references to sex, including the following (from memory so approx.): "suck on my [sweet?] bone" "I thought you was [sic] my friend until I caught you in my bed" "I love you best between the sheets" Given the above I think it's remarkable that Decca chose to release it on any format, let alone as a follow up to the transatlantic hit "Rock Island Line"! Hope this helps... Andrew Rose andrew.rose@bbc.co.uk The Lonnie Donegan song "Diggin' My Potatoes" was banned in 1955. The reason was that it included the line, "Thought you were my friend till I caught you in my bed". The "bed" in the song is another word for "garden". Also the verse, "Love you in the winter/ Love you in the fall/ But in between them blankets, baby/ I love you best of all". It was to be issued as a single that year, but after the ban it wasn't. It is only availible on EP's.

Many mothers broke the EP's when the children bought them. A few still survive. This song was on the same EP as his two smash hits "John Henry" and "The Rock Island Line". The banned song didn't hurt Lonnie's popularity, though. He had hits on the charts until the Beatles (his own followers) took over the charts. Sean Gaston - Lonnie Donegan's "Digging my potatoes" was certainly issued in UK as a single on the Decca Jazz label, with "Bury my body" on the flip side. I once owned this record on a 10 inch 78 rpm record.

C.Pryce cpryce@ukgateway.net Banned in the USA (Probably UK) The Beatles - A day in the life - Banned in the '60's for drug references - 1967 Rolling Stones - Stoned - Original B side to I Wanna be your man - Drug references - 1964 Ten Years After - Good morning Little Schoolgirl - Under age sexual references - 1969 Chumbawamba - We Are the World - Explicit direct action support - 1985 Junior Delgardo - Broadwater Farm - Prophecising riots - 1985 Mark Dinning - Teen Angel - Called a "death disk" - 1960 Falco - Psycho Terror - Line "all Vienna is on heroine" - 1979 The Heptones - Fattie Fattie - Lewd and suggestive Napolean XII - There Coming to Take me Away - Reference "mentally challenged" - 1966 Smoke - My Friend Jack - Was indeed banned because of drugs refs (my friend Jack eats sugar lumps, my friend Jack eats sugar lumps ...

he's been travelling everywhere) - 1967 Eurythmics - Sex Crime (1994) - Reapeated use of the words 'Sex' & 'Crime' - 1984 Chef - Chocolate salty balls - 1998 -Apparently the US public have filthy minds! Other Mentions Although the Marvin Gaye Record Sexual Healing was not banned, The DJ’s On UK's national "Radio One" had to drop the word "sexual" from the title! Tom Petty's "You Don't Know How It Feels" was censored on MTV so that the line "let's roll another joint" became "lets hit another joint." When the video is shown on VH1, "roll" is left in, but the word "joint" is mangled so that it is impossible to make out (it sounds like the word is being played backwards). Brian Eno's Album "My life in the bush of ghosts" now exclude the track "Qu'ran" (in the UK) due to serious fatwahs from Islamic fundamentalists.

Banned By The BBC - 1931 - 1957 Issued in September 2008, this triple CD catalogues a lot of the 'censored' recordings between 1931 & 1957. Disc: 1 1. We Can't Let You Broadcast That - Long, Norman 2. Minnie The Moocher - Calloway, Cab 3. With My Little Ukelele In My Hand - Formby, George 4. Untitled - BBC Dance Orchestra Directed By Henry Hall 5. Song Of India - Dorsey, Tommy & His Orchestra 6. She Had To Go And Lose It At The Orchestra - Messner, Johnny 7. With My Little Stick Of Blackpool Rock - Formby, George 8. Gloomy Sunday - Holiday, Billie 9. House Of The Rising Sun - White, Josh 10. God Bless The Child - Holiday, Billie 11. Story Of A Starry Night - Miller, Glen 12. Light A Candle In The Chapel - Sinatra, Frank & Tommy Dorsey Orchestra 13. Deep In The Heart Of Texas - Crosby, Bing 14.

La Petite Tokinoise - Baker, Josephine 15. Don't Let's Be Beastly To The Germans - Coward, Noel 16. Paper Doll - Mills Brothers 17. Say A Prayer For The Boys Over There - Durbin, Deanna 18. I'll Be Home For Christmas - Crosby, Bing 19. Blue Danube - Jones, Spike & His City Slickers 20. Till The End Of Time - Como, Perry 21. Rum And Coca Cola - Andrews Sisters 22. I'm Always Chasing Rainbows - Como, Perry 23. Cradle Song - Sinatra, Frank 24. Christening Tony - Askey, Arthur 25. Sabre Dance - Herman, Woody Disc: 2 1. We Have To Be So Careful - Beverley Sisters 2. Huggin' And A Chalkin' - Mercer, Johnny 3. Foggy Foggy Dew - Pears, Peter 4. Deck Of Cards - Tyler, T. Texas 5. I'm Nobody's Baby - Howerd, Frankie 6.

Sixty Minute Man - Ward, Billy & The Dominoes 7. Send Me To The 'Lectric Chair - Melly, George 8. It Wasn't God Who Made Honky Tonk Angels - Wells, Kitty 9. I Went To Your Wedding - Jones, Spike & His City Slickers 10. Answer Me - Laine, Frankie 11. Crying In The Chapel - Lawrence, Lee 12. Hank Janson Blues - Shelton, Anne 13. Devil Is A Woman - Jeffries, Herb 14. Such A Night - Ray, Johnnie 15. Hold My Hand - Ray, Johnnie 16. My Friend - Fisher, Eddie (1) 17. Honey Love - Lotis, Dennis & Ted Heath & His Music 18. Keep Me In Mind - Roza, Lita 19. Story Of Three Loves - Martin, Ray & His Orchestra 20. Cuddle Me - Lotis, Dennis 21. Heel - Kitt, Eartha 23. Cross Of Gold - Regan, Joan Disc: 3 1. Stranger In Paradise - Four Aces 2.

I Heard The Angels Singing - Laine, Frankie 3. Man With The Golden Arm - May, Billy Orchestra 4. Bewitched - Fitzgerald, Ella 5. John And Marsha - Freberg, Stan 6. Greensleeves - Beverley Sisters 7. Walk Hand In Hand - Martin, Tony 8. St Theresa Of The Roses - Vaughan, Malcolm 9. Mack The Knife - Armstrong, Louis 10. Woman Love - Vincent, Gene & The Blue Caps 11. Diggin' My Potatoes - Donegan, Lonnie 12. Maggie May - Vipers Skiffle Group 13. Toll The Bell Easy - Les Hobeaux 14. Garden Of Eden - Vaughan, Frankie 15. Rose And A Baby Ruth - Hamilton, George IV 16. Old Dope Peddler - Lehrer, Tom 17. How Little We Know - Sinatra, Frank 18. Puh Leeze Mr Brown - Bassey, Shirley 19. Burn The Candle - Bassey, Shirley 20. Silver Madonna - Stevens, Kirk 21.

Rock You Sinners - Baxter, Art & His Rock 'N' Roll Sinners 22. Sky - Clark, Petula 23. Love Is Strange - Mickey & Sylvia 24. Honeycomb - Rodgers, Jimmie (2) 25. Rose And A Candy Bar - Hamilton, George IV Up For Discussion As the BBC won't admit to even having a banned list, here are some of the candidates that I have received. Some of these suggestions may have been banned at some time. "I Love a Man in a Uniform" by The Gang of Four came close to being banned -- if not banned for a time -- because of its overt criticism of the Falklands War. Did not Frank Zappa get banned because of his single - Bobby Brown?! bjorn@bjornstockholm.com I believe that Carter USM's "Bloodsport For All" was also banned by Radio One at the time of the Gulf War - Mike Hartland mike@rebola.prestel.co.uk I agree with Mike Hartland. I distinctly remember Bloodsport for All by Carter USM being banned during the Gulf War. I think several record shops also refused to stock it.

Dan Carney dan@kalonbiological.demon.co.uk The Beatles song I Am The Walrus was banned from BBC radio because it contained the word 'knickers' Steve Farrell S.J.Farrell2@student.derby.ac.uk Banned in Australia & possiblly elswhere - The Royal Guardsmen "Snoopy vs the Red Baron" (1967) was played on radio with the word "bloody" beeped out: "The (beep) Red Baron of Germany". It sounded ridiculous, but it was a No. 1 hit here. The Beatles' "Ballad of John & Yoko" (1969) was played on radio with the word "Christ" edited out of the chorus; another No. 1 hit. The Troggs' "I Can't Control Myself" (1966) was banned for radio airplay. The single was, for example, a Top 20 hit in Sydney.

Lindsay Martin lindsay@isleuthmail.com As I understand it, Tina Turner's song "Private Dancer" had to be edited before the BBC would play it--not because of references to prostitution, but rather because it contained a reference to American Express, which went against the Beeb's ban on advertising. I believe the offending phrase was changed to "pounds sterling." (I may be wrong, of course; I wasn't in the UK at the time, and I only heard about it in the US press.) Terence Foraker t.l.foraker@worldnet.att.net I'm not sure, but wasn't "Eight miles high" by the Byrds also banned, due to drug reference? Tobias Andrasson toobban@hotmail.com During the gulf war I remember Simon Bates at the birthday spot for Edwin Starr playing a song other than War, because he it was 'inappropriate'. He sounded apologetic about this so it may not have been his idea to play something else. Gordon Taylor gtaylor@netmatters.co.uk The Beatles - "Come together" was banned by the BBC for the words coca cola.

David Campbell campbeld@imrglobal.co.jp "3 am Eternal" by the KLF had a section at the start of the record taken out by Radio 1 during the Gulf War. It was the sound of a machine gun being fired. Richard Doy r_doy@yahoo.com I didn't see the song/album listed by the artist Ice T. I know that it was banned for the song "Cop Killer". adecker adecker@memphis.edu Radio One wouldn't play Deeper or Promise by Delirious, because they are a 'religious band'. The obviously didn't catch on that so were Sixpence None The Richer. Also, Cliff was temporarily banned with his 'Millennium Prayer' single, again because it was Christian. Ewan Jones ewan@cpas.org.uk Sorry to disagree, but the Cliff record was not banned, but simply not played because it was a dreadful record! JW. Sorry to stick my nose in but didn't some of the songs like Terry by Twinkle, Leader of the Pack by the Shangri-Las and Pipeline by The Ventures also get banned at one time???

Obviously Terry and LOTP was due to the dumped lad riding off and "deliberately" crashing their motorbikes but I heard that Pipeline was banned because it was a slang term for a condom in the States, but I don't know that one for sure. Also what about Gary Gilmores Eyes by The Adverts, brill track. Another song brought to mind by your brilliant (& nostalgic) page is "Moratorium" by Buffy Sainte Marie, on the flip side of the Soldier Blue single. It was a juke box hit here in Gt Yarmouth because it contained the words "fuck the War and bring all our brothers back home again", naturally in 1972(ish) all us teenagers would quite happily sing along to this at the top of our voices. martin.swann@judyteen.fsnet.co.uk On the banned list I didn't see Birmingham 6/Streets of Sorrow by The Pogues I think it was banned due to anti-terrorism legislation for suggesting that some people in British jails were innocent and questioning whether Irish people where at a disadvantage when brought before the courts.

For perhaps inclusion in the 'Banned' section, the Anti-Nowhere League had their first single 'Streets of London/So What' banned for obscenity as it fell foul of the obscene publications law. Check out the ANL website - Leon Rosselson and his Ballad Of A Spycatcher which featured Billy Bragg and members of the Oyster Band singing lyrics containing hints from Peter Wrights banned Spycatcher book. Rosselson said of the song: Written to challenge the ruling of the three Law Lords that Peter Wright's book Spycatcher - a biography on his work as...a spycatcher for the British government - could not be published in this country, nor could the press quote from or refer to any of the material in the book. It took me two days to devour the book and regurgitate it (including even the odd lump in intact quotation) in these memorable verses. So the song was definitely illegal, and the least we could hope for was a blanket banning from the airwaves. Alas, after some initial hesitation, a single of the song started to receive radio play and even rose to number 7 in the NME indie singles charts. So much for subversive intentions...

I remember hearing it on a Simon Bates mid morning show on Radio 1 in 1987, with a big run up to the actual playing along the lines of him expecting a court order (or the police) demanding that he not play the song; he did, they didn't. But it was generally frowned upon, just the same. David Garvey Flood410@aol.com Deep In The Heart of Texas, was banned during World War II because there was a clappy bit in it and, when played over a factory's loudspeaker, the workers would stop momentarily to join in. Chris Davison Invisible Sun' / 'Shambelle' Liner Notes Clearly written about the situation in Northern Ireland where Sting was living at the time the song was written, 'Invisible Sun' appears on the 'Ghost in the Machine' album and was released as a single in September 1981. The single made the #2 spot in the UK despite having the rather tame video for the song banned by the BBC, but was not released in the States.

A brooding and hypnotic song that was made even spookier on the demo version by Sting reciting the lyrics from 'My Fair Lady' - "All I want is a room somewhere..." over the outro. The B-side to this single was the Andy Summer's instrumental 'Shambelle'. Artist Comments "The stance of 'Invisible Sun' is a normal kid in Belfast torn between systems of violence, between the army, the IRA, the UVF, different flags. We're all after some sort of fairness in society. And if there isn't another way between blowing people up, starving them to death, torturing them, imprisoning them, then we're finished. I'm just saying there has to be another way, let's look for it. Because the real victims are those kids that you see on the film, and they're real kids, they're not actors. I know a bit about Belfast and I've lived in Ireland for about a year. My wife knows people in the Maze, and we talk long and hard about politics in that area. So it's not me sitting and watching television and just writing the song.

It's something I feel deeply and I think something has to be said." NME, 9/81 "A while ago I spent the whole day on the phone trying to defend a song we'd recorded. The song was 'Invisible Sun' and was released as a single in England. It's about Belfast. It's about children playing normally in an environment which is obviously a nightmare. So it was banned by the BBC and also by the independent stations there. And they wouldn't show the film of the song. So all day the press was ringing up asking why this had happened and I had to defend it. I said that it was not a political thing, that it was just the opposite. But that's the mood there - tense." 'The Police Chronicles', '83 "We wanted 'Invisible Sun' out in England because we felt it was obviously pertinent to the country. It's also a good tune, and if anyone can inflict the airwaves with something a little bit different, then we can. In fact, 'Invisible Sun' is not necessarily about Belfast, but about the human ability to survive in a crisis.

It could be about Calcutta or Kabul as much as anywhere else." Stewart Copeland: Creem, 4/82 "For me, the song was about Beirut, where I'd grown up, which at that point was going up in flames. My hometown was being vilified by the media as a terrorist stronghold, and it was being blasted by bombs and napalm. Twenty thousand Lebanese were killed that year. And the Lebanese must have been feeling some heat from the invisible sun, because they were keeping their peckers up." Stewart Copeland: Revolver, 4/00 "Those first lines, 'I don't want to spend the rest of my life / Looking down the barrel of an Armalite' - an Armalite is what the IRA use. The words are ambiguous because you look down the barrel if you're holding it or if it's about to blow your head off. So the song is about people who ought to have a choice but for reasons beyond their control, don't. It's anti-political in the same way as I'm anti-religious. I used to be a Catholic - I was brought up a very strong one and hated it.

In Belfast there are two very similar communities who are totally ignorant and fearful of one another. This is partly because of Catholicism, but politics won't solve the problem." 'A Visual Documentary', '81 "This was a song about the Troubles in Ireland. Long before the Police took off, I knew a girl from Andersontown in Belfast. I used to go and see her there. I had very short hair at the time, and I wasn't allowed to talk in Andersontown because people would think I was a squaddy. I wrote the song at the time of the hunger strikes. I wanted to write a hopeful song, - that's the image of the invisible sun that is shining any way, no matter how dark it seems. If you didn't know it was about the Troubles, there are very few specific clues: the mention of the Armalite is the actual reference." The Independent, 9/93 "I actually wrote the song in Ireland, where I was living at the time. It was during the hunger strikes in Belfast. I wanted to write about that but I wanted to show some light at the end of the tunnel. I do think there has to be an 'invisible sun'.

You can't always see it, but there has to be something radiating light into our lives." Revolver, 4/00 "I think the title was some kind of Andy pun on 'shambles'" 'Message In A Box' Liner Notes, '93 About 'Shambelle'... "Oh no it wasn't! I'd just started writing some instrumental pieces than and it was an achievement to get Sting and Stewart to go along with it. I always thought the B-sides were the place where we had the chance to loosen up. Some of our best material came up when we jammed at soundchecks, for example. B-side can be more unconventional, more hardcore." Andy Summers: 'Message In A Box' Liner Notes, '93 About 'Shambelle'... "Andy's songs were the most unconventional of all.

It was a sad truth that most of our creative fire was activated by, and focused on, Sting's material, around which we were building the sound of our group." Stewart Copeland: 'Message In A Box' Liner Notes, '93 Reviews Review from New Musical Express "...Although I'd rather not even mention it, I feel duty-bound to report that there is a new Police single out this week. Sting and his clumsy cohorts - even at their poppiest - have always been a blind spot with me and there's absolutely nothing in the dirge-like 'Invisible Sun' to change that. A synth-ridden protest against government oppression and wickedness, it has none of the deftness or the inherent humanity of, say, UB40's 'One In Ten'..." Review from Melody Maker "Well, you're in for a surprise. It took three long looks at the label to convince myself this was the Police. It must be their most radical departure to date and easily the least immediate single they're released. It's slow, reflective, verging on the bleak in places and heavily supported by an underswell of synthesisers.

Sting, in less than cheerful tones, is trying to to make sense of a life in chains, wondering how to get through another bad day. During the night it's the invisible sun that keeps us going, whatever we choose it to be. The Police signatures are still on the dotted line, such as the luring chorus that circles round a guitar riff, but this one takes time to grow, even if you water it with half a dozen listens." Review from Record Mirror "While Adam Ant aims himself desperately at the under-sixes (did you see TOTP?), yesterday's heart-throbs wheel themselves out on a new 45. They really shouldn't have bothered; or perhaps they should have just stuck to rewriting 'Message In A Bottle' every now and then. 'Invisible Sun', an attempt at something different, is a total bore - lyrically puny and musicially just a drone. The smart remarks about a Spent Force start here." Review from Smash Hits "These are the goods! After the most hypnotic intro of the week (Sting takes a leaf out of Bryan Ferry's book), the song develops the kind of creamy propulsion that might give psychedlia a good name.

the swing is so natural, the arrangemEnts so economic and the words a lot more positive than those pedalled by the pall-bearing UB40." The Police - Invisible Sun (plus lyrics) (1981) [HIGH QUALITY COVER VERSION] - YouTube The Police - Invisible Sun (plus lyrics) (1981) [HIGH QUALITY COVER VERSION] Want to watch this again later? Sign in to add this video to a playlist. Need to report the video? Sign in to report inappropriate content. Rating is available when the video has been rented. This feature is not available right now. Please try again later. Uploaded on Oct 11, 2011 New version, clear audio quality. To buy this song from the Amazon Store click here This is a cover version by Top of the Poppers Subscribe to our you tube channel for more music videos Become a fan of Pickwick Record Label on facebook "Invisible Sun" is a hit single by rock group The Police, released in September 1981.

The song's lyrics stem from songwriter Sting's pondering how people living in war-torn and/or impoverished countries find the will to go on living, and despite the dark music and often morbid lyrical statements, the song carries an intensely uplifting and optimistic message. The song was deeply personal for drummer Stewart Copeland, whose hometown of Beirut was being heavily bombed at the time of the song's recording. It was the first single to be released in the United Kingdom from the album Ghost in the Machine and it reached number 2 in the charts. In all other territories, "Every Little Thing She Does Is Magic" was chosen as the lead single from the LP. Bono from rock group U2 performed duets of it with Sting when U2 and The Police appeared at the same concerts: the first such instance was in 1982 at a festival in Gateshead, England, and two subsequent instances occurred at the last two shows of Amnesty International's A Conspiracy of Hope Tour in 1986. The song is a departure from Police songs before it; "Invisible Sun" contains a dark, looping synthesizer beat, and powerful, haunting lyrics.

Among other things, the lyrics refer to the ArmaLite rifle used by paramilitary organizations, but mainly by the Provisional Irish Republican Army. The music video for "Invisible Sun" features a collection of video clips taken from the conflict in Northern Ireland. Due to its subject matter, it was banned by the BBC. "Invisible Sun" was also used as the opening music to the BBC 'Play for Today' film The Long March (1981), written by Belfast writer Anne Devlin. Category Invisible Sun by The Police Songfacts Invisible Sun by The Police Songfacts Songfacts Ostensibly about the violence and turmoil in Northern Ireland in the early 1980s, this song also takes into account suffering on a much larger scale: "And they're only gonna change this place, by killing everybody in the human race." Sting explained in Lyrics By Sting: "'Invisible Sun' is a dark, brooding song about the lurking violence of those streets, patrolled by armored cars, haunted by fear and suspicion, and wounds that would take generations to heal.

I'm happy that the glimmer of hope in the song's title was somewhat prophetic and pray that the sectarian violence that destroyed so many lives is well and truly over." Sting's wife, Frances Tomelty, is from Belfast, where this song takes place. A possible influence on the title: in 1658, Sir Thomas Browne (1605-82) wrote in Hydriotaphia (Urn-Burial): "Life is a pure flame, and we live by an invisible sun within us." >> Suggestion credit: Steve - Torrance, CA In the UK, where this song was most relevant, this was the first single released from Ghost in the Machine. Elsewhere, the far more sprightly " Every Little Thing She Does Is Magic " was issued first. In the US, "Invisible Sun" was not released as a single. The music video, directed by Derek Burbidge, shows stark scenes of the war-torn landscape in Northern Ireland. Even though the song was not released as a single in America, MTV gave the video substantial airplay, since The Police were huge and the network (which launched in 1981) didn't have many videos to choose from.

This song was performed at The Police's final concert before their split, the "Conspiracy of Hope" performance for Amnesty International on June 15, 1986. U2's Bono helped out on vocals. The Beatles | 30 songs banned by the BBC - Music Music Previous slide Next slide 22 of 30 View All Skip Ad Bessie Smith, Gimme a Pigfoot (And a Bottle of Beer) (1933) This raucous song of drinking and misbehaving was considered to have content not suitable to air. Billie Holiday, a long-time Smith fan, covered this song in 1949. Credit: Rex Features George Formby, When I'm Cleaning Windows (1936) This was labelled "smutty" by the BBC. Ukulele playing Formby sang songs bursting with innuendo, and this tale of a window cleaner included the line: "Ladies nighties I have spied/I've often seen what goes inside", lyrics just too risqué for the BBC in 1936.

Credit: Redferns Billie Holiday, God Bless the Child (1942) According to Holiday's autobiography this song was inspired by an argument with her mother, but it was the Biblical reference that earned the ban. Credit: Rex Features Noël Coward, Don't Let's Be Beastly to the Germans (1943) The BBC banned it, but Winston Churchill reportedly liked the song so much he demanded six encores at a private party. Credit: AP Fats Waller, The Reefer Song (If You're a Viper) (1943) This jazz record made heavy references to marijuana, including "reefer" and "viper" (Harlem slang for someone who smoked pot). Credit: Rex Features George Melly, Send Me to the 'lectric Chair (1953) A BBC manager referred to jazz singer Melly as "a rather hungry looking dark young man of untidy and rather effeminate appearance in black trousers and windcheater". Melly went on to have his own BBC One TV series, Good Time George, in the Eighties.

Credit: Rex Features Eartha Kitt, The Heel (1955) Kitt's song about a woman considering poisoning her husband did not make it past the BBC censors. Credit: AP Chuck Berry, Maybellene (1955) Berry's first hit is often praised for being a pioneering rock 'n' roll track but this song about cheating was considered too dangerous for the Beeb. Shirley Bassey, Burn My Candle (1956) The lyrics to Bassey's song were deemed too "suggestive" and the record failed to chart. Credit: Rex Features Frank Sinatra, (How Little It Matters) How Little We Know (1956) Frank Sinatra was banned by the BBC for several songs, including this amorous song from the mid-Fifties. Credit: Film Stills The Goons, A Russian Love Song (1957) Despite being the stars of The Goon Show on BBC radio, The Goons still fell foul of the censors because of the satirical nature of the lyrics ("Oh! Comrades! All right comrade that's enough!").

Ella Fitzgerald, Bewitched, Bothered and Bewildered (1958) This song originated on Broadway as part of the 1940 musical Pal Joey. Bob Dylan, Baby, Let Me Follow You Down (1962) "God-almighty world" was the offending phrase in Dylan's folk hit. Credit: Rex Features The Shangri-Las, Leader of the Pack (1964) Concerns were raised that the song's content would encourage violence between gangs of Mods and Rockers and the song was banned. Credit: Getty Scott Walker, Jackie (1967) Walker's first solo single met with controversy due to drug references and lyrics such as "phoney virgins". Credit: RB Pink Floyd, It Would Be So Nice (1968) A reference to the Evening Standard newspaper in the opening verse was enough to breach the BBC's strict no-advertising policy. Credit: Rex Features The Beatles, Come Together (1970) The Beatles fell foul of the BBC regularly, and other Beatles songs banned by the BBC include A Day in the Life, I Am the Walrus and Lucy in the Sky with Diamonds (all 1967).

Credit: Rex Paul Simon, Kodachrome (1973) This was a huge hit in the US but the BBC refused to play it, as its title is trademarked by Kodak. Donna Summer, Love to Love You Baby (1975) This disco hit by Summer was considered far too raunchy for BBC broadcasting. Credit: AP Sex Pistols, God Save the Queen (1977) The release of this antimonarchy song coincided with the Queen's Silver Jubilee and the BBC declared the song unfit for radio and television. Credit: Rex Features Tom Robinson Band, Glad to Be Gay (1978) Originally written for a London gay pride parade, this song became a gay anthem after being banned by the BBC. Credit: Rex Features The Police, Invisible Sun (1981) Clear references to the conflict in Northern Ireland meant the song was judged "overly political" and banned. Credit: Rex Frankie Goes to Hollywood, Relax (1984) Two days after BBC Radio 1 DJ Mike Read refused to play the record on his show, the BBC officially banned the song. It soon rose to number one in the charts and remained there for five weeks.

Credit: Getty The Pogues featuring Kirsty MacColl, Fairytale of New York (1987) The BBC would only play an amended, sanitised version of the song, with various "offensive" lyrics omitted. Credit: Rex Features George Michael, I Want Your Sex (1987) The song was banished to post-watershed hours amid fears that it promoted promiscuity and was counterproductive to the ongoing Aids campaigns of the Eighties. The Police Invisible Sun Bass Cover with Notes & Tablature - YouTube The Police Invisible Sun Bass Cover with Notes & Tablature Want to watch this again later? Sign in to add this video to a playlist. Need to report the video? Sign in to report inappropriate content. Rating is available when the video has been rented. This feature is not available right now. Please try again later.

Published on Jun 12, 2015 To Download Bass Notes & Tablature: Song: Invisible Sun Album: Ghost In The Machine (1981) Original Bass Player: Robert Sinclair Wilson Bass: Fender Squier Vintage Modified 70’s Jazz Software: Guitar Rig 5 Camera: Canon FS200 Standard Tuning "Invisible Sun" is a hit single by rock group The Police, released in September 1981.[1] It was the first single to be released in the United Kingdom from the album Ghost in the Machine and it reached number 2 in the charts.[2] In most other territories, "Every Little Thing She Does Is Magic" was chosen as the lead single from the LP. Copyright Disclaimer: All audio and video segments remain the property of the original artists and publishing companies. No profit is gained from this. I’m making such material available in an effort to advance understanding of the bass guitar. I believe this constitutes a fair use of any such copyrighted material as provided for in title 17&107 of the United States Code, and under articles 29 & 29.1 of the Canadian Copyright Act.

In accordance with the above Copyright Acts, the material on this site is distributed without profit to those who have expressed interest in receiving the included information for research and educational purposes. Source Wikipedia. Invisible Sun - The Police | Sheeto.com Invisible Sun - The Police 9 members have this sheet 0 members want it original pdf "Invisible Sun" is a hit single by rock group The Police, released in 1981. The song is about the tensions in Northern Ireland. It was the first single to be released in the United Kingdom from the album Ghost in the Machine and it reached number 2 in the charts. In all other territories, "Every Little Thing She Does Is Magic" was chosen as the lead single from the LP. Due to the subject of the song, Bono from rock group U2 performed duets of it with Sting when U2 and The Police appeared at the same concerts: the first such instance was in 1982 at a festival in Gateshead, England, and two subsequent instances occurred at the last two shows of Amnesty International's A Conspiracy of Hope Tour in 1986.

The song is a departure from Police songs before it; "Invisible Sun" contains a dark, looping synthesizer beat, and powerful, haunting lyrics. Among other things, the lyrics refer to the ArmaLite rifle used by paramilitary organizations, but mainly by the Provisional Irish Republican Army[1]. Read more The music video for "Invisible Sun" features a collection of video clips taken from the conflict in Northern Ireland. Due to its subject matter, it was banned by the BBC. Northern Irish rock band Therapy? recorded a cover of the song in 1993 while the Swedish progressive death metal act Edge of Sanity covered the song on their 1995 LP Until Eternity Ends. Champaign, IL band Hum covered the song in concert on more than one occasion. Sting collaborated with Aswad on a reggae version of this song for the X-Files in 1998. User-contributed text is available under the Creative Commons By-SA License and may also be available under the GNU FDL. People who play this song, also play

Question: The song "Invisible Sun" was banned by the BBC in 1981. Who was the artist?
Answer: Police