Hooked on an edit

[radioman148]

Hornet, you can also add "My Ding-A-Ling by the great Chuck Berry as another song banned. And yes it was also WABC. Across the Hudson River in northern New Jersey, low-powered WWDJ was playing the song virtually every hour as it was #1 there for what seemed like eons. But then later that year, flipped to Gospel. So who knows?

We also can't assume lots of this kind of stuff occurred just in the past. Speaking of "Pillow Talk," I requested the song in the 90s on the local oldies station in Miami and remember the reply to this day - "I'm not going to play orgasms on the air."

And a few months ago I heard a PD in Birmingham Al edited the Eagles classic "Life in the Fast Lane." More market decisions I suppose.

IRONIC! that they're editing top-40 music from the 60's & 70's today- and down the hall at the RAP station they're playing "Eminem" and "Ludricus"..

Very ironic indeed. In fact it's ludicrous.

 

[firepoint525]

some years ago charlie started editing his own song in live shows.."the devil went down to georgia"..he doesn't say SOB..says sonofa gun..guess he's mellowed a tad ..if i remember right..the song shipped on 45 with SOB on one side and son of a gun on the flip....

That may be true of radio station copies, but that was not the case with the commercial single. The "son of a gun" version was on the commercial single. And it was the "son of a gun" version that got played on my local CHR back when it was a hit. And as far as I know, the only place you can still find the "son of a gun" version (on CD) is the Billboard Top 10 Hits of 1979 CD.

In recent years, some stations have gotten in trouble with their listeners for playing the "son of a bitch" version, but I'm thinking that after these stations went to all CDs, that that may have been all they had. It's the only version I ever hear anymore, and it's the one on the Urban Cowboy soundtrack.

 

[Silkie]

I noted Lou Christie's "Rhapsody In The Rain" in the very early posts of the thread, but imagine that even "and in this car, our love went much too far" was euphemistic but reworded any to something along the lines of "and in this car, love came like a shooting star", which seems to me to be more obvious.

Paradise By The Dashboard Lights was never edited.

Ed Sullivan's request of The Rolling Stones to reword "Let's Spend The Night Together" for purposes of performing on his show.

 

[firepoint525]

"Paradise By the Dashboard Light" WAS edited, but it was for length (it was eight minutes long! ), not for content.

My local CHR actually edited John Travolta/Olivia Newton John's "Summer Nights" from Grease. Not for content, and not really for length (it was only about three and a half minutes), but just because they didn't "like" the song! ;D Anyhow, I never heard any complaints about that edit. At any rate, that must have been a tough edit to do, with all the key changes in that song. Tell me more, tell me more! Okay, you can tell me a little less! ;D

 

[radioman148]

I didn't like "Summer Nights" either ;D

 

[hornet61]

I didn't like "Summer Nights" either ;D

Wow, Radioman finally something we disagree on I love the Grease Sountrack cover to cover.....to use an old LP term.

 

[radioman148]

I didn't like "Summer Nights" either ;D

Wow, Radioman finally something we disagree on I love the Grease Sountrack cover to cover.....to use an old LP term.

Hornet, You mean you agree with me on everything else? Wow--I'll take that percentage.

 

[John FL]

I knew this string would generate a lot of response. However, I think what we need to remember WHY edits take place or songs wind up dropped from rotation all together. Sometimes the PD and/or the GM are in a tough situation. There are a lot of balls to juggle given revenue, ratings and market responsiveness. It's great playing Sunday Morning quarterback in these forums but what we say here may very well differ "in the real world."

If an advertiser found a particular song or lyric in that song offensive and threatened to go elsewhere, what would you do? While it's great to stand up for things, if revenue dropped as a result of the decision to tell the advertiser to go pound salt, I wouldn't want to be in the position to explain the revenue loss to upper managment. Maybe that chance would never even come.

Some areas of the country are more conservative than others. If the audience reacts negatively through phone calls, emails etc., the GM would have to really consider the risks vs. the rewards of doing nothing. Anyway, we may not like how things are done currently or in the past, and perhaps many of us would wind up doing the same. Thoughts?

 

[hornet61]

I knew this string would generate a lot of response. However, I think what we need to remember WHY edits take place or songs wind up dropped from rotation all together. Sometimes the PD and/or the GM are in a tough situation. There are a lot of balls to juggle given revenue, ratings and market responsiveness. It's great playing Sunday Morning quarterback in these forums but what we say here may very well differ "in the real world."

If an advertiser found a particular song or lyric in that song offensive and threatened to go elsewhere, what would you do? While it's great to stand up for things, if revenue dropped as a result of the decision to tell the advertiser to go pound salt, I wouldn't want to be in the position to explain the revenue loss to upper managment. Maybe that chance would never even come.

Some areas of the country are more conservative than others. If the audience reacts negatively through phone calls, emails etc., the GM would have to really consider the risks vs. the rewards of doing nothing. Anyway, we may not like how things are done currently or in the past, and perhaps many of us would wind up doing the same. Thoughts?

Roger that !

I didn't like "Summer Nights" either ;D

Wow, Radioman finally something we disagree on I love the Grease Sountrack cover to cover.....to use an old LP term.

Hornet, You mean you agree with me on everything else? Wow--I'll take that percentage.

Most of the time we are 99%.

 

[radioman148]

I knew this string would generate a lot of response. However, I think what we need to remember WHY edits take place or songs wind up dropped from rotation all together. Sometimes the PD and/or the GM are in a tough situation. There are a lot of balls to juggle given revenue, ratings and market responsiveness. It's great playing Sunday Morning quarterback in these forums but what we say here may very well differ "in the real world."

If an advertiser found a particular song or lyric in that song offensive and threatened to go elsewhere, what would you do? While it's great to stand up for things, if revenue dropped as a result of the decision to tell the advertiser to go pound salt, I wouldn't want to be in the position to explain the revenue loss to upper managment. Maybe that chance would never even come.

Some areas of the country are more conservative than others. If the audience reacts negatively through phone calls, emails etc., the GM would have to really consider the risks vs. the rewards of doing nothing. Anyway, we may not like how things are done currently or in the past, and perhaps many of us would wind up doing the same. Thoughts?

Roger that !

I didn't like "Summer Nights" either ;D

Wow, Radioman finally something we disagree on I love the Grease Sountrack cover to cover.....to use an old LP term.

Hornet, You mean you agree with me on everything else? Wow--I'll take that percentage.

Most of the time we are 99%.

Blood brothers

 

[johnbasalla]

I think that on Johnny Cash's "Boy Named Sue", Columbia records beeped out the offending word on the record to begin with.

 

[firepoint525]

I knew this string would generate a lot of response. However, I think what we need to remember WHY edits take place or songs wind up dropped from rotation all together. Sometimes the PD and/or the GM are in a tough situation. There are a lot of balls to juggle given revenue, ratings and market responsiveness. It's great playing Sunday Morning quarterback in these forums but what we say here may very well differ "in the real world."
If an advertiser found a particular song or lyric in that song offensive and threatened to go elsewhere, what would you do? While it's great to stand up for things, if revenue dropped as a result of the decision to tell the advertiser to go pound salt, I wouldn't want to be in the position to explain the revenue loss to upper managment. Maybe that chance would never even come.
Some areas of the country are more conservative than others. If the audience reacts negatively through phone calls, emails etc., the GM would have to really consider the risks vs. the rewards of doing nothing. Anyway, we may not like how things are done currently or in the past, and perhaps many of us would wind up doing the same. Thoughts?

I once got in hot water with some listeners (probably stay-at-home moms and housewives), literally for using the word, "crotch" on the air! : Let me set this up for you:

It was the early '90s, and I had a job at a station in a small town. The GM wanted us to read these stupid celebrity news stories (that we got off the wire service they had at the time) over the air. I never thought this was a good idea, but I went along with it. : One day, a story came over the wire about Michael Jackson editing out the crotch-grabbing scenes from the "Black or White" music video. I'm sure most of you remember that! : Anyway, I read the story over the air, without thinking much of it. For the next 10-15 minutes or so, I got calls from moms of small children berating me for saying the word "crotch"! Gimme a break! Anyway, I knew it would die down soon, because it was a fleeting thing, but I was concerned that there might be some longer-term fallout from it. I needn't have worried. The next day, the GM himself used the story, and according to our then-news director, used the word "crotch" twice! I just wonder if any of those housewives berated HIM for the use of the word! (I should point out that anytime a wire story contained something potentially offensive, there would be a disclaimer both preceding and following the story, warning about the offensive content. I should further point out that the Michael Jackson story contained NO such disclaimers!) This was not the only time I was ever harassed by listeners for using these stupid celebrity news stories, just the one time that stood out in my mind the most. Now do you understand why I hated using these stupid celebrity news items?

 

[Silkie]

I knew this string would generate a lot of response. However, I think what we need to remember WHY edits take place or songs wind up dropped from rotation all together. Sometimes the PD and/or the GM are in a tough situation. There are a lot of balls to juggle given revenue, ratings and market responsiveness. It's great playing Sunday Morning quarterback in these forums but what we say here may very well differ "in the real world."
If an advertiser found a particular song or lyric in that song offensive and threatened to go elsewhere, what would you do? While it's great to stand up for things, if revenue dropped as a result of the decision to tell the advertiser to go pound salt, I wouldn't want to be in the position to explain the revenue loss to upper managment. Maybe that chance would never even come.
Some areas of the country are more conservative than others. If the audience reacts negatively through phone calls, emails etc., the GM would have to really consider the risks vs. the rewards of doing nothing. Anyway, we may not like how things are done currently or in the past, and perhaps many of us would wind up doing the same. Thoughts?

I once got in hot water with some listeners (probably stay-at-home moms and housewives), literally for using the word, "crotch" on the air! : Let me set this up for you:

It was the early '90s, and I had a job at a station in a small town. The GM wanted us to read these stupid celebrity news stories (that we got off the wire service they had at the time) over the air. I never thought this was a good idea, but I went along with it. : One day, a story came over the wire about Michael Jackson editing out the crotch-grabbing scenes from the "Black or White" music video. I'm sure most of you remember that! : Anyway, I read the story over the air, without thinking much of it. For the next 10-15 minutes or so, I got calls from moms of small children berating me for saying the word "crotch"! Gimme a break! Anyway, I knew it would die down soon, because it was a fleeting thing, but I was concerned that there might be some longer-term fallout from it. I needn't have worried. The next day, the GM himself used the story, and according to our then-news director, used the word "crotch" twice! I just wonder if any of those housewives berated HIM for the use of the word! (I should point out that anytime a wire story contained something potentially offensive, there would be a disclaimer both preceding and following the story, warning about the offensive content. I should further point out that the Michael Jackson story contained NO such disclaimers!) This was not the only time I was ever harassed by listeners for using these stupid celebrity news stories, just the one time that stood out in my mind the most. Now do you understand why I hated using these stupid celebrity news items?

lol - with a small network full of trash advice to teach you how to disguise the gloved one in more ways than one if it ever came up.

 

[billyg]

I didn't like "Summer Nights" either ;D

That song got old fast. How did another generation find out about Grease? I wish it had stayed buried.

I also remember several Top 40 stations playing an version of John Travolta's "Greased Lightning" with several lines changed ("You Know it aint no s---, we'll be getting lots of t--)
I havent heard it in 20+ years... and dont care to.

Another fun one: The 45 version of the Knack's "Good Girls Don't" which replaced the LP's "When she's sittin' on your face" with "When she puts you in your place.." which I thought was more appropriate!

 

[radioman148]

I didn't like "Summer Nights" either ;D

That song got old fast. How did another generation find out about Grease? I wish it had stayed buried.

I also remember several Top 40 stations playing an version of John Travolta's "Greased Lightning" with several lines changed ("You Know it aint no s---, we'll be getting lots of t--)
I havent heard it in 20+ years... and dont care to.

Another fun one: The 45 version of the Knack's "Good Girls Don't" which replaced the LP's "When she's sittin' on your face" with "When she puts you in your place.." which I thought was more appropriate!

I thought all that Grease stuff got overplayed like crazy at the time.
I actually don't mind hearing some of it now but we were hit over the head with it then.

 

[hornet61]

Beauty School Dropout
Its Rainin' Prom Night
Sandy
There are Worst Things I could Do
........... I Love It.....along with American Graffitti, introduced my daughters generation to Oldies. How hot was libby in that movie,wow.

Most requested Frankie Avalon song in concert, according to Frankie.
Venus..No
Why...No
Bobby sox...no

Beauty school Dropout....yes

 

[radioman148]

Beauty School Dropout
Its Rainin' Prom Night
Sandy
There are Worst Things I could Do
........... I Love It.....along with American Graffitti, introduced my daughters generation to Oldies. How hot was libby in that movie,wow.

Most requested Frankie Avalon song in concert, according to Frankie.
Venus..No
Why...No
Bobby sox...no

Beauty school Dropout....yes

I would've thought it was :"Dee Dee Dinah" ;D

 

[firepoint525]

I also remember several Top 40 stations playing an version of John Travolta's "Greased Lightning" with several lines changed ("You Know it aint no s---, we'll be getting lots of t--)
I havent heard it in 20+ years... and dont care to.

I have never heard "Greased Lightning" over the air (except for the part that was included in the "Grease Megamix"). They would have had to bleep too much of it out!

Grease has been exposed to the younger generation, apparently through Broadway or other plays. Everyone who is anyone has played Rizzo in Grease! :

And it wasn't Grease that was overkilled back in the day (although it may seem that way to some of you). It was actually Saturday Night Fever. Check out the chart positions that all of the Bee Gees' singles achieved in the first half of 1978.

If you lived in the U.K., then you might be justified in saying Grease music was overplayed. "You're the One That I Want" spent nine weeks at #1 in the U.K., with another seven weeks at #1 for "Summer Nights." Here in the states, "You're the One That I Want" was only one week at #1, while "Summer Nights" peaked at #5.

 

[radioman148]

I think that on Johnny Cash's "Boy Named Sue", Columbia records beeped out the offending word on the record to begin with.

Yes they did.

 

[hornet61]

I also remember several Top 40 stations playing an version of John Travolta's "Greased Lightning" with several lines changed ("You Know it aint no s---, we'll be getting lots of t--)
I havent heard it in 20+ years... and dont care to.

I have never heard "Greased Lightning" over the air (except for the part that was included in the "Grease Megamix"). They would have had to bleep too much of it out!

Grease has been exposed to the younger generation, apparently through Broadway or other plays. Everyone who is anyone has played Rizzo in Grease! :

And it wasn't Grease that was overkilled back in the day (although it may seem that way to some of you). It was actually Saturday Night Fever. Check out the chart positions that all of the Bee Gees' singles achieved in the first half of 1978.

If you lived in the U.K., then you might be justified in saying Grease music was overplayed. "You're the One That I Want" spent nine weeks at #1 in the U.K., with another seven weeks at #1 for "Summer Nights." Here in the states, "You're the One That I Want" was only one week at #1, while "Summer Nights" peaked at #5.

You have never heard "Greased Lightning" over the air because of cookie cutter formats with no Imagimation or flat don't get It., both Grease Mega-Mixx's are perfect for air-play......hello, no-go......no wonder Oldies radio is dieing a slow death. And yes, "You're The One That I Want" is starting to catch up to "Satisfaction" in saturtation.

signed

Mr Dieingly Sad
..