"The Ballad of John and Yoko"

[rwells2265]

Question for the panel:

How did the top-40(s) in your area deal with The Beatles' "Ballad of John and Yoko" when it was released as a single? Which stations played the entire thing, "Christ" and all? Or did an edit of the offending lyric (often poorly)? Or made a big spectacle about not playing it at all?

This question is raised as I recently pulled out a 1969 aircheck of WBAM/Montgomery, Ala. which had a terrible edit of the song, splicing the word "Christ" out of the song.

--Russell

 

[LKellerIII]

In Los Angeles, top-rated KHJ (Bill Drake's flagship "Boss Radio" station) ignored the song. Even though it was a popular song, KHJ acted as if it didn't exist. At the time, I thought this was kind of strange because KHJ regularly edited songs, though usually for length (MacArthur Park, Those Were the Days), not for content.

Competitor KRLA ran the song unedited, and made a big point of telling people that they were the station courageous enough to play it. But KRLA was trying to position itself as the hip and daring alternative to KHJ - they had a left-wing oriented satirical newscast called the Credibility Gap (starring Harry Shearer, among others) and even switched to a looser "FM" style album rock format at night for a year or two.

Personality oriented KGBS (more or less an MOR station with Top 40 music) used that clumsy edit you speak of with the "Christ" cut out - seemingly with a meat cleaver, then re-attached with scotch tape. As I remember, in a couple of spots, the beat is actually thrown off kilter because the edit was poorly done. LA's only other Top 40 station at the time was low-powered KDAY out of Santa Monica, and I don't recall if they played the song or not.

 

[Ultimajock]

...in Wisconsin's Fox River Valley, WOSH Oshkosh played the snot out of the commercial 45. WCWC in nearby Ripon ignored it. I don't recall if WNRR Neenah or WYNE Appleton were up and running yet, but they did play the record as an oldie; I'm under the impression WKAU Kaukauna and WNAM Neenah did not flip to Top 40 until after WNRR went silent circa early '71 and returned to the air as beautiful music WROE...

 

[Batfink]

New York powerhouse WABC ignored it.

 

[chuckydoll]

"John and Yoko" banned in New York

WABC and WMCA banned the song; they believed "Christ you know it ain't easy" = profanity. You would have had to go to progressive rock station WNEW-FM to hear the record.

 

[NoWayNoCC]

Re: "John and Yoko" banned in New York

I find it amazing that it was able to be played in so many smaller markets like Appleton but was banned or censored in big markets like New York and Los Angeles.

This is kind of like what happened in 1987 with George Michael's "I Want Your Sex". It was banned for a long time in Cincinnati, but I went on a road trip around that time and heard it in much smaller markets in Illinois and Iowa.

 

[tcsnrayp]

I find it amazing that it was able to be played in so many smaller markets like Appleton but was banned or censored in big markets like New York and Los Angeles.

This is kind of like what happened in 1987 with George Michael's "I Want Your Sex".

Hey... I lived that exact scenerio. John & Yoko came out when I was in a midwest medium market and we played it unedited. The George Michael was a hit when I was in a top 20 market and we ignored it. And I was the PD in both situations!

 

[RMarino]

I think the bigger markets feel they have more to lose. I remember in 1987 "I Want Your Sex" was not played on Tampa, FL powerhouse Q105 (except for the super clean edit) while nearby Sarasota, FL CHR WSRZ Z106 had no problem playing the real version. In other words, the smaller stations take more chances.

 

[LKellerIII]

I think the bigger markets feel they have more to lose. I remember in 1987 "I Want Your Sex" was not played on Tampa, FL powerhouse Q105 (except for the super clean edit) while nearby Sarasota, FL CHR WSRZ Z106 had no problem playing the real version. In other words, the smaller stations take more chances.

I have to admit, though - it's funny that Ballad of John and Yoko could be played without controversy in what we "left-coasters" dismissively refer to as the Bible Belt, while radio stations in bigger coastal markets showed more caution. Remember, this was 1969 - only 4 years or so after John Lennon sparked a HUGE controversy in America by saying that the Beatles were more popular than Jesus.

 

[Time Traveler]

The best way that I ever heard this "controversy" handled was on small market Top 40 station WEIM-Fitchburg, Ma. When the song was released, they played it a couple of times one night in its entirety, and asked listeners to call in and vote, on whether or not they should play it. Their attititude was that they would play it unedited, or not play it at all, which at the time, I thought was very cool. In any case, the vote was overhelming to play it, which they did, that entire summer. When they announced the results of the voting that evening, the DJ mentioned that the only callers that voted against playing the song were "over 30". (age)
The other Top 40 signals that I could receive in that area, were playing edited versions of the song. They included Boston's WRKO and WKOX-FM, as well as Worcester's WORC and WAAB. To the west, Albany, NY's WPTR and WTRY were playing the edited version of the song, as well....

 

[Noiseboxxx]

I have to admit, though - it's funny that Ballad of John and Yoko could be played without controversy in what we "left-coasters" dismissively refer to as the Bible Belt, while radio stations in bigger coastal markets showed more caution. Remember, this was 1969 - only 4 years or so after John Lennon sparked a HUGE controversy in America by saying that the Beatles were more popular than Jesus.

unedited version played in little rock from what i can remember. me being a huge beatles, lennon, mccartney, harrison & starr fan.

 

[MACK184]

One of the big reasons that larger market stations were reluctant to play that song and others was that at that time congress was making a lot of noise about "drug music" on the Top-40 stations. Those radio people who remember that time will remember that the FCC was about on the same power level as the IRS, and there was a good deal of fear that the FCC would swoop down and grab a license over some of this stuff. It was not exactly an unreasonable fear. A 50Kw monster like WABC or WLS had a big footprint and got the attention of the FCC a lot faster than a 1Kw local in Ft. Bumpdebump, Arkansas. So in practice, a smaller station could take a few more risks.

 

[Ultimajock]

One of the big reasons that larger market stations were reluctant to play that song and others was that at that time congress was making a lot of noise about "drug music" on the Top-40 stations. Those radio people who remember that time will remember that the FCC was about on the same power level as the IRS, and there was a good deal of fear that the FCC would swoop down and grab a license over some of this stuff. It was not exactly an unreasonable fear. A 50Kw monster like WABC or WLS had a big footprint and got the attention of the FCC a lot faster than a 1Kw local in Ft. Bumpdebump, Arkansas. So in practice, a smaller station could take a few more risks.

...as I recall, that was one of Vice-President Spiro Agnew's pet witch hunts. It got so insane at one point that, when Mike Curb became the head honcho at M-G-M Records, he dumped a bushel of acts from the label's roster under the guise of being part of the druggie purge. It turned out that most of the acts axed were merely dead wood by 1969 -- "Bosstown Sound" bands like Ultimate Spinach and the incarnation of The Lovin' Spoonful that had only Joe Butler left from the hit making days -- and Curb had a chance to get publicity out of the deal. Even The Cowsills were dumped, with Curb citing "We Can Fly" as a "drug lyric" example. The whole thing backfired on Curb and M-G-M, however, when the most flagrantly drug-oriented performer on M-G-M Records, Eric Burdon, loudly demanded his release from the label -- I seem to recall he had a deal waiting for him at London Records -- but Curb refused to cut him loose...

 

[LKellerIII]

"...when Mike Curb became the head honcho at M-G-M Records, he dumped a bushel of acts from the label's roster under the guise of being part of the druggie purge. It turned out that most of the acts axed were merely dead wood by 1969"

Curb was an opportunist with an eye toward Republican politics. He wanted to be another Reagan, and I believe he was California Lieutenant Governor for one or 2 terms, but proved himself a lightweight and his political career stalled after that. He was interviewed recently on some retrospective show, and he looked great - much younger than the 60 plus years he must be. So I guess things have been going well for him back in the private sector.

 

[BoscoGoldBear]

"...when Mike Curb became the head honcho at M-G-M Records, he dumped a bushel of acts from the label's roster under the guise of being part of the druggie purge. It turned out that most of the acts axed were merely dead wood by 1969"

Curb was an opportunist with an eye toward Republican politics. He wanted to be another Reagan, and I believe he was California Lieutenant Governor for one or 2 terms, but proved himself a lightweight and his political career stalled after that. He was interviewed recently on some retrospective show, and he looked great - much younger than the 60 plus years he must be. So I guess things have been going well for him back in the private sector.

When you sell millions of LeAnn Rimes CDs and (with the "help" of her now estranged father) lock her into a 25 to 30 CD deal (i.e. 50 to 60 year recording deal), of course you're making millions, Mike Curb!

BTW, around the time of that MGM Records purge, Curb was also listed as "Musical Director For "Cattanooga Cats"" and also as one of the "Cattanooga Cats"' "Voices." For those who have forgotten, "Cattanooga Cats" was ABC's 1969 all-animated ripoff of "The Banana Splits" (on NBC) from the year before from the same producers as the "Splits" (Hanna-Barbera, who had never lived this one down). ;D

 

[EDwalker]

Question for the panel:

How did the top-40(s) in your area deal with The Beatles' "Ballad of John and Yoko" when it was released as a single?

I don't remember the song being played in Chicago (at least on WLS/WCFL) when it was released. I could be wrong.

But I do remember a class A FM in Arlington Heights..WEXI 92.7 - running what I think was a Drake top-40 tape format -
automated - playing "JE TAIME..MOI NON PLUS" by JANE BIRKIN AND SERGE GAINSBOURG as what (seemed like) a power
current in the early 70s.

You have to know the song....

 

[romer979fm]

Question for the panel:

How did the top-40(s) in your area deal with The Beatles' "Ballad of John and Yoko" when it was released as a single?

IIRC, neither WKLO or WAKY in Louisville played it. In fact, WKLO PD Carl Truman Wiglesworth went on-air
saying the song wasn't really air-play quality...so 'KLO wouldn't. I did hear it on WQXI Atlanta...

 

[Oldbones]

The other Top 40 signals that I could receive in that area, were playing edited versions of the song. They included Boston's WRKO and WKOX-FM, as well as Worcester's WORC and WAAB. To the west, Albany, NY's WPTR and WTRY were playing the edited version of the song, as well....

WRKO did not play the song at all. WPTR & WKBW played a sloppy edit, WMEX played it unedited. Dunno about the 2 Worcester stations.

 

[Ultimajock]

Question for the panel:

How did the top-40(s) in your area deal with The Beatles' "Ballad of John and Yoko" when it was released as a single?

I don't remember the song being played in Chicago (at least on WLS/WCFL) when it was released. I could be wrong.

But I do remember a class A FM in Arlington Heights..WEXI 92.7 - running what I think was a Drake top-40 tape format -
automated - playing "JE TAIME..MOI NON PLUS" by JANE BIRKIN AND SERGE GAINSBOURG as what (seemed like) a power
current in the early 70s.

You have to know the song....

...as I recall, WCFL snuck it in at night. I seem to recall hearing an aircheck of Barney Pip or Dick Biondi playing it; at the same time, Barney Pip would slip in plugs for anti-war rallies (which he would speak at) as liner PSAs. At the time, WCFL made a lot of mileage on the fact that they would play the records that WLS wouldn't, especially those put out by ABC's record division. Rather ironic, considering that by this time, Clark Weber, the WLS PD that established the pattern by refusing to play "Eve of Destruction" and the original version of "Gloria," had moved over to WCFL. Then, in 1971, both WCFL and WNBC in New York announced a ban on Brewer & Shipley's "One Toke Over the Line" (a ban that didn't last -- Wolfman Jack repeatedly played the record on both stations two years later when taking over the evening shift at WNBC and WCFL picked up his syndicated show)...

 

[cheapman]

In Boston WMEX played a LOT of songs that WRKO wouldn't touch. They also played the full length album versions of all the hits while RKO played the single edits. WMEX even mixed in popular album cuts. What a great station!