16 songs banned by the 麻豆社
The Kinks 鈥 Lola
Written by singer , Lola is about a relationship between a man and a 鈥渨oman鈥 who turns out to be a transvestite.
But it wasn鈥檛 this gender confusion that worried the 麻豆社. The song was banned for including the words 鈥渃oca-cola鈥 which was against their policy on product placement.
Davies had to interrupt the band鈥檚 American tour to fly back to London to re-record the lyric as 鈥渃herry-cola鈥 for the single release.
- (麻豆社 Music)
The Sex Pistols 鈥 Anarchy In The UK
The Sex Pistols' debut single, Anarchy in the UK was banned following their controversial appearance on the TV news programme, Today.
The song had already been played on the radio but the band had caused such outrage by swearing on television that they were banished from the airwaves.
Their next single, God Save The Queen was also banned but it didn鈥檛 stop The Sex Pistols storming their way up the charts.
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John Leyton 鈥 Johnny Remember Me
This was the first and only No.1 hit for singer and actor John Leyton who starred in the TV series, .
The song tells the story of a young man haunted by his dead lover and was one of many 'death discs' popular at the time but banned by the 麻豆社.
Other censored 'splatter platters' include, Tell Laura I Love Her by Ray Ricky Valance, Teen Angel by Mark Dinning and Terry by Twinkle.
- (麻豆社 Music)
George Michael 鈥 I Want Your Sex
This was George Michael鈥檚 first solo single after splitting from school pal , the other half of pop duo . At the time it was one of the few songs to include the word 'sex' in the title and the 麻豆社 restricted play of the song and video for being overtly sexually suggestive.
Some critics argued that the song was promoting casual sex at a time when AIDS was of great concern. But George released a statement to the contrary 鈥 I Want Your Sex is about attaching lust to love, not just to strangers.
It would be more than a decade before George would make a statement about his own sexuality.
- (麻豆社 Music)
Tom Robinson 鈥 Glad To Be Gay
Back in 1976 Tom Robinson was out, loud and proud. This song written originally for a gay pride march went on to become Britain鈥檚 unofficial gay anthem.
Released on an EP, the 麻豆社 refused to play it on , although broke rank and played the track anyway, as often happened!
Robinson later confused some journalists by marrying a woman and in 1996 added an extra verse to the song: 鈥淲ell if gay liberation means freedom for all, a label is no liberation at all. I鈥檓 here and I鈥檓 queer and do what I do, I鈥檓 not going to wear a straghtjacket for you.鈥
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Blondie - Atomic
This was one of 67 songs deemed unsuitable for broadcast by the 麻豆社 during the first Gulf War.
Boom-Bang-a-Bang by Lulu, Bang Bang by BA Robertson and Cher鈥檚 Bang Bang (My Baby Shot me Down) were among the explosive sounding songs on the list.
Maria Muldaur鈥檚 1974 hit, Midnight at the Oasis, was also considered potentially offensive, along with I鈥檒l Fly for You by Spandau Ballet and Everybody Wants to Rule the World by Tears for Fears.
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Gang Of Four 鈥 I Love A Man In Uniform
This song was on its way up the charts until the 麻豆社 banned it as inappropriate when British troops were entering the Falklands War.
But this post-punk band had been banned before. Their 1979 single, At Home He鈥檚 a Tourist was also censored by the 麻豆社.
The band walked off Top of the Pops minutes before performing when they were asked to replace the lyric 鈥渞ubbers鈥 with 鈥渞ubbish鈥 鈥 鈥渞ubbers鈥 was considered too risqu茅 for the 麻豆社.
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Scott Walker 鈥 Jackie
This was the first record to be banned by the new Radio 1. Walker鈥檚 cover of the classic was banned because of homosexual references in the lyrics. The 麻豆社 was offended by the reference to 鈥渁uthentic queers鈥 and 鈥減hony virgins鈥.
That same year the Sexual Offences Act was passed in England and Wales, decriminalising sex acts between two men over the age of 21 in private.
In 1991 covered the song and performed it on primetime television.
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Shirley Bassey 鈥 Burn My Candle
This was Welsh singer Shirley Bassey鈥檚 debut song when she was just 19 years old. However the word 鈥渟ex鈥 in the lyrics was considered too salacious and the song was banned by the 麻豆社.
This initial set back didn't do Shirley any harm: she's went to sell more that 135 million records over seven decades.
- (麻豆社 Music)
Heaven 17 鈥 (We Don't Need This) Fascist Groove Thang
This was the first single to be released from Heaven 17鈥檚 debut album, .
The song was banned by the 麻豆社 after concerns that the lyrics libelled the then President of the United States of America, Ronald Reagan.
The synth-pop pioneers are still performing and, with the ban now lifted, was recorded in 2010 for 麻豆社 Radio 6 Music.
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Serge Gainsbourg & Jane Birkin 鈥 Je t'aime鈥 moi non plus
Birkin and Gainsbourg were in a relationship at the time of this single鈥檚 release, but Gainsbourg had written and recorded the song two years earlier for his then girlfriend .
Bardot鈥檚 husband heard the track and Bardot subsequently pleaded with Gainsbourg not to release the song.
It was banned by the 麻豆社 for its overtly sexual content.
- (麻豆社 Music)
Lil Louis 鈥 French Kiss
Some of the best panting in pop comes from this house track.
It was a hit in night clubs around the world but the change in tempo and sexual moaning were too hot for the 麻豆社 to handle.
Despite a ban it still reached number 2 in the UK charts.
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Ian Dury and The Blockheads 鈥 Spasticus Autisticus
Ian Dury wrote this song as a protest against the International Year of Disabled Persons. As a polio sufferer he found this label patronising.
The 麻豆社 denied the song airplay, citing that the lyrics: 鈥淚 wibble when I piddle 'cos my middle is a riddle鈥 were offensive.
In 2012 the song was used in the opening ceremony to the Paralympic Games.
- (麻豆社 Music)
Radiohead 鈥 Creep
First released in 1992, Creep was rarely given airplay as it was considered too depressing! The song also contains the f word which was not acceptable for the 麻豆社.
The band recorded an alternative, substituting the offending word with 鈥渧ery鈥. The song was re-released in 1993 where it reached number seven in the UK charts.
- (麻豆社 Music)
Screaming Lord Sutch 鈥 Jack The Ripper
Produced by the legendary , this song was banned by the 麻豆社 for being in bad taste.
Lord Sutch is better known as the founder of the Monster Raving Loony Party, but back in 1963 he stood in his first election representing the National Teenage Party.
It鈥檚 unknown if this song helped increase his vote.
- (麻豆社 Music)
Eliza Doolittle 鈥 Walking On Water
The young singer-songwriter ran into trouble with the 麻豆社 due to the religious content in this song.
Prior to an appearance on , Doolittle was asked to change the lyric: 鈥淪ometimes I wish I was Jesus鈥 to 鈥淪ometimes I wish it was easy to get my Air Max on and run across the sea to you.鈥
There was, however, no problem with the reference to a popular running shoe...
- (麻豆社 Music)