I was checking out an old Sly and the Family Stone album

[ol'skinflint]

and decided that one of the songs has one of the most abrasive titles I've ever heard ("Don't Call Me Ni___r, Whitey"). I'd be interested in hearing some other song titles that people consider pretty abrasive, maybe limited to your first 2 choices....

[Ian Rose]

Besides about half (or more) the songs on the radio nowadays?

[wever]

i can't think about any other title right now....and i don't know the nowadays songs on the radio...
i don't use to listen to the radio, doin myown mix for me...and sharing it with people who wants to....

[JOL]

Ian Dury, had a song named Spasticus Artisticus which was released as a fund riser for people with Autism that what was totally politically incorrect and really pissed off the foundation that they were trying to raise money for. I loved it but I can see where some people would be offended.

[ol'skinflint]

Besides about half (or more) the songs on the radio nowadays?

I don't listen to the radio so I have no idea what's on there. And if the rap crap and computer trash I occasionally skim over on BET and VH1 is any indication of what's on the radio these days then I won't be listening anytime soon.

[Ian Rose]

If you dont listen to the radio your definately not missing anything. Mine is firmly planted on the "oldies" station.

I never knew the story behind Spasticus Artisticus....I love that song too. Thats a funny story. Maybe not funny in the "ha ha" kind of way.

-Ian

[Ian Rose]

But on topic..
Black Brothers-Black Soul, a "Tom Moulton mix", never quite sat right wth me. Maybe its just me.

[Simon White]

Ian Dury, had a song named Spasticus Artisticus which was released as a fund riser for people with Autism that what was totally politically incorrect and really pissed off the foundation that they were trying to raise money for. I loved it but I can see where some people would be offended.

Worth pointing out that Dury had contracted polio as a kid and so was handicapped himself. So he was using it as a challenge, in a non pitying, non abusive positive way to take the words back and disable (no pun intended) the negative power in the same way as blacks use the terms 'Nigger' and gays use the term 'Queer' as a way of owning the word.
Words are very powerful tools but in the end it's the intent in the usage, not the word that is important !

I love the English language and the ways it's used...... for instance, think about the way the word 'Gay' was bleeped in some versions of 'There But For The Grace Of God Go I' .. who was it bleeped for? Was it bleeped because the word was offensive to gays (it wasn't abusive in gay circles in 1979 !) or straights..who maybe just didn't want to hear the word or ackowledge it at all ??

[QUINNY]

I love the English language and the ways it's used...... for instance, think about the way the word 'Gay' was bleeped in some versions of 'There But For The Grace Of God Go I' .. who was it bleeped for? Was it bleeped because the word was offensive to gays (it wasn't abusive in gay circles in 1979 !) or straights..who maybe just didn't want to hear the word or ackowledge it at all ??

I can only assume it was bleeped at the request of the Gay liberation movement, who saw it as being too derisory to be included with the other two social groups, that preceded them in that notorious line of the song. In the racially divided country that was America in 1979, notice no-one had them bleep Blacks or Jews. Presumably, Black Americans and the Jewish community weren't dancing to the toon.

[Simon White]

I can only assume it was bleeped at the request of the Gay liberation movement, who saw it as being too derisory to be included with the other two social groups, that preceded them in that notorious line of the song. In the racially divided country that was America in 1979, notice no-one had them bleep Blacks or Jews. Presumably, Black Americans and the Jewish community weren't dancing to the toon.

Thats what's interesting question about it Quinny...why were the words 'Blacks' and 'Jews' not bleeped but 'Gays' was? Obviously, Jew and Black were not considered offensive terms amongst those groups (again the intent of usage is what becomes offensive...get a member of the KKK to say 'Jew' !) but at the same time, to the best of my knowledge nor was Gay considered offensive amongst the Gay group. So the bleeping has to have been there for the benefit of non Gays, and because money talks, someone at RCA obviously decided the record buying public or radio listeners didn't want to even HEAR the word ! !
It is one of the strangest bits of censorship, on a par with the BBC's decision to not show the video of openly Gay & Black Sylvester in what amounted to a dress on 'Top Of The Pops' (maybe it appeared,I remember seeing it, but only once) but then showing White "bisexual" bore and huge moneyspinner David Bowel in a dress many times. :icon_cry:
They did make it up with Divine singing 'You Think You're A Man' in full glory a few years later ....but that of course had the Stock, Aitken & Waterman hit factory behind it !

[the disco kid]

I can only assume it was bleeped at the request of the Gay liberation movement, who saw it as being too derisory to be included with the other two social groups, that preceded them in that notorious line of the song. In the racially divided country that was America in 1979, notice no-one had them bleep Blacks or Jews. Presumably, Black Americans and the Jewish community weren't dancing to the toon.

if you listen to the censored (and that is how it was promoted BITD!) version, the entire line "where no blacks no jews and no gays" line is replaced with "where only upper class people stay"

took care of all 3 in one fell swoop!

never assume...

[remicks]

if you listen to the censored (and that is how it was promoted BITD!) version, the entire line "where no blacks no jews and no gays" line is replaced with "where only upper class people stay"

.

I think the reasoning for the edit was based on good and innocuous intentions . As is true of disco music, THERE BUT FOR THE GRACE OF GOD is an upbeat dance tune and there was something jarring about that line jumping out over the loudspeakers sung in a happy tone ....In fact because of the song's phrasing, its one of the few lines beyond the title line who's words could be heard clearly in a loud club setting.
By itself and out of context of the song's entire storyline .... .. it could be heard as someone singing in a celebratory way about there being ... "no blacks and no jews and no gays" .....
That line blaring above the dance floor (or on the radio) just didn't accomplish the desired party atmosphere that was disco.....


******



******

[Simon White]

So there are two censored versions? I have never actually heard the censored version at all, just read about it.
I did have a slower less disco version of the song many years ago, now long gone. It was much more of an August Darnell/Kid Creole sounding record more, Latin in approach...and uncensored.

[Nano]

Back to Sly & The Family Stone...

That song is a long instrumental jam with a short chorus saying: "Don't call me nigger, whitey / don't call me whitey, nigger" (from the 1969 LP Stand!). Obviously, having both black and white members that was almost the only band who could sing that and get away with it

Some ten years ago, at some festival or awards ceremony (I don't remember well), Perry Farrell did a cover version with Living Colour (or maybe Vernon Raid with Jane's Addiction), so Perry and Vernon sang those lines again... but on reverse, that is Perry talking like the "nigger" and Vernon like the "whitey", for peace sake.