Censorship

The Christian Science Board of Directors writes to Mary Baker Eddy (founder of Christian Science) stating, "We would like to hear the words of your beautiful poems, The Mother's Evening Prayer and The Communion Hymn sung in our Church again and we think many of our congregation would appreciate the privilege." Prior to this, Eddy's hymns had stopped being sung because, in Eddy's words, "the music set to them offended certain members of the church."

The Washington Post reports that "Residents of Chevy Chase are up in arms over the dances that are being practiced at an amusement park, and it comes from a well known source that a movement will be started to suppress the outrage, as it is termed, by residents of that section. The dance in question originated at a suburban resort and is officially known as the Chevy Chase Glide." The dance had been introduced at Chevy Chase Lake resort to appease customers annoyed by the resort's recent ban on "freak dancing", which included The Bunny Wiggle, The Grizzly Hug and other "animal dances" often associated with ragtime and jazz music.

Variety stars Ross And Sargent, a comic duo, record Nellie The Nudist Queen for Columbia Records in London, UK. The song will be banned from broadcast on BBC radio. [censorship]

Eugene Hadamosky, radio program director in the Propaganda Ministry of Nazi-controlled Germany, Europe, declares, "As of today nigger jazz is finally switched off on the German radio." With these words, jazz and swing music are banned in Germany, with the threat of incarceration in a concentration camp for anyone violating the ban.

When a performance by popular British band Felix Mendelssohn And His Hawaiian Serenaders is shown on television in the UK, the group is banned from appearing in theatres owned by Stoll-Moss, because the dancing of maidens in grass skirts is considered extremely risque.

Hank Williams records his original demo of There's A Tear In My Beer, in Nashville, Tennessee, USA, but his record company, Mercury Records, refuses to let him release the song because of his already tarnished image as an alcoholic.

UK pop paper Melody Maker reports that the British Musicians Union has banned its members from performing in South Africa because of that country's apartheid policy. [censorship]

Twenty five thousand copies of Ray Peterson's 'death disc' hit single Tell Laura I Love Her are destroyed by Decca Records in the UK, because the song has been declared tasteless and vulgar. (censorship)

Tell Laura I Love Her by UK teen idol Ricky Valance enters the British singles chart where it will peak at No1. [The songis a cover of a recently banned disc by Ray Peterson]

The Jehovah's Witness magazine Watchtower runs a feature about the morality of dancing The Twist, concluding that, "even if a Christian can participate in a dance with a good conscience before God, because of having no wrong motive, that is not enough. He must consider the effect upon the onlooker."

After one hour of deliberations, the jury in stand-up comedian Lenny Bruce's Gate of Horn obscenity trial returns a guilty verdict, in Chicago, Illinois, USA.

Illinois Supreme Court unanimously affirms controversial comedian and recording artist Lenny Bruce's Gate of Horn obscenity conviction, resulting from his performance at The Gate Of Horn club in Chicago, Illinois, USA.

A UK Silver Disc is awarded to the single Terry by Twinkle, which had been banned by both the BBC and ITV on grounds of 'bad taste', because it referred to the death of a teenager in a motorcycle smash.

After several months of deliberation, The Portuguese film censor releases The Beatles' film, A Hard Day's Night, but it is rated "for adults only".

The performing ban on UK-based trouser-splitting pop vocalist P.J. Proby is extended to all BBC tv shows.

Congressman Buchanan of Alabama, USA, speaking in The House Of Representatives, Washington DC, describes the recently broadcast CBS-tv music special It's What's Happening, Baby! as "disgraceful and disgusting". The show, partly funded by the US Office Of Economic Opportunity, featured performances by Jan And Dean, Martha And The Vandellas, Mary Wells, The Dave Clark Five, Gary Lewis And The Playboys, The Supremes, Tom Jones, Bill Cosby, Patti LaBelle And The Bluebelles, The Drifters, The Miracles, Ray Charles, Marvin Gaye, The Ronettes, Chuck Jackson, The Four Tops, The Temptations, The Righteous Brothers and Little Anthony And The Imperials

Lenny Bruce, supported by The Mothers Of Invention, plays the first of two nights at the Fillmore Auditorium, San Francisco, California, USA.

The Musicians Union in the UK declares itself to be opposed to BBC Radio continuously broadcasting pop music.

The Standells appear on tv show Let's Talk, in the USA, to discuss rock and roll song lyrics with Gordon McLendon after their single Try It is reportedly banned by radio stations because of 'objectionable' lyrics. The show is hosted by Art Linkletter.

The Charlatans, The Salvation Army Banned, and Blue Cheer play the last of three nights at the Avalon Ballroom, San Francisco, California, USA.

Yippie activists, including Abbie Hoffman, take over the stage during a Phil Ochs concert in Carnegie Hall, New York City, USA. When Hoffman shouts, 'F*ck Lyndon Johnson, f*ck Robert Kennedy and f*ck you too if you don't like it,' the management shuts off the electricity, plunging the hall into darkness.

Patrons of The Stonewall Inn, a gay bar in Greenwich Village, New York City, USA, fight back when police raid the bar, sparking riots which last through the weekend. The 1978 song Long Hot Summer by The Tom Robinson Band will be inspired by the Stonewall Riot.

Folk singer Judy Collins writes to the Federal Communications Commission in the USA to protest that ABC-tv news programmes have censored her criticisms of the trial of the Chicago Seven.

Fearing fan riots, Boston's mayor Kevin White, bans The Rolling Stones from playing warm-up gigs at the small Orpheum club in Boston, Massachusetts, USA.

At the 1982 Juno Awards in Toronto, Ontario, Canada, controversial bondage-oriented band Rough Trade is asked not to sing particular lyrics from their song High School Confidential which "depicted putatively inappropriate lesbian lust". The band's singer Carole Pope performs the song anyway, including the controversial line, "She makes me cream my jeans / When she's coming my way."

Musical comedy film The Best Little Whorehouse in Texas is released in the USA, starring Dolly Parton. The film presents Universal with problems, largely because the word "whorehouse" is considered obscene in parts of the USA at that time. As a result, the film is renamed The Best Little Cathouse in Texas in some print ads.

Press adverts for the Frankie Goes To Hollywood single Welcome To The Pleasuredome include references to the Marquis De Sade. This will result in a mini-scandal when UK tabloids including The Sunday People take the band to task because of DeSade's preference for including violence as part of sexual activity.

Frankie Goes To Hollywood reach No1 in the UK pop singles chart with Relax, the banned song that launched a million t-shirts.

Bobby Brown is arrested for violating a Columbus, Georgia, USA, anti-lewdness ordinance. According to the arresting officers, Brown pulled a woman out of the audience and simulated intercourse with her. Arrested in mid-performance, Brown is immediately taken to jail, where he posts a $600 bond, before returning to finish the concert. He is later fined $652.

When Yusuf Islam (formerly known as Cat Stevens) addresses students at Kingston University in London, England, UK, Europe, about his conversion to Islam, he is asked about the controversy in the Muslim world and the fatwa calling for Salman Rushdie's execution. He replies, "He must be killed. The Qur'an makes it clear – if someone defames the prophet, then he must die." He will later state that he was merely quoting from the Qur'an, not advocating that Rushdie should die.

The Miami Herald reviews the 2 Live Crew LP As Nasty As They Wanna Be with the words, "Many of 2 Live Crew's lyrics are so filled with hard-core sexual, sadistic and masochistic material that they could not be printed here, even in censored form." Within a few days the LP will be judged obscene in Florida, USA, largely on the basis of this review.

Sebastian Bach, lead singer of New Jersey band Skid Row, is arrested in Salt Lake City, Utah, USA, after a concert for using profane language, "thrusting his pelvis toward the crowd" and having "grasped his groin".

Madonna's Blonde Ambition tour plays the last of three nights at The Skydome, Toronto, Ontario, Canada. The local police, mindful of complaints of lewdness, ‘review’ the show.

Three members of rap band 2 Live Crew are acquitted of charges of obscenity arising from their performance of songs from their album As Nasty As They Wanna Be in Fort Lauderdale, Florida.

Korn announces that the band has taken legal action in the form of a 'cease and desist' order against Zeeland High School, Zeeland, Michigan, USA, which recently suspended a student, Eric VanHoven, for wearing a t-shirt bearing the band's name.

UK radio station BBC Radio 1 announces a ban on playing Candy, the new single by Robbie Williams, on the grounds that Williams' music is 'irrelvant to their listeners'.

It is reported that organisers of the inaugural Fashion Meets Music Festival in Columbus, Ohio, USA, have dropped R. Kelly from the line-up, in response to protests from musicians and local people.

Singer and songwriter Jackie Trent dies aged 74 in hospital in Majorca, Spain, Europe, after a long illness. As well as being a successful singer, Trent was a long-time songwriting partner with her husband Tony Hatch. However, the pair parted on bad terms, and he was banned from attending her funeral.

It is reported that Jack White has banned the use of cellphones at his upcoming live shows. On arrival at the venue, phones and other photo or video-capturing gizmos will be secured in a pouch which will be unlocked at the end of the show.

Sir Elton John criticises the censorship in Russia of scenes portraying kissing and sex between men in the new film about his life, Rocketman.