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 Catholic bishops in Nashville (Tennessee) and Cincinnati (Ohio) have told their flocks that dancers of the Turkey Trot will not be forgiven for their sins. This is part of an ongoing effort to ban such modern 'animal' dances as The Turkey Trot, Grizzly Bear and Bunny Hug, which are widely considered immoral, and are usually performed to the accompaniment of ragtime or jazz music.

Police raid a city flat in Melbourne, Australia, and find six black American jazz musicians from a group called Sonny Clay's Colored Idea, drinking and dancing with six local white women. The band is deported and black musicians are banned from touring in Australia until 1954.

At a major anti-jazz meeting in Mohill, County Leitrim, Ireland, three thousand protestors parade with banners declaring 'Down with jazz and out with paganism'. Cardinal McRory sends a message of support to the meeting denouncing the dangers of all-night dancing. Irish President De Valera also sends a message, stating that he hopes for the restoration of Ireland's national forms of folk dance. (censorship)

The American Federation Of Musicians lifts its ban on recording of music, which has been in operation since August 1, 1942.

The American Federation Of Musicians initiates another ban on the recording of music.

In the UK, the BBC bans airplay of The Coasters song Charlie Brown because the lyric includes the word 'spitball' which is deemed too offensive for radio broadcast. Two weeks later, once the meaning of the term has been explained, the BBC will change its mind and allow the song to be played.

It is reported in the press in the USA that Jerry Lee Lewis has come to an agreement with the American Federation Of Musicians, to which he owes $10,000. The agreement will enable him to play in many union-controlled venues from which he had been banned because of his debt.

Britain's national broadcasting service, the BBC, bans three songs on the Max Bygraves album Nursery Rhymes For Grown-Ups. This act of censorship was occasioned mainly by the track Georgie Porgy, which was felt to have homosexual implications.

It is reported in US trade magazine Billboard that The Bulgarian Ministry Of Internal Trade has banned the import of American discs and sheet music in English to Bulgaria, Europe.

Russian newspaper Komsomolskaia Pravda reports that, "Dozens of cases are known in which possessed dancers of rock'n'roll and The Twist, obsessed and infuriated, have demolished the buildings where they were gathered, have broken windows and chairs and, out in the streets, have staged riots."

George Wilder, said to be New Zealand's greatest-ever prison escaper, makes the first of his daring escapes by scaling the 10m high wall of New Plymouth Prison. He will remain at liberty for 65 days, during which he will capture the attention of the New Zealand public when newspapers report several hair-raising escapes from the officers tasked with his capture. The Howard Morrison Quartet will be inspired by Wilder's exploits to write their controversial hit song The Wild(er) New Zealand Boy, a parody of the folk song The Wild Colonial Boy. Despite being banned by New Zealand's state owned broadcasters, The Wild(er) New Zealand Boy will go immediately to No1 in the charts and remain on top for ten weeks.

According to his book Stone Alone, Bill Wyman claims that "on December 18, 1964, news came from America that Little Red Rooster was banned from record release because of its 'sexual connotations'". This claim is debatable because there is little other evidence to support Wyman's contention.

San Francisco-based music business tip-sheet The Gavin Report lists several current hits, including Rainy Day Women Nos12 And 35 by Bob Dylan, Eight Miles High by The Byrds and Along Comes Mary by The Association as containing thinly-veiled drug references.

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.

When Dave Dee, Dozy, Beaky, Mick And Tich appear on tv in Bremen, Germany, Europe, singer Dave Dee is prevented from wearing his jackboots or carrying his whip during the performance, because of their unfortunate Nazi associations.

The Diocese of Rome announces that it "deplores the concept," of rock and roll masses but does not prohibit such services at The Church of San Lessio Falconieri in Italy, Europe.

The Nice are banned from appearing at The Royal Albert Hall, London, England, UK, Europe, after burning a US flag on stage during a charity concert the previous week.

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.

After eighteen people are arrested in a riot during a Sly And The Family Stone concert at Constitution Hall, Washington DC, USA, The Daughters of the American Revolution succeed in imposing a ban on rock shows at the venue.

US Vice President Spiro T. Agnew, speaking in Las Vegas, Nevada, USA, attacks The Beatles for their use of drug references in such songs as With A Little Help From My Friends.

In the wake of a sensational punk tv special shown earlier in the month, the city of Glasgow in Scotland bans all punk gigs, hoping to avoid violence.

The Lyceum, Sheffield, England, UK, Europe, bans rock gigs, obliging Irish punk combo Stiff Little Fingers to cancel a show there.

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."

Bill Posters Will Be Banned play at The Half Moon, Putney, London, England, UK, Europe.

The Clash's Joe Strummer is banned for driving under the influence of alcohol.

Ten thousand dance music fans attend a Freedom To Party demonstration in Trafalgar Square, London, England, UK, Europe, to protest against new legislation aimed at banning raves.

In Miami, Florida, USA, Judge Mell Grossman rules in favour of Sheriff Nick Navarro who has proposed that the 2 Live Crew LP As Nasty As They Wanna Be should be ruled as obscene. Much of Navarro's argument is based on a recent Mimai Herald newspaper review which states that, "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."

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 group 2 Live Crew are arrested in Fort Lauderdale, Florida, USA, for performing songs from their album As Nasty As They Wanna Be, which have been ruled obscene by a court of law.

Roman Catholic groups condemn Madonna's Blond Ambition concert tour as blasphemous due to the shows' overtly sexual and religious content. They also announce plans to have her concerts in Rome and Turin cancelled.

Madonna's second show at the Flaminio Stadium, Rome, Italy, Europe, is cancelled, due to poor ticket sales. Her show was recently criticised by the Italian Bishops' Conference as 'an offence to good taste.'

Madonna's steamy hotel bedroom video for Justify My Love is banned by MTV.

Apparently horrified that the art work for the Pulp single Sorted For Es And Wizz gives instructions for drug abuse, UK tabloid newspaper the Daily Mirror runs a front page headline "Ban This Sick Stunt".

After coming under intense fire for the explicit lyrics of rap artists on the Interscope Records label, Time Warner agrees to sell back its 50% share in the company.

When KISS play at The Stadthalle, Bremen, Germany, Europe, on their Psycho Circus Tour, the local fire marshal bans the use of any pyrotechnics. At the end of the show, however, KISS sets off the entire concert's worth of pyro all at once. As a consequence, KISS are banned from playing Bremen again.

The Guardian reports that Pete Doherty's band Babyshambles has been banned from headlining the Moonfest Festival in Westbury, Wiltshire, England, UK, Europe, because police are concerned that he might "gee up" the crowd into a dangerous frenzy.

22 year-old Matthew de Grood stabs five university students to death at a house party in Calgary, Canada. It is later revealed that he posted lyrics by Megadeth on his Facebook page shortly before carrying out his killing spree. The lyrics in question are "Dread and the fugitive mind - the world needs a hero".

It is revealed that the reason why Eminem was banned from performing at the 2014 British Summer Time Festival in Hyde Park, London, England, UK, was that his lyrics were deemed "offensive" and "unsuitable" by Royal Parks, the organisation responsible for the park.

It is announced that a group of Iranian youths who posted a video of themselves dancing to the Pharrell Williams hit Happy have been sentenced to up to a year in jail and 91 lashes.

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.

Popular Turkish Uyghur singer and musician, Abdurehim Heyit, dies aged 55 in detention, in the Xinjiang Autonomous Region (XUAR) of nothrthwest China, Asia, after enduring two years of brutal torture. He had been detained and held without formal charge by Chinese government for singing the song Atilar (Forefathers), which was deemed to be critical of the government.