Bob Dylan. Talking John Birch Paranoid Blues. 1963. CBS censored on Ed Sullivan show.

[madfloridian]

Dylan then refused to perform.

I am reading Claire Conner's book Wrapped in the Flag, about her days growing up in the John Birch Society. The group met often at their home to keep up with all the communists. I thought of this song.

The lyrics.

Lyrics John Birch Paranoid Blues

Just a few paragraphs due to copyright.

Well, I was feelin' sad and kind of blue
I didn't know what I was gonna do
The Communists were comin' around
They was in the air, they were on the ground
They were all over

So I ran down most hurriedly
And joined the John Birch Society
I got me a secret membership card
Went back to my backyard
And started looking on the sidewalk
'Neath the rose bush

...I heard some footsteps by the front porch door
So I grabbed my shotgun from the floor
I snuck around the house with a huff and hiss and
"Hands up, you Communist" it was a mail man
He punched me out

...Well, I finally started thinkin' straight
When I run outta things to investigate
I couldn't imagine doin' anything else
So now I'm at home investigatin' myself
Hope, I don't find out too much, good God

More about walking out on the Ed Sullivan show.

May 12, 1963 Bob Dylan walks out on The Ed Sullivan Show

By the end of the summer of 1963, Bob Dylan would be known to millions who watched or witnessed his performances at the March on Washington, and millions more who did not know Dylan himself would know and love his music thanks to Peter, Paul and Mary's smash-hit cover version of "Blowin' In The Wind." But back in May, Dylan was still just another aspiring musician with a passionate niche following but no national profile whatsoever. His second album, The Freewheelin' Bob Dylan, had not yet been released, but he had secured what would surely be his big break with an invitation to perform on The Ed Sullivan Show. That appearance never happened. On May 12, 1963, the young and unknown Bob Dylan walked off the set of the country's highest-rated variety show after network censors rejected the song he planned on performing.

The song that caused the flap was "Talkin' John Birch Paranoid Blues," a satirical talking-blues number skewering the ultra-conservative John Birch Society and its tendency to see covert members of an international Communist conspiracy behind every tree. Dylan had auditioned "John Birch" days earlier and had run through it for Ed Sullivan himself without any concern being raised. But during dress rehearsal on the day of the show, an executive from the CBS Standards and Practices department informed the show's producers that they could not allow Dylan to go forward singing "John Birch." While many of the song's lyrics about hunting down "reds" were merely humorous—"Looked up my chimney hole/Looked down deep inside my toilet bowl/They got away!"—others that equated the John Birch Society's views with those of Adolf Hitler raised the fear of a defamation lawsuit in the minds of CBS's lawyers. Rather than choose a new number to perform or change his song's lyrics—as the Rolling Stones and the Doors would famously do in the years to come—Dylan stormed off the set in angry protest.

.....Or so goes the legend that helped establish Dylan's public reputation as an artist of uncompromising integrity. In reality, Bob Dylan was polite and respectful in declining to accede to the network's wishes. "

The article says Ed Sullivan later apologized for the actions of CBS.

[NYC_SKP]

1. Recommended. (nt)

[madfloridian]

5. ....

Appreciated.

[Dawson Leery]

2. k/r

http://www.chimesfreedom.com/2013/05/12/when-the-ed-sullivan-show-tried-to-censor-dylan/

[madfloridian]

3. Remember how CBS treated Elvis and the Smothers Brothers? I do.

http://www.npr.org/templates/story/story.php?storyId=130569467

Significantly, the Smothers Brothers received their Freedom of Speech Award from comic David Steinberg, whose controversial mock sermons on The Smothers Brothers Comedy Hour played a key part in having that variety show yanked and the brothers fired, despite three successful seasons on CBS from 1967 to 1969 and an announced renewal for a fourth.

"The most innovative variety show on television shut down because of political pressure," Steinberg told the audience in Aspen that night. "But the Smothers Brothers got their revenge. Never giving up, they sued CBS — and they won. And they forever became prominent symbols in the fight for free speech."

Accepting the award, Tom Smothers joked, "Of course, many of you recognize the fact that we are not the original Smothers Brothers. I'm sure they would have loved to have been here to receive this award. But the original Smothers Brothers passed away in 1969."

And Elvis on his 3rd appearance on Ed Sullivan's show had become famous for his hip gyrations, so they only filmed him from the waist up.

http://www.edsullivan.com/elvis-presley-on-the-ed-sullivan-show-1957/

With all the controversy swirling around, CBS censors demanded that for Elvis Presley’s final Ed Sullivan Show appearance he be shot from the waist up. On the evening of January 6, 1957, Elvis Presley took to The Ed Sullivan Show stage for the last time and performed a number of songs including “Hound Dog,” “Don’t Be Cruel,” “Too Much,” “When My Blue Moon Turns To Gold Again,” and a gospel favorite, “Peace in the Valley.”

Following the performance, Ed looked to the audience (and the nation) going out of his way to compliment Elvis, saying “I wanted to say to Elvis Presley and the country that this is a real decent, fine boy, and wherever you go, Elvis, we want to say we’ve never had a pleasanter experience on our show with a big name than we’ve had with you. So now let’s have a tremendous hand for a very nice person!” With that, Elvis Presley, who was clearly appreciative of Ed’s support in the midst of all that was going on, took his final bow and exited the Sullivan stage for the last time.

In the mid 1950’s, Rock and roll was increasingly being attacked and there was growing opposition to its supposedly negative influence on America’s youth. Elvis, being the star that he was, became the target for this outrage. Following Elvis’ second appearance on The Ed Sullivan Show, in which he performed this rousing version of his hit “Hound Dog,” angry crowds in St. Louis and Nashville burned the star in effigy.

I remember this because my dad was chairman of the deacons at our Southern Baptist Church. The others warned him that I could NOT go to the Elvis concert. It was his early days. Guess what, I got there with my parents' permission. On the front row.

[KansDem]

10. I remember that too!

About this time, didn't Tommy say something about how the "C" in CBS stood for "censorship"...and we all knew what the "BS" stood for?

[Irishonly]

13. I remember

My parents had fits that CBS would only show Elvis from the waist down. They also loved the Smothers Brothers. The rest of my family still doesn't understand why I am still a liberal. LOL

[bonnieS]

18. Have that video of Elvis

I have that performance on tape. Elvis shakes the top of his body so much that you can't possibly ignore what the rest of his body is doing. Afterward he was just as contemptuous of Sullivan as he was of Steve Allen for making him sing to a hound dog--which he did his own way to show how stupid it was. In Florida they would not let him shake his body at a concert, so he stood there and wiggled his little finger and verbally ridiculed the State for their idiocy.

[Starry Messenger]

4. K&R

[madfloridian]

6. Thank you.

And a

[pamela]

7. The Doors didn't change their lyrics like the article said.

They were asked to change the lyric "Girl we couldn't get much higher" and they agreed to but Morrison sang it anyway. He even added a little extra emphasis to "higher."

[madfloridian]

9. That's interesting, thanks.

Did not know that.

[Warren DeMontague]

15. Yeah, that was Jim Morrison, for you.

They obviously didn't understand his psychology. Probably the way to get him not to sing it would have been to beg him to.

[Enthusiast]

8. A great big recommendation and kick!

Well done, madfloridian!

[progressoid]

11. "looking for them Reds everywhere...looked deep down in the toilet bowl. He got away"

[Irishonly]

12. Wonderful Post

There aren't too many times when you get to enjoy great music, laugh and learn something. Thank you

[Tuesday Afternoon]

14. DU Rec

[Douglas Carpenter]

16. knr - I'm reading Clare Connor's book right now - about halfway through - a book everyone should

read in order to understand the insanity of the extreme right and how it has come to plagued our nation

http://books.google.com/books?id=JWPhb5Jet-wC&dq=Wrapped+in+the+Flag+by+Claire+Conner&sitesec=reviews

[Skidmore]

17. Thank you. I had forgotten about this.

That was great.