Body of Work

PLAYING TO MEET THE BANNED: 
THEY’LL SING THE SONGS PEOPLE THINK YOU SHOULDN’T HEAR
July 28, 2006, Linda East Brady, Ogden Standard-Examiner

Songs are banned or edited by radio and retailers for any number of reasons. Sometimes, what causes the outcry is obvious -- bad language, sexual imagery, violence.
Other times, the offense is less transparent.

Take Paul Simon's hit, "Kodachrome," one of the numbers in this year's Plan B Theatre Company musical fundraiser, "And the Banned Played On."

" 'Kodachrome' was originally banned in the U.S. because of that first line -- 'all the crap I learned in high school,' " said Jerry Rapier, who directs and masterminds the show.

"But eventually, 'Kodachrome' went all the way to No. 2 on the charts," Rapier said. "More interestingly, prior to that stir, the song was banned in the U.K. because it had a product name in the song. They deemed it in some way an endorsement of Kodak products. So sometimes, these issues arise where you'd least expect them."

Expect the unexpected Monday when Utah Sen. Scott McCoy and Salt Lake City Mayor Rocky Anderson host a diverse assembly of Utah talent singing for their First Amendment rights at the Rose Wagner theater.

UTAH TWISTS
This is the fourth year Plan B Theatre has had a show that celebrates free speech and decries the suppression of the same.

The first two years, the show dealt with banned literature. Last year was the debut of the music show. Rapier said the music show was such fun, the company decided to do it again this year.

"This year, I was also hoping to tie it to Utah as much as I could," Rapier said. "So I admit we took a little liberty with a couple of songs, so far as actual banning goes. But a lot has happened in the last year in Utah censorship-wise. ... For instance, we have 'God Only Knows' by the Beach Boys. It was not banned, but it is the theme song for the show 'Big Love.' "

"Big Love" is a series on HBO that follows a fictional polygamous family in Utah.

"That show has caused quite a stir in Utah in its own way," said Rapier. "There was an attempt to get the show pulled with an e-mail campaign that started in Utah.

"Kind of in the same vein is 'He Was a Friend of Mine,' a Bob Dylan song that Willie Nelson covers on the 'Brokeback Mountain' soundtrack," said Rapier.

Jazz owner and businessman Larry Miller chose not to show "Brokeback Mountain" in his movie theaters. The controversy that ensued spread beyond Utah's borders.

Kurt Bestor, a Utah pianist best known for his holiday shows, does two songs in the production, including "He Was a Friend of Mine."

"I smiled a bit when he (Rapier) asked me to do the Dylan song from 'Brokeback Mountain,' " Bestor said. "I feel very strongly that the gay and lesbian community is very much under attack right now, and I'm tickled to show a little solidarity with them by paying homage with 'He Was a Friend of Mine.' It's a very haunting piece. ... "

NOT JUST THE RIGHT
Rapier points out that though many people consider censorship a right-leaning issue, it isn't always.

"People tend to think of banning as a ... Republican-focused issue, because a lot of bannings tend to be tied to religious values, and they often are tied to the right," said Rapier. "But one thing we talk about this year is the Filthy 15, spearheaded by none other than Tipper Gore."

The Filthy 15 were songs targeted by the Democrat wife of former vice president Al Gore. She heard Prince's sexually explicit "Darling Nikki," leading her to band with a number of wives of influential Washingtonians to form the Parents Music Resource Center.

"That, in turn, led to all these rock stars testifying before Congress about censorship and it led to the parental advisory label that you find on certain CDs now," said Rapier. "... The irony of that is 'Darling Nikki' was not a single until Gore's group made a big deal out of it. Only then did it get a lot of airplay."

THE SHOW
As of June 2006, fines for broadcasting what is considered obscene were increased, with possible fines up to $325,000 for airing "indecent material." The fines can be imposed whether the station is part of a larger network or a small community station.

Troublesome for the stations is the fact that what is indecent is sometimes difficult to determine. Bleeps are the tools most stations use to keep fines at bay.

Lisa Marie, Salt Lake City bassist/singer/songwriter and former leader of the Salt Lake band The Codependents, is performing two songs in "Banned."

"With my original stuff, I've had to bleep words for radio play," she said. "I feel it is kind of just the way it is these days.

"But I was glad to be a part of this, for what it represents."