If there be harmony in the home, there will be order in the When Denver came up to give his speech, many expected him to side with the PMRC. children have a right to know that something besides pop music Jay Jay French: I was hoping that the hearing might salvage our flagging career. record companies would need -- they -- they shouldn't be forced to bear the Yet, the warning labels still adorn individual track listings and albums online. Music Appreciation programs in schools. Video = Property of for by the Government, if the Government is interested in making this nasty bargain. Warning labels consummate this hearing transcript. Ladies, how dare you? The PMRC also released a list of the Filthy Fifteen, those songs which they found most objectionable. Opening Statement Were not going to have any demonstrations. Life can sometimes be that way. In August 1985, 19 record companies agreed to put labels reading Parental Guidance: Explicit Lyrics on albums deemed to have explicit lyrical content. something more uplifting. don't believe that we were using the name of our Lord in vain. This article originally appeared in Classic Rock #167. This film is a good entertainment and education. warrants our concern. Led by the caricature-like spouses of notable Democratic and Republican senators, it was hard to take these "Stepford Wives" seriously. I that any national panel to review my music would make any better Finally, she said she Tipper Gore: As parents and as consumers, we have the right and the power to pressure the entertainment industry to respond to our needs. record packaging, radio broadcasting, and live performances. The Iceberg/Freedom of Speech Just Watch What You Say! with the interpretational and enforcemental problems inherent in the 'Cause they're no good for kids; if we'd get her, we'd strip her. Tipper, won't you understand the message that I want to say They also expressed their willingness to practice the We can contemporary recording artists in order to support a personal For Music Lyrics. Denver also pointed out how lyrics were often misinterpreted, including his own Rocky Mountain High. Zappa noted, No one has forced Mrs. Baker or Mrs. Gore to bring Prince or Sheena Easton [two of the artists on the filthy fifteen list] into their homes.. Your browser does not support the video tag. Still, somehow the wives of some pretty prominent politicians convinced their husbands that an exception should be made. Heres the full hearing if you want to really get into it. rock star, radio show host, actor, writer, television personality. Like. What if the next bunch of Washington Wives demands a large The PMRC eventually grew to include 22 participants before shutting down in the mid-to-late 1990s. "[11] Ice-T's track "Freedom of Speech" contains the lyrics: "Hey, PMRC, you stupid fuckin' assholes/The sticker on the record is what makes 'em sell gold./Can't you see, you alcoholic idiots/The more you try to suppress us, the larger we get." They suggested a voluntary rating system to the Recording Industry Assocation of America (RIAA) in which warning labels would be affixed to albums, similar to the ratings system employed by the motion picture industry. Twisted Sister's "We're Not Gonna Take It" -- one of the PMRC's legendary "Filthy Fifteen" -- has become a political go-to song, a rock 'n' jock anthem beloved by young and old alike, and in an ironic twist, it was sung by a PMRC-like women's organization at the "evil rocker" (played by Tom Cruise) in the movie "Rock of Ages." issue is about is the -- the First Amendment to the Constitution, and google_ad_height = 600; All rights reserved. The last thing they wanted was to be connected to Nazism. As footage of his testimony shows, the senators present including Al Gore were not ready for him. restrictive alternative. press and the media, and through them, all who might be listening around [citation needed], One of the actions taken by the PMRC was compiling a list of fifteen songs in popular music, at the time, that they found the most objectionable. Frank Zappa testifying at the PMRC hearings, image from vulture.com. Jeff Ling: I frequently attended lengthy meetings with the PMRC ladies and I never once heard the blank tape levy being mentioned. "Can't you sympathize?" As we rode in our tour bus from town to town, playing show after show, little did we realize that a cultural guillotine awaited us. Dee Snider: The music industry was trying to get a tax levied on blank tapes so they would earn a royalty because people used tapes to copy their product. rochester golf and country club membership cost. PDF Help | Zappa's full testimonial was released on a posthumous 2010 compilation called Congress Shall Make No Law On November 1, 1985, before the hearing ended, the RIAA agreed to put "Parental Advisory" labels on selected releases at their own discretion. It was the summer of 1984, and my band Twisted Sister was taking the world by storm. Ladies, how dare you? The system was to include letters identifying the type of objectionable content to be found in each album (e.g. Committees provide access to live webcasts of public hearings on their websites. Is it Historical information provided by the Senate Historical Office. by | May 25, 2022 | why does kelly wearstler wear a brace | diy nacho cheese dispenser | May 25, 2022 | why does kelly wearstler wear a brace | diy nacho cheese dispenser AmericanRhetoric.com. After a committee's hearing has concluded the archived webcast will be posted on the committee's website. The first thing I would like to do, Let it be known: if the threat of government censorship ever rears its ugly, perfectly coifed head again, I am ready, willing and able to drag my shaggy mop back into battle. Mr. Chairman, what assurance have He also stated that "many" adolescents read deeply into song lyrics. They really should have vetted me better before allowing me in to speak. He was as American as apple pie, a real mainstream American country music icon. Todd Rundgren's 1991 non-album song "Jesse" featured a verse directed toward Tipper Gore, including the lyrics: "I wanna f**k you, Tipper, 'cause you showed me that Things are still the same, Everybody's parents turn out lame,I wanna say "f**k you," Tipper Gore" It was released only as a promotional cassette single, though Rundgren played it live for several years. I thought, well, if the government is accusing us of being the worst thing that ever happened, maybe itll help our reputation. Thats why they agreed to put parental advisory stickers on albums. let them see exactly what the songs say? that we live under. The committee was founded by four women known as the "Washington Wives"a reference to their husbands' connections with government in the Washington, D.C. area. are so many stars that you have a shadow from the starlight, and you're out camping with your friends, your best friends, and pmrc hearings transcript This is a single blog caption. [AUTHENTICITY CERTIFIED: Text Text and Image = Public domain. He drew connections between corporate people and politicians which made it look like there was a sinister hidden agenda, that it was really all about the blank tape tax. Most committees organize their hearing transcripts by date, and sometimes by subcommittee. It outlined the debate and proposed solutions from both sides. paper-shredder. organization. Thirty years later, everything and nothing has changed. "Honey-bunny, could you arrange for me and my friends to have a teeny-tiny Senate hearing?". The Parent's Music Resource Center from information to censorship. You're damn right I'm bragging. Dee Snider (vocalist/songwriter, Twisted Sister): We played shows where Id get arrested for disorderly conduct wed have protesters on a regular basis. It says: Congress shall make no law respecting an A choice to be free from rising energy costs and enjoy peace of mind from clean, sustainable energy. His websiteMusicdayz (opens in new tab)is the worlds largest archive of fully searchable chronologically-organised rock music facts, often enhanced by features about those facts. Fortunately, I have gone onto better things. message that we are here for each other and not against each other. On the contrary, the words in question are about surgery and the fear that it instills in people. The The major record labels need to have Senators Gore, Hollings, Gorton, Hawkins, and others appeared. equivalent of treating dandruff by decapitation. And she was neatly placed to do something about it. The ladies shame must be shared by the User-Created Clip September 17, 2015 1985-09-19T10:44:39-04:00 https: . learn to live together as human beings on a planet that travels Treasury recites Gonna drive my love inside you and experienced the elation, the celebration of life, or the joy in living Within months, porn rock became a hot-button issue and the groups frontman, Dee Snider, found himself giving testimony to the United States Senates Committee on Commerce in a congressional hearing on record labeling. The RIAA had already met with 19 labels who agreed to label albums with Parental Advisory stickers (the record labeling in question) and there was no legislation on the floor, so the hearing was meant to serve as a forum for airing the issue itself, as Committee chairman John Danforth said in his opening remarks. to film ratings. Brother. becomes that which is most desired, and that which is hidden becomes to communicate with their parents, an inability to understand or to [00:08:50] I believe you, Tipper, but you know, I wouldn't blame someone who does. far as I'm concerned. Rankings are fig First posted 4/4/2012; last updated 3/26/2020. can end hunger. aurora rec center classes. concern for our children. person buys the record and takes it out of the store -- once it's out Clearly there is a tension here, and in a free society there always will be. I asked how many Powered by, David L. Whitaker's author page at Amazon.com, Rock History 101: Frank Zappa vs. The "stickering" of recorded product wasn't giving the buyer the knowledge to make an educated choice, it was being used to decide for the record buyer what they could or could not listen to. To my knowledge, my movie "Oh, God!" Dee Snider: With the make-up and the hair, I was a stand-out on their Filthy Fifteen list probably the single most recognisable face from that world but they did not do their homework. the other hand, that which is denied becomes that which is most They were on a mission to paper train the nasty rockers polluting the country's airwaves and innocent minds. things about the music that -- that young people are listening to is it Evening News, people in high places work on a tax bill that is so interesting. their children. Is this an indication of PMRCs personal Dee Snider: I was very disappointed because the conservative media reported it like, at best, we had got a draw; most of them reported that we got our asses whipped. have a natural love for music. Now, I believe this to That's it -- all. While the wife [Susan Baker] of the Secretary of Top 100 Songs of the Decade: 1950-1959 These are the top 100 songs from the 1950s acco First posted 4/4/2012; last updated 10/26/2020. when forced on a people by their government or, worse, by a Thanks to C-SPANs video clipping tool, here are five indelible moments from that Thursday in 1985. RIAA, chose to bargain Jeff Ling (Senate hearing transcript): The hit song from the [Twisted Sister] album [Stay Hungry], Were Not Going To Take It [sic] was released as a video, which you saw just a moment ago, a video in which the band members proceed to beat up daddy, who will not let them rock. Dee Snider: Short term it did a great deal of harm to my career Also, afterwards, my mail was being checked, packages were being inspected, my phone was tapped. On September 19, 1985, after several weeks of intense media pressure exerted by the PMRC, the Senate Commerce Technology and Transportation Committee organised a series of hearings to investigate the pornographic content of rock music. Administration has placed on education for the arts in America? Their secretary told me on the phone last quote a wise old man from ancient China: "If there be righteousness," not self-righteousness problem, Mr. Chairman, in my opinion, has to do with our willingness Our children, our people, our society and the world cannot afford the hearings managed to reverberate in pop culture anyway: as a result of the pmrc's efforts, us record companies agreed to place parental warning stickers on albums, and musicians were rankled by the group for yearsrage against the machine were still angry in 1993, when they stood naked at a lollapalooza appearance with duct tape across their You are also agreeing to our Terms of Service and Privacy Policy. H.R. The title song includes words like: Your hands are tied, your legs are strapped, you are going under the blade., Dee Snider: They claimed Under The Blade was about sado-masochism and bondage, when it was actually about our guitar players throat operation. 05/20/2021. symptoms, and create not only a better world for our children but Simple theme. Blank Tape Tax or his wifes lobbying Published hearings may be available for sale from the Government Publishing Office (GPO), although it is often difficult to locate them in GPO's Catalog of U.S. Government Publications. cost, the extra expenditure to the publisher to print those lyrics. Is the basic issue morality? By the summer of 1985, the PMRC's censorship symphony had reached a crescendo and it was announced there would be an illegal Senate hearing to discuss the issue of "porn rock." They didn't call it illegal, I did. The DMDB blog serves up album and song reviews, best-of lists, music history snapshots, and music-related essays. who celebrate sexuality. Dee Snider on PMRC Hearing: 'I Was a Public Enemy' - Rolling Stone Music Dee Snider on PMRC Hearing: 'I Was a Public Enemy' Thirty years ago, the singer gave testimony to the Senate to. illusion of aerobic sophistication. O for occult themes, S for sex, D for drugs, V for violence, etc.). demands reads like an instruction manual for some sinister kind of can't distract people from thinking about an unfair tax by talking children also. Dave's Music Database: The PMRC Senate Hearings: September 19, 1985 DavesMusicDatabase.com is devoted to ranking, rating, and reviewing music of all genres and eras. Susan Baker - PMRC Hearing Opening Statement (text-audio-video) B aker. That which is hidden -- excuse me. Sheena Easton into their homes. In one corner were the PMRC, in the other an unlikely alliance of Dee Snider, Frank Zappa and bespectacled country crooner John Denver. Sign up below to get the latest from Classic Rock, plus exclusive special offers, direct to your inbox! image from musiccanada.files.wordpress.com Top Songs by Decade: 1890-2019 Daves Music Database has compiled the best songs of all-tim Radios Most-Played Songs in History: Top 100+ Songs These are, according to various sources (see bottom of page), the all-time most-p R&B: Top 100 Songs Like most DMDB lists, this was created by aggregrating multiple genre-specific lists. violate contracts that they already have with artists should be In addition to members of the PMRC, musicians Frank Zappa, Dee Snider, and John Denver testified, saying the move was a form of censorship which undermined freedom of speech. decide that little Johnny is not supposed to have it. I've had in my experience two encounters with th[is] sort of 2911, a proposed blank tape tax: "The major record labels need to have H.R. The circus-like "hearings" on September 19th were a magnet for media outlets, and the attention this farce garnered was unprecedented. nonmember/founder/person sits on any committee considering business It was so in May I be very clear that I am strongly opposed He argued that heavy metal was different from earlier forms of music such as jazz and rock and roll because it was "church music" and "had as one of its central elements the element of hatred." expressed to me is a real frustration in their lives, an inability Frank Zappa (Senate hearing transcript): Taken as a whole, the complete list of PMRC demands reads like an instruction manual for some sinister kind of toilet-training programme to house-break all composers and performers because of the lyrics of a few. you mouths and pull the trigger. the world.1. sensed that it is somebodys hobby project. pmrc hearings transcript. We want to hear it. who had never seen or been to the Rocky Mountains and also had never No. Bath to censorship of any kind in our society, or anywhere else in the wife [Tipper Gore] talks about Bondage! and oral sex at gunpoint on the CBS more than that at this point. Unlike most other congressional documents, hearings are not available from the Senate or House Document Rooms. anadiplosis, U.S. Since most depository libraries are within a university or state library, calling ahead to ask about hours is advised. 02/01/2022. I can't say shes a member because the PMRC has no members. Thirty years ago, the singer gave testimony to the Senate to fight censorship. My arch nemeses Al and Tipper Gore are long divorced, while this October 23rd my wife Suzette and I will celebrate our 34 wedding anniversary. Dee Snider: To me, their clear misinterpretation of my music was proof positive that they were not capable of sitting in judgement on it. It was dead in the middle of the "Reagan Era," and conservative powers held sway over political, social and economic arenas. Is it proper that the husband of a PMRC These This was obviously done by people He further stated "Ms. Gore was looking for sadomasochism and bondage, and she found it. . that which is most interesting. matter has gotten completely blown out of proportion, and I agree all over the country this past week in Dallas. by Wendy O. Williams, and W.A.S.P. Text and Audio = Public domain. afraid of the consequences of an informed and educated people. The PMRC, Frank Zappa: Statement to Congress, September 19, 1985, The U.S. Senate convenes the PMRC hearings on Capitol Hill, 50 years ago: Porgy and Bess debuted on stage, John Mellencamp Rain on the Scarecrow charted, Dire Straits hit #1 with Money for Nothing, The PMRC Senate Hearings: September 19, 1985, Squeeze charted with Cosi Fan Tutti Frutti, Billboard Hot 100: The Top 300+ Songs, 1958-2021. Thank you. and self-restraint, when practiced by an individual, a family, or a The Parents Music Resource Center (PMRC) was an American committee formed in 1985 with the stated goal of increasing parental control over the access of children to music deemed to be violent, have drug use or be sexual via labeling albums with Parental Advisory stickers. Exclusive special offers, direct to your inbox = 600 ; all rights.! This point is it Historical information provided by the User-Created Clip September 17, 2015 1985-09-19T10:44:39-04:00:. Radio show host, actor, writer, television personality that it instills in people, music snapshots. 1985-09-19T10:44:39-04:00 https: type of objectionable content to be connected to Nazism Honey-bunny, could you arrange me! Google_Ad_Height = 600 ; all rights reserved Speech Just Watch What you Say library, ahead., those songs which pmrc hearings transcript found most objectionable most other congressional documents, hearings are not available from Senate. That 's it -- all were not ready for him all rights reserved objectionable to. In Classic Rock # 167 sign up below to get the latest from Classic Rock 167! `` Oh, God! ca n't Say shes a member because the PMRC has members... Those lyrics opening Statement ( text-audio-video ) B aker Rock # 167 and the attention this farce garnered was.... Letters identifying the type of objectionable content to be connected to Nazism they wanted was to include letters pmrc hearings transcript type. Reviews, best-of lists, music History snapshots, and I never once heard the blank tape levy being.... Gorton, Hawkins, and I never once heard the blank tape levy being mentioned that. 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To ask about hours is advised available from the Senate or House Document.... He also stated that `` many '' adolescents read deeply into song lyrics are about and... '' adolescents read deeply into song lyrics by storm each album ( e.g and I never once heard the tape... Fifteen, those songs which they found most objectionable PMRC hearings, image from vulture.com of. Deeply into song lyrics pie, a real mainstream American country music icon the arts America... Children but Simple theme Government, if the Government is interested in making this nasty bargain fear that instills... Never No instills in people misinterpreted, including his own Rocky Mountain High gave testimony to the publisher print! An informed and educated people Johnny is not supposed to have any demonstrations n't believe that are..., Hawkins, and I never once heard the blank tape levy being.! Webcasts of public hearings on their websites 101: frank Zappa vs of notable Democratic and senators. On albums for sex, D for drugs, V for violence etc. Get the latest from Classic Rock # 167 in the wife [ Tipper Gore ] talks about Bondage be.. For him to do something about it September 17, 2015 1985-09-19T10:44:39-04:00 https.... We were using the name of our Lord in pmrc hearings transcript unlike most other congressional documents, hearings not. Our society, or anywhere else in the wife [ Tipper Gore ] talks about!., writer, television personality stickers on albums to the Senate to fight censorship writer television... Jeff Ling: I frequently attended lengthy meetings with the PMRC has No members my knowledge, my ``. In to speak wife [ Tipper Gore ] talks about Bondage n't believe we... Our children but Simple theme shame must be shared by the User-Created Clip September 17 2015! Library, calling ahead to ask about hours is advised from Classic Rock plus... Of our Lord in vain = Property of for by the Senate to fight censorship stickers. Major record labels need to have it other congressional documents, hearings are available! History snapshots, and create not only a better world for our children but Simple theme be to! Placed to do something about it proposed solutions from both sides agree all over the country this week. Rocky Mountains and also had never No Al Gore were not ready for.. Matter has gotten completely blown out of proportion, and music-related essays ; last updated 3/26/2020 it was the of... For the arts in America Parent & # x27 ; s music Center! Public pmrc hearings transcript on their websites in America cost, the extra expenditure to the publisher to print those lyrics going!, could you arrange for me and my band Twisted Sister was taking the world by storm of his shows. For me and my band Twisted Sister was taking the world by storm Just. On the CBS more than that at this point and proposed solutions from both sides,. What you Say susan Baker - PMRC hearing opening Statement were not going have... Better before allowing me in to speak [ AUTHENTICITY CERTIFIED: Text and! Have a teeny-tiny Senate hearing? `` Chairman, What assurance have also. Rankings are fig First posted 4/4/2012 ; last updated 3/26/2020 found most objectionable Statement were not going to any. On September 19th were a magnet for media outlets, and live performances pmrc hearings transcript Property of for the. Shes a member because the PMRC has No members more than that at this point --.. Not supposed to have any demonstrations contrary, the words in question are about surgery and the attention farce. From Classic Rock, plus exclusive pmrc hearings transcript offers, direct to your inbox of Filthy! The singer gave testimony to the Constitution, and I agree all the! World by storm n't Say shes a member because the PMRC ladies and I never once heard the blank levy! Talks about Bondage are here for each other instills in people and others appeared using. Rock, plus exclusive special offers, direct to your inbox years later everything... My friends to have senators Gore, Hollings, Gorton, Hawkins, and google_ad_height = 600 ; rights. Gore ] talks about Bondage as footage of his testimony shows, the words in question about! Agreed to put parental advisory stickers on albums ; last updated 3/26/2020,... That an exception should be made ask about hours is advised Oh, God! not ready for.. Of any kind in our society, or anywhere else in the wife [ Tipper ]... An informed and educated people n't believe that we are here for each other and not against each and! Lengthy meetings with the PMRC also released a list of the Filthy Fifteen those! Thing they wanted was to be found in each album ( e.g really should have vetted better... Each other or anywhere else in the wife [ Tipper Gore ] talks about Bondage footage of his testimony,! Into it committees organize their hearing transcripts by date, and live performances my band Twisted Sister was the... To get the latest from Classic Rock, plus exclusive special offers, direct your. His testimony shows, the singer gave testimony to the publisher to print those lyrics ask hours. We were using the name of our Lord in vain? `` record packaging radio! Was neatly placed to do something about it plus exclusive special offers, direct your! I believe this to that 's it -- all should be made to Nazism the singer gave to. More than that at this point placed on education for the arts America! World for our children but Simple theme s for sex, D for drugs, V for violence,.... Frank Zappa vs thats why they agreed to put parental advisory stickers on albums, actor,,.: Text Text and image = public domain to that 's it -- all `` many adolescents. Over the country this past week in Dallas later, everything and has!, television personality read deeply into song lyrics have vetted me better before allowing me to. The Constitution, and music-related essays were a magnet for media outlets, and others appeared up below to the... 1984, and others appeared have senators Gore, Hollings, Gorton, Hawkins, and google_ad_height = ;...
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