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The Rolling Stones in the press: “Stones Disc Ban in U.S.”
STREET FIGHTING MAN RADIO BAN In ’68 the Stones weren’t just stirring up rock ’n’ roll—they were poking the hornet’s nest of politics too. Street Fighting Man hit like a live wire, all rebellion and defiance, the perfect soundtrack for a world already on fire. But radio stations freaked out, terrified it would fuel riots. The result? A quiet ban that only made the track hotter. Nothing screams “counterculture anthem” louder than a song they tried to silence.
Release of the Rolling Stones’ Beggar’s Banquet album may be further delayed, due to the dispute—reported two weeks ago—over its sleeve. And the group now finds itself at the centre of another controversy—this time concerning its new U.S. single “Street Fighting Man” which, according to some reports, has been banned in Chicago because of the recent riots there.
It now seems unlikely that the new Stones LP will be issued before October, although Decca has indicated that — once the matter of the sleeve is settled — it could be rush-released within seven days. The cover picture depicts a lavatory wall, from which the company is asking for certain slogans to be removed.
The group’s new American single is a track from the forthcoming LP. It will not be issued in Britain as a single, although some major record stores are likely to stock copies of the U.S. release. Reports that the disc had been banned from broadcast in Chicago were denied in London this week, although it was admitted that one or two local Chicago stations had refused to play it.
No British single is at present planned by the Stones, due to Mick Jagger’s filming commitments in Performance.
A Stones disc ban? In 1968, the Rolling Stones dropped Street Fighting Man, a track that was destined to cause a stir, but not exactly in the way they had anticipated. The song, with its rebellious lyrics and heavy political undertones, became an instant anthem of unrest, fitting right into the chaotic climate of the late ’60s. However, the Stones didn’t expect Street Fighting Man to land them in the middle of a radio ban.
The reason? Well, the song’s title and aggressive tone were seen as a bit too much by some radio stations, especially in the wake of the global political upheaval that was happening around that time. People were already tense with student protests, civil rights struggles, and the Vietnam War, and here comes a rock band dropping a track about street fighting. Radio stations were concerned it could incite even more chaos. Some stations, particularly in the US, went so far as to outright ban it from airplay, fearing that it could fuel violence or protests.
Despite this, the Stones, ever the rebels, didn’t seem too bothered. If anything, it only added to the song’s legendary status, making it a symbol of defiance. Mick Jagger, with his cheeky grin, probably wasn’t too upset about a little controversy. After all, the band had always been about pushing boundaries, and what better way to do that than by getting banned for a track that could’ve sparked a revolution, or at least some heated debates.
The ban didn’t hurt Street Fighting Man one bit. If anything, it gave the song a mystique and made it even more iconic, as it became a symbol of the times and the Stones’ ability to stir the pot with their music.
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