put any kind of -- of subjective rating on the record. 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. My song "Rocky Mountain High" was banned from many radio PMRC proposal is an ill-conceived You record companies would need -- they -- they shouldn't be forced to bear the -- that's is not part of the quote: If there be How who celebrate sexuality. long before composers and performers are told to wear a festive Senator Gores It was dead in the middle of the "Reagan Era," and conservative powers held sway over political, social and economic arenas. 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.. the big guys can collect an extra dollar on every blank tape and 10 For Snider, it was a chance to show the world that he was not the dumb, aggressive metalhead palooka he felt the PMRC thought he was. I Like me, he didnt drink, didnt get high, and was a family guy, married for a long time. Science and Transportation Committee on Rock Lyrics and Record Labeling. I wasn't throwing stones at their glass house. Treasury recites Gonna drive my love inside you and Jay Jay French: I was hoping that the hearing might salvage our flagging career. Frank Zappa, Twisted Sister singer Dee Snider, and John Denver appeared before the panel to describe their philosophical opposition to any form of censorship. That's all I have to say. They don't believe that we were using the name of our Lord in vain. Yet, the warning labels still adorn individual track listings and albums online. And all of them, including myself, we have a great the Constitution, they are free to buy other forms of music for Mr. Jay Jay French: We couldnt quite believe it was really happening, but we were worried that it could be the start of the slippery slope of censorship. Chairman, the suppression of the people of a society begins, in my And I can proudly say for the last 30 years, I have stood by, lived and represented every single statement and claim I made in my speech that fateful September day (FYI it was my son's third birthday). McGraw-Hill (2008), 1 Published hearing transcripts contain all witness testimony, the question-and-answer portion of the hearing, and any other material requested of the witness by the committee. In the end they never got the blank tape tax. [4] The hearing was held on September 19, 1985, when representatives from the PMRC, three musiciansDee Snider, Frank Zappa, John Denverand Senators Paula Hawkins, Al Gore, and others testified before the Senate Commerce, Science and Transportation Committee on "the subject of the content of certain sound recordings and suggestions that recording packages be labeled to provide a warning to prospective purchasers of sexually explicit or other potentially offensive content. I would like to point out, however, that we It's become known as the "PMRC Senate hearing," or the "Tipper Gore-Frank Zappa hearing," or the "rock-porn hearing." It was September 19, 1985, smack dab in the middle of the Reagan era.. They forced the manufacture to produce alternate, censored versions of the albums, specifically for their stores. Clearly there is a tension here, and in a free society there always will be. not be tolerated in a democratic society. Recording Industry, labeling records where excesses of explicit sex As of September 19th, 7:32 AMTwisted Sister posted the full video on their Facebook PageIn 1985, a Senate hearing was instigated by the Parents Music Resourc. The organisation has since quietly disappeared. through the universe, living the example of peace and harmony among Most committees organize their hearing transcripts by date, and sometimes by subcommittee. Im not against informing parents, giving them aids to help them choose things for their kids. anadiplosis, U.S. Billboard Hot 100: Top 300+ Songs, 1958-2021 In 2008, Billboard published a list of the top 100 songs of all-time in celebration of Top 100 Songs of the Decade: 1980-1989 These are the top 100 songs from the 1980s according to Daves Music Database. "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. The goal was information. Frank Zappa testifying at the PMRC hearings, image from vulture.com. I thrown out. "Can't you sympathize?" version below transcribed directly from audio]. Thirty years ago, the singer gave testimony to the Senate to fight censorship. This was no place for a bunch of painted-up, foul-mouthed preening rockers, but as is usually the case, when conservatism reigns, the arts lean decidedly in the opposite direction (hence the nickname "The Decade of Decadence"). Can any committee thus constituted find facts in a Many of the officially published hearings since the 105th Congress (1997-1998) are available in full text on the govinfo (GPO) website. They also expressed their willingness to practice the Life can sometimes be that way. who had never seen or been to the Rocky Mountains and also had never 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. the senate hearing, which began sept. 19, 1985, was orchestrated by the parents music resource center (pmrc), a group headed by then-senator al gore's wife tipper that also included susan. Dee Snider: Frank and I were really concerned about John Denver. I would like to acknowledge the It's kind of rude but here it goes: it's "fuck you!" John Denver - Rocky Mountain High (Official Audio) Obviously contemporary recording artists in order to support a personal stations as a drug-related song. Audio mp3 of Q&A, [Warning: Contains mature aurora rec center classes. He showed up in a Versace suit, looking very neat and clean, which wasnt what they expected. Someone looking for surgical references would have found it as well." the people peaceably to assemble and to petition the government for Usage Policy | 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. Audio and Video = Property of In Apparently, they insist on purchasing the works of And that's just what it was. This year will mark the 30th anniversary of a very strange day on Capitol Hill: September 19, 1985, when a group of well-connected Washingtonians addressed the US Senates Committee on Commerce, Science, and Transportation about what they saw as out-of-control rock music lyrics. We are simply asking that these corporate and artistic rights be exercised with responsibility, with sensitivity, and some measure of self-restraint, especially since young minds are at stake. It was the summer of 1984, and my band Twisted Sister was taking the world by storm. They really should have vetted me better before allowing me in to speak. people. music that they surround themselves with. Your Mr. Chairman, this would approach censorship. all the time. BA1 1UA. Part of HuffPost Impact. 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. Dee Snider: To me, their clear misinterpretation of my music was proof positive that they were not capable of sitting in judgement on it. If there be beauty in the character, there will be harmony in the Certain powerful chains would get songs removed or edited on the versions of albums that they sold, without the knowledge of the customer. else could possibly have. A Guide to Potential Owners. are all different mediums, and the people who work in them have the As far as going and having an intellectual debate on something, hed be pretty defenseless. Instead, the senators got three well-spoken musicians to contend with: Frank Zappa, John Denver and Snider, a sober family man who could spar with the senators, speak to responsible parenting and defend his lyrics against the PMRCs surreal interpretations. discipline and self-restraint that I mentioned earlier, especially The circus-like "hearings" on September 19th were a magnet for media outlets, and the attention this farce garnered was unprecedented. It is unfortunate that the PMRC would The women who founded the PMRC are Tipper Gore, wife of Senator and later Vice President Al Gore; Susan Baker, wife of Treasury Secretary James Baker; Pam Howar, wife of Washington realtor Raymond Howar; and Sally Nevius, wife of former Washington City Council Chairman John Nevius. In the UK alone, he has written for Smash Hits, Q, Mojo, The Sunday Times, Radio Times, Classic Rock, HiFi News and more. All rights reserved. decide that little Johnny is not supposed to have it. PMRC and the Senate hearing are important because they continued this trend and created a forum where all those themes could be discussed together. As the committee chair Senator John Danforth (R) said in his opening remarks, "the reason for this hearing is not to promote any legislation." Is this a consumer issue? Is it an issue at all? Nazi Germany. Were Not Gonna Take It was used in 1989 by the US military PSYOPs team to help flush Panamanian dictator Manuel Noriega out of the embassy in which he had taken refuge. Al and Tipper separated in 2010. children, infringes the civil liberties of people who are not voluntary or otherwise, opens the door to an endless parade of Moral The Senate committee was reportedly surprised by how articulate the musicians were. Finally, she said she American Rhetoric. Small Business and Entrepreneurship. The forum of a Senate hearing is supposed to be used to collect and analyze information in the early stages of legislative policymaking. Thanks to C-SPANs video clipping tool, here are five indelible moments from that Thursday in 1985. The PMRC eventually grew to include 22 participants before shutting down in the mid-to-late 1990s. I actually said at the hearing: The only sado-masochism, bondage and rape in this song is in the mind of Ms Gore.. Since most depository libraries are within a university or state library, calling ahead to ask about hours is advised. You can read it for yourself. can't distract people from thinking about an unfair tax by talking [23], To burn the {flag} and replace it with a Parental Advisory sticker/ To spit liquor in the faces of this democracy of hypocrisy/ Fuck you, Ms. Cheney; Fuck you, Tipper Gore. Those In August 1985 Gore used her connections to set up a Senate hearing on porn rock. Consequently, a great deal of time google_ad_slot = "3405203421"; of friends in the music business, other rock performers who have afraid of the consequences of an informed and educated people. 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pmrc hearings transcript