Elvis Costello and The Attractions.Photo: Estate Of Keith Morris/Redferns
Elvis Costelloand The Attractions were game changers in the ’70s.
Speaking with Zane Lowe forTuesday’s Apple Music Essentials, Costello, 66, recalled the band’s historic Dec. 17, 1977Saturday Night Liveappearance in which they veered off-script of their scheduled musical performance to address controlled media censorship with a surprise rendition of their track, “Radio, Radio.”
On that special day, the English new wave band kicked off their act with the tunes “Watching the Detectives” and a little of “Less Than Zero” as scheduled, but they quickly switched gears into the real nitty-gritty they wanted to highlight.
“I’m sorry, ladies and gentlemen, but there’s no reason to do this song here,” the frontman told theSNLaudience on Dec. 17, 1977 before beginning “Radio, Radio” (which criticized broadcast commercialization).SNLproducer Lorne Michaels was not too thrilled with the change of plans and banned Elvis Costello and The Attractions from the sketch comedy series until 1989. Rumor has it Michaels was so perplexed that he raised his middle finger at Costello throughout the entire duration of the song.
The tune has gripping lyrics and at one point, Costello sings, “Radio is a sound salvation / Radio is cleaning up the nation / They say you better listen to the voice of reason / But they don’t give you any choice ‘cause they think that it’s treason / So you had better do as you are told / You better listen to the radio.”
Elvis Costello and The Attractions, SNL.NBCU Photo Bank
On Jan. 4, 1969, Hendrix (who died in 1970) switched up his performance to play a surprise rendition of “Sunshine of Your Love.” The star was resultantly banned from BBC.
source: people.com
