“Lola” by The Kinks
Surprisingly, it wasn’t the phrase “Well I’m not the world’s most masculine man / But I know what I am and I’m glad I’m a man / and so is Lola,” that sparked outrage. The BBC’s ban prohibiting product placement caused the Kinks to rewrite a portion of their popular 1970 chart-topping song, “Lola.” The phrase “cherry cola” was used instead of the brand name “Coca-Cola” in the radio version. Ray Davies, the lead singer, had to fly from New York to London to sing the radio edit so that the song could be broadcast. Davies penned this song in jest when his band manager went to a party and danced with a transvestite. He was so plastered that he didn’t see “her” stubble sprouting back in the late hours of the night.
Lola By The Kinks
“Physical” by Olivia Newton-John
In Utah, radio stations in Salt Lake City and Provo have banned Olivia Newton-John’s chart-topping hit “Physical.” In 1981, at the start of the conservative “Reagan Revolution,” the phrase “Unless it’s horizontally” was seen as an intimate suggestion. The music video for “Physical,” which was published the same month as MTV’s premiere, was also prohibited. The video ended with a gay theme. MTV restricted it by cutting it short, while several Canadian and British broadcasters banned it entirely. The song received a Grammy for Video of the Year and was Newton-John’s most popular single.
Physica By Olivia Newton John
