No one who wasn't there can understand how big this show was to us. It was one of the few programs that we'd watch, with anything that could be seen as an alternative to the company line of everything else.
I was 19 and never miss the SMCH. The one I remember the most was Pete Seeger singing "Waist Deep in the BIg Muddy and the big fool says to push on'. It was censored in the 1967 but due to popular demand they were forced to bring Seeger back in early 1968 and he sang it then. Very controversial!
What a very brave lady ! I did not know that she wrote the song. I have always believed that if there were more people like her and he sister Mimi the world would be a better place !
Too many artists thought a lot to highly of themselves and their opinions and despite the public being there to enjoy entertainment decided to take an audience captive. It was more common in the 60s and 70s but still occurs occasionally today. Linda Ronstadt decided to go into a political diatribe at one of her shows and the audience got up, walked out and demanded their ticket price back.I don't see that she ever recovered. The Dixie Chicks committed the same mistake and it was costly to them. When people pay to be entertained that's what they expect for their money. Besides, who says all these artists are are brilliant as the artists think they are? That goes for actors as well. The Smothers Brothers deserved what they got. If people had wanted political commentary they could tune into NPR or watch the talking heads on Sunday morning.
Listening to "Green Green Grass" it sounds like she caused the 'fuss' by changing the last verse..suggesting that by blindly engaging in war (as her husband refused to do), we will all come to a violent end. Imagine an up-and coming singer going on a national show, say American idol, and protesting the war like that. That singer would never even make it to the air! The Smothers Brothers were censored out of existence, pure and simple.
Its what she says between the first two songs, starts at 4:40 in the video, about how her husband is going to jail rather than be drafted into the military.
The Smother's Brothers Comedy Hour was NOT cancelled…they were fired! Fired, not canceled, as Tom Smothers invariably corrects people in an effort to set the record straight.
We are still fighting the VietNam war today. The VietNam war was the first time a significant portion of the American populace understood that our government was willing to lie to us, even when it meant our young men would die needlessly. Korea was the first "war" fought to defend capitalism against populism, but most of the American people were still high on winning WWII. By the time Baby Boomers became a sizable bloc of folks, and were being drafted into an endless war, the benefit of which to America could not be explained to Americans, the fit hit the shan. The day the first "Question Authority" bumper sticker was placed on a VW bus was the opening shot in the still-ongoing civil war between Authoritarians (TeaBaggers) and everyone else. gjm1953, who posted a few months ago, below, is likely an Authoritarian.
It has taken me almost 50 years to return to folk music and realise just what I missed, and rediscovering Joan Baez again after all this time – and finally, finally being able to understand where she is coming from – has been a massive pleasure. My CD shelves are slowly filling with good music again, and Joan's albums are being added. I can see immediately why this episode caused such a fuss and a little research online points out that when it was aired again later, Joan was allowed to say her husband was in prison (which David was at that time) but could not say the reason. After all, the last thing authority figures want is a highly influential public figure speaking out against them. Look what happened to Pete Seeger. Joan, thankfully, was not so ostracised and we still have her with us. I might be here late, but my guitars are now coming back out of their cases as I return, albeit mentally, back to my childhood in the Sixties and live again.
I remember well having a conversation with my dad about registering for the draft. You see he had six brothers who served in World War 2. SIX. He could not due to a heart defect. It was a hole left in his heart and being until the day he died that he could not serve, could not defend his country, our freedom, his family. And then I suggest to him that I am seriously thinking about not registering. Not doing my part. What a strange and different time it was. It took a lot of death and tragedy for us ALL to figure it out then. I fear most that the lessons of that time are have been lost and forgotten.
I always enjoyed the Smothers Brothers' performances. I regarded their sense of humour and their very accurate timing related to it as unique, as a great natural talent. THIS though was 'something different' and I it really has disappointed me. Of course they have a right to their own views. I wouldn't and don't dispute that. Where I do disagree is that they should use performances for the public expression of these views. Such a presumptuous attitude is – contrary to the impressioncreatedhere (and demonstrated so often nowadays) – not a 'democratic right' where many who wish to enjoy such performances are coerced into 'enjoying' views and demonstrattions running counter to their own personal beliefs. MY view is that CBNthus acted correctly in dismissing the pair.Put more simply: no matter what opinions someone holds, an arena such as this is definitely NOT the venue for their public declaration. I personally resent attempts atforcingpersonally heldopinionsto be heard byothers under such circumstances. This amounts to an invitationextended under false pretences. Why do I say, or rather, why can I say this? Anyone who has lived for any length of time under the primacy of the emotionally, self-traumatizedpc regimes "governing" this so-called "Federal Republic" in Bonn and Berlin, is well acquainted with dictatorial suppression and oppression under the guise of "democracy". I pray that the USA and the "Federal Republic"can ridthemselves of such politically correcttendencies and that the USA will thusregain its right to provide an acceptable example to the world surrounding it. Regards, Horatio Nelson.
I remember seeing her on The Smothers Brothers but I don't remember this particular appearance. What is it about this performance that "caused all the fuss"? And what was the fuss? As I remember it, Tom and Dick gave the CBS censors fits on a weekly basis and that was what ultimately led to their cancellation.
No one who wasn't there can understand how big this show was to us. It was one of the few programs that we'd watch, with anything that could be seen as an alternative to the company line of everything else.
Joan Baez, the Best of the 1960's, through the 2015's! Love you lady!
I was 19 and never miss the SMCH. The one I remember the most was Pete Seeger singing "Waist Deep in the BIg Muddy and the big fool says to push on'. It was censored in the 1967 but due to popular demand they were forced to bring Seeger back in early 1968 and he sang it then. Very controversial!
What a very brave lady ! I did not know that she wrote the song. I have always believed that if there were more people like her and he sister Mimi the world would be a better place !
Too many artists thought a lot to highly of themselves and their opinions and despite the public being there to enjoy entertainment decided to take an audience captive. It was more common in the 60s and 70s but still occurs occasionally today. Linda Ronstadt decided to go into a political diatribe at one of her shows and the audience got up, walked out and demanded their ticket price back.I don't see that she ever recovered. The Dixie Chicks committed the same mistake and it was costly to them.
When people pay to be entertained that's what they expect for their money. Besides, who says all these artists are are brilliant as the artists think they are? That goes for actors as well.
The Smothers Brothers deserved what they got. If people had wanted political commentary they could tune into NPR or watch the talking heads on Sunday morning.
Listening to "Green Green Grass" it sounds like she caused the 'fuss' by changing the last verse..suggesting that by blindly engaging in war (as her husband refused to do), we will all come to a violent end. Imagine an up-and coming singer going on a national show, say American idol, and protesting the war like that. That singer would never even make it to the air! The Smothers Brothers were censored out of existence, pure and simple.
Its what she says between the first two songs, starts at 4:40 in the video, about how her husband is going to jail rather than be drafted into the military.
She's been true to her values all these years and her values were good ones.
The Smother's Brothers Comedy Hour was NOT cancelled…they were fired! Fired, not canceled, as Tom Smothers invariably corrects people in an effort to set the record straight.
We are still fighting the VietNam war today. The VietNam war was the first time a significant portion of the American populace understood that our government was willing to lie to us, even when it meant our young men would die needlessly. Korea was the first "war" fought to defend capitalism against populism, but most of the American people were still high on winning WWII. By the time Baby Boomers became a sizable bloc of folks, and were being drafted into an endless war, the benefit of which to America could not be explained to Americans, the fit hit the shan. The day the first "Question Authority" bumper sticker was placed on a VW bus was the opening shot in the still-ongoing civil war between Authoritarians (TeaBaggers) and everyone else. gjm1953, who posted a few months ago, below, is likely an Authoritarian.
I never knew she wrote "Green, Green Grass of Home". Its been covered by so many artists.
Well I suppose an artist with talent did cause a big fuss.
It has taken me almost 50 years to return to folk music and realise just what I missed, and rediscovering Joan Baez again after all this time – and finally, finally being able to understand where she is coming from – has been a massive pleasure. My CD shelves are slowly filling with good music again, and Joan's albums are being added.
I can see immediately why this episode caused such a fuss and a little research online points out that when it was aired again later, Joan was allowed to say her husband was in prison (which David was at that time) but could not say the reason. After all, the last thing authority figures want is a highly influential public figure speaking out against them. Look what happened to Pete Seeger. Joan, thankfully, was not so ostracised and we still have her with us.
I might be here late, but my guitars are now coming back out of their cases as I return, albeit mentally, back to my childhood in the Sixties and live again.
Joan had balls of brass, as did the Smothers Brothers.
Oh yeah, and her husband did, too.
Also, she had golden pipes.
I remember well having a conversation with my dad about registering for the draft. You see he had six brothers who served in World War 2. SIX. He could not due to a heart defect. It was a hole left in his heart and being until the day he died that he could not serve, could not defend his country, our freedom, his family. And then I suggest to him that I am seriously thinking about not registering. Not doing my part. What a strange and different time it was. It took a lot of death and tragedy for us ALL to figure it out then. I fear most that the lessons of that time are have been lost and forgotten.
I always enjoyed the Smothers Brothers' performances. I regarded their sense of humour and their very accurate timing related to it as unique, as a great natural talent. THIS though was 'something different' and I it really has disappointed me. Of course they have a right to their own views. I wouldn't and don't dispute that. Where I do disagree is that they should use performances for the public expression of these views. Such a presumptuous attitude is – contrary to the impressioncreatedhere (and demonstrated so often nowadays) – not a 'democratic right' where many who wish to enjoy such performances are coerced into 'enjoying' views and demonstrattions running counter to their own personal beliefs. MY view is that CBNthus acted correctly in dismissing the pair.Put more simply: no matter what opinions someone holds, an arena such as this is definitely NOT the venue for their public declaration. I personally resent attempts atforcingpersonally heldopinionsto be heard byothers under such circumstances. This amounts to an invitationextended under false pretences. Why do I say, or rather, why can I say this? Anyone who has lived for any length of time under the primacy of the emotionally, self-traumatizedpc regimes "governing" this so-called "Federal Republic" in Bonn and Berlin, is well acquainted with dictatorial suppression and oppression under the guise of "democracy". I pray that the USA and the "Federal Republic"can ridthemselves of such politically correcttendencies and that the USA will thusregain its right to provide an acceptable example to the world surrounding it.
Regards,
Horatio Nelson.
I remember seeing her on The Smothers Brothers but I don't remember this particular appearance. What is it about this performance that "caused all the fuss"? And what was the fuss? As I remember it, Tom and Dick gave the CBS censors fits on a weekly basis and that was what ultimately led to their cancellation.
Love Her! Thank you for sharing
Dont know much about her politics, really. But her voice makes me drunk. I love her.