This is the famous "false start" clip of Elvis Costello & The Attractions on Saturday Night live (circa 1977). He had cleared the song Less Than Zero with the show, but a few seconds in, decided he didn't like it, and the band stopped and launched into his great song Radio Radio.
There is an oft-repeated story that producer Lorne Michaels was so angry about the switch in tunes that he stood off camera in the wings and gave Elvis a double middle finger throughout the performance.
Radio Radio is an eloquent and vitriolic statement about radio, and no doubt one reason it upset the suits on the show is that much of what Elvis sings/writes about radio applies to their medium as well. . .
Radio Radio
by Elvis Costello a/k/a Declan McManus
I was tuning in the shine on the light night dial
doing anything my radio advised
with every one of those late night stations
playing songs bringing tears to me eyes
I was seriously thinking about hiding the receiver
when the switch broke 'cause it's old
They're saying things that I can hardly believe.
They really think we're getting out of control.
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.
I wanna bite the hand that feeds me.
I wanna bite that hand so badly.
I want to make them wish they'd never seen me.
Some of my friends sit around every evening
and they worry about the times ahead
But everybody else is overwhelmed by indifference
and the promise of an early bed
You either shut up or get cut out;
they don't wanna hear about it.
It's only inches on the reel-to-reel.
And the radio is in the hands of such a lot of fools
tryin' to anaesthetise the way that you feel
[Chorus]
Wonderful radio
Marvelous radio
Wonderful radio
Radio, radio...
---o0o---
Radio Radio - One of my favorite moments of Rock and Roll on television. I didn't get the chance to see this video until last year, and it instantly became one of my favorite stories to tell. Elvis was great, going against the grain to use the media of Live TV to help convey his message about the state of radio (entertainment in general), and I feel sad to hear when people come down on this kind of free speaking.
ReplyDeleteThe same happened to Tom Petty a couple of years ago when he released the album The Last DJ. This album (and it's title song) was a dialog about how perverted the music industry has become. And because he was speaking his mind, which was the truth, that album was banned from the radio. Whenever anyone takes a stand against this kind of corruption, I stand up and applaud. If you want to hear some good music with a strong message, listen to the songs The Last DJ and My Name's Joe off of that album. It will make you angry, and feel relieved that someone that respected is making a statement (just like Neil Young and his Life With War album).
Kyle Lingol