SwingDJs

During WWII there was plenty of propaganda style songs recorded by almost all of the best bands. It was how some of them contributed to the war.
Some of these songs are not so obvious they are coming from a propaganda back round, while others are very obvious.
Have you ever thought, you would really like one of these songs (for the music content) and would love to spin it, but because of some of its vocal contents have decided not too.
Would you spin any propaganda styles songs, even some thing as simple as “American Patrol” by Glenn Miller?
Where do you draw the line? Do you care or not?

Brian

I just don't play them. Maybe if they were actually any good, but 90% of the ones I own suck so hard that the music from Axis DJs was better.

Kalman

It would depend on how good and how offensive. So Duke Ellington's "A Slip of the Lip" gets played but some of the Lucky Millinder's pieces don't get much play.

Yeah, I'd agree with Rayned. Ray Nance is so cute on "Slip of the Lip" that it doesn't realy even sound like a propaganda song, even though it was recorded during WWII.

Some of the Andrew Sisters stuff is horribly offensive.

I try to be careful when dj'ing songs I consider non-PC - there are also other songs that are offensive in other areas - such as Sidney Bechet's "Preachin' the Blues" - that's a great song to dance to but the lyrics make me cringe.

I was going to mention that one in the other thread ("Preachin' the Blues.") So very wrong, haha.

OK- if you want to hear propaganda music- you need to check out a collection called "Hitler on the Air". These are radio transcriptions from WWII broadcasts out of Berlin. They are German dance bands, playing popular American swing songs, but the lyrics are changed. And when I say changed.... wow. It makes you blush. They are all about the master race and Hitler, and how the Allies are controlled by Jews etc. but set to the melody of familiar tunes of they day.

Or you could just play Farrakhan's "The White Man's Heaven is the Black Man's Hell," with Louis on violin.

CafeSavoy wrote:Or you could just play Farrakhan's "The White Man's Heaven is the Black Man's Hell," with Louis on violin.

I forgot about that! He's actually pretty good; in fact, I thought that he was an up & coming genius until EM got ahold of him.

Ever try to read "Message to the Blackman in America?" God awful. Took me 2 years.

Kalman

mousethief wrote:

CafeSavoy wrote:Or you could just play Farrakhan's "The White Man's Heaven is the Black Man's Hell," with Louis on violin.

I forgot about that! He's actually pretty good; in fact, I thought that he was an up & coming genius until EM got ahold of him.

Ever try to read "Message to the Blackman in America?" God awful. Took me 2 years.

Kalman

it's good for humor relief, especially with vodka martinis.

I was reading through an old thread that pointed to this one. For those interested in the historical aspect of this, I found a really interesting -- 95 tracks on four CDs and it incl. 60-page booklet thats a good read.
Swing Tanzen Verboten!: Swing Music and Nazi Propaganda


Some CDs are remakes of unacceptable artists and repackaged by German bands claiming them as theirs so they could be played. Some are from bands all over occupied Europe and have such an authentic feel to them others have a propaganda twist.

http://www.amazon.com/exec/obidos/tg/de ... les#disc_1

Bob the Builder wrote: Would you spin any propaganda styles songs, even some thing as simple as “American Patrol” by Glenn Miller?
Where do you draw the line?

Without a lyric, most people will be oblivious. Even with a lyric a lot of people are oblivious.

There is always someone who will be offended by something. Why worry?

If someone played a pro Jewish song or a pro France or pro-Eskimo song, I am not going to get offended.

I think there is a difference between a pro song and an anti song.