When The New York Times jumps all over a song it's either different, special or controversial enough to write about. Categorize this one as all of the above. The song is Cee Lo Green's viral hit, soon to be renamed "Forget You." It's being retitled so that radio can play it. The video of "F--K YOU", with no blanks in the title or song is at 3 million YouTube views and growing. This is not a fleeting expletive so I guess the FCC isn't too concerned about it - that and no radio station that I know of is playing it uncensored. Some radio stations have edited the numerous dirty words, which has to be butchered to an unlistenable state, since as the New York Times points out "The crude phrase is the title, chorus and punch line to the song." Craig Marks, editor of Billboard magazine could only think of a handful of hit songs that have had that many expletives included in it...
Marks adds "Even if it is the most happy song, radio is not going to play it." Well not until it's "Forget You" because this is indeed a hit song - one listen or view should convince you of that. According to the Times, Cee Lo's label, Elektra, part of the Warner Music Group, is keeping interest in the single on YouTube. An album, "The Lady Killer" drops in December. Elektra doesn't offer any clues as to how many more-than-fleeting expletives will be contained in the LP...
YouTube and the internet, neither controlled by the FCC has been given carte blanche with "F--K YOU" or anything else that might be deemed indecent but let's hope Cee Lo Green, half of the duo, Gnarls Barkley of "Crazy" fame doesn't set a precedent with the soon to be released "Forget You", unless of course it's a hit song that can be edited...
10 Timeline Memories:
1.1888] Enter the Ripper: Prostitute Mary Ann Nichols is found murdered in London's East End. She is generally regarded as the first victim of Jack the Ripper...
2.1954] Oh Carol: Hurricane Carol hits the northeast killing nearly 70 (60 in New England alone) and resulting in millions of dollars in damage...
3.1969] Rocky is gone: Undefeated heavyweight champion Rocky Marciano dies in a light plane crash in Iowa, the day before his 46th birthday. Rocky is the only undefeated heavyweight champ in history...
4.1980] Solidarity begins: Poland's Solidarity labor movement is born with an agreement signed in Gdansk that ends a 17-day strike...
5.1985] Gotcha: California's "Night Stalker" killer Richard Ramirez is captured by residents of an East Los Angeles neighborhood...
6.1997] Death of a Princess: This was the day that Princess Diana meets her death in that tragic crash in a French tunnel. The world mourns the 36-year old Diana...
7.2001] Papers please: A Bronx team's third-place finish in the Little League World Series is ruled invalid because one player (Danny Almonte) is two years older than the age limit of 12...
8.2002] "Happy Trails": The legendary Lionel Hampton dies from cardiac arrest at 94...
9.2005] Trampled to death: Some 1,000 people are killed when a religious procession across a Baghdad bridge is engulfed in panic over rumors of a suicide bomber...
10.2007] Liar, liar, your pants are on fire: Mike Nifong, former district attorney of Durham County (NC) is sentenced to a day in jail for lying to a judge when pursuing rape charges against three falsely accused Duke lacrosse players...
Music Memories:
•1974] Curtains: After 4 seasons on the air, The Partridge Family TV show ends but David Cassidy's star continues to glow.
•1976] No wonder that sounded familiar: A judge rules that George Harrison is guilty of copying from the Chiffons' hit "He's So Fine" when writing "My Sweet Lord."
•1995] Cleveland rocks: The Rock and Roll Hall of Fame and Museum opens in Cleveland (OH)...
•2009] Record breaker: Jason Mraz's "I'm Yours" becomes the longest running single in Billboard's Hot 100 history at 71 weeks on the chart...
Commentary:
The Audio Engineering's New York Section will hold their September meeting with a screening of "Copyright Criminals" with a panel discussion to follow, hosted by Roger Johansen of Tangerine Mastering. The screening and panel discussion will be held at the New School's jazz performance space, 55 West 13th Street (5th fl.). The event will be held Tuesday, September 14 at 6:30 pm...
"Happy Birthday...happy birthday:
Deborah Gibson (40), Marcia Clark (57), Richard Gere (61), Giants coach Tom Coughlin (64), Van Morrison (65), Itzhak Perlman (65), Crickets' drummer Jerry Allison (71) & Frank Robinson (75)...
Timeline Countdown: 2 days until the college football season begins, 6 days until Labor Day, 9 days until the NFL opener (Minn. @ New Orleans) & 23 days until autumn arrives...
