Talk via Zoom – David Clark: We Can’t Let You Broadcast That!
David Clark was born and raised in London returning to the UK in 1970 after working in Germany and Australia to live in Worcestershire where he is now retired. After a varied career he ended up working for Age Concern and was also a city councillor for 20 years serving as Mayor of Worcester.
He gave a fascinating insight into the rules governing BBC radio protocol prevalent until about 20 years ago and some of the strange items especially relating to music that were banned by Auntie BEEB after John Reith (a Presbyterian ministers son who loved the classics) was appointed Director General of the BBC in 1927.
Many recordings dating back pre-war were banned it appears on the lamest of excuses such as Bing Crosby singing Deep in the Heart of Texas which included some clapping which could apparently, disrupt the production of war armaments in factories playing the music! Likewise much was banned during the Gulf War and the Falklands including Abba’s version of Waterloo -site of a Franco/Anglo war!
Ella Fitzgerald’s recording of Bewitched, Bothered and Bewildered was also banned as bewitched could relate to darker elements. The plus side for artists was that the sales of records were at an all time high as no-one
could listen to them on the radio without switching to one of the European stations such as Radio Luxembourg.
