Ugly Rumours

Something popped into my inbox at the end of last week on one of the left groups I subscribe to, complaining about the BBC "banning" the novelty single "War" by Ugly Rumours. Apparently, there was going to be a news article about it on Radio 1, but other more important news, believe it or not, displaced it.

Respect claims that an order came from on high pulling the news item. The BBC ("the Bush and Blair Corporation", as the e-mail from an SWP member/Stop The War Coalition organiser put it), who gave lots of air space to unrepentant Weather Underground and Angry Brigade bombers this morning, are clearly protecting the capitalist world order from the terrifying forces of subversion that are Ugly Rumours.

In a nice un-noticed irony, both the e-mail and the Ugly Rumours website direct people to, yes, a BBC news article for further information. (And another BBC article described the single as an example of e-democracy in action.)

Celebrity Big Brother star George Galloway is, of course, promoting the single, describing the BBC as "lickspittle" (love that Maoist language). We know he thinks suspending the rule of law (in Venezuela) is perfectly democratic; now we get a demonstration of how he understands the word "banning", this is even more mind-boggling.

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Bonus link: Edwin Starr at Heraclitan Fire.

Update: In response to Max's comment in the comments box, here's the YouTube video of Sister Rosetta singing "Down by the Riverside". And here's some mp3 links: Pete Seeger singing it (from Some Velvet) and the New Christy Minstrels from Keep The Coffee Coming (and more on them here too).

Comments

max said…
Interesting that the link to Edwin Starr's War features also Sister Rosetta Tharpe but not her interpretation of the Gospel pacifist song "Down by the Riverside" and she's pretty powerful there.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4xzr_GBa8qk&mode=related&search=
Anonymous said…
what attracted you,Mr Galloway, to the ruler by decree with billions of Oil cash?
Anonymous said…
It does stick in my craw that Edwin Starr's song (which is a truly classic tune) is being used by a scumbag who's main claim to fame was to toady to a despot who started two wars. As P.J.O'Rourke said, it's like seeing environmentalists go on a sponsored seal cull.

I also think that in the interests of accuracy, the police uniform that Galloway wears should have been an olive green number with a black beret.

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