Well, its started again.

[Fionn MacCool]

It doesn't get played for one reason, and one reason alone: the word "faggot" in the lyrics. While there are unquestionably more offensive things on the air, that's one word that would have a hard time finding its way on to even the most open-minded American radio stations.

This statement was so wrong it made me laugh.

I guess it explains why people like Eminem, 50 Cent and Jay-Z sell only a handful of records in their careers.... oh wait.

[DaBanjo1]

It doesn't get played for one reason, and one reason alone: the word "faggot" in the lyrics. While there are unquestionably more offensive things on the air, that's one word that would have a hard time finding its way on to even the most open-minded American radio stations.

This statement was so wrong it made me laugh.

I guess it explains why people like Eminem, 50 Cent and Jay-Z sell only a handful of records in their careers.... oh wait.

Well, the discussion was about airplay, and you're right -- Eminem, 50 Cent and Jay-Z certainly get plenty of it. But if you're familiar with American radio, you'll know that these artists and their labels have no problem consenting to "Radio Edit" versions of their songs -- you know, the ones where they blur or mute the offending words. To my knowledge, there was only one scrubbed version of a Pogues song, and that was the radio version of Boys of the County Hell. (There might be another one, but I'm sure someone will promptly point it out to me here).

At any rate -- I never said that the FCC, or the program managers who live in terror of its arbitrary enforcement of its ridiculous decency standards, were consistent.

[DaBanjo1]

There is in fact a whole book available about the writing of White Christmas. Ordinarily, I would have the details to hand, but I took it down last year to write a newspaper article and forget to return it to my shelves so it's in A Pile Somewhere.

By the way...Boy, do I know what this is like. I'm obsessive about keeping books, but I'm damned if I ever know where any of them are. Like most New Yorkers I know, very few of my posessions are actually in my own dwelling.

[philipchevron]

As I was stuck in traffic heading home last night, I was shocked and very pleased that my local rock station here in Halifax, NS played Fairytale of New York...mind you it was during a request show and the caller asked to hear Christmas in New York by The Pogues. Anyhow it beats most all that is played on commercial radio these days.

Oddly enough "Christmas in New York" by the Pogues and Kirsty is probably how the record is best known to the world at large. That's what happens when you omit the title from the lyric.

[Niall]

It doesn't get played for one reason, and one reason alone: the word "faggot" in the lyrics. While there are unquestionably more offensive things on the air, that's one word that would have a hard time finding its way on to even the most open-minded American radio stations.

This statement was so wrong it made me laugh.

I guess it explains why people like Eminem, 50 Cent and Jay-Z sell only a handful of records in their careers.... oh wait.

youve read it wrong you tube. where did he say anything about record sales

[Fionn MacCool]

youve read it wrong you tube. where did he say anything about record sales

lol, tube.. good one

Yeah I know he said airplay, but it's quite common that getting major airplay is synonymous with sales.

If it helps you to understand it better, by all means re-read my post and substitute "sell only a handful of records" with 'hardly get any airplay' - my point would still stand.

[Eckhard]

You can hear "FoNY" in German stores in those weeks before Christmas - but only in that Keating version.

It's that version as well that found its way on the "Best of Rock Xmas"-Sampler ( which features the "best" "modern" Xmas songs - and therefore such horrors as "Last Christmas" and that fucking Status Quo thing )

[roddyruddy1]

http://www.freewebs.com/genestuart/newc ... single.htm

[theCOOP]

As I was stuck in traffic heading home last night, I was shocked and very pleased that my local rock station here in Halifax, NS played Fairytale of New York...mind you it was during a request show and the caller asked to hear Christmas in New York by The Pogues. Anyhow it beats most all that is played on commercial radio these days.

Oddly enough "Christmas in New York" by the Pogues and Kirsty is probably how the record is best known to the world at large. That's what happens when you omit the title from the lyric.

Sorry to bring this back up top, but I heard this very same instance of FoNY in Halifax the same day...and two other occasions for that matter, on the same station.

Never before have I heard The Pogues on a local radio station...however I believe I heard Shanne Bradley on the CBC one day, possibly during Basic Black.