Recently i've noticed an increase in "artists" using more and more bad language in there songs. Also there is a lot of controversy as to weather it promote violence.

I’m not sure weather mobile djs play tracks with swearing in. I either us a censored version or I don't play it simple as!!

so my question to you is

How do you know weather there is swearing in a track. At the moment I listen to the music channel and write down any tracks that are bleeped or restricted.

How do you get around this?

Cheers

Dangermouse

I do agree that it can be a problem, some tracks more than others.

For example: Sugababes: Hole in the head, has "this crazy shi " (and then a "t")

Grease Lighting for the Grease soundtrack also features the same word.

and as for hip-hop, well swear words seem to be a buying incentive...perhaps for the same reasons that we all used to look up naughty words in the dictionaries.

Even dear ol' Robbie Williams seems to like chucking in a quick swearword that rhymes with a water-dwelling bird, on some of his songs.

Im hoping that this isnt an increasing trend.

I've got two ways around it. If a whole verse contains unwanted profanity, I can seamlessly splice it out of the track, using the Splice function on my CD-decks. I can also put the splice into memory, and the deck will remember to splice the same portion out each time I play the track in the future.

Alternatively, for short lapses in good manners, I can make single words inaudible without the beat/track losing its time/place by using the "dump" function on my CD decks.

If you use a Laptop / PC then you can edit out the swear words using a Software package called "Cool Edit". It offers the facility to either blank out or reverse the offending word(s). I've used this Successfully to Create Radio edits out of otherwise unplayable material at School discos etc.

Although For the Older Kids, trust me, its not like they haven't heard the words before, but I understand and agree with the reluctance to play them!.

Hey Gary!! - another thread and no mention of the PLASA 2004 . I am getting worried about you!.

No PLASA mention, but the CD decks did get a name check again

I cant think of any swear words that rhyme with swan or cormarant? The Eamon single" **** it ",has so many swear words in it that if you bleep it you get about a 20 second long track!

John McEnroe!


Just make sure you know what you are playing... If its "parental advisory" 0bviously dont play it for young kids - and listen to the track first.... obvious swearing doesnt go down well at weddings...... but, if the song is requested by tons of people, I just cut it at the point of the swear word and carry on...... takes all of a milli second!

I agree Kazzachi the old fader break does the job fine.

It's all Jingles and Glamour with you AP isn't it!.

I agree with the Majority - if it's Marilyn Manson or Eminem don't play it at an infants disco . If it's a top 10 track then most of the time "radio edits" are available commercially and often on the same CD Single as the original version.

On the rare occasion that there is no Radio Edit then software such as Cool Edit works wonders and can either physically blank the vocal, or reverse it making it listenable but still keeping the continuity.

I like the sound of Cool edit...................

Err for risk of being shot i will actualy admit to playing songs with bad language and not censoring them,would however also add that 98% of the gigs i do are at clubs with 20 + age limit

In night clubs I prefer to play uncensored versions, and never had any complaints or comments. Everyone is over 18, so why treat them like children.

However on mobiles I always play censored versions, or don’t play it at all if a censored version is not available.

I've found that at School Disco's or 16th Birthday parties (both of which I now avoid) the kids will often shout out the swear words, when I'm playing the censored versions.

I guess they think it makes them more grown up.

Robbie I think the general Author of this topic was refering to Mobile Gigs, where there may be any age group from 7 - 75 rather than clubs. I've done some pretty dodgy games in clubs and wet T-shirt compo's over the years, and it goes without saying that you can get away with almost anything legal in a club environment, but I would never do any of the above at somebodies Wedding! .

To Generalise that ALL over 18's would deem playing a track full of swear words as acceptable is a little misleading. For instance I may be doing a Wedding or family function which was full of over 18's but I wouldn't automatically assume that I could get away with playing a non radio edit of an R'n'B track for example.

Just because your audience is entirely over 18 doesn't automatically mean that they all accept swearing as being the norm. My Mother is over 18, but still makes it known if I accidentally happen to drop in a stream of swear words whilst driving . The same applies to most of the older generation.

So I think any Family Mobile Function = Radio Edit, Club Work it would be acceptable

Bet you look great in a wet t-shirt Chris

Just to prove C.S's point about the Eamon single (Which at the time of posting is the UK's no1 single ) here's the lyrics c/o the Forum's Word Filter....

[Verse 1:]
See, I dont know why I liked you so much
I gave you all, of my trust
I told you, I loved you, now thats all down the drain
Ya put me through pain, I wanna let u know how I feel

[Chorus:]
**** what I said it dont mean **** now
**** the presents might as well throw em out
**** all those kisses, they didn't mean jack
**** you, you hoe, I dont want you back

**** what I said it dont mean **** now
**** the presents might as well throw em out
**** all those kisses they didn't mean jack
**** you, you hoe, I dont want you back

[Verse 2:]
You thought, you could
Keep this **** from me, yeah
Ya burnt bitch, I heard the story
Now ya askin for me back
Ya just another act, look elsewhere
Cuz ya done with me

**** what I said it dont mean **** now
**** the presents might as well throw em out
**** all those kisses they didn't mean jack
**** you, you hoe, I dont want you back

**** what I said it dont mean **** now
**** the presents might as well throw em out
**** all those kisses they didn't mean jack
**** you, you hoe, I dont want you back

Oh oh
Uh huh yeah
Oh oh
Uh huh yeah
Oh oh
Uh huh yeah
Oh oh
Uh huh yeah

Ya questioned, did I care
You could ask anyone, I even said
Ya were my great one
Now its, over, but I do admit I'm sad.
It hurts real bad, I cant sweat that, cuz I loved a hoe

**** what I said it dont mean **** now
**** the presents might as well throw em out
**** all those kisses they didn't mean jack
**** you, you hoe, I dont want you back

Oh oh
Uh huh yeah
Oh oh
Uh huh yeah
Oh oh
Uh huh yeah
Oh oh
Uh huh yeah
[Until the end]


Anybody else agree, that considering it's number 1, there could have been a better 'Radio Edit' ? the current edit is as obvious as the uncut version

i agree with you there chris.
you have to listen hard to realise it has been edited.

I think you're absolutely right - I can just imagine the kids loving to sing along to this one at the top of their sweet little voices

Vinnie

Trouble is, most songs are too easy for children to figure out whats supposed to be sung.

Take Pink - Last To Know... She sings:

Why was I the last to know that you
Weren't coming to my show
You could've called up to say "Good luck"
You could've called me back you stupid - (and what do we think this word is going to be?????)

Similar to D12 - My Band -


What's up ladies, my name's Slim Shady"
I'm the lead singer in D12 baby
They're all like "Oh my god it's him"
"Becky oh my ****** god it's Eminem"
"I swear to ****in god dude you ****in rock"
"Please Marshall please let me suck your c**k"

Who would not know what she was asking??

It does make you wonder what the kids are thinking when they hear this...

There was of course the old argument, that if kids really were as wrapped in cotton wool and as green as their parents would like to think, then they wouldn't know what the words meant in any case .

Well you know it, I know it and we all the know the kids know it all... but - whether the little darlings know and sing all the F words or not, if you play it... YOU will be the one who gets the backlash from irrate parents! Its not a question of how the kids will come across... its how you will be seen by parents who are your next potential customers.

Karen, I think we'd already established the fact that we wouldn't play tracks, at least non radio edits at kids parties.

My point, is that High School Aged kids are not stupid, and are probably just as informed as to the meaning of certain words and terms, as most Adults. I'm not saying that it's right, it's not, but we have to accept to some extent that being a teenager today is not like it was when we were 14 or 15.

When a track like Eamon's gets to no1, its going to be asked for by Teenagers, I mean 'Eamon' is only 16 himself and the 11- 16's are probably the very people who bought the CDS and got it there in the first place. My point is that the 'Radio Edit' of this track isn't a proper edit where the artist records a seperate version replacing the words with more innocent ones, its simply (badly) edited leaving the first syllible of each word. However refuse to play even the edited version on principle, and the smart mouth little reply with 'Well they play it on MTV' and when Radio 1 and local Radio Stations ARE playing the edited version at 7.30AM and 3.30PM (peak listening times for school age groups) then we don't really have a valid argument.

Crispy I totally agree - todays teenagers are probably more knowledgeable about certain things than we are - or ever were - I know! However, my point still stands that the people who pay the fee - not the little smart mouths - are gonna be the ones who will come down on you like a ton of bricks - whether the kids know the words of not - if you play it. I have probably 20 odd schools who will only use my services because they know that I will only play what they deem "suitable" music for kids. As far removed from reality as it is!

The kids are obviously the ones who have bought the record and got it to number one in the first place.

Whilst we all agree in principle on suitable tracks and edits, I think this one is a difficult call.

With your experience and market Kazz, would you play this at a high school gig?

Like Chris has said and I agree it's not an easy call on this particular track.

Vinnie.

(PS - Hi Kazz)

Hi Vinnie!

At any high school I would only ever play edited versions.... and Im sure everyone can find enough decent music to fill two hours without having to go down the swearing route anyway!

It doesnt matter who buys the disc to get it to number one.. from experience, I can tell you that most parents and teachers take a very dim view of any dj who doesnt use the edited version - even when they know that their little baby has it at home and play it all the time!

I am a parent and a teacher kazz,believe me in this country and many countries abroad the f*** word is used in a most flippant way and to judge by the language in films etc nobody really cares anymore.This has become so probably because of the fact that we brits have got the reputation for saying f*** everyother sentence.The main norwegian radio station plays the uncensored version and believe me 75% of parents dont really care anyway. Listen to the lyrics of d12 -my band which is going to be norways next number 1. You say it doesnt matter who buys Eamon so that it gets to number 1,i dont agree, if there was an 18 limit on it then perhaps things would have been different.Record company execs probably thought oh wow all the kids are gonna love this lets release it with no age limit.When i ran a record shop the explicit lyric warning was enough for a kid to want the cd without even hearing it.

Chris.... Im not so niaive as to think that the kids dont know whats going on.. but I wouldnt say that just because we get used to swear words it makes it acceptable. Just because its done on tv and in songs doesnt mean that parents want their kids to follow suit.. would you want to hear your children using the f word as part of their normal vocabulary? If any of mine did they would be for the high jump... we also see drug taking on the telly but I wouldnt want my kids doing it! Just because something is done extensively on tv and in songs doesnt make it ok -


The point I am trying to get across is that PTA members and Teachers in this country who book the disco will not want you to play songs with swear words in them.... This is a fact and of the last 20 or so schools I have taken on, one of the biggest moans that these people have about the "other dj" is that they havent given a damn about what they have played. Teachers dont expect kids to use bad language at school - in fact, it is totally unacceptable - and therefore it is safe to say that they wouldnt want to hear it at the school disco. Youve also got to remember that normally there is a good staff/pta membership/pupil ratio at these type of functions. I play safe - and get the benefits by doing so.

Good valid points and of course absolutely right Kazz, i was just trying to say that unfortunately standards are sinking,when marking an essay last week i down graded one because they wrote f**k (nice 14 year old)in it. Said childs father rang me at home and complained ,the head approached me about this and asked if i really thought it was that bad when the film and music world used it so easily! Good reason to quit teaching here? i think so

I don't doubt that in 5 - 10 years time, what we term as four letter swear words will be part of general language.

By then of course, i'll have moved to the Moon

Can I come too Chris, I've always wanted to meet the Clangers

I have dropped a few

Perfect example here.... Ive just taken a call from a school in godalming - and the head teacher who has made the enquiry wanted two discos - one for youngsters and one for teenagers..... one of the first things she asked is whether or not I pay attention to what I play - because previous djs have played totaly unsuitable music for children - ie., songs with swear words!














I told her to F off cos I was already booked!

Should get a rebook then!

Too F***in right!

ha ha ha ha

Talk of that eamon song i got the eamon vs frankee version too and the swearing in that is pretty bad!!

Once i done a gig for an 18th and there were parents and family friends there basically an all age group. They bday girl requested 50 cent in the club. So fair enough went and got it ready on PCDJ but once i started playing it i realised that it wasnt the clean version and when it got to "Let the mother F*&%$* burn" i heard from some parents tut tut I went completly red with embarissment and just continued. they were really happy with the night and they did use me again but thats got to be the low point for me.

The simple answer to this little problem hifi is to say you dont have the track! It works!

You can't really classify Alice and Eamon in the same category...

Yes there is swearing in both, but one is asking who someone is, a simple funny question the other is telling you that the person is not very nice and that he doesn't like her in a very negative way.....

Its the same old precept that we have in certain music and have discussed on here before, if I had kids would I prefer them to listen to Michael Jackson, even though there is a possibility he is a kiddie fiddler, singing about healing the world? Or D12 who is asking someone to suck his c**k and the fact that (in other songs) he hates everyone....

Smokie with Alice is a fun song, when kids hear it they get to do the same giggles and funny looks that every older person does when they sing the f*** word...

Play Eamon and the kids seem to think it is their right to sing the swear words... As if it makes them more grown up, or hard....

It's just a strange world we live in now.....