Today that would be no problem. But in 1966, with AM Top 40 stations breaking rock & roll hits alongside mainstream records by Vicki Carr and Andy Williams, with more conservative middle-aged and older listeners still a rival demographic to teenagers, "Bend It" in either form wasn't gonna fly in the U.S.
Someone should upload to You Tube the edited (U.S.) version of "Bend It," for comparison with the Euro/UK version. But you may hear both versions, anyway, by going to the website SoManyRecordsSoLittleTime (DotCom), entering "Bend It" in the search engine field, scroll down to the last link titled "Legend Of Dave Dee," click on that and scroll half-way down the page until you see icons of the "Bend It" records, links to the respective versions beneath each.
@gymnastix If, after finding the links of the two versions of "Bend It" on the SoManyRecordsSoLittleTime website, you right-click and "Save Target As," you will then own the A-sides of both records. Enjoy!
"Bend It" would have been a bigger U.S. hit had radio stations not been scared away from it by virtue of a "cleaner" (edited/re-recorded) version having been cut with new Dave Dee vocals.
The original version was suggestive of a sexual two-way, while the re-cut version only drew more attention by making the song simulataneously a dance record (a la "the Twist") , with a subtext of masturbation (the new lyrics featured this line: "All alone-a/On my own-a").
@gymnastix These lyrics of the complete second verse from of the second U.S. version of "Bend It" show, in context, the implication of self-gratification:
"Bend it, bend it, there's no need to hurry/Let your mind be free from work and worry/When we dance the bend like this together/I'm so sure we could go on forever/There's no doubt without your lovin' baby/I'm alone and on my own/Ah-yeah, got it now, yeah, like that... yeah, real good."
@gymnastix Of course, the first and third verses of the "edited" version of "Bend It" also finish with this line: "When night's ending we'll be bending."
This is only slightly less risque than the "Please don't tease me - try to please me" line from the UK original, with its references to partners fitting together "like pieces of a jigsaw puzzle," making faily clear the sum of "69" was in the math equation of songwriters Ken Howard & Alan Blaikley, who wrote many of DDDBM&T's hits.
@gymnastix In any case, re-cutting a secind, barely-less-risque version of a song whose title and rhthm suggest nothing but sexual interaction was only adding fuel to the fire.
Fontana Records (the label of DDDBM&T) should have left bad enough alone.
In any case, re-cutting a second, barely-less-risque version of a song, the title and rhythm of which suggest nothing but sexual interaction, was only adding fuel to the fire.
Fontana Records (the label of DDDBM&T) should have left bad enough alone, left the deejays with the original version of the record, and allowed nature to take its course, which may have resulted in younger listeners making the song the smash U.S. hit it deserved to become.
Still, it's kinda neat having two versions to listen to now, anyway, one of them a suggestive "dance" record alongside "The Loco-Motion" and "The Twist" in rock & roll history.
@gymnastix But from what I've read on-line, and my own childhood recollection, the failure of "Bend It" to certify a bona fide U.S. hit didn't prevent many millions of kids and teenagers from hearing the song on the radio, nor having fond recollections of it now, nearly half a century later.
Incidentally, DDDBM&T had several million-selling records in England and in Europe, making them, for a time, serious rivals of The Beatles and The Rolling Stones there.
But in the U.S., the records of DDDBM&T barely scraped the bottom of the Billboard pop music chart (even though many radio stations played them, including especially "Bend It" and "Zabadak").
Check out the music of DDDBM&T (Dave Dee, Dozy, Beaky, Mick & Tich (the latter pronounced "Tick").
I doubt you would like Gilbert & George's video as much if they were dancing to some lame folk music tune, or dancing a minuet with each other to some classical song.
You probably like the video mostly because of this version of the song "Bend It' itself, because it's a kick-ass rock & roll song.
Today that would be no problem. But in 1966, with AM Top 40 stations breaking rock & roll hits alongside mainstream records by Vicki Carr and Andy Williams, with more conservative middle-aged and older listeners still a rival demographic to teenagers, "Bend It" in either form wasn't gonna fly in the U.S.
gymnastix 2 months ago
Someone should upload to You Tube the edited (U.S.) version of "Bend It," for comparison with the Euro/UK version. But you may hear both versions, anyway, by going to the website SoManyRecordsSoLittleTime (DotCom), entering "Bend It" in the search engine field, scroll down to the last link titled "Legend Of Dave Dee," click on that and scroll half-way down the page until you see icons of the "Bend It" records, links to the respective versions beneath each.
gymnastix 2 months ago
@gymnastix If, after finding the links of the two versions of "Bend It" on the SoManyRecordsSoLittleTime website, you right-click and "Save Target As," you will then own the A-sides of both records. Enjoy!
gymnastix 2 months ago
"Bend It" would have been a bigger U.S. hit had radio stations not been scared away from it by virtue of a "cleaner" (edited/re-recorded) version having been cut with new Dave Dee vocals.
The original version was suggestive of a sexual two-way, while the re-cut version only drew more attention by making the song simulataneously a dance record (a la "the Twist") , with a subtext of masturbation (the new lyrics featured this line: "All alone-a/On my own-a").
gymnastix 2 months ago
@gymnastix These lyrics of the complete second verse from of the second U.S. version of "Bend It" show, in context, the implication of self-gratification:
"Bend it, bend it, there's no need to hurry/Let your mind be free from work and worry/When we dance the bend like this together/I'm so sure we could go on forever/There's no doubt without your lovin' baby/I'm alone and on my own/Ah-yeah, got it now, yeah, like that... yeah, real good."
gymnastix 2 months ago
@gymnastix Of course, the first and third verses of the "edited" version of "Bend It" also finish with this line: "When night's ending we'll be bending."
This is only slightly less risque than the "Please don't tease me - try to please me" line from the UK original, with its references to partners fitting together "like pieces of a jigsaw puzzle," making faily clear the sum of "69" was in the math equation of songwriters Ken Howard & Alan Blaikley, who wrote many of DDDBM&T's hits.
gymnastix 2 months ago
@gymnastix In any case, re-cutting a secind, barely-less-risque version of a song whose title and rhthm suggest nothing but sexual interaction was only adding fuel to the fire.
Fontana Records (the label of DDDBM&T) should have left bad enough alone.
gymnastix 2 months ago
In any case, re-cutting a second, barely-less-risque version of a song, the title and rhythm of which suggest nothing but sexual interaction, was only adding fuel to the fire.
gymnastix 2 months ago
Fontana Records (the label of DDDBM&T) should have left bad enough alone, left the deejays with the original version of the record, and allowed nature to take its course, which may have resulted in younger listeners making the song the smash U.S. hit it deserved to become.
Still, it's kinda neat having two versions to listen to now, anyway, one of them a suggestive "dance" record alongside "The Loco-Motion" and "The Twist" in rock & roll history.
gymnastix 2 months ago
@gymnastix But from what I've read on-line, and my own childhood recollection, the failure of "Bend It" to certify a bona fide U.S. hit didn't prevent many millions of kids and teenagers from hearing the song on the radio, nor having fond recollections of it now, nearly half a century later.
gymnastix 2 months ago
@gymnastix tf?
allthatgoodstuf 2 months ago
Incidentally, DDDBM&T had several million-selling records in England and in Europe, making them, for a time, serious rivals of The Beatles and The Rolling Stones there.
But in the U.S., the records of DDDBM&T barely scraped the bottom of the Billboard pop music chart (even though many radio stations played them, including especially "Bend It" and "Zabadak").
gymnastix 2 months ago
@gymnastix Actually, to be accurate, "Zabadak" hit #46 on the Billboard Hot 100, making it just a bit beneath the Top 40 radio charts.
gymnastix 2 months ago
To "allthatgoodstuf": I sent you guys a message.
Check out the music of DDDBM&T (Dave Dee, Dozy, Beaky, Mick & Tich (the latter pronounced "Tick").
I doubt you would like Gilbert & George's video as much if they were dancing to some lame folk music tune, or dancing a minuet with each other to some classical song.
You probably like the video mostly because of this version of the song "Bend It' itself, because it's a kick-ass rock & roll song.
gymnastix 2 months ago
I can't stop lawling. Hahaha. Thank you so much for introducing me to this shit. haha
TheGovinda777 8 months ago
such noobs
WarDog12244 8 months ago
nerds
WarDog12244 9 months ago
BWAAAAHAHAHA ID JOIN YA LOLOLOLOL
TheGovinda777 9 months ago
ur a noob i swear bro
willballforsoup1 9 months ago