Wilfrid

No idea. Pre-Grease obviously.

That Lennon was the "same" person in 1969 as he was in 1963, despite the alcohol abuse, heroin addiction and psychotic episodes, is such a strange claim I don't know what to say. "And the rest of you, if you’d just rattle your jewellery." Cheeky chappies, not rebellious and rough.

@Sneakeater This is the post that started this discussion. Note: “at that time.” 1963. Three years before the Jesus remark. Six years before the MBE return. Gabriel is just looking through some equivalent of rose-colored glasses. In 1963, The Beatles were universally considered clean-cut, lovable cheeky chappies, suitable for a family audience and for presenting to the Queen. The Jesus remark was unplanned and unserious. Compare with the entirely considered and premeditated attacks on religion and the monarchy by the Pistols. The reaction was stirred by the Tuckers and Alexs of the day.

If Lennon had not made that off-the-cuff remark, none of what you are pointing to would have happened. Period, as POTUS likes to say, period.

I am kind of shocked by this. The Beatles had a string of number one hits in the U.S. in 1966. Two number one albums as well (and of course Sgt Pepper the next year). That's how horrified people were by their rebellious music. As a side show, right wing radio (okay, southern radio if we need a euphemism) and the Klan urged impressionable kids to burn their records. The media: "WAQY disc jockey Tommy Charles in Birmingham, Alabama, heard about Lennon's remarks from his co-presenter Doug Layton and said, "That does it for me. I am not going to play the Beatles any more."[28] Durin

I mean, was Peter Gabriel referring to the Jesus controversy here?

Oh come on, this was right wing radio telling fans what to do, because Jesus, and it was in no way a reaction to the music. I am surprised at you.

That was a performative reaction to the Jesus remark, nothing to do with rebellious music, and how much was this a widespread reaction by fans rather than the Alex Jones’s of their day showing off?

Ha ha. They used to have photos of them, grinning broadly, in barber shop windows and the Royal Command Performance was so rebellious.

Mm, life seemed normal. Apparently not.

It looks like Rushdie will live.

I don’t want sugar. So there.

I have not done that. (I am sitting in a cocktail bar and realize I am trying the requisite hand movements. I must look crazy. I got called out once before for absent-minded my trying some wrist movements from Perez-Reverte’s Fencing Master).

Oh dear. I can and do flip pancakes so I should be able to do that. Should.

I am honored. I was going to poach duck eggs for breakfast tomorrow but I think I will do this instead.