The day the music died

America’s biggest radio group, Clear Channel Communications, has reacted to the terrorist attacks by compiling a list of 150 songs that are “unsuitable” for airplay.

These include such unfortunately titled songs as AC/DC’s ‘Shot Down In Flames’, Stone Temple Pilots’ ‘Big Bang Baby’, Gap Band’s ‘You Dropped A Bomb On Me’, Foo Fighters’ ‘Learn To Fly’, The Steve Miller Band’s ‘Jet Airliner’ and everything by grunge leftists Rage Against The Machine.

Other less obvious tracks that their 1,200 stations have quietly put to one side are Frank Sinatra’s ‘New York, New York’, Lynyrd Skynrd’s ‘Tuesday’s Gone’ and U2’s ‘Sunday Bloody Sunday’.

The tragedy has also prompted the recall of the new Coup album, World Party, which by an eerie coincidence features a cover shot of a burning Twin Towers.

“This was done long ago and never meant to be any literal interpretation of an event,” stresses a spokesman for the Calfornian rappers. “The cover was supposed to be a metaphor for the capitalist state being destroyed through the music.”

Similarly aware of the offence they may cause, Bush have changed the title of their new single from ‘Speed Kills’ to ‘People That We Love’; Gerling are delaying the release of their When Young Terrorists Chase The Sun album; and The Strokes have omitted ‘New York City Cops’ (‘New York City cops/They ain’t so smart) from the American version of there Is That It?

“Obviously we were all shocked and appalled, especially as I’ve grown to know New York City in the past few years through both gigging and just spending time there. We abandoned the recording work for that day and watched the whole astonishing episode on TV in the office. It’s a difficult thing to talk about because I’m as gobsmacked as everybody else. I’m horrified by the violence of the act, and I don’t want to add to the weight of mediocore comments. In some ways there’s too much been said already. I am terrified about what might happen next; America are always calling up the concept of ‘God’, but it seems to be an Old Testament God in this particular instance without any Christian ethics and I’m fearful as to what’s going to happen next. I’m firmly on the side of peace, which is really about all I can say.

“Like many people, we contacted friends and colleagues in NYC over the following days, including my US booking agent Marty Diamond who works just blocks fron the World Trade Center, but luckily he and his wife are fine.

“A lot of people have commented on the wisdom of travelling by air and touring but I think that’s a load of nonsense. If we start to think like that, if we allow ourselves to be intimidated, the world really will fall apart. This has punctured everyone’s daydream, and travel is going to become a nightmare with delays and check-ins and what have you, but let’s maintain a perspective. It would be paranoid to assume it’s too dangerous to fly. What would put me off touring in the USA is if they react by blowing up every bugger they percieve as having a grudge against them. In that situation I certainly wouldn’t want to come to the US and join the party.”

David Gray

“I was horrified at the news, especially as I’ve got a lot of friends in New York, including my lawyer who’s comforting a friend of his who lost her husband in the World Trade Center. The husband had left an answering message on his wife’s phone telling her he loved her but couldn’t get out.

“I’m praying the US won’t react with violence although I admit that if it were my children and my relatives I might feel like I wanted to kill those people. I would, and I am praying that a more considered outcome will prevail. I’m praying that whatever action is taken it won’t be a violent one. I’d hope that the world’s and America’s spiritual leaders might appeal for a more considered view. If it’s going to cost £30-£40 billion to conduct a military campaign against, say, Afghanistan, would it not be better to offer to give that money to the Taliban on condition they give up Osama bin Laden, always assuming that he is in fact the guy responsible for this?

“I’ve no respect for George Bush, in fact I think he’s an idiot and I’m very worried that he’s at the helm. I believe Bush to be a very aggressive and violent person, and a reactionary as opposed to a visionary. I believe Clinton would do a much better job. In fact, if Clinton had been president I doubt these events would have come to pass. Rudolph Giuliani has also come through with flying colours and has tried to help New Yorkers and Americans struggling with loss in a mature, measured, compassionate fashion, but again I’d contrast that with George W Bush’s ‘Dead Or Alive’ stance where he’s promoting violence and offering no consolation to America.”

Sinéad O’Connor