I was cheap and—way back—bought GOATS HEAD SOUP as a used cassette, and its version of STAR F*CKER had all the lyrical obscenity Mick intended (I'll say "Mick" because he said he wrote it about a girl he knew). No bowdlerizing.

I recently noticed my library had it on CD, so I checked it out and listened to it (and also uploaded it onto my iPod) and when it came to "I bet you keep your p*ssy clean" I thought the CD must have had a scratch because it sounded like it was skipping a few times forward during that line.

But as I listened to that STAR STAR more, I realized that line had obviously been deliberately "chopped up" by the record company in such a way as to keep the tempo in place, but to make the "obscene" line indecipherable. Cleaned up to prevent my corruption. (The library CD's info says "Universal Music, 2009." )

Does anyone know when this line (moronically) got altered? And on what releases? (Can you still buy a "dirty" version?)

The original vinyl LP was already bowdlerized when it first came out in the U.S. in 1973. I still have it. They only released the non-bowdlerized version later.

From Roy Carr's "The Rolling Stones - An Illustrated Record" published in 1976:
"...Ahmet Ertegun reached for the smelling salts and the phone number of the company lawyer when he heard the test pressing of "Starf****r".
Straight away both he and Atlantic Records who distribute the Stones product were adamant - they didn't want that song on the album at any price.
Jagger insisted it stay. "It's our label" he screamed.
Atlantic argued that they would get busted for selling pornography, offering first, the title, secondly, a rather explicit reference to vaginal freshness and thirdly, a line about this nameless groupie "giving head to Steve McQueen", adding that they were frightened in case McQ called "Cop!"
Jagger refused to budge and worked out a compromise. The title was amended to "Star Star", a sloppy over-dub (US copies only) still failed to erase the word "pussy" and an undertaking was secured from a somewhat bemused Steve McQueen that he wouldn't sue.
"I suppose we ask for it if we record things like that" Jagger said at the time.
After all that, it seems inconceivable that when it came to compiling a four track mini juke box LP (CO7-59101) to promote Goats Head Soup, Atlantic not only included the retitled "Star Star", but strategically placed it as the opening cut on side one."

[www.45cat.com]


"As we say in England, it can get a bit trainspottery"

Thanks for the article quote, Deltics!

A few previous threads about Star Star and censorship:

Star Star censored on 2009 remaster
Censored Star Star on original LP question....
Is there an unedited Star Star/GHS?

Regarding the question if you can still buy a 'dirty´ version.

YES, YOU CAN.

As soon as the "mistake" was discovered on the 2009 remasters, they changed it back to the original version. So every copy from the second run of remasters, feature the 'right' version.

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Blueranger
Regarding the question if you can still buy a 'dirty´ version.

YES, YOU CAN.

As soon as the "mistake" was discovered on the 2009 remasters, they changed it back to the original version. So every copy from the second run of remasters, feature the 'right' version.

Thanks for that, is there any way of telling which of the 2009 versions the 1st run and which the 2nd before you buy ?

It's ironic that it was bowdlerised: Star Star was never censored on Love You Live, and, subsequently, hasn't been on LA Friday and Brussels Affair official bootlegs.

Wow

a new word to me!

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Munichhilton
Wow

a new word to me!

it refers to someone who seeks and enjoys sex with famous people.

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StonesTod

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Munichhilton
Wow

a new word to me!

it refers to someone who seeks and enjoys sex with famous people.

i thought that was 'jaggerized'?

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tomcasagranda
It's ironic that it was bowdlerised: Star Star was never censored on Love You Live, and, subsequently, hasn't been on LA Friday and Brussels Affair official bootlegs.

Its even more ironic that the word 'pussy' is deemed obscene in a song where 'fúcker' is repeated about 50 times without any censorship whatsoever.

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Gazza

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tomcasagranda
It's ironic that it was bowdlerised: Star Star was never censored on Love You Live, and, subsequently, hasn't been on LA Friday and Brussels Affair official bootlegs.

Its even more ironic that the word 'pussy' is deemed obscene in a song where 'fúcker' is repeated about 50 times without any censorship whatsoever.

they only had one overdub available and had to use it judiciously and for maximum impact.

speaking of this song - i was FINALLY able to listen last night to the version of this they did in oakland in '97 (3rd show)...it was the so-called "web choice" that night. had fabulous seats just toward ron's side in 2nd row. my recollection of the song was slightly off...i had remembered mick saying to ron after the second chorus, "play it pretty, woody," which would have been slightly inappropriate (this ain't no beast of burden, after all)...but as it turns out, my memory was close, but wrong....during the second chorus (as mick and ron shared mick's mike), mick says to ron: "sing it pretty, woody." and that was even MORE inappropriate....funny moment, though...

It's amazing how it got censored, yet the stimulating, riveting dialogue between Messrs Ferdinand and Terry was used without reservation in a magistrate's court.

But, as Bertrand Russell, stated "Obscenity depends on the nature of the magistrate".

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treaclefingers

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StonesTod

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Munichhilton
Wow

a new word to me!

it refers to someone who seeks and enjoys sex with famous people.

i thought that was 'jaggerized'?

i think you're mixing up the object with the subject

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StonesTod

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treaclefingers

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StonesTod

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Munichhilton
Wow

a new word to me!

it refers to someone who seeks and enjoys sex with famous people.

i thought that was 'jaggerized'?

i think you're mixing up the object with the subject

After much thought, I'm gonna go with 'edited' rather than whatever it was.
Look it up...

Thanks for the info everybody. (I didn't know there were prior threads about this...but the info here is great.)

From the same library I checked out the Pretenders' 2006 box set PIRATE RADIO and a "Regent Park Demo" of their song Precious just goes blank when Chrissie Hynde sings "F*ck off." I figure the record company could have left that for radio DJ's to alter. A bit annoying.

Because of the Beatles-are-more-popular-than-Jesus controversy, when, a few years later, the Beatles released The Ballad of John and Yoko, radio stations took the "Christ you know it ain't easy" line and played backwards the word "Christ." The author of the book where I read this said that when the "Christ" came along—backwards—it sounded like someone had bumped into the stereo. (From the book Growing Up With the Beatles.)

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Title5Take1
Because of the Beatles-are-more-popular-than-Jesus controversy, when, a few years later, the Beatles released The Ballad of John and Yoko, radio stations took the "Christ you know it ain't easy" line and played backwards the word "Christ." The author of the book where I read this said that when the "Christ" came along—backwards—it sounded like someone had bumped into the stereo. (From the book Growing Up With the Beatles.)

John Lennon's note to Tony Bramwell:




"As we say in England, it can get a bit trainspottery"

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Blueranger
Regarding the question if you can still buy a 'dirty´ version.

YES, YOU CAN.

As soon as the "mistake" was discovered on the 2009 remasters, they changed it back to the original version. So every copy from the second run of remasters, feature the 'right' version.

I have a second run copy of Goats Head, and it's still edited. The line about keeping certain things clean has been rescued, but the John Wayne line is drowned out by raising the sound levels on the guitars to the point it drowns Jagger out.

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NoCode0680


I have a second run copy of Goats Head, and it's still edited.

Ya sure its not booldwerseized?

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Munichhilton

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NoCode0680


I have a second run copy of Goats Head, and it's still edited.

Ya sure its not booldwerseized?

No, this one is Fahrvergnügened

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Deltics
From Roy Carr's "The Rolling Stones - An Illustrated Record" published in 1976:
"...Ahmet Ertegun reached for the smelling salts and the phone number of the company lawyer when he heard the test pressing of "Starf****r".
Straight away both he and Atlantic Records who distribute the Stones product were adamant - they didn't want that song on the album at any price.
Jagger insisted it stay. "It's our label" he screamed.
Atlantic argued that they would get busted for selling pornography, offering first, the title, secondly, a rather explicit reference to vaginal freshness and thirdly, a line about this nameless groupie "giving head to Steve McQueen", adding that they were frightened in case McQ called "Cop!"
Jagger refused to budge and worked out a compromise. The title was amended to "Star Star", a sloppy over-dub (US copies only) still failed to erase the word "pussy" and an undertaking was secured from a somewhat bemused Steve McQueen that he wouldn't sue.
"I suppose we ask for it if we record things like that" Jagger said at the time.
After all that, it seems inconceivable that when it came to compiling a four track mini juke box LP (CO7-59101) to promote Goats Head Soup, Atlantic not only included the retitled "Star Star", but strategically placed it as the opening cut on side one."

[www.45cat.com]

On my version the "nameless groupie" is named Ali McGraw. More recently it was Angelina and Billy Bob (Live Licks, I think). Brad Pitt prolly doesn't like that version.



Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 2012-07-22 01:39 by Elmo Lewis.

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Deltics

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Title5Take1
Because of the Beatles-are-more-popular-than-Jesus controversy, when, a few years later, the Beatles released The Ballad of John and Yoko, radio stations took the "Christ you know it ain't easy" line and played backwards the word "Christ." The author of the book where I read this said that when the "Christ" came along—backwards—it sounded like someone had bumped into the stereo. (From the book Growing Up With the Beatles.)

John Lennon's note to Tony Bramwell:

That's hilarious to see that note. John wasn't an idiot.

Anyway, I think this is all Mick meant:

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NoCode0680

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Munichhilton

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NoCode0680


I have a second run copy of Goats Head, and it's still edited.

Ya sure its not booldwerseized?

No, this one is Fahrvergnügened

Oooooo my thoughts and prayers...but wait. Maybe a collector's item? Dunno...

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Elmo Lewis

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Deltics
From Roy Carr's "The Rolling Stones - An Illustrated Record" published in 1976:
"...Ahmet Ertegun reached for the smelling salts and the phone number of the company lawyer when he heard the test pressing of "Starf****r".
Straight away both he and Atlantic Records who distribute the Stones product were adamant - they didn't want that song on the album at any price.
Jagger insisted it stay. "It's our label" he screamed.
Atlantic argued that they would get busted for selling pornography, offering first, the title, secondly, a rather explicit reference to vaginal freshness and thirdly, a line about this nameless groupie "giving head to Steve McQueen", adding that they were frightened in case McQ called "Cop!"
Jagger refused to budge and worked out a compromise. The title was amended to "Star Star", a sloppy over-dub (US copies only) still failed to erase the word "pussy" and an undertaking was secured from a somewhat bemused Steve McQueen that he wouldn't sue.
"I suppose we ask for it if we record things like that" Jagger said at the time.
After all that, it seems inconceivable that when it came to compiling a four track mini juke box LP (CO7-59101) to promote Goats Head Soup, Atlantic not only included the retitled "Star Star", but strategically placed it as the opening cut on side one."

[www.45cat.com]

On my version the "nameless groupie" is named Ali McGraw.

No, no, no! Ali McGraw is the one that got mad with our "nameless groupie" for "pleasuring" her husband!


"As we say in England, it can get a bit trainspottery"

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Title5Take1

That's one clean pussy!


"As we say in England, it can get a bit trainspottery"