Case studies of Jazz in Nazi Germany and music censorship after 1945
Pre-WW2
Plato’s republics censorship of modes (375 B.C.) Pages 240-242 of Music and Manipulation. /
Jewish and Christian restrictions of music (1135-1204). Pages 243 of Music and Manipulation. /
Burning of instruments by missionaries (1600-1700). Page 244-245 of Music and Manipulation. /
WW2
The Weintraub Syncopators; found on pages 5-8, 12, 15, 20-21, 23, 40, 43, 77, 86, 177, 188 of Different Drummers. /
The Harlem and the Group of Frankfurt; 83, 148-152, 166, 172, 193, 196-198, 200, 207, 269 of Different Drummers. /
The Hamburg swingers; page 148 of Different Drummers. /
Charlie and the Orchestra / DTU; found on pages 127-135 of Different Drummers. /
Entartete Musik. Pages 252-253 of Music and Manipulation. /
Post WW2
Drill in the UK (2018-present).
America and music censorship (1920-present). Page 246-247 of Music and Manipulation. /
Apartheid South Africa (1948-1994). Page 255-257 of Music and Manipulation /
Music censorship in Afghanistan before and after the Taliban (1996-2001). Pages 19-27 of Shoot the Singer. /
Manipulation of music in Zimbabwe (2000-present). Pages 94-105 of Shoot the Singer.
Female voices in Iran (1979-present). Pages 129-133 of Shoot the Singer. /
Responses to censorship in America (1960-1989). Pages 175-185 of Shoot the Singer. /
Rap and censorship in France (1970-present). Page 197-205 of Shoot the Singer. /
Pre-WW2
Plato’s republics censorship of modes (375 B.C.)
A proposal of one of the first forms of music censorship comes from Plato’s republic from around 375 B.C., where Socrates and Adeimantus discussed the music modes. The Mixed Lydian and the Extreme Lydian are rejected due to their link to “dirges” or funerals, while the Ionian and Lydian were more relaxing and were used to drink to. He also speaks about what instruments should and shouldn’t be used. Supposedly he believed that “an excess of music would lead to degeneration, and an excess of degenerate music would lead to degenerate morals” (Marie Korpe, Old Reitov & Martin Cloonan 2006)
Jewish and Christian restrictions of music (1135-1204).
Both religions identify music as a cause for undesirable behaviour. The Jewish scholar Maimonides (1135-1204) created a list of prohibitions of music, such as; nonreligious music, listening to a string instrument, listening to obscene language, listening to music while drinking wine and listening to a woman singing. The Christian church also saw music as a source of sin but knew music’s capability to unify people. Because of this, the Christian church made music using texts from the bible, which is also seen in Judaism and Islam. The Christians saw nonreligious music as a way for the devil to coax them into sin. A couple songs were banned due to this, such as Media Vita in 1316.
Burning of instruments by missionaries (1600-1700).
When Christian missionaries arrived to colonise new lands, they also brought their beliefs to music and religion. In the 1720s, Southern America and Greenland banned drums and other traditional instruments and dancing were forbidden. This is one example of how colonialism destroyed cultures and their music.
WW2
The Weintraub Syncopators (1924-1933)
Considered by some to be the best Jazz band in Nazi Germany. Eric Bochards small combo and the Weintraub Syncopators were the two most famous jazz bands in the 1920s, but in 1931, Eric’s life was ruined by drugs, and he faded into obscurity. Starting in 1924, the Weintraub Syncopators were composed of amateurs still in school, but despite this, they were all masterful in their instruments. In 1927 they became famous due to Friedrich Hollaender booking them in his revues. They started to add gimmicks to their music, such as using weird instruments or lyrics, as it was quite a popular thing to do and was labelled “Nut Jazz.” Georg Haentzschel joined this band for a few months but left due to the constant gimmicks. A large portion of this band was Jewish and is common throughout many jazz bands at the time; “That Jewish people were exceptionally gifted jazz artists is a truism grounded as much in their socio-ethnic as in their diversified religious tradition; it is frequently emphasized by Jewish analysts themselves.” Micheal H. Kater, 1992. While expected, Goebbels hated the Syncopators, stating they and many other famous jazz bands at the time were “Negrodom, the art of the subhuman.” In 1933, after the National Socialist German Workers’ Party came into power, the Syncopators were on tour, going around Europe but decided that instead of returning to Germany, they went to the soviet union, japan and Australia. Here in Australia, Stefan Weintraub retired. Their pianist retired in Hollywood and became a composer and their trumpeter in Russia. But the rest of the band continued and returned to Germany. Hence Bruckner published the “Musical ABC of Jews”, which contained names, birthdays, and origins of thousands of non-Aryan musicians and composers internationally, which included all of the Weintraub Syncopators. A former Syncopator was found and put into a concentration camp for having too large of a collection of “degenerate music.” Friedrich Hollaender turned to the composition of classical music but was harassed because of his links to other classical pieces, and to the educated person, it was apparent he was copying it. Despite this, Goebbels forgave him and gave him another chance due to his popularity before and during the war.
The Harlem Group of Frankfurt (1941-1960)
“The Harlem” was an important club in Frankfurt because it played jazz despite the bans and was a hub for young jazz musicians. They had sentries around to watch for spies who warned the players. This was in 1941, so many people were conscripted into the army, but some escaped on the weekends just to come here. Here, the members would do everything the Nazi party was against; men had long hair, woman accentuated their feminity and sexuality, they listened to the BBC for jazz and news, and dodged Hitler’s youth service, as most were under 18. The club would record their music on wax and play it back in the club. The Frankfurt group that banded together in this club started to do very well in the underground jazz scene. They knew they were treading on thin ice and understood it was a matter of time before they were caught. For example, in 1944, a cafe playing jazz had the owner arrested and sent to a concentration camp. The Gestapo started to watch them and were more interested in the younger ones. A new edict was announced so the Gestapo could prosecute any youths they wanted, and so they did. Near the end of the war in 1944, death sentences were quite common, so The Harlem clung together and tried its hardest to not be found. They upgraded to cutting jazz records privately in 1934. The drummer of the Frankfurt group and frequent members of The Harlem started an informal newspaper for all members so they could keep in touch and better understand jazz’s situation. Some members were imprisoned in 1945, and right at the end, some members hid in their basements until American troops saved them. After the war, Frankfurt and The Harlem club were at the forefront of jazz in Germany and were enjoyed by all the released prisoners with complete freedom. Sometime around 1948, bebop arrived in Germany. Until around the 1960s, Frankfurt was an important place for jazz, and its sound helped pave the path to modern jazz with its “Frankfurt sound.”
Charlie and the Orchestra (1940-1945) / DTU (1942-1945)
Listening to the BBC, let alone jazz was a severe offence in Nazi Germany. Unfortunately for German Jazz fans, the BBC was the closest station that openly played jazz, and along with this, the news was less regulated and gave a better idea of what was happening. Pilots in Nazi Germany were highly regarded due to their skill and position in the army. Famous german pilot (1941) Werner Mölders was extremely into jazz and swing and would frequent underground jazz bars, such as the Savarin. When they flew out on bombing missions, they would fly over the BBC station to supposedly bomb it but miss. Instead, they were listening to the station. Mölders stated, “if only they played decent jazz in the American style, then the Luftwaffe pilots could stop tuning into the BBC.” Due to this, Mölders approached Goebbels and discussed this topic. Because of this, Goebbels assembled the Deutsche Tanz-and Unterhaltungsorchester (DTU), or the German Dance and Entertainment Orchestra. This state orchestra would assemble all of the best jazz musicians in the Third Reich and would be comparable to the Berlin Philharmonic. This was implemented to divert the Luftwaffe’s love of the BCC and satisfy the civilians. It’s to be noted that the DTU was nonpolitical, but that doesn’t mean there weren’t nazis in the band. Because the DTU was meant to replace the BBC, they were constantly recording tracks and barely playing live. Goebbels would bring the Luftwaffe to the DTU’s rehearsals to entice them. The DTU was designed to be tolerable jazz to the Nazis; this meant many vital characteristics of American jazz, such as improvisation, solos and a range of instruments, were missing. But, the DTU was passable and enjoyed by many in Germany. They made 270 songs in their career of 4 years (67 songs a year!). This music was beamed towards neutral Portugal, hoping to catch some foreigners passing there.
In 1940, the damage done by the BBC was irreparable by normal means. Because of this, a way to retaliate had to be made, coming in the form of Charlie and the Orchestra. This was part of the “Lord Haw-Haw” scheme assembled by British Nazis, where they would broadcast propaganda to England, making a fake English radio station. Lord Haw-Haw was a character designed and played by William Joyce, a former American and current Nazi who spoke a fluent posh accent on this radio station. Here, Charlie and the Orchestra would be played, a perversion and satire of jazz, which consisted of famous American jazz songs being twisted with Nazi propaganda. The band was comprised of talented jazz musicians, not quite DTU level but still talented for the German Jazz scene. Charlie and the Orchestra were paid as well as the DTU, interestingly. Each song was designed to be as anti-British as possible, singing about Churchill’s uselessness, the soviet ally, the American friend, and the Jews. Sources are stating both the Vocalist and Haw-Haw wrote the lyrics. The songs perfectly fit with Lord Haw-Haw’s skits and the points he made on the radio show. In the few times this band played live, the audience loved it, as it was the only sanctioned form of American jazz in Nazi Germany. It’s to note that this Charlie and the Orchestra wasn’t good by itself, as it was always part of a skit. Some believe that jazz would not have survived in Nazi Germany without Charlie and the Orchestra and the DTU, but this isn’t true. Jazz had a large underground scene supported by the populace at the time, and while it wasn’t allowed to flourish, neither did Charlie and the Orchestra and the DTU; they had to stay stagnant and in the rules. This opens up an interesting question: When is it okay to create and perform morally wrong music? It’s not the question I’m answering, but an interesting one nonetheless.
The Hamburg swingers (1940-1945)
Due to the number of youngsters in Belgium and France, who appreciated jazz, they banded up, creating the Hamburg swingers (also known as Zazous). They were not taken seriously by the puristic jazz fans. Because of their resilience in later Nazi Germany (1940-1945), many of these youngsters ended up in concentration camps. These young men would grow their hair long in defiance and wore oversized jackets. But eventually moved to the Maquis (in 1943), a similar resilience based in France.
Entartete Musik (1938)
Entartete Musik (degenerate music) was a festival that sought to promote German culture and eradicate all art viewed as incompatible with German ideas. Taking place in 1938 and inspired by an exhibition of degenerate art the year before, it was part of a parade of German Musical Life. This event showed portraits and musical works of modernists and non-Aryan composers. It ended with a speech by Goebbels, where he stated, “the battle against Jewishness in German music is our primary duty at present, never to be abandoned.” After this, “the Emtartete program was set into place, a new policy of censorship that supported the ethnic cleansing of german society (Ludwig, 1998).” To be blunt, the most effective way the nazis censored music was through genocide and murder of those against their regime, and this genocide only escalated as the war went on. At the start (1933), of course, some were killed, but no one imagined that 1941 the holocaust would start, and later in 1944, many who broke the law were killed regardless of religion or race. The Nazis were losing, so they turned on their people to live out their last days as the perfect German society.
Post WW2
America and music censorship (1920-present).
in 1920, Christians in America were against jazz and saw the devil in it, headlining an article stating, “Does Jazz put the Sin in Syncopation?” Christians in America have attempted to cleanse the American culture since then. Right-wing Christian groups attacked rock in the 70s-80s and attempted to silence this genre because it was “communist and hypnotic.” After the vice president’s daughter listened to princes purple rain album, and he heard the obscene lyrics of Darling Nikki, which describes masturbating, he was outraged. Warning labels on albums containing explicit lyrics had to be used and still are. Because of this outrage, Walmart hasn’t sold albums with explicit labels. Because of these labels too, it made it harder for artists to flourish as some labels would not sign you if you were explicit as it heavily reduced sales. These religious groups have also attacked other groups, such as rap and metal, but also pushed schools to not support certain types of music being performed and listened to at school.
Apartheid South Africa (1948-1994).
Having similarities to Nazi Germany, with its mixture of racism and Calvinistic ideology, but it doesn’t use terms like degenerate music. The music policy in Apartheid South Africa was that certain types of music, especially music linked to race, should be prohibited. This caused a weird place where black music was censored, and white music was okay, despite a growing population of a white audiences. This caused “shadow players” to blossom, where black musicians would be hired and act as waiters but would go and play behind a screen at bars while white performers mimed music on the stage. When the police came around, the waiters would work again, and the band on stage would play. Along with this, these waiters would be scrutinized in their own community due to working with “the white enemy.” Even though this ban was lifted in 1980, musicians still were harassed. The band Anton Goosen was crucial socially, but his songs were considered a danger to apartheid. Ole Reitov remarks, “at Houststock […], the security police followed us; they were listening to conversations with me and my girlfriend on the phone, sometimes interrupting, making their own remarks.” and “there was a spy in the band, not only one, there were two of them. The drummer […] and the guitarist’s girlfriend.” after this interview, he also found out his manager was a spy. A white musician, Johnny Clegg, was imprisoned several times for interacting with Zulu musicians. Despite the police and military threatening him, he continued playing with these Zulu musicians. To bypass the system, many metaphors were used as lyrics; this allowed vocalists to make political statements while avoiding apartheid censorship. But with Clegg, many of his songs were censored, primarily due to the lyrics. South Africa made the “Bantu Radio”, which was an attempt to “encourage Ethnic separatism (Allingham, 1994), but didn’t work as they soon realised radio stations needed to play popular music to attract listeners. Harsh lyric censorship was introduced around this time, too, where all lyrics were analysed. Most popularly, they banned Pink Floyd’s “Another Brick in the Wall” due to its themes of not needing education, which resonated with black students as they were forced into practical non-university education. In the 1980s, the genre of “world music” appeared, but because of the laws in South Africa, these musicians were not allowed to join the musical boom, losing many years of financial and creative access.
Music censorship in Afghanistan before and after the Taliban (1996-2001)
The Taliban imposed one of the most extreme forms of music censorship ever reported. Typically censorship means restricting certain forms of music or performance, but they imposed a ban on all of what they considered to be music. The concept of music in Afghanistan revolved around instruments, meaning all instruments had been banned. Musical instruments were destroyed and hung on trees or burned in public in sports arenas. Published in their newspapers were stories of burning instruments, justifying this by stating, “those who listen to music and songs in this world will on the Day of Judgement have molten lead poured into their ears” (newspaper from Itafaq-e Islam, 10 December 1998). One instrument exempt from this rule is the frame drum (Daireh), as it’s used in tradition and has been sanctioned by the Prophet Muhammad. During the Taliban period, no music was broadcasted on the radio; instead, radio channels were turned into news and religious broadcasts. Most Afghanistan musicians fled before the arrival of the Taliban. Many musicians here were forced into different jobs due to their instruments being destroyed. Despite this, the Taliban made a new genre that was allowed, known as the Taliban Tarana (song), which was a form of unaccompanied chanting. These songs used electronic effects such as reverb and delay on the voices and were very rhythmic. Some musicians stuck in Afghanistan were forced to sing and record these songs. Interestingly, the Titanic became famous for their rule, despite all videos being banned, but seemingly everyone had watched it. This led to Leonardo DiCaprio’s haircut in the film becoming popular, known as the “Titanic haircut” to barbers but were still prosecuted for cutting hair like this. Titanic cakes were made, Titanic logos were on food, and Titanic-themed posters were made. During the defeat of the Taliban, each liberated city was accompanied by music, and in Afghanistan, music was always played on joyous occasions, such as weddings and fairs. The very sound of music became a symbol of freedom. Once you heard music on a radio station, you knew the Taliban had lost.
After the Taliban lost, music censorship continued to the present, but this does not mean the Taliban started it. For years before the Taliban, there was music censorship purely due to their religion, from 1933-1973, during the king’s reign. After this, fundamentalists sought to ban music. Interestingly, to combat this, drummers recreated the sound of gunfire and mixed this with real warfare on tapes to slip past the system. After the fall of the communists in 1992, very little music was on the radio; musicians had to have a license to perform, and many instruments were confiscated. If a song was broadcast on TV (which was rare), the performer was not allowed to be shown. Nowadays, women are not allowed to sing, and heavy music censorship is in place depending on the area. There are still records of musicians being attacked for playing music after the Taliban’s reign in 2004.
Female voices in Iran (1979-present)
In the 1979 Islamic revolution, a theocracy was established, a state where religion is the sole authority for legal, cultural, economic and political aspects of society. This caused each moment of daily life in Iran to conform to Islamic laws. One of these laws is that women are not allowed to sing solo for male audiences, but they can sing in a choir because it becomes impossible to distinguish each voice. Despite the Koran not containing any condemnation of music, Islam approaches music as a power able to lose control of their reason and behaviour. This is why music is considered a forbidden pleasure (malâhi). Up to the 20th century, women weren’t allowed to show their voice to a male that is not a close relative; when answering the door, they would either distort their voice or clap to see who it is. Women’s sexuality is a significant factor in society then, too, as men claim them for heterosexual activity, so some women tighten their sexuality in musical activities or the opposite. For example, female performers were integral to court life and would dance and sing together. From 1925-79, women increasingly entered public life, and public singing for women was allowed for a tradition of religious music. By the 1960s, Iranian women were singing in significant operas worldwide; some were famous and performed mainly in America. But because of this, a revolution started to go “back to our roots.” After this revolution, the laws to “purify the public space of women” began soon after they came into power. This also caused the veil to come back, the most distinct gender separation in many Islamic societies. Interestingly, the very intention of abolishing music in public life led to increased musical expression within families of all the younger generations, especially women.
Rap and censorship in France (1970-present)
Since its beginning, rap has been under much censorship in the west. Given the lyrical content of rap, it’s understandable why authorities would feel uncomfortable with this popular music. Similarly to punk, it flourishes in the rebellious and is a platform for political and social cries from the youth. Rap in France is different to America due to its varied mix of cultures. These rappers don’t believe in French institutions because they have failed young people due to discrimination. Rappers have been imprisoned for their lyrics due to their “violent verbal attacks”, and albums have been handicapped. This shows us the freedom of expression in France. Rap is Frances’s fastest-growing culture. Specific musical characteristics are not allowed by the government and cannot be played at all.
Responses to censorship in America (1960-1989).
This chapter looks at three case studies. On the Ed Sullivan Show (owned by CBS), many bands performed there and were usually a ticket to stardom. Because of its status, some lyrics were not allowed because they were on television. But Bob Dylan, The Rolling Stones and The Doors are three examples of what went wrong despite being on the show.
Bob Dylan; “Talking John Birch Society Blues” was the song he told them he would play. Because of his fame at the time, when was highly sought after for this show. This song satirised the right-wing, anti-communist organization and compared them to Hitler and the Nazis. When practising it at the show, Sullivan was delighted, but hours before the show, Dylan was asked to perform another show due to these lyrics. Dylan refused, left the studio, and never appeared on the show again. Sullivan had no say in this and was frustrated. After this, three songs were removed from his recent album, Freewheelin’, and all were replaced. Because of this, Dylan had a surge in popularity due to his refusal of CBS’s commands.
The Rolling Stones, “Let’s Spend the Night Together” was the fifth time they performed on Sullivan’s show. On the first occasion (25 October 1964), there was a considerable backlash to their performance, with Sullivan stating, “they will never be back on the show.” However, they played multiple more times in 1965, twice in 1966 and 1967 for their fifth show. By this time, they were one of the most popular bands in the world, having four number-one singles and two number-one albums in the USA. They intended to use the show to promote their newly released single, “Let’s Spend the Night Together.” This song was already censored on US radio stations due to its sexual topic. At the rehearsal before the show, Sullivan told them they couldn’t play such blatantly sexual content, so either the song went, or they went. So they decided to change a few of the lyrics, as they flew here purely to promote their new single. They also performed this on “Sunday Night at the London Palladium” for the same reason, with better reactions and no need to change the lyrics. They appeared on Sullivan’s show once more time in 1969.
The Doors; “Light My Fire” was their first hit in the US, topping the charts for three weeks. Because of their sudden fame, they were asked to perform on the Ed Sullivan Show in 1967. They were told one of their lines couldn’t be used because of its reference to drug use, and they agreed. However, in the live transmission, they used the original lyrics with more emphasis than usual. One of the producers, Bob Precht, was furious and told them they will never be on this show again, and they never did. They used this event to confirm the nature of their music and later stated by Doors Vocalist Jim Morrison, We’re interested in everything about revolt, disorder and all activity that appears to have no meaning.” This event showed promoters they couldn’t be trusted, and they lost some concerts. Morrison was arrested multiple times afterwards for drunken behaviour, drunk driving and lewd performances, including on large stages in front of 13,000 people, resulting in multiple fines and was arrested. He was freed, and while awaiting the result of his appeal, he suddenly died from a heart attack.
Books sources
Music and Manipulation by Steven Brown and Ulrik Volgsten.
Different Drummers; Jazz in the culture of Nazi Germany by Michael H. Kater.
Shoot the singer; Music censorship today by Marie Korpe.