There was no E network in the sixties. And this song was banned in a lot of places nationwide! Janis Ian is the real deal, her music is timeless, political and real!
Allot of the host put a smile on my face to hear how clueless they are about History.The struggle that the Artist had to go though.They really paid ther dues .So that their music could be stolen and Sampled without being paid for it.
Janis Ian was born in 1951. She was about 16 when she performed this. She's still with us. Her other most famous hit was "at Seventeen." The Smothers Brothers Comedy Hour was on CBS, 1967-69. The network cancelled the show, even though it was very popular, because the Brothers were consistently late in delivering the show's master tapes to the network (apparently in an effort to impede censorship). Tom and Dick Smothers are still with us, too. Jimmy Durante (the guy they're talking to in the opening of this clip) is obviously not. I saw this episode in original broadcast.
I saw Ian on Smothers Brothers original too. My brother bought the 45 RPM Single of this song. What an even worse time than now. Smother Brothers Cancelation broke my heart, and infuriated me. Tom is now 86, Dick is 84. Time hurries on sometime it seems like the 60s were yesterday, but then reality drops on you like a 1 ton weight, like in the cartoons. ~ Peace.
She wrote this when she was 14 in 1965, it was released in '66 and was a hit in '67. For context, interracial marriage was actually against the law in many states at the time, until the Supreme Court's decision in ’67 stating that laws banning interracial marriage were unconstitutional.
Written and first recorded when she was still at high school, this song was probably the reason Janis Ian was never as big as she deserved to be. White supremacists threatened her life and the lives of DJs who dared to play it and several US radio stations and TV networks blackballed her, leaving her with little chance of international recognition. The song itself, which Atlantic Records of all labels were too cowardly to put out, was released and ignored twice before it finally made it into the top 20 of the Billboard Hot 100 when she was still only 16. It would be another 8 years until she hit with 'At Seventeen', which earned her a Grammy for Best Female Pop Performance in 1976. Later, over 35 years after its controversial initial release, 'Society's Child' was inducted into the Grammys Hall of Fame. Her grandparents on both sides were eastern European.
E stamped it when they aired it decades after it's original air date. The Smoothers Brother's Show was very cutting edge in the 60's, just one of the the network shows that took chances for social change and eventually were cancelled for it. We all benefitted from their courage and convictions. This song may not seem like it by today's standard but it was very controversial in the 60's. It wasn't something they aired without real consequences to their own careers, from the network and from the public. But those of use of a certain age at that time were "all in" on the message and the battle. It seems changes for the good of society happen very slowly in the context of our individual lives but really can happen very quickly in a historical perspective. We've just got to understand not all causes, then or now, are noble and just. Those that are will be proved so in time.
This song was very controversial. I remember when it came out radio stations wouldn't play it.A famous composer stood up for her and helped get some airtime.The show she's on was the smothers brothers show and it was kinda controversial sometimes.Janis was only 15 here.Shes one of the greats and she does watch reaction channels as she has commented on a few I watch.
This was on the Smothers Brothers show which itself was very ahead of its time in letting Artist sing controversial songs on their show, The Brothers were very anti Vietnam War at that time during the 60"s and they were eventually canceled because of the acts they let perform on their show.
I had the 45 record on repeat. As a little girl in the 60’s, I believe this helped shape my world view on race & injustice. I’ve seen Janis in concert a few times & she really is that tiny (she meets fans). She’s one of the best singer/songwriters & has lead a very interesting life. Her lyrics are poetic.
Hey Britt, I was in 6th grade when this song came out, had the record, 66 now and still one of my favorites, beautiful woman with a strong message for the times, thanks for posting, peace and love!✌🏼
Janis was black listed by the music establishment and contractually harassed by Columbia Records, because she is gay. Choosing to move to Australia, she found a wonderful partner and her musical energy returned. Her music after returning to th US is different, still lyrically challenging, complex and heart warming.
Both this song and At Seventeen were popular with people in my generation when they came out in the 60s. Not so much with my parents' generation. The 60s were a time of such turmoil in so many areas of life and my generation just kept stirring the pot - fortunately. She has such a singular voice. Nobody else sounds like her. It's a joy to see people who are so much younger than me discovering and enjoying the great music we had "back in the day". I think this song could play on the radio today and not feel out of place.
Its lyrics concern an interracial romance - a still-taboo subject in mid-1960s America. Ian was 13 years of age when she was motivated to write and compose the song, and she completed it when she was 14. Released as "Society's Child (Baby I've Been Thinking)", the single charted high in many cities in the autumn of 1966 but did not hit big nationally until the summer of 1967.
The Smothers Brothers show was on CBS. There were only three networks in those days-CBS, NBC, and ABC. E! Network just happened to pick up these old shows. The Smothers Brothers show was probably the only one on which Janis Ian could have performed this song as they were famous for going against censorship on matters like this. Janis Ian was indeed brave and took a big career chance by coming out with this song. Earlier in the Sixties, Bob Dylan was set to perform on the Ed Sullivan Show which would have been a big boost to his career. He was going to perform a cutting song about a conservative group called the John Birch Society. At the last minute CBS censors told him he couldn't perform that song - he walked off the show.
Glad you reacted to this as well as "At Seventeen," such powerful songs when they came out in the 60's. BTW, Janis is not mixed race, she is Ashkenazi Jewish.
Thank you for reacting to this song. Amazing that she started writing it when 13 years old and recorded it when 14. She was 16 when this became a national US hit and when she appeared on TV in this clip.
If you want to hear the sixties and seventies protest song where “Country Joe McDonald and the Fish” singing at Woodstock (long version please). There was a huge movement asking for change. He was able to get about 300,000 people singing this with him. “Vietnam Song”. It’s really interesting how appropriate this actually is for today. We stood and shouted for peace and change. This was beloved by my generation. Enjoy whenever you can. Much love and appreciation from California.❤️🌈🍀🙏🏻😇❣️
There was no E network when this was shot. And yes it was highly controversial. It was banned in many radio stations across the nation. The guitar probably seems tiny because she was quite young when she wrote and recorded this and she’s a fairly petite lady to begin with. I don’t believe she’s mixed race. If my memory serves me well I think she’s Jewish.
This song was about as deep as it could get in that day. And Janis Ian was banned from radio play in a lot of markets because of it. PS - That was an organ.
I think she was singing live to the actual backing track from the hit version. That organ part at the end was, I think, a great exclamation point for the song. And, just to clarify, there was no 'E' network, at the time. Even though cable TV had been around since 1948, by 1967, only about 6% of the country had access to cable. At that time Cable TV was used primarily to re-broadcast terrestrial TV stations to places where reception was problematic or non-existent Viewing choices were, pretty much, limited to just the three networks, ABC, CBS and NBC, and whatever programming the local stations would provide, and there was a good bit of that. Yes, it was bold at the time to sing about these matters. But, it was all rather new. Remember, the Civil Rights Act of 1964 was just passed and most right thinking people knew it was long overdue, so there were a fair amount of people who were more open to these things. However, sadly, not everyone was on board.
Something younger viewers may not realize...as recently as 1990 or so white women dating black me was exceedingly rare. Back in the 1960's, when this song was written, a white girl dating a black guy was risking getting thrown out of the house, or even worse, getting her boyfriend killed.
I was around when that song first came and I saw her in person about 20 Years ago. And she's still.going strong and speaking out.Check out her song Resist on here.
Yes it was controversial and some radio stations wouldn't play it. I remember, I think in 67, one girl got up at assembly in front of the whole school and sang it on stage! Powerful moment.
Hey Britt, there were several artists and bands who wrote and sang about social injustice during the 60's - 80's. The legendary Bob Dylan was one of those artists and he even sang at the "march on Washington" here's a rare video of him singing "Bob Dylan -Only A Pawn In Their Game (March On Washington 1963) [Best Quality]" and the band U2 also put pen to paper and wrote about social injustice in his native country Dublin Ireland. Here's a live performance of them singing "U2 - Bloody Sunday (Live From Redrock Ampitheater, Colorado, USA 1983/Remastered" I really appreciated your sincere analysis thanx so much and you go have a great day 2.
She's singing it on "The Smothers Brothers" show -- 1970s. Yes, the song was controversial. And so were the "Smothers Brothers" -- their show was cancelled because they were outspoken for civil rights and against US involvement in Vietnam.
Wow this brought back some memories for me of that time. Loved watching the Smothers Brothers and also Rowan & Martin's Laugh in. She sang about a time when some people were trying to bring about integration of people after the Republicans wrote up the civil rights act of 64 & 65, than LBJ signed to keep control of a group along with the welfare state under the guise of his great society act, while his constituents and fellow party didn't and made them mad, but they did sign off on the great society act etc. So this new movement of integration and acceptance was the next thing along with ERA, anti war, etc etc. What a time it was. The music was alive back then and had soul to it, not like the cookie cutter stuff this century. You might react to "Brother Louie" by Hot Chocolate from 1973, I loved that song that. Thank you Britt ❤ and God bless you 🙏. ❤✝️🙂👍
When this was written, interracial relationships were illegal in some states. This was risky, but she needed to make a statement. I grew up in a more liberal New York Metro area in that era, and I had school friends who couldn't play at my house because I had black friends. My interracial nephew, born in 1970, actually got my father banned from a social club simply for loving his grandchild. Thank God my parents were good, decent people who taught me love is love, people are people, human is human, and hate has no place.
So surprised you ran across this wonderful gem. She was a young teen here. It was from an old network show, E! got the rights to it. And YES at the time it was a very bold stance. (And Janis, if you decide to drop in , Thank You)
It’s a significant part of the arc of the song that in the first 2 verses she sings “She said I can’t see you any more, baby” but in the final verse she sings “I said I can’t see you anymore, baby.” This was a brilliant and brave song for its time and for Janis’s very young age. My adult kids’s jaws dropped when I told them recently that until 1967, when I was 8 years old, mixed marriages were illegal and criminally punishable by prison sentences in 18 states. The Supreme Court changed that in a rare 9-0 vote in June, 1967. It was not umtil 2013 that the 1967 case began to be cited as precedent in federal courts with regard to same sex marriages. I’m 63 and continue to evolve as a person. When President Obama, who I voted for twice, said in the announcement of the changing of the laws for same sex marriages “Today, we can all be proud to be Americans.” I thought to myself and told a few friends “I don’t know if proud describes my feelings, exactly, but I was certainly ashamed of the way things were.”
the E Channel showed reruns of popular shows from the past. This show was the Smothers Brothers from the late 60's, a comedy variety hour show. Janis Ian looks small because she was young about 15 years old when she was appearing on the show. Also she isn't bi racial, she's Jewish. This song was very controversial when it came out. Many radio stations refused to play it.
Great reaction to a terrific and, at the time, very controversial song, by an unusually precocious artist, who wrote numerous high quality songs across many decades. Been a fan for nearly 50 years, and saw her perform live in Glasgow, Scotland. One of the finest singer-songwriters of the modern age.
Janis Ian was and still is a remarkable artist. For another example of her beautiful and thoughtful songwriting, check out her song “Perfect Little Girl.” She released it just a few short years ago. The audio is available on UA-cam.
One person who got this song on the air was a New York Disc Jockey on WNEW FM with the stage name Murray the "K". He was also known as the 5th Beatle because he helped introduce them to the American public!! Janis only recently stopped performing due to health issues!! The story of the Smothers Brothers battles against network censorship were legendary, it got them taken off the air even though they were a top rated show!!
Yes, it was super controversial. I was 12 or 13 when my "cool aunt" bought Janis Ian's "Society Child" album for me. That was more than 50 years ago, and it shaped the way I saw the world. It's still one of my favorites. P.S. I really like your analysis of her tempo changes.
I so hoped you would react to this. I was 12 when this came out and, yes, they did play it on our radio station. I believe this song had a lot to do with shaping my views on racial relationships. Although I grew up in a very white small town, my best friend was an asian mixed and all I remember ever thinking about her was how pretty she was. We were taught to respect all people and the thought of basing our relationships on a person's color was never an issue. I really enjoy your reactions, Britt, glad I found you.
No E network in the 60s, this was a rerun from an old CBS show. The Smothers Brothers' show was already controversial and so it made sense they'd have Janis Ian sing this on the show. Janis was 14 when she wrote this, 15 when she recorded it. The first label decided not to release it and gave her the master. Verve Records released it but didn't promote much until it appeared on a CBS special hosted by legendary conductor/composer Leonard Bernstein about current pop music. Many radio stations still refused to play it but it climbed the charts anyway.
The E Network showed reruns of this show in 1993, which explains your confusion. Another song that deals with the pitfalls of interracial relationships is "Brother Louie" by the one-hit wonder group Stories.
This performance was originally aired in prime time on CBS. There was no 'E' Entertainment Television at that time. No cable channels. From what I can hear, she is singing live to the studio backing track. And, yes, this song was a bit controversial at the time. I'm old enough to remember when this song was current and, I gotta say, it was played a lot, all over the country, on top 40 AM radio at the time and, although I'm sure it may have been banned in some places, it was not banned in most places including my home town, Pittsburgh Pa.
This era, around 1967, was THE TIME that artists started singing about things that mattered. It was the time of the Protest Song, and there were a LOT of these songs. Around the age of 45, I met a woman who lived this song in her own life, as a teenager. She was a white girl in love with a black guy. And that story went pretty much the way this song goes. Now she's my spirit guide. But that's a whole nuther story without relevance to this song.
This was TOTALLY CONTROVERSIAL in its day, banned on several radio stations in different parts of the country and yet still managed to climb the Billboard hot 100, up to #14 - a remarkable debut for a young 15 yr old Janis Ian. Obviously influenced by the great folk protest singers like Joan Baez & Bob Dylan, this was a bold teenage folk pop song sung by an actual teenager. Even though this was produced by shadow morton who also Produced the shangri La's leader of the pack, this song was EXTREMELY dangerous to the TV network, commercial radio & the status Quo of the time for fear of its influence. ❤🎉😊
This wasn't on "E" originally. The Smothers Brothers were on CBS (I may be wrong), but it was a national television network. The Smothers Brothers were noted for being controversial.
Jen is still doing music today. She’s actually been known to comment on these reaction videos so keep an eye on the comments you never know. She’s also really cool to follow on social media.
This is my first time hearing this song, too. I'm 62, discovered Janis Ian in the early-mid 70s, when "At Seventeen" became popular. I listened to that album, "Between the Lines" on repeat, headphones on, lost in her generally sad world that seemed to mirror my own, except so differently. I would say this song probably was controversial, but best of my memory, the late 60s was the height of calling out...hypocrisies and injustice. Personally, I'd much rather be exposed to this type of confrontational/controversial song than something like WAP, or any number of other supposedly empowering...ideologies these days. 😢
She wrote this when she was 13 and first released it when she was 14. She is 14 in this video, 1966. Mixed dating was frowned upon then by both blacks and whites. By the 70s it was becoming less of an issue, but still and issue. This came out between high school graduation and my first term at college.
Twenty record labels turned down that song. She got death threats for it. She was jeered off the stage, her manager told her she HAD to go back out. When she did, the rest of the audience shouted down the detractors. It made her stronger.
The network watermarks do NOT reflect the original TV shows, but, rather, whoever owns the current re-broadcast rights. This performance was from a controversial show, The Smothers Brothers Comedy hour. Tom and Dick Smothers were not afraid of platforming artists who were often shunned by the '60s main stream, like Ian, who was only a teenager at that time. She wrote Society's Child at age 14, 3 years before this performance. Believers in Progressive politics, and opposers of the Vietnam War, the Smothers Brothers' show was cancelled by the very conservative CBS network in 1969 after many censorship struggles for their controversial statements and guests on the show.
You mentioned the size of her guitar. Janis Ian was a very tiny woman. Just love her music.! This song was very controversial. There were still states where interracial marriage was illegal. And in some cases could throw you in jail. She stands so tall in my eyes.
The interesting string sound at the start is a harpsicord, similar to a piano put the stings are not hammered but plucked, producing a very bright sound but lacking the potential for variation of tone and sustain a piano has. The instrument at the end is indeed an organ and, from the sound of it, a Hammond organ which was popular when this song was performed. Sadly the organ (and the saxophone) have been lost in general to pop music.
I believe she was just 16 years old. The song, the first song about interracial love in the U.S., was banned on the radio stations I listened to. This show (which wasn't originally on E!) was brave to let her do it. But nevertheless, this particular performance almost destroyed her career. Bill Cosby happened to see her backstage at this show napping, her head on her female chaperone's lap. He spread the word that she was a lesbian (she didn't even know what she was yet) and got her banned from TV altogether.
Re her racial background. She is Jewish and came out as lesbian later in her life. She lived through so many things that people like you can only learn about by reading, if you're lucky to be find it available Love your commentary on so many of my favorite artists.
You look younger than my children. You're so cute. Social pressures to stay with same religion, race and nationality as well as your parents marital status, backed us all into a corner. I was close to Janis' age as a teen, back then. We had no money and the clarity of listening to other peoples radios made it impossible for me to decipher the words. Perhaps that was deliberate who knows. I never knew the words of her songs until recently. I just love the music in the song. Now I love it for her story. So sad.
Protagonist = main character , Antagonist = the main character's adversary. Most of the time it is Pro = good guy and Ant = bad guy, but the best stories can flip that in different ways.
There was no E network in the sixties. And this song was banned in a lot of places nationwide! Janis Ian is the real deal, her music is timeless, political and real!
Britt is getting an education from long ago music. Janis was just different. It’s real life story. She is dealing in mixed life. You will understand
Allot of the host put a smile on my face to hear how clueless they are about History.The struggle that the Artist had to go though.They really paid ther dues .So that their music could be stolen and Sampled without being paid for it.
She sang this on the late 1960s Smothers Brothers show. The show was quite controversial at the time. Janis fit right in there!! Brilliant!!
Janis Ian was born in 1951. She was about 16 when she performed this. She's still with us. Her other most famous hit was "at Seventeen."
The Smothers Brothers Comedy Hour was on CBS, 1967-69. The network cancelled the show, even though it was very popular, because the Brothers were consistently late in delivering the show's master tapes to the network (apparently in an effort to impede censorship).
Tom and Dick Smothers are still with us, too. Jimmy Durante (the guy they're talking to in the opening of this clip) is obviously not.
I saw this episode in original broadcast.
I saw Ian on Smothers Brothers original too. My brother bought the 45 RPM Single of this song. What an even worse time than now. Smother Brothers Cancelation broke my heart, and infuriated me. Tom is now 86, Dick is 84. Time hurries on sometime it seems like the 60s were yesterday, but then reality drops on you like a 1 ton weight, like in the cartoons. ~ Peace.
She wrote this when she was 14 in 1965, it was released in '66 and was a hit in '67. For context, interracial marriage was actually against the law in many states at the time, until the Supreme Court's decision in ’67 stating that laws banning interracial marriage were unconstitutional.
Written and first recorded when she was still at high school, this song was probably the reason Janis Ian was never as big as she deserved to be. White supremacists threatened her life and the lives of DJs who dared to play it and several US radio stations and TV networks blackballed her, leaving her with little chance of international recognition. The song itself, which Atlantic Records of all labels were too cowardly to put out, was released and ignored twice before it finally made it into the top 20 of the Billboard Hot 100 when she was still only 16. It would be another 8 years until she hit with 'At Seventeen', which earned her a Grammy for Best Female Pop Performance in 1976. Later, over 35 years after its controversial initial release, 'Society's Child' was inducted into the Grammys Hall of Fame. Her grandparents on both sides were eastern European.
E stamped it when they aired it decades after it's original air date. The Smoothers Brother's Show was very cutting edge in the 60's, just one of the the network shows that took chances for social change and eventually were cancelled for it. We all benefitted from their courage and convictions. This song may not seem like it by today's standard but it was very controversial in the 60's. It wasn't something they aired without real consequences to their own careers, from the network and from the public. But those of use of a certain age at that time were "all in" on the message and the battle. It seems changes for the good of society happen very slowly in the context of our individual lives but really can happen very quickly in a historical perspective. We've just got to understand not all causes, then or now, are noble and just. Those that are will be proved so in time.
This song was very controversial. I remember when it came out radio stations wouldn't play it.A famous composer stood up for her and helped get some airtime.The show she's on was the smothers brothers show and it was kinda controversial sometimes.Janis was only 15 here.Shes one of the greats and she does watch reaction channels as she has commented on a few I watch.
This was on the Smothers Brothers show which itself was very ahead of its time in letting Artist sing controversial songs on their show, The Brothers were very anti Vietnam War at that time during the 60"s and they were eventually canceled because of the acts they let perform on their show.
This was from The Smothers Brothers show on CBS in the later 60's, and yes it was a very controversial song....
I had the 45 record on repeat. As a little girl in the 60’s, I believe this helped shape my world view on race & injustice. I’ve seen Janis in concert a few times & she really is that tiny (she meets fans). She’s one of the best singer/songwriters & has lead a very interesting life. Her lyrics are poetic.
Hey Britt, I was in 6th grade when this song came out, had the record, 66 now and still one of my favorites, beautiful woman with a strong message for the times, thanks for posting, peace and love!✌🏼
Janis was black listed by the music establishment and contractually harassed by Columbia Records, because she is gay. Choosing to move to Australia,
she found a wonderful partner and her musical energy returned. Her music after returning to th US is different, still lyrically challenging, complex and heart warming.
E! Network isn't anywhere near that old - the Smothers Brothers aired on CBS originally 🙂
Correct. I’d watch it at a neighbor’s house because they had a color television.
Both this song and At Seventeen were popular with people in my generation when they came out in the 60s. Not so much with my parents' generation. The 60s were a time of such turmoil in so many areas of life and my generation just kept stirring the pot - fortunately. She has such a singular voice. Nobody else sounds like her. It's a joy to see people who are so much younger than me discovering and enjoying the great music we had "back in the day". I think this song could play on the radio today and not feel out of place.
I absolutely agree.
Its lyrics concern an interracial romance - a still-taboo subject in mid-1960s America. Ian was 13 years of age when she was motivated to write and compose the song, and she completed it when she was 14. Released as "Society's Child (Baby I've Been Thinking)", the single charted high in many cities in the autumn of 1966 but did not hit big nationally until the summer of 1967.
That was the great Jimmy Durante standing between the Smothers Brothers.
She was 15 years old when she wrote this song. It was over 50 years ago. She shocked the country with it.
that is crazy! she is so talented!
The Smothers Brothers show was on CBS. There were only three networks in those days-CBS, NBC, and ABC. E! Network just happened to pick up these old shows. The Smothers Brothers show was probably the only one on which Janis Ian could have performed this song as they were famous for going against censorship on matters like this. Janis Ian was indeed brave and took a big career chance by coming out with this song. Earlier in the Sixties, Bob Dylan was set to perform on the Ed Sullivan Show which would have been a big boost to his career. He was going to perform a cutting song about a conservative group called the John Birch Society. At the last minute CBS censors told him he couldn't perform that song - he walked off the show.
Glad you reacted to this as well as "At Seventeen," such powerful songs when they came out in the 60's. BTW, Janis is not mixed race, she is Ashkenazi Jewish.
thanks for letting me know!
Thank you for reacting to this song. Amazing that she started writing it when 13 years old and recorded it when 14. She was 16 when this became a national US hit and when she appeared on TV in this clip.
This song got a lot of air play on the L.A. radio stations in 1967, and it still gives me chills when I hear it. Good song choice!
Janis is active on social media and often comments on reactions to her music. You might hear from her.
If you want to hear the sixties and seventies protest song where “Country Joe McDonald and the Fish” singing at Woodstock (long version please). There was a huge movement asking for change. He was able to get about 300,000 people singing this with him. “Vietnam Song”. It’s really interesting how appropriate this actually is for today. We stood and shouted for peace and change. This was beloved by my generation. Enjoy whenever you can. Much love and appreciation from California.❤️🌈🍀🙏🏻😇❣️
There was no E network when this was shot. And yes it was highly controversial. It was banned in many radio stations across the nation.
The guitar probably seems tiny because she was quite young when she wrote and recorded this and she’s a fairly petite lady to begin with.
I don’t believe she’s mixed race. If my memory serves me well I think she’s Jewish.
It was on The Smothers Brothers show. They were very liberal in the 60s
Janis Ian is incredibly talented
Many radio stations refused to play the song when it was released. This was the mid 1960s
My African-American wife (I'm white) loves this song. I explained to her that at one time our marriage would have broken the law.
This song broke my heart when I first heard it and I'm crying again.
hopefully happy tears! it's a great song!
This song was about as deep as it could get in that day. And Janis Ian was banned from radio play in a lot of markets because of it. PS - That was an organ.
I think she was singing live to the actual backing track from the hit version. That organ part at the end was, I think, a great exclamation point for the song. And, just to clarify, there was no 'E' network, at the time. Even though cable TV had been around since 1948, by 1967, only about 6% of the country had access to cable. At that time Cable TV was used primarily to re-broadcast terrestrial TV stations to places where reception was problematic or non-existent Viewing choices were, pretty much, limited to just the three networks, ABC, CBS and NBC, and whatever programming the local stations would provide, and there was a good bit of that. Yes, it was bold at the time to sing about these matters. But, it was all rather new. Remember, the Civil Rights Act of 1964 was just passed and most right thinking people knew it was long overdue, so there were a fair amount of people who were more open to these things. However, sadly, not everyone was on board.
Something younger viewers may not realize...as recently as 1990 or so white women dating black me was exceedingly rare. Back in the 1960's, when this song was written, a white girl dating a black guy was risking getting thrown out of the house, or even worse, getting her boyfriend killed.
Janis Ian's 4'10". The guitar is normal sized.
thanks for letting me know!
The performance was on the Smothers Brothers Show (Jimmy Durante was part of the introduction). E Network replayed it recently.
I was around when that song first came and I saw her in person about 20 Years ago. And she's still.going strong and speaking out.Check out her song Resist on here.
Yes it was controversial and some radio stations wouldn't play it. I remember, I think in 67, one girl got up at assembly in front of the whole school and sang it on stage! Powerful moment.
Hey Britt, there were several artists and bands who wrote and sang about social injustice during the 60's - 80's. The legendary Bob Dylan was one of those artists and he even sang at the "march on Washington" here's a rare video of him singing "Bob Dylan -Only A Pawn In Their Game (March On Washington 1963) [Best Quality]" and the band U2 also put pen to paper and wrote about social injustice in his native country Dublin Ireland. Here's a live performance of them singing "U2 - Bloody Sunday (Live From Redrock Ampitheater, Colorado, USA 1983/Remastered" I really appreciated your sincere analysis thanx so much and you go have a great day 2.
She's singing it on "The Smothers Brothers" show -- 1970s. Yes, the song was controversial. And so were the "Smothers Brothers" -- their show was cancelled because they were outspoken for civil rights and against US involvement in Vietnam.
Wow this brought back some memories for me of that time. Loved watching the Smothers Brothers and also Rowan & Martin's Laugh in. She sang about a time when some people were trying to bring about integration of people after the Republicans wrote up the civil rights act of 64 & 65, than LBJ signed to keep control of a group along with the welfare state under the guise of his great society act, while his constituents and fellow party didn't and made them mad, but they did sign off on the great society act etc. So this new movement of integration and acceptance was the next thing along with ERA, anti war, etc etc. What a time it was. The music was alive back then and had soul to it, not like the cookie cutter stuff this century. You might react to "Brother Louie" by Hot Chocolate from 1973, I loved that song that. Thank you Britt ❤ and God bless you 🙏. ❤✝️🙂👍
The E network was showing old reruns of the 1960's "The Smothers Brothers Show, hence the E network logo in the corner of the screen.
The Smothers Brothers variety show aired on the CBS network. Here you are seeing a rebroadcast that was shown decades later on the E! Network.
Janis is still with us, still singing, I think she's doing a show in Ireland this weekend.
Some radio stations would not play the song. I loved it
The Smothers Brothers Comedy Hour was originally on CBS.
The song had a lot of air play in South FL when it came out.
When this was written, interracial relationships were illegal in some states. This was risky, but she needed to make a statement. I grew up in a more liberal New York Metro area in that era, and I had school friends who couldn't play at my house because I had black friends. My interracial nephew, born in 1970, actually got my father banned from a social club simply for loving his grandchild. Thank God my parents were good, decent people who taught me love is love, people are people, human is human, and hate has no place.
So surprised you ran across this wonderful gem. She was a young teen here. It was from an old network show, E! got the rights to it. And YES at the time it was a very bold stance. (And Janis, if you decide to drop in , Thank You)
It’s a significant part of the arc of the song that in the first 2 verses she sings “She said I can’t see you any more, baby” but in the final verse she sings “I said I can’t see you anymore, baby.” This was a brilliant and brave song for its time and for Janis’s very young age.
My adult kids’s jaws dropped when I told them recently that until 1967, when I was 8 years old, mixed marriages were illegal and criminally punishable by prison sentences in 18 states. The Supreme Court changed that in a rare 9-0 vote in June, 1967. It was not umtil 2013 that the 1967 case began to be cited as precedent in federal courts with regard to same sex marriages.
I’m 63 and continue to evolve as a person. When President Obama, who I voted for twice, said in the announcement of the changing of the laws for same sex marriages “Today, we can all be proud to be Americans.” I thought to myself and told a few friends “I don’t know if proud describes my feelings, exactly, but I was certainly ashamed of the way things were.”
The fact that Janis wrote this at 14 years old is just crazy. Such a gifted songwriter.
She received death threats after this song aired
the E Channel showed reruns of popular shows from the past. This show was the Smothers Brothers from the late 60's, a comedy variety hour show. Janis Ian looks small because she was young about 15 years old when she was appearing on the show. Also she isn't bi racial, she's Jewish. This song was very controversial when it came out. Many radio stations refused to play it.
it is amazing that the Younger Genaraton have no idea the rroad blocks that was place if front of you because of the hue of your. Skin or Hair Color.
Great reaction to a terrific and, at the time, very controversial song, by an unusually precocious artist, who wrote numerous high quality songs across many decades. Been a fan for nearly 50 years, and saw her perform live in Glasgow, Scotland. One of the finest singer-songwriters of the modern age.
The song was banned from radio stations in most of the south, where some stations were burned to the ground for airing it.
She is still singing still beautiful with a fantastic voice as always, Love this song !!!
Unfortunately, an illness affected her vocal cords and she is no longer able to sing. A true tragedy.
No, there was no E network when this was recorded on network television. there were only three networks, ABC, NBC and CBS.
Soulshine by The Allman Brothers ❤❤❤❤❤❤❤
Janis Ian was and still is a remarkable artist. For another example of her beautiful and thoughtful songwriting, check out her song “Perfect Little Girl.” She released it just a few short years ago. The audio is available on UA-cam.
Wow,🤷♀️ that brought me back in a time capsule
hope you enjoyed it!
It was a groovy reaction...LOL
One person who got this song on the air was a New York Disc Jockey on WNEW FM with the stage name Murray the "K". He was also known as the 5th Beatle because he helped introduce them to the American public!! Janis only recently stopped performing due to health issues!! The story of the Smothers Brothers battles against network censorship were legendary, it got them taken off the air even though they were a top rated show!!
This was the 1960's. She is petite and she is Jewish. Her writing is amazing. She is on of a kind.
Yes, it was super controversial. I was 12 or 13 when my "cool aunt" bought Janis Ian's "Society Child" album for me. That was more than 50 years ago, and it shaped the way I saw the world. It's still one of my favorites.
P.S. I really like your analysis of her tempo changes.
Very controversial and banned on many venues, the Smothers Brothers whose show aired this also got banned in 1967 I believe🤷♀️👀🤷♀️👀🤷♀️👀🤷♀️👀
This was on the Smothers Brothers show in 1967 was on CBS. I guess the E channel had rights to rebroadcast
I do admire her boldness.Tony
I remember when that song came outand
I so hoped you would react to this. I was 12 when this came out and, yes, they did play it on our radio station. I believe this song had a lot to do with shaping my views on racial relationships. Although I grew up in a very white small town, my best friend was an asian mixed and all I remember ever thinking about her was how pretty she was. We were taught to respect all people and the thought of basing our relationships on a person's color was never an issue. I really enjoy your reactions, Britt, glad I found you.
No E network in the 60s, this was a rerun from an old CBS show. The Smothers Brothers' show was already controversial and so it made sense they'd have Janis Ian sing this on the show. Janis was 14 when she wrote this, 15 when she recorded it. The first label decided not to release it and gave her the master. Verve Records released it but didn't promote much until it appeared on a CBS special hosted by legendary conductor/composer Leonard Bernstein about current pop music. Many radio stations still refused to play it but it climbed the charts anyway.
The E Network showed reruns of this show in 1993, which explains your confusion. Another song that deals with the pitfalls of interracial relationships is "Brother Louie" by the one-hit wonder group Stories.
This performance was originally aired in prime time on CBS. There was no 'E' Entertainment Television at that time. No cable channels. From what I can hear, she is singing live to the studio backing track. And, yes, this song was a bit controversial at the time. I'm old enough to remember when this song was current and, I gotta say, it was played a lot, all over the country, on top 40 AM radio at the time and, although I'm sure it may have been banned in some places, it was not banned in most places including my home town, Pittsburgh Pa.
This era, around 1967, was THE TIME that artists started singing about things that mattered. It was the time of the Protest Song, and there were a LOT of these songs.
Around the age of 45, I met a woman who lived this song in her own life, as a teenager. She was a white girl in love with a black guy. And that story went pretty much the way this song goes.
Now she's my spirit guide. But that's a whole nuther story without relevance to this song.
The times they are a changing, the perfect Strom is coming 🔥🔥
She's 4' 10" and awesome.
This was TOTALLY CONTROVERSIAL in its day, banned on several radio stations in different parts of the country and yet still managed to climb the Billboard hot 100, up to #14 - a remarkable debut for a young 15 yr old Janis Ian. Obviously influenced by the great folk protest singers like Joan Baez & Bob Dylan, this was a bold teenage folk pop song sung by an actual teenager.
Even though this was produced by shadow morton who also Produced the shangri La's leader of the pack, this song was EXTREMELY dangerous to the TV network, commercial radio & the status Quo of the time for fear of its influence.
❤🎉😊
What she said was very bold.Tony
Thank you!!!
thank you for watching!
She wasn’t singing on the E network it was the Smothers Brothers Show.This is a rebroadcast on E.
She was 13 when she wrote this it was her childhood friend
This wasn't on "E" originally. The Smothers Brothers were on CBS (I may be wrong), but it was a national television network. The Smothers Brothers were noted for being controversial.
Jen is still doing music today. She’s actually been known to comment on these reaction videos so keep an eye on the comments you never know. She’s also really cool to follow on social media.
This was in the 60's baby girl....very controversial. She's Jewish❤️
E came out in 87
This is my first time hearing this song, too. I'm 62, discovered Janis Ian in the early-mid 70s, when "At Seventeen" became popular. I listened to that album, "Between the Lines" on repeat, headphones on, lost in her generally sad world that seemed to mirror my own, except so differently.
I would say this song probably was controversial, but best of my memory, the late 60s was the height of calling out...hypocrisies and injustice. Personally, I'd much rather be exposed to this type of confrontational/controversial song than something like WAP, or any number of other supposedly empowering...ideologies these days. 😢
Timeless
She wrote this when she was 13 and first released it when she was 14. She is 14 in this video, 1966. Mixed dating was frowned upon then by both blacks and whites. By the 70s it was becoming less of an issue, but still and issue. This came out between high school graduation and my first term at college.
Twenty record labels turned down that song. She got death threats for it. She was jeered off the stage, her manager told her she HAD to go back out. When she did, the rest of the audience shouted down the detractors. It made her stronger.
It's a standard guitar. She's just really small, and she was young then.
The network watermarks do NOT reflect the original TV shows, but, rather, whoever owns the current re-broadcast rights. This performance was from a controversial show, The Smothers Brothers Comedy hour. Tom and Dick Smothers were not afraid of platforming artists who were often shunned by the '60s main stream, like Ian, who was only a teenager at that time. She wrote Society's Child at age 14, 3 years before this performance. Believers in Progressive politics, and opposers of the Vietnam War, the Smothers Brothers' show was cancelled by the very conservative CBS network in 1969 after many censorship struggles for their controversial statements and guests on the show.
We are talking 60's here, she sadly had death threats over this song. I was 14 when she sang this song, at 14 y/o.
It was on CBS
thanks for letting me know!
The 1960's had a lot of controversial issues including this one. Of course the Vietnam War and Civil Rights took most of the oxygen out of the room.
You mentioned the size of her guitar. Janis Ian was a very tiny woman. Just love her music.! This song was very controversial. There were still states where interracial marriage was illegal. And in some cases could throw you in jail. She stands so tall in my eyes.
she is great!!
The interesting string sound at the start is a harpsicord, similar to a piano put the stings are not hammered but plucked, producing a very bright sound but lacking the potential for variation of tone and sustain a piano has. The instrument at the end is indeed an organ and, from the sound of it, a Hammond organ which was popular when this song was performed. Sadly the organ (and the saxophone) have been lost in general to pop music.
You have no idea how happy it makes me that you wonder if it was controversial. Don't ever let it go back.
The E network did not exist back then. This is an old show rebroadcast on the channel.
I believe she was just 16 years old. The song, the first song about interracial love in the U.S., was banned on the radio stations I listened to. This show (which wasn't originally on E!) was brave to let her do it. But nevertheless, this particular performance almost destroyed her career. Bill Cosby happened to see her backstage at this show napping, her head on her female chaperone's lap. He spread the word that she was a lesbian (she didn't even know what she was yet) and got her banned from TV altogether.
Re her racial background. She is Jewish and came out as lesbian later in her life. She lived through so many things that people like you can only learn about by reading, if you're lucky to be find it available
Love your commentary on so many of my favorite artists.
Yes, very controversial. She's singing on the Smothers Brothers Show, itself controversial and eventually pulled. The E network is replaying it.
You look younger than my children. You're so cute. Social pressures to stay with same religion, race and nationality as well as your parents marital status, backed us all into a corner. I was close to Janis' age as a teen, back then. We had no money and the clarity of listening to other peoples radios made it impossible for me to decipher the words. Perhaps that was deliberate who knows. I never knew the words of her songs until recently. I just love the music in the song. Now I love it for her story. So sad.
Protagonist = main character , Antagonist = the main character's adversary. Most of the time it is Pro = good guy and Ant = bad guy, but the best stories can flip that in different ways.
very true!
Thank you for reacting to this important song.