Why did Ed Sullivan make the Rolling Stones change their lyrics?

Question

I was watching some clips from when the Rolling Stones were on the Ed Sullivan show around 1966. I noticed that during the song, "Let's spend the night together", the group had to sing "Let's spend some time together". Does anyone know why?

Answer 1

Because he thought the phrase "Let's Spend The Night Together" was too provocative for american TV in 1965. Network censors really controlled content, and Sullivan didn't want any trouble with them. He thought the Stones were scruffy, unlike the Beatles....(if he only knew).
He censored other groups too, especially the Doors, and didn't want them to use the line "Girl, we couldn't get much higher". In the mid 60's, Sullivan had the highest rated show on TV and he wanted to play it safe.
Musicians were huge influences on young people back then, and most US citizens (including Sullivan) thought certain bands were a threat to the "american way of life".

Answer 2

The point of it all Daphne, is that in 1966, we were still a very conservative people, and Ed thought the lyrics were too explicit to sing on his family time show.

Answer 3

Censorship. Plain and simple. Think about the big fuss about the Superbowl halftime show with Janet Jackson. The following year we were stuck with Paul McCartney. In Europe, they show breasts on Ice Cream commercials. No big deal. We are a little uptight as a society with some things. Anyway....they (the network) censored the lyrics because they thought they were too suggestive.

Answer 4

"Let's Spend the Night Together" is a 1967 song by The Rolling Stones. Released in the UK as a single in January 1967, it reached number three on the UK singles chart. The song was included on the U.S. version of the Stones' album Between the Buttons, and was also released as a single in the U.S., but due to the (then) controversial nature of the lyrics (proposing a sexual encounter) most radio stations opted to play the flip side "Ruby Tuesday" instead. The two songs charted separately on the U.S. Billboard Hot 100 — "Let's Spend the Night Together" stalling at fifty-five while "Ruby Tuesday" became a number-one hit.

In one of the more famous examples of musical censorship, when the band performed the song on The Ed Sullivan Show, Sullivan made them instead sing "let's spend some time together" (Jagger famously rolls his eyes whilst singing the changed lyrics). In April 2006, for their first-ever performance in China, authorities prohibited the group from performing the song as it was considered to be "too suggestive."


LYRICS:
LETS SPEND THE NIGHT TOGETHER
(Jagger/Richards)

My, My, My, My
Don't you worry 'bout what's on your mind (Oh my)
I'm in no hurry I can take my time (Oh my)
I'm going red and my tongue's getting tied (tongues's getting tied)
I'm off my head and my mouth's getting dry.
I'm high, But I try, try, try (Oh my)
Let's spend the night together
Now I need you more than ever
Let's spend the night together now

I feel so strong that I can't disguise (oh my)
Let's spend the night together
But I just can't apologize (oh no)
Let's spend the night together
Don't hang me up and don't let me down (don't let me down)
We could have fun just groovin' around around and around
Oh my, my
Let's spend the night together
Now I need you more than ever
Let's spend the night together

Let's spend the night together
Now I need you more than ever

You know I'm smiling baby
You need some guiding baby
I'm just deciding baby; now-
I need you more than ever
Let's spend the night together
Let's spend the night together now

This doesn't happen to me ev'ryday (oh my)
Let's spend the night together
No excuses offered anyway (oh my)
Let's spend the night together
I'll satisfy your every need (every need)
And I now know you will satisfy me
Oh my, my, my, my, my
Let's spend the night together
Now I need you more than ever
Let's spend the night together now

Answer 5

He did that with a lot of rock groups from that era. To give one notorious example, when he asked Jim Morrison of the Doors to change the line "Girl we couldn't get much higher" from "Light My Fire", Morrison sang the line anyway and never got invited back to the show.

As for Jagger, when he got to the line he wasn't supposed to sing, he says "I sang mumble".

Answer 6

cause back then that was considered obscene, and you wanna hear something funny! ? When The Doors appeared he told them they would have to change the lyrics in "Light my Fire" and instead of saying "Girl, we could'nt get much higher" they were supposed to say, "Girl, we couldn't get much better"! Jim Morrison being the rebel he was screamed out higher right on live tv!

Answer 7

It was 1966...those lyrics were too risque.