"Radio Edit?" and the s-word

[snipelfritz]

So, trying to get our music on local radio we run into the issue of the ambiguous "radio edit" stipulation.

None of our songs are over 3.5 minutes so that's not an issue. It's moreso what words are ok and not ok...specifically the word "shit." Is that cool on local radio? Does it need to be played past "safe-haven" hours? Does anybody have any experience with this nonsense? We just had a submission rejected for a "play this festival" online voting thing for the word, so I'm just wondering how much it will hold us back.

The line in question is:
"My boss keeps on calling
'why you always late?'
Yes, I told him I don't give
a shit 'bout the place."

Secondary backup question: How easy would it be to edit an already mastered track? Could we somehow simply overlay some sort of guitar scratch enough to cover up the word?

[John]

Change "shit" to "dick."


"Yes, I told him I don't give
a Dick 'bout the place."


Trust me, I've worked in radio.

[D.o.S.]

If you're looking for an easy fix, you could always do the standard "reverse for a hot second" method.

[John]

Yeah in all seriousness, what D.o.S. said. If you send me the file I can do that for you.

[snipelfritz]

Yeah, it's all mixed and mastered already. Not sure if that makes a difference.

Is there anyway something like a guitar scratch sound we grab from the could be overlayed?

Guitarist currently has the files anyway so I'll talk to him later about it.

[lordgalvar]

I know in Los Angeles/Bakersfield they let "shit" pass after a certain hour (usually the one hour a week they play local stuff or after like 2am for an hour). That is a result of a morning show playing Carlin's "7 Dirty Words" way back when and the courts ruled that offensive art can be broadcast at an appropriate hour. The reason it generally wasn't on TV and radio (until recently) was because of the prudish, complaining nature of a lot of people/it wasn't worth the station's hastle. It is up to the station, but the reverse thing that D.o.S. is probably the best way to guarantee play. Some of the radio stations in my home town censor "God damn" and stuff like that. It's all about the community and how they accept/intrepet/respond to the vague rules.

You could edit the master track, but the radio station should be able to do it for you, I'd think (unless they have all turned into a bunch of lazy ass greedy a-holes...which a lot are now). I know the reverse edits sound different in my home town 2 hours north of here.

[Ugly Nora]

I interned at Y100 in Philliy back in college and they would allow curses as long as it wasn't too clear and blatant. If it was, they would just reverse that part.

[D.o.S.]

For reference, you can find the song (with snipeses baller-ass drumming) here:
http://themondayspecials.bandcamp.com/releases

Itz ze last track

[snipelfritz]

(with snipeses baller-ass drumming)

D'awwww, thanks

Yeah, I think we're just going to add a little scratchy noise over it. One local radio station explicitly states they don't do their own edits and as we're just getting started it makes sense to me just be as accommodating to the people putting your music on display as possible.

The whole backwards word thing sounds too much like an Eminem song or something to me for some reason.

[tabbycat]

you could substitute this:
"Every time I call my baby, and try to get a date
My boss says, "No dice son, you gotta work late".
that would probably be fine.

tbh i'm surprised anyone gives the slightest shit about local radio anymore. seems a very last millennium way of doing things. and it seemed a very 1960s way of doing things for a lot of the end of that.

can't you find another niche uni or indie internet station whose content policy is a bit less walmart aisle friendly? you might reach a bigger audience by being on the local radio playlist, but if that audience is made up of the kind of people who are going to wet their nests over the word 'shit' then they are probably not going to be of any use to you anyway. being pragmatic about it.

personally speaking, i would find somewhere that would accept it 'as is' on principle or self-promote. don't let other people fuck with your art. it's a slippery slope.