Music+and+Vietnam

There were several sources of music available to soldiers serving in Vietnam. There was AFVN, unauthorized broadcasting within Vietnam (and Laos) and a soldier's personal collections played on tape recorders and record players.

[|AFVN]- Armed Forces Vietnam Network Entertained the soldiers of Vietnam with ALL types of music. It included many programs. A 55 minute sample of AFVN music (played by First Lieutenant Bruce Wahl in 1970)--- <[|This Magic Moment]*Jay and the Americans, [|Teach Your Children]*Crosby, Stills, Nash and Young, [|I Started a Joke]*The Bee Gees, [|White Room]*Cream, [|Traces of Love]*Classics IV, [|Solitary Man]*Neil Diamond, [|Walk Away Renee]*The Left Banke, [|Ohio]*Crosby, Stills, and Nash, [|Birthday]*The Beatles, [|Maxwell's Silver Hammer]* The Beatles, [|Cherish]*The Association, [|Here Comes The Sun]* The Beatles, [|Both Sides Now]*Judy Collins, [|Some Velvet Morning]*Nancy Sinatra and Lee Hazelwood, [|Magic Carpet Ride]<span style="font-size: 110%; color: #633163; font-family: Georgia, serif;">*Steppenwolf, How Can I Be Sure?*Little Anthony and the Imperials, [|Love is Blue]<span style="font-size: 110%; color: #633163; font-family: Georgia, serif;">*Paul Mauriat> [|Listen to audio samples from AFVN archives]
 * <span style="font-size: 120%; color: #800000; font-family: Georgia, serif;">AFVN **

<span style="font-size: 110%; color: #633163; font-family: Georgia, serif;">There was censorship taking place at AFVN. Somes songs were banned because of "host country sensitivity". For example, the song "[|We Gotta Get Out of This Place]" by The Animals didn't directly refer to Vietnam but it was thought it might offend the Vietnamese people. Another program removed from AFVN was "My Fair Lady". Some songs were banned even before coming to Vietnam. Protest songs were pretty much out of the question. Even the song "I'll be Home for Christmas" was not reccomended for play time. Banned songs were even scatched off of records using sharp objects. To sidestep legal issues of banned songs, disc jockeys would have someone from home send them copies of the song. They could face punishments for this, ONLY IF the officers in charge chose to force the song restrictions.

The AFVN had little/no control over unauthorized broadcasting in Vietnam. Soldiers could rig up unauthorized stations using tape players, mics and platter players to field radio systems. The stations only went short distances and weren't long lived.
 * Unauthorized Broadcasts **

Dave Rabbit--- <span style="font-size: 110%; color: #633163; font-family: Georgia, serif;">Considered to be a godfather of pirate radio, he worked in a radio station in Vietnam. After three tours in Vietnam began Radio First Termer in the back room of a brothel, the walls of which were lined with mattresses to deaden other noises. Radio First Termer played acid rock that was left out by AFVN. Mixed into shows was his own commentary including jokes against the government and air force, and dirty and drug related humor.

**Soldiers' personal collections** It was almost impossible to monitor private collections of music that were brought from home. Many soldiers did bring music into war zones. Tape recorders could be viewed as status symbols and would play music that would have been censored by the military. Record players were also valuable to soldiers that were in a fixed location and not in the field. If a soldier wanted music, someone was likely to have a copy.

**Protest Music** Protest music was not usually included in //[|Billboard]//'s top 40. It also probably wouldn't make it past army censorship to get into Vietnam. It ranged from rock 'n' roll to folk to country music. <span style="font-size: 110%; color: #633163; font-family: Georgia, serif;">Bob Dylan- a folk rock artist with rock and blues roots. In the 60's he was pulled to the folk/blues scene of Bleecker St. in Greenwich Village. He released notable anti-war songs and songs with messages. < [|Blowin' in the Wind], [|The Times They are a-Changin'], [|Chimes of Freedom], [|A Hard Rain's Gonna Fall], [|Masters of War]<span style="font-size: 110%; color: #633163; font-family: Georgia, serif;">> Creedence Clearwater Revival- CCR often dealt with political issues. Their peak was in the late 60s and early 70s. Two songs of importance are < [|Fortunate Son]<span style="font-size: 110%; color: #633163; font-family: Georgia, serif;">, and [|Run Through the Jungle]<span style="font-size: 110%; color: #633163; font-family: Georgia, serif;">> <span style="font-size: 110%; color: #633163; font-family: Georgia, serif;">John Lennon- Former member of The Beatles. With The Beatles, by himself, and with the Plastic Ono Band recorded anti-war songs. < [|Give Peace A Chance]<span style="font-size: 110%; color: #633163; font-family: Georgia, serif;">> by The Plastic Ono Band- in the background the chanters included Timothy Leary, Tommy Smothers, and other Hare Krishnas. Other songs include < [|Revolution]<span style="font-size: 110%; color: #633163; font-family: Georgia, serif;">> by The Beatles and< [|Imagine]<span style="font-size: 110%; color: #633163; font-family: Georgia, serif;">> By John Lennon and the Plastic Ono Band. <span style="font-size: 110%; color: #633163; font-family: Georgia, serif;">The Doors- Formed in LA in 1965 by film school graduates, lead singer Jim Morrison and organist, Ray Manzarak. The band continued to make powerful music until Morrison was found dead in his bathtub in 1971. The songs were both socially and politically charged. < [|The End], [|Unknown Soldier]<span style="font-size: 110%; color: #633163; font-family: Georgia, serif;">>

Other important songs of the time period having to do with Vietnam include- <We Can Change The World* Graham Nash, For What It's Worth* Buffalo Springfield, 18*Alice Cooper, War*Edwin Star, Where Have All The Flowers Gone* Peter Paul and Mary, and Ohio*Neil Young>