Why This Christmas Song Was Almost Banned by the BBC
When people think of Christmas music, they don’t think of provocative songs. Despite this, the BBC nearly banned a famous Christmas song even though nobody would consider it controversial today. The tune was later covered by one of the bands most associated with Yuletide music.
A Christmas song based on ‘The Nutcracker’ was seen as a mockery of the ballet
One of the most famous pieces of Christmas music is Pyotr Ilyich Tchaikovsky’s The Nutcracker. You may have never been to a production of the ballet, but you have likely heard selections from it many times on the radio. The public’s tastes have changed wildly since The Nutcracker premiered in 1892, but Tchaikovsky’s music is timeless.
When something is timeless, it can easily be adapted to fit new trends. In 1962, rock ‘n’ roll music had still had its provocative edge. It’s no surprise that B. Bumble and the Stingers decided to blend the old and the new with “Nut Rocker,” a single that reinterpreted a march from The Nutcracker in a rock ‘n’ roll style.
Considering “Nut Rocker” doesn’t even have lyrics, you’d think it would be about as innocuous as a song could possibly be. However, The Independent reports the BBC banned songs that were considered distortions of classic music. The network deliberated about banning “Nut Rocker” before concluding, “This instrumental piece is quite openly a parody of a Tchaikovsky dance tune, is clearly of an ephemeral nature, and in our opinion will not offend reasonable people.”
What the lead player on ‘Nut Rocker’ thought about his signature Christmas tune
Al Hazan was the lead player on “Nut Rocker.” During an interview with Spectropop, Hazan had no regrets about “Nut Rocker.” “The recording of ‘Nut Rocker’ was just one of the highlights of my career in the music business, which spanned a nine-year period from around 1956 to 1965,” he said. “It was a decade that evokes many memories for some of us and involved a historic period when rock ‘n’ roll matured into the phenomenon that is now looked upon with great fondness by both young and old. I feel fortunate to have been a small part of it.
“Although that night in San Francisco was special for me, I never thought about being a singer or making a record as a piano player when I began my career,” he added. “My ambition was to become a successful professional songwriter and nothing more. However, during that decade, I managed to have over 65 of my songs recorded and released, producing 35 of them myself.”
How the Trans-Siberian Orchestra reimagined the song
If you aren’t familiar with the original song by B. Bumble and the Stingers, you might have heard the cover from the Trans-Siberian Orchestra. The Trans-Siberian Orchestra might be the most famous Christmas-themed band ever. Their sound combines progressive rock, classical music, and a whole lot of cheer.
The original “Nut Rocker” reflects the boogie-woogie style of early rock ‘n’ roll. Meanwhile, the Trans-Siberian Orchestra’s rendition is flashier and more complex. It combines hard rock guitar with some of the piano verve of B. Bumble and the Stingers.
The BBC considered banning “Nut Rocker” — but you can’t keep a good Christmas novelty song down.
