<p id=”par-1_45″>When people think of Christmas <a href=”https://www.cheatsheet.com/music/”>music</a>, they don’t think of provocative songs. Despite this, the BBC nearly banned <a href=”https://www.cheatsheet.com/entertainment/wonderful-christmastime-singer-paul-mccartney-named-favorite-christmas-song.html/?swcfpc=1″>a famous Christmas song</a> even though nobody would consider it controversial today. The tune was later covered by one of the bands most associated with Yuletide music.</p>
<h2 class=”wp-block-heading” id=”h-a-christmas-song-based-on-the-nutcracker-was-seen-as-a-mockery-of-the-ballet”>A Christmas song based on ‘The Nutcracker’ was seen as a mockery of the ballet</h2>
<p id=”par-2_56″>One of the most famous pieces of Christmas music is <a href=”https://www.cheatsheet.com/entertainment/michael-jacksons-thriller-the-nutcracker-inspired-classic-album.html/”>Pyotr Ilyich Tchaikovsky’s <em>The Nutcracker</em></a>. 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 <em>The Nutcracker</em> premiered in 1892, but Tchaikovsky’s music is timeless.</p>
<p id=”par-3_60″>When something is timeless, it can easily be adapted to fit new trends. In 1962, <a href=”https://www.cheatsheet.com/entertainment/mariah-careys-all-i-want-for-christmas-is-you-originally-rock-song.html/?swcfpc=1″>rock ‘n’ roll music</a> 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 <em>The Nutcracker </em>in a rock ‘n’ roll style.</p>
<p id=”par-4_73″>Considering “Nut Rocker” doesn’t even have lyrics, you’d think it would be about as innocuous as a song could possibly be. However, <a href=”https://www.independent.co.uk/arts-entertainment/music/features/unfit-for-auntie-s-airwaves-the-artists-censored-by-the-bbc-765106.html” target=”_blank” rel=”noreferrer noopener”>The Independent</a> 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.”</p>
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<iframe title=”Nut Rocker” width=”925″ height=”694″ src=”https://www.youtube.com/embed/gfYnq-qasiU?feature=oembed” frameborder=”0″ allow=”accelerometer; autoplay; clipboard-write; encrypted-media; gyroscope; picture-in-picture; web-share” referrerpolicy=”strict-origin-when-cross-origin” allowfullscreen></iframe>
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<h2 class=”wp-block-heading” id=”h-what-the-lead-player-on-nut-rocker-thought-about-his-signature-christmas-tune”>What the lead player on ‘Nut Rocker’ thought about his signature Christmas tune</h2>
<p id=”par-5_100″>Al Hazan was the lead player on “Nut Rocker.” During an interview with <a href=”https://spectropop.com/NutRocker/” target=”_blank” rel=”noreferrer noopener”>Spectropop</a>, 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. </p>
<p id=”par-6_65″>“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.”</p>
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<iframe title=”Nutrocker” width=”925″ height=”694″ src=”https://www.youtube.com/embed/Z3rxFZ1sfSk?feature=oembed” frameborder=”0″ allow=”accelerometer; autoplay; clipboard-write; encrypted-media; gyroscope; picture-in-picture; web-share” referrerpolicy=”strict-origin-when-cross-origin” allowfullscreen></iframe>
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<div class=”related-article related-article–simple”>
<span class=”related-article-flag”>Related</span>
<p class=”related-article__title”>
<a href=”https://www.cheatsheet.com/entertainment/everyone-hates-paul-mccartneys-wonderful-christmastime.html/”>
Why Everyone Hates Paul McCartney’s ‘Wonderful Christmastime’ </a>
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<h2 class=”wp-block-heading” id=”h-how-the-trans-siberian-orchestra-reimagined-the-song”>How the Trans-Siberian Orchestra reimagined the song</h2>
<p id=”par-7_48″>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.</p>
<p id=”par-8_40″>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. </p>
<p id=”par-9_17″>The BBC considered banning “Nut Rocker” — but you can’t keep a good Christmas novelty song down.</p>