1991.10.19 - Billboard - Singapore Bans New GN’R, Prince Sets

Singapore Bans New GN’R, Prince Sets

Ministry Finds Material ‘Objectionable’

■ BY CHRISTIE LEO

SINGAPORE—Guns N’ Roses and Prince have had their latest releases banned by the Ministry of Informa­tion & the Arts here on the grounds of “objectionable themes and pro­fane lyrics.”

But while the record companies are counting their losses as a result of the government’s censorship in­tervention, many record retailers are happy as cash registers ring up sales of parallel imports of the “problem” releases.

Guns N’ Roses were the first ca­sualty when MITA singled out three tracks from “Use Your Illusion II” for allegedly obscene lyrics. “Use Your Illusion I” is not banned and therefore can officially be purchased locally.

Says Steven Tan, BMG managing director, Singapore: “Though the ministry has said we can rerelease the second volume of ‘Illusion’ if we delete the three offending tracks, we prefer to let the matter rest.

We’re certainly not going to edit it, so we won’t be selling it.”

BMG had originally imported 1,000 units of the “Illusion” albums, but withdrew them from sale a day after release when MITA an­nounced its decision to ban the songs. Dealers report brisk, though unspecified, sales of parallel im­ports.

Despite that territory’s even stricter censorship controls, Guns N’ Roses’ album package has been released in Malaysia. The band’s first album, “Appetite For Destruc­tion,” was also banned in Singapore by MITA, but months after its origi­nal release.

And controversy certainly tail­gates Prince in this region, where virtually all of his albums have been indicted for containing “objection­able” tracks. According to Warner Music here, only “Around The World In A Day” was passed with­out deletion or track amendments by the ministry.

Says Peter Lau, Warner Music sales director, “We took all precau­tionary measures to ensure a trou­ble-free release for Prince’s ‘Dia­monds And Pearls’ album by sub­mitting an advance sample tape and copy of the lyrics to MITA a month ago. We’d hoped for good news, but when ‘Gett Off’ was banned, we didn’t let it get to us.”

Now Warner plans to bring out an abridged version of the new Prince package without the lead single. Meanwhile, says Lau, the company is pushing the new single, “Cream,” to radio producers and DJs in the hope that it will stimulate sales.

Lau notes, “Controversy and dis­pute have shrouded Prince here ever since he became a major inter­national act. While he’s not a huge seller in Singapore, his full potential hasn’t yet been tested in this mar­ket.”

Two other acts from the Warner stable, Color Me Bad and Motley Crue, have also run into govern­ment checks on new material.
BMG’s Tan and Warner’s Lau are appealing to the ministry to take firmer measures to ensure that par­allel imports of material officially banned by the government are not allowed on sale in Singapore stores.