ENTITY · LAW POLICY

BBC broadcast ban on Max Romeo's 'Wet Dream' (1969)

Well supported

Public record: Max Romeo's 1969 single 'Wet Dream', an early example of reggae 'slackness', was refused airplay by the BBC in the United Kingdom over its sexually suggestive lyrics, yet the record still reached the UK singles Top 10 (Wikipedia; NationalWorld obituary coverage).

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At a glance

Type: law policy →
Era: Rocksteady, reggae and dub →
Confidence: Well supported

Connections

Media & sources

Articles & sources

Open source ↗

Max Romeo recalls the 'Wet Dream' era

WEB · rights discovery only · press source

Jamaica Star archive reference.

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In stories

Story · Well supportedSmutty songs and the respectable ear

From mento's bawdy word-play to a BBC-banned reggae hit, Jamaican music kept colliding with the politics of decency.

Debate & reception

How people argued about the music — praise, criticism and public debate. See all debate & reception →

debate

'Wet Dream' and the BBC ban: protecting decency or prudish overreach?

Two documented positions on the 1969 BBC ban of Max Romeo's hit: the broadcaster framed it as protecting decency over an overtly suggestive lyric, while critics called it prudish overreach that ignored a Jamaican tradition of innuendo, and the record charted regardless. Neutral framing; no verdict. Sources: Jamaica Star archive; Jamaica Gleaner archive.

Stance: protecting broadcast decency vs prudish censorship of a Jamaican innuendo tradition