The Southern Ontario/WNY Radio-TV Forum / "Black Day In July" Anniversary. Was The Song Censored On Radio?

**Posted by RadioActive** July 23, 2025 10:26 am

No one could have foreseen that what happened on July 23rd, back in 1967, would result in an epic CanCon song by one of this country's most famous troubadours. But Gordon Lightfoot was inspired to write his famous "Black Day In July," based on the infamous riots that rocked Detroit that day in the somewhat ironically named "Summer of Love."

Exactly 58 years later, how many know the history of how it all started? You can find out the origins here.

According to Songfacts, the Lightfoot tune immediately took off but was banned on many stations in 30 states because of its controversial subject matter. Am I right in assuming it got played on CKLW but maybe not on some Detroit Top 40 outlets? I'm pretty sure CHUM played it, as well.

**Posted by mace** July 23, 2025 10:53 am

Black Day in July spent 10 weeks on the CHUM Chart from March 18-May 20, 1968. It peaked at #17. It never charted or even made it to Hitbound on CKLW. The song also did not chart on either the Hot 100 or Bubbling Under the Hot 100 chart.

**Posted by maybo** July 23, 2025 10:57 am

Memory is fuzzy but it seems to me that the release came just days before MLK was assassinated. I believe that convinced many U-S stations to ban the song, as riots were starting to break out. I was living in London at the time, and a year later, I played my 45 of BDIJ to a few Detroiters who were visiting. They had never heard it.

**Posted by mace** July 23, 2025 1:05 pm

maybo wrote:
Memory is fuzzy but it seems to me that the release came just days before MLK was assassinated. I believe that convinced many U-S stations to ban the song, as riots were starting to break out. I was living in London at the time, and a year later, I played my 45 of BDIJ to a few Detroiters who were visiting. They had never heard it.

You could be correct about that. The Canadian release of the single probably happened in early March with its debut on the CHUM Chart happening in the middle of the month. The U.S. release could have happened at the end of March or very early April, with MLK being shot on April 4.

**Posted by Lorne** July 23, 2025 2:09 pm

The 45cat.com listing for the US single shows a release date for it of March 1968, with the notes section indicating that it was reviewed in the Billboard issue of March 30 and the Cashbox issue of April 6. It also includes the following comment: "The Gordon Lightfoot song 'Black Day In July' was about the race riots in Detroit during July '67. Released in March '68, just a matter of days before Martin Luther King's assassination on April 4th 1968, many radio stations refused to play it fearing the lyrics might have incited further violence."

**Posted by RadioActive** July 23, 2025 2:21 pm

Hit the CHUM Chart Top 50 at #45 on March 18, 1968.

(Chart courtesy CHUM Tribute Site.)

**Posted by Binson Echorec** July 23, 2025 3:10 pm

mace wrote:
maybo wrote:
Memory is fuzzy but it seems to me that the release came just days before MLK was assassinated. I believe that convinced many U-S stations to ban the song, as riots were starting to break out. I was living in London at the time, and a year later, I played my 45 of BDIJ to a few Detroiters who were visiting. They had never heard it.
You could be correct about that. The Canadian release of the single probably happened in early March with its debut on the CHUM Chart happening in the middle of the month. The U.S. release could have happened at the end of March or very early April, with MLK being shot on April 4.

I can't seem to locate a proper date for the single release, all I can find is "1968". The album that contained BDIJ, "Did She Mention My Name?" was released in January 1968 according to Wikipedia. A single release could have happened on either side of that date (likely after for BDIJ) so maybe memories aren't as fuzzy as once thought.

**Posted by Lorne** July 23, 2025 4:10 pm

I've generally found the info at 45cat.com to be very accurate, but here's another source that also gives the release date for the single as March 1968.
https://secondhandsongs.com/performance/26703

**Posted by Dial Twister** July 23, 2025 5:53 pm

Some interesting takes...

https://vancouversignaturesounds.com/hits/black-day-july-gordon-lightfoot/

https://www.songfacts.com/facts/gordon-lightfoot/black-day-in-july

https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/1967_Detroit_riot

https://www.cbc.ca/news/entertainment/lightfoot-detroit-riots-sculpture-1.3672493

**Posted by mace** July 24, 2025 8:09 am

Dial Twister wrote:
Some interesting takes...

https://vancouversignaturesounds.com/hits/black-day-july-gordon-lightfoot/

https://www.songfacts.com/facts/gordon-lightfoot/black-day-in-july

https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/1967_Detroit_riot

https://www.cbc.ca/news/entertainment/lightfoot-detroit-riots-sculpture-1.3672493

The first article says that Black Day In July peaked at #9 in Toronto. Not at CHUM. #17 on the May 6, 1968 chart. CKFH? Possibly. But this was when the station had their mimeographed #2-36 chart which I don't think were ever distributed to area record stores. FH would mail me a copy when I phoned them each week. I still have a few from June and July of 68.