A beach bar singer on the Isle of Wight has been arrested for performing the song Kung Fu Fighting. Simon Ledger stands accused of racially aggravated harassment.
He was entertaining a crowd enjoying the Easter sunshine when a man reported to be of Chinese origin took offence at the lyrics and complained to police.
Mr Ledger was subsequently interviewed and is now facing formal charges.
Over the years, IÂ’ve made a decent living lampooning the lunacy of modern policing.
But this case takes the crispy pancake, even though there was plenty of competition from police forces all over Britain yesterday.
Kung Fu Fighting was a one-hit wonder 37 years ago for Carl Douglas. It sold nine million copies around the world and was number one on both sides of the Atlantic.
Carl Douglas would appear on stage wearing martial arts gear and a red headband, accompanied by an assortment of dancers doing karate kicks and chops. For a couple of months in 1974 there was no escape. The tune is irritatingly catchy, the lyrics banal.
‘There was funky Chinamen from funky Chinatown . . .Â’ You get the gist. ItÂ’s a novelty song on a par with Wombling Merry Christmas, which also topped the charts the same year.
But no one, until now, has accused Kung Fu Fighting of being racist. Carl Douglas is Jamaican and the record was produced by the Anglo-Indian disco arranger Biddu.
So what in heavenÂ’s name were the Isle of Wight Plod thinking when they decided to arrest Mr Ledger, who has included the song in his act for years? They maintain they had no option but to investigate the complaint. Under the law passed by Labour the definition of a ‘hate crimeÂ’ is: ‘Any incident . . . which is perceived by the victim or any other person (my italics) as being motivated by prejudice or hate.Â’
Read more: Kung Fu Fighting racist row: Death of common sense, police are losing the plot | Mail Online
He was entertaining a crowd enjoying the Easter sunshine when a man reported to be of Chinese origin took offence at the lyrics and complained to police.
Mr Ledger was subsequently interviewed and is now facing formal charges.
Over the years, IÂ’ve made a decent living lampooning the lunacy of modern policing.
But this case takes the crispy pancake, even though there was plenty of competition from police forces all over Britain yesterday.
Kung Fu Fighting was a one-hit wonder 37 years ago for Carl Douglas. It sold nine million copies around the world and was number one on both sides of the Atlantic.
Carl Douglas would appear on stage wearing martial arts gear and a red headband, accompanied by an assortment of dancers doing karate kicks and chops. For a couple of months in 1974 there was no escape. The tune is irritatingly catchy, the lyrics banal.
‘There was funky Chinamen from funky Chinatown . . .Â’ You get the gist. ItÂ’s a novelty song on a par with Wombling Merry Christmas, which also topped the charts the same year.
But no one, until now, has accused Kung Fu Fighting of being racist. Carl Douglas is Jamaican and the record was produced by the Anglo-Indian disco arranger Biddu.
So what in heavenÂ’s name were the Isle of Wight Plod thinking when they decided to arrest Mr Ledger, who has included the song in his act for years? They maintain they had no option but to investigate the complaint. Under the law passed by Labour the definition of a ‘hate crimeÂ’ is: ‘Any incident . . . which is perceived by the victim or any other person (my italics) as being motivated by prejudice or hate.Â’
Read more: Kung Fu Fighting racist row: Death of common sense, police are losing the plot | Mail Online