I was intrigued by the article on Franco’s censors (Songs Franco didn’t want Spain to hear; G2, 18 July) and recall visiting Spain several times from 1967 and into the 70s. The reference to Don McLean’s American Pie was particularly amusing as I bought a copy of this record in Spain (or possibly Andorra), only to discover on my return when I played it that the highly offensive words “the father, son and holy ghost” had been bleeped out. More amusing was the tape recording of the record I played in the car when the kids, singing along, would sing the bleep too! There were also joke postcards around in the 60s and 70s showing hippies queuing at the Spanish border awaiting a tricorn-hatted barber for a very short back and sides and beard trim before being allowed into Spain. We have, thankfully, come a long way since then. Hasta luego.
Alan Napier-Brown
Bristol
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