The Proclaimers have been removed from the official Coronation playlist due to their “anti-monarchy views”.
Craig and Charlie Reid – better recognised as The Proclaimers – will no longer feature on the playlist made for the upcoming coronation of King Charles III, which will take place on 6 May at London’s Westminster Abbey.
Originally, their hit track ‘I’m Gonna Be (500 Miles) was included on the 27-song playlist, curated for the event by The Department for Culture, Media and Sport (DCMS), however, has been revoked due to a wave of complaints centering around their “anti-monarchy views”.
As described by the BBC, one of the examples of these views was demonstrated by Charlie Reid last year, after a man in Oxford was arrested for exclaiming “Who elected him?” during a proclamation event for the king in September. Reid weighed in on the moment in an interview, stating: “I thought that guy spoke for me, and he speaks for loads of other people. Not just in Scotland, but right around the UK.”
Additionally, the report also references the duo’s 2007 track, ‘In Recognition’, which they described as a representation of “our overwhelming contempt for people on the left in this country who snipe against the royal family and then end up taking honours”. The song was featured on their seventh studio album, ‘Life With You’.
The duo have yet to comment on the situation.
Described as a way “to celebrate British and Commonwealth artists ahead of the upcoming coronation” by a DCMS spokesperson, the Spotify playlist features a variety of top UK artists, including Queen, David Bowie, The Beatles and Kate Bush. Check out the full list of songs below and listen to the playlist here.
The Official Playlist For The King’s Coronation is:
1. ‘Come Together’ – The Beatles
2. ‘Daddy Cool’ – Boney M.
3. ‘A Sky Full Of Stars’ – Coldplay
4. ‘Let’s Dance’ – David Bowie
5. ‘Celestial’ – Ed Sheeran
6. ‘One Day Like This’ – Elbow
7. ‘Mr. Blue Sky’ – Electric Light Orchestra
8. ‘Starry Eyed’ – Ellie Goulding
9. ‘Starlight’ – Emeli Sandé
10. ‘Dance All Over Me’ – George Ezra
11. ‘Slave To The Rhythm – Hot Blooded Version’ – Grace Jones
12. ‘Treat People With Kindness’ – Harry Styles
13. ‘Running Up That Hill (A Deal With God)’ – Kate Bush
14. ‘Out House’ – Madness
15. ‘It’s A Beautiful Day’ – Michael Bublé
16. ‘All Over The World’ – Pet Shop Boys
17. ‘We Are The Champions’ – Queen
18. ‘People Get Ready’ – Jeff Beck & Rod Stewart
19. ‘SPACE MAN’ – Sam Ryder
20. ‘Gold’ – Spandau Ballet
21. ‘Say You’ll Be There’ – Spice Girls
22. ‘Shine’ – Take That
23. ‘Waterloo Sunset’ – The Kinks
24. ‘Love Reign O’er Me’ – The Who
25. ‘Green Green Grass Of Home’ – Tom Jones
26. ‘King’ – Years & Years
The Proclaimers are not the first artist to be booted from the playlist, however. Previously, UK rapper Dizzee Rascal also had a song taken off the suggested street party soundtrack, due to a conviction last year, that found him guilty of assaulting his former partner.
A spokeswoman from the DCMS reflected on the decision in a statement issued to the BBC in February: “A track featuring Dizzee Rascal was included in error – and as soon as this was identified, it was removed.”
Earlier this month, it was confirmed that artists including Take That, Lionel Richie and Katy Perry were among the names performing at a concert to celebrate the coronation of King Charles III. Scheduled to take place on the grounds of Windsor Castle on May 7, the performance will be held for the King and Queen Consort, as well as 20,000 members of the public in attendance.
The concert will also be broadcast on BBC One, BBC iPlayer, Radio 2 and BBC Sounds.