China nixes 4 Stones’ songs

The Chinese government has ordered the Rolling Stones to cut four of their best-known hits from next month’s mainland shows.

The band, which is scheduled to perform April 1 in Shanghai and April 4 in Beijing, will not be allowed to play “Brown Sugar,” “Honky Tonk Woman,” “Beast of Burden” or “Let’s Spend the Night Together,” Chen Jixin, head of Beijing Time New Century Entertainment, a concert organizer behind the two China dates, said Wednesday.

The four songs, all of which include sexual references, were originally cut from the mainland release of the band’s “40 Licks” compilation album by China’s culture ministry, Chen said. She said she didn’t know why the government had banned them.