Week 35/36 - Commercials - Mp3 Comp.

Note: The Commercials mp3 compilation is available once more as from 2010!

So, we’re off again.

No one seems to know anything about The Nilsmen. According to the backside text they were not only extremely talented but also asked to create a Winston sound by a group of Winston executives visiting Sweden: a land in which modern rationalism and overwhelming scenic beauty match in perfect harmony. Really? The single are from France and as far as the Nilsmen being Swedish we aren’t quite convinced. Anyway it’s a good track which makes smoking seem like fun again and a nice cover as well.

Loads of bands have done spots for Coca Cola, no surprise there as they can afford it. Our favourite take has to be the one with that welsh bull: Tom Jones and the one with a teenage Alex Chilton.
Ravi Shankar doing an anti-drug spot, why didn’t he tell the Beatles about this? What really happens to that yellow stuff on your teeth? Where does it go? Does Pepsodent really help? We keep pondering on these vital issues as we leave you with four rare radio promotion spots of some favourite bands LPs.

There seems to be basically three ways to go at it when doing product music. Either use a well known band and create credibility on that or rearrange a well known song or make your own song and hope it sticks. Take, for instance, Charlie Rich's song 'The Most Beautiful Girl in the World' and just replace "girl" for "wash" and you have a song for detergent. Or let the new recruits for cosmetic sales go marching in instead of the saints. Or take a popular dance song and twist it like Frito or just do your own dance song like 7-11. It’s not always that easy to do your own song often it fails on just ending up sounding joyously dumb, like 'Up Came Oil'. The big car manufacturers fares a bit better, like Fords two little ditties.

But no one comes near the high standards of Chevrolet who released one of the best car promotion songs in 1965: 'SS-396', as performed by Paul Revere & the Raiders. This song was penned by Lou Adessa and Vince Benay. A couple who earlier that year wrote what has to be the crowning glory of product music: 'Chevrolet Sings of Safe Driving and You'. Performed by some unknown studio band this album actually wants to show you not only the greatness of driving Chevrolet but also that the company really cares about you and how you drive. Given away for free by Chevrolet dealers it’s full of teary eyed and earnest songs and even a bit catchy now and then. A masterpiece in its genre, listen and learn (yes, it’s the whole LP).


1. The Nilsmen – Le Winston
2. Tom Jones – Coca Cola
3. The Who – Coca Cola
4. The Who – Great Shakes
5. The Box Tops – Coca Cola
6. Left Banke – Hertz Rent-A-Car
7. Left Banke – Toni Hairspray
8. Electric Prunes – Vox Wah Wah
9. Ravi Shankar – Anti-Drug Propaganda
10. 1966 Plymouth Barracuda
11. Batman Merchandise
12. Pepsodent
13. Sex Machine – Club Spot on WHAT Radio Station
14. Velvet Underground – White Light White Heat LP Promo
15. Velvet Underground – 3rd LP Promo
16. Ventures – Hawaii Five-O LP Promo
17. Thirteenth Floor Elevators – Bull of the Woods LP Promo
18. Bold Detergent - The Most Beautiful Girl in the World
19. Mary Kay Cosmetics – The New Recruits Go Marching In
20. Fritos - The Frito Twist
21. 7-11 - Dance The Slurp
22. Exxon - Up Came Oil
23. Ford Motor Company - Tractor Drivin' Man
24. Ford Motor Company - Standing On The Corner
25. Paul Revere & The Raiders - SS-396

'Chevrolet Sings of Safe Driving and You':
26. An Exciting Thing (Driving A Car)
27. Grown-up Baby (Driving Psychology)
28. Cities and Towns (Driving in City and Heavy Traffic)
29. Nowhere Fast (Observance and Enforcement)
30. Gentle Things (Adverse Driving Conditions)
31. Putting the Pedal Down (When To Brake)
32. The Natural Laws (Laws of Motion)
33. Man-Made Laws (Common Sense Driving)

Download> Commercials here (46 Mb Zip file at files.ww)
or
Download> Commercials here (46 Mb Zip file at MediaFire)


* Get the artwork by clicking the image above.
Note: Only front cover.

Next week we start the BIG Christmas countdown - trust us when we say that you don’t want to miss it.
Santa will be coming around this year with hefty packages.

Updated: Magnus informs us that the Nilsmen really are Swedish after all. Thanks Magnus.