Who needs the radio?

I was disappointed when my local oldies station changed to “newer” oldies this year. I like their new sound too (rock hits mostly from the mid to late 1970s), but I miss being able to satisfy my mood for pop hits from the mid to late 60s by just pushing preset 4.

Watching TV, however, is now the next best thing. On nearly any night on nearly every channel, I can hear songs from my youth in TV commercials. On some nights there are so many that just playing the TV sound in the background is like listening to the radio. Rather than whining about this phenomenon, as I have in previous posts, I believe I will now just point out the songs from time to time.

In case you aren’t aware of this, a song can’t just be used in a commercial without various levels of permission. Fees are negotiated with and paid to some combination of writers, publishers and performers. The version of the song you hear might be performed by the artist who had the hit (“Rock and Roll” by Led Zeppelin in a Cadillac spot, for example) or by a completely different singer or group (the unnamed female group singing the Steppenwolf classic “Magic Carpet Ride” for Wendy’s Restaurants).

Here is my most recent collection, all heard within the past week …

“I Want You Back,” a 1970 Jackson Five hit, is in a commercial for Total cereal. A young, innocent Michael Jackson sang the original.

“All You Need Is Love” … and VISA! I can’t believe a Beatles song is in a commercial. Oh wait, that’s right, Michael Jackson bought the rights to the Beatles songs. Is he raising funds to pay his legal fees? The Beatles aren’t singing this version, but it is definitely their song.

“Everlasting Love" (When Will I See You Again) by Carl Carlton (1974) in a Pringles commercial.

“Time Of The Season” by the Zombies (1969) in a Sprite spot.

“Itsy Bitsy Teeny Weeny Yellow Polka Dot Bikini” was a 1960 hit by Brian Hyland. The same song by a different artist is now in a commercial for yogurt.

“Celebration” was a 1980/81 hit for Kool & the Gang (celebrate good times, come on ….). I think I’ll test drive a Lincoln-Mercury product, open the window and shout, “yahooooo!”

“Green Onions” was a 1962 hit by Booker T and the MGs, one of their many instrumental hits. During the 1960s, this band also played background on songs by Otis Redding, Sam & Dave, Wilson Pickett and others, and two of their members (Steve Cropper and “Duck” Dunn) performed with Jake and Elroy in the original Blues Brothers movie. This song was heard in “American Graffiti” and now in that Mercedes commercial with flirting Mercedes drivers speeding around a diner.

The Who must be going out of their way to utilize song licensing as a revenue source. Their performances of their songs are in a commercial and two TV shows.
“Magic Bus” (1968) is in a commercial for the Nissan Quest minivan, “Who Are You” (1978) is the theme for C.S.I. and “Won’t Get Fooled Again” (1971) opens CSI: Miami each week.

An insider note about how music radio stations organize their play lists: the music director, with the aid of scheduling software, sequences songs to achieve a balance of styles, tempos and ages, within the context of the overall sound they believe their audience wants to hear. If you played the original versions of the songs above, in the order listed I’ve listed (from “Magic Carpet Ride” through “Magic Bus”), you’d have a representative 30-minute sample of what the afore-mentioned oldies station sounded like at its peak about 5 years ago. Try it on your iPod, CD changer or 8-track player. Or just watch TV tonight.