the revolution has been televised

Subject: the revolution has been televised
From: Elmer Fudd
Date: 26 Jun 06 - 11:53 PM

I just heard the strains of The Who's "Magic Bus" wafting in from my living room and started bopping along. Then I looked up at the TV and discovered that the song was emanating from an ad for-- gulp -- a minivan??!!!!

Goddamn. And to think, The Who once had an album satirically entitled "The Who Sell Out." I wonder who owns the rights to their songs.

Anyone else go off the deep end when they hear old rock songs being used for commercials aimed at baby boomers?

Elmer

Subject: RE: the revolution has been televised
From: Liz the Squeak
Date: 27 Jun 06 - 03:39 AM

Not adverts but the present glut of CSI/Special Victims programmes all seem to have a Who track as their themes.... someone has been buying up big time.

LTS

Subject: RE: the revolution has been televised
From: Leadfingers
Date: 27 Jun 06 - 08:40 AM

Who ??

Subject: RE: the revolution has been televised
From: GUEST,leeneia
Date: 27 Jun 06 - 09:22 AM

Now wait. Isn't this a band I saw on the Ed Sullivan show once? The lead singer was tall and anorectic and wore a leather costume with much long fringe which bobulated as he gyrated.

Subject: RE: the revolution has been televised
From: John O'L
Date: 27 Jun 06 - 09:35 AM

Now there's nothing in the street
Looks any different to me
And the slogans are replaced by and bye

And the party on the left
Is now party on the right
And the beards have all grown longer overnight...

Meet the new boss
Same as the old boss

Subject: RE: the revolution has been televised
From: clueless don
Date: 27 Jun 06 - 11:24 AM

Some years back (probably the 1980's), I saw a commercial for a car (some sort of Mercury) that used Mitch Ryder and the Detroit Wheels' version of "Devil with the blue dress". I remember thinking "Hey, they're aiming that commercial at me!"

I don't think they're aiming commercials at me anymore!

Don

Subject: RE: the revolution has been televised
From: Dave the Gnome
Date: 27 Jun 06 - 11:56 AM

The one that realy gets up my snotter is the UK 'Yop' advert for a yoghurt based drink (I think - never buy it because of the ad!) They use the tune of Eddie Grants "Gimme hope, Jo'anna" to advertise yoghurt, for heavens sake! A song that celebrates the sucess of Black South Africa gaining ascendancy being changed to "Gimme Yop, me mamma".

Ad men. Hope they choke on their yuppie drinks...

Cheers

:D (tG)

Subject: RE: the revolution has been televised
From: pdq
Date: 27 Jun 06 - 12:08 PM

In 1986, Michael Jackson allowed the Nike Corporation to use the Beatles' song "Revolution" in one of its TV commercials. Nike's use of "Revolution" was a serious breach of faith since the writer John Lennon would have been strongly opposed to the idea. Neither Paul McCartney nor Yoko Ono were able to do anything to stop Jackson, because he'd successfully outbid them both to acquire the rights to all of the Beatles' songs.

Subject: RE: the revolution has been televised
From: Mooh
Date: 27 Jun 06 - 12:49 PM

Led Zeppelin and GM.

I'm tired and old, push me out of the way.

Sigh...

Peace, Mooh.

Subject: RE: the revolution has been televised
From: Wesley S
Date: 27 Jun 06 - 12:55 PM

Stevie Ray Vaughn's version of "Pride and Joy" for some car commercial ? I sure hope it's putting his kids through college.

Subject: RE: the revolution has been televised
From: Elmer Fudd
Date: 27 Jun 06 - 01:17 PM

Paul McCartney went on record (no pun intended) very passionately about Jackson selling the song "Revolution" for an ad, and how it violated the spirit in which Lennon wrote it.

Subject: RE: the revolution has been televised
From: Skivee
Date: 27 Jun 06 - 01:27 PM

Steppenwolf's "Magic Carpet Ride" is being used for a commercial for a Wendy's restaurant product.
I guess the message is that eating at Wendy's is akin to a hefty drug experience... What would Dave think?
What really toasts my bread is when two or three words phrases are excerpted and repeated endlessly...I,E. "I Got The Power" being used in a daiper commercial showing that your toddler is learning sphincter control.

Subject: RE: the revolution has been televised
From: Sir Roger de Beverley
Date: 27 Jun 06 - 01:31 PM

Paul McCartney got his own back by leasing Buddy Holly's Everyday to advertise frozen peas (and allowed the words to be changed to do it.) What goes around .......

R

Subject: RE: the revolution has been televised
From: Barry Finn
Date: 27 Jun 06 - 01:38 PM

The title of this thread is very close to the tite of a rap "type" recorded by the 'Last Poets' sometime back in the 70's. There title of the song was "The Revolution Won't Be Televised". They basically put their rap type poems to music, all protest material & all extremely well done & well written.
Barry

Subject: RE: the revolution has been televised
From: Dave'sWife
Date: 27 Jun 06 - 01:39 PM

Actually, It's pete you have to balme. He owns the rights and bragged in Rolling Stone aboiut how much selling them for use in aderts was making him and told all of who don't like it to sod off. Seriously, he did. And this was even after the whole child porn thing - my but he's gotten cranky or crass in his older years or both or always was both - dunno.

FYI - I believe they are his rights to do with as he pleases but I didn't buy into him being into kiddie porn, I'm just reporting...

I did think the magic Bus and the minivan was a bit too precious. I wonder if there's any extra ritalin on that magic bus (Don't hit me, please.. my husband takes adderall...)

Subject: RE: the revolution has been televised
From: GUEST,thurg
Date: 27 Jun 06 - 02:18 PM

Thing to remember is that most of these pop/rock stars wrote songs about revolution because they knew they'd sell, not because they had any kind of commitment to social/political change. These guys were as much about making money and getting ahead as any CEO of any big corporation. So we been had. Now, who was it said, "We don't get fooled again"?

Subject: RE: the revolution has been televised
From: Elmer Fudd
Date: 27 Jun 06 - 06:10 PM

Barry, I was riffing on that poem/rap, written by Gil Scott Heron, with the title of this thread. Thanks for bringing it up. The poem can be found here:

THE REVOLUTION WILL NOT BE TELEVISED

Elmer

Subject: RE: the revolution has been televised
From: Brakn
Date: 27 Jun 06 - 06:29 PM

Gil Scott Heron who's father was the first black player to play for Glasgow Celtic. Hail Hail. (thread creep)

Subject: RE: the revolution has been televised
From: GUEST
Date: 27 Jun 06 - 06:37 PM

Hail, Hail????!!! The Celts are here! Further creep!

Subject: RE: the revolution has been televised
From: GUEST
Date: 27 Jun 06 - 06:41 PM

What about the new Vauxhall ad which has it's new model surfing(!) to Lonnie Donegan's Rock Island Line ! What IS that all about?

Subject: RE: the revolution has been televised
From: GUEST,Gerry
Date: 27 Jun 06 - 08:30 PM

1. I went to high school with Gil Scott Heron (but didn't know him).

2. Back in 1970 or so I heard some familiar tune being played as Muzak at the post office where I had a summer job. To my horror, it was Dylan's Hard Rain, all prettified with violins.

Subject: RE: the revolution has been televised
From: Elmer Fudd
Date: 27 Jun 06 - 08:42 PM

Guest.thurg, that's a pretty sweeping generalization about the motivations behind "most of these pop/rock stars who wrote songs." That many of them made lots of money is undeniable, but that most of them wrote such songs for the express purpose of making money in the first place....wellllll......

Do you have a special psychic beam into the brains of "most of these pop/rock stars who wrote songs" and who do not necessarily own the rights to their own songs now, or who own their songs but may have changed their attitudes over the years, or who have more children/former spouses/current spouse/dope dealers/social causes or what-have-you to support now than they did back when they wrote the songs?

Elmer

Subject: RE: the revolution has been televised
From: michaelr
Date: 27 Jun 06 - 08:45 PM

Townshend's "Who Are You" has been used for years as theme music to the immensely popular American TV series "CSI". (Crime Scene Investigators). Wonder how much he got for that.

Subject: RE: the revolution has been televised
From: Effsee
Date: 27 Jun 06 - 09:38 PM

Oo,Oo, Oo, Oo. And why shouldn't he profit from it?

Subject: RE: the revolution has been televised
From: GUEST,thurg
Date: 27 Jun 06 - 10:15 PM

"Do you have a special psychic beam into the brains of "most of these pop/rock stars who wrote songs" and who do not necessarily own the rights to their own songs now, or who own their songs but may have changed their attitudes over the years, or who have more children/former spouses/current spouse/dope dealers/social causes or what-have-you to support now than they did back when they wrote the songs?"

Nope. Just my impression from the bios I've read and seen over the years, and from what I've seen of the music biz. I'm willing to stand corrected. Correct me, somebody.

Subject: RE: the revolution has been televised
From: The Fooles Troupe
Date: 28 Jun 06 - 09:47 AM

You're corrected. Now sit down.

Happy now, thurg?

:-0

Subject: RE: the revolution has been televised
From: Liz the Squeak
Date: 28 Jun 06 - 09:49 AM

michaelr - isn't that more or less what I said in the second post?

LTS

Subject: RE: the revolution has been televised
From: GUEST,thurg
Date: 28 Jun 06 - 10:01 AM

Overjoyed!