Volvo Commercial-Winnsboro Cotton Mill Blues

Subject: Review: Volvo Commercial
From: GUEST,Frank Hamiltom
Date: 18 Jan 21 - 08:38 PM

I was somewhat shocked and miffed that Volvo used Pete Seeger's singing "Hard Times in the Cotton Mill" for a commercial. I think Pete would have not liked it. Did some exec or maybe
his kids sell him out?

Subject: RE: Review: Volvo Commercial
From: Stilly River Sage
Date: 18 Jan 21 - 08:48 PM

This was discussed a while back. If we can find that thread, this will be moved to it.

Subject: RE: Volvo Commercial
From: Jeri
Date: 18 Jan 21 - 09:01 PM

I thought the same thing, SRS. I think there was some issue regarding the copyright, and control, or lack thereof.

Subject: RE: Volvo Commercial
From: GUEST,#
Date: 18 Jan 21 - 09:54 PM

Here's the commercial.

https://www.ispot.tv/ad/nQhj/volvo-xc90-everyones-safety-song-by-pete-seeger-t1

Subject: RE: Volvo Commercial
From: GUEST,matt milton
Date: 19 Jan 21 - 04:15 AM

"Did some exec or maybe his kids sell him out?"

A lot of his music is I think out of copyright now. Plus, he recorded so much stuff it's unlikely the Seeger estate has ownership rights to veto or sanction all of it.

Subject: RE: Volvo Commercial
From: Steve Shaw
Date: 19 Jan 21 - 04:32 AM

He hasn't been dead anywhere near long enough though, has he, for the copyright to have expired on any of his recordings? I'm thinking there's something in this that we don't know.

Subject: RE: Volvo Commercial
From: GUEST,#
Date: 19 Jan 21 - 10:26 AM

SRS/Jeri: You may have some luck by looking for 'Winnsboro Cotton Mill Blues'.

Subject: RE: Volvo Commercial
From: GUEST,Rossey
Date: 19 Jan 21 - 12:00 PM

Hi Steve, in the UK/EU, any pre-1963 recording is out of copyright... though the songs often aren't. You can take any such recording and do what the heck you like with it, as long as you pay royalties on the song (if it's a registered copyright arrangement work he sings). They have extended copyright for recordings made after 1963 to 70 years, due to the interests of the Beatles and others (70 years after the death of the author/composer on the song itself - not the recording). The song he sings will have a separate publishing copyright depending on its own status and whether it is a trad. folk ballad etc.

Subject: RE: Volvo Commercial
From: Jeri
Date: 19 Jan 21 - 12:55 PM

The discussion on Mudcat where this was talked about was, I believe, in the last week to ten days. I remember someone involved said the copyright was such that the family had not control over the use of the recording.
We don't need to identify the song, or find lyrics (although others might). That *discussion* is what we're looking for, so if anybody...

Subject: RE: Volvo Commercial
From: Stilly River Sage
Date: 19 Jan 21 - 01:05 PM

And I will say that that commercial plays so often now that I tend to turn it off as soon as I hear the heartbeat of the ultrasound machine. I like Pete but I don't care for the final backing out scene. :)

Subject: RE: Volvo Commercial
From: GUEST,Phil d'Conch
Date: 19 Jan 21 - 01:07 PM

This isn't the first such go 'round either.

There was an even earlier Mudcat discussion involving some Yank conservative AM radio commentator mis-identifying Woody Guthrie or Peter Seeger in an older TV advert.

Or something like it. That was also a car or truck commercial IIRC.

Subject: RE: Volvo Commercial
From: Stilly River Sage
Date: 19 Jan 21 - 01:10 PM

There's a site I discovered on Reddit when I was searching information about a different commercial (I'll save that for a new thread) - so I ran this Volvo one past the same site:

https://www.ispot.tv/ad/nQhj/volvo-xc90-everyones-safety-song-by-pete-seeger-t1

Subject: RE: Volvo Commercial-Winnsboro Cotton Mill Blues
From: Joe Offer
Date: 19 Jan 21 - 01:26 PM

I think it's a great commercial. I'll leave it to the lawyers to work out the copyright permissions and such. The song was on Pete's American Industrial Ballads album, which came out in 1956. The Traditional Ballad Index says the song was collected in 1939 by William Wolff at the School for Southern Women Workers.

Subject: RE: Volvo Commercial-Winnsboro Cotton Mill Blues
From: The Sandman
Date: 19 Jan 21 - 04:26 PM

"Folksongs belong in the home,in the pub,in the focsle,in the back of atruck or a friendly verandah;not in the list of set pieces at an Eisteffod, not in the schoolroom unless as a rare
treat, not between toothpaste advertisements on radio or television.
In the alien atmosphere of the concert hall it takes a great artist to preserve the life and spirit even of his own folksongs let alone those of other people."
J S.Manifold,Queensland 1962[compiler of Penguin Australian folk songs]

he raises some interesting points,that are worthy of discussion.
The appropriate point here relates to advertisements, now, this is not necessarily my opinion, but the opinion of a respected folk song collector

Subject: RE: Volvo Commercial-Winnsboro Cotton Mill Blues
From: Jeri
Date: 19 Jan 21 - 07:19 PM

Phil: Nissan ad. "Take me ridin in my car, car" - Guthrie? I think somebody said it was Pete Seeger, but I only vaguely remember that thread,

(Lyrics up there with Wiggle Wiggle, which only proves they have fun with the songs.)

Subject: RE: Volvo Commercial-Winnsboro Cotton Mill Blues
From: meself
Date: 19 Jan 21 - 08:43 PM

I just feel a little sad and empty whenever I hear Pete S.'s voice singing that song to a car commercial.

Subject: RE: Volvo Commercial-Winnsboro Cotton Mill Blues
From: The Sandman
Date: 20 Jan 21 - 12:21 AM

personally,
i am happier when a song like wellerman which is not sung in a commercial way or is used as a commercial gets exposed to millions of people, than when a song is used for commercial purposes, full stop.
   of course both get to millions of people which is a plus, but the first way of getting maximium exposure, , has got to be a better alternative as the original meaning of the song is not clouded

Subject: RE: Volvo Commercial-Winnsboro Cotton Mill Blues
From: GUEST,guest The Sandman
Date: 20 Jan 21 - 12:48 AM

Jeri
It proves no such thing , it shows they can both be inconsistent, yes it is guthrie,

Subject: RE: Volvo Commercial-Winnsboro Cotton Mill Blues
From: GUEST,#
Date: 20 Jan 21 - 10:38 AM

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jmcrlvNPTJw

Here ya go, Jeri.

Subject: RE: Volvo Commercial-Winnsboro Cotton Mill Blues
From: GUEST,Phil d'Conch
Date: 20 Jan 21 - 03:23 PM

Jeri: Still can't find the thread :/

This Land
Jeep
2015 Super Bowl ($4.5 mil for the montage.)
So must have wrongly 'blamed' Pete instead of Woody.
Glenn Beck???

Subject: RE: Volvo Commercial-Winnsboro Cotton Mill Blues
From: Jeri
Date: 20 Jan 21 - 05:55 PM

Maybe I hallucinated it.
The SuperBowl rings a bell, and I think you're right about Pete vs Woody. Glenn Beck, I don't know about. I don't listen to him on purpose, but someone who posted might have.

Thanks, #. My question mark had to do witb "was this the song?"

Subject: RE: Volvo Commercial-Winnsboro Cotton Mill Blues
From: GUEST,Phil d'Conch
Date: 20 Jan 21 - 11:56 PM

Jeri: Yup. I'm not a consumer of Super Bowls; their commercials or talk radio. First I heard of either fuss was on Mudcat.

Steel yourselves for the first time you hear the muzak covers in the lift.

I think the other conversation may have been drift in a tangent thread and not the subject of of its own.