Accordion/Melodeon on UK Television Ad

Subject: Accordion/Melodeon on UK Television Ad
From: GUEST,Ruston Hornsby
Date: 30 Jan 07 - 02:03 PM

Does anyone know what the origins are - i.e. who's playing it and what it is - of the accordion or melodeon music currently being used in the UK for the Seven Seas Cod Liver Oil commercial? Of course it could all be just computer, but.......just curious.

Subject: RE: Accordion/Melodeon on UK Television Ad
From: greg stephens
Date: 30 Jan 07 - 02:28 PM

I remember an ad a while ago that had Bob Roberts playing the melodeon ( Maggie May I think), but whether that was the same one I don't know. I can't remember what the ad was for.

Subject: RE: Accordion/Melodeon on UK Television Ad
From: Geoff the Duck
Date: 31 Jan 07 - 08:29 AM

No idea who may be playing. It definitely seems that somebody had deliberately written a tune to sound "a bit like" Captain Pugwash, though. I suspect it is a pastiche written specifically for the advert.
Quack!
GtD.

Subject: RE: Accordion/Melodeon on UK Television Ad
From: Les from Hull
Date: 31 Jan 07 - 09:06 AM

Seven Seas Cod Liver Oil - another fine product from the City of Hull!

Subject: RE: Accordion/Melodeon on UK Television Ad
From: Strollin' Johnny
Date: 31 Jan 07 - 12:28 PM

Are you sure you're from 'Ull Les? You can't even ptonounce it properly! 'Ull with a haitch - I reckon you're one of them southern pansies! LOL! :-)

Subject: RE: Accordion/Melodeon on UK Television Ad
From: GUEST,Ruston Hornsby
Date: 31 Jan 07 - 12:47 PM

Thanks for the comments so far, I think Geoff may very well be right in that it certainly ends like Captain Pugwash (Trumpet Hornpipe?)- it's a neat bit of playing though, if it's on a squeezebox of some description. I wonder who's behind it?

Incidentally Les, "ANOTHER fine product" from Hull? What else has there been then?

Subject: RE: Accordion/Melodeon on UK Television Ad
From: Les from Hull
Date: 31 Jan 07 - 01:09 PM

Modesty prevents.

Subject: RE: Accordion/Melodeon on UK Television Ad
From: Brian Hoskin
Date: 01 Feb 07 - 08:15 AM

You can view the advert online here

Subject: RE: Accordion/Melodeon on UK Television Ad
From: Alec
Date: 01 Feb 07 - 08:23 AM

The theme from Captain Pugwash was indeed "Trumpet Hornpipe" and it was recorded in a front room in Harbottle by Tommy Edmondson.
This is all but completely irrelevant to the original question but I just thought I'd share it with you. :-)

Subject: RE: Accordion/Melodeon on UK Television Ad
From: Banjo-Flower
Date: 01 Feb 07 - 08:43 AM

Have you learnt it yet Mike?

Gerry

Subject: RE: Accordion/Melodeon on UK Television Ad
From: GUEST,padgett
Date: 01 Feb 07 - 09:57 AM

Isn't it a concertina he seems to be playing?

A lot of chords seems to be a foreign young lad shown on the advert if I have the right ones! walking down a sea path to the beach or something

Ray

Subject: RE: Accordion/Melodeon on UK Television Ad
From: Marje
Date: 01 Feb 07 - 11:55 AM

I agree with Geoff, it's probably a pastiche composed especially for the advert. It starts out like a speeded-up morris tune and ends up very like the Trumpet Hornpipe (Pugwash). It's not just one instrument, there's clearly a drum, or drum machine, and maybe something else going on as well as the melodeon (which is what the squeezebox sounds like to me).

I often wonder whether the advert-makers realise that if they make the music too interesting, people like me are too busy listening to the music to hear what's being said over it.

Marje

Subject: RE: Accordion/Melodeon on UK Television Ad
From: Bernard
Date: 01 Feb 07 - 02:22 PM

The instrument sounds more like a musette accordion... there aren't really any characteristic melodeon twiddles, and there's definitely an accordion bass in the background.

I'd agree the tune has been cobbled up for the advert to sound a bit like Trumpet Hornpipe without actually being it - you can play Trumpet Hornpipe along with it, and it fits -ish.

Subject: RE: Accordion/Melodeon on UK Television Ad
From: Cats
Date: 01 Feb 07 - 02:54 PM

I've e mailed them to ask who and what. IF they reply I'll post it here.

Subject: RE: Accordion/Melodeon on UK Television Ad
From: GUEST,Ruston Hornsby
Date: 01 Feb 07 - 02:54 PM

No, Gerry, I've not learnt it yet....it'd be an interesting prospect on the 1-row. Would I need to have some cod liver oil first, I wonder?

Subject: RE: Accordion/Melodeon on UK Television Ad
From: Schantieman
Date: 01 Feb 07 - 02:57 PM

Maybe you could oil the levers?

Steve

Subject: RE: Accordion/Melodeon on UK Television Ad
From: McGrath of Harlow
Date: 01 Feb 07 - 03:31 PM

It'd be better without that bloke talking over it. Just the fish and the music.

Subject: RE: Accordion/Melodeon on UK Television Ad
From: bubblyrat
Date: 01 Feb 07 - 03:37 PM

Did you know they can"t show "Captain Pugwash" in OZ ?? Well,not with the word "Pugwash" in it,as it means "Blow-job" down under !!---Perhaps the music is "The Strumpet Hornpipe " ??

Subject: RE: Accordion/Melodeon on UK Television Ad
From: oggie
Date: 01 Feb 07 - 03:44 PM

"ANOTHER fine product" from Hull? What else has there been then?"

AIRFIX kits

Humbrol paints

Reckitt and Coleman's almost anything

Oh, and the Artificial Hips we may all end up needing!

All the best

oggie

Subject: RE: Accordion/Melodeon on UK Television Ad
From: The Borchester Echo
Date: 01 Feb 07 - 03:51 PM

Blimey!
Pugwash

Subject: RE: Accordion/Melodeon on UK Television Ad
From: Banjo-Flower
Date: 01 Feb 07 - 04:43 PM

Two spoonfuls every night Mike and you'll be playing like a good 'un(or doing something like a good'un)

Gerry

Subject: RE: Accordion/Melodeon on UK Television Ad
From: The Fooles Troupe
Date: 02 Feb 07 - 12:35 AM

"Did you know they can"t show "Captain Pugwash" in OZ ?? Well,not with the word "Pugwash" in it,as it means "Blow-job" down under !!"

What a great pity that no-one ever told ABC TV management - they've shown it many times.

Subject: RE: Accordion/Melodeon on UK Television Ad
From: GUEST,Geoff the Duck
Date: 02 Feb 07 - 05:03 AM

The whole "Rude things in Pugwash" is a load of tripe invented after the series had stopped being shown. Of course, because it was not being shown, you could not say to people - "listen to this" and prove that the names were not the ones being quoted.
I am amazed that it is still doing the rounds, as Pugwash has been out on video for at least 15 years by now and we an all hear that the cabin boy is Tom, the mate is Master Mate, Barnaby and Willie are the crew and Cut Throat Jake is still a hairy nasty piece of work.
Quack!
GtD.

Subject: RE: Accordion/Melodeon on UK Television Ad
From: Scrump
Date: 02 Feb 07 - 06:09 AM

I often wonder whether the advert-makers realise that if they make the music too interesting, people like me are too busy listening to the music to hear what's being said over it.

I agree, and I often find the same in Tv dramas or movies, when they are playing music in the background. Sometimes I miss all the dialogue because I'm straining to hear an old song I know being played in the distance.

And some advertisers make the adverts so off the wall that it's difficult to even tell what the product is they are trying to sell - is it a car? Insurance? Some sort of instant microwaveable food?

Subject: RE: Accordion/Melodeon on UK Television Ad
From: Les from Hull
Date: 02 Feb 07 - 07:11 AM

I hope that the interest shown in the advert doesn't divert from the product. Seven Seas seem to be a good company, not least because they sponsored the 'Hull Fish Pavement', s sculpture trail through the Old Town of Hull which has engaged the interest of a number of visitors to Hull.

Have a look!

Subject: RE: Accordion/Melodeon on UK Television Ad
From: Fliss
Date: 02 Feb 07 - 07:35 AM

Takes you to the add. Think its Griff Rhys Jones voiceover.
http://www.codliveroil.co.uk/home/index.htm

I had already thought it sounds a nice tune for me to learn on concertina.

Theyve only nicked the last little bit from Pugwash tune...which I can more or less play.

Subject: RE: Accordion/Melodeon on UK Television Ad
From: Scrump
Date: 02 Feb 07 - 08:11 AM

I wonder why they didn't use Cod Liver Oil (the song, or its tune) to accompany the ad? That would be more appropriate for the product, and would not 'divert from the product' to use Les' phrase.

In its present form the ad risks the disapproval of the PC brigade, who might draw attention to the (wrongly attributed) unsavoury aspects of the Captain Pugwash cartoon strips (the characters originally appeared in a UK boys' comic in the 1950s) and animated TV shows. The PC brigade would probably not care whether or not these allegations about the good Captain are true, and would most likely have the ad banned without further ado.

Cod Liver Oil and Orange Juice would be an alternative, although the Orange Juice part would be superfluous and would dilute the message the company is trying to get across.

Subject: RE: Accordion/Melodeon on UK Television Ad
From: McGrath of Harlow
Date: 02 Feb 07 - 11:38 AM

I've got an idea Captain Pugwash was on TV before the comic strip rather than after it had appeared - the John Ryan character who featured in Eagle before that was Harris Tweed, Special Agent"- Whjo is also shown here.

Mind yoou, Harris Tweed was essentially the same character. So was John Ryan's Cardinal Grotti, who appeared for years in The Catholic Herald.

Subject: RE: Accordion/Melodeon on UK Television Ad
From: Scrump
Date: 02 Feb 07 - 11:46 AM

You could be right, McGrath. Of course I'm far too young to remember for sure :-)

Yes, both Harris Tweed and Captain Pugwash were blundering pompous fools who got into trouble, and were only saved from ignominy by their respective more intelligent boy assistants, and then took all the credit for it themselves. As you rightly say, they were very similar characters. I didn't know about Cardinal Grotti though, thanks for pointing him out.