To this day, I can still see a Listerine bottle swinging from a vine (because that makes sense) when I hear Baltimora’s, “Tarzan Boy.” Yesh. Let’s see/hear what you remember about music in advertisements.
HOUR ONE:
- THE SMITHS – HOW SOON IS NOW (FEATURED IN CANADA’S LABATT BEER COMMERCIALS AND FOR PEPE JEANS IN 1988)
- MASTER CYLINDER – JUNG AT HEART (USED IN A 2000 VOLKSWAGEN’S COMMERCIAL THROUGH A BOTON AD AGENCY)
- DIRTY VEGAS – DAYS GO BY (FEATURED IN MITSUBISHI’S ECLIPSE COMMERCIAL IN 2003 // DAVE CHAPPEL ALSO USED THE SONG IN A PARODY ON HIS SHOW FEATURING DAVE’S OWN NISSAN 350X CAR)
- MAX HEADROOM – CLASSIC 80’S SPOT FOR COCA-COLA
- DEPECHE MODE – GERMAN VOLKSWAGEN COMMERCIAL FOR PEOPLE ARE PEOPLE FEATURING DAVE GAHAN. CHECK IT OUT!
- DEPECHE MODE – PEOPLE ARE PEOPLE
- DEPECHE MODE – JUST CAN’T GET ENOUGH (USED IN GAP AND STAPLES COMMERCIALS. IT WAS THE FIRST DEPECHE SONG TO BE FEATURED IN A MOVIE – 1982’S SUMMER LOVERS (IT’S ALSO IN AMERICAN HORRO STORY’S FIFTH SEASON ROUND OF SONGS)
- ULTRAVOX – LOVE’S GREAT ADVENTURE (THE RIFFS WERE ACTUALLY CONSTRUCTED FOR A LEVI’S COMMERCIAL BUT THE DEAL FELL THROUGH. ALTHOUGH NEVER RELEASED ON A PROPER STUDIO ALBUM, THE SONG WAS FEATURED IN ULTRAVOX’S 1984 COMPILATION, “THE COLLECTION.”)
- NEW ORDER – BLUE MONDAY (WAS SUPPOSED TO BE USED IN A 1988 SUNKIST COMMERCIAL BUT AFTER NEW ORDER HEARD THE CHANGES MADE TO THE LYRICS, AS IN, “How does it feel
when a new day has begun?
When you’re drinking in the sunshine
Sunkist is the one
When you need a taste for living
Sunkist is the one
NEW ORDER LAUGHED AND DECIDED TO DITCH THE 100-THOUSAND POUND OFFER FROM SUNKIST TO USE THE SONG.)
10. ROYKSOPP – REMIND ME (USED IN GEICO’S “SO EASY A CAVEMAN CAN DO IT” AD CAMPAIGN.
11. THE ORB – FLUFFY LITTLE CLOUDS ( FEATURED IN VOLKSWAGEN “NEW BEETLE” COMMERCIAL IN THE LATE 1990S //THE ORB MADE ITS FIRST LIVE AMERICAN APPEARANCE IN 1991 FOR A HALLOWEEN CLUB NIGHT
12. AIR – SURFING ON A ROCKET (USED IN A NISSAN ARMADA COMMERCIAL)
A trolley advertisement for The Hard Rock Cafe in Boston was a very clear shout out to the Duran Duran song. “Hungry Like The Wolf” was used briefly in a Burger King television commercial until the band (and fans!) made it clear that a fast food joint was not the place to be “cute” with the beloved 80s song.
HOUR TWO:
- PSYCHIC TV – ROMAN P. (FIREBALL MIX) (ROMAN P IS ABOUT THE FILM DIRECTOR ROMAN POLANSKI AND THE FIREBALL MIX WAS USED IN A MID 90’S VOLKSWAGEN COMMERCIAL)
- THE NAILS – 88 LINES ABOUT 44 WOMEN (THE SHOWTIME SERIES, DEXTER, USED THE SONG REWORKED AND RETITLED AS, “26 LINES ABOUT 13 PSYCHOS.” THE NAILS SUED SHOWTIME AND WON. MASSACHUSETTS USED THE SONG IN AN ANTI-DRINKING AD CAMPAIGN AND EVEN THOUGH THE NAILS AGREED WITH THE MESSAGE, THEY SUED AND WON THAT LAWSUIT AS WELL.)
- REVEREND HORTON HEAT – EAT STEAK (FEATURED IN BOSTON MARKET ADS TO INTRODUCE NEW MEAT ITEMS TO THEIR MENU BUT THE MUSIC DID NOT FEATURE HOW THE COWS BECAME BEEF — INCLUDING THE LYRICS,
Look at all the cows in the slaughterhouse yard
Gotta hit’em in the head, gotta hit’em real hard
4. VIOLENT FEMMES – BLISTER IN THE SUN (USED IN WENDY’S FAST FOOD COMMERCIAL. GORDON GANO OF THE FEMMES OKAY’D THE PROJECT BUT BASSIST, BRIAN RITCHIE, SUED SAYING THE FAST FOOD IMAGERY ASSOCIATED WITH THE SONG WAS BAD AND THE SONG SHOULD NOT BE HIJACKED. AN INSTRUMENTAL VERSION OF THE SONG WAS FEATURED IN A 2012 HEWLETT PACKARD COMMERCIAL)
5. THEY MIGHT BE GIANTS – YEH YEH (YEH YEH IS A COVER OF A 1964 MONGO SANTAMARIA SONG // THE TMBG VERSION WAS USED IN A CRYSLER CAR COMMERCIAL)
6. TOSCA – CHOCOLATE ELVIS (THE SONG SAMPLES MUDDY WATER’S SONG,” “MANNISH BOY” AND WAS FEATURED IN A PONTIAC VIBE COMMERCIAL)
7. THIEVERY CORPORATION – COMING FROM THE TOP (FROM DOCKERS COMMERCIAL)
8. TONES ON TAIL – GO! ( FROM A STARBURST COMMERCIAL AND A 2008 FORD MOTOR COMPANY COMMMERCIAL FOR THEIR MERCURY MARINER.)
9. STEREOLAB – PARSEC (FEATUED IN A 1998 VOLKSWAGEN “NEW BEETLE – LESS FLOWER, MORE POWER” AD CAMPAIGN)
10. FLAMING LIPS – DO YOU REALIZE?? (THE SONG WAS IMSPIRED BY THE DEATH OF A FRIEND AND QUESTIONS THE VERY NATURE OF HUMAN EXISTENCE. THE SONG HAS BEEN USED IN ADVERTISEMENTS FOR MITSUBISHI AND HEWLETT-PACKARD. IN 2009, IT WAS NAMED THE OFFICIAL SONG OF OKLAHOMA.
11. GROOVE ARMADA – AT THE RIVER (THE SONG WAS BASED ON PATTI PAGE’S 1957 SONG ABOUT A MASSACHUSETTS VACATION GETAWAY TITLED, “OLD CAPE COD.” GROOVE ARMADA’S VERSION WAS USED IN 2006 ADS BY MARK’S AND SPENCER’S – A UK RETAILER.)
12. SHARON JONES & THE DAP KINGS – 100 DAYS AND 100 NIGHTS USED IN A 2015 FITBIT COMMERCIAL. THE DOCUMENTARY ABOUT SHARON, “MISS SHARON JONES,” IS OUT NOW AND FEATURES SHARON’S LIFE INCLUDING HER BATTLE WITH BREAST CANCER AND HER COMEBACK SOLO WORK.)
13. LEONARD COHEN – EVERYBODY KNOWS (RECENTLY COHEN HAS ANNOUNCED, HE’S “READY TO DIE.” A COUPLE OF WEEKS AGO SUBCULTURE PLAYED HIS NEW SONG (YOU WANT IT DARKER) THAT WAS RELEASED ON HIS 82ND BIRTHDAY AND MADE NOTE THAT ANOTHER LEGEND RELEASED AN ALBUM EARLIER THIS YEAR ON HIS BIRTHDAY AND DIED TWO DAYS LATER. IT WAS SUPPOSED TO BE AN OBSERVATION. WE’RE STILL HOPING COHEN’S COMMENT WAS JUST A FIGURE OF SPEECH. HIS NEW ALBUM IS DUE OUT OCTOBER 21st. LEONARD’S SONG, EVERYBODY KNOWS, WAS RECORDED IN 1988 AND USED IN 2008 BY THE NEW SOUTH WALES GOVERNMENT IN AUSTRALIA AS A NON-SMOKING AD.)
Subculture: Fridays 8-10p EST USA on 103.3fm, WXOJ – Valley Free Radio in Northampton, MA or live online @ valleyfreeradio.org // Encore show Sunday AMs from 12-2 // Facebook: subculturema // Request line: 413.585.1033 // email: subculture@valleyfreeradio.org
Subculture 