© 2024 WOSU Public Media
Play Live Radio
Next Up:
0:00
0:00
0:00 0:00
Available On Air Stations
Classical 101

You Can Hum Along to These TV Commercials

The 1970s and 80s, and to some extent today, were good times for the partnership between Madison Avenue and the arts. A lot of big names in music hawked products on the air. Usually banks or credit cards, but there's also coffee and God Bless us, booze. A few artists make it a contractual point that their commercial appearances will not be shown in the United States. However, they were fair game everywhere else. Let's watch. First, a follow-up to a famous commercial of the 60s, featuring "The Maxwell House Wife." You couldn't do that today. In 1991 the lady switched brands and was glammed up. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UYQb_bzUDgg There was a much funnier version of this commercial I can't find. Why it was redone and sobered up I'll never know. The card doesn't seem to be so much fun. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xCnjLYSiac8 Here's Pavarotti again complete with outtakes. God rest his soul. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-INN2eBecz0 Check out these tats! http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gwuCe-X0TWE And here we are in Japan. This lady has rock star status in the Orient. The song is about a young girl hiding in the poplars to meet her lover, De los alamos vengo, madre. (Don't tell Mama) http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=AMyjjK-kplY No underwear or deodorant commercials yet. Stay tuned.

Christopher Purdy is Classical 101's early morning host, 7-10 a.m. weekdays. He is host and producer of Front Row Center – Classical 101’s weekly celebration of Opera and more – as well as Music in Mid-Ohio, Concerts at Ohio State, and the Columbus Symphony broadcast series. He is the regular pre-concert speaker for Columbus Symphony performances in the Ohio Theater.