Here's a question that has bugged me for years: how in God's name did Pillsbury and StoveTop get the rights to the Styne/Comden/Green "Make Someone Happy" (from DO RE MI) and to Sondheim's "Comedy Tonight" (from ...FORUM) and turn them into commercial jingles? How does this happen? Don't the authors have the right to say "no'? And if they do, what in the world were they thinking of???
Broadway Star Joined: 2/21/07
Broadway Legend Joined: 9/16/07
Yes, they have to get permission and I'm sure they pay dearly for it.
Broadway Legend Joined: 2/20/04
Broadway Legend Joined: 3/29/12
Golden Grahams used "Golden Slippers" for their memorable ad campaign in the late 1970s and didn't pay a penny - the song was public domain.
I was watching Golden Girl on television last week and the first song Lotta sings with her dad is Golden Slippers - I had to run out and get a box of Golden Grahams.
Broadway Legend Joined: 3/29/12
This isn't strictly a showtune, but there's a commercial for a Sears Homesense (also here in Canada, of course) to "Get Happy."
The lyrics are:
"Forget your troubles, c'mon get happy
You better chase all your cares today
Come to Homesense, c'mon get happy
Find what you want for less today."
Doesn't get any better than that.
It used to be online, but for now I can only find the script with screencaps--Xerox used a slightly changed Putting It Together around '89
http://legacy.lclark.edu/~soan221/xerox3.html
Sweet Christ, the first thing I thought when I saw this thread was the Cannibal Cop.
Broadway Legend Joined: 2/20/04
The Broadway song thats got to be near the top for "most" use in jingles is "Put On a Happy Face" which has been used to hawk Windex, Walmart, cold sores, and at least a half a dozen things.
And don't forget "Wash that Grey Right Out of your Hair...."
And of course THIS
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=J2UVVxe04pI
Updated On: 3/5/13 at 09:38 PM
That Sears Homesense commercial is the WORST!
It plays constantly and I want to put a bullet into my TV whenever I hear it.
Besides, as they say, it's not a show tune.
I forgot about their Brotherhood of Man Superbowl Commercial with 30 Rock, Community, umm Smash, Whitney, ummm Up All Night... Are You There Vodka....etc... Poor NBC.
Aren't you glad to be, right here on NBC...
A while ago, in planning a sort of "cutaway gag" type joke for a sketch show that would be referenced in passing as a horrible thing one of the characters had done in the past, we discussed what the worst possible song to sing in blackface would be.
"Brotherhood of Man" was pretty near the top of the list.
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