Will classic rock last for all eternity?

Oak Lawn (IL) Reporter ^ | 4/17/03 | Michael M. Bates

[mikeb704]

Eva Narcissus Boyd was buried in North Carolina earlier this week. The name may not be familiar, but her music certainly is.

Under the name "Little Eva," she recorded "The Locomotion." The song was a giant hit in 1962.

Forty years is a very long time, even if Baby Boomers recall the era as though it were last week. I thought of Little Eva a few of months ago while driving. Her hit was playing on the radio and I wondered how many times I’d heard it over the decades. Surely hundreds of times. Maybe even thousands.

I began conjecturing if "The Locomotion" will still be listened to in yet another 40 years. Given how pervasive 60s music is today, I think there’s a possibility of that happening.

It’s not just on oldies stations. Turn on the TV and chances are you’ll hear 60s music in commercials.

Donovan, the Sunshine Superman, sings "Colours" in a Kohl’s commercial. A Gap ad uses his "Mellow Yellow." The same company features another commercial with The Troggs’ "Love Is All Around." What, you thought "Wild Thing" was their only groovy ditty?

Admittedly, some of the music in TV ads emanated from one hit wonders. Flowers.com runs a spot with "Concrete and Clay," a 1965 hit for the legendary Unit Four + Two. GMC’s Yukon included "Our Day Will Come." The first song released by Ruby and the Romantics, it was also the only one for which the group is remembered. Old Navy used "California Sun," a hit by the Rivieras. The band made the Golden State sound like heaven, which was quite an accomplishment for some Indiana boys who’d never personally been out there a’havin’ fun in that warm California sun.

It’s surprising to me that, given their sheer number and popularity, more Beatles tunes aren’t incorporated in advertising. Possibly it’s because of legal impediments. Michael Jackson has owned the rights to over 200 Beatles songs. Of course, Michael is always busy with either not getting plastic surgery or being named in multimillion-dollar lawsuits, so perhaps he just hasn’t had the time necessary to exploit his ownership.

Another consideration is that some Boomers consider Beatles music sacrosanct. These folks feel disgust with what’s perceived as tawdry commercialization of their heroes’ works. They must have not paid much attention when the group cranked out barkers like "Dig A Pony" just to fill up an album.

The mid-80s marked the first use of a Beatles song in an ad. Lincoln-Mercury had a sound-alike group singing "Help." A couple of years later, Nike featured "Revolution" performed by the Beatles and the company credited it with increased sales. Apple Records sued Nike, but until the case was settled kept employing it.

In the late 90s, Nortel Networks licensed "Come Together" for a new marketing campaign. H&R Block latched on to "Taxman" for commercials last year. Around the same time, an Allstate Insurance ad included "When I’m 64." Julian Lennon performed the tune, which added a nice touch of irony I thought.

Car companies especially look back to the golden age of rock. Steppenwolf does a heavily mixed version of "Magic Carpet Ride" for Dodge Viper. "Unchained Melody" was a 60s hit for the Righteous Brothers and Mercedes Benz incorporated it in a commercial last year. The Kinks’ "You Really Got Me" has been used in other ads for Mercedes Benz.

A song I’ve heard in several commercials is the great "Time Has Come Today" by the Chambers Brothers. It’s pitched beer, cars, and even an investment company.

One advertisement highlights "It’s A Beautiful Morning," a hit for the Young Rascals. The product being sold is Vioxx, an arthritis pill purchased by many Boomers, possibly even the not so young anymore Rascals.

When most of my generation finally leave this vale of tears – if they ever do – maybe then the 60s music will fade away. But what will take its place? The Insane Clown Posse, Eminem, Twisted Sister?

You know, The Locomotion keeps getting better with age.

[Orangedog]

And these old farts are still out on the road(!) What is this, the "Time For Your Medicine Tour"?

[mikeb704]

The Who's 'Overture' is used in an allergy pill commerical

I've seen that. Clarinex, right? Back in the 60s there was an album titled (as I recall) The Who Sells Out.

[Mr. Mojo]

What a coincidence! I saw them in June as well (on the night when Keith Moon sat in on a song or two), and I was also 13 years old. But I sat 17th row center.....still close enough. The highlights of the show (for me) were "Nobody's Fault but Mine", "Sick Again," "The Song Remains the Same" (the opening song), "Kashmir" (Page played his '59 Telecaster on that one), and the 35 Minute "Dazed and Confused."

[God luvs America]

They were the New Yardbirds for barely two months. Only because the old Yardbirds had some concert commitments that had to be met.

[God luvs America]

I have that bootleg, from the Forum when Moon came on stage at the end.

My favorite was "Ten Years Gone" as well as "Kashmir" with the mirror-tile ball.

[mikeb704]

Keith Relf - lead singer of the Yardbirds - died in a strange way. In '76, he was practicing his electric guitar. In the bathtub. Ouch.

[T Minus Four]

60's music ping! :-)

[Orangedog]

10-15 years from now it will be 80's music. God help us all.

Growing up in the 80's wasn't all that bad, even though a lot of the music was. I kind of miss that simpler time, where the only fear I had growing up was of being nuked by the Russians in the middle of the night. The world is a bit more complicated now.

[Orangedog]

Judging by the way the Strolling Bones look, they're already turning to dust.

Whenever I see some these old koots on TV, I can only say one thing: "Ye Gods! Please let me age with some small amount of dignity!"

[Reaganwuzthebest]

I thought rap would be a 3 to 4 year fad, at most. Unfortunately, it looks like it's here to stay.

All I see is the picture of being in some nursing home 50 years from now being forced to listen to that. With any luck Dr. Krevorkian will still be around.

[archy]

When most of my generation finally leave this vale of tears – if they ever do – maybe then the 60s music will fade away. But what will take its place? The Insane Clown Posse, Eminem, Twisted Sister?

The recent cover version of The Smiths tune How Soon Is Now by Russian pop vocalists t.a.T.y would be a contender, I'd think, as are some of Canadian punkette Avril Lavigne, particularly Nobody's Fool and Mobile from her first album. And these are but their firsts, with hopeful features ahead of them...and others.

I can't begin to count the covers of Locomotion that are out there, Kylie Minogie's likely being the best known, though Atomic Kitten and Grand Funk Railroad left credible cover versions behind as well. Little Eva may be gone, and Warren Zevon leaving us as soon as his ride's here, but the music goes on.

-archy-/-

Bobby Vee, Brian Hyland, Little Eva, Johnny Tillotson and Freddy Cannon, September, 2000:

[Remember Ruby Ridge]

I know I will still be listening to (classic) Aerosmith until my dieing day;-)

[csvset]

A cruise ship line is using Iggy Pop's Lust For Life.

[general_re]

No, no - I'm not saying they've "sold out", or whatever. If they can make a few bucks off of Cadillac or whoever, then God bless 'em - America is a wonderful country, I say.

What I am saying is that it's way too soon to say that they'll go down in music history with the Mozarts and Beethovens of the world. The people who grew up with Zep necessarily carry a lot of emotional weight along with the music, which pretty much prevents any neutral perspective on the merits of their music. I think Dave Barry said it best:

But that doesn't matter. What matters is that when I'm singing along to "Shut Down", I'm no longer a middle-aged guy driving to the laundry to pick up my shirts; I'm seventeen, and it's a summer night with tantalizing possibilities of adventure and romance hanging semipalpably in the humid air, and I'm cruising the roads around Armonk, New York, and even though the vehicle I'm cruising in is my mom's Plymouth Valiant station wagon, which boasts the performance characteristics and sex appeal of a forklift, I am feeling good, and I am stomping on the gas pedal (not that this has any measurable effect on my mom's Valiant) and imagining that I'm at the wheel of a Stingray, singing triumphantly along with the Beach Boys as we roar past the Dodge 413...So I don't care how many times I hear "Shut Down", or "Little Deuce Coupe", or "Fun, Fun, Fun". They're always welcome on my radio; I'll go back to that summer night any time.

But there won't be anybody like that left in 50 years - at that point, it'll have to stand or fall on its own merits. All we can do is sort of wait and see how it's received by generations to come...

[archy]

60's music ping! :-)

Tommy Roe, Shirley Reeves, Bobby Vee, Tom, Jeff, Little Eva, Deb Commings, and Robb Columbus, IN, September 2000:

[RightWhale]

Amazing what a drop sixth bass root will do for a tune. Maybe even create a whole industry.

[chnsmok]

Oh my...and I had a crush on Bobby Vee way back then.

[God luvs America]

Could be but all I know is when I listen to "progressive rock" stations in New York Zeppelin is the only group they play the whose band members were born prior to 1970

[Reaganwuzthebest]

I absolutely hate Led Zeppelin after that stupid car commercial constantly blaring it. Time and place and such.

Yeah, know what you mean. I used to be a great fan of U2 till I saw this:

Bono has no shame.

[Villiany_Inc]

Yeah, yeah, you guys were laughing yesterday, but you're gonna be begging to borrow my Sam the Sham and the Pharoahs 8-tracks now...

Little Red Riding Hood was always one of my favorites.

And there is NOTHING wrong with Bad Company!

For the record, Im a Gen-X'er (blech, I hate that term) and I do not listen to M&M&M, Inane Clown Puss, or much of anything else that fraudently trys to pass itself off as music or talent.