Black Oldies Find New Life In TV Commercials

Jet, Sept 13, 1999

Jazz great Louis Armstrong urges people to come to enjoy the beauty of Missouri in the TV commercial that features his song, Up The Lazy River.

Armstrong is the perfect choice for the commercial for the Missouri Division of Tourism.

His warm, rich, engaging and distinctive voice is making a growing number of people visit the state, a spokesman said. It also is credited in an increase of calls from people looking for a nice vacation spot.

More and more old tunes originally recorded by Black artists are finding new life in TV commercials. They may be the tunes of yesterday, but they have become the top tunes for today's TV jingles.

These Black "oldies but goodies" are being used to sell everything from hamburgers to jeans to cars.

Some of the tunes used are the original recordings. Most of them, however, are remakes that sound strikingly like the original versions.

A remake of Johnny Mathis' 50s Chances Are is used in a popular commercial for Taco Bell, the Mexican fast-food restaurant.

Marvin Gaye's '70s tune Let's Get It On, a song about sensuality and romance, is now being used to sell Levi jeans.

Peaches and Herb's '80s dance tune Shake Your Groove Thing is used in an Old Navy clothing store commercial to pitch fleece vests and features the twin TV actresses Tia and Tamera Mowry.

The voice of Queen of Soul Aretha Franklin can be heard singing about Tommy Hilfiger's new fragrance, Freedom. The commercial uses the chorus of Franklin's '60s hit Think in which she sings about "freedom, freedom, freedom."

Sly and the Family Stone is getting Everyday People to buy the Camry in the company's popular commercial while Curtis Mayfield's Superfly is celebrating the smooth, cool ride of the Mitsubishi Montero sports vehicle.

Godfather of Soul James Brown's 1965 hit I Feel Good, once a song about being in love, is being used to sell a laxative in TV ads.

Companies are reaching out for these oldies simply because the songs are good and have stood the test of time, experts note.

These oldies touched the soul of America years ago and still hold a place in the hearts of music lovers everywhere.

These songs spark fond memories among the baby boomers generation who were young when the songs were first recorded and companies are banking that the tunes might inspire them to buy the product.

Companies are also reaching out for the Black consumer market and realize that with $391 billion in earnings in 1997, Black households significantly increased their spending on personal items, according to "The Buying Power of Black America," compiled by Target Market News.

Another favorite in TV commercials, is veteran songstress Nina Simone whose hit My Baby Just Cares For Me is sending women to department stores to purchase Chanel No. 5 fragrance.

The Isley Brothers' '60s hit It's Your Thing, is also receiving new life in a TV commercial for diabetics that promotes the new diabetic insulin pen.

It seems every time you turn on the TV, Burger King has commercials featuring Black oldies. In the last two years the fast-food restaurant has featured tunes by Minnie Riperton (Lovin' You), Marvin Gaye and Tammi Terrell (Ain't Nothing Like the Real Thing), Temptations (Get Ready), Jean Knight (Mr. Big Stuff), Rick James (Give It To Me Baby), Smokey Robinson and the Miracles (Shop Around), Al Green (Here I Am), Peaches and Herb (Reunited) and Marvin Gaye (How Sweet It Is).

In a popular Burger King TV commercial, Jennifer Holliday promises the delicious taste of Burger King as she belts out "you and you and you you're going to love me" from her Broadway hit And I Am Telling You I'm Not Going.

And the Miracles '70s hit Love Machine is used in a commercial for Denny's Restaurant and is making families everywhere flock to the popular restaurant.