Robert Plant's 80s Coca Cola Commercial

[kaiser]

That makes no sense at all in regards to this discussion

When adrift on a Ship Of Fools what makes sense...

[eternal light]

That makes no sense at all in regards to this discussion

Unless you care about comforters, then it makes all the sense in the world. And pillowcases, and sheets, and blankets, and bath towels; all these are important items to have in hotel rooms. For instance, the Hyatt always has those.

[Kentuckygirl]

When MTV did play videos can you name one that was ever a bluegrass song? No. Neither can I. Have bluegrass stations now or at least since The Great Depression been a huge radio market? No. Are there big media outlets for bluegrass? No. What's left of the almost dead rock radio, do any of it's stations play bluegrass outside of the odd Grateful Dead song that may have a hint of influence of bluegrass? No. Does country radio play bluegrass? Not unless you consider the Dixie Chick's "Goodbye Earl" bluegrass.

In 1988 did Robert Plant get video's played on MTV. Yes. Were rock stations the biggest market in the US in 1988? Yes. Was Robert Plant considered almost God like on rock radio in 1988 before & after his dopey commercial? Yes. Was Robert Plant on the cover of every important music magazine & metal rag in the US in 1988? Outside of Spin, yes. Was Plant doing interviews in mainstream media like Good Morning America & Live At Five? Yes. With all that media coverage he already had achieved that year did he have to do a cheesy commercial to reach a wider audience just in case you blinked or suffered momentary deafness? No. Was it fast money he could get on his own terms without touring with two other guys he didn't want to tour with while somewhat exploiting that legacy? I'll leave that one open.

If you don't see the difference then you never will.

In defense of Bluegrass, the genre enjoyed a huge resurgence with the release of the sountrack "Oh Brother Where Art Thou" and sound clips were even used in Target commercials. Although not readily apparent in album sales, interest in the genre can be better gauged by attendance at Bluegrass festivals, which is at an all time high. I see a younger audience at Bluegrass festivals, possibly drawn in by younger Bluegrass bands such as Cherryholmes, Cadillac Sky and Those Darlins (alt Bluegrass).

I really do not classify Plant's work with Alison Krauss as Bluegrass, I think it is more Americana (traditional roots music) that incorporates elements of Bluegrass and blues and traditional country. It is hard for me to connect Plant to the expoitation of a legacy when he is bringing attention (and revenue) to underappreciated, underpaid (and highly talented) musicians. It is my understanding that he has done this before with African musicians. If he was driven by commercial interests, he would be taking a different path musically. The Coke commercial is a blip in a long career, and I really do not see its relevance to Plant's current musical path.

[SteveAJones]

Love it or hate it - it was selling out for THAT time.

"Basically, I want to get across to college kids... It must come across, I am serious...I don't need a Ferrari...or to keep my mortgage happy" - Robert Plant interviewed by Chris Tetley in Spring 1988

[SteveAJones]

Actually it cracks me up that some people say Robert Plant's solo career was shit at that moment so he needed the commercial and some other people say Robert's status was god-like at the time so why the fuck did he make the commercial...

I wouldn't say his solo career was shit at that moment,but he was making the significant transition of embracing Led Zeppelin on record and in concert and I think the commercial is quite clever in promoting that fact.

[kaiser]

In defense of Bluegrass, the genre enjoyed a huge resurgence with the release of the sountrack "Oh Brother Where Art Thou" and sound clips were even used in Target commercials. Although not readily apparent in album sales, interest in the genre can be better gauged by attendance at Bluegrass festivals, which is at an all time high. I see a younger audience at Bluegrass festivals, possibly drawn in by younger Bluegrass bands such as Cherryholmes, Cadillac Sky and Those Darlins (alt Bluegrass).

I really do not classify Plant's work with Alison Krauss as Bluegrass, I think it is more Americana (traditional roots music) that incorporates elements of Bluegrass and blues and traditional country. It is hard for me to connect Plant to the expoitation of a legacy when he is bringing attention (and revenue) to underappreciated, underpaid (and highly talented) musicians. It is my understanding that he has done this before with African musicians. If he was driven by commercial interests, he would be taking a different path musically. The Coke commercial is a blip in a long career, and I really do not see its relevance to Plant's current musical path.

Of course bluegrass had a resurgance with "O' Brother Where Art Thou", but that was one huge fluke album (a great album though). The Dixie Chicks, Dolly Parton, & a few others went that route not that long after it's success but the resurgance was only huge in relation that it was largely a ignored genre as far as the public eye & still is. As far Plant exploiting anything to do with Bluegrass or Americana I never even implied that, I think it's a great direction for him & a genre of music doesn't belong to anyone. More artists should cross musical boundries (as Ray Charles always famously did)as diversity only strengthens their artistic growth.

Also I agree that his Coke commercial doesn't have much if any relevance on his current musical path. For the past 10 years I think Plant has been doing his best, most consistent music of his solo career or at least since the early to mid 80's for myself personally.

[kaiser]

"Basically, I want to get across to college kids... It must come across, I am serious...I don't need a Ferrari...or to keep my mortgage happy" - Robert Plant interviewed by Chris Tetley in Spring 1988

The quote you supplied was from 88' while mine was from 90', giving him 2 years to reflect on the situation.

I'm sure he did want to get across to college kids. It's well known that college kids run out & buy music based on Coke commercials by artists who are not of their generation. That's the key to getting the college kids as one's fanbase. 10,000 Maniacs & Midnight Oil skipped over that part of the manual.

I'm sure he didn't need a Ferrari or need to keep his mortgage happy. Maybe he wanted an extended trip to Morrocco or that rare copy of The Phantom's "Love Me" single instead.

When Clapton did his beer commercial he was in rehab when it first aired. He instantly regretted it. He let the allure of fast money cloud his judgement as to doing a commercial, a beer commercial no less, while he was a struggling alcoholic. The combination of his disease & his greed made him feel truly ashamed. I'm sure he reasoned he'd also reach an even larger audience as well as his career also had quite a successful resurgence in the mid-80's & he also didn't actually need the money. Eric Clapton & Robert Plant aren't the same person obviously but I thought I'd share that.

[SteveAJones]

The quote you supplied was from 88' while mine was from 90', giving him 2 years to reflect on the situation.

Precisely, I'm citing his mindset at the time to explain his actions at the time as opposed to his thoughts with the benefit of hindsight.

[SteveAJones]

When Clapton did his beer commercial he was in rehab when it first aired. He instantly regretted it. He let the allure of fast money cloud his judgement as to doing a commercial, a beer commercial no less, while he was a struggling alcoholic. The combination of his disease & his greed made him feel truly ashamed. I'm sure he reasoned he'd also reach an even larger audience as well as his career also had quite a successful resurgence in the mid-80's & he also didn't actually need the money.

In 1987, Anheuser-Busch was featuring renown musicians such as Stevie Winwood and Phil Collins in a "The Night Belongs to Michelob" ad campaign. I'm sure the ad hacks in charge thought they'd had a stroke of genius when they conceived of using Eric "Slowhand" Clapton, performing his hit "After Midnight", as part of the series. 1 a.m., guitar god, and Michelob; seems like a natural, right?In September 1987, Eric re-recorded the song “After Midnight” for use in a Michelob Beer commercial in America. Eric was also filmed performing the song in a club for the commercial. Promotional posters showing Eric in the club were distributed to liquor distributors and stores for display.

Having fought well-publicized heroin addiction and a taste for cocaine, Clapton revealed to Rolling Stone that at the time of the ad's release he was in a detox facility. Battling alcoholism. His nights belonged to imaginary snakes rather than dirty-dancing runway models.

[brspled]

Tom Jobim's "Waters of March" was also in a Coca Cola TV ad in 1985.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bR7Wj9qnwaM

And Jobim received the worst critics on his decision of letting Coca Cola use his song. He was deeply hurt at the time, for wtf, it was HIS song, he was supposed to do whatever he wanted with it (but I agree that the Coca Cola's version to Jobim's song sucks). I won't say I like Robert's add for Coca Cola, it's simply embarrassing. But, wtf, it's HIS song, it was the 80's and what's so bad about it? we all make weird decisions during our lives.

[kaiser]

In 1987, Anheuser-Busch was featuring renown musicians such as Stevie Winwood and Phil Collins in a "The Night Belongs to Michelob" ad campaign. I'm sure the ad hacks in charge thought they'd had a stroke of genius when they conceived of using Eric "Slowhand" Clapton, performing his hit "After Midnight", as part of the series. 1 a.m., guitar god, and Michelob; seems like a natural, right?In September 1987, Eric re-recorded the song “After Midnight” for use in a Michelob Beer commercial in America. Eric was also filmed performing the song in a club for the commercial. Promotional posters showing Eric in the club were distributed to liquor distributors and stores for display.

Having fought well-publicized heroin addiction and a taste for cocaine, Clapton revealed to Rolling Stone that at the time of the ad's release he was in a detox facility. Battling alcoholism. His nights belonged to imaginary snakes rather than dirty-dancing runway models.

Yeah, Robert Plant was certainly not alone in any of this. Clapton, Collins, & Winwood all looked cheesy & ridiculous doing these spots. Horrible. I wonder if it's any coincidence that the albums they did after these commercials, while still big sellers, didn't sell as well as the albums that the commercials promoted.

I'll stick with my Eric Clapton & Steve Winwood live album from their recent MSG shows than "It's In The Way That You Use It" & "Higher Love". Absolute cheesy 80's soundtrack/ beer commercial music.

[kaiser]

Looking back on it today, I forgot how much I hated that whole period in music. It wasn't even the newer bands so much because I wasn't even aware of that many outside of the ones played on radio, it was the older artists who started in the 60's who were the biggest culprits. They had one thing in common: Phil Collins.

While religous groups were trying to find Satan in backwards masking & the PMRC were looking for Satan in Prince & Twisted Sister records they conveniently overlooked Phil Collins who seduced them all with his inoffensive light pop fare. I don't hear Satan in playing Judas Priest backwards or playing WASP's "Animal(F*@k Like A Beast)" forwards, no, but I do hear Satan in "Ssssudio". If Phil Collins was the ultimate dark lord in the music of the 80's his second in command was surely Dave Stewart. Between their own crappy music they crapified a good portion of the old guard of the 60's & 70's rock scene. That horrible production, the cheesy songs, that Phil Collins drum sound, & that Dave Stewart keyboard & guitar sound all found it's way into the records of the old guard. I in all fairness can't fault them for Rod Stewart as he had already made a concious decision to suck 10 years earlier. The crossroads is not in the mississippi delta of the 1930's, it's in an english studio in the 1980's where rock's elite sold their souls for the drum sound of "In The Air Tonight" & the keyboard strings of "Here Comes The Rain Again".

[SteveAJones]

Looking back on it today, I forgot how much I hated that whole period in music. It wasn't even the newer bands so much because I wasn't even aware of that many outside of the ones played on radio, it was the older artists who started in the 60's who were the biggest culprits. They had one thing in common: Phil Collins.

While religous groups were trying to find Satan in backwards masking & the PMRC were looking for Satan in Prince & Twisted Sister records they conveniently overlooked Phil Collins who seduced them all with his inoffensive light pop fare. I don't hear Satan in playing Judas Priest backwards or playing WASP's "Animal(F*@k Like A Beast)" forwards, no, but I do hear Satan in "Ssssudio". If Phil Collins was the ultimate dark lord in the music of the 80's his second in command was surely Dave Stewart. Between their own crappy music they crapified a good portion of the old guard of the 60's & 70's rock scene. That horrible production, the cheesy songs, that Phil Collins drum sound, & that Dave Stewart keyboard & guitar sound all found it's way into the records of the old guard. I in all fairness can't fault them for Rod Stewart as he had already made a concious decision to suck 10 years earlier. The crossroads is not in the mississippi delta of the 1930's, it's in an english studio in the 1980's where rock's elite sold their souls for the drum sound of "In The Air Tonight" & the keyboard strings of "Here Comes The Rain Again".

Aerosmith had the audacity to become sober balladeers - they haven't been the same since.

[kaiser]

Aerosmith had the audacity to become sober balladeers - they haven't been the same since.

Desmond Child was to Aerosmith & other 70's hard rockers as to what Phil Collins was to the 60's guys in the 80's.

For people who complain about Robert Plant doing records with Allison Krauss, you should be thankful because it could be much, much worse. He could be writing songs with Linda Perry.

[eternal light]

Desmond Child was to Aerosmith & other 70's hard rockers as to what Phil Collins was to the 60's guys in the 80's.

For people who complain about Robert Plant doing records with Allison Krauss, you should be thankful because it could be much, much worse. He could be writing songs with Linda Perry.

Linda Perry does not have Allison Krauss' voice, but I doubt that either of the two has done a Coke commercial, unless Linda Perry's "Let Me Ride" counts. Alison Krauss' you-know-what-you-want spot for McDonald's could be construed as including a soft drink, maybe.

[kaiser]

I guess "Babe I'm Gonna Leave You" was used in an episode of One Tree Hill according to another thread. I have zero problem with that. The song came out in 1969, the show is a youth oriented show, the business side of Zeppelin still exists so why not introduce the song to a generation who is so far removed from Zeppelin that they probably never heard the song or maybe even of the band before. That to me is a smart move. If Plant & Krauss made the same decision to promote their songs on the same or similar show, once again zero problem for myself. The song just plays, the artists don't appear in the episode, & if people like the song without a visual of the artists the viewer then decides to support it without any bias. The music speaks for itself even if the viewer maybe connects it to a storyline or character. A lot of times I can't hear the piano part of "Layla" without thinking of the movie "Goodfellas" but it works a I truly enjoy both seperately for their artistic merits.

[Vega]

Looking back on it today, I forgot how much I hated that whole period in music. It wasn't even the newer bands so much because I wasn't even aware of that many outside of the ones played on radio, it was the older artists who started in the 60's who were the biggest culprits. They had one thing in common: Phil Collins.

That horrible production, the cheesy songs, that Phil Collins drum sound, & that Dave Stewart keyboard & guitar sound all found it's way into the records of the old guard. I in all fairness can't fault them for Rod Stewart as he had already made a concious decision to suck 10 years earlier. The crossroads is not in the mississippi delta of the 1930's, it's in an english studio in the 1980's where rock's elite sold their souls for the drum sound of "In The Air Tonight" & the keyboard strings of "Here Comes The Rain Again".

My, that's an interesting point of view. To think that in the beginning of the 80-s Robert just fell into the arms of this vicious man (shudder...) Nah, I don't like cheesy side of his solos either. But then (repotedly, at Ahmed's request) he reluctantly made Honeydrippers with its Sea of Love that made it to the top of the charts ... and I do believe that some of

the old guard of the 60's & 70's rock scene

made a conscious decision of their own at that point. Thanks for your posts.

[SteveAJones]

But then (reportedly, at Ahmed's request) he reluctantly made Honeydrippers with its Sea of Love that made it to the top of the charts

Oh, Robert was not reluctant about the Honeydrippers project at all, in fact he was rather enthused by it. Yes it was originally Ahmet's idea to do an anonymous rhythm & blues project (suggested by him to Robert at AC Hall in Kowloon, Hong Kong 2/29/84), and true, Robert was a bit dimayed that 'Sea of Love' became the big hit, as it was merely intended to be the b side of 'Rockin' At Midnight'.

[eternal light]

I guess "Babe I'm Gonna Leave You" was used in an episode of One Tree Hill according to another thread. I have zero problem with that. The song came out in 1969, the show is a youth oriented show, the business side of Zeppelin still exists so why not introduce the song to a generation who is so far removed from Zeppelin that they probably never heard the song or maybe even of the band before. That to me is a smart move. If Plant & Krauss made the same decision to promote their songs on the same or similar show, once again zero problem for myself. The song just plays, the artists don't appear in the episode, & if people like the song without a visual of the artists the viewer then decides to support it without any bias. The music speaks for itself even if the viewer maybe connects it to a storyline or character. A lot of times I can't hear the piano part of "Layla" without thinking of the movie "Goodfellas" but it works a I truly enjoy both seperately for their artistic merits.

"Babe I'm Gonna Leave You" is a song that can be over-marketed. After a while it loses something in the process.

[Led Zep Girl]

Wow...that is sooo 80's...

[eternal light]

The song came out in 1969

[ninelives]

I think the poster was referring to the commercial, not the song Babe, I'm Gonna Leave You as being very "80s"

[kaiser]

Robert Plant "Legends Of Rock" radio broadcast 1988, the quote is really from 1986:

"I know that alot of people are disgusted everytime I play that I don't play Zeppelin stuff. And alot of people don't come because they think that I've wishy-washed my way to near obscurity, you know, with these kinds of songs I've done. But at least I've put my balls on the line way back and meant it to hell, you know. I mean... that my solo career is, is far more important for me to suceed solo wise, then to do a Led Zeppelin tour and get paid thousands and thousands of dollars by Coca-Cola or something like that. And maybe, I don't know, maybe there's a sincerity, or maybe what I'm playing is pretty good. Not as good as Zeppelin probably..."

Do I really have to comment? I guess a person will eat their words more than once in life. Well half eat, since he wasn't paid thousands and thousands of dollars by Coca-Cola for a Led Zeppelin tour but his own solo tour two years later. I guess there is a difference. What that difference is I don't know, but to Robert Plant I'm sure it was all justified two years later. And then he considered it a mistake two years after that in 1990 . Yup, Robert Plant in the late 80's through...(?), always very consistent in his comments.

[eternal light]

Robert Plant "Legends Of Rock" radio broadcast 1988, the quote is really from 1986:

"I know that alot of people are disgusted everytime I play that I don't play Zeppelin stuff. And alot of people don't come because they think that I've wishy-washed my way to near obscurity, you know, with these kinds of songs I've done. But at least I've put my balls on the line way back and meant it to hell, you know. I mean... that my solo career is, is far more important for me to suceed solo wise, then to do a Led Zeppelin tour and get paid thousands and thousands of dollars by Coca-Cola or something like that. And maybe, I don't know, maybe there's a sincerity, or maybe what I'm playing is pretty good. Not as good as Zeppelin probably..."

Do I really have to comment? I guess a person will eat their words more than once in life. Well half eat, since he wasn't paid thousands and thousands of dollars by Coca-Cola for a Led Zeppelin tour but his own solo tour two years later. I guess there is a difference. What that difference is I don't know, but to Robert Plant I'm sure it was all justified two years later. And then he considered it a mistake two years after that in 1990 . Yup, Robert Plant in the late 80's through...(?), always very consistent in his comments.

Okay, I am going to go back to ignoring him now.

[Aquamarine]

I'm getting immeasurably tired of hearing that Robert Plant sometimes changes his mind or his feelings or expresses his feelings in different ways. About any subject whatsoever. And that this is somehow wrong. Naturally none of us ever do that.