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"How Soon is Now?" mention in "Commercial Music" article

posted by davidt on Monday July 17 2000, @09:30AM
Becky writes:

I was looking through our weekly, the San Francisco Bay Guardian, and I came across an article entitled "Commercial Music - When does a song become an ad?" with the How Soon is Now? single cover featured. Thought I'd send you the link :)

Excerpt:
...This isn't the first time a song dear to my heart has been colonized by the auto industry. A lifelong Smiths devotee, I can still remember feeling shock and horror when the first chords of "How Soon Is Now?" boomed from a Nissan commercial. That commercial still makes me sad, not because I lost respect for the band but because the music and the message fused together irreparably. When I hear that song now, the plaintive self-mocking pain in the line "I am human and I need to be loved" is superseded in my head by the image of a sedan spinning jauntily.
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  • Don't you hate it when your back catalogue gets sold off and you have no control over it.....and now it's part of a car advertisements. I wouldn't drive a Nissan anyway :)
    Rediffusion -- Monday July 17 2000, @09:58AM (#890)
    (User #176 Info)
    What do we get for our trouble and pain? Whalley Range!
  • I hope others understand the actual situation. Artists rarely have control over whether their old songs are used in advertisements. Quite often, Artists have no power to prevent their back catalog of songs from being sold into slavery or otherwise abused. When it happens, it is sad but I could never understand why anyone would lose much respect for an Artist because of it. It is one more result of the horrible imbalance of power in the music industry. The power needs to be with the Artists, not the labels. Support Artists who make the extra effort to go indie!

    Viva Love!
    LOVE -- Tuesday July 18 2000, @02:51PM (#934)
    (User #1059 Info)
  • It could be worse. About 7 or so years ago, Labatt's in Canada used "How Soon Is Now" to introduce thier line of Labatt Ice beer. I remember in some clubs before the song was played the DJ would annonce that "this ain't no F#$@%'n beer commercial".
    hoodlum -- Tuesday July 18 2000, @02:55PM (#935)
    (User #1140 Info)
    • Re:Ice Beer by MK Ultra (Score:1) Saturday July 22 2000, @06:58PM
  • Ack! I actually saw this commercial. Poor, Moz. I bet it pissed him off. Lord knows I will never be (nor have any desire to be) a famous rock star, but if'n I was I would spin in my grave if a song of mine was used in such tacky way....I would prefer to endorse beer by the way.
    leidagin -- Wednesday July 19 2000, @12:07AM (#950)
    (User #1098 Info)
  • PErsonally I like the commercial, I like hearing a Smiths riff while watching TV. THe commerical is slick in my eyes and I'd say I'm more prone to buying a NIssan now. I don't see how the commercial ruins the song or the image thier of. I mean its not some 12 year old virgin, its a song, sounds , music how does it being played with a car commercial ruin that? Idont know
    Anonymous -- Wednesday July 19 2000, @10:44AM (#965)
  • ahahahaa.. I knew people would gripe about HSIN being used in the Nissan commercial. I think it's great.

    You know the song "Get in the Car" that is featured in the Hyundai commercials? I love that song! Anyone know who that is?

    And how about Volkswagon commercials? They use very hip songs that actually make me pay attention to the ad. Good for them!

    I see three possible consequences as a result of the Nissan soundtrack:

    1) Smiths fans will feel violated that their secret is out for public consumption.

    2) Smiths fans will be thrilled that their secret is out for public consumption.

    3) Some person who has never heard of The Smiths will start asking people "Hey, you know that song in those Nissan commercials? Anyone know who that is?"

    The way I see it, the only reason we heard How Soon is Now to begin with is because a record company thought they could make money from it. It was about commercial exploitation (from a business point of view). It seems odd to look at it from the point of view that the music is a sacred object that shouldn't be sold for profit.

    HF
    Hagfish -- Wednesday July 19 2000, @03:20PM (#977)
    (User #652 Info)
    • True enough. All valid points. I do believe that some songs are Sacred but nearly ALL songs (even the Sacred ones) are created to be sold for profit! Sacred & profitable!? :) Some questions though... Who should mainly profit from the sale? & Who decides how the song will be represented and what it will represent? If the Smiths agree that they are comfortable with & have been compensated appropriately for their song's association with Nissan, well then... Marvellous!... and the new fans of the song are an added bonus.
      LOVE -- Thursday July 20 2000, @07:42AM (#992)
      (User #1059 Info)

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