Old Songs Bring Memories

Should have paid attention. A 1940's hit by the Ink Spots featured the wonderful tenor, Bill Kenny, in “ Whispering Grass” (Don't tell the trees 'cause the trees don't need to know.”). It provided the background for a car commercial.

Commercials have working titles we never see. “It's Up to You,” is the title of a COVID Collaborative TV spot with a female singer delivering “I'll be Seeing You.”

It sounds like a Doris Day recording but lacks the presence quality available in the 1950's. I found she never had a commercial recording of the song.

Her phrasing and approach remind me of Billie Holliday, and Miss Billie had several recordings of that song and wins by default.

The Scottish group, Pilot, had a 1970's hit, “Magic.”

Producers turned “Whoa, Oh, Oh It's Magic” into “Whoa, Oh, Oh Ozempic” for the diabetes medication. It is still running.

“Go Your Own Way” by Fleetwood Mac was covered by a studio band for the COPD medication Anora. It is still running.

United Airlines racked up mileage out of George Gershwin's “Rhapsody in Blue.”

For a while the world loved the California Raisins' delivery of Marvin Gaye's “Heard it Through the Grape Vine.” It wasn't Marvin's voice but Buddy Miles singing.

The characters were everywhere with spin-off claymation characters and television specials, but the production cost twice as much as raisin growers made. It was scrapped.

In a Sansbury grocery commercial (UK) “A Christmas to Savour” (or “savor” here) a 1960's recording of “At Last” by Etta James runs in the background. The actors are frozen as the song plays and the spot ends with:“It has been a long time coming so let's make it a Christmas to savour.”

Nothing wrong with Etta James' version, but they could have used the original sung by Ray Eberle with the Glenn Miller Orchestra.

A currently running ad shows the Lincoln electric Aviator arriving into a subdivision that could be Palm Springs, California, with distant mountains and palm lined streets.

The yard is covered in snow from a snow machine with the song “It's a Most Unusual Day” playing.

It was sung by Beverly Kenny, a jazz singer who never found the nitch she wanted and deserved even though she was a popular jazz club singer and recognized for her recordings.

She never got to where she wanted to be and ended her search for that place in 1960.

Some of the songs bring back memories. It's nice to hear them again.

joenphillips@yahoo.com