Who songs on TV

[rollingmule]

i aint never liked hearin the who on commercials or on tv shows like this CSI stuff, and i know that pete says they are his songs and he,ll do what he wants with em and it helps em reach younger people but i aint never bought no cd cuz it was the openin song on a tv show and i got loads of music. i jus think it cheapens the muisc and he made millions but that don,t make it beerttr. i do like petes attitude bout it tho, they are my songs and i,ll do whatever i want to with em.

[JD]

Since The Who and other classic artist have lost a lot of FM air play, TV is a great outlet for people who wouldn't hear the band otherwise. JD

[whoareyou]

Cant see it as a bad thing, all publicity is good!

[Mongolom]

Can't see anything bad in the Who on TV. Isn't it nice to be able to say to a friend "Btw, that's my 'bunch of boring old farts' you're noddin' you're head to" while watching the opening sequence of CSI ?

[Ineedanewname]

It was a TV advert that first caught my attention where The Who are concerned. If it hadn't been for that then I wouldn't have gone out and bought my first Who album, and as a result, we may not be having this discussion on this board!

In these modern times where the viewing and listening habits of the individual are splintered all over the place, Who songs on major TV shows and advertising slots expose younger kids to music they probably wouldn't otherwise have the chance to hear. Surely that can only be a good thing?

And let's not forget, The Who are a band that in the past have championed the throwaway culture of advertising, not only via their music (Sell Out), but by also recording proper adverts. And if we're going to get all moral about this, remember that during the Vietnam war Townshend (backed by The Who's music) quite happily recorded an advert inciting kids to join the US Airforce.

By the way, your avatar frightens me Mongolom!

[Mongolom]

And if we're going to get all moral about this, remember that during the Vietnam war Townshend (backed by The Who's music) quite happily recorded an advert inciting kids to join the US Airforce!

Did Pete ever spoke out on this advert? Would be interesting to know what he has to say about it.

[Patty]

Pete pretty much answered the question re: the Who songs that have been licensed to be used on television commercials in the following. This is the link:

www.petetownshend.co.uk/diary/display.cfm?id=88&zone=diary




Here is the text.

23 May 2004
Parade

Back to Diary Dates
It is Sunday. Humid, the Israel Parade passes down 5th Avenue as me and and my partner the singer-songwriter Rachel Fuller try to shop for the last few things for folks back home. Father's Day is coming up and she still has a living father.

The trip has been a good one. We played for the CBS presentation of their forthcoming season and introduced the song they are going to use for their CSI New York series - 'Baba O Riley'

[glow=red,2,300]Coincidentally Hewlett Packard have just started to use an original version of the backing music for the same song for their great new TV commercial. My brother Simon produced it from my original home demo recording.

In a very real way the use of Who music in this manner keeps it alive, and brings it to a new audience in an era when our music would otherwise never be heard on the radio or TV. Except on Miami Steve's radio shows of course. Without his show there would be no White Stripes, no Strokes and probably very little new guitar music.[/glow]

I am listening to Joni Mitchells' CD called TRAVELOGUE. It is a revisit to her career with full orchestra. It is, quite simply, a quantum masterpiece. Joni is at the peak of her powers. Even her paintings seem to me to be especially revelatory gathered as they are in the sleeve. Someone told me last night, after The Who's show at Madison Square Garden, that she plans no more recording. If she never made another record, this one will stand as a testament not only to her work, but to the greatness of American Orchestral music. I hear Oliver Nelson, Aaron Copland, Edgar Meyer and even Thomas Newman in this work. But her arranger, under the guidance of her ex- husband Larry Klein - who could do nothing more to express his ongoing love and respect - is Vince Mendoza. This guy knows how to score, and someone certainly knows how to fix the right musicians.

After our CBS thing at Carnegie Hall we went to Boston to play at the Tweeter Center at Great Woods. Last time there, I shouted that we would be back. I am so grateful that circumstances allowed this to be our first proper show to the public on American soil. It was a little rusty, but what a welcome we received.

I spent some time in the rest of the week joining Rachel to write some songs (we wrote three together on my birthday). She had a few meetings with her record label too. Things are looking clearer now for her with a likely release date at the end of August.

Then, finally, Madison Square Garden. This was just the best thing that's happened to me in two years. So many beautiful, friendly faces, and at a show that sold out in just 20 minutes. Roger connected with the crowd just as he had on the last dates in 2002. I was just happy to be up there, grateful to be alive, and lucky to have such a great team around me.

Home now. I'm spending a holiday with my son. I'll get to see the four dogs at home. And hopefully hook up with old friends who will be anxious to know how things went on this first Who trip to the USA since 2002.

I can tell them, it was a joy.

[rollingmule]

aw hell as usual after readin some o ya,lls post i change me mind dammit. but i do. somthin i was thinkin bout today tho i dont give a s**t if other bands do it like Zep or whoever i jus don,t like the who doin it but they do so what the hell.

[Patty]

rollingmule said:

aw hell as usual after readin some o ya,lls post i change me mind dammit. but i do. somthin i was thinkin bout today tho i dont give a s**t if other bands do it like Zep or whoever i jus don,t like the who doin it but they do so what the hell.

I don't really like it either. But what are you going do. You know? The Who are pretty popular and well known with the younger generation more than they ever were. I think it was the 9/11 concert that got 'em going... The best act!! People took notice. My son Sean had called me and said "hey mom they are great" after he had saw that broadcast on VH1. I know I have posted this before but it doesn't hurt to repeat it.

[JD]

I don't really like it either. But what are you going do. You know? The Who are pretty popular and well known with the younger generation more than they ever were. I think it was the 9/11 concert that got 'em going... The best act!! People took notice. My son Sean had called me and said "hey mom they are great" after he had saw that broadcast on VH1. I know I have posted this before but it doesn't heart to repeat it.

I had been thinking that The Who were trying to regain their position in rock history. Their not capable of playing a statium tour anymore. They don't even sell out some arenas. Is this do to the lack luster concerts of the 80s? Or is it do to the lack of new material? Have better bands since the 80s surpassed them?
I'm not sure however it seems to me that Pete and Roger are on a mission to regain their reputation. JD

[pkeets]

JD said:

I had been thinking that The Who were trying to regain their position in rock history. Their not capable of playing a statium tour anymore. They don't even sell out some arenas. Is this do to the lack luster concerts of the 80s? Or is it do to the lack of new material? Have better bands since the 80s surpassed them?
I'm not sure however it seems to me that Pete and Roger are on a mission to regain their reputation. JD

I'd say it's just the long period of inactivity that reduced the audience. There's a whole generation that grew up without hearing them play.

Also, I don't think Pete likes playing stadiums. If they wanted to do it, they could likely coordinate with another act to draw a big enough audience.

[Mongolom]

I'm happy they don't play stadiums anymore and refuse to reduce themselves to a circus act like the Stones...

[rollingmule]

they need some new rockin stuff out like now.

[granth]

I usually judge by the quality of the commercial. Ones for cars (bargain) or heart medication (overture) just p**s me off, but the hP one was well done. I saw it three times in the Toronto airport yesterday and I liked it. It was very sick, though, that I knew exactly where in the synth that the drums came in.

[squeezeboxwho]

I personally don't mind it, I always sing to the musci when I hear it on TV. Also, it's his own music and if it makes him happy I am too.

[kc]

Just yesterday, I saw/heard a TV commercial the uses BO'R. But I swear they must have replaced the piano with another piano as it didn't sound like the piano I've come to know in BO'R. Or am I dreaming?? Anyone else hear this??

And, yeah, thank goodness they aren't doing stadiums -- my least favorite show was 1989 at Cleveland Stadium -- I was just too far away to really enjoy it.

kc

[balloony]

Their music has been cropping up in TV shows and movies as well recently,I recall some American show where some bird was jumping up & down on a bed listening to Baba O' Riley.

There's also the excellent movie Summer Of Sam.Just love Adrian Brodys dodgy English accent in that!

[JD]

And, yeah, thank goodness they aren't doing stadiums -- my least favorite show was 1989 at Cleveland Stadium -- I was just too far away to really enjoy it.

kc, I was at that show too. 20 rows back in the in field. Good thing I'm tall. JD

[granth]

Baba O'Riley is very popular with the kids these days, at least the ones I know... they all download it off Kazaa and put it on their mix CD's and their MD's and listen to it sometimes so I assume it could catch their attention when it comes to a commercial.