Just for a fun end of year thing - I was thinking about some of the old ads for area businesses on Memphis radio with catchy songs. For instance, the old Union Chevrolet ad where we heard in song "There must be a reason we're proud to say, we the customers of Union Chevrolet, Union is setting the pace, Union Chevrolet, that's the place." Now I might be off a word or two, but that's how I remember it. Some others - "Fred Montesi buys great bargains, that's why he can sell so low, parking for a million cars, to help you when you go." Then there was one for Douthit-Carroll Pontiac that started out with "Oh Mr Douthit," "Yes Mr. Carroll." Other lines in that one were "our down payments are so low, terms to suit you as you go" - that's about all I can recall of that one. There was an ad for Hogue & Knott food stores that had the musical line of "shop at Hogue & Knott, spend a little money and carry home a lot." And finally there was one that used the old song "Cross over the bridge" to entice buyers across the river to West Memphis but I cannot remember who the ad was for. Anyone out there who can fill in the missing lyrics to the above or recall others?
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Old Memphis radio ads in song
- Thread starter AlbumOldies
- Start date
I'm sure mo' better examples will come, but right off the top of my head I think of Red Williams belting out the "Fleming Fine Furniture" jingle. Red was the audio guy for Channel 5 for years, and a song writer with Reggie Young. One of the biggest jingle factories in the country outside of Dallas was here with Tanner/Media General. Janie Fricke and Ronnie Milsap were among their singers. I can vaguely remember a Blue Cross/Blue Shield jingle Ronnie sang. Obviously, I would have had no idea who he was at the time I heard it.
Interesting info there Rob!
Does anyone remember a TV commercial from the 50's for a company called Downtown Salvage
that featured a young boy posing as an auctioneer.
that featured a young boy posing as an auctioneer.
robgrayson said:I'm sure mo' better examples will come, but right off the top of my head I think of Red Williams belting out the "Fleming Fine Furniture" jingle. Red was the audio guy for Channel 5 for years, and a song writer with Reggie Young. One of the biggest jingle factories in the country outside of Dallas was here with Tanner/Media General. Janie Fricke and Ronnie Milsap were among their singers. I can vaguely remember a Blue Cross/Blue Shield jingle Ronnie sang. Obviously, I would have had no idea who he was at the time I heard it.
Rob, maybe Red did an earlier version of the Fleming jingle, but the last one I remember them using featured a couple of Media General folks. It was a male/female duet. I believe the male voice was a writer/arranger named Bill. Debbie Jamison was the female voice.
As to my personal favorites, I also love the Fred Montesi jingle: "The people you know are the people who go to Fred Montesi."
And here's an obscure one: Does anybody remember the Goldsmith's 1-2-3 Shop jingle? It was to the tune of Billy "Crash" Craddock's "Rub It In." The lyrics were: "Get it on, get it on (Get it on), Do it right, do it right (Do it right), Goldsmith's 1-2-3 Shop, Got it all (Got it all)."
I didn't know Ronnie Milsap did Tanner jingle work. I knew about Janie Frickie. After she moved to Nashville and became a star, she would still come back to Diana Street and visit every few years. Her most famous jingle is probably "Red Lobster, for the seafood lover in you."
Janie did hundreds of jingles for local advertisers in smaller markets. Once she hit it big, some clever radio stations would intro her jingle by saying "Here's Janie Frickie for The Acme Diner" (or whatever).
Ah, Barzizza's - there's one I had forgotten!
radiosaur said:Take a trip to Barzizza's..it's like a trip..around...the world!
Raleigh Springs Malllllll...The greatest mall of Allllll.
I remember the two-voice Fleming's Jingle, now that you mention it. There's one that I still hear, Piano's Flowers and Gifts, that was a part of a package sold in 1986 or so. It was one of those "buy an annual contract and we'll give you a free jingle" things pitched at Rock 103 and WREC. 25 years later, it appears they got their free's worth out of that one.
Nowadays, the jingles I hear on TV all seem to be done by the same bunch, with the same lead guy on most of them. They all follow the formula, ending with "generic phrase which may or may not have a tangential application to the client and will be used for other clients in other markets" tagged with the client name. (e.g. "What you don't know can hurt you, see the GI Specialists.") These people must be making a killing, because they are on everything, and often run back-to-back.
As for the classics, the Million Dollar Movie jingle still makes its way into random conversation around our house (million-dollar pizza time, million-dollar garbage time, etc.) Since I didn't get Memphis TV (and then only channel 5) until the way-late 60's, I depend on my wife to fill me in on the foundational themes I missed.
Jackson, MS TV brought us the Mississippi Power And Light sponsor jingle for the 10 O'clock weather with Bob Neblett:
The weather, the weather, what's it gonna be?
Here is Reddy Kilowatt to show you on TV.
Reddy Kilowatt was a cartoon figure made of electricity, light bulb, recepticals and the like. Being about 5 years old, I'm sure I was in the target audience.
We didn't have Happy Hal, but KNOE-TV in Monroe ran the seasonal "Howard Griffin Land O' Toys" jingle, which sounded like the place to be:
Howard Griffin Land O Toys
Loads of fun for girls and boys
Bring the kids and look around
The biggest toy deal in the town.
Evidently Howard Griffin was a boat dealership, and since they didn't sell much watercraft in the winter, they would clear out the showroom and become a toy store in the off season.
Nowadays, the jingles I hear on TV all seem to be done by the same bunch, with the same lead guy on most of them. They all follow the formula, ending with "generic phrase which may or may not have a tangential application to the client and will be used for other clients in other markets" tagged with the client name. (e.g. "What you don't know can hurt you, see the GI Specialists.") These people must be making a killing, because they are on everything, and often run back-to-back.
As for the classics, the Million Dollar Movie jingle still makes its way into random conversation around our house (million-dollar pizza time, million-dollar garbage time, etc.) Since I didn't get Memphis TV (and then only channel 5) until the way-late 60's, I depend on my wife to fill me in on the foundational themes I missed.
Jackson, MS TV brought us the Mississippi Power And Light sponsor jingle for the 10 O'clock weather with Bob Neblett:
The weather, the weather, what's it gonna be?
Here is Reddy Kilowatt to show you on TV.
Reddy Kilowatt was a cartoon figure made of electricity, light bulb, recepticals and the like. Being about 5 years old, I'm sure I was in the target audience.
We didn't have Happy Hal, but KNOE-TV in Monroe ran the seasonal "Howard Griffin Land O' Toys" jingle, which sounded like the place to be:
Howard Griffin Land O Toys
Loads of fun for girls and boys
Bring the kids and look around
The biggest toy deal in the town.
Evidently Howard Griffin was a boat dealership, and since they didn't sell much watercraft in the winter, they would clear out the showroom and become a toy store in the off season.
AlbumOldies said:Just for a fun end of year thing - I was thinking about some of the old ads for area businesses on Memphis radio with catchy songs. For instance, the old Union Chevrolet ad where we heard in song "There must be a reason we're proud to say, we the customers of Union Chevrolet, Union is setting the pace, Union Chevrolet, that's the place." Now I might be off a word or two, but that's how I remember it. Some others - "Fred Montesi buys great bargains, that's why he can sell so low, parking for a million cars, to help you when you go." Then there was one for Douthit-Carroll Pontiac that started out with "Oh Mr Douthit," "Yes Mr. Carroll." Other lines in that one were "our down payments are so low, terms to suit you as you go" - that's about all I can recall of that one. There was an ad for Hogue & Knott food stores that had the musical line of "shop at Hogue & Knott, spend a little money and carry home a lot." And finally there was one that used the old song "Cross over the bridge" to entice buyers across the river to West Memphis but I cannot remember who the ad was for. Anyone out there who can fill in the missing lyrics to the above or recall others?
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mkTSRmZKZKc
Several West Memphis businesses used "Cross over the bridge" for there spots including a liquor store I sold time to,
Montesi had a gingle "Montesi Makes it Easy, Why go anywhere else"
Oak Hall had a classy jingle with just their name
And who will ever forget the imortal "brother Hal for Jolly Royal or Kirby I dont sound good but my speaker do Leathers for Scott Sound Centers.
Montesi had a gingle "Montesi Makes it Easy, Why go anywhere else"
Oak Hall had a classy jingle with just their name
And who will ever forget the imortal "brother Hal for Jolly Royal or Kirby I dont sound good but my speaker do Leathers for Scott Sound Centers.
I'll never forget Brother Hal. WREC started his first entry on a Sunday morning. He always began, "Brother Hal, Folks,..." and then went on to his message for Royal Furniture. I started getting calls at home that Sunday from air folk who wanted to know why we were airing blasphemy during our Sunday religious programming. They were getting calls from listeners, outraged at being told, "Go to Hell, folks" during our local breaks. It seems Brother Hal's Arkansas delivery sounded, if you weren't listening closely, just like "Go to Hell, folks." It took quite a few calming calls and a number of days before listeners were convinced it wasn't all a liberal plot by WREC (we were thought of that way back in those days) to cause dissent among the "good people."
I feel like, for the longest, Brother Hal cut a new batch of spots every couple of weeks. At one point, I had the responsibility of making a master from what he sent and running the reel-to-reel dubs.
Over the course of time, there were a few spots which were pulled due to their perceived controversiality. In the one that comes to mind, Bro Hal set up the scenario where a new family of a different faith had moved in on the block, and his son Wallace took up with the neighbor girl. They went skinny dipping in the creek, and when asked about it, Wallace reported that he never realized there was such a difference between Methodists and Catholics.
One of my favorites had Bro Hal asking the local gas station operator how business was going. The gas station guy said he was losing $75 a week. Bro Hal asked why he stayed open and the guy said, "A man's got to have a job!" That one hits a little close to home sometimes.
Over the course of time, there were a few spots which were pulled due to their perceived controversiality. In the one that comes to mind, Bro Hal set up the scenario where a new family of a different faith had moved in on the block, and his son Wallace took up with the neighbor girl. They went skinny dipping in the creek, and when asked about it, Wallace reported that he never realized there was such a difference between Methodists and Catholics.
One of my favorites had Bro Hal asking the local gas station operator how business was going. The gas station guy said he was losing $75 a week. Bro Hal asked why he stayed open and the guy said, "A man's got to have a job!" That one hits a little close to home sometimes.
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