OT: The Commercialization of Nick Drake Songs

[Chopper2]

Are there any other Nick Drake fans out there that are tired of his songs being used in commercials? If the advertising world is not busy using "pink moon" in a VW commercial, I turn my back and they're using another Drake song in a damn cereal commercial!

[FearlessFreep]

Who in the world is Nick Drake?

[Vermin Boy]

Trust me, there's been far worse... Like Mercedes using "Mercedes Benz" by Janis Joplin... Or when Doritos ripped off Tom Waits' "Step Right Up" when they couldn't get the original... Or when Jello Biafra had to go to court to keep them from using "Holiday in Cambodia" by the Dead Kennedys in a Gap ad.

[raj]

Gap using Holiday in Cambodia?  Yeah, now there's a song that makes me want to go out and by overpriced tres' trendy clothes.

Yeesh.

I still think Michae Jackson's problems stem from his whoring of Beatles tunes.

[Chopper2]

Nick Drake was a very moody folk singer from england. His music was very personal and spiritual, he wrote a lot of songs about nature and the struggles of life. Overtime he has earned a reputation for being "dark," but my own personnal opinion is that's just people pidgeonholing him because of his personality and life story. In the early 70's he died of an anti-depressant overdose. Some people think it was intentional, others think the doctors misdiagnosed him since it was a new drug they were unsure about.

[Chopper2]

I saw Jello Biafra talk about this live during the spoken word "spit-fire" tour. HAHA, I can't believe that!

[yaddo42]

In a way I have to thankful for that VW commercial, it introduced me to Drake's music. I only knew him by reputation before this.

Besides, Chopper2, shouldn't you blame Drake's parents for this, they are the ones who control his estate and decided to license his music, IIRC. I guess I'm so used to music (good and bad) being licensed that I tend to enjoy weird song/ad combo like cruise lines and car makers using Iggy Pop's "Lust For Life" a song about heroin. I'd rather hear that than Lenny Kravitz or Smash Mouth selling their s**tty songs while they are still current or on the pop charts.

I know Ray Davies and Pete Townsend (two musicians whose talents I respect and whose music I enjoy greatly) have licensed songs by The Kinks and The Who numerous times. I'm surprised how many new versions and remixes of "All Day and All The Night" and "You Really Got Me" people can crank out. Townsend has said he licenses Who songs because it's about the only way you will hear a Who song in the manistream media these days. But I'm sure the money doesn't hurt either. Hell, "Magic Bus" and "My Generation" both were featrued in "Shanghai Nights". "Happy Jack" is in that goofy Hummer commercial.

Even Robert Fripp of King Crimson has begun to let their songs be used legally, years ago two of their songs were used without permission and credited to other composers for the porn film "Emmanuelle". One in the film "Buffalo 66" and another in an ad for a razor. But he said it was a product he already used and he was curious to see such an odd song "Cage" in a commerical and get greater exposure. It turned out the ad people had the wrong song title and used another song, but he said the money was still nice and it was more exposure than the band would get from radio or TV elsewise. I've heard two of their songs used in Japanese anime, but I have no idea if the use was authorized or not.

[Chopper2]

You do have a good point, and I'll probably have to eat my own words in that the VW commercial did get me into Drake also, so I don't have much right to criticize that one because I remember always liking the song and never knowing who did it. Had I never seen that commercial it's unlikely I would have heard Drake's music since he's only known amongst cult legends and barely visible in the indie scene. What scene was it that used the Crimson song in Bufallo 66? I'm curious if I know which one it is.

[yaddo42]

I don't know which scene in "Buffalo 66" used a King Crimson song (I haven't seen the film yet, it's one of those movies on my "to watch" mental list when I go to the video store that gets overlooked or bumped), but the song is "Moonchild" from their first album. The FAQ Page for the KC fan site www.elephant-talk.com lists it and many other uses of KC music in ads, TV, films, etc.