Showing posts with label The Executives. Show all posts
Showing posts with label The Executives. Show all posts

Tuesday, March 31, 2020

W.O.C.K On Vinyl: Various Aussie Artists - Aussie Coca-Cola Commercials 60's - 70's

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Before things get too serious here at Rock On Vinyl, I thought it might be fun to post a song / album at the end of each month, that could be categorized as being either Weird, Obscure, Crazy or just plain Korny.
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Advertising slogans are a part of everyday life for consumers around the world, and Coca-Cola has produced some great ones throughout their 130+ year history.

Coke's very first ad was published in the Atlanta Journal newspaper on May 29, 1886, a few short weeks after the drink was first served in Jacobs’ Pharmacy. The ad featured one of their longest-running slogans: “Delicious and Refreshing.” Those two words appeared on almost every ad or piece of merchandise (trays, clocks, etc.) until 1920.


 In the mid-1890s, The Coca-Cola Company hired Massengale Advertising of Atlanta. They produced very elegant advertising for the company featuring slogans like “Coca-Cola is a Delicious Beverage, Delightfully in Harmony With the Spirit of All Outings,” “The Great National Temperance Drink,” or “Coca-Cola Revives and Sustains.”


While these wordy slogans were in line with the advertising of the day, the company’s president, Asa Candler, and head of advertising, Samuel Candler Dobbs, spotted the trend toward national magazine advertising with the standardisation of four-colour printing, which rendered more visually dynamic ads than their black-and-white predecessors.

To produce this enhanced advertising, Candler and Dobbs hired the D’Arcy agency from St. Louis. D’Arcy was significant in helping to create a brand identity for Coca-Cola. W.C. D’Arcy was associated with Coca-Colafor the next four decades (he even served on the Board of Directors for a time) until his retirement in 1945.

Together with his creative director, Archie Lee, he crafted some of the greatest slogans in advertising history. While “Delicious and Refreshing” was part of the plan D’Arcy’s first big change was to add an arrow to all the advertising and packaging while adding the slogan, “Whenever You See an Arrow, Think of Coca-Cola.”

Their longest-running tagline, “The Pause That Refreshes” (1929),
was used in one form or another for almost three decades.
 In 1907 they added the slogans “Good to the Last Drop,” (yes, we beat Maxwell House with this one) to the advertising. The team hit their stride by the 1920s when they created the “Thirst Knows No Season” (1922) and our longest-running tagline, “The Pause That Refreshes” (1929). That campaign was used in one form or another for almost three decades.

Advertising began to change after World War II, when music and sung jingles played an increasingly important role in campaigns. Slogans became shorter to fit into a catchy melody.

By 1955, Coca-Cola began to look for another agency who specialised in the modern radio and television advertising. In 1956, McCann Erickson was named the lead worldwide advertising agency for Coca-Cola.  The changes in advertising were dramatic, and when the McGuire Sisters sang “Be Really Refreshed,” the company was aligned with the times. 

In 1963, Bill Backer, creative director for McCann, penned the jingle “Things Go Better with Coke,” and had the Limeliters record a demo in a run-down apartment on 57th Street in New York City.  Backer had to splice together several tapes, and you could still hear several flaws in the recording. The company loved it and used that demo for the next six years! Backer also developed the slogan, “It’s the Real Thing,” for which he and his team wrote “I’d Like to Buy the World a Coke” in 1971.

By 1993, with the constant evolution of advertising, The Coca-ColaCompany once again switched agencies. We hired CAA (Creative Artists Agency) to develop ads for Coca-Cola. CAA would hire the best and brightest producers and directors in the field to produce ads based on the slogan, “Always Coca-Cola” (1993). Luminaries like Ken Stewart (the mastermind behind the iconic Coca-Cola Polar Bears) and Rob Reiner created the ads, and the jingle became an instant classic.

Ken Stewart was the mastermind behind the iconic Coca-Cola Polar Bears.
Animated ads have always been a staple of Coca-Cola advertising, and the “Coke Side of Life” (2006) and “Open Happiness” (2009) campaigns featured some of the best the company has ever produced, including “Grand Theft Auto,” “It’s Mine” and “Happiness Factory.”

Slogans, by their very nature, are supposed to be “mindstickers” or “earworms.” The purpose of advertising is to make people associate a slogan with a brand. Coca-Cola is fortunate to have had some of the greatest creative talent in advertising work on our marketing. While the fictional Don Draper from Mad Men could always come up with a slogan, in the real world, industry giants like W. C. D’Arcy, Archie Lee and Bill Backer produced some of the greatest slogans, jingles and ads of all time.  [Article by Ted Ryan (director of Heritage Communications for Coca-Cola) and sourced from Coca-Cola's Website with thanks].
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Because 'Things Go Better With Coke' - including music, I've decided to share with you some fairly Obscure Aussie Coke Jingles from the 60's & 70's for this month's W.O.C.K on Vinyl Post.  Oh, and by the way, as a bonus I've made it Sugar Free as well !   Thanks to WoodyNet for the RIP and Sunshine for a late addition with some bonus tracks by The New Seekers.  All files are in FLAC 
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Track Listing
01-Bee Gees 1
02-Bee Gees 2
03-The Valentines
04-Billy Thorpe
05-Sherbet
06-Brian Cadd
07-Doug Parkinson
08-Dragon
09-Ronnie Burns
10-Easybeats 1
11-Easybeats 2
12-Johnny Farnham
13-The Executives
14-The Groove
15-The Seekers 1
16-The Seekers 2
17-The Twilights
18-Normie Rowe
19-Alison Durbin
20-New Seekers 1
21-New Seekers 2
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Aussie Coca Cola Commercials (107Mb) New Link 18/11/2024

Friday, June 19, 2015

The Executives - Now ! (1968)

(Australian 1966 - 1978)
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Original line-up: Carole King (vocals); Brian King (piano, organ); Keith Leslie (vocals, saxophone); Garry King (saxophone, vocals); Dudley Hood (guitar); Rhys Clark (drums).
Sydney based group The Executives formed in the latter half of 1966 and quickly became Sydney's most highly rated band. Their musical expertise was unequaled. Between them they could play a total of thirty one instruments — anything from violin to harpsichord.
The band began releasing singles virtually straight away with 'You're Bad' and 'Wonder Boy' (which sold well in Sydney). Meanwhile, changes were taking place in the line-up. The most important being Ray Burton replacing Dudley on guitar, and Gino Cunico replacing Keith. (Other membership changes included Brian Patterson.) In July 1967, they experienced their first national hit with "My Aim Is To Please You". It was followed by "Sit Down I Think I Love You".
L-R Carole King, Rhys Clarke, Brian King (seated)
 Gary King, Ray Burton, Gino Cunico
They soon became known as Australia's top sophisticated rock band, and in 1968 they left for the US to have a crack at the American market. Whilst in the US, they scored a recording contract with the Buddah label. Back home, they continued to record. By mid '69, they had released six singles, three EPs and one album. Unfortunately, most of their chart success was primarily in Sydney (one of the bigger latter hits being 'Windy Day').
In the spring of '69 they returned to the US and changed their name to Inner Sense, but they became bogged down. By the following year, the group had disbanded. Ray joined Ayers Rock (and co-wrote 'I Am Woman' with Helen Reddy); Gary and Rhys stayed in America and worked as session musicians; Gino went on to work solo (he later released an album); and Carole and Brian formed a new group called Transition. The new group was just that — a transition. In other words, it was an interim band until they could find the right combination of musicians to reform the Executives.

Finally, in June 1974, they hit on the right line-up with Alan Oldman (bass); Ron Smith (guitar); Brian Kirby (drums); Jonne Sands (vocals); Carole (vocals); Brian (keyboards). They signed with Polydor and subsequent releases included "On The Road Back" (July 74); "Let The World Go Round" (April 76); and "Tinker Tailor" (October 76). By the end of 1977, they were still working solidly at hotels and clubs.
After The Executive's folded for good in 1978, Brian and Carole King continued to team for studio sessions. Sands resumed a moderately successful solo career, mainly as a club performer. Bassist-guitarist Alan Oldman (formerly a member of legendary Lithgow band The Black Diamonds) continued with session work, contributing to Nuclear and wrote the music for the 1979 film Alison's Birthday. [extract from Noel McGrath's 'Australian Encyclopedia of Rock', Outback Press, 1978, p106-107]
The Executives left behind a body of fine records that are highly sought after by collectors of quality sixties Aussie pop, although it has to be said that they have been lamentably overlooked in terms of CD reissues. Nevertheless, The Executive should be remembered for their sophisticated and inventive sound, those gorgeous vocal harmonies, their accomplished musicianship and their mastery of the three-minute pop single idiom. [extract from Milesago Website]


Album Linear Notes:
The Executives are the top pop group in Australia today.
The group has had great success at dances, discotheques and store promotions all around the country. They have appeared on many of Australia's top television shows and their records have done very well, especially in the eastern states, where "My Aim Is To Please You" and "Sit Down I Think I Love You" (both included on the record) reached positions two and three respectively.
They are a dedicated group of true musicians, each with long.family traditions of musical lore, and each with personal backgrounds of intensive training and rare instrumental techniques . . a highly individual and dramatic sound has been developed by this talented combination.

 The members are...
Carole King-a very attractive brunette, has been singing as long as she can remember. Was in her school drama club and opera group, and training in singing was evident throughout her school career. With her sister and other girls formed her own singing group. Has been singing with The Executives since their inception and sees her musical career bound up with the group's success. Gino Cunico-lead male vocal, is the youngest and latest member to join The Executives. Born of Italian parents, he commenced his musical career as a boy vocalist and appeared on most of Australia's pop television programmes, including the top rated show "Bandstand"
Brian King—started musical training at the age of five, and gave his first public recital at the age of eight. Was playing professionally when only 13, later played through hotel circuits and night clubs— hard going that develops concentration, stamina and experimental techniques as well.
Ray Burton-lead guitar. Ray has been in Australian show business for around six years. His first professional engagements were with a very successful group, The Delltones, later he joined The Executives and has appeared with the group during the past eight months.
Gary King-bass guitar is Gary's specialty, and his free approach and versatility make a solid contribution to the distinctive 'Executive' sound and quality.

From: Tomorrow Is Today - Australia In The Psychedelic Era 1966 - 1970
Rhys Clark-like the Trapp Family all Rhys' family are musical, helped along with a strong streak of Welsh ancestry. Rhys' musical quota is rhythm, drums all the time, heightened with a boyhood period spent on Cooke Island, north of New Zealand, where native rhythms and drum techniques provided a unique background-for his later adventures in sound. Bought his first full drum kit at 13 and soon formed a youthful group of piano, trumpet, sax and of course his own drums. Securing professional engagements while still at school. Then followed years of engagements at ballrooms, night clubs, coffee lounges—years in which techniques in drumming and additionally in singing were polished to recording standards —for Rhys already has successful records to his name.

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This post consists of FLACs ripped from my trusty vinyl copy and includes full LP artwork, along with label scans. Although a low budget album release (typical of the Summit record label), I really like the tracks on this album, in particular the tribute medleys to the Mamas & Papas and the Hair Soundtrack. Sure, the music is dated but they still sound good to me.
(Thanks to Jae and Woodynet for the two B&W photos above)
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Side 1
1.     Mamas And Papas Medley:

(A)    Monday, Monday
(B)    Dream A Little Dream Of Me
(C)    Dedicated To The One I Love
(D)   Creeque Alley
2.    Hair Medley:
(A)    Hair
(B)    Air
(C)    Walking In Space
(D)    Aquarius
(E)    Let The Sunshine In
Side 2
1.     It's A Happening World
2.     Bad Reputation
3.     Sit Down I Think I Love You
4.     Wander Boy

5.     My Aim Is To Please You
6.     Moving In A Circle (Aust. Comp.)

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The Executives were:
Dennis Allgood (bass, vocals)
Ray Burton (guitar, vocals)
Rhys Clark (drums)
Gino Cunnico (vocals)
Brian King (keyboards)
Carole King (vocals)

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The Executives FLACs (200Mb) New Link 17/10/2015
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