(Description by Doug Thompson)
Rock
Radio Scrapbook
FROM THE ARCHIVES
Subject:
DOUG THOMPSON'S COCA-COLA JINGLE MONTAGE
Station: Various
Date: 1960s
Time: 17:43
(Description by
Doug Thompson)
Once upon a time, Coca-Cola was known as ‘The Pause That Refreshes’. Later it became ‘The Real Thing’. Other famous ad slogans include - ‘Things Go Better With Coke’, ‘Be Really Refreshed’, ‘Coke Is It’, ‘Coke Adds Life’, “Have A Coke And A Smile’ and the current one - ‘On the Coke Side Of Life’.
In the late 1950’s and early '60’s, Coke sponsored the Hi-Fi Club on dozens of stations in the U.S. and Canada. CHED Edmonton and CHUM Toronto were only two stations that spring immediately to mind. Teen listeners could join for free and would receive a membership card in the mail, which entitled them to attend special Hi-Fi Club dances or win prizes like 45’s, albums, Hi-Fi Club binders and naturally, cases of Coke. At one time, membership in the The Hi-Fi Clubs across North America topped 2,000,000 teens.
During most of the 1960’s, Coca-Cola was one of the biggest, if not the biggest, advertisers on radio, spending millions of dollars, especially in summer. Coke no longer advertises on radio, concentrating mainly on TV. Throughout the '60’s, Coke’s ad agency McCann-Erickson hired the hit artists of the day to record Coke jingles or adapt their current hit into a Coke jingle. The Bee Gees, Ray Charles, Aretha Franklin, Petula Clark, Marvin Gaye, The Supremes, Gladys Knight & The Pips, Vanilla Fudge, Tom Jones and Joe Tex were some of the best known hitmakers to record Coke jingles.
In this 17:43 montage, you’ll hear some lesser-heard jingles sung by quite a few major stars of the day, including The Everly Brothers, Neil Diamond, Roy Orbison and Mary Hopkin. Introducing/back selling several of these commercials are then-top DJ’s Cousin Brucie and Dan Ingram from WABC New York.
In order the artists are:
Freddy Cannon
The Everly Brothers
Lee Dorsey
Neil Diamond
The Drifters
The Easybeats
Bobby Curtola (Canada only)
Wayne Fontana & The Mindbenders
Jan & Dean
Los Bravos
Jay & The Americans
Roy Orbison
Lulu
David Clayton-Thomas & The Shays (Canada only)
B.J. Thomas
The Shirelles
The Newbeats
Freddie & The Dreamers
Nancy Sinatra
Robbie Lane & The Disciples (Canada only)
Carla Thomas
Golden Earring
Gary Lewis & The Playboys
Mary Hopkin (notice how Mary never sings the word ‘Coke’ or ‘Coca-Cola’ unlike everyone else in this montage. She only hums the Coke melody line, “Things Go Better With Coke”, at the end.)
Enjoy Doug Thompson's Coca-Coca Jingle Montage here.
Produced by Doug Thompson
(The Doug Thompson Collection)
More from Doug Thompson's Production Corner here!
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