HAS THE MUSIC INDUSTRY CRUMBLED SO MUCH THAT BANDS NOW NEED TO SELL THEIR MUSIC FOR COMMERCIAL USE. IT IS A SHAME WHEN I AM DRIVING IN MY CAR AND MY SPEAKERS BLAST A SONG THAT TAKES ME TO A SPECIAL TIME IN MY LIFE FROM YEARS PAST. AS MY MIND WANDERS BACK TO A MEMORY THAT I HAD FORGOT ABOUT OVER THE YEARS I SMILE WITH THOUGHTS OF YESTERDAYS GONE BY. THEN A VOICE OVER COMES ON TO TELL ME ABOUT A NEW AND IMPROVED BRAND OF SOME OINTMENT, A NEW TRADING SITE WITH UNBELIEVABLE OFFERS OR A CANDY BAR THAT IS THE HOTTEST TREAT.
"WHAT?" MY SONG IS BACKGROUND FOR A COMMERCIAL? HAS MY BAND SOLD OUT? IS MY FAVORITE SONG NOW A TRAGEDY OF THE FREE FILE SHARING GENERATION? WHERE IS THE LOYALTY TO THE SONGS THAT ARE THE SOUNDTRACK TO MY PAST? IS IT THE BANDS OR IS IT THE RECORD COMPANIES? THERE ARE THE QUESTIONS I ASK MYSELF EVERY TIME I SEE A COMMERCIAL ON TELEVISION OR HEAR ONE ON THE RADIO THAT USES MY LIFE'S SOUNDTRACK TO PUSH THEIR PRODUCT.
I REMEMBER THE ONLY TIME I EVER HEARD AN ARTIST TALK ABOUT THIS SUBJECT. IT WAS A CLIP FROM AN INTERVIEW WITH SINGER/SONGWRITER JOHN MELLENCAMP. HE SPOKE ABOUT THIS ISSUE IN DETAIL AND HIS FEELINGS WERE MUTUAL AND MY THOUGHT WAS "I AM NOT ALONE."
SURPRISE, A CHEVROLET COMMERCIAL BURSTS ON THE TELEVISION SCREEN IN 2007 AS THE SONG OUR COUNTRY PLAYS IN THE BACKGROUND. IS THAT JOHN MELLENCAMP, THE SAME JOHN MELLENCAMP WHO I THOUGHT FELT THE SAME WAY I DID ABOUT COMMERCIALS USING A RADIO SONG. THE DIFFERENCE IS THE MELLENCAMP SONG WAS USED PRIOR TO ITS RELEASE ON JOHN'S FUTURE ALBUM RELEASE FREEDOM'S ROAD.
SOME RECORD COMPANIES ARE USING A SONG JUST OFF HOT ROTATION FROM THE RADIO. THIS INCLUDES NATASHA BEDINGFIELD'S UNWRITTEN WHICH WAS IN A POPULAR RADIO COMMERCIAL THAT WAS HEARD ON AN ALMOST HOURLY CYCLE.IF A BAND OR ARTIST ALLOWS THEIR MUSIC TO BE USED IN A COMMERCIAL IT SHOULD BE ONLY TO PROMOTE SOMETHING MUSICAL. ACCEPTABLE ENDORSEMENTS ARE ITEMS LIKE MARSHALL SPEAKERS, RECORD THEATRE, SAM GOODY, GUITAR CENTER, DECIBEL KERRANG OR ROLLING STONE MAGAZINES. IT IS ACCEPTABLE TO HAVE YOUR SONG USED IN A MOVIE OR TELEVISION SHOW, EVEN A THEME SONG. MOST ARTISTS ARE PUSHED TO RECORD A SONG THAT CAN BE USED ON A MOVIE SOUNDTRACK. THIS ALLOWS THE RECORD COMPANY TO GET FEED BACK ON WHO HAS THE EAR OF THE FANS.
MELISSA ETHRIDGE WAS RECRUITED TO WRITE SONGS FOR THE FILM INDUSTRY AND I HAVE NO PROBLEM WITH THAT. WE HAVE TO GIVE THE RECORD COMPANIES SOME LEEWAY TO SORT THE POTENTIAL BANDS FROM THE FLOPS. ETHERIDGE WAS A KEEP FROM THE START EVEN THOUGH THEY REALLY DID NOT KNOW WHAT THEY HAD OR HOW TO PROMOTE HER IN THE EARLY STAGES. SHE PROVED TO BE A CONTENDER AT THE HIGHEST LEVEL.
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