The Smiley Smile Message Board

Has anyone seen this?  I originally thought it was a VISA commercial and was pretty pissed about it but then noticed it was for Sam's Club which, I suppose, isn't as bad.  I still kinda grimace when I here original versions of songs I love in commercials.  A quote from USA Today:


For the whole story go here: http://www.usatoday.com/money/industries/retail/2006-11-22-sams-club-usat_x.htm

Any thoughts on the original tag being used???

Not really.

But I am curious what makes Sam's Club (Wal Mart) any better than VISA.

While in some ways it's uncomfortable to see songs you love used for commerical purposes, I think it's worth it if even one person listening to the commercial says "wow, what is that" and goes and looks it up and gets into the Beach Boys.  Sounds strage, but I got into a band after hearing a song on a commercial.

Aren't most songs we love used for commercial purposes? I mean, they were sold, and that's how we found them most of the time (or did, in the days before free download/stealing): we bought them. They weren't created for purely artistic reasons and distributed out of some kind of philanthropy.

I agree with Josh...all the exposure of BB's music in commercials the last few years is ultimately a good thing if it will get new fans into BB/Brian's music.  Especially using a song like God Only Knows, since it doesn't reinforce the common belief among the general public that the BB only did dumb surfing songs. 

Plus its always a nice surprise to be watching TV and suddenly hear the BB's unexpectedly!

One question... I haven't seen the commercial yet, but when you say "original tag", do you mean the one with all the "bop bop bop" parts in it, or the standard version?

How many songs in commercials became hits? Many! It's a good thing IMHO, good promotion for BB music.

first time i heard it was in the break room at work, everyone got quiet and i got goosebumps

......sounds like the standard version. Makes me smile everytime it comes on the tube. and I tell my wife the exact same thing EVERYTIME IT COMES ON.  "That is the best friggin' ending to a pop song....EVER!!"

They aren't better or worse that VISA.  It just seems the response to the lyric in context to the commercial would be " I'd not be eyeballs in debt with a massive APR."

I do agree it is good for people who go check out what song it is and they are introduced (or reintroduced) to the BB.  Good point.  Who would have given the ok to use it in the commercial and who benefits exactly.  A&M and BW/Tony Asher?

I think (and I could be wrong here) that the publisher is the one who has the authority to say yes/no to putting the song in a commercial, and they get paid for it.  Brian/Asher get paid too I believe; not sure about the BB's as a whole though.  I would think it is basically the equivalent of having a song played on the radio, where the writers and the artist gets some royalty.  Commerical deals though might be different, in that they might just pay the publisher a lump sum for licensing of the song, and then the publisher pays the songwriters.  I don't really know, just speculating. 

It's an ad for both Sam's Club/Walmart and Mastercard.  I don't care for it, even more than most commercials.  The images are unpleasant.  The images and message of the commercial are not ones I'd want associated with GOK, were I the writer of the song. 

I recall reading that publishers do market the songs, and I'm not sure how much control the artist has in the event they don't control the publishing.  An example is the use of pre-Sticky Fingers Stones songs in ads, which are controlled by Allen Klein's corporation. 

I agree with you. I also think you will see a spike, other than the Christmas factor, in the sales of Pet Sounds and Sounds Of Summer because of it... 

No question it works. Why else did Nick Drake have his commercial comeback a few years ago, other than for that car commercial? Most people I knew had never heard of him until Pink Moon was in that ad.

Well, God Only Knows is also being used for the intro theme of 'Big Love' so Im pretty sure that attracted a bunch of new fans, and perhaps the whole correlation of 'Henrickson Home Plus' and 'Sam's Club' was in effect. :shrug

Though, I gotta agree with marie, Im not really into the whole idea of GOK being used for a lame Sam's Club commercial, there are better ways to attract new fans.

Yea the song definitely fits better as the intro to "Big Love" than it does in a Sam's Club commercial.  It's also popped up in a few movies that I've seen (and probably more places I don't know about).  Not bad for a 40 year old song that wasn't really a hit when released. 

Hey joe...your avatar fucking rocks. ;D

What's it from?

Thank you! I made it from the 'Mess of help' video that was posted a while ago... :)

Check out smile-hollands...hes got Blondie groovin!

Speaking of avatars, mine's been out of commission for months now. I would put a new one up, but I'm pretty computer illiterate (I have to call my niece to figure it out). Any chance it might mysteriously reappear without me having to do anything? :police: