RadioActive wrote:

I didn't think it could still happen in this day of ad skipping, but a TV commercial airing in the U.S. has spawned a hit video. The company, called Total Wine & More, issued a catchy jingle almost two years ago as part of a TV ad, and it became very popular - so much so that it was released as a full music video called "Find What You Love." (You can see it here.)

It made me wonder about other television spots that morphed into actual hit records. The first one I recall came from a one-hit wonder called The T-Bones, who released an instrumental called "No Matter What Shape Your Stomach's In" in 1966. It was based on the background music from an Alka Seltzer commercial that was running at the time. (The T-Bones, by the way, were actually members of the legendary Wrecking Crew, who appeared on hundreds of hit records over the years.)

Maybe the most famous was a song by the New Seekers, who turned a commercial about buying the world a Coke into a huge smash called I'd Like To Teach The World To Sing in 1971. 

Not sure how many people know that the Carpenters' smash "We've Only Just Begun" started life as a commercial for an American bank in 1971. It reached #2 on Billboard and became one of the brother-and-sister group's biggest hits. 

I'm not sure if there were others that went from pitch to hits, but this latest example shows it can still happen. 

The lyrics for "We've Only Just Begun" were by Paul Williams. That helped launch his long writing career, which included an Oscar and "Phantom of the Paradise."

RadioActive wrote:

Binson Echorec wrote:

RadioActive wrote:

Another of those cultural touchstone shows that spawned a plethora of catchphrases. 

"It's sock it to me time."
"Look that up in your Funk & Wagnalls."
"Very interesting."
"You bet your sweet bippy."
"Is that a chicken joke?"
"Beautiful downtown Burbank."
"And that's the truth."
"Have I reached the party to whom I am speaking?"
"I wonder if you might like to hear something my aunt once said to me?"
"Here come da judge!"
"I'll drink to that."
"Go to your room, Alan."
"One ringy dingy, Two ringy dingys."
"Blow in my ear and I'll follow you anywhere."
"By Henry Gibson."

Use any one of these catchphrases on a sub-50 year old and they might make a note to lock you up lol.

It was definitely a show of its time and I doubt there could be any catchphrases from TV programs today - the audience is too fragmented for anything to really catch on now. 

But Laugh-In was a pioneer that presaged the coming of MTV or MuchMusic videos - quick cuts throughout the entire show, inventing something entirely new. It was a game changer and the very first show where you didn't dare leave the screen to go to the bathroom or the fridge because you'd miss 10 jokes, and where the comedy continued after the end credits. Nobody had ever done that before. 

Monty Python's jokes also continued after the credits. Not sure if they did it before Laugh-In.

   Ruth Buzzi had a long career with Sesame Street, voiceover work and other jobs.

   Tyrone: "Do you believe in the hereafter?"
   Gladys: "Of course I do."
   Tyrone: "Then you know what I'm here after."

Hansa wrote:

mace wrote:

mace wrote:

Historically, has this ever happened before? Two party leaders losing their seat in the same federal election.

Well to answer my own question. The last Conservative leader to lose her seat was Kim Campbell in 1993. As for the NDP, this election seems to be the first time this has happened.

Tommy Douglas lost his seat in 1968 (he returned to the House by moving to BC and running in a byelection)

David Lewis also lost his York South seat in 1974.

Tommy was already in BC. He lost in Vancouver, then moved to Vancouver Island.

mace wrote:

Skywave wrote:

Just how does a local pronounce Balliol? The right way, or the oily way?

I have never heard of this street. What is the correct pronunciation? My favourite is Queens Quay. I have also had people ask me for directions to "yun-gee" street. Oh you mean Yonge Street? Yes, but why is it spelt incorrectly? is how the conversation usually goes.

I remember reading awhile ago that no one knows if we're pronouncing Yonge the way it's namesake did.

Jessica Smith is horrible. She still talks far too fast. 

newsguy1 wrote:

By contrast Agar played clips of himself being interviewed on a Chicago radio station on Wednesday.
In his appearance he readily played clips of himself telling the Chicago radio host how he (Agar) would have voted for Trump if he were an American, praised Trump for just about everything he's done in his new term, except for punishing Canada with tariffs.
He also agreed with the Chicago host that Justin Trudeau is a "putz" -- a Yiddish slang for a dick, and also called Trudeau's entire Liberal government years a "disaster."
Perhaps 1010 can set up a debate between Richards and Agar regarding their differing views on Trump.
 

I'm very happy I missed that. Typical Agar.

  I guess we'll be hearing Jerry's evidence that Mark Carney is a communist.

Shorty Wave wrote:

Not too excited about this one for some reason, and I’m a hockey fan, just hope we’re done with the booing of national anthems.

The Bell Centre crowd booed most of the opposing players, especially Nylander and Matthews.

I know there were plenty of other goals which could have made that montage. No goals from the 2002 Olympic final were included, including the Paul Kariya goal which came after Mario let the puck go through his legs, and the final one by Joe Sakic. Those games were on CBC. So maybe this was an IOC issue.

I admit to being old-fashioned and generally preferring the original versions of songs to remakes. But IMHO, Tim Horton's goes far over the line with their ad which turns Stompin' Tom's Hockey Song into a FOOTBALL song for the Super Bowl. "It's football night tonight?" No. Just no.

   I should have called it closed captioning.  When they repeated the item at 11:30, Johm Musselman's name was not in the closed captioms, so I guess someone there noticed.

   I thought some of the oldtime CFTO viewers here might enjoy this one.  On Wednesday's 6 pm newscast, CTV had a John Musselman item on a Toronto police demonstration on ice safety and rescues. Nothing wrong with the item.  But the person doing the subtitles wrote in "Jim Junkin."  Must have been a station veteran doing the subtitles. I wonder if anyone there will catch and fix that mistake for the 11:30 edition.

Aytononline wrote:

This is a little bit off topic, but does anyone know how long TSN gets to keep the rights to the Original Hockey Night in Canada theme music. I can't remember all the details on how CBC lost the rights but all this time later Saturday Night has not been the same.

Bell Media owns the theme. They bought it from the composer, Delores Claman, in 2008. She was allegedly upset that CBC wasn't offering enough to renew the rights. She had also sued the Corp in 2004 for allegedly using the theme improperly without her consent.  So when they couldn't agree on a new price, she sold the theme to CTVglobemedia, now Bell Media. That's why you hear it on TSN's regional broadcasts of Leafs (and other teams') games. Jay Onrait also plays it frequently on his midnight version of SportsCentre 5 nights a week..

RadioActive wrote:

Have you ever noticed how sometimes an announcer, newscaster or on-air personality seems to fall in love with a word or a phrase? That seems to be what has befallen CFTO weather presenter Jessica Smith. I know some here think she talks a bit too fast, but that doesn't bother me.

What does is a turn of phrase which she says so often in every weathercast that I'm not even sure she's aware of it anymore. The words are "as we step into..." It can be stepping into a new week, a new year, a new month, a new season or something else, and she seems to have fallen so in love with those words that she says them constantly. 

Case in point - Monday's noon weather, where she said those words not once or twice or even three times. I counted seven times in a three or four minute forecast, which is why it stands out. 

It's easy to get into this habit and much harder to break it, especially if you're not even aware it's happening. (Another pet peeve is the way she constantly says the word "BUT," always in capital letters and always exaggerating that last "t.")

I think Smith does an OK job overall, although I wonder when and if Lyndsay Morrison is ever planning to return from mat leave. "As we step into" that inevitability, I hope there are no if, ands or BUTS. 

Jessica has gotten better but she still talks far too fast at times.
 

Walter wrote:

Shorty Wave wrote:

Walter wrote:

Truly a Christmas miracle! 
 

 
Actually Walter, it was more of a Boxing Day miracle as part of the prize were tickets to see the Marlies at the ScotiaBank centre. I took my son and a couple of his pals, all but one came from single parent families. None had ever been to the ScotiaBank centre or a pro hockey game of any type, so that was a good prize pack not only for me! The seats were amazing and the lads had a blast!

Good for you.


God bless us, everyone!