I’m afraid that this is going to be convoluted. I must admit that I’m slightly reluctant to call what you’re going to hear “coincidences”, because for me the music in this post is more about influences than coincidences – but I can’t really think of anywhere else I can put these on the blog.
OK, first things first (where first things usually are): This post was prompted by my coincidence-detective friend Michael (Hi, Michael!).
I asked Michael if he didn’t mind me pinching a bit of his email text for this post, and he didn’t. I’m extremely glad, because it’ll make the post much more comprehendible. I also hope Michael doesn’t mind me editing his text a little.
Here’s Michael’s (slightly modified) text, with my responses:
Michael: “I was reading your post on Run Run Run by Jo Jo Gunne [here], and the reference to Run Run Run by the Flying Circus on Stonefish’s Music Blog [here]. It then occurred to me there’s another Run, Run, Run released in the late 60s by a bunch of studio musos called The Third Rail. It was a type of protest song and it included Joey Levine who went on to sing with The Ohio Express. It performed moderately in the US. I then played it and noticed around the 15 sec mark that it sounded a hell of a lot like part of Life Is A Rock But The Radio Rolled Me (from the 10 sec mark) by Reunion from 1974 – also a bunch of studio muso’s, and the lead vocal? Yep, Joey Levine!”
Me: As Ned Flanders says: “Well, if that don’t put the ‘dink’ in ‘coinkidink’!”
Michael: “Wikipedia states that the latter part of this song is based on the tune Soothe Me by Sam & Dave.”
Me: I’ve just listened to “Soothe Me” and I must admit I can’t pick it. I don’t know what they’re on about.
Michael: “Then I discovered that part of the tune from Life Is A Rock (the 10 seconds onwards bit) was used for a promotion by McDonalds in the late 80s. Talk about milking it for all its worth!
Me: Yes sirree. And that McDonalds jingle is about as deliberate a rip-off as you’ll ever hear. (Michael told me later that McDonalds had full permission to ransack the tune.)
Michael: “The McDonalds file attached is very scratchy.”
Me: It sure is. But I’ve pestered it and it’s now less scratchy than it was.
Here are the songs:
The Third Rail – “Run, Run, Run” (1967)
Reunion – “Life Is A Rock (But The Radio Rolled Me)“ (1974)
The McDonalds Menu Song (1989)
I reckon that because this post is all about fast-talkin’ tracks, you can throw this into the mix as well:
Plastic Ono Band – “Give Peace A Chance“ (1969)
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