104 plays
december 28
The John Lewis Music Society – From Me To You
Today’s track is curated by @DJStoney / Mark Stone
In 1988 the Beatles sued Nike for £7.5million for unauthorised use of ‘Revolution’ in an ad. In 2008 Sony/ATV (who control the Beatles catalogue) decided for the first time ever to allow Beatles music for use in ads. However, the tracks must be re-recorded by other artists.
Last Christmas (I gave you my heart) and Lowe London stopped me in my tracks with a choir (surely the original ‘crowd-sourcing’?) and piano providing the soundtrack to ‘Clues’, a spot about choosing the right present. I kept singing the words over and over, I’m sure I know this song. A day later, it clicked.
‘From Me To You’ is considered the Beatles first hit, and surprisingly 2008’s John Lewis (the UK department store) Christmas spot was the first EVER Beatles song to be used in a British advertising campaign. What’s magical about the ad is that it’s by the people behind the brand. It’s not Tracy at B&Q in Croydon or Maureen at Asda. The song was re-recorded by the John Lewis Music Society (as started by Mr. John Spedan Lewis in 1925), a classical choir who perform choral repertoire concerts in London.
To give the track a more intimate feel it features the vocals of Matt Skinner (no, not Mike Skinner of The Streets), but a member of John Lewis’ IT department. The charm about the track is that it’s slightly amateur, like a school recital, complete with the sound of a triangle being struck. However, this delicate slowed down version cuts through with the beautiful melody and poignant words that give it some festive MAGIC that wasn’t even in the original.
Of course, soon as the YouTube hits reached 100,000 it was time to release the track in its unedited glory of two minutes and eight seconds (the original track is 1:56). In response, John Lewis allowed free downloads of the track (whilst encouraging donations to the Wallace & Gromit’s Children’s Foundation, its registered charity of the year). I’ve been playing it as a closing track at Christmas parties, ‘who’s this by?’ they’ll ask. ‘REALLY?!’
This year’s John Lewis festive spot use the nu-folk cover version of Guns N’ Roses Sweet Child O’ Mine by Taken by Trees. It’s good, but please, bring back the choir.
