When we got the Toshiba account, we found the main reason people weren’t buying them was the name.
To English ears, all the Japanese/Korean brands sounded the same.
A sort of mish-mash of oriental sounds “Aka-wara-tora-ichi-uji-itsibushi”.
So how could we separate Toshiba off from the rest?
How could we get it into the language?
Well “Tosh’ was a friendly expression that grownups used when they ruffled the hair of children.
So we put that together with Alexei Sayle’s song ‘Hello John Gotta New Motor” and changed it to “Hello Tosh Gotta Toshiba”.
But research said Alexei’s voice was too shrill.
We needed something softer and warmer to contrast the visual of a robotic blueprint man.
I’d never met Ian Dury, but I really liked his voice.
He sounded like a big friendly cockney bear.
He agreed to do it and we met for the first time at the recording studio.
Ian hadn’t done any adverts before, and he was a bit suspicious of advertising types.
He thought they were all flash toffs who drove Ferraris, wore Rolexes, and used long words to blag gullible people.
But when we got talking he gradually loosened up a bit.
First he found out I was from Barking, not far from Upminster where he was from.
He said Barking was a rough area because he remembered reading about a Teddy Boy who’d been stabbed to death there in a fight, when he was a boy.
I said yes, that was my mate’s big brother.
He was inside, doing 25 years for it.
So when Ian could see I wasn’t a flash toff, he relaxed a bit.
Then, when Ian found out I’d been to art school like him, he relaxed even more.
He said he’d done his foundation year at West Ham Tech.
I’d done foundation, again not far away, at East Ham Tech.
On Ian’s foundation course with him was Viv Stanshall, who later formed The Bonzo Dog Doo Dah Band.
A lot of people from that course ended up at The Royal College.
One of Ian’s most influential teachers was Peter Blake, one of the founders of Pop Art.
But Peter Blake is probably more famous for doing the cover of The Beatle’s ‘Sergeant Pepper’ album.
I always thought, if you look at Peter Blake’s art and listen to Ian Dury’s, or Viv Stanshall’s songs, you can see the similarity in what they’re doing.
They’re using different mediums but the style and content is the same.
But then I think that’s true of art and music generally.
Rococo, Neo-Classicism, Romanticism, are all parallel art and music movements.
Right up to Modern Art and Modern Jazz.
And even Abstract Expressionism and Free Form Jazz.
Anyway, we got on so well I asked Ian if he wanted to pop over to the house at Christmas for a drink.
Big mistake.
On Boxing Day, Ian tipped up absolutely rat-arsed.
He sat in the front room and started rolling a joint.
Normally this wouldn’t have been a problem, but I had my family staying with me for Christmas.
So, sitting in the front room, was my mum (think of Irene Handel), my Uncle Harry (think Alf Garnett), my big sister Shirley, and my brother-in-law Jerry, both from New York.
Plus my wife Cathy, and my kids Jade and Lee.
None of these are used to your standard rock-star behaviour.
So I said, “Look Ian, it’ll be much easier to roll a joint on the kitchen table.”
And I quickly ushered him out of the front room and into the kitchen.
While he sat there in the kitchen struggling to put a spliff together the front doorbell rang.
I answered it and it was Peter Cook and his new wife.
Peter is famous as the father of modern satirical comedy, and was a bit of a wild man himself when he was younger.
But on this occasion Peter had just come back from his honeymoon.
He and his new wife were feeling very happy and loved-up.
So everyone was on their best behaviour.
I tried to get them into the front room to meet the family.
But a deep cockney voice yelled from the kitchen, “OI. COOKIE.”
Peter and his wife looked into the kitchen.
In a variety of accents Ian started shouting, “Peter fucking Cook,,,,..,,, Peter fucking Cook,,,,,,, Peter fucking Cook..…Peter fucking Cook,,,,,,,…. Peter fucking Cook,,,,,,,… Peter fucking Cook,,,,…,,, Peter fucking Cook,,,,…,,, Peter fucking Cook,,,,,,,. Peter fucking Cook,,,,, Peter fucking Cook,,,,.,, Peter fucking Cook,,.,,,,, Peter fucking Cook,,,,,,.., Peter fucking Cook,,,,,…,, Peter fucking Cook,,,,,,, Peter fucking Cook,,,,,,,…”
(Those of you that have heard the ‘Derek and Clive’ album will get the reference.)
This went on for about 10 minutes and, inside Ian’s head, it was the funniest thing he’d ever heard.
The trouble was everybody else, especially my family, wasn’t inside Ian’s head.
And they’d never heard ‘Derek and Clive’, so they didn’t get the amusing reference.
After a massively frosty reception, Ian decided this wasn’t going to be a rock and roll party after all, and I managed to bundle him into a cab.
I said to Peter Cook, “I’m sorry Peter, I’ve never seen Ian that pissed before.”
Peter said, “I’ve never seen anyone that pissed before.”
But I always liked Ian’s outrageous behaviour.
I loved the way he always wanted to get into trouble.
To find out what he wasn’t allowed to do, and do it.
Ian had polio when he was young.
This left him crippled for life, with a partially withered arm and leg.
Two ways you can go in this situation.
You either let your life be about feeling sorry for yourself, and why did it have to happen to you, it’s so unfair.
Or you get in everyone’s face about it and start taking the piss.
Ian chose the latter.
He always referred to himself as “a raspberry”.
This is cockney rhyming slang for “raspberry ripple” or cripple.
This is what you learn growing up in a tough environment.
To take the piss out of yourself first, and better than anyone else can.
That way you win because you’re faster and funnier.
Which is why Ian wrote the song “Spasticus Autisticus” all about spastics (or ‘raspberries’).
The term ‘spastic’ had become a pejorative, and was even shortened to ‘spazz’ as in “Don’t be a spazz.”
Ian decided to go exactly the other way and celebrate it with an anthem would catch on with everyone.
Of course the BBC banned it.
Which was exactly what he wanted.
To stick two fingers up to the establishment meant that a ‘raspberry’ could be as outrageous and rebellious as anyone.
With one song he almost made disability cool.
I liked Ian’s attitude so much we even used one of his songs on the agency answer-phone.
You know when you phone a company and the switchboard operator puts you on hold.
You normally get a bland repetitive piece of music, like Pachebel’s Canon.
We put Ian Dury’s “Fucking Ada” on ours.
When the operator put you on hold, you’d hear a heavenly choir singing over and over again….
“Fucking Ada……..Fucking Ada…….Fucking Ada…….Fucking Ada………Fucking Ada…….Fucking Ada…..….Fucking Ada…….Fucking Ada….Fucking Ada….Fucking Ada…….Fucking Ada…….Fucking Ada…. Fucking Ada…….Fucking Ada…….Fucking Ada……. Fucking Ada…….
………Fucking Ada…….Fucking Ada…….”
Which, I reckon, is pretty much what everyone feels like when they’re put on hold.
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That reminds me i have a picture to send to you! I’ll email it to you if thats okay?
Thanks Dave! Thats absolutely crazy, he must have been fit to do that for over 3 minutes!
thanks Dave - you ‘aint half a clever bastard
See, Dave?
3 replies so far an dno ones accused you of name-dropping.
Thanks v much for the Ian insights.
Regards,
On the art and music point: another founder of Pop Art, Richard Hamilton, taught Bryan Ferry at Newcastle. Check out RH’s Just What Is It that Makes Today’s Homes So Different, So Appealing? and Roxy Music’s ‘In Every Dream Home a Heartache (or any Roxy track, really)
Dave
Did you live on Stella Street? http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=too2T2ZGP_U&feature=PlayList&p=D82660316809FE09&index=0&playnext=1
Hi Kirsty,
It’s good once you start doing that isn’t it, cross-referencing music and art of the same period?
Whistler and Eric Satie, or Gericault and Beethoven, or Picasso and Charlie Parker, or even Django Reinhard and Brassai or Doisneau.
And Peter Cook would know by all accounts.
Two for the price of one, Dave.
Peter Cook is probably my favorite English comedian.
I just finished reading Something Like Fire for about
the tenth time. A wonderful book.
Ciaran
Dave
The more you try to cover it up, the more you draw attention to it.
Let it be and the path will reveal itself.
When you can drop names like that, you just have to drop them.
Christ Dave, you must be one of the last real great Creative Directors left. Sorry to lick arse here, but your posts are always inspirational. Can’t say I always agree with you, but I’m sure working under you is an unforgettable experience.
Please keep up the blogging. It’s one of the few things around that is keeping me interested in advertising (and I’m only it 3 years!)
what an utterly crazy scene! it is like Stella Street. more please.
Dave
Did you catch The Motown Night on Sat? Still on BBC iplayer. What did you think of think of the mod revival in the late 70’s with Secret Affair and The Jam etc? Any Northern Soul in your record collection? My favourite: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zkpenzFNbpk
If Ian was alive today, I wonder what he’d make of these Euro Elections…
Hey Diddle Diddle.
MP’s on a Fiddle.
Thatcher is over the moon.
The speaker just laughs
His expenses a farce
As Taxpayers dish-out
Silver spoons.
Great post, Dave. And it is anything but name dropping.
No need to mention the obvious connection between Ian Dury and advertising.
http://ex-blank-page.blogspot.com/2009/06/in-reply-to-daves-great-posts-46.html
I’ve just realised that by refreshing the captcha spam blocker, you can write lyrics just like Ian Drury:
appetite bedazzle
negotiating perrine
sept digby
scolding And
lineups LIABILITIES
Very cool…
If that story wasn’t so interesting I’d say it was name dropping!
Fascinating story though!
Any Peter Cook stories now, Dave?
My favourite Peter Cook line (whilst about as pissed as you describe Ian being here) was when he was criticized for being so self-centred, he replied, ‘Who the fuck else would be the centre of MY fucking universe.’ I undoubtedly paraphrase but you get the drift…
A Christmas tale par excellence Dave. More please.
Hi Dave,
There’s a lot of energy in music.
Do you think music gives us energy to be naughty?
I know when I hear Thin Lizzy’s ‘I’m a rocker’
I just want to jump on a ‘motorsickle’ and just ride.
What is it about music that does this?
It seems Ian Dury and the Blockheads are popular downunder.
Billericay Dickie speeded up for this ad (and the lyrics changed of course).
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=eIp4CMLd6W8
Also I seem to remember a Toyota ad with ‘Ain’t half been some clever bastards’ sung by the cast. Can’t find it on You-Tube though.
There’s much to be said for having a reputation for being a bad boy, if it’s channeled accordingly.
Two fabulous examples where sport meets art:
Lindsay Anderson/Richard Harris (This Sporting Life) http://www.guardian.co.uk/film/2009/may/29/robert-sellers-this-sporting-life
Ken Loach/Eric Cantona (Looking For Eric) http://www.guardian.co.uk/film/2009/may/09/looking-for-eric-cantona-ken-loach
Two books that might be off most people’s radar but maybe of interest:
http://www.guardian.co.uk/sport/blog/2009/jun/04/ikram-butt-kris-radlinski-rugby-books
Dave
It sounds like you need a small little tiny miniature trumpet to hand, in case you have to win favour with a difficult ‘child’.