Three-Tune Tuesday: Levi's Jeans Commercials

If you're a little older, like me, you might remember these. In the 1980s and 1990s, Levi Corp (yes, those dudes who make jeans) put out a few commercials (yes, those things that none of us watch anymore) using some decent tunes from unknown artists.

Some of them were catapulted into instant stardom, but sadly, most faded away as one-hit wonders.

In America, this gimmick did not seem to take off, and the Americans missed some truly great tunes, even if they were only going to be a shot in the dark.

Nick Kamen – Each Time You Break My Heart (Nick Kamen – 1986)

Let's start with the shite and work up to the better material. I remember Nick Kamen, the commercial and the giggly girls waiting for him to take off his jeans at the laundrette, Levi's of course, but then stops short of going naked and baring all.

This would not do on UK prime-time TV, and Nick had not cottoned on to the fact that he should be performing as an artist besides easily unbuttoning those 501s, which are a royal pain in the arse to unbutton.

I like my 501’s but the buttons simply do not open with ease as Nick portrays. The song was given to him by Madonna, who has a soft spot for the lad, and which lady wouldn't at his tender age in 1986 with those blistering looks.

It's pure bubblegum and not to my tastes, but it still belongs in this article. Marvin Gaye would have profited nicely from Nick's popularity amongst the swooning females.

I noticed he died at the age of 59. It seems unreal to me that someone I remember with a similar age to me is now dead, bloody cancer again.

Nick did make a decent career out of music, spawning several more singles as well as a plethora of albums. America took no notice, and for once, I feel they missed little.

Babylon Zoo – Spaceman (The Boy with the X-Ray Eyes – 1996)

Between 1986 and 1996, there were other Levi's commercials containing music videos and upcoming artists; maybe most didn't resonate until 'Spaceman' popped up halfway through the decade.

This one did make me pay attention, though the commercial itself contains the worst of the song, but it is still catchy in its own right.

Levi’s jeans apparently are a must when you are living in a colony somewhere in space. It seemed to work, and 'Spaceman' quickly made its way to the top of the UK charts and was a hit all over Europe.

The Americans once again ignored Babylon Zoo and Spaceman, this time to their detriment.

This is quite a rocky track, not heavy but more so than your usual chart toppers, and stupid here went out and bought the album, which was a load of fucking shit.

Only 'Spaceman' was decent, and to top it off, I bought some concert tickets to see Babylon Zoo in Manchester, with a friend of mine accompanying me. When we arrived, the venue was deserted, and a notice had been posted.

...'Gig Cancelled, bass player has hurt his thumb'...

We both got refunds; it's probably just as well.

Once the sped-up part featured on the commercial has finished, the song is not as it seems, and if you can ignore the annoying singer, Jas Mann, in the video, this is a decent song with a great bridge.

Inside – Stiltskin (The Mind's Eye – 1994)

Let's go two years backwards and to the finest song, in my opinion, made for a Levi's commercial.

I did read with some interest that the song was commissioned by the jeans company themselves with Ray Wilson, who would join Genesis a few years later as the vocalist and the 'songwriter' playing all the instruments.

Does this make Stiltskin a fake band, yet not quite in the guise of Milli Vanilli?

Stilskin released an album with all the songs being written by the 'Inside' man, so probably not. Ray Wilson, I feel, is a decent vocalist, and the bridge is a particular highlight to my discerning ears.

...'Tony and Mike chose the wrong dude in Ray Wilson for Genesis, though to be fair to Ray, Calling All Stations was weak compared to the rest of their discography'...

The video is a delight, and it's little wonder it was extremely popular, along with the grunge-type music, once it starts and kicks off. This was 1994, grunge was hot and hip.

Once again, we have a ripped bloke, this time bathing and looked on by two Amish girls. The rest you can see for yourselves, but it's shades of the Nick Kamen video, albeit in a different flavour.

‘Inside’ was a chart topper in the UK, doing reasonably well in Europe and even getting a little attention in America. I doubt most people on the far side of the pond have heard it, which is a shame.

Someone has melded the commercial with the full song and almost got it right. The quality is a stark contrast, with the former being of typical 1994 quality and the latter looking like it's a fourth-generation VHS copy.

Someone was being a cheap-arse when they recorded the full item.

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