Hepburn - AC/DC Gap Commercial

[cookiemonster2]

I saw this strange commercial the other night and wasn't sure what to think of it. (You can see it on Gap.com at the moment)

I remember reading a story that a long time ago the Beastie Boys wanted to sample Back in Black so they tried to get the rights to do so and the record company said no. The Beastie boys thought AC/DC didn't understand who they were so they appealed all the way to the band. Malcolm Young apparently told one of the Beastie Boys directly over the phone that they wouldn't let anyone use that song. So anyways I was surprised to see it end up in a Gap commercial. I doubt AC/DC would authorize it, must be some legal stuff over who has the rights now.

Anyways, the commercial is odd. Not sure if I hate it or like it. On one hand, AC/DC just doesn't seem Gap to me, on the other hand, I love AC/DC and I shop at the Gap so wtf???

Making the late Audrey Hepburn look goofy is a whole nother issue too I guess.

[Bryan]

I remember there being an uproar over the VH song "Right Now' a few yers back when Pepsi wanted to use it and Eddie said no. Somehow Pepsi figured out a way they could do it without Vh's permission by re-recording the song with studio musicians. Rather than let that happen, Eddie relented and Pepsi used the original. I remember Eddie saying that at least this way VH would get paid for the song's use whereas the other way they would get zilch. Maybe the same thing happened here?

[texasfury]

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[OnlineStageGear]

Maybe AC/DC thought the Beastie Boys sucked too bad to let them use it.

Matt

[sevser]

Back in Black was used in MIB2 as well. It was also used in a GAP commercial a few years ago with some model plying it herself with an SG...Maybe they didn't want her butchering it again lol

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=U-RWohfySDE

Also used in a Bud commercial...

Perhaps they simply didn't want it sampled...Don't blame em...Samples should be outlawed...If you can't at least play it yourself then why the fuck should you be able to make money off it? That is just absurd to me…”Hey, we would like to take that hit song you wrote and performed and make some money with it ourselves…Would that be cool?”

[rjohnstone]

Maybe AC/DC thought the Beastie Boys sucked too bad to let them use it.

Matt

+1

[Bryan]

Oh I misread the post. They said no to the Beastie Boys, but yes to the Gap?

Then that's not a problem. I thought you wrote that the Beastie Boys wanted ot use the song for the Gap commercial, Angus said no, but it was used in the commercial anyway.

If it was me, I'd rather the song be used in its original form than be sampled by another artist. Heck I'd even allow it to be covered by another band before I'd let it be sampled. Just my feelings on it.

My bad. And I do remember the commercial with the girl playing Back in Black. ugh.

[danastas]

Sampling is fine. Most of the time, it's better than covering. I've heard more bad covers than bad samples.

[jjw]

that comercial was coolall that negative shit on youtube about it is a joke-i expect half of them cant play it no matter how easy it isgotta love them faceless e warriors

[442w30]

I gotta disagree with the Beastie Boys bashing here. Those guys have a lot of creativity and can craft a hook out of many dissimilar sounds/instruments, and styles.
Their licensed to ill and ill communication is pretty cool, Check out "sabotage" it's not rap metal, it's it's own thing.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lzTxuDUfzzM

[Newc]

There's a song called Gone Guru by Lifeseeker on Dead Rising for the Xbox 360 that the kids over at the XB forums are going gaga over, and it's a blatant Beastie Boys ripoff, with a sample of the opening guitar riff from RUSH's Train To Bangkok.

Makes me sick. I'd rather hear one of my own half-baked MIDI monstrosities than that crap

[sully]

back in black was also used for a cingular/black razr commercial as well.

[FusionFarmer]

Comedy Central/Daily show uses it as a lead for Louis Blacks segment ironically called "Back in Black" Royalties can add up after awhile I would think

[sully]

is it the same, though? i vaguely remember that it wasn't the actual song, but something written very close to it.

[fuel0707]

Who knows what happened. Things change. Maybe Malcolm needs money now. The Who said they were retired in 1981, then they made about 5 comebacks.

Kind of makes me think of Ozzy, too. I remember seeing his first retirement tour back in the early '90's, the "No More Tours" tour. That retirement didn't last long though.

"Sharon, Sharon, do we really need more bloody money..."