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'But if he does a record like Betcha by Golly, Wow,' it not only has mass appeal but a built-in familiarity with the adult audience.

'If Prince releases some funky dance record, he just gets on funky dance stations,' says Z-104's O'Brian. For a fading star like the purple-clad person once named Prince, covering 1972's 'Betcha by Golly, Wow' is smart because it helps him appeal to various demographic groups.

By golly wow 1972 hit update#

On the 'Space Jam' soundtrack, Salt-n-Pepa update Diana Ross's 16-year-old hit 'Upside Down' by adding new lyrics while keeping the original's catchy chorus.īut both new and old acts are methodical in leeching off the oldies. 'To a certain extent, it's becoming the skill of a producer or management team to find these wonderful old songs to redo,' says Rosenfeld. The duo's first major hit, 'Whatta Man,' was a cover of a '60s tune that saw no chart success upon its original release. 'The writing was great back then - it was a wonderful time in music,' says Washington entertainment attorney Jay Rosenfeld, who represents hip-hop singers Salt-n-Pepa. This is especially true in the rap world, which has a proud tradition of 'sampling' the hooks of Motown and funk classics. Says one aghast record label executive in L.A.: 'Even the soundtracks are getting recycled - now that's scary!'ĭesperate for strong melodies, producers and managers have no compunction about pillaging the past. Of course, 'Bohemian Rhapsody' was revived once before - on the 'Wayne's World' soundtrack in 1992.

By golly wow 1972 hit movie#

And a San Francisco Bay Area hip-hop duo named the Braids covered 1976's 'Bohemian Rhapsody' for the movie 'High School High.' The spare, slow new version 'leaps off the radio by sounding brand-new and familiar at the same time,' Rolling Stone opines. 1 song 'Love Rollercoaster.' MTV is running it as an animated trailer for the 'Beavis and Butt-head Do America' movie due in theaters Dec. The current batch of remade-for-Hollywood tracks also includes the Chili Peppers' version of 1976's funky No. 10 in Billboard's Adult Top 40 chart last week.

And he's right: Seal's 'Fly Like an Eagle' was immediately added to playlists and roosted at No. 'If a song touched people's souls 20 years ago, it can touch the same chord today,' says LeMel. Never mind that 'Space Jam,' the Michael Jordan/Bugs Bunny movie, is set mainly in the '90s. He oversaw the 'Space Jam' soundtrack featuring Seal's silky version of 1977's 'Fly Like an Eagle,' as well as covers of Cheech and Chong's 1973 novelty hit 'Basketball Jones' and KC & the Sunshine Band's 1975 smash, 'That's the Way (I Like It).' 'My credo is: If it can be a hit once, it can be a hit again,' says Gary LeMel, president of music for Warner Bros. In terms of getting publicity for a picture, it's a no-brainer. Soundtrack producers love to use oldies because they know that deejays and veejays will jump to play them. Movie soundtracks are also behind the recycling boom. I think people want to be happy, and the '70s was a real happy time in music.' 'Sometimes the country reaches a creative lull and has to look to the past for creative inspiration. 'It's sort of a passive time right now - in music, movies or any medium, there's a lot of pablum,' notes Lewis Largent, MTV's vice president of music. People like their music familiar and safe, like a big fat smiley face. Maybe it's all part of our current national stasis.

By golly wow 1972 hit full#

And '70s nostalgia is in full and terrifying swing throughout popular culture. Good songwriting is in a slump, say some industry observers.

Musicians and producers have always known that cover versions of previous hits are a good bet for airplay, but other trends also are in evidence as the charts become clogged with often-uninspired versions of 20-year-old tunes. 'These are new songs - for the kids who never heard the originals,' says Dale O'Brian, program director for the area's new Top 40 station, WWZZ-FM (104.1). You're hearing today's hottest 'new' songs - a slew of '70s hits recycled and recast by such stars as Seal, the Fugees and the Red Hot Chili Peppers. Prepare for a major retro trip: the Steve Miller Band's 'Fly Like an Eagle,' Bob Marley's 'No Woman, No Cry,' the Ohio Players' 'Love Rollercoaster,' the Stylistics' 'Betcha by Golly, Wow' and Queen's 'Bohemian Rhapsody.' There's even a long-neglected chestnut, 'Fallin' in Love,' by the long-forgotten Hamilton, Joe Frank & Reynolds.īut you're not tuned to an oldies show.