The Brass Ring - "The Dis-Advantages Of You" (1967)

DID YOU KNOW: Tobacco companies are spending more than $12.5 billion a year on advertising and promotion but U.S. sales actually fell nearly 5.5 percent from 2000 to 2002.
Every day 2,000 kids light up for the first time.

The Brass Ring was a group of American studio musicians led by saxophonist and arranger Phil Bodner. They were based in New York City and were stylistically similar to Herb Alpert and other "Now Sound" instrumental pop groups from the 1960s, although the twin-sax sound more closely resembles Billy Vaughn, whose biggest hits were in the 50s. In addition to several successful albums, they had two hit singles. The first, The Phoenix Love Theme (Senza Fine), was used in the movie The Flight of the Phoenix, and hit #32 on the U.S. Billboard Hot 100 in 1966. The second, The Dis-Advantages of You, was used in a commercial for Benson & Hedges, and hit #36 in 1967. Numerous other singles hit Billboard's Easy Listening chart, and a non-chart single, "Love In The Open Air", is prized by collectors, as it is a cover of a little known composition by Paul McCartney.

The last cigarette TV commercial (for Virginia Slims) was broadcast on the Johnny Carson Tonight Show at 11:59pm on January 1, 1971. It was expected to be devastating for the networks when tobacco ads were banned - but they did all right without them, in spite of immediately losing $220 million dollars a year in revenues.

Category:

Music

Tags:

• The
• Brass
• Ring
• Dis-Advantages
• Of
• You
• 1967
• cigarette
• commercial
• Benson
• Hedges
• old
• tv
• smoking
• ads
• TheBacmaster
• Music
• Videos

[ehmvid]

Took me back, thanks. Would be even better at the correct aspect ratio (4:3 as opposed to being strectched to "widescreen" proportions).

[TheBacmaster]

@ehmvid This aspect ratio is 4.3. Most of these photos used were from 320x320. These were scanned from old magazines and very grainy due to their age. Had I not used the program I did, the pictures would be narrow with black bordering boxes on each side. and

would look like crap.

[ehmvid]

@TheBacmaster So they're square images stretched to 4:3, you're saying? I'd much rather see things at their original aspect ratio. I don't see the black, just the image. And now that everyone has widescreen TVs in the US, 99% of 4:3 broadcasts here look like crap because the owner doesn't want to see black bars, and doesn't care (or realize?) that Mary Tyler Moore's head is not round and basketballs are not oblate.

Not trying to you a hard time--I'm still glad for the clip.

[TheBacmaster]

@ehmvid I hear you, but is this really important? If so, I'm sorry I couldn't accommodate you. 13,528 views without any problems and here we are debating this. My videos are not made to order. With all due respect "What you see is what you get." You're not even a subscriber of mine! Good day.

[ohearn22]

@ Bacmaster: The lines you added at the end of this video -- straight out of William Talman's anti-smoking commercial aired right after he died, no? That commercial was spooky enough to keep me away from ever smoking.

Still love this song even though it sold a LOT of cigarettes for Benson & Hedges!

[TheBacmaster]

@ohearn22 Yes, you're correct.

[unwindzen]

This song has a positive, other-worldly quality. Takes you to another place-relaxed and tropical. The best of the 60's feeling. Female vocals are great.

[SteveCarras]

You don;'t have to smoke, just sit back, chill and enjoy (but a cigarette DOES help in these tough times!)!! Phil Bodner was the lead of this band with the odd female vocal sound.Late 1960s.

[nanlisa]

I was in fourth grade when this song was first out. I haven't heard it on the radio in years! Forty-five years later, I still love this song.

[4evernagged]

I loved this cool theme song from the cigarette commercial in the 60's, and I still love hearing it decades later!

[GregDad100]

Oh, the days when people would openly smoke on restaurants and airplanes. The funniest segment, however, is the one featuring the new fathers puffing away in the neo-natal unit. Was that EVER allowed?!

[hildman5]

very wonderful it take me back

[GGE47]

I never started smoking,but I do remember these commercials with their catchy tunes.This one is my favorite.

[smotnick]

Had not seen this one! I'm not a smoker, but from a cultural/historical point of view, it is very revealing about ourselves at the time, iconic and unforgettable! I can't forget that last pix with the couple in the airplane. Brings back memories and I remember the tune on TV of course.