MY LYRIC-WRITING DEBUT
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Potato Power is the current
marketing theme for the U.S.
Potato Board, a commodity
association representing the
nation's potato growers. I'm
fortunate to consult with them at
Fleishman-Hillard.
Part of our recommendations to
the board included creating a song
and a dance around Potato Power
that would be used at grade school
assemblies featuring the "Healthy
Mr. Potato Head" character we
helped create with the licensing
folks at Hasbro (another great
Fleishman-Hillard client!).
I wrote the lyrics ("dance like a
tater" and "that's how you start this
spudly dance" are my favorite
lines) and hired Anne Phillips to
write the music.
Anne is a veteran jingle writer,
famous for "Pepsi Beats The
Others Cold" and other classics of
the 60s and 70s.
marketing theme for the U.S.
Potato Board, a commodity
association representing the
nation's potato growers. I'm
fortunate to consult with them at
Fleishman-Hillard.
Part of our recommendations to
the board included creating a song
and a dance around Potato Power
that would be used at grade school
assemblies featuring the "Healthy
Mr. Potato Head" character we
helped create with the licensing
folks at Hasbro (another great
Fleishman-Hillard client!).
I wrote the lyrics ("dance like a
tater" and "that's how you start this
spudly dance" are my favorite
lines) and hired Anne Phillips to
write the music.
Anne is a veteran jingle writer,
famous for "Pepsi Beats The
Others Cold" and other classics of
the 60s and 70s.
Her son Alex (not shown) is the vocalist. Here (left to right) you see
Anne, the session guitarist John Hart, me (looking a bit like Mr. Potato
Head himself, now that I think about it), and the two main
Fleishman-Hillard staffers who lead the USPB account, Amy Kull and
Kris Caputo. We're belting out the "Potato Power!" shout chorus that
comes at the end of the tune.
Anne also produced the session. She hires only the best musicians.
Listen for the great octave stinger at the end nailed by Ingrid Jenson,
one of New York's hottest jazz trumpeters.
For the dance, I hired a lovely and talented actress/vocalist/dancer
named Niffer Clarke to do the choreography. She's the wife of my good
friend Jonathan Levine, a multi-talented woodwind doubler, Broadway
show player, teacher, and fellow All-American College Band alum.
To see Niffer and Hannah Clarke Levine perform the dance on the
"Healthy Potato" Web site, click here, then follow the link that says
"Learn the Potato Power Song and Dance Here."
Anne, the session guitarist John Hart, me (looking a bit like Mr. Potato
Head himself, now that I think about it), and the two main
Fleishman-Hillard staffers who lead the USPB account, Amy Kull and
Kris Caputo. We're belting out the "Potato Power!" shout chorus that
comes at the end of the tune.
Anne also produced the session. She hires only the best musicians.
Listen for the great octave stinger at the end nailed by Ingrid Jenson,
one of New York's hottest jazz trumpeters.
For the dance, I hired a lovely and talented actress/vocalist/dancer
named Niffer Clarke to do the choreography. She's the wife of my good
friend Jonathan Levine, a multi-talented woodwind doubler, Broadway
show player, teacher, and fellow All-American College Band alum.
To see Niffer and Hannah Clarke Levine perform the dance on the
"Healthy Potato" Web site, click here, then follow the link that says
"Learn the Potato Power Song and Dance Here."
| All content © Copyright 2006, 2007 by John Armato unless otherwise indicated. Content may be freely excerpted with attribution for nonprofit use. All other uses by permission only. Just ask me. I'll probably say yes. |
