Mr. Pibb Doesn't Have The Balls For Something Like This

I sent two links to Paul and Jeff last Friday, which touched of a series of emails. The first link was the strange-but-true article about Dr. Pepper's newest campaign:

Dr Pepper Sweetens Pot For 'Chinese Democracy'

Many have tried, but so far nobody has been able to pry the decade-in-the-works Guns N' Roses album "Chinese Democracy" from the hands of lone remaining original member Axl Rose.

Now, Dr Pepper thinks it's up to the challenge. The soft drink company says it will give a free can of Dr Pepper to "everyone in America" (excluding ex-GNR members Slash and Buckethead) if "Chinese Democracy" arrives anytime during the calendar year 2008.

"It took a little patience to perfect Dr Pepper's special mix of 23 ingredients, which our fans have come to know and love," Dr Pepper director of marketing Jaxie Alt says. "So we completely understand and empathize with Axl's quest for perfection -- for something more than the average album. We know once it's released, people will refer to it as 'Dr Pepper for the ears' because it will be such a refreshing blend of rich, bold sounds - an instant classic."

The second link was to Axl Rose's corresponding press release:

We are surprised and very happy to have the support of Dr Pepper with our album "Chinese Democracy," as for us, this came totally out of the blue. If there is any involvement with this promotion by our record company or others, we are unaware of such at this time. And as some of Buckethead's performances are on our album, I'll share my Dr Pepper with him.

i was truly speechless when i first heard about this. is there really so little going on at dr. pepper that this idea got green-lighted? how would this ever even be brought up at a promotions meeting? do you think there is just like one psychotic gnr fan that works there that has been pushing for this for years? i would really love to interview the president of dr. pepper to see how this came about.

--paul


i would just like to take this opportunity to point out that neither of you can prove that i've been working with the good people at Dr. Pepper.

actually, i was pushing for them to blow the dust off the VH classic "Somebody Get Me A Doctor" for the new ad campaign...

tangent: favorite song by, about, or including the word 'doctor'?

think i might choose the new wave infectiousness & repetition of the Thompson Twins' "Doctor Doctor"... (can't you see I'm burning burning?)

~jeff.


If someone had told me that a soft drink brand was publicly encouraging the release of Chinese Democracy, I would have guessed Mountain Dew. Then, Mountain Dew: Code Red. Then I would have asked if Red Bull counts as a soft drink brand. Then I would have guessed a brand looking to energize its stale image, like RC Cola. Dr. Pepper, headquartered in Waco, Texas, would have been low on my list. Maybe a few notches above Coke and a dozen notches above Fresca.

There was probably some long-haired advertising peon at Dr. Pepper headquarters that locked the executive board in a room until they promised to lobby G n' R. Then he ran out of the building, skipping and laughing all the way to his '85 Firebird, and drove into the sunset.

Jackson Browne's "Doctor My Eyes" is my choice for favorite song until I can research more fully.

--dn


Favorite song that contains 'Doctor' is a great question. Off the top of my head, my favorite two would have to be "Calling Dr. Love" by KISS or the obvious choice, "Dr. Feelgood" by the Crue. By the way, am I the only one who enjoys "Dr. Feelgood" 100 times more when the T.N.T (Terror 'N Tinseltown) intro is played before it? Much like how they've combined "We Will Rock You/We Are the Champions" and "Heartbreaker/Livin Lovin Maid (She's Just a Woman)", I think we should draft a piece of legislation that
would require TNT and Dr. Feelgood to be combined.

--paul


I was just thinking about combined songs today, when "We Will Rock You" came up on the shuffle. I was judging if it's a good thing or a bad thing that media players are too dumb to automatically subsequently bring up "We Are the Champions".

I am behind your legislation, and will write my congressman if we include:
Mellon Collie and the Infinite Sadness / Tonight Tonight
Foreplay / Long Time
the really long music intro before the radio edit of Tesla's "Love Song"
the Star Spangled Banner intro before Bullet the Blue Sky on U2's "Rattle and Hum"
side B of Abbey Road

--dn


All great additions, Dan. I think combined songs are a good thing. For some reason, I like the 1 second pause in between the 2 parts where you're thinking "Are they going to play the 2nd part or cut it off?" Then, that's always followed by a sense of gratification when the 2nd part kicks in. This seems to especially happen with the Zeppelin duo already mentioned.

Since we're drafting legislation, we might as well do all of these with one shot. And on that note, lets add "Eruption" and "You Really Got Me" by VH to the list. There's nothing worse than hearing the beginning of "You Really Got Me" kick in and realizing that you were ripped off by them not playing "Eruption".

--paul


there must already be legislation in place for the zep twosome, as i think that is the only combo mentioned that i've never heard played (other than on a personal shuffle) as separate entities.

getting back to the abbey road thing, where do you place the line where the whole sequence starts? i'm not sure how they divided it when there was sides 1/2 (pre-CD), but i personally think the album shifts into medley mode at "Because"...

pauly, you really took me back on the Dr. Feelgood intro -- so far i don't even remember TNT, even though i was obsessed with that album in 8th grade. i will have to dig this up and revisit.

Calling Dr. Love and Doctor My Eyes are excellent choices that i hadn't thought of when i posed the question. props.

it's really fun for me when i hear Kiss these days & i realize how ridiculous their songs are/were. especially when you couple it with how seriously they take themselves as artists and CEOs of the Kiss Army. i saw the video for God Gave Rock & Roll To You the other day on VH1 classic, and after a couple of jumping air windmills, i actually listened for a minute:

I know life sometimes can get tough!
And I know life sometimes can be a drag!
But people, we have been given a gift, we have been given a road
And that road's name is... Rock and Roll!

awesome.

~jeff.


The only part of Abbey Road I'm especially concerned with is Golden Slumbers / Carry That Weight / End.

I get a few VH1 Classic specials for free on demand. Last month, I watched a little bit of a Queen retrospective: live performances, interviews with members, etc. After about the fifth time I laughed at an elaborate Freddie Mercury jumpsuit, I noticed my girlfriend wasn't as entranced by Brian May's commentary as I was. So I've learned to watch those things alone.

I can't remember TNT, either, but I'm sure I would remember it if I heard it. I do remember TMNT, though. Those turtles loved pizza.

I was just thinking about the video for "Estranged" where Axl jumps into the ocean. They need to use CGI to change the water to Dr. Pepper.

--dn