So the process is pretty fun, and can be quite addictive. My most recent idea hit me like this: I’m singing along with my daughter in the car, after her gymnastics class, and we’re making up silly songs. Something about Baby Back Baby Back Ribs – but we’ve replaced the words with “I want my Gravy Back” we were going home to eat pork rice and gravy. Just silly stuff. Then, an idea materializes from the sky, like a big fat rain drop, and falls out of the ether and hits me right on top of the head.
I was thinking about how incredibly iconic that Chili’s jingle is, and just how irresistable it is. I was in the mood to create something super sticky… that just refuses to leave your head, like a Barney song that your kids won’t stop singing. I pull out my phone and start recording using the Voice Recorder app, “Nah Nah Nah… Hey Hey Hey… Something and something and CHEV-RO-LET.” It’s very rough. I had received an email earlier that day from a Chevrolet dealership’s marketing gal, who was was letting me down easy. Apparently the jingle I pitched to her was catchy, but not catchy enough to catch HER. This is why I had Chevrolet on my brain. I really wanted to pitch her another, even more catchy idea.
This is a clip from that voice recording. You can sort of hear my daughter playing a video game in the background.
I get home, have some supper, (the rice and gravy was amazing) and I’m about to get in the shower. I’m still musing over the jingle in my head. The idea morphs slightly into, “Nah Nah Nah.. Hey Hey Hey… ‘Got to get on down the Highway. I can tell that the tag line is evolving, and I think that it’s just a matter of time before we’re in business.
A few minutes later, I get on my iPad to record my ideas. It’s getting late and my wife can hear me through the wall (my studio is right next to our bedroom), so I wrap it up for the night and spend several minutes listening to what I just recorded. It’s just three vocal tracks and a drum track, but I like what I’m hearing so far. I want the finished product to sound like a bunch of guys singing a college fight song in a pub. Not sure why, but that’s the vibe that I’m going for.
The next day, while driving in my car, I record some thoughts on the jingle. This is a little embarrassing to share, but i feel it’s an important part of the process. Here, I’m getting excited about what I’ve got, and am exploring some further ideas. Don’t act like you never talk to yourself while your driving…
I like the lyrics so far – it’s good and catchy. Like I said in the voice memo, I’m planning to follow it up with some blues harp, some clever guitar riffs, and maybe even a splash of Hammond organ. (This musical interlude after the opening “sing-in” is called “the donut” – this is where the announcer will be speaking). I go back to the studio and spend a couple of hours working on what is becoming a pretty clear vision. For now I’m just focusing on making it nice and tight – exactly 60 seconds, and I want to start playing around with the vocals. They will need to be strong and clear. I’m still in rough draft mode, but it’s starting to come together for sure.
I’ll update this one as it goes, but for now my plans are to clean up the harmonica and organ parts and maybe even scoot the ending tag forward by a measure, to allow for a nice long outro space. Check back later for the finished product!
JOHNSON JINGLES 