October 17, 2004  

Satisfying inconvenience

A while back Bailey’s liqueur was running an ad called “Zero Gravity Bar” wherein neo-retro hipsters float about slurping up weightless Bailey’s globules. I loved it — not so much for the space theme but because of the music. Part Herb Alpert, part Fatboy Slim, it perfectly evoked a future with a loungy past. So, I had to find the tune of course. Googled “Bailey’s Zero Gravity Bar”. Got a few hits at some odd forums that are devoted solely to discussing commercials. Had I stumbled upon these forums in any other circumstance I would certainly have made fun of the people who post to them, but in this case they had what I needed. Or so I thought. The few that mentioned this commercial were fairly certain the track was called “Les Fleurs” by 4Hero. (This was confirmed by Bailey’s website, which I should have gone to in the first place.)

OK great. Checked Apple Music Store. Nothing. Checked the sketchy Russian download sites. Hit! Downloaded for a cool $0.10. Wrong song. Damnit. Turns out there this song applies to the non-US version of the commercial. More Googling. For a few weeks — weeks! not a normal unit of time in Internet search terms — there were no new leads on the song. Then, after finding more chatboards devoted to commercials (the ad-obsessed are a diverse community, I reckon), it was noted that the song was called “Swing It Back” by Avenue A. There was a link to a production company which listed the album as “Never the Less” and had a sound clip. I verified that the clip was the correct song. OK great. So, you’d think that armed with all this info getting the song would be a no-brainer. Back to Apple Music Store. Nope. Sketchy Russian stores. Nyet, nyet. Walmart and company. Hell no. Peer-to-peer. Nothing. Let me tell you: never was a sequence of words less conducive to a Google search — ‘avenue’, ‘a’, swing’, ‘it’, ‘back’, ‘never’, ‘the’, ‘less’. I turned up next to nothing. It was the first time in a long while that I was stymied in online searching. This, of course, was making me want the song all the more. I was becoming willing to pay far more than a dime for this track.

Eventually I tried searching not on the keywords that I had (since they returned junk) but on other words that might be associated with them ‘jazz’, ‘beat’, ‘trumpet’, etc. Actually I always threw ‘avenue’ in there as it was the most unique of the original terms. I came across a wholesale distributor who seemed to carry the album — in Chicago no less. And, for a few hours per week a commoner like myself could walk in and buy something. This is the opposite of online music shopping. It was not cheap, not convenient, and not on-demand. I had to wait for a three-hour window on a Saturday to drive myself to the shop. Of course, the actual space probably was what an online operation looks like: stacks and stacks and stacks of music, organized for inventory purposes not for consumers browsing the aisles. I had my album. Having only heard a short commercial and an online clip, I was now the proud owner of twenty-two dollar’s worth of album. But that’s the thing. I was happy to pay. Maybe I was just glad to relive the experience of hunting for an album like I did when I was younger. (I have fond memories of flipping through cut-out bins in record shops looking for some obscure album.) Maybe I simply recognized that scarcity in a world of online ubiquity drives price way up.

Best of all, the whole album is amazing. “Swing It Back” isn’t even the best track. I highly recommend the album — if you can find it. Or, rather, especially if you can.

UPDATE: I’ve received lots of requests to share this track and/or album. I’m sorry to say that I can’t. I’ve e-mailed the band to see if there is a reissue in the works. Will post any info that I uncover here.

17 Responses to “Satisfying inconvenience”

  1. Tonnelier says :

    Great minds think alike. I thought it was probably a Fatboy Slim version of a Herb Alpert oldie. I’ve been searching for months. I found the same Brit sites, and what a lame tune that is! I just ordered it from an Amazon partner in Virginia for FIFTY DOLLARS! I feel like an idiot, but I can’t get it out of my head. Thanks for the sleuthing.

  2. Shawn says :

    I too like the Bailey’s commercial, and was searching online, like you, when I found your blog. Any chance you can make “Swing It Back” available ptp? I’m on MP3Downloading.
    In any case, thanks for identifying the song and album. Your description leads me to think it may be the best stuff since I found The Style Council.
    Shawn

  3. Jason says :

    Thanks for digging the music. Nice to know somebody is listening. All the best Jason (Avenue A)

  4. MD says :

    Good work…you rule.

  5. damac_24 says :

    Love the story about tracking down the album. Spotted it on Amazon for $98! Quite an import! Have you made it available ptp? If so, please tell me where to find it.
    Thanks!

  6. phummers says :

    Surround phrases with quotes in Google to keep them intact: “swing it back” with “avenue a” returns about 72 hits, all relevant.

  7. Steve says :

    That music has been in my head for weeks. Thanks for the sleuthing. Armed with your info, I’m working on how to buy a copy down here in Texas (a little harder to hit that 3 hour window in Chicago for me).

  8. kangkong says :

    hi there.
    wow that was some feat you went to just to look for the album. i really like that song and i cant get it out of my head.
    but it kinda saddened my that looking for the album will be a little difficult since i live here in asia.
    thanks for the title anyway. i hope i can come across an album with the bailey’s song.
    and damn. the dudes who made the commercial should be proud of themselves for finding a really rare track.

  9. jonatan says :

    hi, i have been looking for the song for a month or so now, and today i cam over you blog, have you put the album up on p2p somewhere? if so email me, thx/Jonatan

  10. Cecilia says :

    Unlike you, I really liked the non-us version, I just found it thanks to you! My brother and I have been searching it for months, and we are just enjoying it right now. Thank you, and give a 4Hero a chance, its amazing!

  11. Liam English says :

    Jason (of Avenue A fame) you must release this big time in the UK. Auntie Beeb recently used it for a BBC1 trailer, and I am sure with a bit of a PR push you could make a mint.
    At the very least, get i tunes to load it up!
    Toodles

  12. Jesus says :

    Somewhere else in the world, Mexico for Example, the “Float Ad” is running with that 4Hero Song, that is so good too.

  13. The Dude says :

    I can’t find that album nor that track anywhere. It’s discontinued at Amazon UK, it’s not shwoing up on iTunes, Napster, and even at http://www.mp3search.ru. This sucks big time.

  14. Christian says :

    hi guys!
    i finally found some helpful information about the other Bailey’s ad (the Dance ad); the song used there is entitled “If You Wanna Dance With Me” by Human feat. Rhea. unfortunately, i havent been able to find a copy of this song since it is (apparently) commissioned for the Bailey’s ad only, and the one that was aired with the ad is already the second, revised version. sucks!
    as for the Float ad, the one that we have here in the Philippines is the one with 4Hero’s “Les Fleurs”. i have been able to download both Les Fleurs and Avenue A’s “Swinging it Back”, and I must say that I like Les Fleurs more. 🙂 just my two cents.

  15. Gali says :

    Christian,
    God knows how long I’ve been searching for that tune (“If you wanna dance with me”), if that relly is the title and the artist (Human). Couldn’t find is on Limewire. I’ve got LEs fleur and Swing it back as well but I think I still prefer the “If you dance with me”.
    How did you know about the song and artist?

  16. K didi says :

    Your fucking ACE man what you said is exactly why i was looking for the song and bang. Well done i love your work

  17. dnyal says :

    Excelent work. Thanks a lot from that song group of fans in Colombia!