Musical Memory: The Coca-Cola Kid

I am permanently stuck with being me.  Given that fact, I have learned to accept all my failings and quirks.  In a previous blog, I mentioned that one of my quirks is the odd way in which my memory is selective.  For whatever reason, memories associated with music really stand out and persist in my mind; whereas, everything else runs around in circles for a while before eventually jumping off a cliff and vanishing forever.  I could go on forever citing examples of my “musical memories.”

For today, I shall share just one story.

In 1985, an Australian movie called The Coca-Cola Kid was released.  I didn’t actually watch the movie until I rented it (VCR-style) in 1988 or so.  The move was mama huhu.  Mama huhu is how you say “just so-so” in Mandarin Chinese.  Somehow (without the help of music), I manage to recall that phrase from a trip I took to China back in 1985 with my buddy, Kevin.

Anyhow, the movie starred Eric Roberts, the brother of Julia Roberts.  In the movie, the character played by Eric Roberts is a hotshot American marketing expert who is sent to Australia to figure out why one little town there is utterly resisting Coca-Cola products.  At one point in the movie, Eric asks a group of Australian musicians to produce a “local” jingle for Coca-Cola.

That’s where my memory steps in.

Though the song is brief, I liked it so much, I never forgot the distinct sound.  When YouTube first became known to me, I looked for the song, without luck.  Recently, however, I found it.

Today, I am posting a video showing the making of the jingle to The Coca-Cola Kid.  You are welcome to run the jingle off the cliff after a listen.

--Mitchell Hegman

Here is a link for the video if the video posted here fails to launch: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OEVhX0EZh9w