“Turn this mutha out.”
“You can’t touch this.”
“We got to pray just to make it today.”
“Too legit to quit.”
In the early ’90s, I did everything I could to include the above slogans in my everyday vocabulary. As a pre-teen growing up in Kansas City, Kansas, I had it all. The parachute pants? Check. The bright neon clothing? Check. Every album via cassette tape? No doubt. Yes, I was a certified MC Hammer fanatic.
And then “it” happened.
Pretty sure it was the summer of 92. Looking back, I don’t recall anything being out of the ordinary that day. I was out riding my bike or shooting hoops – doing what any normal 12-year-old would do during his or her summer vacation. I vividly remember coming inside to grab something cool to drink and after closing my parent’s fridge, my ears perked up. Like someone under a spell, I followed the sound to my older brother Andy’s room, located down in the basement.
When I opened the door “it,” which I later discovered was ‘Fool in the Rain,’ the Led Zeppelin Song from the band’s 1979 ‘In Through the Out Door’ album overcame me.
Like removing a muzzle from a barking dog, the multitude of sounds attacked me from inside Andy’s Sony boom box. At first it was John Paul Jones piano playing that stood out. Then, the vocal range of lead singer Robert Plant. When Jimmy Page’s guitar solo came, my jaw nearly hit the floor. Finally, as the whistle blew midway through the track and John Bonham’s drums and percussion took the lead, I realized I was hooked. “THIS IS MUSIC,” I thought to myself.
My life was never the same after that. Gone were the ridiculous Hammer pants. No more bright turquoise shirts. The cassettes tossed aside and replaced by Kansas City’s classic rock station 101 The Foxx – fingers crossed hoping the DJs would play Zeppelin.
I never could have imagined the impact that day had on me. A whole new world opened. Van Halen, the Rolling Stones and the Beatles followed my appreciation of Zeppelin – the list grew and grew.
I learned the power of music.
The right music ‘moves’ people. It can evoke emotion. This is why renowned movie directors such as Wes Anderson, Cameron Crowe and the late John Hughes have a reputation for spending significant time assembling the soundtrack for their films. It is why companies such as Apple are so selective with the music featured on commercials representing its brand. It is why; still to this day, ‘Fool in the Rain’ can make the hair on my neck stand up.
During my professional career, I have been able to add videography to my skill set. In both personal and professional projects, I often struggle to find the ‘perfect song’ to use. A bad selection can completely change the tone and ruin a video or marketing piece. However, if you can find a tune that grabs someone, similar to the way that Zeppelin hit did for me, the impact can be everlasting. This is why I love music and have embraced videography. It is an element of marketing communications that is, well – ‘too legit to quit.’