Jeep Commercial on the Superbowl

About Steel Guitarists and their Music

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Jim Palenscar
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Jeep Commercial on the Superbowl

Post by Jim Palenscar »

Greg Leisz doing atmospheric steel behind Bruce Springsteen.
Kevin Swan
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Greg Leisz, with some guy doing voice-over

Post by Kevin Swan »

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Post by Dale McPherson »

Wow very nice
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Post by James Sission »

Wow.
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Jim Cooley
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Post by Jim Cooley »

That is fantastic. I'll bet most people won't realize there's a steel guitar in there. Thank you for posting this.
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Craig Stock
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Post by Craig Stock »

Its interesting that Bruce has used quite a bit of steel guitar throughout his career, a lot more than most rock stars. His record Western Stars is still one of my faves and I think it is a milestone of his career.

Great to see that Greg Leisz is on the commercial. Surprised Bruce did the commercial but, it was classy!
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Post by Paul Sutherland »

I saw that commercial during the game and didn't even notice the steel. How could I have missed it? I guess I was focused on other things.
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Post by Jim Palenscar »

I believe that Greg told me that the steel on the commercial was lifted from the Western Stars recording :)
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Post by Larry Behm »

I thought the message was the best.
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Marc Muller
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Post by Marc Muller »

Jim Palenscar wrote:I believe that Greg told me that the steel on the commercial was lifted from the Western Stars recording :)
Yes, indeed, it's Greg. Beautiful stuff.
Last edited by Marc Muller on 9 Feb 2021 1:53 pm, edited 1 time in total.
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Post by b0b »

I love everything Greg Leisz does. He's a master of the instrument, and of electronic effects. I wish he'd do an instrumental album of his own, even though his work with Bill Frisell is almost that.
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David Spires
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Post by David Spires »

It was great hearing pedal steel anywhere.
Last edited by David Spires on 8 Feb 2021 11:57 am, edited 1 time in total.
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Post by b0b »

Let's keep the topic on Greg Leisz, please. I'd rather hear the music without the voiceover and video, actually. And politics has no place on this forum.
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Jim Fogarty
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Post by Jim Fogarty »

On a more practical level.....since apparently the soundtrack was Greg Leisz's track from "Moonlight Motel" on Springsteen's "Western Stars" album.

I wonder how that works. Leisz was presumably paid (well) for the original session. Does he get residuals, or another separate payment, for this featured use in a commercial? Would he have to approve it?
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Post by Skip Edwards »

You do get a check for a re-use when something you played on is used on TV or in a movie.
That is, as long as the original session went through the union....
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Marc Muller
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Post by Marc Muller »

Jim Fogarty wrote:
I wonder how that works. Leisz was presumably paid (well) for the original session. Does he get residuals, or another separate payment, for this featured use in a commercial? Would he have to approve it?
Last edited by Marc Muller on 9 Feb 2021 1:54 pm, edited 2 times in total.
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b0b
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Post by b0b »

Skip Edwards wrote:You do get a check for a re-use when something you played on is used on TV or in a movie.
That is, as long as the original session went through the union....
Nice! :mrgreen:
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Post by Nic Sanford »

I love everything I've heard Greg Leisz do. I also appreciate Bob and this forum and it's many helpful contributing members. I agree that political discussions don't have a welcomed place here, unless apparently, you are simplifying and having a laugh on the concept of standing up against racial inequality in America over in the "Funny and Fun" section.
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Post by Fred Treece »

Perfect match of steel, message, voice, and video. In that order, of course 🤠
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Jon Light (deceased)
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Post by Jon Light (deceased) »

Nic Sanford wrote:I love everything I've heard Greg Leisz do. I also appreciate Bob and this forum and it's many helpful contributing members. I agree that political discussions don't have a welcomed place here, unless apparently, you are simplifying and having a laugh on the concept of standing up against racial inequality in America over in the "Funny and Fun" section.
Nic-- I hear you. My own continued participation in the Forum hangs on a thin thread, on a day by day basis. The continued presence of a guy who contributes NOTHING except self promotion and the extremely persistent game-playing, seeing if he can get away with yet another of his dozens of political references, happens to coincide with the fact that he is the same guy who proudly posted of his connection with a guy who has stood with those people who wish that Hitler had killed more of my family.....I question why I am willing to be a member of the same club as him. Every day I question it. An opportunity to help someone troubleshoot a steel guitar problem keeps me here another day. But it's wearing thin.

And I do love Greg's playing.
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MIchael Bean
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Post by MIchael Bean »

Thanks, I was wondering who that was as I was listening.
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Jim Fogarty
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Post by Jim Fogarty »

Skip Edwards wrote:You do get a check for a re-use when something you played on is used on TV or in a movie.
That is, as long as the original session went through the union....
Cool.

I read an interview where Jon Landau mentioned that Springsteen and (I forget who) wrote and created the score, and my antenna went up, considering that most of "the score" is Leisz's part from another song, just digitally pitched up a step.
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Fred Treece
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Post by Fred Treece »

Jim Fogarty wrote:I read an interview where Jon Landau mentioned that Springsteen and (I forget who) wrote and created the score, and my antenna went up, considering that most of "the score" is Leisz's part from another song, just digitally pitched up a step.
Maybe this is that interview https://www.billboard.com/articles/news ... -interview

Here’s the only question regarding the music:
“How long did Bruce and Ron work on the underscore? Did they write it specifically for the commercial?

Yes, it was written for the film. They worked on it for a few days. They would come up with something, director Thom Zimny would put it in the emerging film, and then they would revise. Ron Aniello has been collaborating with Bruce for many albums by now, and they have a very relaxed way of going about their work.”

Underscore is a technical term, not the same as Score, or Song, or Steel Guitar part. So why didn’t Landau get more specific about it? Maybe because Billboard didn’t ask.
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Post by Tucker Jackson »

I love Leisz, and the song Moonlight Motel, but I never would have guessed that this was the part from that song (pitched up a step). It's out of context.

Speaking of cannibalizing tracks, reminds me of a rock album I did where the artist (without my knowledge) took the steel part from one tune, and dubbed it onto a second song that was in the same key, but he played my part backwards thanks to the magic of software. Just for odd texture, running very low in the mix.

I got a song credit on the deal and was confused as to why... until he old me what he had done. Interestingly, it sort of fit the track OK. Better than anything I could have come up with.
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Post by Roger Rettig »

I'm late to the party - it tells me the video is 'unavailable'.

:(
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