'The Jingle King' Tracks Decline Of Original Music In Advertising

Steve Karmen wrote a number of famous jingles, including Budweiser's "When You Say Bud"; the New York State song, "I Love New York"; the jingle "Here Comes the King"; the Exxon Song; and Wrigley Spearmint Gum's "Carry The Big Fresh Flavor." He also composed several music scores for motion pictures during the 1960s and performed briefly as a calypso singer. Karmen is the recipient of 16 Clio Awards. NPR explores how the business of writing the music for advertising has changed. ROBERT SIEGEL, HOST: A little advertising history now. Decades ago, products had jingles, songs or fragments of songs whose music and lyrics were composed to sell just one thing.(SOUNDBITE OF ARCHIVED RECORDING)UNIDENTIFIED MAN: (Singing) Mr. Clean gets rid of dirt and grime and grease in just a minute.UNIDENTIFIED WOMAN #1: (Singing) Mr. Clean will clean your whole house and everything's that in it.(SOUNDBITE OF ARCHIVED RECORDING)UNIDENTIFIED SINGERS #1: (Singing) Rice-A-Roni, the San Francisco treat.(SOUNDBITE...