as a former bank of america employee...

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i don't know whether to laugh or cry.

song, performance, and video of the year.

― hstencil (hstencil), Thursday, 9 November 2006 05:23 (nineteen years ago)

it's awesome! brought a tear to my eye.

― scott seward (scott seward), Thursday, 9 November 2006 05:34 (nineteen years ago)

KNOW THE ENEMY 101

― deekew (deekew), Thursday, 9 November 2006 05:51 (nineteen years ago)

i need to be held.

also, NOT ENOUGH! pls to see the practice sessions.

― Susan Douglas (Susan Douglas), Thursday, 9 November 2006 05:54 (nineteen years ago)

ummmmmmmmmmmmmmmm

― Fetchboy (Felcher), Thursday, 9 November 2006 07:17 (nineteen years ago)

Strongly considering suicide.

― polyphonic (polyphonic), Thursday, 9 November 2006 08:52 (nineteen years ago)

those guys are laying it all on the line for truth

― Dominique (dleone), Thursday, 9 November 2006 09:34 (nineteen years ago)

This is the logical conclusion of the so-bad-it's-good-but-it's-really-not-"bad"-bad-so-it's-great line of musical criticism, so all of you irony-loving screwballs, put this fucker on repeat and listen until what's left of your souls thoroughly and evenly char your baked-potato brains.

― Shoes say, yeah, no hands clap your good bra. (goodbra), Thursday, 9 November 2006 13:05 (nineteen years ago)

no, it's just bad. but it's funny!

― scott seward (scott seward), Thursday, 9 November 2006 13:08 (nineteen years ago)

I find this more depressing than funny.

― A-ron Hubbard (Hurting), Thursday, 9 November 2006 13:18 (nineteen years ago)

I had to stop watching when he said "live out our core values."

― A-ron Hubbard (Hurting), Thursday, 9 November 2006 13:19 (nineteen years ago)

I half-heartedly listened for a clue that the lyricist is a wool-puller, but I found none. So either he's sick beyond redemption or he's one non-flinching ice-cold motherfucker.

― Shoes say, yeah, no hands clap your good bra. (goodbra), Thursday, 9 November 2006 13:49 (nineteen years ago)

Yeah, I think I have too much contact with banking dudes to find this anything other than awful.

― Eppy (Eppy), Thursday, 9 November 2006 16:33 (nineteen years ago)

you'd think he'd crack a smile because he recognizes the absurdity of this whole thing--

but he doesn't (smile or recognize)

― cutty (mcutt), Thursday, 9 November 2006 16:34 (nineteen years ago)

His performance is very polished too, like he worked A LOT on it.

― A-ron Hubbard (Hurting), Thursday, 9 November 2006 16:35 (nineteen years ago)

This just reminds me of when the banking dudes get in a bar and put something on the jukebox that they think is clever. They have no recognition of how absurd they're being.

― Eppy (Eppy), Thursday, 9 November 2006 16:36 (nineteen years ago)

I mean, that "our financial institution is better than their financial institution" crap is 100% sincere.

― Eppy (Eppy), Thursday, 9 November 2006 16:38 (nineteen years ago)

ya think?

― hstencil (hstencil), Thursday, 9 November 2006 16:40 (nineteen years ago)

Oh, lord.

― mcd (mcd), Thursday, 9 November 2006 16:43 (nineteen years ago)

this is beyond comment

― latebloomer (latebloomer), Thursday, 9 November 2006 16:44 (nineteen years ago)

Not as great as that computer one from last year.

― Whoof Vague-o-Rama (noodle vague), Thursday, 9 November 2006 16:52 (nineteen years ago)

wow. I apologize for ever thinking The Office sometimes exaggerates corporate life for comedic effect.

still, i think i like the "we built this city" starbucks thing a little better.

― M@tt He1geson: Real Name, No Gimmicks (Matt Helgeson), Thursday, 9 November 2006 16:59 (nineteen years ago)

"I had to stop watching when he said "live out our core values.""

Me too. Creepy.

― Alex in SF (Alex in SF), Thursday, 9 November 2006 16:59 (nineteen years ago)

"Money don’t make my world go round, I’m reaching out to a higher ground."

- Des'ree, via D.B.

(shit, x-post with Helg3son!)

― Tiki Theater Xymposium (Bent Over at the Arclight), Thursday, 9 November 2006 17:06 (nineteen years ago)

i'm changing banks. wachovia isn't sensitive enough.

― blackmail (blackmail.is.my.life), Thursday, 9 November 2006 17:12 (nineteen years ago)

i'm considering running to the nearest band of america and taking ALL OF MY MONEY OUT.

― jonathan - stl (jonathan - stl), Thursday, 9 November 2006 17:15 (nineteen years ago)

That was excruciating, far, far worse than that "symantec corporate anthem" thing.

― Pashmina (Pashmina), Thursday, 9 November 2006 17:41 (nineteen years ago)

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bMssyyCuhKA

― Fritz Wollner (Fritz), Thursday, 9 November 2006 17:49 (nineteen years ago)

he sings more like george michael than like bono

― the 48 states competition (1939) (Jody Beth Rosen), Thursday, 9 November 2006 18:00 (nineteen years ago)

"do you like the yankees, or is nascar more your speed"???

i'd like to beat that guy with a sack of doorknobs

― J. Grizzle (trainsmoke), Thursday, 9 November 2006 19:30 (nineteen years ago)

One of the sad things too is that somewhere in the back of my mind I always hear my mom telling me "Look, do what you love now - you can always sell out and get a bank job when you're 35" -- seeing shit like this makes me thing that's a much worse fate than I ever realized and I'd better find a good career while I can.

― A-ron Hubbard (Hurting), Thursday, 9 November 2006 21:06 (nineteen years ago)

thanks.

― hstencil (hstencil), Thursday, 9 November 2006 21:14 (nineteen years ago)

dude, you're simply the best

― cousin larry bundgee (bundgee), Thursday, 9 November 2006 21:20 (nineteen years ago)

i told you about that, right?

― hstencil (hstencil), Thursday, 9 November 2006 21:21 (nineteen years ago)

You did say you were a former BOA employee, right? Certainly didn't mean that as a comment on you.

― A-ron Hubbard (Hurting), Thursday, 9 November 2006 21:23 (nineteen years ago)

(xp) nah i read the blog comments

― cousin larry bundgee (bundgee), Thursday, 9 November 2006 21:23 (nineteen years ago)

oh yeah forgot i left that. this comment is priceless:

At 3:23 PM, Anonymous said...

RIPOFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFF!

Johnny Cash is crying right now and fuming mad that you butchered his song....

― hstencil (hstencil), Thursday, 9 November 2006 21:32 (nineteen years ago)

this comment is priceless:
At 3:23 PM, Anonymous said...
RIPOFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFF!

Johnny Cash is crying right now and fuming mad that you butchered his song....

rofflestiltskin

― J. Grizzle (trainsmoke), Thursday, 9 November 2006 21:44 (nineteen years ago)

ah, new meaning to the words "corporate rock"

― that's so taylrr (ken taylrr), Thursday, 9 November 2006 22:42 (nineteen years ago)

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nSfz5XRKy_k

― Shakey Mo Collier (Shakey Mo Collier), Thursday, 9 November 2006 23:48 (nineteen years ago)

Dammit, I just came here to post that Youtube link. I also thought I'd mention the Johnny Cash cover comment. Shit.

One of the best parts is at the very end, with the standing ovation.

― Zachary Scott (Zach S), Friday, 10 November 2006 00:56 (nineteen years ago)

"Symantec Revolution" worked because the employees were in on the joke. These guys aren't.

― Mr. Snrub (Mr. Snrub), Friday, 10 November 2006 01:04 (nineteen years ago)

Apparently, neither is the audience. It's just like William Shatner did "Rocket Man" way back and nobody in the audience laughed.

― Mr. Snrub (Mr. Snrub), Friday, 10 November 2006 01:12 (nineteen years ago)

I used to work for a few banks...
at one of them, they put on a huge show for all the management (branch and corporate) and each region had to do a skit involving music...

the one I was in was "Stop! In The Name of Fraud"

― SAS (sschwartzberg), Friday, 10 November 2006 06:58 (nineteen years ago)

I agree with the one commenter that all that multiple angles jazz (inter alia) exposes this as maybe not 100% earnest

― Roque Strew (RoqueStrew), Friday, 10 November 2006 08:12 (nineteen years ago)

also the guys sings really well.its all a little too impressive isn't it? yeah suspicious. i hope this isn't a HUGE letdown..

― Susan Douglas (Susan Douglas), Friday, 10 November 2006 08:48 (nineteen years ago)

"I'll Be Watching You, Ben Bernanke"

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ipJTqCbETog

― pirouette (35 Hertz), Friday, 10 November 2006 15:03 (nineteen years ago)

I love that he chooses a band who's incredibly outspoken about consumerism. (Although said band sucks Best Buy cock like it produced life-giving nectar).

He shouda done a Crass song: BIG B LITTLE O BOUNCING A/BANK OF AMERICA RULES OK

― Whiney G. Weingarten (whineyg), Friday, 10 November 2006 16:14 (nineteen years ago)

Sorry I didn't see this! (Please delete other thread.)

― Pete Scholtes (Pete Scholtes), Friday, 10 November 2006 19:45 (nineteen years ago)

If these lyrics were set to a different tune, I could imagine this being written by David Byrne.

― Period period period (Period period period), Friday, 10 November 2006 20:02 (nineteen years ago)

I would do a sketch entitled "Fed-a-philia!"

― Eppy (Eppy), Friday, 10 November 2006 20:09 (nineteen years ago)

xpost-hah! v.otm

― Susan Douglas (Susan Douglas), Friday, 10 November 2006 20:33 (nineteen years ago)

Douchebags

― It's the lazy and immoral way to become super hip. (Austin, Still), Saturday, 11 November 2006 04:19 (nineteen years ago)

I work for the company that helped create mbna and affinity cards. rest assured I have forwarded this to everyone I can think of. I only hope that none of us ever wind up in a meeting with this guy.

― kyle (akmonday), Saturday, 11 November 2006 16:48 (nineteen years ago)

Friends were speculating that this was a viral marketing campaign -- do you think? Maybe we're all spending our time watching a B of A commercial?

― Mark (MarkR), Saturday, 18 November 2006 14:45 (nineteen years ago)

Has marketing really reached the point where having millions of people around the world thinking "Jesus, Bank of America employ some enormous douches" is considered good publicity?

― Brian Emo (noodle vague), Saturday, 18 November 2006 18:00 (nineteen years ago)

is there anyone here who doesn't now know that MBNA and BoA have merged? then it worked.

― that's so taylrr (ken taylrr), Saturday, 18 November 2006 19:17 (nineteen years ago)

Has marketing really reached the point where having millions of people around the world thinking "Jesus, Bank of America employ some enormous douches" is considered good publicity?

-- Brian Emo

Of course! All that matters is that "Bank of America" gets lodged in your head, and you laugh. People watch this because they enjoy it.

― Mark (MarkR), Saturday, 18 November 2006 19:21 (nineteen years ago)

you're reaching, mark.

― hstencil (hstencil), Saturday, 18 November 2006 19:57 (nineteen years ago)

I don't know, he may be on to something. As it stands now, it's really bad publicity, to the 400 or so people who have seen the clip. My girlfriend said something like "If I had an account at Bank of America, I'd take it out".

But, if Bank of America would run a real commercial with One playing behind slow-motion footage of people depositing checks and setting up savings accounts, they could use this whole debacle to their advantage.

― Zachary Scott (Zach S), Saturday, 18 November 2006 20:39 (nineteen years ago)

David Cross and Johnny Marr (!) take a shot at it.

― hstencil (hstencil), Sunday, 19 November 2006 16:04 (nineteen years ago)

Haha really this couldn't be better BofA.

― Alex in SF (Alex in SF), Sunday, 19 November 2006 17:06 (nineteen years ago)

guys it is pretty rockist to suggest that people would should stop enjoying this song if it's a viral marketing ploy

― Good-Time Slim, Uncle Doobie, and the Great 'Frisco Freak-Out (sixteen sergeants, Sunday, 19 November 2006 17:52 (nineteen years ago)

Lyrics Celebrating Bank Merger Impress Only Copyright Lawyer
By MARIA ASPAN
Published: November 20, 2006
A video of two Bank of America employees singing a version of U2's "One" to commemorate their company's acquisition of MBNA recently made the rounds of the blogs, prompting amusement and some ridicule from online viewers.

But the intended comic effect of their performance and the retooled lyrics ("One spirit, we get to share it/Leading us all to higher standards") seemed lost on lawyers on the lookout for copyright violations.

On Tuesday, a lawyer for the Universal Music Publishing Group, a catalog owner and administrator, posted the text of a cease-and-desist letter in the comments section of Stereogum.com, a Web site carrying the video. It contended that Bank of America had violated Universal's copyright of the U2 song.

The two employees featured in the video were the guitarist, Jim Debois, a consumer market executive for Manhattan, and the singer, Ethan Chandler, a Manhattan banking center manager, who provoked much of the ridicule with his earnest interpretation and also for straying a bit far from U2's lyrics with lines like "Integration has never had us feeling so good/and we'll make lots of money."

Mr. Chandler, who has independently released an album and is working on another, said he was asked to write and perform the song for an August meeting of credit card division executives at MBNA headquarters in Wilmington, Del.

He said he was surprised to learn about the cease-and-desist letter, stressing that his performance was meant for an internal audience. "There was an approved list of songs to use," he said, "and as far I knew, that was an approved song."

Universal said on Stereogum that it had sent the letter by fax and registered mail to Bank of America last Monday. On Friday, a bank spokeswoman, Betsy Weinberger, said the legal department had not yet received it.

The letter was signed by Raul R. Gonzalez, a lawyer for Universal Music. Reached at his office, Mr. Gonzalez said, "No comment" and hung up.

Online commentators accustomed to viral marketing said they suspected that the video was the latest corporate attempt to co-opt Internet video for promotional purposes. But Ms. Weinberger said it was "absolutely not" leaked by Bank of America as a marketing ploy.
Mr. Chandler also denied any involvement in leaking the video, although he admitted that, despite the cutting online criticism, the incident had an upside. "A lot of people thought it was fake, but I really do sing," he said. "I've been doing this a long time."

― hstencil (hstencil), Tuesday, 21 November 2006 18:42 (nineteen years ago)

"A lot of people thought it was fake, but I really do sing," he said. "I've been doing this a long time."

MORE EXAMPLES PLZ.

― Ned Raggett (Ned), Tuesday, 21 November 2006 18:45 (nineteen years ago)

ethanchandler.com dude

― maura (maura), Tuesday, 21 November 2006 19:37 (nineteen years ago)

Holy shit.

― Ned Raggett (Ned), Tuesday, 21 November 2006 19:40 (nineteen years ago)

BofA's got some tight camera work/editing at their meetings. Just saying.

― Rufus 3000 (Mr Noodles), Tuesday, 21 November 2006 19:49 (nineteen years ago)

Mr. Lonely
Mr. Lonely lives in a box
In a world of paradox
He has far too many friends
Occupying space inside of his head

He's a loser but nobody knows it
We all love him but nobody shows it
Mr. Lonely who are you and why do you look so much like me?

Mr. Lonely says he's afraid
Thirty-five and never been laid
Nowhere he can place his love
Nobody wants to feel his touch

So he'll panic and change like the weather
Call his mother no one knows him better
Mr. Lonely who are you and why do you look so much like me?

He's a loser but nobody knows it
We all love him but nobody shows it
Mr. Lonely who are you and why do you look so much like me?

― bangelo (bangelo), Tuesday, 21 November 2006 20:07 (nineteen years ago)

haha he loves ryan adams!

― M@tt He1geson: Sassy and I Don't Care Who Knows It (Matt Helgeson), Tuesday, 21 November 2006 20:16 (nineteen years ago)

two months pass...

More of the same, courtesy of Royal Dutch Shell

[url]http://www.houstonpress.com/blogs/?p=649[/url]

Link in case that didn't work:

http://www.houstonpress.com/blogs/?p=649

― novamax (novamax), Thursday, 25 January 2007 22:55 (nineteen years ago)

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