How about a classic song of the day that started life as a jeans commercial? This one-hit wonder is appropriately titled “Jeans On” and it was released by David Dundas in October of 1976. The single went all the way to #3 on the UK charts and #17 on the Billboard Hot 100.
“Jeans On” was written by David Dundas and Roger Greenaway, and produced by Mr. Greenaway. Roger Greenaway was somewhat ubiquitous back in the late ’60s and early ’70s, co-writing and/or producing songs such as “You’ve Got Your Troubles” for the Fortunes, “Long Cool Woman in a Black Dress” for the Hollies, “My Baby Loves Lovin’” for White Plains, and “Green Grass” for Gary Lewis & the Playboys. He also sang on the Pipkins’ “Gimme Dat Ding” and the Brotherhood of Man’s “United We Stand.” Along with frequent collaborator Roger Cook and a couple of advertising executives, he wrote another song that started life as a commercial, “I’d Like to Teach the World to Sing” which morphed into a mainstream hit for the New Seekers.
As noted, “Jeans On” started out as a commercial, for Brutus Jeans in England. (It later was used in commercials for Wrangler Jeans in the United States.) The jingle proved so popular that misters Greenaway and Dundas changed and expanded the lyrics and recorded a full-length version. (The jingle’s lyrics went “I pull my Brutus jeans on,” which morphed into “I pull my old blue jeans on” for Dundas’ single.) That version, simple as it was, became a global hit.
David Dundas released a few more singles, only one of which (“Another Funny Honeymoon”) brushed the charts in the UK. He later moved into scoring television and film soundtracks. He’s currently 80 years old.
For your viewing pleasure, here’s that original Brutus Jeans commercial, featuring the progenitor of David Dundas’ “Jeans On.” It’s your daily bonus video of the day.
