Steve Karmen
Encyclopedia
Steve Karmen is a composer, most famous for several jingles. Among his better known works are the New York State song, "I Love New York
", the jingle Here Comes the King
, the Exxon Song (1976), and Wrigley Spearmint Gum / Carry The Big Fresh Flavor (1973). He also composed several music scores for motion pictures during the 1960s, and performed briefly as a Calypso singer, achieving some recognition in Trinidad during that time.
Steve was unique among jingle writers. Unlike other composers, who were paid a flat price for their jingles, Steve was the only one of his peers to receive royalties every time one of his jingles was performed on TV or Radio. His informal industry title "The King of Jingles" may have been given to him because of this extraordinary business ability to retain publishing rights.
He was born into a conservative family. His father was from Russia. Karmen grew up with Bobby Darin
, and played with him in a band in the 1950s. They met while they were at the Bronx High School of Science
. He played saxophone
and guitar
.
Karmen is the recipient of 16 Clio Awards
.
As of 2007, he lives in Westchester, New York.
I Love New York
I Love New York is both a logo and a song that are the basis of an advertising campaign and have been used since the mid-1970s to promote tourism in New York City, and later to promote New York State as well. The trademarked logo appears in souvenir shops and brochures throughout the state, some...
", the jingle Here Comes the King
Here Comes the King
Here Comes the King is a well-known advertising jingle written for Budweiser, whose slogan is "The King of beers." Budweiser is the flagship brand of the Anheuser-Busch brewery....
, the Exxon Song (1976), and Wrigley Spearmint Gum / Carry The Big Fresh Flavor (1973). He also composed several music scores for motion pictures during the 1960s, and performed briefly as a Calypso singer, achieving some recognition in Trinidad during that time.
Steve was unique among jingle writers. Unlike other composers, who were paid a flat price for their jingles, Steve was the only one of his peers to receive royalties every time one of his jingles was performed on TV or Radio. His informal industry title "The King of Jingles" may have been given to him because of this extraordinary business ability to retain publishing rights.
He was born into a conservative family. His father was from Russia. Karmen grew up with Bobby Darin
Bobby Darin
Bobby Darin , born Walden Robert Cassotto, was an American singer, actor and musician.Darin performed in a range of music genres, including pop, rock, jazz, folk and country...
, and played with him in a band in the 1950s. They met while they were at the Bronx High School of Science
Bronx High School of Science
The Bronx High School of Science is a specialized New York City public high school often considered the premier science magnet school in the United States. Founded in 1938, it is now located in the Bedford Park section of the Bronx...
. He played saxophone
Saxophone
The saxophone is a conical-bore transposing musical instrument that is a member of the woodwind family. Saxophones are usually made of brass and played with a single-reed mouthpiece similar to that of the clarinet. The saxophone was invented by the Belgian instrument maker Adolphe Sax in 1846...
and guitar
Guitar
The guitar is a plucked string instrument, usually played with fingers or a pick. The guitar consists of a body with a rigid neck to which the strings, generally six in number, are attached. Guitars are traditionally constructed of various woods and strung with animal gut or, more recently, with...
.
Karmen is the recipient of 16 Clio Awards
Clio Awards
The Clio Awards are annual awards bestowed to reward innovation and creative excellence in advertising, design and communication. The categories include work in nearly all types of media, and the judges are advertising professionals from around the world....
.
Personal life
His wife died of colon cancer in 1973. He is the father of three daughters.As of 2007, he lives in Westchester, New York.
List of Jingles
This list of jingles by Karmen only includes those composed from 1968 to the beginning of 1980. (Karmen, 1980).1968
- Breakaway In A Wide-Trackin' PontiacPontiacPontiac was an automobile brand that was established in 1926 as a companion make for General Motors' Oakland. Quickly overtaking its parent in popularity, it supplanted the Oakland brand entirely by 1933 and, for most of its life, became a companion make for Chevrolet. Pontiac was sold in the...
- BudweiserBudweiser (Anheuser-Busch)Budweiser is a 5.0% abv American-style lager introduced in 1876 by Adolphus Busch and one of the highest selling beers in the United States. It is made with up to 30% rice in addition to hops and barley malt. Budweiser is produced in various breweries located around the world...
Beer / Bud Is The King Of Beers...But You Know That - Your Next Car Is A ChryslerChryslerChrysler Group LLC is a multinational automaker headquartered in Auburn Hills, Michigan, USA. Chrysler was first organized as the Chrysler Corporation in 1925....
- Beneficial Finance / At Beneficial (Doot! Doot!) You're Good For More
1969
- PlymouthPlymouth (automobile)Plymouth was a marque of automobile based in the United States, produced by the Chrysler Corporation and its successor DaimlerChrysler.-Origins:...
Makes It - There's Nothing Like The Face Of A Kid Eating A Hershey BarHershey barThe Hershey's chocolate bar is a flagship chocolate bar described as "The Great American Chocolate Bar" manufactured by the Hershey Company, invented by Logan Hall and Zach Phillips. Hershey Milk Chocolate and Milk Chocolate with almonds and peanuts were both introduced in 1894...
- Tijuana SmallsTijuana SmallsTijuana Smalls are a brand of cigarette that was produced after a prohibition on advertising cigarettes on television in the United States was signed into law by President Richard Nixon. They were advertised as "Little Cigars"...
[cigarettes] / You Know Who You Are - Nationwide Insurance / Call Nationwide, 'Cause Nationwide Is On Your Side
1970
- Chrysler Plymouth Comin' Thru
- The More You Know, The More You'll Want DelcoDelcoDelco may refer to:* Delaware County, Ohio* Delaware County, Pennsylvania* Delco, North Carolina* Delco Electronics...
- Budweiser Beer / When You Say Budweiser, You've Said It All
- Falstaff Brewing Company / Falstaff Beer, For Guys Who Like It
1971
- Budweiser Beer / Here Comes The King
- Michelob Beer / The Michelob Drinking Song
- National Beer / The Land Of Pleasant Living
- Diet Rite Cola / Everybody Likes It
- U.S. Brewers Association / Pitch In To Clean Up America
- Beneficial Finance / It's Great To Know You're Good For More
1972
- General Tires / Sooner Or Later You'll Own Generals
- Budweiser Malt Liquor / The First Malt Liquor Good Enough To Be Called Budweiser
- Colt .45 Malt Liquor / A Completely Unique Experience
- Colt .45 Malt Liquor / You'll Be Sorry For All The Time You Wasted
- FrescaFrescaFresca is a citrus diet soft drink made by The Coca-Cola Company. First introduced in the United States in 1966, the drink is now sold throughout the American continent...
/ Tastes Like A Soft Drink - R.C. ColaR.C. ColaRC Cola is a soft drink developed in 1905 by Claude A. Hatcher, a pharmacist in Columbus, Georgia, United States.- History :...
/ It's Right For You - Doublemint Gum / Doublemint Will Do It
- Hush PuppiesHush PuppiesHush Puppies is an international brand of contemporary, casual footwear for men, women and children. The shoes have been described as "the classic American brushed-suede shoes with the lightweight crepe sole". A division of Wolverine Worldwide, Hush Puppies is headquartered in Rockford, Michigan...
Are Dumb
1973
- Pontiac / Stand Up
- SunocoSunocoSunoco Inc. is an American petroleum and petrochemical manufacturer headquartered in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, United States, formerly known as Sun Company Inc. and Sun Oil Co. ....
Oil Corp. / I Can Be Very Friendly - Juicy Fruit Gum / Let's Pick A Pack
- Wrigley's SpearmintWrigley's SpearmintWrigley's Spearmint is a brand of Wrigley's chewing gum. Wrigley's launched the brand in 1893 and markets the gum as its classic brand, although the company's brand Juicy Fruit has been on the market slightly longer...
Gum / Carry The Big Fresh Flavor
1974
- Cadillac - A Standard For The World
- Michelin Tires / We Made It First, We Make It Last
- Wrigley's Spearmint Gum / You'll Like The Big, Long-Lasting Flavor
- Buc-Wheats Cereals / Feelin' Like A Million Bucks
- Northwest Orient Airlines / We Give You Half The World
- Trans World AirlinesTrans World AirlinesTrans World Airlines was an American airline that existed from 1925 until it was bought out by and merged with American Airlines in 2001. It was a major domestic airline in the United States and the main U.S.-based competitor of Pan American World Airways on intercontinental routes from 1946...
/ A Taste Of Europe—Trans World Service - DialDial (company)The Dial Corporation, a subsidiary of Henkel AG & Co. KGaA , is a manufacturer of personal-care and household-cleaning products based in Scottsdale, Arizona....
Soap / Aren't You Glad You Use Dial - Purina Cat Food / Purina In The Little Blue Can
- Scholl's Sandals / The Comfortable Life
- Michelob Beer / Weekends Were Made For Michelob
1975
- Farrell's Ice Cream Parlors / Farrell's Is Fabulous Fun
- Burry'sBurry'sBurry's was a popular manufacturer of cookies and crackers established in 1936, based in Elizabeth, New Jersey. Some of their popular snacks were:* Scooter Pie* Gaucho peanut butter sandwich cookies* Fudge Town chocolate sandwich cookies...
Cookies / The Burry's Blues - The Detroit NewsThe Detroit NewsThe Detroit News is one of the two major newspapers in the U.S. city of Detroit, Michigan. The paper began in 1873, when it rented space in the rival Free Press's building. The News absorbed the Detroit Tribune on February 1, 1919, the Detroit Journal on July 21, 1922, and on November 7, 1960,...
/ You Haven't Read The Paper Until You've Read The News - Great Adventure Amusement Park (now Six Flags Great AdventureSix Flags Great AdventureSix Flags Great Adventure is a theme park in Jackson Township, New Jersey, owned by Six Flags Entertainment Corp., the world's largest amusement park corporation...
) / The Greatest Day In Your Life
1976
- ExxonExxonExxon is a chain of gas stations as well as a brand of motor fuel and related products by ExxonMobil. From 1972 to 1999, Exxon was the corporate name of the company previously known as Standard Oil Company of New Jersey or Jersey Standard....
/ Energy For A Strong America - PrestonePrestonePrestone is an American brand of antifreeze marketed by FRAM Group IP LLC. It was originally made by Union Carbide, who spun off their consumer products in 1986 to form First Brands . In 1994, First Brands spun off the brand to its management and Vestar Capital Partners. AlliedSignal purchased...
Anti-Freeze / You Know It Protects - Midas MufflerMidas MufflerMidas, Inc. is a chain of automotive service centers headquartered in Itasca, Illinois. In the main markets of the United States and Canada, Midas stores are company-owned or franchised...
/ Don't Compromise, Midasize - Anheuser Busch Natural Light [beer] / Won't Fill You Up, So It Won't Slow You Down
- Budweiser Beer / When You Say Budweiser?
- General Foods International Coffees / It's Our Flavor That Makes Us Special
- Sunbeam BreadSunbeam BreadSunbeam Bread is a franchised brand of white bread, rolls, and other baked goods owned by the Quality Bakers of America cooperative. The bread products are produced and distributed by eight regional bakeries located in Florida, Georgia, Illinois, Indiana, Maine, Maryland, Missouri, Pennsylvania,...
/ A Sunwich Is Better Than A Sandwich - Salem Cigarettes / You Can Take Salem Out Of The Country, But...
- Southwestern Bell Telephone / What Else Is So Nice For The Price
1977
- Anheuser Busch Natural Light [beer] / Take A Natural Break
- Michelob Beer / Weekend Pops (instrumental) - based upon "Weekends Were Made For Michelob"
- Jack in the Box [restaurants] / Ji-Ji-Jack, Ji-Ji-Jack—Jack In The Box
- Tic Tac / It's Time For A Tic Tac
- (Hershey Is) The Great American Chocolate Bar
- New York State Tourism / I Love New York
1978
- Michelob Light / Good Taste Runs In The Family
- Beneficial Finance / That's What It's All About
1979
- Ford, That's Incredible!
- Sunoco Is Making Every Drop Count
- Braniff International Airways / We Better Be Better