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Early Addition
There are some things from the 90's that we never want to see again, but on Gothamist Contribute someone added a link to the awesome, awesome commercial from WNBC in the 90's on Youtube and it brings back all sorts of memories. Gothamist remembers watching the ad on TV when we were younger and singing along with the commercial (sad, we know). At least there wasn't any dancing like the Rockettes or what seem like the Knick City Dancers. The commercial has appearances from Chuck and Sue, a big Al Roker and Len Berman and a nice shot of the World Trade Center.
The chorus of the song is "I'm 4 New York. We're 4 New York. For the pride, for the joy, hey world are you watchin? For the thrill of being number one, we're 4 New York." So brilliant. All we want now is for WNBC to bring it back! Update the commercial for the 00's - Chuck and Sue, skinny Al and Len and maybe a new swimsuit for that woman on the beach - we're not digging that shoelace deal.
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Trivia: the female singer is Andrea McArdle (Broadway's first "Annie"). The song was written by her husband.
Nothing beats Philadelphia's Action News song on channel 6. "Move closer to your world my friends, take a little bit of time..." If you're from the Illadelph you know.
jesus, that commercial is draining.
Also note that the video includes young Matt Lauer (about 33 years old here) holding a golf club as the wind blows his long hair.
is Lauer holding Katie? And whats with the Michael Bolton solos? Thanks Mao, I now have a headache.
love it! but i want to see the shorter version as well that had an opera singer singing "im for new yoooooooooork" and it took him 30 seconds to say "york."
Lauer is clutching Jane Hanson, his early AM news parter circa 1992-3.
Wow, how UNinteresting.
I loved this damn commercial.
I love "We're 4 New York" as it is so classicly bad it is good and I love the old logo with "New York" in it. It is what really got me to watch WNBC back then, since I hoped that I would see it again. It is classic. I seem to remember another version of it with different video and a slightly different orchestration.
As for "Move Closer to Your World" I have dim memories of it on WPIX where I think they used it along with some Barry White song and slightly brighter ones of the theme on Channel 7 in Buffalo (seen in Toronto) where I was wondering as a kid why Channel 7 Eyewitness News had a weird theme and no Bill Beutel. I also have seen "Action News" in Philadelphia where they amazingly still use it (as of a few months ago when I saw it) on what is best described as a retro 1970s newscast spoof and not a serious newscast.
thanks for all the great info don.
and yeah, action news in philly has always seemed strange to me. their set (not sure if it was updated) seemed like it was from the late 70s/early 80s.
I remember the song, but I don't remember the actual commercial. What year is this from?
Wow the previous poster said it best, that really was draining.
But the MC Hammer dancing girls, New Edition wannabes, and Michael Bolton clone really makes me think about those sad, sad days of the early nineties. I am sure if I looked more closely, I would have been able to pick out the cross colors apparel work by everyone.
I'm 4 New Yawk!
Thanks Gothamist for pouring salt on old wounds.
It's also shown on TV-ARK, along with the 2 short versions: http://www.tv-ark.org.uk/international/us_nbc_wnbc4.html
The WPIX section has references to "Move Closer..."
Please don't bring back the shoulder pads on their suits!!
They can't redo this commercial until they fill up the hole at WTC. Maybe then they can fly over the Calatrava station and wahtever they call The Freedom Tower at the time.
Mike, there must have been a radio version, because I definitely remember the soundtrack, though I didn't own a TV for the first couple of years I live here.
And what's up with the "obligatory Hasidic guys" you see in every ad that has anything to do with New York? Just once I'd love to see their wives in the spotlight...or even just a Hasidic family.
I seem to recall they used this for about two or three years and I think this is the 1992-1993 version.
As for the "obligatory Hasidic guys" it is to meet the diversity quota.
But you never see Hasidic women used for the diversity quota??
Did the agency get paid by the second for that spot?
They hit what sounds like the climax at like 1:40, and you're thinking how can they possibly stretch another 2 minutes out of this?
Just wondering, when would they have shown a nearly four-minute "commercial"...? I guess I only caught the "short" version back in the day.
Things like this usually air in the wee small hours of the morning when they can't sell the air time.
It was great to turn on the tv and have this commercial air again.....It truly is a great song, and really lifts the spirtit.....Thanks for bringing it back. Nothing like a little nostalgia