Getting the rights to Led Zeppelin songs is no easy feat: The British rock band very rarely licenses its music for use in Hollywood projects. (Cameron Crowe’s Almost Famous, a 2001 Cadillac commercial and this year’s Argo are among the lucky few.) But Kripke was in for a pleasant surprise when record label Warner/Chappell Music reached out to him offering to license some Zep songs for his show.
To promote Celebration Day, a live album and DVD documentary that chronicles Led Zeppelin’s 2007 reunion concert out today, Warner/Chappell – a division of Warner Music Group, which until last year was owned by Time Warner – emailed several producers at Warner Bros. Television (currently owned by Time Warner, as is EW), asking if any of them would be interested in using Led Zeppelin songs in their series. It did not take long for Kripke to send an email back.
Creating a piece of entertainment backed by the music of Led Zeppelin is a dream Kripke’s had since he started working in the industry. Zeppelin has had a constant presence in his first TV show, Supernatural – several episodes took their titles from Zeppelin song names or lyrics, main character Dean Winchester’s two favorite songs are “Ramble On” and “Travelling Riverside Blues,” and the Winchester brothers often give a nod to the band members when in disguise, introducing themselves as Agents Page and Plant – but the show has never gotten the rights to use a song by the band.
“I’ve been hearing from some of my esteemed colleagues over at Supernatural, and I think that they’re all biting their fists with jealousy,” Kripke said. He did mention Supernatural to Warner/Chappell during conversations about licensing the Led Zeppelin songs. “I would have loved to put Led Zeppelin in there as well,” he said, “but honestly, I will take what I can get… I think they very rationally said, ‘Let’s just focus on one show at a time.’”
One other 1970s song almost made it into the show. An early version of the pilot script included a scene when Rachel sings Cat Stevens’ “Wild World” to young Charlie. Revolution’s producers were able to secure the rights to the song, but ultimately revisions of the scene meant the song no longer fit in. “But maybe one day we’ll get it in there,” Kripke said.
Read more at EW
I'm excited for tonight! May watch this live instead of Castle or H50.
ReplyDeleteAnd I hope that "Wild World' scene eventually happens because I love that song and this sounds cute.
Led Zepp should be on Supernatural, Revolution notwithstanding. SPN is a world-wide, established phenomenon, fanned by young and old alike, and it would be a wise move on the part of Led Zeppelin to do it. I'm hoping for a series finale called "Whole Lotta Love" with attendant soundtrack. :)
ReplyDeleteA wise move on Zepplins part? I don't think they need SPN to sell or turn people on to their music,considering they have been on top for the past 40 some odd years.
ReplyDeleteI confess I felt a fury of indignation when I heard Revolution was getting them and not SPN, who absolutely deserves it. I think SPN brought some new fans to Led Zeppelin who otherwise wouldn't have listened. I know of 2 myself. I get they were approached first, but come on, Kripke, and try harder. Revolution will never be your iconic show.
ReplyDeleteI disagree. I know 2 fans who didn't know LZ's music until SPN made them curious. New generations don't know much of their music.
ReplyDeleteHasn't Kripke moved on from the show? I understand legacy, etc but I don't blame him when it comes to this.
ReplyDeleteBesides in Led Zeppelin's case, CW or NBC? Yea NBC is in the shitter but CW is well let's leave it at that.
I would LOVE to finally hear some Zepp on Supernatural... but now that Kripke has secured the rights for one of his shows, it won't be too far behind... then again, I don't know that Supernatural will have the funding to spend on it haha
ReplyDeleteAgreed. They're one of the best selling artist in the UK and US! -Seemingly for Supernatural and no doubt for Bad Robot, music has been a big part of their show(s). It's another pop cultural thing that brings us together.
ReplyDeleteI like the way the songs were used in the episode, because they were not over used...It's also ironic or fate-orientated that Miles' hallucination sequence with Bass would feature "Kashmir", while Rachel is literally listening to "Since I've Been Loving You" while in the vicinity of Bass...and yet the whole episode plays to death and/or near death experiences and/or survival of the fittest. (Charlie's vision = 'Stairway to Heaven')
It probably would have been a wise move when the show started out. At that point it had the potential to introduce teenage girls to rock music from that era and create some new fans. I know personally that almost all the 80s rock I have on my iPod I have because of watching Supernatural. But I simply don't think the show has that impact any more, and it certainly doesn't have that level of focus on the brothers' cultural reference points, how that links in with their relationship with their father, their childhood, and also how that connects with the idea of a roadtrip TV show and life in the American Midwest. Those themes are pretty much nonexistent on the programme now and so the music just doesn't resonate in the same way. It's background rather than a statement.
ReplyDeleteRevolutions on NBC, a major network. Doesn't surprise me it went to them over SPN.
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