[johnsanders]

Chariots of Fire is iconic of course. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8a-HfNE3EIo

I think my first encounter with his music was the Ernest & Julio Gallo wine commercials. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mES7lzR9uFE

Seems he should have been considerably older than 79.

[johnsanders]

And you can't mention the Ernest & Julio Gallo ads without a link to the voiceover guy / head of the ad agency Hal Riney. Another legend.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7_lnwNIlJUo

[Wistar]

When I was an online editor (video) in SF, I got to work with Hal Riney on several occasions. There was this joke among his agency staffers that, no matter what commercial he screened, if he hadn't voiced it himself, he always said (something like), "That's great. I'll re-voice it tomorrow."

[johnsanders]

I'm sure it was a different experience up close, but as far as I'm concerned from a distance, he could only elevate a voiceover track. He did Subway sandwiches for God's sake. "We aspire to know all our customers by name... or at least by sandwich." Or airport car rentals. "There are over a million miles of roads in Alamo territory. And only Alamo gives you all those miles for free."

[Wistar]

Agreed. His was one of the best voices out there. There are folks who think Reagan's 1984 landslide was propelled, at least in significant part, by Riney penned and voiced political ads, especially, "Prouder, Stronger, Better" (It's Morning Again in America).

[johnsanders]

Aha... Here's one. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jPpFWxKPOyQ I forgot the ending of those ads... always a variation on... 'Roads that run through America... to a place.. we call home."

[julienchastang]

Thanks for the link to the commercial. Classic Vangelis.