Remember When The Who “Sold Out” in 1967 by Singing Commercial Jingles About Milk Shakes and Coca-Cola

In 1967, The Who released a concept album, compiling a collection of unrelated songs, fake public service announcements, and commercial jingles for their third release. The Who Sell Out was meant to imitate a broadcast of the pirate radio station, Radio London, that had gone a bit mad.

Bassist John Entwistle wrote three songs, including the repetitive nursery rhyme about an old man hoarding his money in a black box, “Silas Stingy,” another about the German pharmaceutical company “Medac” and its cure for a young boy’s acne, and a third about a canned food by an iconic condiment brand, “Heinz Baked Beans.”

Though the band’s friend Speedy Keen wrote the opening, “Armenia City in the Sky,” Pete Townshend penned the majority of the tracks, including made-up ads like “Odorono,” about the turn-of-the-20th-century deodorant company, and its founder, Edna Murphey.

At the time, some may have believed the Who were, in fact, “selling out,” since the band was writing and performing commercial ads, including two for Coca-Cola. In 1967, the performed two Coca-Cola ads in the UK, including “Coke After Coke” and “Things Go Better with Coke” written by advertising executive Bill Backer, who was also behind the Coke slogan, “The Real Thing” and co-wrote its iconic 1971 ad, “I’d Like to Teach the World to Sing (In Perfect Harmony).”

For the commercial, the Who performed their rock version of the quick ditty: Things go better with Coke / Coca-Cola / Things go better with Coke. Roy Orbison, Ray Charles, the Supremes, Neil Diamond, Aretha Franklin, the Everly Brothers, Tom Jones, Petula Clark, and many others are also some of the alumni who sang the “Things Go Better with Coke” jingle.

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That year, the band also performed a commercial ad for the instant milkshake mix company, Great Shakes. Manufactured by General Foods, Great Shakes came in powdered form, in a triangular box with individual flavor packets, and were available in different flavors, including strawberry and chocolate. “Takes like a soda fountain shake,” was the slogan written on the box.

At the time, Great Shakes managed to pull in the Yardbirds and Dusty Springfield to promote the brand. The Who even got in on the ads.

Written by Townshend, the band’s Great Shakes commercial, the Who highlights the milk chocolate and cherry vanilla shake flavors, while late drummer Keith Moon even shares a few words in between the jingle: So thick it stands up to the straw—Great Shakes.

Any place can be a soda fountain now
With Great Shakes, yeah, Great Shakes
Shake it up with milk and make a real good shake
With Great Shakes, yeah, Great Shakes

‘Ello, this is Keith Moon of The Who here
Two new Great Shakes shake mixings
Great Shakes milk chocolate and Great Shakes cherry vanilla flavors
Both turn milk into a rich, thick shake
So thick it stands up to a straw
Great Shakes
Great Shakes, Great Shakes
It’s so creamy, thick, and dreamy

Any place can be a soda fountain now
With Great Shakеs, yeah, Great Shakes
So if you want your own soda fountain now
Go to thе store and get Great Shakes
Go to the store and get Great Shakes

The Who’s Great Shakes commercial was later released on the 2009 deluxe edition of The Who Sell Out.

Photo: The Who (l to r) Roger Daltrey, John Entwistle, Keith Moon, and Pete Townshend
‘Ready Steady Go’ TV Show, Britain, January 1966 (Barry Peake/Shutterstock)