"Ride Pontiac Ride!" Dealer Radio Music (1988)

Obtained from a cassette tape in the back of a 1988 Pontiac dealer ad planning guide: finally, a broadcast-quality cut of the "Ride Pontiac Ride" anthem! Six versions of it, to boot.
These are the 60 and 30-second radio cuts for a theme song introduced as part of Pontiac's new marketing direction to launch (at the time) one of its strongest lineups in recent years. The tape has two versions... one titled "Red Hot" with a hard rock sound, and a jazzier version titled "Maroon". Some of these have vocals, the others are instrumentals meant for dealers to take to the studio and dub their sales pitch over.
The full 2:51 version of the Red Hot anthem, paired with the video titled "Night Riders" that was edited into the television campaign, was first shown at a Pontiac dealers' summit to introduce the 1988 model year. Upon its debut showing, apparently the assemblage of dealers went crazy and demanded it be replayed twice-more before allowing the convention to continue. The campaign was a huge success for Pontiac, whose resulting sales boost pushed the division into the #3 slot for the U.S. market for 1988 -- a feat not seen since the early-70s.
The full version of the TV spot can be watched courtesy of the Wentzville Assembly Facebook page, a treasure trove of retro Pontiac advertising: watch/?v=122...

[@jonreVHS]

Tracklist: RED HOT 0:00 60-second vocal/instrumental 1:02 60-second intrumental 2:05 30-second vocal/inst. 2:38 30-second inst. MAROON 3:11 30-second vocal/inst. 3:45 30-second inst.

[@bradleytisdale7993]

Best song for a car company hands down ever made

[@drkdncr]

This is a prime example of when a successful advertising campaign works when customers fall in love with the song they want to own the car that goes with the music!

[@CookedTickabc]

Finally a high quality version of this

[@Underappreciatedclassics]

Sounds like the intro and credits music to a action tv series

[@thefirebirdflock3440]

Makes me feel like this song was to the Firebird and fiero what Danger Zone was to F-14.

[@INUMIMI28]

Fun fact: female vocal is Alannah Myles, and yes that Black Velvet Alannah Myles

[@Just_Zach]

Additional: The male vocal is Mark Campbell who sang "Johnny B. Goode" in "Back To The Future"

[@russfelger]

@@Just_Zach I saw him on the Johnny Carson show years ago. He was asked what he's most famous for, then he belted out "Get on your Pontiac and ride!" Awesome reply!

[@CadanHartleyElliott]

Funny. A Pan Am fan in the comments section of a Pontiac video. I'm not making fun of you in any way whatsoever, but it seems to be bold new territory for you.

[@joeerickson516]

"Ride, Pontiac, Ride!" "We built excitement!" "Pontiac!"

[@rwdplz1]

You feel the motion, your fever is high You've got emotion, you're gonna fly You feel excitement Ride Pontiac You feel the tightness, the thunder, the call of the road No time to wonder, you've gotta go You feel excitement, yeah! Ride Pontiac Get on your Pontiac and Ride, Pontiac Ride! Drive, Pontiac drive You've got the feeling, you know it can't be denied Oh yeah, oh-oh Get on your Pontiac and ride, Pontiac ride Drive, Pontiac drive Ride Pontiac ride Get on your Pontiac We build excitement, Pontiac drive

[@KellyMichaelsTV]

Goat!!

[@100aceswid]

Better than the crap that is on the radio today.

[@CadanHartleyElliott]

Eat your heart out, Olivia Rodrigo!

[@100aceswid]

@@CadanHartleyElliott Amen

[@CadanHartleyElliott]

@@100aceswid Amen indeed. Olivia's music is good, but it's nothing compared to this masterpiece!

[@100aceswid]

@@CadanHartleyElliott I agree

[@VandalDecaProductions]

I love finds like this. The '80s slap bass is fire. Reminds me of Don Peake's score from Knight Rider's latter seasons. I had one of those 5th gen Grand Prixs with the 3100 V6...it didn't have much power but I loved the look and exhaust note of that car.

[@dr9299]

I truly miss the 80's.

[@davidleespellsspells5732]

They should have played this in the radio IMAGINE the hit it would have.

[@WhateverHappenedToFun]

I will never thank you enough!

[@thecretanbull4784]

Hi!! Quick little tidbit on this song ... it was done in Toronto Canada for the ad executives for GM / Pontiac in a office done live for them and they actually loved it on the spot. From there it was history. Too bad Pontiac ain’t around would love to hear a modern take on it. Thanks

[@JayKennedy-ee2cc]

Funner fact: Female vocal is Cindy Fee (not Alannah Myles, aka Black Velvet Alannah Myles). Male vocal is indeed Mark Campbell. Music for these commercials (as well as many more) were all written and produced in LA by my partner and me through our jingle company, LA/NY Music.

[@dr9299]

awesome work!

[@spod2998]

just curious, did you also write the 1984-85 Pontiac theme?

[@JayKennedy-ee2cc]

@@spod2998 No, not us.

[@HotWheelsLeadingTheWay]

​@@JayKennedy-ee2ccDid the songs use a live band with guitars, bass, drums, keys, etc., or were they all synthesized? If the former, which musicians played on the tracks, and what unstruments did they play?

[@KellyMichaelsTV]

Thanks for the info. A couple of questions tho....1)Is that Mark Campbell who did the Back to the Future Vocals? If so , the singer in the video looks different 2) I do see Alannah Myles in the video, who is the blonde with her with the spikey hair? ANyway, I love it. My favorite commercial ever.

[@YACW]

Thanks for the information, it was the third in the eighties. Great success in the sale, while there is a Japanese hegomania for a brand like Pontiac.

[@AmandaJohansen]

Amazing!

[@jakeakhtar9424]

I feel like if I ever found a copy of this cassette I'd feel obligated to buy a period Pontiac to play it in

[@sutorippuwebmaster8783]

Wasn't there also a "Cool Blue" version of this that was closer to smooth jazz? Or did I fever-dream that?

[@jonreVHS]

I'm aware of further variants made for the Bonneville and LeMans campaigns, but not sure beyond that.

[@joshuareed856]

I heard the music, but I haven't driven a Pontiac.

[@azazelsamael6957]

I like it, from malaysia...😁

[@richardthefox3412]

Honestly I’d love to find a full version of the Maroon version of this theme, if it ever even existed.

[@ilgwent8061]

Da theme totally rocks IMHO 👌

[@fujifrontier]

I really wish I could find the “we build excitement” one from 84 or so

[@ozzymorrison8628]

I can make a karaoke version of this 😂🔥🔥🔥

[@CadanHartleyElliott]

If Pontiac comes back, which apparently may happen, then I'd love it if they paired this amazing stuff up with this: kzbin.info/www/bejne/j4moaqJ4r7iHbJo

[@georgekostician3229]

I want the tape I can I find it on eBay maybe

[@jonreVHS]

Look for the 1988 Pontiac Ad Planner, it's a grey binder. There's one on fleabay right now for $30.

[@LDK47]

Let's get to chopping and screwing.

[@martinromocubero4114]

Lyrics anyone? :-)

[@FirebirdDude]

Can I buy the tape? $50.00

[@jonreVHS]

Literally bought to rip the tape and resold it a week later.

[@WhittyPics]

They BUILT excitement. PAST TENSE

[@pl5624]

Shame they were all powered by chevrolet level engines

[@pl5624]

Except turbo trans am...buick v6 that chevrolet didn't get..

[@jonreVHS]

@@pl5624 Exception for the Iron Duke... dog as it was, unless you built it into a Super Duty.

[@devinecars8033]

@@jonreVHS I got a 2.5 Iron Duke 86 S10 and holy crap it is slow. looking for a header currently.

[@pl5624]

@@jonreVHS the iron duke was chevrolet used as well.