What Song Is Playing In Chevrolet's 'Down To Earth' EV Commercial?
With consumers battling higher prices at the grocery store, the gas pump, and every commercial space in between, people are looking for ways to save money anywhere possible. Under the circumstances, buying a new car may seem more cost-prohibitive than ever for man, though automakers are trying everything they can to tempt potential buyers into their showrooms. In a recent television ad, Chevy set about that task by touting the grounded prices of three current vehicles boasting its iconic Chevrolet logo, including the Bolt EUV, the Trax, and the Colorado.
Titled "Down to Earth," the spot opens with a man stepping into a hip restaurant to order avocado toast, though he surprisingly asks the server to hold the avocado. He then turns to the camera to state how expensive things have gotten, noting how Chevrolet is doing its best to keep the prices of their vehicles as reasonable as possible. As he walks through scenes boasting the pricing upside of the Bolt, Trax, and Colorado, he does so backed with a funky little tune that no doubt sounded familiar to many viewers.
If you recognized the track but couldn't put a name to it, that may be because the commercial doesn't feature the song's famous refrain, "You've never heard a sound like the rubberband ma-an." The head-nodding classic in Chevy's "Down to Earth" ad is "The Rubberband Man" by The Spinners, and it's the very definition of an earworm from the heyday of the funk and soul era.
The 'Rubberband Man' was a huge hit for The Spinners in 1976
A classic example of the Philadelphia soul sound, "The Rubberband Man," was penned by famed producer Thom Bell and Linda Reed, with the former calling the shots when The Spinners stepped into Sigma Sound to record it. Released in August of 1976, the groove-forward "The Rubberband Man" would become one of the biggest hits in The Spinners' back catalog, peaking at #2 on the Billboard Hot 100.
The track debuted behind Rod Stewart's smash hit single, "Tonight's the Night." Sadly, The Spinners' funky, sing-a-long friendly "The Rubberband Man" was never able to unseat Mr. Stewart to claim the top spot and began its Billboard descent after a three-week stint at #2. The track would mark the last major hit released by The Spinners. It would also signal the final song featuring lead vocals from frontman Philippé Wynne, who left the group in 1977.
Before Wynne's departure, the track's success did help The Spinners earn a star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame. "The Rubberband Man" was also included in Detroit Free Press' 2015 list of Detroit's 100 Greatest Songs, slotting in at #70 sandwiched between Kid Rock's "All Summer Long" (#71) and The Temptations' "Ball of Confusion" (#69). More recently, "The Rubberband Man" returned to the pop culture pantheon as part of the "Avengers: Endgame" soundtrack, with none other than Peter Quill and company jamming to the tune while speeding through deep space, and even The Spinners might agree the song has rarely been utilized more effectively.