Thursday, March 26, 2015

Unlikely grocery store background music

I was impressed and surprised as I strolled through the produce and baked goods sections of a grocery store recently and realized that I was hearing "Since You Asked" by Judy Collins.  The lyrics about two lives coming together as one are moving, but it's not the type of track you generally hear in stores.  Then again, I've read that songs with slower tempos tend to make shoppers linger longer and spend more, as a result.  I've also been surprised to hear the seldom-played Fleetwood Mac instrumental, "Sunny Side Of Heaven," and Jesse Colin Young's "Song For Juli" in that store, as well.  "Sunny Side Of Heaven" is an overlooked Danny Kirwan track from one of the band's stronger Bob Welch-era albums, "Bare Trees," and "Song For Juli" is a pleasant track written for Young's daughter.  Its unusual, mostly instrumental arrangement of guitar and flute sets a pleasant tone, and Young's vocals are effective when they start, late in the song.  Although I'm sure there's something to the studies that show how music subtly encourages people to buy more, I'd like to think that whoever selected those songs also has an appreciation of deep tracks.