 Mike
Asquino –
The Man Behind
the Music
Mike
Asquino's musical journey has been a long and fulfilling one. His
collaborations with many
of the industry's brightest performers have led to beloved classics
such as "Country Roads" and "Taxi". This seasoned advertising
jingle veteran has also produced many of those 30 second songs
you just can't get out of your head.
Whether
producing, publishing, writing or performing under pseudonyms
that have included Michael James and Michael Anthony
among others, Mike has received well over
30 gold records.
Mike's
career began by playing and touring New England with "The
Mystic Blues". The band recorded two of his
compositions
for Planet Records –"Mr. Mackenzie" in 1967 and "Sheila" in
1968.
Realizing
that composing and marketing is as important as playing, he traveled
to meet Mike Curb at MGM Records in New York City to market his
tunes. It became clear from that meeting he should be in New York,
so he boarded a Greyhound Bus for New York City with his signature
Martin
Guitar (the brand he still uses to this day) and
left his home in Rhode Island.
Swept
up in the burgeoning arts scene in Greenwich Village, he played
with musicians John Denver, Harry Chapin, Jim Croce,
Bob Dylan, Richie Havens, and Peter, Paul and Mary. When
he wasn't playing, Mike visited a variety of executives and producers
of record labels, music publishing companies and Ad agencies who
could use his unique way with words, slogans and music. While working
on a project at a Madison Avenue ad agency, he met Directors Group
Producer/CEO, Johnny Ercole who produced "The Wide World of
Golf" for ABC TV and many award winning National TV & Radio
commercials. Mike and John worked together to create many award winning
commercials like "The President's Council On Physical Fitness -
Be Wise, Exercise" with celebrities like Frank Sinatra and the Apollo
Astronauts. Mike and John also wrote a song called "Girls" for
the President's Council which was the only original song ever created
for those spots, Spiedel TV & Radio spots, Duracell Battery spots
and the very popular "Your Public Library" spots among many
more. Some of these are still shown today.
Mike
along with others, wrote, sang, played and produced many national
commercials, such as "Prell Shampoo", "RCA", "Johnson's
Baby Powder", "Windex", "Sony", "The
NBC Fall Themes" in the 1970's & 1980's, "Total Cereal", "The
Pepsi Generation", Bumble Bee Tuna", "Budweiser
Beer - You've said it all" and "Coke Adds Life".
Mike is still in demand to write, produce and sing for these and
many other companies today.
With
award winning songwriting partner, author/novelist/screenplay writer/lyricist
and correspondent George Robinson, Mike released a few singles
into the Top 40 on Strawberry Records – "Singer-Songwriter"
(1978) and "Commuter Blues" (1979). Mike
recorded the LP album "Old Friends and Fine Wine" on
the Red Cloud/CBS label in 1980.
Mike
also became an independent promoter with RCA, ABC, Liberty Records,
Strawberry Records and Electra Records promoting John Denver, The
Guess Who, Zager and Evans, Jefferson Starship, Jimmy Buffet, Harry
Chapin, Orleans, Jim Croce, 1910 Fruit Gum Company and many other
notable artists.
Mike's
songs have been recorded over the years by Credence Clearwater
Revival, The Cufflinks, Leonard Cohen, Tom Jones, Dick and Deedee,
Colin Ray, Frank Sinatra, Tony Bennett, The Great Wall, John
Denver, Kenny Rogers, and others. Mike has played with a "Who's
Who" of national celebrities who have appeared on "The
Tonight Show", "The David Frost Show" and "The
Mike Douglas Show". Mike
has played with Aerosmith, The Association, Chet Atkins, Tony
Bennett, Beach Boys, The Birds, Bread, Jackson Brown, Jimmy Buffet,
The Carpenters, Harry Chapin, Eric Clapton, David Crosby, John
Denver, Neil Diamond, Monkees Mickey Dolan and Davy Jones, Pete
Drake, The Eagles, Kiki Friedman, Richie Havens, Janis Ian, Jan & Dean,
The Guess Who, Wayland Jennings, Kris Kristopherson, John Lennon,
Henry Mancini and his Orchestra, The Mystic Blues, Don McClean,
Willie Nelson, Colin Ray, Tom Rush, Rickie Scaggs, Bob Seager,
Pete Seager, Simon and Garfunkle, Frank Sinatra, Ray Stevens, Ringo
Star, Stephen Stills and more.
In 2003, Billboard
Magazine described Mike as "an American Pop Icon".
With
the encouragement of family and industry friends he has begun to
sing, perform and tour again. This release of "She Believes
in Me" is the rebirth of a talented singer, songwriter who
still believes being able to share life's experiences through music
and song are the dreams of any songwriter. The 2003 release depicts
love songs and ballads about everyday people and life. With lush
string arrangements and haunting melodies, this work may someday
become a classic.
POPULAR
JINGLES Mike has written include:
Budweiser "When you say Budweiser, you've said it all"
Pepsi - "It's the Pepsi Generation"
Coca Cola - "Coke Adds Life"
Bumble Bee Tuna - "I love Bumblebee"
Total Cereal - "Today is the first day of the rest of your
life"
Speidel – "Faces"
Windex - "Let all the sun in"
RCA - "The best thing going for you today"
Sony
- "American
Cowboy"
Prell - "A little goes a long way"
Presidents's Council on Physical Fitness - "Be wise, exercise" "Girls
song"
Pontiac - "Wide Tracking"
Johnson's Baby Powder - "Feels like Love"
Mike's
music is currently sought after in Film, Television and Radio
today. To share
his experiences with as many people as possible, he lectures on
music writing, and is the founder of "Music on the Green" which
brings music to benefit those in need and help organizations such
as the American Cancer Society, World Hunger Relief, and Feed the
Children. Mike gives of his own time by playing himself, and is attracting
national artists and musicians to provide music to organizations
and corporate sponsors who can see the need that music is truly
the universal language and also provide exposure for struggling
new musicians and artists.
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