“You asked for it, you got it, Toyota,” was the Japanese automaker’s big tagline for the U.S. market through much of the 1970s. You might have known that already. But I bet you’ve never heard the full-length funk song based on the slogan that was pressed onto vinyl records! Crank this. No, seriously, it rules.
This video got shared into more than two of the Groups I follow on Facebook, so I can’t be the only one who gets a kick out of it. I think this is the original upload:
Based on the comments on that Facebook video as I write this (about midday pacific time, Saturday, April 18) it doesn’t seem like anyone knows the exact year or recording artist who laid this track down. Cursory research on my end is coming up empty and Shazam was no help. But here’s hoping one of Jalopnik’s superusers will have shined more light on the song’s backstory in the comment section by the time you find this post.
Somewhat more surprisingly, there wasn’t a wealth of information readily available about Toyota’s “You asked for it…” slogan on the internet at all. Most of the easy Google results revolve around a reference to it in the ’90s romcom “Forgetting Paris,” which I’d never heard of. (Looks like Billy Crystal’s character’s father-in-law has it stuck in his head or something?)
I could send Toyota a note, but, its PR people have better things to do than track down ancient nonsense at my whims.
But for context that is relevant, here are some commercials that used the slogan at the time. A wild Corolla appears in a library:
A Corolla is a car interns can afford:
And a Celica gives you your money’s worth.
The audio quality on that Facebook upload of the Toyota song is actually pretty solid, but if anyone reading this has more insight on who recorded the track, I’d love to read about it in the comment section.
Hat tip to Wilson, Zach, the Rising Sun 4×4 Facebook group and Oppositelock Facebook group!