Hi there. I've got a confession to make. I wrote the Trebor Softmints ads that featured Mr Soft. I was just a young advertising pup in those days and - to be honest - had been itching to use a Steve Harley/Cockney Rebel track in a commercial. In fact, I'd already tried to write 'Tumbling Down' into a VW commercial, but - no dice - I had to go with 'I wonder who's kissing her now' instead. At the time the ad was made, Steve was keeping a relatively low profile and I was keen to get his music to the masses again. I was still playing the CR albums I'd bought when I was at school, as well as catching as many live shows as possible, and I considered him one of my all-time heroes. The idea of a soft white world and a soft white man was actually based on the work of pop-artist Klaus Oldenberg (not a lot of people know that!) Imagine my delight when the client approved the ad. Unfortunately, my joy was incomplete as Steve was not available to re-record the track - he was now busy working on the album of Phantom - and we had to use a 'soundalike'. That was my one regret. The ads themselves were incredibly successful. to the extent that Noel Gallagher actually refers to them in an early Oasis track. Amazingly, the commercial still gets regular views and comments on YouTube, and some interesting remixes have recently surfaced. Although it now seems so long ago, I still smile when I see the ads. And, of course, I still love the original.And although Stuart and Lindsay Elliot have played on a few of my subsequent commercials, it still rankles that I never did get to meet Mr Harley himself. Love and peace to you all. Malcolm Green
