Stories about People's Für Elise Experiences

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Story by Jone Coventry | Back to Story List

My first experience with "Fuer Elise" was when I used to see a tv commercial for a tape-recorder, in the 1970s or early 1980s. The commercial goes like this: a boy ( probably about 14 years old ) starts playing a recording of "Fuer Elise", while he is alone. (probably in his room). Then the boy slips out the window, and grabs some athletic gear. Then the commercial shows a woman talking on a telephone while "Fuer Elise" can be heard in the background. The woman says something like, "Billy can't come out and play now. He's practicing the piano." While the woman is talking, she is next to a window. Outside the window, the viewers can see the boy running away with his athletic gear. The commercial was showing that the tape-recorder/player was so good that it fooled the boy's mother into thinking that it was a live performance coming from the boy's room.

Whenever I hear "Fuer Elise", I think of that commercial. I think the commercial featured the slogan, "Is it live?----or is it Memorex?" Actually, I didn't know the tune's name till a few months ago. Last week, a lady at my church was playing it, and I kept thinking of that commercial. It's possible that the commercial was just a local commercial in the Detroit ( Michigan ) area. I'd love to see it again.