Fly the Branded Skies

Jingle: KLM “Come Fly On My Golden Wings” (1969)

KLM: Come Fly On My Golden Wings

Listen: KLM: “Come Fly On My Golden Wings”

KLM is old. Like, really old. Like this song, which is itself nearly 50 years old, was composed to celebrate the airline’s 50th anniversary. So when KLM calls themselves the oldest operating airline in the world, they’re not kidding. They’ve been around for a while.

I don’t know the whole story behind this record, but it’s described on the cover as a “Holland Herald production.” Since Holland Herald is KLM’s inflight magazine, I assume this record was included in an issue of the magazine to celebrate KLM’s “golden jubilee” in 1969.

And how did KLM celebrate five decades of flying?

With a thoroughly contemporary music track composed by Marian de Garriga, a prominent Dutch jingle writer. This is sunshine pop at its very sunniest — high noon in July. In fact it’s so relentlessly peppy, it almost reminds me of J-pop. It’s childish lyrics mention nothing of the airline or its history, but that’s okay, because it’s just a lot of fun.

It’s only another six years until KLM’s platinum jubilee in 2019. Will they commission another jingle to celebrate? Time will tell…

Just as a bonus, here’s the B-side of the record, “Surprising Amsterdam,” by the same composer, sung by Dick Rienstra. It’s a shock after the A-side; it sounds almost like a Bond theme.

Listen: Dick Rienstra: “Surprising Amsterdam”

Airline: KLM Royal Dutch Airlines
Title: “Come Fly On My Golden Wings”
Agency: Unknown (possibly none)
Written by: Marian de Garriga (music & lyrics), Bert Paige (arrangement)
Year: 1969
Lyrics:

Come fly on my golden wings.
I’ll show you a million things.
Our world in pink and blue.
With people just like me and you.

Come step in my dream machine
to shores you have never seen.
Let’s fly the seven seas
and gather precious memories.

(Instrumental break.)

Come fly on my golden wings.
I’ll show you a million things.
All orange-colored sky
with white clouds softly passing by.

A trip into time and space
brings happiness on your face.
Give freedom to our minds,
uniting people of all kinds.

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