Bubblegum on Cardboard
December 1, 2011 3:07 AM Subscribe
Less lenient mothers would make their kids finish the cereal before attacking the box with scissors. Cereal box records introduced a generation of children to bubblegum pop.
It began in 1954 when General Mills sold Wheaties boxes backed with 78 rpm records. Each cardboard record featured a song suitable for children: "On Top of Old Smokey," "Dixie," "Pony Boy," "It's Fun to Whistle" and "Sparrow in the Tree Top."
The idea of using cereal boxes to distribute music lay dormant until 1968, when producer Don Kirshner assembled a group of session musicians to record as The Archies. The animated group couldn't tour, but they could sell records. Their song "Sugar, Sugar" hit number one on the pop charts in 1969, the same year that Archies records began appearing on Post Super Sugar Crisp, Honeycomb and Alpha-Bits boxes. Featured songs included "Jingle Jangle," "Hide and Seek," "You Make Me Wanna Dance," and "Archie's Party."
Kirshner's former creation, The Monkees, had earlier recorded a series of commercials for Kellogg's Rice Krispies (1 - 2 - 3 - 4 - 5 - 6), but by 1970 songs such as "The Day We Fall in Love" and "Forget That Girl" were being featured on Post cereal boxes.
Bobby Sherman got into the act in the '70s with songs like "Easy Come, Easy Go", "Bubble Gum and Braces" and "Seattle." The Jackson 5 filmed several Post Alpha-Bits commercials, and also released some their songs on cereal boxes.
It began in 1954 when General Mills sold Wheaties boxes backed with 78 rpm records. Each cardboard record featured a song suitable for children: "On Top of Old Smokey," "Dixie," "Pony Boy," "It's Fun to Whistle" and "Sparrow in the Tree Top."
The idea of using cereal boxes to distribute music lay dormant until 1968, when producer Don Kirshner assembled a group of session musicians to record as The Archies. The animated group couldn't tour, but they could sell records. Their song "Sugar, Sugar" hit number one on the pop charts in 1969, the same year that Archies records began appearing on Post Super Sugar Crisp, Honeycomb and Alpha-Bits boxes. Featured songs included "Jingle Jangle," "Hide and Seek," "You Make Me Wanna Dance," and "Archie's Party."
Kirshner's former creation, The Monkees, had earlier recorded a series of commercials for Kellogg's Rice Krispies (1 - 2 - 3 - 4 - 5 - 6), but by 1970 songs such as "The Day We Fall in Love" and "Forget That Girl" were being featured on Post cereal boxes.
Bobby Sherman got into the act in the '70s with songs like "Easy Come, Easy Go", "Bubble Gum and Braces" and "Seattle." The Jackson 5 filmed several Post Alpha-Bits commercials, and also released some their songs on cereal boxes.
I suspect that the cardboard flexidisk gimmick would do well today in certain segments of the market. Slap a She & Him or They Might Be Giants song on a box of Archer Farms and let the moolah roll in. Soon thereafter, you'll have Cheerios doing split singles, grocery clerks turning their noses up at your purchases. "I liked 'em better before they signed to General Mills."
posted by Maaik at 3:45 AM on December 1, 2011 [6 favorites]
posted by Maaik at 3:45 AM on December 1, 2011 [6 favorites]
My son insisted on a box of cereal a few years ago because it came with a free Christmas music CD! And it wasn't even cardboard....
posted by theplotchickens at 4:01 AM on December 1, 2011 [1 favorite]
posted by theplotchickens at 4:01 AM on December 1, 2011 [1 favorite]
Maaik
I really loathe to admit just how well that would work on me.
posted by bookwo3107 at 4:18 AM on December 1, 2011 [2 favorites]
I really loathe to admit just how well that would work on me.
posted by bookwo3107 at 4:18 AM on December 1, 2011 [2 favorites]
This is one of the best Wikipedia articles I've stumbled across in a while: Unusual types of gramophone records.
posted by oulipian at 4:34 AM on December 1, 2011 [3 favorites]
posted by oulipian at 4:34 AM on December 1, 2011 [3 favorites]
Post-Alpha-Bits Commercial Pop: the ironic aftermath of DIY Alpha-Bits Rock.
posted by bendybendy at 4:58 AM on December 1, 2011
posted by bendybendy at 4:58 AM on December 1, 2011
I remember getting the Archies records. However, there's NO WAY my parents would have allowed us to eat Super Sugar Crisps. So there's the cunundrum, how did the music get into my collection without my having to eat my allotment of sugar?
Also, it bears noting that all the cereals with "Sugar" in their names have been renamed something else. Super Golden Crisp, Frosted Flakes, Honey Smacks (formerly Sugar Smacks.)
I may not have had the most exciting breakfasts in my youth, but I am proud to say that I don't have any cavities.
posted by Ruthless Bunny at 5:59 AM on December 1, 2011
Also, it bears noting that all the cereals with "Sugar" in their names have been renamed something else. Super Golden Crisp, Frosted Flakes, Honey Smacks (formerly Sugar Smacks.)
I may not have had the most exciting breakfasts in my youth, but I am proud to say that I don't have any cavities.
posted by Ruthless Bunny at 5:59 AM on December 1, 2011
My favorite of the cereal box songs: You Are The One, by the Sugar Bears.
posted by JanetLand at 6:28 AM on December 1, 2011 [1 favorite]
posted by JanetLand at 6:28 AM on December 1, 2011 [1 favorite]
I still have my Bobby Sherman "I'm Still Lookin' For The Right Girl" cereal box record. A true masterpiece of 70s bubblegum pop, complete with aggressive horn section and earworm potential.
posted by hippybear at 7:20 AM on December 1, 2011
posted by hippybear at 7:20 AM on December 1, 2011
I remember getting the Archies records. However, there's NO WAY my parents would have allowed us to eat Super Sugar Crisps. So there's the cunundrum, how did the music get into my collection without my having to eat my allotment of sugar?
...
I may not have had the most exciting breakfasts in my youth, but I am proud to say that I don't have any cavities.
Ruthless Bunny, your parents loved you so much that they (1) defended your health against constant pressure from peers, Madison Avenue, and you, and (2) asked friends to give them unused/duplicate records from their kids' breakfast boxes.
Hats off to'em!
posted by IAmBroom at 8:20 AM on December 1, 2011 [1 favorite]
...
I may not have had the most exciting breakfasts in my youth, but I am proud to say that I don't have any cavities.
Ruthless Bunny, your parents loved you so much that they (1) defended your health against constant pressure from peers, Madison Avenue, and you, and (2) asked friends to give them unused/duplicate records from their kids' breakfast boxes.
Hats off to'em!
posted by IAmBroom at 8:20 AM on December 1, 2011 [1 favorite]
It wasn't just pop music -- I remember having the bejesus scared out of me by a rendition of the story of Sleepy Hollow with the Headless Horseman, cut out of the box of a forgotten brand of cereal.
posted by Celsius1414 at 8:21 AM on December 1, 2011 [2 favorites]
posted by Celsius1414 at 8:21 AM on December 1, 2011 [2 favorites]
I'm sure i had an Archies record, and LOVED it. Can't recall any others, but it seems like there was a second one.
posted by IAmBroom at 8:21 AM on December 1, 2011
posted by IAmBroom at 8:21 AM on December 1, 2011
The prepackaged Indian meals I eat came with CD collections of Indian music for a while. Which was quite irritating, as I eat those meals every day, which meant I was throwing out a CD per day.
posted by Bunny Ultramod at 8:27 AM on December 1, 2011
posted by Bunny Ultramod at 8:27 AM on December 1, 2011
Mmmm...Frosted Rice Krinkles...
On a related note - I can still recite the entire McDonald's menu (circa 1989) from memory, thanks to this floppy sweepstakes record, which I think came in the Daily News.
posted by ericbop at 9:11 AM on December 1, 2011 [1 favorite]
On a related note - I can still recite the entire McDonald's menu (circa 1989) from memory, thanks to this floppy sweepstakes record, which I think came in the Daily News.
posted by ericbop at 9:11 AM on December 1, 2011 [1 favorite]
I still remember a TV commercial with Bobby Sherman dancing inside a giant cereal bowl singing "Easy Come, Easy Go", promoting the availability of some of his records on cereal boxes. I still have "Valleri" by the Monkees and "ABC" by the Jackson Five that I cut off of Alpha-Bits back in the early 1970s.
posted by Oriole Adams at 10:13 AM on December 1, 2011
posted by Oriole Adams at 10:13 AM on December 1, 2011
Despite having been born in 1975, I had some of these. I inherited a bunch of 45s from a babysitter, including the Kellogg's Banana Splits and H.R. Pufunstuf ones. It wasn't until the internet came along many moons later that I figured out what the shows were about.
posted by jocelmeow at 11:47 AM on December 1, 2011
posted by jocelmeow at 11:47 AM on December 1, 2011
Their song "Sugar, Sugar" hit number one on the pop charts in 1969
Curse that walking Italian-American stereotype Buddy the Cake Boss who's show somehow found an even more annoying version of that song.
posted by Hoopo at 1:19 PM on December 1, 2011
Curse that walking Italian-American stereotype Buddy the Cake Boss who's show somehow found an even more annoying version of that song.
posted by Hoopo at 1:19 PM on December 1, 2011
including the Kellogg's Banana Splits and H.R. Pufunstuf ones
Ah, but those were actual records you had to send away for. I still have my Pufnstuf 45. One of my most treasured possessions.
posted by hippybear at 6:14 PM on December 1, 2011
Ah, but those were actual records you had to send away for. I still have my Pufnstuf 45. One of my most treasured possessions.
posted by hippybear at 6:14 PM on December 1, 2011
This is one of the best Wikipedia articles I've stumbled across in a while: Unusual types of gramophone records.
Weird. I didn't read that article while compiling the FPP, but did run across it this afternoon while looking for precursors of The Black Keys's recent inside-to-outside vinyl single.
posted by Knappster at 10:05 PM on December 1, 2011
Weird. I didn't read that article while compiling the FPP, but did run across it this afternoon while looking for precursors of The Black Keys's recent inside-to-outside vinyl single.
posted by Knappster at 10:05 PM on December 1, 2011
Oh, gee, I hadn't looked at my cereal box records page in a while, and half the article got eaten in a site update. Just fixed it, so if you were looking to complete your Josie & the Pussycats, Bobby Sherman or Sugar Bears discography, you can now.
posted by Scram at 11:23 PM on December 1, 2011
posted by Scram at 11:23 PM on December 1, 2011
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