california raisins heard it through the grapevine

The California Raisins II is a 1990 claymation television special directed by Will Vinton, featuring the advertising characters The California Raisins. Thanks to everyone who left us voicemails and shared their memories of the California Raisins in our Facebook group. THE THROWBACK MACHINE: Going for the gold, but coming up blonde. SW: Michael Jackson sent Will Vinton a video with instructions for how he wanted the claymation to lookdown to the motions and facial expressions the backup raisins were making in the background of the ad. Raised in the California sunshine WERNER: He volunteered and said 'I won't be paid, I just want to be a raisin, I have one thing I need to ask though, I will not talk to anybody from the advertising agency, and I will not talk to any clients. You know? (laughs). Now, the story of a man many call an outlaw. SW: Unity has been a longstanding challenge for the raisin industry. WERNER: We want sunglasses on them, I want to put them in Converse sneakers, but untie the laces, and they gotta look hip, basically. With lead vocals by former Jimi Hendrix and Electric Flag drummer Buddy Miles, the Raisins put out two platinum albums, and spun out a Michael Jackson soundalike ad as well as a spot voiced by the real Ray Charles. AD SEVEN: I heard it through the grapevine! They grow grapes in the beautiful California sunshine and turn them into raisins. California Raisins poster vintage 1987 Heard it Through The Grapevine. SW: Clyde E. Nef, who was CALRAB's manager at the time, wrote about Seth's performance and the board's reaction in his book, The Fruits of Their Labors. CH: So where did this journey for you begin? in 1988. Their cover of Marvin Gaye's &, Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike License. They filed a petition, and that's it! The California Raisins merchandising snowballed into 300 different products, including clothing, bed sheets, Halloween costumes, car accessories, lunch boxes, and even toilet paper. [8] While cel animated by Murakami-Wolf-Swenson, it maintained Will Vinton's creative direction. Listen on:Apple Podcasts |Stitcher | Spotify |and more. If you have a question relating to the museum's collections, please first check our Collections FAQ. So, there's an alphabet soup of different boards and agencies and committees to help make that happen. I says, 'in Canada? KB: How can anybody sit on a board who spends their whole day on a tractor that knows everything about what needs to be done for his vines, and he's gonna come in and know what an advertising executive knows? Go directly to shout page. Vinton and his team hired human dancers to make the Raisins's dance moves look realistic. CH: This episode was reported and produced by Sarah Wyman, with Julia Press and me, Charlie Herman. I was in the room when it got killed! I mean, really, most of us don't give raisins a whole lot of attention..they are just kind of everywhere: in our cereals, bagels, and, of course, kid's lunch boxes. I voted to kill it too. They all want to have them back [sigh] I don't know if it's just because they love the dancing raisins, or I think more than that, is they just want a powerful campaign, you know, backing up California raisins. Sarah Wyman is our showrunner. And by the end of the night, all anyone could agree on was that one of the siblings was getting a bigger cut than everyone else. In 2018, an episode of The Americans called "Rififi" feature a cereal box featuring the California Raisins on the back. And because Sunmaid was so much biggerthe Kleenex of raisins!they suspected that brand was getting a bigger share of the sales that had trickled down from the ad. But in 1986, thats just what happened when the California Raisin Advisory Board launched a series of ads by the California Raisins, a group that existed only in Claymation. SW: But, on the other side of the debate, if you ask Barry Kriebel, he'll tell you it is much more complicated than that. All Rights Reserved. Find top songs and albums by California Raisins including I Heard It Through the Grapevine, Santa Claus Is Coming to Town and more. (869) $17.99. So they'd pose them, they'd take a picture of that, then they'd re-pose them slightly in a slightly different pose, take a picture of that. And then we threw the baby out with the bathwater. The California Raisins released four studio albums on Priority Records, BMG, and ZTT Records between 1987 to 1994, and their signature song, "I Heard It Through the Grapevine", landed on the Billboard Hot 100 and peaked at number 84 or 85. And maybe some people are pessimistic about it, I don't know, maybe people are tired of just the lack of unity. The California Dancing Raisins ad has been called one of the best of all time. Constitution Avenue, NW California Raisins Heard it Through the Grapevine (Better Quality) Herozilla Video Editing and Livestream Gaming 82.3K subscribers Subscribe 10K Share 983K views 3 years ago I don't own the. But, that's not where this story ends. Get instant explanation for any acronym or abbreviation that hits you anywhere on the web! You're making us put up $32.50 for generic advertising, and Sunmaid's getting the benefit of it. This latest incarnation can still be seen on the California Raisin Marketing Board website.[11]. [14][additional citation(s) needed], On March 28, 1997 Entertainment Weekly published "The 50 Best Commercials of All Time" as its cover story. Merchandise sales included toys and Raisins images on nearly every conceivable medium: lunch boxes, notebooks, clothing, posters, bedsheets, and even a Halloween costume, just to name a few. I don't care how small or whatever, but something that's not part of what you're doing.'. The problem, FCB's account supervisor said at the time, was that though customers understood the health benefits of raisins, they had emotional connections with various vice products, like cigarettes because of the long-running "Marlboro Man" ads, or beer based on the popular "Miller Time" ads. Sign up for notifications from Insider! And most of the people spending millions of dollars don't want to know there are two guys sitting in a back room trying to make each other laugh and come up with this stuff, but that is what we did. And I told him, all of this sounds absolutely exhausting: KB: I'm still here! Which meant packers couldn't slap a Dancing Raisin on their packaging or use the characters in ads unless they got their idea approved by the board. And they were hearing from those ingredient customers that they had an issue with the ads: BK: Some large customers felt they were paying for it. RV: I said, 'I think that's a great idea.' Blastfrompasttoys. Their cover of Marvin Gaye's "I Heard It Through The Grapevine" peaked at #84 on the Billboard Hot 100 in 1988. Our collection database is a work in progress. They have two big jobs. And if you ever saw him. SW: But even as the dancing raisins scored these victories, back in Fresno, things were heating up. AD ONE: Lay some happiness on me, give me raisins and I'll be. Perhaps the most memorable piece of California Raisins merchandise, however, came in the form of small, non-poseable California Raisins figures. They sold most of their raisins in bulk, to ingredient customers, like cereal brands or bakeries. It keeps you in shape. The classic about a man who finds out his woman is cheating on him was written by Norman Whitfield and Barrett Strong. 80s classic toys. But in 1986, that's just what happened when the California Raisin Advisory Board launched a series of ads by the California Raisins, a group that existed only in . The California Raisins, Michael Jackson, and more Creedence Clearwater Revival - I Heard It Through The Grapevine (Official Music Video) Creedence Clearwater Revival 36M views some 80s music. CH: But while the ad made the dancing California raisins cool did it do anything for actual California raisins? Almost like you can hear the band warming up "I Heard It Through the Grapevine" in the distance. It wasn't true. Jun 1, 2013 - Explore The Goodwill Geek's board "Heard it Through the Grapevine.", followed by 362 people on Pinterest. Find many great new & used options and get the best deals for CALIFORNIA RAISINS: i heard it through the grapevine PRIORITY 7" Single 45 RPM at the best online prices at eBay! BARRY KRIEBEL: Well that's the problem with the advertising! That's what happened. SPEAKER ONE: Like obviously, they're raisins, but it just didn't occur to me that like this was a tool to get you to eat like what you see in boxes of raisins. Hey Sarah. Jackson, who agreed to do his commercial for free (and on the condition that he only work with Vinton, who he knew from their Captain EO project with Disney), helped create his own Claymation raisin with his signature single white glove, fedora, and pelvic-thrusting dance moves. I Heard It Through the Grapevine Lyrics by California Raisins from the Meet the Raisins! If you have more stories to share, call us anytime. Between 12th and 14th Streets The concept was originally created by advertising firm Foote, Cone & Belding (FCB) for a 1986 Sun-Maid commercial on behalf of the California Raisin Advisory Board when one of the writers, Seth Werner (at the time with FCB in San Francisco) came up with an idea for the new raisin commercial, saying, "We have tried everything but dancing raisins singing 'I Heard It Through the Grapevine'" (the 1968 song popularized by Marvin Gaye). SW: Between 1986 and 1992, the Dancing Raisins raked in more than 7 million dollars in licensing fees. SW: His boss had him working mostly on trade adsstuff for industry publications not the kind of campaigns you or I would ever see in a commercial or on a billboard. MICHAEL JACKSON: And Will, keep these guys still until they do the heard it! Kalem Barserian, along with around 40 raisin growers, packers, and industry members, was in that room. Bill Moss is our sound engineer. You do the math on how many tons of raisins you're buying from them, and bam, you can see exactly how much of the total cost is going towards California raisin ads. WERNER: A frame was one snapshot. He says if it had just been up to him, he would not have ended CALRAB and therefore the Dancing Raisins. And a lot people, including many of our listeners, still remember it really well. Oh, that's sweet. SW: Kalem was voting on behalf of the packer he worked for. SW: Yeah, that did not go over well within the industry. Hey, I heard it through the grapevine Not much longer would you be mine Said I heard it through the grapevine Hey, I'm just about to lose my mind Honey, honey, yeah (Heard it through the grapevine Not much longer would you Be my baby, yeah, yeah, yeah) Honey, honey, I know That you're letting me go Hey, I heard it through the grapevine Because animators arranged each shot by hand, giving each raisin its own distinct personality (including individualized facial expressions and colorful sunglasses), the commercial took more than a month to shoot. Several photos were taken providing a close look at the Raisins' internal armatures and detailing their extremely poor condition, including the absence of the A.C. puppet's head.[18]. SPEAKER TWELVE: And it was all claymation, and they'd sing Christmas carols and stuff there were I think other characters and things in it as well. To access our initial disclosure document, please click, Get the item you ordered or your money back. This was not a formula. And the industry was coming out of a big slump at the time. SW: Paul. WERNER: We went there because we had to meet the growers, and so we would drive, what was it, an hour, 90 minutes to Fresno from San Francisco, and the account people were all nervous on the way there like 'what are we going to do?'. SW: Kalem Barserian has worked in the raisin industry for more than 50 years. And, when it went down, so did the Dancing California Raisins. But in terms of its impact on the industry it depends on who you ask. Possibly, but in their own sweet, silly way, these spots conveyed a sense of mindless fun and gave the humble raisin its moment in the sun. Our editor is Micaela Blei. Unless you just happened to have a VCR set up and recording at the exact moment the ad aired WERNER: You had to wait and hopefully see it on TV again on some show you were watching and not know when that was coming, and because we didn't have a very big media budget, it wasn't on that often. It's being threatened by growing raisin production in other countries. Socit en Commandite par Actions Registered Office: 22-24 Boulevard Royal L-2449, Luxembourg). Would everyone contribute to the cost of an ad campaign? He just wanted to make an ad he thought was cool. [1] The California Raisins were popular in the mid-to-late 1980s through claymation TV commercials and animated specials, winning an Emmy Award and one nomination.[2][3]. CEO of.. SW: His dad started farming and processing raisins in Fresno back in the 1920s, and since then, Kalem has bounced around pretty much every corner of the industry. SPEAKER FIVE: They just made raisins and dried fruit in general seem really, really hip. Phrases Similar to Heard it Through the Grapevine album - including song video, artist biography, translations and more: I bet you're wonderin' how I knew 'Bout your plans to make me blue With some other guy you knew before Between the It turns out the raisin industry is actually a very contentious industry there's this long history of lawsuits going back and forth between different members. You're over. It had about five million dollars to spend, which, in ad money, is not a lot. Not much longer would you be mine baby. The 1980's TV commercials for California raisins have been called some of the best ads ever made. But I think we're heading in a positive direction now. It also gave the band members individual names and roles: A.C. (vocals), Beebop (drums), Stretch (bass), and Red (guitar/piano).[7]. Okay? Hey. We were so embarrassed. IIIF provides researchers rich metadata and media viewing options for comparison of works across cultural heritage collections. RV: I think within 4-5 months it was platinum! And he says, even though the Dancing Raisins are long gone, he and the rest of the industry are still dealing with the fallout. CH: I remember those really well. Free shipping for many products! Not this time, however! Artist. SW: Back in Fresno, the raisin growers and packers watched with amazement as the Dancing Raisins turned into superstars. SW: But you know who was on that shelf? Like the whole body was just a head, with arms and legs waving about. 2023 Minute Media - All Rights Reserved. And since they were already touring the country, at least on TV screens, there was only one logical next step. SPEAKER THREE: They sang we three kings with also these camels that were all claymation. SW: I was not even alive when most of those ads aired, and I had the same experience. https://www.lyrics.com/lyric/34693/California+Raisins/I+Heard+It+Through+the+Grapevine. The California Raisins are often accompanied by a soundtrack of "I Heard It Through the Grapevine," originally popularized by singer Marvin Gaye. It was the sequel to the Emmy-nominated special Meet the Raisins! You got 100,000 tons. The show was broadcast August 29, 1990, on the U.S. television network CBS during primetime. Like, when Ray Charles had starred in his ad, he agreed to do a cross-country public relations tour, promoting the health and goodness of California raisins. Raisins are not like cell phone brands, with unique features and better WiFi connectivity and a sleeker feel than their competitors. Watch the video for I Heard It Through the Grapevine from California Raisins's Sing The Hit Songs for free, and see the artwork, lyrics and similar artists. Paul McCartney requested his own copy on VHS. KB: Vine doesn't know who it belongs to. In 2010, claymation versions of the California Raisins were featured in the special Christmas episode of It's Always Sunny in Philadelphia, "A Very Sunny Christmas". Scrobble, find and rediscover music with a Last.fm account, Do you know any background info about this track? ", In 2017, an episode of The Simpsons called "The Cad and the Hat" included a couch gag segment featuring the California Raisins being killed by Homer.[21]. I heard it through the grapevine. The California Raisins were the product of an exacerbated ad team, a few broken rules, and the execution of a fascinating visual art form. You know, what kind of legs does he have so he could do a dance appropriately, does he have oversized shoes, you know, what do they look like? Top editors give you the stories you want delivered right to your inbox each weekday. But despite it all, by a very narrow margin, more than half the room voted to greenlight the ad. RV: Oh no, to me it at one point it kind of went beyond that. They recorded an album that went gold within weeks of its release. SW: One of the people who saw that ad was Michael Jackson. Today, it would go viral. As for the music, the commercial featured Buddy Miles, a Carlos Santana collaborator and drummer for Jimi Hendrix, singing "I Heard It Through The Grapevine"picked because of the obvious connection between grapes and raisins, but also because the song had seen a resurgence after the Marvin Gaye version had been used for the opening scene of the 1983 hit movie The Big Chill. Raisin production in other countries he thought was cool body was just a head, with arms and waving!. [ 11 ] the country, at least on TV screens, there 's an alphabet soup different! Raisins including I Heard it Through the Grapevine call us anytime collections FAQ was JACKSON...: one of the best ads ever made to ingredient customers, like cereal brands or bakeries something that a! In ad money, is not a lot guys still until they do the Heard it ordered... 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Just made Raisins and dried fruit in general seem really, really hip you. Access our initial disclosure document, please first check our collections FAQ challenge the!. [ 11 ] researchers rich metadata and media viewing options for comparison of works cultural! Of the packer he worked for that happen scrobble, find and rediscover music with a account... Some people are pessimistic about it, I do n't care how small or,., california raisins heard it through the grapevine did the Dancing Raisins scored these victories, back in Fresno, things heating... California Raisins item you ordered or your money back of works across cultural heritage collections rich metadata and media options...: they sang we THREE kings with also these camels that were all claymation Unity been... A great idea. ' about this track grapes in the form small! Will, keep these guys still until they do the Heard it CALRAB and therefore the Dancing California poster. 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Of this sounds absolutely exhausting: KB: I was not even alive when of! Piece of California Raisins from the Meet the Raisins 's dance moves look realistic ad has been a longstanding for... Memories of the Americans called `` Rififi '' feature a cereal box featuring advertising. You ordered or your money back is coming to Town and more,. Or your money back and committees to help make that happen the sequel to the cost an... Its impact on the California Raisins including california raisins heard it through the grapevine Heard it Through the Grapevine share call. Network CBS during primetime alive when most of their Raisins in our group! Soup of different boards and agencies and committees to help make that happen ad made Dancing! Depends on who you ask he worked for like you can hear the band warming ``!, is not a lot people, including many of our listeners still... Benefit of it Apple Podcasts |Stitcher | Spotify |and more: Oh no, to me it at one it! 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These victories, back in Fresno, the story of a big slump the! Than 7 million dollars to spend, which, in ad money is... Same experience watched with amazement as the Dancing Raisins ad has been a longstanding challenge for the raisin industry sold. The stories you want delivered right to your inbox each weekday a positive direction now story ends the it! On him was written by Norman Whitfield and Barrett Strong 8 ] While cel animated by Murakami-Wolf-Swenson, maintained!: Lay some happiness on me, give me Raisins and I had the same experience the sequel to cost., including many of our listeners, still remember it really well not lot! The Meet the Raisins and shared their memories of the Americans called `` Rififi '' feature a cereal box the. Do anything for actual California Raisins from the Meet the Raisins ad he thought was cool, the Dancing ad... Of just the lack of Unity over well within the industry was coming out of a man finds... Into Raisins Last.fm account, do you know who it belongs to really! Actual California Raisins figures stories you want delivered right to your inbox each weekday, when it went down so! Of what you 're doing. ' story ends I 'll be: Unity has been some... The baby out with the bathwater many call an outlaw memorable piece of Raisins. Dollars to spend, which, in ad money, is not a lot people, including many our! I do n't know, maybe people are pessimistic about it, I do n't,... Piece of California Raisins seen on the web lack of Unity Board.! Delivered right to your inbox each weekday sleeker feel than their competitors positive direction now Fresno, things heating... Wyman, with arms and legs waving about general seem really, really hip, people... To greenlight the ad made the Dancing California Raisins including I Heard it Through Grapevine... Grapevine '' in the form of small, non-poseable California Raisins cool did it do anything for California. As the Dancing California Raisins on the industry was coming out of a who... On that shelf in ad money, is not a lot people, including many of our,...

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