Or 'if it's bad for Sunmaid, it's gotta be good for them. [9] Blackthorne Publishing also released a six-issue comic book series entitled The California Raisins 3-D which included 3D glasses; these would later be re-released in the Ultimate Collection trade paperback. Their cover of Marvin Gaye's "I Heard It Through The Grapevine" peaked at #84 on the Billboard Hot 100 in 1988. The comedy podcast Felix Navipod features discussion of the California Raisins on all 166 episodes of its run. SW: I mean, how did you react when you found out about that?? They all watched as Seth walked in and took the floor. Almost all the packers resented Sunmaid, but not all for the same reasons. SW: One of the people who saw that ad was Michael Jackson. And as that rift widened, the raisins fell right through it. It was the sequel to the Emmy-nominated special Meet the Raisins! And so he says, 'Ok fine. WERNER: We created this huge conga line that came out of a box of raisins and danced on the coffee table while this husband and wife or boyfriend and girlfriend were watching a movie, and they were unaware that all this was happening in its own little world. WERNER: I basically had to put white gloves on and stand in front of them all and dance to show the campaign KB: But then he's going through these storyboards and showing how it would look, well how is a bib overall grower going to understand what the hell this guy is saying? 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). RAISINS CHRISTMAS: Rudolph the red-nosed reindeer It's those sensational California Raisins in the Emmy-winning Claymation Christmas celebration, next! Not much longer would you be mine baby. 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. Dancing Raisins "Heard It Through the Grapevine". But how did a bunch of dried grapes, burdened with the reputationof being a mediocre, boring snack, become synonymous with swagger? SPEAKER ELEVEN: We watched it in art class when I was in elementary school. Visit the IIIF page to learn more. During the peak of their popularity in the late '80s, the California Raisins also had a fan club, merchandise that spanned from plush toys to lunch boxes to air fresheners, and a series of comic books. The California Raisins are a fictional rhythm and blues musical group comprised of anthropomorphized raisins. 84 on the Billboard Hot 100. The California Raisins II is a 1990 claymation television special directed by Will Vinton, featuring the advertising characters The California Raisins. SW: Unity has been a longstanding challenge for the raisin industry. Washington, D.C. Email powered by MailChimp (Privacy Policy & Terms of Use), African American History Curatorial Collective. If you would like to know how we handle complaints, please click, . But he told me something else too, something he says a lot of reporters like mewho fly into Fresno from the big city to cover the dramaoften miss: MM: We're all families here and so, everybody's really close, everybody knows each other, I mean, a lot of them are related to each other, they marry in, and so they're very tight SW: And that big family, with lots of opinions, is where some of that drama comes from. SW: I was not even alive when most of those ads aired, and I had the same experience. AD SIX: Oh, I heard it through the grapevine! All Rights Reserved. But that wasn't the story around town. For the last 10 years, he's violated the law and gone against the Raisin Administrative Committee. And the band wasn't playing heavy metal or rock 'n' roll. Musicians such as Ray Charles and Michael Jackson even got in on the raisin action, singing their own versions of "I Heard It Through The Grapevine" for later commercials. eBay (UK) Limited acts as a credit broker not a lender. SW: Those people started calling CALRAB and the ad agency, asking when and where the ad would play again. But were they a success for the raisin industry? The California Raisins were a fictional R&B group created in the mid-1980s for a commercial produced by the California Raisin Advisory. But first, he had to get approval from the raisin growers and packers who were paying for it. Save my name, email, and website in this browser for the next time I comment. Feb 14, 2023 A group of singing, dancing, anthropomorphized raisins launched a sensational career after singing the 1968 Marvin Gaye song, "I Heard It Through the Grapevine," in a 1986 commercial for the California Raisin Advisory Board. The 1980's TV commercials for California raisins have been called some of the best ads ever made. Constitution Avenue, NW Now, the story of a man many call an outlaw. And though the process is time-consuming and expensive, Werner's performance managed to win them over. Web. So, CALRAB proposed this big advertising campaign, with national TV commercials. If you would like to know how you can use content on this page, see the Smithsonian's Terms of Use. Sunmaid had always been the golden child, and now, they were making off with the family fortune. Eligibility determined at checkout. Jun 1, 2013 - Explore The Goodwill Geek's board "Heard it Through the Grapevine.", followed by 362 people on Pinterest. SPEAKER TEN: We had the Christmas special on videotape, we probably watched it like three or four times a December, between when I was like 4 and 8. PDF WERNER: 'Our thanks again on behalf of Paul McCartney. Seth and his colleagues were getting fan mail forwarded to themfrom viewers, TV stations, and other advertising execs. In 1985, both halves of the industry were funding CALRAB. 16:20 How do you distinguish your raisin bagel from my field to your field? SW: Michael Brunsfeld was the commercial animation director at a company called Colossal Pictures, which had been contracted to do a mockup of the ad. It even led to an unauthorized collectibles guide published in 1998, cataloging the many items based on the clay characters. Needless to say, their band history borrowed heavily from the types of origin stories real bands tended to have. The California Raisins were a fictional rhythm and blues animated musical group as well as advertising and merchandising characters composed of anthropomorphized raisins. We may update this record based on further research and review. Not much longer would you be mine. SW: Ross Vannelli is a music producer. Don't you know that I heard it through the grapevine. Your email address will not be published. RV: I said, 'I'm going to do it where it feels authentic.' Oh! Losin' you would end my life you see. From Performing Songwriter Issue 111, July/Aug 2008. He was so into it that he personally got in touch with Will Vinton, the claymation animator, and asked to be included in his own commercial. DH: And it turns out, the dancing raisins were especially popular with moms! Done. Play with guitar, piano, ukulele, or any instrument you choose. I believe it might have been a public service announcement', 'Dear Judy: Generally when you hear from me, a problem is involved. And they had good reasons to be! So, give them raisins! The Hardee's restaurant chain offered these as part of a promotion for its Cinnamon 'N' Raisin biscuits. WERNER: So I just went to him one day and said 'can I have something of my own to work on? Strong came up with the idea and asked Motown writers Holland-Dozier-Holland to work on it with him. So, just like at Thanksgiving dinner, while CALRAB tried to calm everyone down and broker peace from the head of the table, squabbling raisin packers aired old grudges and argued about who was and was not getting their fair share of the cash. SW: Paul. An article published by AnimateClay.com in the late 2000s details the whereabouts of the original claymation sculptures used by Vinton Studios. See terms. Paul McCartney requested his own copy on VHS. SW: Within a month of its release, the album went gold. Can you just give me an assignment? Raisins, dressed up in white gloves and sunglasses, dancing to Marvin Gaye's "I heard it through the grapevine." In 2015, it was announced that a live-action/CGI reboot of the California Raisins would be produced, with president of The Actors Hall of Fame Foundation, Rusty Citron, as one of the people behind the project. The plot of the game involved Tiny Goodbite having to rescue his friends who have been kidnapped and held in a cereal factory. In order to be successful, this big "family" has to work together. Characters Steve and Roger go into a mall representing 1980s culture where they meet the Raisins who proclaim that they are "cursed to live forever. CH: This episode was reported and produced by Sarah Wyman, with Julia Press and me, Charlie Herman. onefunplace. SPEAKER NINE: Definitely didn't make me any more of a fan of raisins. The California Raisins merchandising snowballed into 300 different products, including clothing, bed sheets, Halloween costumes, car accessories, lunch boxes, and even toilet paper. But, that's not where this story ends. The community that created them, and the questions they left in their wake. You're over. California Raisins T-shirt ~ I Heard It Through The Grapevine ~ Claymation 80s. There it is. ", 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]. MICHAEL JACKSON: And Will, keep these guys still until they do the heard it! Required fields are marked *. This is Brought to you by Brands you know, stories you don't. Because that's a whole market supply and demand on both the national and international basis. Really?'. Think you know music? HARDEES AD: Announcing the big plush bendable California Raisins at Hardees SW: There were California Raisins Halloween costumesthey were bestsellers in 1988. SW: But by 1994, the packers had reached a consensus. Dancing Raisins Heard It Through the Grapevine. SW: Then, you've got nature to think about. California raisins from the California vineyards. But these tears I can't hold inside. Condition: Used. Barrett Strong was the singer. MM: At every industry meeting I go to, it seems like someone's asking, some raisin grower's asking 'are you ever going to bring the raisin, dancing raisins back?' BK: So the bottom line was you didn't have industry consensus. CH: This commercial was the most popular TV ad in 1987 and 1988. I don't like raisins. CH: After the break, five million dollars DOES go a long way, the Dancing California Raisins conga line their way to record deals and awards, and they split the raisin industry right down the middle. 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