Here’s something you don’t see or hear every day – the Four Tops covering the Moody Blues. In the fall of 1971, the Tops released their version of “A Simple Game” in various European territories and it climbed to #3 on the UK chart.
In early 1972 this non-LP single was issued in the US but it failed to gain much attention, grabbing a high of #90. Below we have rare video from a European TV appearance in ’71. Give it a watch and listen. It will improve your Monday.
We’ve reached another welcome Friday and it’s time for a batch of seventies commercials. From 1974, we have Armour Hot Dogs, featuring some tremendous mascots, and Fred & Wilma for Flintstones Vitamins. From 1973, it’s Kool-Aid, and last but not least, the great Willie Mays for RCA. Have a quality weekend.
ARMOUR HOT DOGS JINGLE COMMERCIAL (1974)
Armour hot dogs commercial featuring costumed mascots and a famous jingle aired March 1974.
FLINTSTONES VITAMINS COMMERCIAL (1974)
Flintstones Vitamins commercial featuring an animated Fred & Wilma. Narrator may be William Schallert. Spot aired March 1974.
KOOL-AID ‘SMILES’ COMMERCIAL (1973)
Kool-Aid commercial featuring a smile theme and song aired in 1973.
WILLIE MAYS FOR RCA TV SETS (1973)
RCA Solid State XL-100 television set commercial featuring baseball great Willie Mays (Giants, Mets). Spot aired January 1973 (likely produced in ’72).
**Time to pull a classic post from the Bionic Disco vault. The following originally appeared June 19, 2011**
Here’s a totally radical magazine ad for you from 1975. Evel Knievel for Harley-Davidson – featuring “Knievel’s own XR-750” and other nifty AMF Harleys such as the FXE-1200 and the Z-90.
No, I don’t really know my bikes but Evel sure as hell did. This one time, he jumped over like 35 buses. He crashed and stuff but it was super cool.
See this arm kid? Broken in 16 places. Cool, huh?
“Follow the lead of Evel Knievel. To the AMF Harley-Davidson world of freedom.”
Check out the official Evel Knievel site for more great pics like this.
Wings, ‘Mary Had A Little Lamb’ ad via Billboard, June 10, 1972
Paul McCartney and Wings released their version of the fairy tale sing-a-long “Mary Had A Little Lamb” in early summer of 1972. This non-LP single arrived in the time period between the Wild Life and Red Rose Speedway albums and grabbed the #9 spot in the UK and #28 in the US. Sing along below with rare video from the period.
I’ve got some seventies advertising for you today. Surprised? I didn’t think so.
First, two spots from 1971; Kraft Macaroni & Cheese Dinner and Brunswick’s Blueberry Fling bowling ball. Second, from ’72; Fruit of the Loom underwear starring Howard Cosell and Leggy dolls from Hasbro.
KRAFT MACARONI & CHEESE COMMERCIAL (1971)
Kraft Macaroni & Cheese Dinner commercial aired November 1971.
Happy Monday, all. The Monkees, at this stage a duo of Davy Jones and Micky Dolenz, released “Oh My My” in April of 1970. The song was written by Jeff Barry and Andy Kim and appeared on the Changes L.P.
This fine tune only made it to #98 on the US Hot 100 and was the last Monkees song to chart until the late 1980s. Have a look & listen with an excellent quality promo film available below.
