While todays commercials may depict M&Ms and cookies with unique personas, the California Raisins hold a special place as '80s pop culture icons. SW: Buddy Miles, who'd been the drummer for Band of Gypsies with Jimi Hendrix, flew to California to record the vocals in Ross's studio. WERNER: My job, I called it jack of all trade. But back in 1986, going viral was not yet a thing. Leave a message at (646) 768-4777, or email us at btyb@insider.com. And if you ever saw him. SW: But even as the dancing raisins scored these victories, back in Fresno, things were heating up. BK: It actually got to the point where the Dancing Raisins had their own television show. If you require a personal response, please use ourContact page. [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]. And so, with a $7.5 million campaign on the line, Werner hit play and began dancing across the room to the old Motown hit "I Heard it Through the Grapevine.". SPEAKER FOUR: I even had little figurinesSPEAKER FIVE: I remember seeing them in my toy chestSPEAKER ONE: They were part of some happy meal kind of thing CH: The dancing raisins were invited to light the National Christmas Tree at the White House. Losin' you would end my life you see. SW: All of those different factors combined add up to the final, and most important challenge for the raisin industry. The dancing raisins got caught in the crossfire of a heated debate within the industry. Instead, it was a group of tiny, claymation raisins playing a Motown hit in a national ad campaign. The briefthe goal of the campaignwas to come up with a commercial that would make customers see raisins differently. ', SW: Barry Kriebel was president of Sunmaid at the time. You're making us put up $32.50 for generic advertising, and Sunmaid's getting the benefit of it. And the US, by the way, is the second largest raisin producer in the entire world. He's now on his second round of leading the Raisin Bargaining Association. How are you gonna do something with California Raisins,' I said 'ahhh, I'll probably do something stupid like have some raisins dancing to I heard it through the Grapevine' and then I thought 'oh, maybe that's not so stupid!'. RV: I said, 'I'm going to do it where it feels authentic.' Or, as they saw it, for Sunmaid's good. Note: Comment submission is temporarily unavailable while we make improvements to the site. SPEAKER FIVE: Every time that commercial would come on, my mom would sing and dance to that song. Sales of raisins themselves increased 20 percent after the first commercial. SW: Before long, a claymation Ray Charles joined the bunch. https://www.lyrics.com/lyric/34693/The+California+Raisins/I+Heard+It+Through+the+Grapevine. And it paid for all that buzz with an assessmentor a taxon the raisin industry. The California Raisi - I Heard It Through The Grapevine - Used Vinyl - E8100A. You know how families can be about money. The ad was fun, but, to quote The Fruits of Their Labors again, it "made no effort to sell raisins. An article published by AnimateClay.com in the late 2000s details the whereabouts of the original claymation sculptures used by Vinton Studios. If you require a personal response, please use ourContact page. It just knows that it needs water, it needs to be pruned, needs to be fertilized, it needs to be babied. The California Raisins II is a 1990 claymation television special directed by Will Vinton, featuring the advertising characters The California Raisins. SPEAKER THREE: For all that I remember of the California Raisins as characters and the songs and the happy meal toys and all that stuff, it didn't work. The Dancing California Raisins were a go. "Picture cover". ', 'Today during Ryan's Hope I saw the cutest commercial. We're doing our best to make sure our content is useful, accurate and safe.If by any chance you spot an inappropriate comment while navigating through our website please use this form to let us know, and we'll take care of it shortly. And though the process is time-consuming and expensive, Werner's performance managed to win them over. Can you just give me an assignment? 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. Seth Werner and CALRABthe agency responsible for hyping up California raisinsthey had delivered a hit. And then on top of that, this article also made mention of a raisin mafia, along with allegations of death threats!? 84 on the Billboard Hot 100. Fresno is a dusty, medium-sized city in the middle of California's central valley. Produced by Sarah Wyman, with Charlie Herman and Julia Press. With a budget in hand, the agency hired Will Vinton, the Oscar-winning animator who would later trademark the term "Claymation," to help create their vision of dancing raisins. California Raisins poster vintage 1987 Heard it Through The Grapevine. And in 1998wait for it, another acronymthe CRMBCalifornia Raisin Marketing Boardtook over as the new hype machine for California Raisins. Will Vinton. SW: This is Matthew Malcolm again. How is that better than Ray Charles?'. But in terms of its impact on the industry it depends on who you ask. And he made it very clear to me right off the bat that no one, him included, would be interested in talking about the New York Times story I'd read. SW: Back in Fresno, the raisin growers and packers watched with amazement as the Dancing Raisins turned into superstars. In order to be successful, this big "family" has to work together. Which wasn't true. What about Michael Jackson and what he was contributing? Javascript is required to view shouts on this page. Lead vocals in the group were sung by musician Buddy Miles. Just one piece! The 1980's TV commercials for California raisins have been called some of the best ads ever made. November 12, 1986 SW: You guys, it's from Paul McCartney's manager. Paul McCartney requested his own copy on VHS. 1 Mar. They even earned an Emmy nomination! This was not a formula. Vintage California Raisins Posable, Puppets, Bank, Wind up toy. 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 The classic about a man who finds out his woman is cheating on him was written by Norman Whitfield and Barrett Strong. Blastfrompasttoys. I said, 'Ok, that's one piece of the marketing puzzle. Learn more about our approach to sharing our collection online. Besides appearing in short commercials, The California Raisins shared their musical chops in television specials. 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. You got 100,000 tons. We apologize for the interruption. And if the California raisin family wanted to avert economic disaster, it needed to band together and find a way to sell more raisins. Werner's big idea was going to be a risk, especially without the celebrity spokesperson the client had requested. 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. 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. Almost all the packers resented Sunmaid, but not all for the same reasons. But of course, that was not really the end of it. 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. Access your favorite topics in a personalized feed while you're on the go. The growers are the ones with the vines. Bill Moss is our sound engineer. "I Heard It Through the Grapevine Lyrics." This figure is also included on CalRaisins.org. Whod have ever thought that a beloved Motown classic would be brought back to life by a bunch of animated dried fruit? These wildly popular clay animation raisins grew into far more than their creators had ever dreamed of. See more ideas about california raisins, raisin, grape vines. They starred in two claymation TV shorts, and a Christmas special that won an Emmy! There is also some good news though! Find top songs and albums by California Raisins including I Heard It Through the Grapevine, Santa Claus Is Coming to Town and more. SW: But in some ways, it may be in the same place as it was in the '80s. I'm Charlie Herman. 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. KB: [counts] 350 versus 244. [10] Different collections were produced in 1987, 1988, 1991, and finally in 2001 (the latter adding Carl's Jr. due to their late '90s acquisition of Hardee's) for their new stylization. If you need to request an image for publication or other use, please visit Rights and Reproductions. SPEAKER ELEVEN: We watched it in art class when I was in elementary school. How could this ad that on its surface seems like an unmitigated success also have caused all these other problems? And then I remember hearing like the Marvin Gaye version of that, and I was like 'why is he doing a California Raisins song?' View wiki 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. ROSS VANNELLI: Well how about doing an album? 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. SW: Paul. Somewhere, some afternoon, Noel Gallagher sat down with a guitar and did a little strumming and made up a few words to go with it. Thanks to everyone who left us voicemails and shared their memories of the California Raisins in our Facebook group. Still one thing nearly everyone does agree on is the mass appeal of the dancing raisins. SW: This process, as you can imagine, took a while. SW: Did it feel at any point while you were working on this album like you were making an ad for raisins? RAISINS: Oooh I heard it through the grapevine, raised in the California sunshine. Now, the story of a man many call an outlaw. Refresh your browser window to try again. I will only talk to you, Will.'. So when his friends were like WERNER: 'What are you gonna do with that? I believe it might have been a public service announcement', 'Dear Judy: Generally when you hear from me, a problem is involved. The California Dancing Raisins ad has been called one of the best of all time. 2023. Playlist, Written by: Norman Whitfield, Barrett Strong, Lyrics Sony/ATV Music Publishing LLC, Tratore. The California Raisins are often accompanied by a soundtrack of "I Heard It Through the Grapevine," originally popularized by singer Marvin Gaye. So, CALRAB proposed this big advertising campaign, with national TV commercials. Some years later, Noel Gallagher stands on a stage strumming his guitar while . HARRY OVERLY: I know for a fact that there is animosity that still exists within the industry of what happened back then. MM: We have to work together because we're competing against great forces worldwide for raisin production. Scientists mull polarized light detection from alien life-forms, Nano-mechanical sensors wired using photonics, E. coli outbreak leads to massive flour recall, First human CRISPR trial passes safety and ethics review, Cephalopods: Natures camouflaging masters, Scientists detect gravitational waves for the second time, Colorful secrets of chemical elements with slow motion flames. Costume, Occasion & Specialized Clothing, Shoes & Accessories, Mobile Phones, Smart Watches, Accessories & Communication, Bathroom Fixtures, Accessories & Supplies, Industrial Printing & Graphic Arts Equipment, Shaving & Hair Removal Products & Equipment, The California Raisi - I Heard It Through The Grapevine - Used Vinyl - E8100A, eBay (UK) Limited is an appointed representative of, Learn more about Product Partnerships Limited - opens in a new window or tab. Kalem Barserian, along with around 40 raisin growers, packers, and industry members, was in that room. It even led to an unauthorized collectibles guide published in 1998, cataloging the many items based on the clay characters. SW: The ad agency hired a guy named Will Vinton and his team to take the animated mockup of the ad and turn it into clay animationor, claymation. 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. If I tell everybody some fictitious story about you know, Chicken Little, right now to you, they might know it in Madera by 2 o'clock. KB: I'll never forget, he was a handsome guy, had white shoes on, no socks, had an earring in this ear, he had the ghetto blaster up on his shoulders, and he turns it on and it's "Heard It Through the Grapevine.". Note: Comment submission is temporarily unavailable while we make improvements to the site. It would go on to produce the Dancing Raisins ad. Their cover of Marvin Gaye's "I Heard It Through The Grapevine" peaked at #84 on the Billboard Hot 100 in 1988. RV: I said, 'I think that's a great idea.' In 2018, an episode of The Americans called "Rififi" feature a cereal box featuring the California Raisins on the back. The success of the dancing raisins exposed fractures in the industry which had been forming just under the surface for decades. Oh! SW: Seth remembers going to a friend's apartment the night he got the account. Not this time, however! Between 12th and 14th Streets A California Raisins Fan Club began in 1987, which included a Grapevine Gazette newsletter and various memorabilia. He wrote to Foot Cone and Belding specifically requesting a VHS copy of the ad so he could watch it whenever he wanted to. 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. BK: So the bottom line was you didn't have industry consensus. The answer? Raisins are not like cell phone brands, with unique features and better WiFi connectivity and a sleeker feel than their competitors. So many of you remembered that Christmas special. Music is from Audio Network. And some of them played instruments, maybe?SPEAKER TWO: All dancing in the real world, but in their little clay situation.SPEAKER THREE: They were disproportionately raisinly huge. Then in 1989, a 13-episode Saturday Morning Cartoon show calledThe California Raisin Show aired. There was 19 of us at Sunnyside country club sitting in a circle in the main dining room, and we all voted. And now they are all I can think about!! SW: Kalem Barserian, raisin industry veteran, again. 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. He said: WERNER: He would not approve the nose that I put on the raisin, no matter what I did, he wouldn't approve of it! We may receive commission if your application for credit is successful, the commission does not affect the amount you will pay under your agreement. 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. California Raisins T-shirt ~ I Heard It Through The Grapevine ~ Claymation 80s. Go directly to shout page. "We decided that we wanted the raisins to be cool and a bit intimidating," Werner said. Ended: 27 Feb, 2023 23:10:08 GMT. But, that's not where this story ends. As of the 2010s, packages of Sun-Maid Natural California Raisins still feature an updated California Raisin character. Everyone is hungering for unity again, they just have to find something to unify around. And that might be part of why some raisin packers felt like this all boiled down to: "it's us versus Sunmaid.". He wasn't worried about making the most of this one shot and impressing his boss. Oh, that's sweet. 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?'. So, growers and packers paid a tax on every ton of raisins they produced. The raisin packers didn't reach this decision because anyone had anything against the ad, or because licensing fees had stopped rolling in, or even because raisin sales were down. Lived here my whole life. And he says, even though the Dancing Raisins are long gone, he and the rest of the industry are still dealing with the fallout. Right? Because, in Fresno, California Raisins has always meant something bigger than a couple of claymation figurines singing "I Heard It Through the Grapevine.". If you saw a commercial you liked, you couldn't look it up on YouTube and send a link to a friend. SW: Even now, decades later when the dust has settled, one thing is still a question. But these tears I can't hold inside. His crime: growing raisins and then deciding to sell . I Heard It Through the Grapevine Lyrics by California Raisins from the Meet the Raisins! They were the California Raisins. Harry Overly became the new president of Sunmaid in 2017. California Raisin's Version. And a lot people, including many of our listeners, still remember it really well. Several California Raisins music albums were also released, featuring classic Motown and rock standards. CH: A warship, the USS Pyro, even asked permission to sail with a California Dancing Raisins flag flying high above ahoy mateys! Right or wrong, It depends on wherever the votes are. It lost message. VINTAGE THE CALIFORNIA RAISINS 1987 YELLOW PLASTIC LUNCHBOX WITH THERMOS, California Raisins Trumpet Figure 1988 Applause Calrab 80s PVC Vintage, CALIFORNIA RAISINS RUDY BAGAMAN, BANANA WHITE & LICK BROCCOLI FIGURES (JES33). Demand was down. Even if you weren't alive to see the advertisements, TV. SW: For the packers who did have their own brands and worried Sunmaid was running away with raisin sales, there was another issue. 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. 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. Check mate. (981) $9.95. 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. I didn't eat raisins. If you would like to know how we handle complaints, please click, . CH: So where did this journey for you begin? Phrases Similar to Heard it Through the Grapevine So, there's an alphabet soup of different boards and agencies and committees to help make that happen. I mean, we didn't do anything short of that. Please take time to look at pictures I try and show condition clear as possible. 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. [4] To their surprise, the commercial became wildly popular, paving the way for several future commercials and opportunities through other media. And since they were already touring the country, at least on TV screens, there was only one logical next step. Werner and his copywriting partner, Dexter Fedor, knew that they needed to make the dried fruit less of an afterthoughtthe raisins needed personality. AD FIVE: Honey, are you playing with your food again? SW: Remember, these were Fresno guys, not big city ad men. The California Raisin Advisory Board. WERNER: Uh yeah, it was probably a little bit of a shock, I guess. Note: This transcript may contain errors. eBay (UK) Limited acts as a credit broker not a lender. Earlier this year, the CRMBwhich did not respond to my request for commenthired a brand new Vice President of Marketing. If you have a question relating to the museum's collections, please first check our Collections FAQ. Here's Sarah again: SW: One morning in 1986, Seth and the team at Foote, Cone, and Belding piled into a car and headed to Fresno. Unknown; no label specified. I Heard It Through The Grapevine - California Raisins. . First aired on September 14, 1986, Werner's idea for a 30-second television commercial introduced audiences to The California Raisins, a group of anthropomorphized raisins with expressive eyebrows, stylish shoes, and the slickest dance moves since the Chiquita Banana shimmied into advertising in the 1940s. All for the raisin industry veteran, again can think about!: said. 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