Wednesday, September 8, 2010

Get the Jackson 5's Hits on Sugar Crisp

A few weeks ago I wrote about one of the cereal commercials featuring the Jackson 5. Post cereal offered special premiums with the Jackson 5 in the early 1970s, free inside each box. Or even on the box itself, as was the case with the Jackson 5 records you could cut out and play on your record player.

In all there were eleven different Jackson 5 songs issued on these cardboard records. The version seen above was from Sugar Crisp and it had two variants. One of them listed 1) Sugar Daddy -- 2) Goin' Back to Indiana -- 3) Who's Lovin' You. The other had 1) I'll Be There -- 2) Never Can Say Goodbye -- 3) Mama's Pearl.

Version number two was available on Rice Krinkles and Alphabits. It was cleverly designed so that when you cut it out, it was a picture record. It listed five songs: 1) ABC --2) I Want You Back - 3) I'll Bet You -- 4) Darling Dear -- 5) Maybe Tomorrow.

Because of the list of songs, some people have assumed that the records were EPs with 3-5 songs per record. But speaking as someone who actually played the records (yes, they worked but they ruined my brother's hi fi needle), I can confirm that there was only one song on each record. If you look closely, you can determine which one it is because the number is stamped in a circle. The record below is stamped with a numeral 3, so you know it's "I'll Bet You."

Post also used the Jackson 5 to promote the cereal on Saturday morning TV commercials and in two of the commercials they talk about their records. Here they are singing "I'll Be There" while the Sugar Crisp spokesman, Honey Bear, tells you about the free records:



And here's Michael telling you about the records available on Rice Krinkles and Alphabits. This is one of two commercials that show the J5 floating through the sky on an airship. It is the rarer of the two and it isn't on YouTube, so I uploaded it for you to see.


We had to eat a whole lot of cereal to bring home those hits. But we dug it, so we got it.

10 comments:

  1. Oh, nice, I never saw that second one :D

    I think I'm going to eat cereal for breakfast today :D

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  2. WOAAAH!! FINALLY!

    YOU ARE A GOLDMINE FOR GOODIES J5C !!!

    i've done a quick re-count, i'm sure that makes SEVEN j5 breakfast cereal commercials in total.

    what else have you got up your sleeves for us?

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  3. Wow....this is a rarity. Never seen it before. Thanks for the rare treat J5C!

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  4. awww Marlon gets no face time in the beginning seconds. that makes me feel sad :(

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  5. Marlon went to the candy machine, Corey.

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  6. Nicely done J5C! Never saw the second one! Looks like I'll be eating Alphabits today!

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  7. I'll second the "GOLDMINE FOR GOODIES" line.
    I, too, never saw the second spot - love Michael's voiceover. That boat tho, featured in a least two J5 commercials, looks mighty ominous. Where the hell are they sailing/flying to? Post must've had a fruitful relationship with the group, coz they also offered us J5 albums for box tops in 1974.

    Sugar Bear was always the hippest breakfast cereal character...

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  8. RE: the airship -- in this version of the commercial you can see at the end that it is just setting there on the floor, with fog swirling in around it. In the other one, they did a better job of making it look like it's flying.

    And how about Jermaine's short-lived career as a hand model? Of course, Corey would have given the part to poor Marlon.

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  9. I sure would J5C!

    I just wish there was more group activity in this commercial. But i do love it!

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