Does anyone else remember the Claymation commercials for Lipton's brand of bottled tea in the late eighties to early nineties? They would have animated celebrities drink the tea in some odd situation and then an imitator's voice would say the tagline, "That's Brisk!". The only one I can clearly remember is Frank Sinatra as voiced by Joe Piscopo. Maybe there was another one with Rocky drinking a bottle after he knocked out his latest opponent. I was reminded of this by the last name belonging to the artist on this latest share, Celia Lipton. I doubt really if she has anything to do with the tea company, but that's where my mind headed when I was trying to think of something to write here. The front of the record kindly tells us that this record went gold in the UK, though I suspect that also means it's a year or two old since that sort of thing doesn't happen overnight. Odd that it would show up on an unknown label if it was such a big hit. It's nice enough though, I think there's plenty here to enjoy. This is
Celia Lipton-
With Love...Merry Christmas (Independent Record Corp CMLS1392, Stereo, 1987). Enjoy! (Oh, says
here she married the guy who invented the paper milk carton!)
1. We Need A Little Christmas
2. The Christmas Song
3. Winter Wonderland
4. Child
5. Have Yourself A Merry Little Christmas
6. Jingle Bells
7. White Christmas
8. Sleigh Ride
9. Puppet On A String
10. Let It Snow, Let It Snow
11. Silver Bells
12. I Dreamed A Lovely Dream
MEGA
Strange, I have no recollection of those ads. Joe Piscopo imitating Sinatra drinking tea you say?
ReplyDeleteI kid you not!
Deletehttps://www.youtube.com/watch?v=y-g8opm1ZmY
There's like a million of these I don't remember. Ozzy, Danny's Devito & Trejo, Bruce Lee, it goes on and on!
DeleteGreat ad! I loved it. I seldom watch television, mostly because I can't stand ads.
DeleteI actually saw the Rocky one just a week or two ago. He's losing his fight when he drinks the tea, which powers him to victory.
Deletehttps://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Lu8To4CwPfg
I went and watched a bunch on YouTube when I posted the link. I like the one about Bruce Lee meeting the Karate Kid. Arnold from Happy Days?!?! :)
DeleteInteresting commercial. I never saw it/them.
ReplyDeleteI was either to busy with school, studying, or sleeping. Besides, I only had limited time I was allowed to watch TV per day, so I guess any show I watched was not sponsored by Lipton Tea. Maybe they advertised on ABC, which was not thought highly as a network in our home.
But, since I now love OTR shows, I love Raymond or Mr/Your Host driving the Lipton Tea Lady crazy on Inner Sanctum.
Check 'em out on YouTube, they're pretty funny.
DeleteVery interesting, especially that this album did so well in the UK, when she was from the USA... SecondHandsongs.com shows this album as being popular. https://secondhandsongs.com/release/259153
ReplyDeleteFrom what I can tell, Celia's father was from the UK, so she must have eventually moved over to USA?
DeleteYes, Jonathan, she move to the US during her 28th year. Fell in love, and never left I guess.
DeleteShe first started singing in her fathers orchestra.
She sounds like she could have been in those old 20th-Century Fox films of the late 30s-early 40s. I have a few of them on DVD or I have seen a few on YouTube.
She was around 63 years of age when she recorded this album. There is a big difference in her voice from her early years to this album, but she still can sing and carry a tune. But alas, the high notes are harder to hit which is understandable
Judging by the tiny label and poor design, I don't think they were trying very hard to make this a US hit.
DeleteWell Ernie, for a Brit living in the US for 59 of her 87 years, it is nice...
ReplyDeleteThat she still retains her British accent to some degree. But that is nothing unusal.
That she lost, it seems, for the most part, the British way of saying certain words. She says them in the American way.
This was a very nice album to listen to.
I only wish when singers cannot or can no longer sing in a higher range, they would not try it. Just realize your limitations. There is nothing wrong in this.
When I first heard Celia sing, she sounded very much like a fellow Brit, Angela Lansbury. Sorry, no relation.
Bryan, you're correct. It does sound like she's trying to sound just like Angela Lansbury... especially in "We Need A Little Christmas".
DeleteThis Christmas album was popular enough, that 9 out the 12 tracks were, from what SecondHandSongs.com tells me.
DeleteThere are worse people to imitate. :)
Delete