Before I go farther, I should explain that Green Stamps were a pioneering US customer loyalty program most popular from the 1930s through the 1960s. Merchants would give the sticky little items out with your purchase, you would paste them into books, and then you could redeem the books for merchandise.
Dinah Shore was the face of the company in the early 60s, just as she had been for Ford and then Chevrolet earlier. She appeared in ads, other promotional materials, and in television specials sponsored by the company.
This present record is the soundtrack of her October 14, 1962 hour-long program, minus the ads, and was issued in advance to promote both Green Stamps and her slate of NBC specials during the 1962-63 season. I am not sure about the audience for the record. I haven't found any advertising material that mentions it as a premium for consumers, so it may have been intended for S&H employees and business associates, for NBC affiliates, or both.
It's quite a good record. Shore does the show without guests, solely with the help of the Even Half-Dozen vocal group and Frank De Vol's orchestra. The lively program includes several imaginative medleys concocted by her long-time accompanist, Ticker Freeman, which possibly were drawn from her night club repertoire, Dinah's singing is excellent, but at times she seems uncharacteristically ill at ease during the spoken repartee.
The sound can best be described as adequate. The show would very likely have been videotaped on Ampex's relatively new Quad format, then the sound laid off onto audio tape. The resulting sonics are good on Shore's voice, but otherwise can be distant. Announcer Harry Von Zell sounds like he is at the other end of a tunnel.
As a bonus, I've added an S&H radio ad featuring Dinah telling listeners that it's time to get ready for Christmas, while plugging her TV specials. The download includes several other print ads from the period.
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Link (Apple lossless):
ReplyDeletehttps://mega.nz/#!Ld0A2SrR!2pNfHVhE10TdzbVHZ7JO9IYxWc7rePi_c3ekkJtHYBY
Green stamps and Yellow stamps. I remember them.
ReplyDeleteThey even had four wall redemption stores for awhile. And then it all fell apart. The virtual currency of its time. There are probably a fair number of unredeemed and forever-unredeemable stamp books sitting around in attics.
At least we got some Dinah Shore tracks out of it.
Thanks, Buster!
You're welcome, Charlot. I remember the stamps well myself, although the dominant denomination around here was Eagle Stamps. I hated licking those things and sticking them into books.
DeleteHence the line from "Speedy Gonzales":
Delete"Down at the cantina, they're giving green stamps with Tequila!"
Which puzzled me as Green (Shield) Stamps had not yet appeared in the UK.
But they did.
drg - The cantinas around here did not offer them, sad to say - just grocery and department stores.
DeleteI remember S&H Green Stamps! Our house usually had a book going when I was growing up, though as I recall my mother didn't care about them that much -- she was just as likely to shop at places that didn't offer them.
DeleteI also remember our family driving through Chicago neighborhoods and noticing the occasional Redemption Center. That name would generally start off a round of jokes, because the name sounded like someplace you would go to get your soul saved.
JAC - The Eagle Stamps that were dominant around here could be redeemed for merchandise at the merchants that offered them. IIRC, a completed book was worth $3. I remember going to the May Co. millinery department with my mother as she tried on hats, fists full of Eagle Stamps to redeem.
Deletethank you very much Buster
ReplyDeleteAmazing Dinah Shore !
ReplyDeleteI am speechless. Thanks so much.
ReplyDeleteWow! Never seen this, pretty cool! Thanks for digging it up and sharing with us mere mortals.
ReplyDeleteThanks for the comments, everyone!
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ReplyDeleteNaw, she sang for green stamps! Nothing wrong with that. I remember them and their redemption center where you could turn them in for all sorts of things; lamps, small kitchen appliances, (I bought some blank cassettes), etc...if you had saved enough stamps. How cool was that? Looking forward to this one and once again, much appreciated.
ReplyDeleteI assume that US Green Stamps were the same as UK Green Shield stamps, which we collected in the late 50s and early 60s and could be redeemed by post or later from Argos stores.
DeleteBob
Bob - Same idea but a competitor who entered the market before the US brand. S&H belatedly introduced Pink Stamps to the UK.
DeleteThanks for setting me straight
DeletePasting those Eagle Stamps for mom so she could go to May Co. Yellow Top Value stamps that were redeemed for a Joni James album! S&H stamps, too! Thanks for the post and memories, and for Dinah, Buster!
ReplyDeletetony - I forgot about those Top Value stamps.
DeleteWe had S&H Green Stamps, as well as Blue Chip Stamps, during the 50's/60's in California.
ReplyDeleteDinah was a real gal.
THANX!
Timmy - I've never encountered Blue Chip Stamps. SO far we have documented green, blue, yellow and pink stamps. Weren't there plaid stamps, too, or am I dreaming that.
Deletethe A&P used plaid stamps. i wrote a long silly post on my plaid stamp experiences somewhere on the net a couple of year ago. i forget where. i'm beginning to forget more than i remember. disconcerting.
ReplyDeleteOnce again, Buster, thank you for this rarity!
ReplyDeleteGreen Stamps take me right back to my childhood. Thanks!
ReplyDeleteThanks for all the comments, Michael. I hope you enjoy the goods!
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