2003 FEBRUARY 4 #035
The Hellers - Creative Freakout
The Heller Corporation (Heller-Ferguson, Inc) was an advertising agency based in Los Angeles and produced highly creative commercials and thematic identification music for television and radio. Led by Hugh Heller, The Hellers released a number of promotional records to be given out to clients and were never intended for public sale. Talented writers like Jacques Wilson, who wrote the lyrics for ""The Zodiac Cosmic Sounds" (A & M), created these slick productions that utilized top professional singers like The Norman Luboff Choir, The Clark Sisters and The Johnny Mann Singers.
"Creative Freakout" features the narration of Johnny Spots (Ben Chandler) weaving in and out of several commercials for products from beer and Cornuts to Dial Soap. Like most Hellers promos, it is presented as a story, this time with the theme being a 1960's protest march. I've seen this ten-inch record packaged on it's own and as part of a three record set in day-glo sleeves that fit inside a tri-fold jacket.
The Hellers did issue one commercial album in 1968, the way, way out "Singers, Talkers, Players, Swingers and Doers" on Enoch Light's Command label. A sophisticated sound collage of spoken word, sound effects, moog-like ""Heliocentric Sounds" and those familiar jingle singers.
I've included two scans, one is the label of the record and the other is the sleeve. I also have the day-glo orange sleeve but those colors scan terribly! It's a shame cuz they look great in real life.
- Basic Hip, http://www.basichip.com
TT-11:34 / 7.94MB / 96kbps 44.1khz (MONO)
from 10" LP set, "Creative Freakout/Advertising
Protest Songs for those who protesteth too much"
(Images courtesy of Basic Hip)