Raisins, The Pendeltons

best White Rabbit find du jour: 1988 Applause California Raisins 6" Poseable Girl for $2

She will be now sit alongside my "The California Raisins: Sing the hits" vinyl and cassette tape insert. 

This lucky find made me wonder what California Raisin information is available online and alas, they have a website  (with a very good song list, I might add, including Little Richard and Booker T & the MG's), but more importantly there is a California Raisin Advisory Board Web site, advocates for our little withered grape friends.. Futhermore, the California Raisin film, Meet the California Raisins is available here, in three parts.

 Ray Charles and Michael Jackson were both California Raisins. Will Vinton, the creator of The California Raisins, patented the Claymation process and worked on Michael Jackson's film, Moonwalker (really worth a watch as well, obviously there's some really great Claymation, including a Pee Wee Herman Claymation character). Vinton is currently responsible for the m&m's commercials.

A man named Webster Colcord currently owns the original California Raisins sculptures, I can't find his telephone number.

I can't really talk about The California Raisins without mentioning James Furness's (Gill) epic entrance as a California Raisin during Melanie's halloween party a few years ago. (I was Velma Dinkley from Scooby-Doo, but most people didn't notice a difference)

Also at the White Rabbit, I found Official NASA pictures of the moon, Hush..Hush Sweet Charlotte VHS (Bette Davis), The Day of the Triffids VHS, Roy Roger's DVD and a tiny R2-D2 figurine. 

After my findings, I had some veggie pizza with Sam, JJ and Nolan.

Lastly, Today I found out (and this fact has been debated) that The Beach Boys used an electro-theremin  on "Good Vibrations," "I Just Wasn't Made for These Times," "Inspiration," and "Wild Honey." The electro-theremin was originally developed for Paul Tanner by Bob Whitsell in 1958. Tanner gained popularity during a stint with Glenn Miller as a session trombonist. The modern version of the electro-theremin is called a Tannerin (after Paul  Tanner). Brian Wilson currently uses a Polk Tannerin, furthermore, during earlier live performances of  "Good Vibrations" The Beach Boys used a Moog ribbon controller.

P.S. The Beach Boys former name was The Pendeltons, but was changed to The Beach Boys by their label without first consulting The Beach Boys/The Pendeltons.