Fireworks Packaging

Fireworks packaging is a strange and wonderful cul-de-sac of pop culture. Packaging that hasn't changed in many, many decades lives on, beautifully, as you can see in the case of these "Black Cat Flashlight Firecrackers."


My guess is that the graphics for "Defcon Alert" were originally done in the eighties when the Cold War was still raging and the prospect of nuclear annihilation was something everyone enjoyed simulating with 9-shots worth of flaming balls. On the lower left, note the hand about to "push the button."


Now, the 12-shot "Boston Tea Party" strikes the right patriotic tone that we expect for 4th of July. Like the "Defcon," it too shoots flaming balls.


Why did the makers of the 25 shot "Battle of Khe Sanh" choose to name their fireworks after this obscure battle from the Vietnam War? Strange.

Heino pt 2

You can't do just one post about Heino. It's impossible. Here's another one from the seventies, this time live on German TV singing "Carnival in Rio." Enjoy, or whatever it is you do when watching a Heino vid.

Heino

After our last post, we realized no trip through German kitsch is complete without at least a quick visit with the main man of volkmusik, Heino. So here he is doing this tune from 1970 called "Karamba, Karacho, ein Whisky." Enjoy, if you dare.

Yippee Yi Yay

Shifting gears from the Hammond organ, we're taking a crazy turn for the wurst with this wacky German Country Western klassic, "New Wave Country" by Tex Haper. Terrible, horrible, but also infectious, like the flu perhaps. You've been warned.

Ethel Smith, Kickass Hammond Organ Gal

Ahhh yes, the Hammond Organ. We love it. For the past few days we've enjoyed the entertaining sounds of Cherry Wainer playing her organ - but needless to say there's an entire strange history of Hammond organists out there for us to discover.

Take for example, Ethel Smith, here doing her best known tune "Tico Tico." Nice!

Cherry Wainer pt 3

What's that you say? You want even more Cherry Wainer? More???

Okay, okay! We aim to please here at All-Pop.com, and so please enjoy yet another video of Cherry Wainer performing live on the German TV show Beat Beat Beat from 1966.

This one is possibly the best, don't you think? The tune, "What Now, My Love" has a great sort of swinging, ice skating rink music thing going on. And do I even have to mention how super cool the poodle sitting on her piano bench is?

Cherry Wainer pt 2

What's that you say? You want to hear more Cherry Wainer? Well, I knew that you would!

Check out Cherry doing a bluesy number, "Green Onions," on the same German TV show (Beat Beat Beat).

Cherry Wainer, Kickass Hammond Organ Gal

I discovered Cherry Wainer recently and what can I say, this stuff is odd. But then aren't all Hammond organ soloists a little odd? I mean even Jimmy Smith - by far the coolest Hammond organ soloist ever - was a bit strange. It has something to do with organs, I think.

Anyway, Cherry is a very capable organist, as you can see here with this fine rendition of "A Taste of Honey," but even more than that, she's got irresistible showmanship, and... she can speak German! Cherry Wainer, thank you for being such a kickass Hammond Organ Gal.