|
This story was published in Radio Recall, the journal of the Metropolitan Washington Old-Time Radio Club, published six times per year.
Click here to return to the index of selected articles.
|
|
RALSTON’S BREAKFAST SONG
by Jack French
(From Radio Recall, October 2006)
|
 |
 |
Today, if you use Google or Yahoo to search Tom+Mix+Radio, one of the first "hits" you'll get is an article I wrote in the mid 1990's on that radio series but it still contains my current email address. |
So not a week goes by that I do not get one or two unsolicited emails from strangers somewhere in our 50 states, asking me a Tom Mix question. The most repeated ones concern the name of his horse (Tony), his sidekick (Old Wrangler in the early days, Sheriff Mike Shaw in latter shows) and where to get copies of the programs (contact Jim Harmon at jimharmonotr@charter.net).
But by far, the most common question is: What are the words to the commercial sung at beginning of the program? To that, there is no simple answer since the show was on the air so long and the words varied over the years. And after the introduction of Shredded Ralston, this cereal was sung about during warmer months, while Instant or "Hot" Ralston was extolled during the colder months. Of course, the commercial was always sung to the tune of "When the Bloom is on the Sage" (When It's Round-Up Time in Texas.)
So for those of you who would like to serenade your "special someone" across the breakfast table tomorrow, here's one early version of that famous musical commercial:
When it's Ralston time at breakfast
Then it surely is a treat
To have some rich full flavored Ralston
Made of golden western wheat!
Wrangler says it is deeeeelicious,
And you'll find so 'fore you're through
With a lot of cream, it sure tastes keen
It's tops for breakfast too!
Ask your mother in the morning
Serve you up a steaming plate
It's a grand hot whole-wheat cereal
And the cowboys think it's great.
Once you try it, you stay by it,
Tom Mix says its swell to eat.
Jane and Jimmy, too, say it's best for you
(or: Take a tip from Tom, go and tell your mom)
Ralston cereal can't be beat.
|
