Astro Boy theme & whistle, march-Cosmic Rangers

Both sides of disc are on this video. Astro Boy was my first favorite cartoon back when I was five years old in the early 1960's. Don't know how this record survived all these years, but here it is for your enjoyment.

Category:

Music

Tags:

• astro
• boy
• golden
• records
• cartoon
• theme
• anime
• 1960
• 78

[ISSKODOS]

I believe this record is yellow because it was "distributed" by Helms Bakery in Los Angeles. Helms had a fleet of mustard yellow bakery trucks that blanketed Southern California in the 50's and 60's, operating more or less like ice cream trucks but selling baked goods. Helms went out of business in 1969. All I know is that my Dad bought this record for me from a Helms Bakery Truck.

[geofbrit59]

That is a good marketing tie in idea. All Golden Records were yellow. I'll bet Helms was giving Golden Records away to customers as a promotion. Do you remember if it had Helms Bakery printed on it? That would be a rare record.

[gregbarrett9]

That sounds really good for a children's record.

[geofbrit59]

It's in very good shape. Plus it's that soft yellow plastic which isn't as noisy as regular 78s

[WingedMushroomOfDoom]

Aww it's such a great theme, it sounds awsome no matter how it's played!

[Firelogger]

I remember children singing this theme when I watched it.

[RetroToledo]

@stramayne Well, it sorta worked with Porky Pig and Betty Boop (since TV people apparently didn't know s**t from shinola back then as long as it gave them good use of their new color equipment).

[stramayne]

Would it be hersey to suggest that they might colorize the original cartoons? You know, like they did to the Shirley Temple movies.

[Tootnbuzz]

The second part with the whistling reminds me of the theme from the movie "The Longest Day"

[maikata329]

I had one of these records when I was kid. It was one of the first things I ever bought with my own money. I lived in Port Hueneme California in in 1963 and I remember buying if from a donut truck. Had no memory of Helms bakery. I was only 5.

[143AC]

There was also an "Astro Boy"on "Simon Says"Records.

[unifiedfield69]

@ISSKODOS This is so awesome...finally others who remember getting the record from the Helms Bakery truck. I was a little girl in S. Cal. and remember Astro Boy as my first childhood hero. What young memories. I remember my excitement the day I got the record from the Helms man. Thank you so much for sharing it!

[fromthesidelines]

Golden Records- the original 7 inch 78rpm issues from 1949 through the mid-'60s- were indeed pressed on yellow {"golden"} vinylite plastic. Helms Bakery probably was a local sponsor of "ASTRO BOY" when it was intially syndicated in Los Angeles in the fall of 1963, and offered this as a reminder of their participating sponsorship.

[fromthesidelines]

The first side was intended to be the original title music from the 1963-'65 "American" version of the series [the music is taken directly from the Japanese title sequence]. Instead, different lyrics by Don Rockwell, with a different Japanese music sequence, was sung by a children's chorus..and still remembered by "baby boomers" to this day.

[ISSKODOS]

@geofbrit59

That makes sense. I didn't realize there were other Golden Records. Sadly, I don't have the record anymore. It may have been free, but I have a feeling that it cost something like 25 cents. It must have been promoted on TV for me to have been aware of it at age 5. I suspect Helms was a local sponsor of Astroboy. I don't recall what the label said, probably because I could barely read when I got it :)