The concept was originally created for a 1987 commercial on behalf of the California Raisin Advisory Board when one of the writers (Thomas Banks of the advertising firm Foote, Cone & Belding) came up with an idea for the new raisin commercial, saying "We have tried everything but dancing raisins singing 'I Heard It Through the Grapevine'" (the 1968 Marvin Gaye song). To their surprise, the commercial became wildly popular, spawning future commercials, two TV specials (Meet the Raisins in 1988 and Raisins: Sold Out! in 1990), four studio albums, and a Saturday morning cartoon series, aptly titled The California Raisin Show. The Raisins also appeared in A Claymation Christmas Celebration in 1987, singing the classic Christmas carol, "Rudolph the Red-Nosed Reindeer". The Raisins ultimately gained individual names: A.C., Beebop (drums), Stretch (bass), and Red (piano).
The California Raisins are normally Claymation designed by the Emmy-Award winning studio of Will Vinton, but their cartoon series was cel animated. The artist responsible for the original design was Michael Brunsfeld.
The California Raisins reportedly grossed more in the year that was their heyday, 1988, than Californian farmers made selling raisins. This included a wide variety of merchandising, from toys to Raisins images on every conceivable medium: lunch boxes, notebooks, clothing, posters, etc. A California Raisins music album was also released, featuring classic Motown and rock 'n' roll standards. But perhaps one of the most memorable pieces of merchandise came in the form of small, non-poseable California Raisins figures. The Hardee's restaurant chain offered these as part of a promotion for their cinnamon raisin biscuits. Different collections were produced in 1987, 1988, 1991, and finally in 2001 for their new stylization. This latest incarnation can still be seen on the California Raisin Marketing Board website.[1]
In the early 1990s, Capcom produced a video game for the Nintendo Entertainment System titled California Raisins: The Grape Escape, where the player controlled a California Raisin through five side-scrolling levels battling various evil fruit and vegetable characters that had stolen the Raisins' music. The game was finished, and several video game critics reviewed it, but it was never released on the open market.
There is another band (now defunct) known as California Raisins, hailing from Columbia, Missouri. Punk-adelic is oft used to describe their sound.
Ain't Too Proud to Beg
California Raisins Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
But I refuse to let you go,
If I have to beg, plead for your sympathy,
I don't mind 'cause you mean that much to me.
Ain't too proud to beg and you know it,
Please don't leave me girl,
Don't you go,
Please don't leave me, girl,
Don't you go.
Now I've heard a cryin' man
Is half a man with no sense of pride,
But if I have to cry to keep you,
I don't mind weepin' if it'll keep you by my side.
Ain't too proud to beg and you know it,
Please don't leave me girl,
Don't you go,
Ain't too proud to plead, baby, baby,
Please don't leave me, girl,
Don't you go.
If I have to sleep on your doorstep all night and day
Just to keep you from walking away,
Let your friends laugh, even this I can stand,
'cause I wanna keep you any way I can.
Ain't too proud to beg and you know it,
Please don't leave me girl,
Don't you go,
Ain't too proud to plead, baby, baby,
Please don't leave me, girl,
Don't you go.
Now I've got a love so deep in the pit of my heart,
And each day it grows more and more,
I'm not ashamed to call and plead to you, baby,
If pleading keeps you from walking out that door.
Ain't too proud to beg and you know it,
Please don't leave me girl,
Don't you go,
Ain't too proud to plead, baby, baby,
Please don't leave me, girl,
Don't you go.
The song Ain't Too Proud to Beg by The Temptations, inspired the California Raisins version which features a story of a raisin group singing about their love. The lyrics speak about begging for someone's love and attention even when they want to leave. The song starts with the singer saying that they know the person they love wants to leave them but they refuse to let them go. They say that they don't mind begging and pleading for their love and attention because it means that much to them. They repeat throughout the song that they're not too proud to beg for their love and they don't mind weeping and crying to keep them by their side.
The singer also talks about not being afraid to let their pride go and cry for their love. They say that they're willing to sleep on their doorstep all night and day just to keep them from walking away. They're not ashamed to plead and call their love interest to keep them from leaving. They know that their love is deep and they're not willing to let it go without a fight. The song expresses the sentiment that love is worth fighting for and sacrificing for.
Line by Line Meaning
I know you wanna leave me,
I understand that you want to leave me,
But I refuse to let you go,
However, I am not willing to simply let you leave
If I have to beg, plead for your sympathy,
If I need to grovel and plead in order to earn your forgiveness,
I don't mind 'cause you mean that much to me.
I am willing to do whatever it takes, because you are incredibly important to me.
Ain't too proud to beg and you know it,
I am not afraid to beg for your forgiveness, and you're well aware of that fact
Please don't leave me girl,
I am begging you not to leave me
Don't you go,
Please stay with me
Now I've heard a cryin' man
I understand that society views a crying man as weak
Is half a man with no sense of pride,
who has lost his dignity,
But if I have to cry to keep you,
But if shedding tears helps me keep you by my side,
I don't mind weepin' if it'll keep you by my side.
then I have no problem weeping - if that's what it takes to hold onto you.
If I have to sleep on your doorstep all night and day
If necessary, I'll sleep on your doorstep for as long as it takes
Just to keep you from walking away,
just so you don't leave me
Let your friends laugh, even this I can stand,
I can even endure being ridiculed by your friends
'cause I wanna keep you any way I can.
because I am determined to keep you in my life by any means necessary.
Now I've got a love so deep in the pit of my heart,
My love for you is incredibly strong,
And each day it grows more and more,
and it continues to grow with each passing day.
I'm not ashamed to call and plead to you, baby,
I have no shame in calling and begging you for forgiveness, my dear
If pleading keeps you from walking out that door.
If my begging helps prevent you from leaving, I will do it as much as I must.
Ain't too proud to beg and you know it,
I am not too proud to beg for forgiveness, and you already know this,
Please don't leave me girl,
and so I implore you to please not leave me,
Don't you go.
I plead with you not to go.
Ain't too proud to plead, baby, baby,
I am not too proud to implore you, my dear,
Please don't leave me, girl,
please do not go.
Don't you go.
I beg of you not to depart from my life.
Lyrics Β© Sony/ATV Music Publishing LLC
Written by: Norman Whitfield, Edward Jr. Holland
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
rizeup88
The world has lost a great innovator and animator. A man who pioneered the art of claymation, and gave us countless characters and iconic moments for us to remember.
Whether you know his work from the early days of the Noid and California Raisins, to the work made now by Laika Studios with characters like Coraline and Kubo; they all started with one manβs vision...
His name, was Will Vinton. Though we must say farewell to this legendary figure, we can be thankful that his work will last forever.
R.I.P. Will Vinton
1947 - 2018
Kaden Vanciel
rizeup88 What about Harryhausen?
Bhzaddy Bhzolby
The Raisins really found their groove when they released this single. I was a soundboard tech at RCA when they recorded it. This was their first number one hit and it stayed there for a month. I remember the lead singer saying to me after the session "no more basement shows for us." He was right, the Raisins were playing sold out shows after this song and recorded a string of number ones. They were, as I remember, always humble and thankful for their audience and just downright great guys. I got the chance to jam with the lead singer and the bass player one night and it was the best night of my life.
Stephanie Evjen
What a story.
gasmmusic
Wow! You're lucky! :)
EP
Used to watch this with my dad when I was a little girl.... he passed a year ago and although I really appreciated him for stopping whatever he was doing to watch this with me... I really really really appreciate the memory of him just watching this with me to see me smile... ππ
Grimmy
0:08 "I know you wanna leave me."
Then the vegetable falls and screams AAAAAAAAAH! Cracks me up every time. π
BlackAmericanLesbian Professional
My childhood!! I remember the various California Raisins movies like the Life Story one and the Holiday special one. This is one of my favorite scenes since I was growing up in the 1990s. Thank you for posting! :)
Positively ASC
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Edicus 18
First time i saw this was when I was in elementary school.