Well, you never know what you may find when you’re cleaning out closets, at least at my house! Today I stumbled upon something I bought a long, long time ago and what seems like oh so far away.
Let me take you back a bit.
The time happened to be September 1982. I was 16 years old and I was just beginning my junior year of high school. I’m not saying I can remember things from that year clearly anymore but I can remember things related to music.
Of course I was a major Beatles fan (shocker I know to readers of this blog) and I not only loved collecting their recordings on 45 and LP but I did have a thing for all things Beatles – dolls, lunch boxes, games … and bubble gum.
Yes I do have a lot of the Beatles bubble gum cards from the 1960’s but there was also some current bubble gum out at the time that featured The Beatles as well. They were called Chu-Bops and featured album artwork from various classic rock acts with little pink bubble gum records inside.
Now I certainly don’t remember where I saw that these were out. They were probably mentioned in Beatlefan (a fan magazine I subscribed to at the time) or maybe I saw them in stores. It’s so long ago I just don’t remember.
I do however remember ordering a complete set from God knows where and to this day i still have that complete set of 16 Beatles Chu-Bop albums still sealed in their original mailing envelope (postmarked September 3, 1982 by the way).
Honestly I thought I had gotten rid of them years ago but I was surprised to find the complete set in a box at the bottom of a stack of boxes in a closet.
Opening up that package really took me back in time and or course the sweet smell of unchewed bubble gum came wafting out at me as I took the set out to peruse the contents.
I must say the artwork is very well done on these and reproduced very nicely. I can’t remember the other artists albums that were made into Chu-Bops at the time but it would have been The Beatles I was mainly interested in so I’m sure these were all the ones I would have bought.
Oddly enough the 16 Beatles albums in this set represent a majority of The Beatles Capitol albums though not all of them. Included was then current compilation album “Reel Music” but not “The Beatles Second Album” or “The Beatles Story” – strange.
One of the albums, “Revolver”, had come undone at the side and the rock solid piece of pink vinyl shaped gum popped out in all its stale glory. I’m amazed, or scared, that after over 38 years the gum still smells sweet as ever though I wouldn’t dare try to chew it.
Nonetheless they were a joy to find and even though they’re stiff as boards and some a bit wavy they’re all like they were the day you would have seen them in a retail store.
Who knows what I intended to do with them? Knowing me I never intended to chew them but honestly I had forgotten I even owned them until today. A sweet surprise in so many ways.
I guess I’ll wait and see how long this nuclear waste bubble gum records will remain in one piece lol. Since they’ve lasted this long I’ll just keep them in their packages and check in on them ever few years.
At least this surprise find is such a nice pick-me-up to end the week as the news has been so ugly and depressing and a trip back to 1982 in any way is a fun diversion.
I can’t imagine many sticks of gum lasting this long but in the world of collectors out there I’m sure there’s still unchewed gum from the 1960’s out there as well in unopened packs of Beatles bubble gum.
As usual feast your eyes on my stale bubblegum albums above. Too bad we don’t have a way to virtually smell as these puppies still smell so sweet – mmm.
Until next time be well and take care out there.
Ta ta for now!
Records, CDs and Music: 