Tom Merriman’s Funky Dallas Jingles

• Listen to these songs on youtube: Dance The Slurp,
• Listen to these 45s in a Spotify playlist here with other 45s from the blog (though note, spotify doesn’t have all / many of the songs featured on the site so some playlists may be incomplete or feature slightly different versions than the original 45s I’m referring to here.
• Download the songs by clicking the titles above

Today’s two records are a lot of fun and have a pretty interesting history and connection I only made when I began to dig into the details of the lesser known one – Cool Blue Flame- on its own. Our other record “Dance The Slurp” will be familiar to many people from the cover art and feature on the Brainfreeze Breaks comp by Cut Chemist and DJ Shadow.  If you’re not aware and enjoy breaks, you’re welcome. While “Dance The Slurp” is a great record that has been given a deserved platform in the break world, I wouldn’t be featuring it here were it not for our companion record both produced by the same man Tom Merriman.

When I got Cool Blue Flame I didn’t know what to expect, it was a nondescript 7″ (plays at 33 with a small hole) but having an instrumental and vocal side was intriguing, the label art appeared to be older and the price was right.  When I got it home and listening my curiosity was rewarded with what was indeed a “cool” record.

Tom Merriman who worked primarily in Dallas, headed up a number of production companies that would produce a variety of jingles, demos, station IDs and other commercial ventures. Like the previous post featuring “Brass Monkey” and “Annie Green Springs” these 45s were cut to promote products, one a Slurpee from 7-11, the other natural gas.  It just so happens they’re both great sides but in the larger picture of the work Commercial Recording Company- Merriman’s company at the time- was doing they were one of many projects that adapted current trends as pictured in the ads I found in the radio trade Broadcasting: The Business Weekly of Radio & Television.

Dance The Slurp is a wild and fun dance record with some killer open breaks accompanied by -the only time in history I’m aware- some on beat slurps!  Cool Blue Flame has more of a funky swinging go-go thing to it that could easily come off as corny but likely in Merriman’s restraint keeps the record from going over the top and stays fun.

Merriman was himself a trained musician graduating from Juilliard, composing music for greats such as Louis Armstrong, Cab Calloway and Duke Ellington.  Along with pioneering the jingle on radio, TV and as we see here the 45 he was a committed educator and remained connected to Texas college and prep school bands, many who came on to work for him.  

These records are clearly a cut above a “jingle” and were the product a talented musician who knew how to read and understand trends from the newest dance craze to the British Invasion and could turn those cultural winds into a catchy tune.  While none of us will be singing the station ID for Texas radio stations or Dallas morning news shows, we can be thankful Merriman made these two great little 45s.

Hope you enjoy these sides and we’ll see you again soon!

-George / Snack Attack

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