Random Memory Burst

There used to be a faded, painted on the brick wall, ad for  brand of chili called XLNT, in downtown San Francisco.   

I remember seeing it in the 1970s when I worked in downtown San Francisco ... near Clay and Battery, maybe?  My dad said the ad jingle was..... "Tuesday is Tamale Day!"  but maybe that was Red's Tamales...

Yep,  a search reveals that   Bruce Sedley was the ad man who coined the catchphrase " Tuesday is Red's Tamale Day"  and the ads featured the voice of  Mel Blanc in commercials for years.

What does that have to do with anything?  I don't know, really, except the sights and sounds of bygone years....

I think I'm hatching a long essay here ....

A while back, Bill Whittle was working Building the Model American

I've been struggling to articulate why I think huge income disparities between captains of industry and the rank and file are dangerous to democracy.

Last year, compensation for Silicon Valley executives went up 57%  while many families saw their earning power erode.  Does anybody besides me regard this as a danger to corporate governance and to society?

I'm ill-prepared for that task, being somewhat uneducated in that regard, but ...I do, I think it is as big a risk as the accelerating cultural divide between the saved and those who don't think religion should mix with politics.

So inarticulate mutterings, here.  Don't stand by, it may never become articulate or loud enough to hear.
 

Comments

[Bruce Sedley]

Someone did their homework. Yes, during a stint at local ad agency Cappel Pera and Reid in Orinda in the 60's I thought if Friday is Fish Day, why not Tuesday "Red's Tamale Day". I voiced the first radio spots and then we brought up Mel Blank from Hollywood, (or we went down to record him). A few years ago one of the salesmen for "Red's Tamales" found my name and contacted me. He now lives in Las Vegas and during a trip there we got together.

Memories are fun for old codgers like me (80). If anyone is interested, I live and work in Hong Kong at the above e-mail address.

I think I also had a hand in the slogan "Farms in Berkeley" which I still hear on the air.

King Fuddle (a vent figure) and I did a TV show in the sixties for a few years on KRON as "Skipper Sedley" showing Popeye cartoons and then at KTVU, as "Sir Sedley" showing the Three Stooges.

I get to SF frequently as my office is in Burlingame.

Thanks for the Memory.

Bruce Sedley

[Lynn Becker]

Hi, I am the Red's Tamale salesman that Bruce Sedley refers to.
I did work for Ingram Foods, makers of Red's Tamales and I do live in Las Vegas. In the early 60's (1960's, that is) I covered all of Southern California for them. I am now searching for one of the composition display dolls about a foot and a half tall that is in a sitting position, and would be placed in the frozen food case of a market. I put over 100 of them on display in those days, but would love to find one to put on display in my memory room at my home. I'd pay 'handsomely' for one. Email me if you can help. Enough for now. Thanks, Lynn Becker

[John Crowley]

Thanks for the background on Red's. I was account executive on the account in 1975 under Len Gross at Clinton E. Frank Advertising (formerly Gross, Pera & Rockey). Growing up in SF and the Bay Area, in the '50s and '60s, I am still vividly haunted by Bruce Sedley's memorable slogan creations, especially "Tuesday..." and "Farms in Berkeley (mooooo)" and probably several others. I don't remember Sir Sedley on KTVU; I was at that age when I became more interested in girls and rock 'n roll and less in the Stooges, and living in San Jose where Channel 2 was fuzzy at best.

[M. Rose Dawson]

What year did "The Tuesday is Red's Tamales Day" aire??????

[connie osgood]

i loved reds i crave it alot i dont like any other tamale they are too dry the sauce in them was soooo good. is there any way or any one who has the recipe or any public record i could check? and how can i e-mail the salesman there doesnt seem to be a link for hais e-mail even though he says to e-mail him. I would love to recreate them for my kids. I do that for alot of store bought foods but i cant seem to get the filling right like reds .A s popular as tamales seem to have become i do not understand why reds isnt around or reincarnated by someone. im glad someone else has fond memories of them too. Noone i know seems to remember them. Another thing i truly miss (and id love to hear from anyone else that does remember them ) is a caramel called WALNETTOS does anyone else miss that one of a kind taste YUM makes my mouth water thinking of them. And i dont like sweets but id kill for a walneeto anyday thanks

[Bob Harris]

I also remember Ingram's Red's Tamales and miss them a lot. I have searched the internet for them, in vain. Alas they are not to be found. I see a lot of old memories posted, such as Lynn Becker and Bruce Sedley. I vividly recall Bruce. My Uncle was Mott Brunton. Partner in Julius Brunton & Son's that owned and operated KJBS and KQW San Jose, Calfiornia. I was raised in San Francisco and spent most of my life in Palo Alto and Burlingame. Many memories but few of the old people are around to share those memories.
uniflite@usa.com

[Daniel Keaveny]

I only remember Red's Tamales from the drive-in movie adds at the Pleasant Hill Drive-In. This was in the mid to late 50's when I was about ten to twelve years old. They played an animated commercial that was terribly politically incorrect featuring a hispanic character dressed with a serape and sombrero. He would utter the slogan "Tuesday is Red's Tamales Day" and explain that they could be found at the snack bar. At one point in the commercial a rock would fly by and there was the sound of breaking glass. The character would explain that the snack bar was the "little shack with the, uh oh!, broken window". Of course he spoke with an overly exaggerated spanish accent. No matter how much my brother and I would beg, my parents would never buy us Red's Tamales. I often remember that commercial when I hear discussions about racial/cultural stereotypes. This is a prime example.

[honeyb]

I diverse: on the subject of Red's Tamales, anyone know what happened to them? Does the company still exist? Who to contact? Who might have the recipe to have them recreated for us Baby Boomers who crave them still? See my thread on this topic at www.discusscooking.com.
- Honeyb

[CricketLullabies]

I talked with my mom today... we were reminiscing about Red's Tamales and how much I would pay to just have a Red's Tamale if they were out there in the world somewhere. It's good to know other's have the same fond memories. I have searched high and low over the years looking for a recipe or information on what happened to the company. I still find myself searching the frozen food isles hoping that one day they will reappear. :)

[David F]

I grew up in SF during that time and remember eating Red's Tamales--big round suckers if memory serves me correctly. My recollection is of a drive-in place off of Geary that had them. We used to also get these frozen tamales, that you'd boil in water to cook, but I'm not sure if they were Red's or not.

Every once in a while I still blurt out "Tuesday is Red's Tamale day," but no one gets it.

Best, David.

[Ted Crum]

Patch Tuesday notwithstanding, Tuesday will always be Red's Tamale Day for me.

I wonder if the talented Bruce Sedley also created Jones for Calso Water, circa 1957: "Smart boy that Jones, he's going places."

Ted Crum
Oakland CA

[A Facebook User]

Facebook's San Francisco fan page posted a series of holiday events, including Tacolicious Tuesday. Of course, after searching, I posted your blog. For me, a native San Franciscan, Tuesday will always be Red's Tamale day even though folks look at me like I have 2 heads when I say it...:-D Thank you for the memories. Here's the fb post: http://www.facebook.com/#/onlyinSF?ref=nf

[A Facebook User]

Does anyone remember a Christopher Milk farm where Serramonte in Daly City resides?

Pat Godinez

[Bernadette]

I miss Red's tamales. My husband and I would have them for dinner sometimes. All that great cornmeal and saucy, yummy insides. Not dry at all. Bring back Red's!

[embraceyourinnerhillbilly]

To this day, I cannot think 'Tuesday' (except for Tuesday Weld) w/o adding '...is Red's Tamale's Day". Stuck on repeat in my head.

[Antonia]

This is SO FUNNY! My friend posted on his FB page, "Yay! Tueday" but my memory brought back, "Tuesday is Reds Tamale Day" because my dad always used to say that when I was a kid... so I searched google to find out where that memory came from and here I am in someone elses choldhood memory!

[Bob MacBean]

I don't remember if I ever had one of these but the slogan is burned into my memory chip. I think these became a staple for my dad after my parents divorced. I remember seeing them in the refrigerator but don't remember if we had them while my parents were still married or if I saw them at my dad's bachelor pad. I had forgotten about the XLNT on the packaging but as soon as I read that I could picture it in my head. When I was a kid, he'd bust out on a regular basis with, "If it's Tuesday, it must be Red's tamale day !". He'd say stuff like that all the time and every once in a while I flash on one of these comments of his and get to wondering about the source of them. Google is your friend yet sometimes a curse. (;>

[Diane]

My brother and I was talking about the tamales tonight and only wished they were around. Maybe 5-6 yrs ago they had them in safeway........oh where are they? I'd pay double to have them delivered to us.

[Bill Kalenborn]

XLNT was another brand, similar to Reds. They are still in business, and shipped outside their normal area in early December. Google XLNT for info. I just found out about it today, darn it, and will have to wait until next December.

[Kelli Bremer]

Unbelieveable! I have been craving Red's Tamales FOREVER. My dad and I used to eat them all the time. Whenever I saw them at a mom and pop grocery store, I'd buy the six-pack or if I was at the drive-in movies, I had to have them. What IS IT about Red's Tamales? Why did they go out of business when we weren't looking?? Someone bring them back! There is a following!!!

[steve Muller]

anyone remember Johnson's tamales on Vicente?

[Denaem]

Oh how I remember eating Reds Tamales. I was in the 7th grade. The snack bar line was long and I would line up and inch my way up to the snack bar to get a Reds Tamale and a bag of chips. No matter how many times I had a Reds Tamale I never grew tried of them. I wish I could have one now yum!

[Ms Lili]

All these comments about "Red's Tamales". I love it. I used to get them at Jet's. It was a burger drive-thru on 19th and Valencia. In front of Nickel Pool, which is Mission Park now. I sure would love to have one of them Red's Tamales. How can we find one? Seems like most comments want a taste of those delicious Red's Tamales. The good ole days!

[Pamela Hall]

I grew up in Pittsburg California and I too remember RED'S Tamales best tamale ever.We use to eat them all of the time, whenever I'm in a different state I look for them in the frozen section hoping I would find them,but no such luck. Please bring them back.

[Dana McCollum]

My gosh---I thought that I was the only crazy one. I too am looking for them, all of the time. I grew up in Walnut Creek, and we had them often, as me Dad and I loved them. Now I'm 65 -- and want to find them again. WHAT HAPPENED TO THEM??