1960’s Rock Stars, Pop Stars & Ice Cream Vans: The Kinks, Beach Boys, The Rolling Stones Mister Softee Trading Cards

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One particular ice cream franchise, Mister Softee, didn’t just hand out confectionary and ice cream from their vans. They also issued many series of trading cards, especially on rock stars and pop stars of the 1960s and 1970s

The card set pictured above is called “Lord Neilson’s Star Cards” and consists of 12 cards. I believe that the music newspaper “Record Mirror” helped contribute to the descriptions on the backs of the cards, and perhaps the pictures too.

The Kinks are featured on one of the cards. Although perhaps not the most commercially successful of bands from the British Invasion era, they were incredibly important and influential. Dave Davies was the first musician to popularize the power chord in the band’s first commercially successful single, “You Really Got Me”. This played a crucial role in the early development of the hard rock and punk rock genres. Dave Davies achieved his distorted guitar riff with a cone, but not an ice cream cone, by modifying the speaker cone on his Elpico amplifier. The Rock and Roll Hall of Fame describes Ray Davies, his brother, as “Rock’s most literate, witty and insightful songwriter”. The Kinks inspired a whole host of popular bands: Led Zeppelin, The Jam, Van Halen and Britpop groups such as  Oasis, Blur and Pulp…

This set also includes the Beach Boys, rising to fame with their tight harmonies and Brian Wilson’s knack for creating timeless hit singles. They even rivalled the Beatles at one point.

One important thing to note, is that this is the only Mister Softee card set I know of to feature an all black group, The Supremes. The choice of words for the description isn’t very politically correct.

Alan Price, the organ playing wizard that gave The Animals its distinctive sound makes an appearance on card no. 12 along with the singer Chris Farlowe, who didn’t quite achieve the success he deserved.

This set also includes music legends such as Cliff Richard, Tom Jones, The Rolling Stones, Lulu, Manfred Mann, Georgie Fame, The Walker Brothers and a pop group with a name combining the nicknames of all the band members: Dave Dee, Dozy Beaky, Mick and Tich.

Mister Softee, Lord Neilson’s Star Cards (12 Cards), 1967

Includes:The Beach Boys, The Supremes, Cliff Richard and The Shadows, Tom Jones, The Kinks, Manfred Mann, Julie Felix and Georgie Fame, Lulu, The Rolling Stones, The Walker Brothers, Alan Price and Chris Farlowe; Dave Dee, Dozy, Beaky, Mick and Tich

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Coin Collecting is Sexy – 1890s-1900s Brothel Token Paris Aux Glaces, Rue Stainte Apolline, France

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Who says that coin collecting isn’t sexy?! The token pictured above is a brothel token coin. The obverse side features the name and address of the brothel, Aux Glaces, 25 Rue Stainte Apolline, Paris. The reverse reveals a nude angel and rooster, a design similar to that on French gold coins of the period, perhaps intending to mock the state.

Paris was the art centre of the world when this token was issued, late 19th to early 20th century. It’s not too difficult to imagine famous artists wandering into the Les Glaces brothel and using their token to purchase a drink at the bar before joining a Parisian beauty of their choice.

1890s-1900s Brothel Token

Aux Glaces, 25 Rue Stainte Apolline, Paris

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Thank you for reading my blog and I hope you found it interesting!