The Challenge – The Crunch


This 45 from 1969 really makes me wish I knew of more records that were released with the combined purposes of boosting potato chip sales (Smiths Crisps) and kick starting new dance crazes (The Crunch). The Crunch as a dance craze never caught on and how to do The Crunch is definitely lost to the mists of time. Whether or not The Crunch as a song coerced people into going out and buying bag loads of Smiths Crisps is also anyone’s guess. These days all we are left with is this, the final and heaviest 45 from a semi-known local bubblegum pop band who had already achieved a degree of local success. With nothing to lose they recorded this “crunching” chunk of late 60s rock which is now something of an underground New Zealand classic. Unfortunately the band didn’t capitalize on it’s success as they broke up instead, with members carrying on to numerous bands throughout New Zealand and Australia.

The Crunch

8 Comments

  • anonym says:

    Whoa, written by Ray Columbus! He did a great tune with the Art Collection.

  • scott charbonneau says:

    Great tune! Also comped on the first volume of Wild Things, released by Flying Nun in 1990.

  • Kris Holmes says:

    yes, both the Art Collection 45 & Wild Things comp are recommended as well. Quite expensive these days though.

  • Blighty says:

    This is interesting. There’s a UK flexi Smiths Crisps promo called ‘The Crunch’ which is a comepletely different song. I also have an Australian seven inch of a different recording of the same song. Not encounted this one before.

  • Kris Holmes says:

    Interesting, who performs the Australian version?

  • john stapleton says:

    Aussie version is by ‘Little Sammy’ on an EMI custom 45.

  • Travis says:

    Front cover of the UK flexi:

    [IMG]http://i267.photobucket.com/albums/ii293/Newwaveorthetruth/Smiths-Crisps-7-Front.gif[/IMG]

    Musically the New Zealand version wins.

  • TheRedBoy says:

    Check out the ‘Shadows of Night’ cardboard promo disc for Lay’s potato-chips.

    “She always flips when she gets her grip on a crunchy, munchy potato chip!”

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