Thursday, March 09, 2023

(G) 60s Cigarette Advertisements With Theme Music

The Vinyl Record Cover Of A Brand Of Cigarette Sold In Singapore With Its Own Theme Song - Cool!!!

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When cigarettes were the order of the day up to the 70s, advertisements were rampant and most of the popular brands of tobacco were sold in Singapore. These advertisements could be heard on the radio or rediffusion and seen on both the small and large screen. Newspapers, magazines and even vinyl records were promoting cigarettes (image).

By the early 70s, the Singapore government had already realized the negative effects of smoking, and implemented regulations for smoking vide restricting smoking in public places and advertising of tobacco. Now smoking is totally banned in Singapore and to get a puff, one can only do so in designated areas. It is also expensive to smoke.
These Cigarettes Were Very Popular 
During The Pop Music Era Of Rock n Roll.

On Side One of the 45 rpm vinyl (image), the title theme, Get Away From The Everyday, was sung in English on the first track while the second track had the same theme played on the organ. On Side Two, the saxophone was used to play the Consulate theme.

The back cover promoted Consulate Filter Tipped Menthol Fresh in its green box and Consulate King Size Filter Tip Virginia in its maroon box. In the 60s the people were enjoying movie theme songs, airline theme songs, condensed milk theme songs and cigarette theme songs. What other theme songs were there? Anyone?

Or, if you wish, connect to read Wen Hing's interesting article about SMOKE:


The List: Top 5 Cigarette Advertisements.
YouTube Video by: Strombo.

Image/original article: Andy Lim Collection.
YouTube Videos from Strombo.

35 comments:

Anonymous said...

Hi Andy,
There were a lot of these promo records weren't there! I have also seen ones for cars. I can't remember what makes.
Steve

Roger said...

Wonder how many people who were hooked onto pop music were also hooked by these adverts.

ANDY: Pop Music Not Pills. © said...

Hi Steve,
I have yet to find a vinyl promoting cars. Hope to find one soon. I found an LP promoting a hotel group recently. Will post it next. And the 50s and 60s songs that come with it are fantastic.

ANDY: Pop Music Not Pills. © said...

Hi Roger,
As I explained, Milkmaid Milk is one and the Cathay Pacific Theme song is so popular many people still remember it today. Part of 60s and 70s music?
Again indoctrination of the wrong kind?

Anonymous said...

Part of 1960's cultural phenomenon. Nowadays it is worse as the ads are made into a news item.

ANDY: Pop Music Not Pills. © said...

Glad to know my postings are appreciated as one enthusiast needs the Consulate song/music as part of his collection.

Anonymous said...

Joye 510 said...
These advertisements could be heard on the radio or rediffusion and seen on both the small and large screen.

January 6, 2011 5:57 PM

ANDY: Pop Music Not Pills. © said...

Thank you for contributing. Yes, cigarette advertisements were rampant those days but even without these ads today, people are smoking just as much.

(I have removed the connection to your site because I am a non-smoker.)

Nota Untuk Usahawan said...

I collect local 7" vinyls that were produced as giveaways/promotions back in the 60s and 70s ... so far able to collect Opel cars / Coke / Milkmaid / Nestle Milk / Consulate cigarettes / Tonic Chop Gajah / Genting / WWF / Shell. And there is also one on religious songs produced as a memorial for a loved one!

ANDY: Pop Music Not Pills. © said...

Thanks Rusli for information. Wow what a list you have. I haven't heard of the Opel Cars, Genting and WWF. Would be great if you could send me images.

Please visit again when you are free.

ANDY: Pop Music Not Pills. © said...

This piece has been reposted on 9/3/2023.

FACEBOOK CHATS said...

Patrick Teng
Consulate is the long forgotten brand thanks for jogging my memory I remember my late uncle always smoked this brand 🙏

Andy Young
Patrick Teng thanks for the immediate response to this post. Did you smoke? Tell us...

FACEBOOK CHATS said...

Andy Young
Hi Peter Cheong, Thanks for the quick LIKE on this post.

Andy Young
And Colin too. Thanks for fast response. Did you guys smoke in the past? I did. Smelly clothes, smelly mouth. Smelly everything?

Andy Young
Thanks Raymond for the latest thumb-print. Cheers!

FACEBOOK CHATS said...

Patrick Teng
Andy YoungI started with Dunhill during secondary school once I smoked in class and was caught the teacher sacked me from being class monitor haha later I changed to Marlboro soft pack which was my favourite for many years - but I stop ever since when I got asthma but it was really difficult to quit once you are addicted but I managed it 🙏

Andy Young
Patrick Teng, thank you for sharing openly. It was common then as it is common today. Hope you are much better now.

FACEBOOK CHATS said...

Michael Lee
Started in 1971 reservist incamp training. 20 Rothmans à day until 1989 was smoking. Black Russian

Andy Young
Michael Lee! Wow! That's a lot of cigarettes! Nearly 20 years of Black Russian. Thanks for sharing, sir.

FACEBOOK CHATS said...

Manny Said
Hi Andy, my smoke was brand less but, sure makes me feeeel gooood. Haven’t forgotten my music that was promised to you. I wasn’t inspired at this point in time. But, soon enough. Had a mini stroke sometime back and I’m just getting over the numbness in the right side of my body. True story.

Andy Young
Manny Said hello! Yes, I believe you. Thank you for sharing your experience and hoping you will overcome it soon. God Bless.

ANDY: Pop Music Not Pills. © said...


Any one familiar with some CIGARETTE THEME SONGS?
Di you smoke those years?

FACEBOOK CHATS said...

Angela Leow
My granny - Benson and Hedges. But she had tried all the above including rolled cigarettes. We grandchildren even regularly helped roll the cigs and put them in her fancy cigarette case. 🤪🤪😁

Andy Young
Angela Leow, hi! Thanks for telling us about your granny. Yes, B&H were packed in gold. And rolling cigarettes was an art too! It must have been an unforgettable experience...

FACEBOOK CHATS said...

Stephen Han
Nora🤒

Stephen Han
Nora Sales of Rediffusion whose daughter used to sing the Chinese version of an advertisement of a cigarette to me.

Andy Young
Stephen Han oh, you knew her? And you know the song too? Can you remember the title in Chinese or English? Thanks for telling us your story.

FACEBOOK CHATS said...

IVOR LESSLAR
My first smokes was Rokok Jamban.


FACEBOOK CHATS said...

Stephen Han
Andy Young shui(mouth) put leow hoon ( blow out smoke).I think it’s a Chesterfield advert

Andy Young
Stephen Han thanks again for the Chinese [Hokkien] dialect and interpretation. This piece of information is important and I have never heard of it.

STEPHEN HAN said...

Yes l had known Nora Sales through her daughter Lorna Sales.

ANDY: Pop Music Not Pills. © said...

THANKS to all FB friends especially those who participated during this discussion about cigarettes, their brands and the widespread smoking habits we had in Singapore.

The songs did encourage the habit. Aren't we glad that these theme music are no more. But the memories remain.

ANONYMOUS said...

Many dance events, singing competitions, dance contests, etc. in nightclubs, cinemas, halls in the 60's were sponsored by cigarette companies since these were places of entertainment and fun.

MICHAEL LEE [SYDNEY, AUSTRALIA] said...


I smoked about 20 cigarettes from a well-known brand for a few years before smoking Black Russian with gold filter tips until 1989 when I decided to stop completely, I gave anything related to smoking including a Dunhill gold lighter. I also found out when I visited my friend who was manager of a Tobacco Company.

I found out that famous cigarette brands from yesteryear were all made from the same tobacco bin, just labelled and packed differently. I also found out that the major component of cigarettes was chemical paper. I also learned that nicotine was bad, but the filter tips was worse. The filters was more toxic than nicotine.

After some research, in my opinion, what really caused cancer is not natural tobacco but the chemical treated paper and material used to make filter tips. It is also known that people who smoked natural tobacco did not die of cancer and lived very long lives.

[This comment has been edited]

FACEBOOK CHATS said...

FREDA HANUM
These old brand cigarettes really jogged our memories of those day indeed Andy

Andy Young
Freda Hanum hi! Yes, do you know some of the theme songs on cigarettes? And were nightclubs smoke-filled when you performed at some of them? Do tell us? Many ladies cannot stand the smell of smoke. Thanks Freda.

Freda Hanum
Andy Young I am thinking hard, though I remembered there were quite a number theme songs of those cigarettes advertisement but just can't remember the tune Andy 😅

PETER CHEONG [S.A.S] said...


All these brands of cigarettes have disappeared fr the market. I rmbr I pick this habit during NS days n got hooked. My first stick offered was Gold Leaf.

Those days we can buy 'fags' by the sticks. For 15 cts u get 4 sticks of gold leaf. A pkt of 10 sticks cost 35 cts. That was in the late 1960s.

DAISY KOH [FB] said...


I remember running errands to buy Players for my mother from the provision shop. My father preferred Lucky Strike. My mum finally gave up smoking in her 60s. 🤣

ANDY: Pop Music Not Pills. © said...


Peter Cheong hi,
thanks for the informative comment on cigarette pricing. I remember that they were pretty cheap those years. I hope you've gotten over them.


Koh Daisy hi.
Thanks for the comment. Yes, I remember ash trays around the house but usually thrown away quietly; and the smell of smoke was bad.

ANDY: Pop Music Not Pills. © said...


Thank you all again for the intensive chats over cigarette smoking. Anyone out there remember some of the THEME SONGS too. I'm just wondering who composed these melodies that have attracted so many... If you are aware do write in.

FACEBOOK CHATS said...

Colin Colin
James Kwok
Raymond Cho
Ben van der Laan-Hatikustia
Stephen Han
Michael Fonseca
Roland Shepherdson
Freda Hanum
Chow Wen Hing
Kali Dass S
Hawk Chen
Lim Nance
Rodney Tan
Ser Kiong Tan
Ann Rowena Lim
Jennie Law
Peter Cheong
Patrick Teng

THANKS TO ALL WHO WROTE IN AND OTHERS WHO 'LIKE' THIS POST.

FACEBOOK CHATS said...

Colin Colin
Wow! I don't smoke but these cigarette brands I came across during my teenager years..
Think all is obsolete or gone liao.

Andy Young
Colin Colin, is that right? I don't even know. I thought a few are still around. Thanks for the information.

FACEBOOK CHATS said...

Ericbronson Wong
I really smoked more than ten ciggies when l was around seventeen usually it was Consulate Salem or Matterhorn as for d non menthol it's Players, Rothman, Dunhill, Camel n Winston.

When l went over to Hong Kong l started smoking Marlboro,Viceroy, Kent also Lark l decided to quit because frequently l had sore throats n also d government's campaign against smoking,,

l am really glad to have quitted,, honestly nothing is better than not to smoke, believe me U guys out there who r still dragging d addictive n unhealthy smoke into your lungs, listen brothers n sisters quit smoking n live bustling energetic n happy life,,,,
😎😃🤩😍

Andy Young
Ericbronson Wong thank you, thank you! Wise words indeed. Our post turned out to be a STOP SMOKING one, not about CIGARETTE THEME SONGS. But never mind, I think with these readings, many more might stop. 🙂 Cheers! [Mr Wong, you do smoke all kinds of branded cigs.]👍

Anonymous said...

Guess Andy I have to state the theme song for Malboro cigarettes viz The Magnificent Seven Theme song was the ace tune 👌

FACEBOOK CHATS said...

Lim Kuan Min
Good morning. Hv a blessed beautiful Sunday
☕️☕️☕️😀

Andy Young
Thanks Mr Lim
Coffee is brewing and the aroma is welcoming.