Inflatable tube man dances to Cream's "Glad"

One of the best songs ever combined with one of the most whimsical roadside advertising gimmicks equals a video of pure joy. Created by Lex10, who says:

I drive a 12 year old Pontiac convertible to my place of work, so I get quite the panoramic view. I was waiting for the light to change across from a storage complex, when I noticed how the end of Cream's "Glad" matched so beautifully with the tube man on top of the storage complex's roof as he waved his pneumatic arms and whipped his pneumatic head back in an unbridled expression of glee and air-filled pride.

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Mark Frauenfelder is the founder of Boing Boing and the editor-in-chief of MAKE and Cool Tools. Twitter: @frauenfelder. Come and hear Mark speak at the ALA conference in Chicago on July 1.

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ill lich

Skip James ripped off Cream!?? Man! EVERYBODY Ripped of Cream, Willie Dixon with “Spoonful”, Robert Johnson with “Crossroads”, Albert King with “Born Under a Bad Sign”– those guys should sue!!
KurtMac

Awesome video. Whenever I see one of these, or a giant inflatable gorilla/godzilla/clown outside a car dealership, I always ask “Do those things really drive business?” Is there a large population of consumers on the streets, minding their own business, when all of a sudden they think “Well, I was just going to pick up some milk, but seeing that neon-green, flailing inflatable tube man convinced me to buy a new Pontiac instead.”
Not a Doktor

I like the green ones around here that look like cactii. They remind me of those one enemies from Final Fantasy
kateq

This reminds me of the advert for Toohey’s beer, where Tube Men hijack a beer delivery truck and have a street party to the sweet, sweet sounds of Tom Jones “Help Yourself”.

See here:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xBIl0aNSrIA
Loser707

so wow this made me happy thanks for posting this
squib

That was great – he sure looked glad
Takuan

Mescalito…good to see you again
Andrew

Anyone for tennis? Wouldn’t that be nice?
mr.skeleton

There use to be a small tube man in downtown SF on Market, near the 7-11. One day it whipped down and smacked me in the face. I thought it knocked off my glasses and I immediately searched the ground— realizing, of course, that my glasses were still on my face. Some guy in a suit laughed.

I was ATTACKED by a tube man, and vowed to never forgive him or his inflatable brethren. Until just now because that was a joyous video.
nrkn

Takuan, you are a star. I hardly ever post a comment, but every time I read them, there you are. Totally commendable level of commitment. I almost wonder if there is some secret prize of which you are aware and I am not for being the most promiscuous comment poster. Mad respect.
laramie

Intergalactic Proton-Powered Electrical-Tentacled Advertising Droids!
Jerry Kindall

Hi, I’m Al Harrington, President and CEO of Al Harrington’s Wacky Waving Inflatable Arm Flailing Tube Man Emporium and Warehouse on Route 2 in Weekapaug, and I approve this video.
alisong76

Pipenta, if you look closely you can see that this one does have a face: I’m guessing the vid maker didn’t want the advertising on the front side to be discernable.
themindfantastic

Not as fun, but interesting nonetheless AIR SUBWAY MONSTER… when the train comes in it blows air up into the inflatable nessie like creature on the surface

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Mttu9M_BuJ0
Lex10

Since I’m the video maker, let me say a few things:

1. If you’re in need, I’m for hire.
2. The face was not deliberately avoided, but the angle I shot from was the only one where I could get no land and only sky – the effect to me is one of an invertebrate, such as a sea cucumber or anemone.
3. I worked to get the timing to match very diligently, but in three instances during editing I didn’t have to do anything. I used to use Mozart a lot in my earlier commercial productions, and stuff just matched I think this because:
a)we expect it
b)the brain constructs it
4. Takuan, you made me laugh.
5. Yes I am for hire – liberate me and I will reward you with compelling semiotics that move stand still and somewhere in between.
6. I shoulda said all this earlier but I was out of town – new Tijuana pix at http://glyphjockey.com
7. THANKS FOR ALL THE KIND WORDS
Pipenta

I love these things. I love that they don’t have faces.

The air subway monster is just as cool. It simply needs a good soundtrack. Something of the same vintage as “Glad”? But instrumental…

How about Hot Tuna’s “The Water Song”?
ike

#5 KATEQ, #14 THEMINDFANTASTIC: thanks for posting those links! When I saw this post I was reminded of the Toohey’s video but couldn’t remember how to find it, and I remember hearing about the inflating subway-grate art, but I never got around to checking it out before.
Piper

Gary? Is that you?
Cupcake Faerie

Ãœber-wack-tastic!
padster123

I saw Underworld at the Camden Roundhouse a few months ago, and they had a whole bunch of giant turgid inflatable tubey things with lights in them at the back of the stage. Pretty effective!
arttoys

@#15

Perfect! I LOVE that song!
Michael Leddy

Let’s give credit where it’s due: “I’m So Glad” is by Skip James. It’s his 1931 recording that’s heard at the beginning of this clip. James also created “Hard Time Killin’ Floor Blues,” which readers might know from O Brother, Where Art Thou?
Antinous

I guess after thirty years I should just accept that the acid flashbacks are never really going to stop.
FarrisGoldstein

Anyone else ever hear “Astroglide!” instead of “I’m so glad?”
Sister Y

Those things are so cool – they seem to dance perfectly in rhythm with any music, from Cream to Boris to Holst to NWA. Any rhythm theorists know why that is?
NidSquid

Wonderful. Makes me … ummm, well … GLAD! :-)