Milton Bradley Bump Ball, circa 1969

Over at Dinosaurs and Robots, Todd Lappin writes about finding "a mysterious time capsule sitting curbside on a street in San Francisco: One (1) Milton Bradley Bump Ball, circa 1969, complete in original box."

From a Houston Press page that has information about this nubby toy:

Apparently, the idea was to toss the ball in the air and keep it from hitting the ground by pressing it between you and the nearest hot chick while gyrating to the Bump Ball theme song. A 45 of the song was included with every ball. "It's time the boys got closer to the girls," the album cover continues. The concept had everything. Dancing. Sex. Balls. Rock n' roll. How could the Bump Ball fail?

If anyone knows where a link to this song is, please post it in the comments.

Bump Ball

[#1 posted by Antinous / Moderator, May 22, 2009 3:47 PM]

With senso-nubs™ no less. Take that, Happy Fun Ball! Oh shit, I just taunted Happy Fun Ball.

[#2 posted by redconsensus, May 22, 2009 3:50 PM]

It's like some sort of free love hackysack.

[#3 posted by Anonymous, May 22, 2009 3:59 PM]

http://www.facerecords.com/shop/sounds/5/5041017.mp3

[#4 posted by Talia, May 22, 2009 4:08 PM]

OK. Here's what I've dug up: The song was performed by a group called The Combinations, apparently. Haven't found a link to the FULL song, but here's a link to a 15-20 second clip or so:

http://www.artistdirect.com/nad/window/media/page/0,,3429941-7238347,00.html

Here is an interesting article about the ball/CD:
http://blogs.houstonpress.com/rocks/2009/03/cutout_bin_the_official_bump_b.php

And here's an undated interview with one of the band members! :
http://www.rimpo.com/combinations.html

[#5 posted by Anonymous, May 22, 2009 4:08 PM]

The record is for sale at
http://www.facerecords.com/shop/product_info.php/products_id/6570

They also have a short mp3 sample.

[#6 posted by Tom Hale, May 22, 2009 4:10 PM]

Is this the song? http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DLyeRj12u2M - I could swear I remember a different Bump song being popular around that time. Maybe I'm thinking of,"Ain't Gonna Bump No More With No Big Fat Woman."

[#7 posted by Talia, May 22, 2009 4:13 PM]

#4: Wow. No, that's not it, but man, that is spectacularly horrid.

[#8 posted by slida, May 22, 2009 4:46 PM]

awesome.

[#9 posted by Stefan Jones, May 22, 2009 5:04 PM]

Wow.

I'm sure budding young journalist George Will got several columns worth of moral outrage out of that thing.

* * *

Maybe its time for the Bump Ball to get an update. Make it vibrate and ooze lubricant, and heck, put a MP3 player in it.

[#10 posted by Anonymous, May 22, 2009 5:25 PM]

It's a monochrome Katamari. Am I the first one that noticed that? Or the first one to admit.

Matias (@matatias)

[#11 posted by ill lich, May 22, 2009 6:26 PM]

The album is on Pickwick, big surprise.

I'll say one thing about the Bump Ball-- it looks a lot more fun than HackySack, which is the most ridiculous waste of time ever (unless you get your enjoyment from watching other people show off how uncoordinated and "white" they are.)

[#12 posted by The Tensor, May 22, 2009 6:41 PM]

You know, for kids!

[#13 posted by Tom Hale, May 22, 2009 6:50 PM]

ILL LICH, why are you implying white people are uncoordinated? YouTube hacky sack please. I'm 1/8 Native American, so I can talk talk about you white folks.

[#14 posted by Anonymous, May 22, 2009 7:38 PM]

"Maybe its time for the Bump Ball to get an update. Make it vibrate and ooze lubricant, and heck, put a MP3 player in it."

Dont forget wifi, a touch screen and bluetooth.
Rember, the future of technoligy isn't more easy-to-use, usefull gadgets, it's more useless gadgets with fetures that no one needs.

On that note, I'm writing this through my internet enabled hairdryer!

[#15 posted by technogeek, May 22, 2009 8:03 PM]

#12: Like twister. Exactly.

[#16 posted by skramble, May 22, 2009 9:07 PM]

I sure would like to see a higher resolution image of the sleeve for that 45, maybe someone can point me to it. looks funny!

[#17 posted by tahewitt, May 22, 2009 10:12 PM]

HA! I've had a copy of that album for fifteen years or more. Part of what I lovingly refer to as my tacky record collection. The record is mostly vaguely bland Beatlesque pop. The cover is better than the music on the record. That middle aged guy in his uber-tight pants and vest and bright red shoes looks like he's having WAY too much fun doing the bump ball with the '60's chick.

[#18 posted by High On Markers, May 22, 2009 10:43 PM]

I find it disturbing how degraded and worn the bumps on this ball are. What have they been DOING with this ball?

[#19 posted by kento, May 22, 2009 11:12 PM]

This interests me waaaaaaaaay too much.

[#20 posted by Anonymous, May 23, 2009 12:14 AM]

#6 that is just wrong.

[#21 posted by Hirsty, May 23, 2009 12:24 AM]

Now if it only vibrated...

[#22 posted by Anonymous, May 23, 2009 2:34 AM]

I rather suspect this game ends with a knee buried in someones groin...

[#23 posted by Steve Schnier, May 23, 2009 5:24 AM]

How could anyone have thrown that away?

It's fun - and possibly educational.

[#24 posted by Crispinus211, May 23, 2009 6:27 AM]

Yes, but is it...alive?

[#25 posted by Anonymous, May 23, 2009 6:37 AM]

OMG, I totally have old pictures of a party my parents had, and they are playing this "game".

[#26 posted by Lord Runcible, May 23, 2009 6:43 AM]

Giggity!

[#27 posted by Anonymous, May 23, 2009 7:51 AM]

http://blogs.houstonpress.com/rocks/2009/03/cutout_bin_the_official_bump_b.php

[#28 posted by doggo, May 23, 2009 8:12 AM]

Oh man, if ever a song was ripe for an ironic cover...

[#29 posted by Thee Most Exalted Potentate of Love, May 23, 2009 9:53 AM]

I just bought that thing on ebay. I'm imagining being able to make some ridiculous photos with that. . . and maybe have a harrassment suit come out of any party where it's put to use.

Can't wait!

[#30 posted by Anonymous, May 23, 2009 11:26 AM]

"...with a bump ball in-between..." pure poetry.

[#31 posted by IWood, May 23, 2009 5:43 PM]

This guy found a giant virus in a box and took it home? Great. Now we're all going to get huge influenza and DIE.

[#32 posted by bizarrerecords, May 23, 2009 7:46 PM]

Hey, this is the author of the Houston Press article. Note that the record pictured is NOT the free 45 that came with the bump ball, but a full LP sold separately.

I wish I could find a bump ball laying on the side of the road. You need to go back and look for the 45!

[#33 posted by Marchhare, May 24, 2009 2:54 AM]

When I first saw it, I thought it was this:

http://www.amazon.com/Goosebumps-Goose-Goosebump-Massage-Balls/dp/B0000DAWNW

But you don't want to "bump" with that ball. It's really hard plastic and hurts a lot if it presses against bone or falls on your foot.

[#34 posted by Fred@Dreamtime, May 24, 2009 1:22 PM]

Well, that gave me an interesting afternoon, Mark.

"Bump Ball" by The Combinations can be heard/downloaded at/from Amazon.

Nota Bene: The link includes my Amazon affiliate code. Figure I might as well get paid for my efforts. :-)

Here's a little more info. "Bump Ball" was originally released in 1968 as a 45 is the RCA label (RCA 9482). The B-side was "I'm On The Outside (Looking In)." The song was re-released on the 2005 compilation CD "Absolutely Allentown," which is where I found it.

For those interested, I do music research for a living, and you can read more of my articles at The Dreamtime Blog and Podcast.

[#35 posted by Anonymous, May 24, 2009 2:23 PM]

http://tiny.cc/xnwJt

Be quick boys and girls, only 13 days left!

[#36 posted by Anonymous, May 25, 2009 8:32 AM]

Thank you so much for the links! I had a Bump Ball when I was a kid, and have never found anyone else that's ever heard of it. Proof that I'm not nuts!!!

[#37 posted by Anonymous, May 25, 2009 11:42 AM]

more like HUMPball.

[#38 posted by Anonymous, May 26, 2009 8:41 AM]

"Apparently, the idea was to toss the ball in the air and GET YOURSELF LAID by pressing it between you and the nearest hot chick while gyrating to the Bump Ball theme song."

/fixed