Noxzema Shaving Cream Commercial (1967) & David Rose, "The Stripper"

"The Stripper," by David Rose - Take It Off, Take It All Off - 1967- Noxzema

If you are a baby boomer and were old enough to watch television you'll remember this novel Noxzema Shaving Cream Commercial. Gunilla Knutsson, Miss Sweden, and a semi-finalist in the Miss Universe pageant in 1961 is most famous for a series of Noxzema Medicated shaving cream commercials from 1967 – 1973 in which she urged men to "take it off, take it all off" (referring to facial hair).

The Stripper by David
Rose and His Orchestra 

The iconic sexy song, "The Stripper" is a half-century old this year!


The instrumental song "The Stripper" is a jazz-influenced piece of music with pronounced trombone slides mostly associated with a striptease, however in 1958 when David Rose wrote this song in the haphazard last ten minutes of a recording session with his orchestra he gave the tune no name. Not long after he asked to re-record the song "Ebb Tide" to promote the movie "Sweet Bird of Youth" with Paul Newman and Geraldine Page.  The MGM Movie Studio needed a B-side for the single, so this song, which was had no title, was given a name ("The Stripper") and placed on the B-side of the "Ebb Tide" single in early 1962. The tune was also released by MGM in July of 1962 on the A side a 45 single.

David Rose 

Noted for producing over a thousand scores for Television shows he was not especially proud of the tune that he claimed was a funny piece of music with no title. However, the song gained a great audience with its release on the 45 singles and its constant airing by Los Angeles DJ Robert Q. When Rose and his orchestra performed in the Royal Albert Hall years later, he played "The Stripper" after someone in the audience yelled out a request for it. He apologized to Albert Hall management afterward.

Unintentionally David Rose composed a funny piece of music that surely has had the ear of many people worldwide.  Not always is a winner born with such insight and desire, none-the-less "The Stripper" has won over many pairs of ears over

View the B&W classic video from 1962 and listen to the complete tune The Stripper by David Rose and His Orchestra. Click the YouTube Link.