We're The Banana Splits

One of the greatest things about the music of the 60's is how it accessible it was to just about anyone. The cool kids had the Beatles and the Stones; middle America watched the Monkees; the hippies had the Dead and Jefferson Airplane; even Mom and Dad could swing to a homogenized version of Lennon & McCartney done up by Enoch Light or Tony Bennett. And for the toddlers, there were these weirdos, the Banana Splits.

I was suprised at how good some of the songs on this hard to find LP are (thanks to my friend Gary who let me borrow his copy). I'm not saying the Banana Splits were the next Beatles, but compared to the kind of music they make for kids today (the Barney theme comes to mind) this stuff kicks ass. Let's hear it for Fleagle, Bingo, Drooper and Snork!

Pardon Me While I Rock You says:
Actually, the Banana Splits never claimed to be the "next Beatles", but they did often, in interviews and on the back of cereal boxes, refer to themselves as "the next Electric Prunes". They were also the first and only band to be rejected by Woodstock, not because they weren't hip enough (heck, Sha Na Na played), but because they had spoken out FOR the Vietnam War on one of their shows immediately before cutting to "Danger Island". A sad postscript to the Banana Splits brilliant but short garage punk legacy - during a wild party at the Splits' ranch, where such guests as Jimi Hendrix, Keith Moon and Ruth Buzzi were carousing half-naked, their musical career came to an abrupt halt when Fleagle was found dead near the jacuzzi, having choked on vomit. An autopsy revealed that the vomit wasn't his own, but that of Snork. (03-22-2005)

Matty says:
These guys were the summation of everything magical about childhood. A bunch of weird-o's dancing about in costumes, the Sour Grapes hottie strutting through the set, Danger Island, and bouncie tunes which ate into your brain. Even hearing the tunes transports me back to those days sitting in front of out Black & White Zenith with a sugar rush from the cereal, and a huge grin on my face. Thanks! (03-20-2005)

Maharishi Mahash Yogurt (Jack24Bauer@gmail,com) says:
If you listen closely to " Doing The Banana Split", you'll hear Snorky honking backwards "I Buried Fleagle". On their eponymous Yellow Album,more clues were scattered throughout, especially on "Chiquita My Dear" and "Back In The Produce Aisle". The band's eventual separation was blamed mostly after Drooper took up with the Avant Garde artist Yucky Oatmeal and recorded "Give Peas A Chance", which angered his mates even more than the time he claimed that the Splits were bigger than Jesus. Although he really meant (HAY-ZOOS) Jesus, the Spanish dude who worked on Danger Island. (Actually only Snorky was not bigger than Jesus....they were pretty much equal in stature)

The Ape-Peel of the Banana Splits is infinite....groups such as R.E.M., The Flaming Lips and the G.O.P. count them as their biggest influence.
Anyway, as Madonna said when the Banana Splits' drummer prematurely evacuated ,"Uh Oh Bingo!" (03-15-2005)

Nick Raybould says:
Within a few hours of leaving a message on your site I got my first spam email from some software firm. Great. Please remove the unique to this form address 'bingo@r2design..' that I placed, from the bulletin board. I'm sure everyone else who left their addresses are getting spam, too. Having said that; it's a great resourse site! Keep up the good work. Uh Oh Tango!! (03-14-2005)

Nick Raybould (bingo@r2design.co.uk) says:
The Banana Splits remains etched in the memories of just about everyone who saw it. Here in the UK it ran for several school holidays. (03-13-2005)

will (coachw@sbcglobal.net) says:
man im only 28 but i remember the splits when i was younger and that was the besttttttttttt show i ever watched man i would love to get some videos or something rock on bingo (03-09-2005)

Pat Henderhan (rphenderhan@yahoo.com) says:
I loved these guys. I recently found two 45's and the stuffed characters I had when I was a kid. It brought back all of the singing and dancing memories when I used to watch them. Look out - it's Danger Island (03-09-2005)

Louise (office@rmit.edu.au) says:
The Banana Splits were the ultimate in my childhood TV viewing. I now have 2 nieces who sit and watch The Banana Splits on video and can sing the Tra La La song!!!! (03-08-2005)

Tammy (rosiejo_leo@hotmail.com) says:
I loved these "guys" I went to our Public Library looking for videos etc of the Splits and couldn't find nothing..I wish that the Great Cartoons and shows of the 70's were on Saturday morning for our kids could watch them..they really rocked..Is there any videos out there .of the Splits?It's great to know that I'm not the only one who remebers The Bannana Splits.. (03-07-2005)

Some Dude says:
The Banana splits should be inducted into the Rock and ROll Hall of Fame :) (02-25-2005)

Vlog says:
Yup, John's right...I used to live a firework's throw from King's Island and they were often there strolling around to meet the kiddies, Mickey Mouse style. I was 6, they were gods. (02-24-2005)

John (Raptor34002003@yahoo.com) says:
does anyone remember the little girl who come out and hand the Banana Splits something and do this crazy dance, i thought that was hilarious. I would love to see a clip of that again. (02-23-2005)

David says:
The Splits were great. The GREATEST Theme song every Saturday morning. I sing this song at the office and often get asked "Im remember that cartoon". I wish I could watch them on cable. (02-21-2005)

Jonathan Cogswell says:
Everything I learned in life I learned from HR Pufnstuff and the Banana Splits. (02-20-2005)

TONY says:
THE BANANA SPLITS WAS THE BEST THING SICE SLICE BREAD WHEN I WAS A KID, THE ONLY THING THAT CAME CLOSE WAS KISS. MAYBE THE BANANA SPLITS COULD DO A REUNION, THAT WOULD BE COOL,THE SHOW WAS AIRED HERE IN THE U.K ON THE BBC FROM AROUND 1970 TILL 1980 THEN WAS REPEATED AGAIN IN 1995 ON CHANNEL 5 FOR ONLY A FEW EPISODES, THAT BROUGHT BACK SO MANY MEMORIES FROM MY CHILDHOOD. LONG LIVE THE BANANA SPLITS! (02-18-2005)

Tanya (*TanyaHewson@msn.com) says:
Does anybody know the name of the animal that lived in the Banana Splits' letter box? (02-18-2005)

Drew says:
My parents bought me the Bingo toy drum set for my 7th birthday - man could I rock. (02-14-2005)

Ivory Joe Fezzewig (theycallmemuzz@yahoo.com) says:
I remember watching The Banana Splits Hour when it
first came to NBC-TV as a Saturday Morning feature
back in 1968. I thought it was a real kick! When I
think back to how naive I was in '68...GRRROOOAAAN!
Hanna-Barbera defined art for me in a way that
Michaelangelo, Pablo Picasso or Jackson Pollock
NEVER WILL! (02-10-2005)

Nic (nic-turner@supanet.com) says:
check out www.blindrecords.com they have a limited run of 1000 copies of this album on cd, packaged with some extra tracks by the beagles, and bonus tracks of the kelloggs cereal freebees, mind you it retails at $64.00, its in the childrens section. (02-07-2005)

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