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!

Susan from Boston (smcneill@net1plus.com) says:
There's now a Banana Splits group on Yahoo that has the authentic Fleegle on it answering questions!!

http://groups.yahoo.com/group/thebananasplits/?yguid=1122833 (08-15-2003)

erg54 (q4q4t) says:
q34tqtqt (08-10-2003)

Randall Flagg (covenant_crusher@yahoo.com.au) says:
It brought tears to my ears hearing the Tra La La song again. If only they made TV this good again in the 2000's. Thinking back to the good old days, my sister and I would never miss an episode. Thankyou for letting me relive a part of my life I will never forget... (08-06-2003)

jim lipp (lippojim@aol.com) says:
need to know if there is any of the atv,s left in working condition for sale???????????????? (08-03-2003)

Juliana (puckssoul@aol.com) says:
I named my first dog Bingo after the character on the Banana Splits, and I would immediately correct people who thought I had named him after the farmer's dog. I used to love "Danger Island" and the banana buggies, thanks for sharing this trip down memory lane.

(08-01-2003)

cabrio boy (benthadawg@hotmail.com) says:
the theme tune is the nuts!!!!!!!!!! (07-26-2003)

Snowy says:
I'm another aussie who has very fond memories of watching the Banana Splits back in the early 70's... I loved their Banana Buggies so much that now, thirty years later, I have an Amphicat ATV identical to the ones they drove!

I've got to agree with some of the other posters here: It's about time, it's about Space (good old Gronk!), Catweazle, Land of the Giants, Batman, HR Pufnstuf, Dr Who; others I can't remember but, just like 'tra la la' if I heard their theme songs I'd know them straight away. (07-10-2003)

John Di Crasto (kaboubi@usadatanet.net) says:
Searching for cabubi the camel. Was he a part of the Banana Splits either in english, Japonese or Italian. Anything would be helpful. Thanks (07-03-2003)

J-Roo (jrugalde@yahoo.com) says:
Having seen hundreds of rocks shows, from the Stones (when they were good) to Black Sabbath to the Foo Fighters, I'm proud to say my first concert was the Banana Splits, doing a promotional show in the parking lot of the Rockridge Shopping Center in Oakland, CA, circa 1972. Unfortunately, they lip-synced, but what the hell.

I got Snork's autograph. That day I knew... I had to rock. (07-02-2003)

fillapillowg (marandprod@aol.com) says:
I finally tracked down my own personal copy of The Splits DECCA LP, only took roughly 30 years...
Who owns the rights to the television series? In this day of dvd box sets, someone please put out this classic series... S.W.A.T., Led Zeppelin,One
Banana, Two Banana,... (06-23-2003)

NeonNoodle says:
I remember it was the Saturday morning kiddie version of Laugh-In, an ( inexplicably ) popular variety show in the years between The Smothers Brothers and the onset of Saturday NIght Live. In fact, I remember the 'Splits making a cameo appearance on Laugh-In, sometime around 1968 or so. ( As did Richard Nixon: "Sock it to ME?!!" ) An incredibly cool show; I was 7 at the time and I remember no one else in my class would ever admit they watched it. Even as a 2nd grader, the 'Splits were a covert guilty pleasure, like porn. I was so embarassed I even had to hide it from my parents, ( which was good practice for my puberty years. ) I only liked the segments with the 'Splits themselves. As soon as the dreary Danger Island or ( even worse ) Arabian Nights came on, I'd go eat breakfast or something until that particular ill wind passed and the 'Splits mercifully came back. Those characters screamed to be made into plush, but it took more than 30 years for someone to finally manufacture them as dolls. I thought I was the only one in the world with fond memories of that show until I stumbled across this website. Most of my Banana Splits collection - videos, records, comics and toys, I got as an adult, and yeah, I'm still embarassed by it! For some reason the show seems to be much more popular in the UK and Australia than here in the USA, where it originated. Funko is making nodders of the 4 characters, but it looks like they've been looking at the cartoon versions rather than the infinitely cooler live-action walk-around suits. I once heard that The Banana Splits was Andy Warhol's favorite rock group, but don't hold that against them! (06-18-2003)

RG says:
As far as I know, The Banana Splits are the only live action show ever to air on the Cartoon Network.
I have no idea who was in the costumes, but the speaking voices of the Banana Splits were as follows:

Fleegle was Paul Wintchel, ventriloquist extrordinare, later known for his voices like
Tigger, Dick Dastardly and Garagamel (and designing an artificial heart...really)

Bingo was Daws Butler, legendary voice actor, who (along with Don Messick) created neaarly all the early Hannah/Barbera cartoon voices like:
Huckleberry Hound, Yogi Bear, Quick Draw McGraw & Baba Luey, Snagglepuss, Mr. Jinks & Dixie, as well as others like Elroy Jetson and Cap'n Crunch

Drooper was Allan Melville, who did many voices like Magilla Gorilla and Punkin Puss,
but was better known for live action acting in roles like:
Archie's friend Barney Hefner on All In The Family,
Sgt. Charley Hacker in Gomer Pyle USMC,
and of course,
Sam (the Butcher) Franklin in The Brady Bunch

Snorky was Don Messick, the other legendary Hanna/Barbera voice actor, known for the classic voices of Scooby Doo, Papa Smurf, Boo Boo & Ranger Smith, Muttley, Atom Ant, Pixie, Bamm Bamm, Uniblab, Dr. Benton Quest & Bandit, Hamton J. Pig, ect.

For a trip down memory lane (or ancient history for the rest of you) read their entries on the Internet Movie Database. (06-08-2003)

Bud Rocks says:
The band Girltrouble out of Tacoma Washington does a mean version of Gonna Find a Cave off of the Sub Pop 200 compilation released in 1988. (re-released on CD too)

They also do many other great songs including their tribute to Elvis Presley films and the Batman theme (with Steve Fisk). Let's here it for Bon, K.P. Dale and Kahuna!!

Remember T-town Rocks! (04-03-2003)

chau...quebec/canada says:
Use to watch this show in the Quebec province in the french-translated version.Found theese great loadable videos of the splits at this site http://www.80snostalgia.com/classictv/bananasplits/movies.html (03-31-2003)

COLIN LEWIS says:
ITS BEING REPEATED ON FOXTEL 9.30 IN WESTERN AUSTRALIA(12.30 EAST COAST) (CARTOON NETWORK)I RECORD IT FOR MY TWO YEAR OLD TO WATCH DURING THE DAY AND MY WIFE HAS TO WATCH THE CREDITS OVER AND OVER TO PLAY THE TRA LA SONG TO KEEP HER HAPPY
I WATCHED IT IN 68 AND NOW
ITS JUST AS GOOD SECOND TIME AROUND
AHO JUNGO ITS ON (03-25-2003)

Robert (rpsj2@tco.net) says:
if you don't have the Splits music ,and want it, go to www.wingnuttons.com.They have all the Banana Splits music on CD-it sounds really great!!! I recommend this CD to all Splits fans !!! (03-24-2003)

John Aba (mugu@mugu.com) says:
God is in control.
You are blessed as you receive him today. (03-23-2003)

mike (mikecowdrey@btopenworld.com) says:
I've built a Banana Splits Website with lots or rare pics and music from the show (real player 8) required to listen the site address is http://bananasplits.freeservers.com
have a look and leave your comments in the guest book. (03-09-2003)

Adrian says:
The sound files have a .ram extension.
What sort of a player do I need for that? (03-04-2003)

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