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!

Tara says:
holy crap! i haven't heard these guys since i was way little! i even had the pleasure of meeting the giant monkey (was that drooper?) at king's dominion in virginia... (02-13-2003)

Fleagle Beagle says:
Im glad you folks liked the album. We're doing okay nowadays. Bingo's doing dinner theatre in Newark. Drooper got his life back together after his bitter divorce from Penelope Pitstop back in '83 and is voicing over japanese cartoons. Drooper, God bless him, is a pyrotechnician for Industrial Light and Magic. Me, Im still with Hanna Barbara as the webmaster for their website. We arent the blazing stars we once were, but we dont have to worry about where our next meal comes from and we invested our earnings carefully back in the day. Plus we have some decent royalties coming in. Unlike those poor bastards over at "Lidsville..." (02-12-2003)

lori says:
check e-bay (02-01-2003)

joe (joseph.lee14@verizon.net) says:
The dickies do a great cover of the Tra La song. (01-31-2003)

RoGeR.SmItH (beebow10@aol.com) says:
The Banana Splits was fun then and i bet they would be more fun NOW !!!! (01-31-2003)

Joe Scott says:
The chicago based band "MING"
I guess they cover the whole albumn live
has anyone seen this?I hear its incredible!
o----------------oo-----------o-----------o-o (01-30-2003)

Joe scott says:
The chicago based band "MING"
I guess they cover the whole albumn live
has anyone seen this?I hear its incredible!
o----------------oo-----------o-----------o-o (01-30-2003)

Skippee (skippee@gonebananas.com) says:
I heard a cover version of the song today and had to look up the lyrics. Wasn't there a verse that went:
two bannana, four bannana, one bannana, three,

something?,something??,something??, something? something?? with me (01-30-2003)

Kevin in "Naptown says:
I swear to God, the Banana Splits were my first concert. I consider myself blessed. (01-28-2003)

D Trickstermac says:
Thank you so much for having this album. I can still remember trying to run up slides as a child in imitation of the Banana Splits opening.

And Danger Island with the skeleton islanders! (01-24-2003)

Brad Z (bradleyz@earthlink.net) says:
I heard a long time ago that Jimmy Hendricks...YES, Jimmy Hendricks, wrote the theme song to the Banana Splits.

Any feedback? (01-21-2003)

Dave Jeatran (daveteri@insightbb.com) says:
In reply to Ben's question, I remember as a kid, my Mom said that Jay North (Dennis the Mennace '60's series) was one of the Banana Splits in costume, but I don't know which one...
-Dave (01-19-2003)

Ben (Bsimny@aol.com) says:
If these men
Fleegle   Paul Winchell
Bingo   Daws Butler
Drooper   Allan Melvin
Snorky   Don Messick

were the voices of the Banana Splits, who were the people inside the costumes? The faces behind the masks?

-Ben

(01-18-2003)

Jay Beckett says:
Cripes! Just a few seconds of Tra-La-La brought it all back. I religiously watched the show as a kid and never thought I would hear this stuff again. Is that sick or normal?!?..... (01-18-2003)

Bruce Glassco (bglasco@es.vccs.edu) says:
I was seriously into the Splits when I was a kid. We had our own branch of the club, I sent away for the whole club package, had a few records, the works. I was just trying to explain the whole deal to my wife the other day, and she wasn't getting it. Then today, one of the old members of my club sent me this e-card! Such happiness!

Remember Arabian Knights? Size of a monkey! (01-16-2003)

Sam Cook (samc@epic.co.uk) says:
Have you ever noticed the 'tra la la' melody is exactly the same as the 'woy oy oy' part of 'buffalo soldier' by Bob Marley? I realised this when I saw a rastafarian busker and thought 'why in hell is he singing the banana splits theme??' (01-14-2003)

John Michaelson says:
Awesome! Totally awesome! Brings me back to my pre-school days. That was completely classic and timeless. (01-02-2003)

Scott LaRue (Oldmansit@hotmail.com) says:
I'll never forget,They had a contest. They were gonna read your name out over the air and you had to call them. They read my name and I won a $50 gift certificate to Lionel Playworld. Man that was awesome. The cartoons too........UH OOOHH JONGOOOOOOOOO! (01-01-2003)

Brett (lbja2@ukc.ac.uk) says:
I'm too young to have seen the the first time,
but they're on Cartoon Network, they're funny!
The theme is cool, I've got an electric gituar version as well! (12-30-2002)

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