Ryan Leach : Music for Animation

This is the 14th post in a series on Cartoon Theme Songs. On the occasional Thursday I examine a popular cartoon TV theme song and discuss what about it does and does not work.

Huckleberry Hound is yet another cartoon series from Hanna-Barbera. Not surprisingly, then, the theme is by Hoyt Curtin (who also had a hand in two themes we’ve looked at already, Yogi Bear and Josie & The Pussycats)

The theme kind of sounds like it’s being played at a circus. Some of the instruments in the band that contribute to a circus sound are a small brass section, snare drum playing in a military pattern, glockenspiel, clarinet, and what sounds like a calliope.

Group singers. Always a fan of this in a cartoon theme song.

There’s a breakdown about 3/4 of the way through where the vocals stop and the calliope is still going. I’m sure it’s for an opportunity for Huck to say a catchphrase and makes sense in the context of the show, but just listening to it is kind of disorienting.

The lyrics are pretty weak. On the plus side, they say the main character’s name 4 times so you can’t possibly miss it. But check out how vague this is:

“It’s Huckleberry fun, it’s for everyone,
So come on, gather ’round.
Get yourself all set,
Turn on your TV set
For Huckleberry Hound.”

You could pretty much substitute ANY cartoon character’s name for Huckleberry Hound and it would work. Some people consider Hanna-Barbera to be the downfall of animation because of the shortcuts they took to output content quickly and cheaply, known as the “limited animation” technique. Perhaps this “fill in your character’s name here” type of lyric fit well with their model, a “limited specific information” technique.

Overall the theme from Huckleberry Hound gets a medium rating. Not bad, but not standout either.

This is the 13th post in a series on Cartoon Theme Songs. The second Thursday of each month I examine a popular cartoon TV theme song and discuss what about it does and does not work.

The theme song from the 1970s cartoon series Josie & The Pussycats is actually not bad for an era specific theme. The theme, written by Denby Williams, Joseph Roland and Hoyt Curtin, is not good enough to be considered a classic but it does have some good things going for it.

• Group singers. This time there is a lead singer and background singers instead of everyone all singing in unison. Obviously this makes sense for the band that the show is about.
• There’s a catchy hook on the name of the show. The word “Pussycats” is on a cool syncopated rhythm that makes it interesting.
• The lyrics summarize all you need to know. “Guitars and sharps and flats”, “We could be in India or perchance be with us in Bangkok”. You get the idea that their a band, but they also fight crime. “We’re involved with this or that, everywhere the action’s at.”
• Key change on the second chorus. This keeps things moving forward and keeps the energy level up.

Although there are some elements right out of the 70s (space-age synths and the happy go lucky dream beat), overall the theme is not stuck in it’s era like some other themes have fallen victim to. As was proven in the 2001 movie, it can be pretty easily updated.

This is the 12th post in a series on Cartoon Theme Songs. On the occasional Thursday I examine a popular cartoon TV theme song and discuss what about it does and does not work.

The theme from 1959’s Snagglepuss is kind of surprising. The typical Hanna-Barbera theme follows a group of male and female singers telling a quick story summarizing what their character is all about, with big band punches between lines and a catchy melody on the name of the character.

The theme has no lyrics, which I think is generally a big mistake. While it may not matter much in the moment the theme is written, once the show is off the air there’s little left of the theme to identify it with its show.

To the theme’s credit, the bouncy melody is catchy. It’s also used over and over so there is no avoiding having it drilled into your head. In 25 seconds we hear the motif (which shares the same rhythm as Shave and a Haircut) 8 times.

The orchestration still fits the usual Hanna-Barbera big band set up, using drum set percussion and glockenspiel to add some silly cartooniness to it. Having the melody on low brass also gives it a silly sluggish feel.

I realize this post is a little shorter than most of the other theme articles, but there really isn’t much going on here. I’d rate this theme a medium minus.

This is the 10th post in a series on Cartoon Theme Songs. The second Thursday of each month I examine a popular cartoon TV theme song and discuss what about it does and does not work.

The theme from the 1967 series Spiderman is one of the most well known cartoon themes in the world, and for good reason. Not only is the tune catchy but the lyrics do a great job summarizing the story and telling you something about the characte. The chord progression is a basic standard blues progression, which proves yet again how useful the blues progression can be. It’s the same 3 chords we’ve heard a million times but we’re not bored by it at all because it has a perfect balance of tension and release.

• A catchy hook on the name of the show, which they say twice in a row just in case you missed it
• A secondary hook on “Look out!” “Hey there!” “Tune in!”, which keeps it interesting through to the end of the verse
• Uses the character’s slogan “Friendly neighborhood Spiderman”
• Solid form: Intro A A Bridge A Coda. In only one minute they have a perfectly complete song with a beginning, middle, and end
• Both men and women singing the theme in octaves

As has been proven by the various covers other people have done of the the song, the “swingin’ 60s” style doesn’t ruin it. The theme stands up just as well without the “boogie” going on behind it.

This is the 9th post in a series on Cartoon Theme Songs. On the occasional Thursday I examine a popular cartoon TV theme song and discuss what about it does and does not work.

I’ll be the first to admit that, being that I was four years old when Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles first aired in 1987, I’m a but biased towards this theme. But nostalgia aside, it really does have a lot of great things going for it.

• There’s a catchy hook on the name of the show (which they say twelve times!)
• A simple but clear explanation of the basic story (“They’re the world’s most fearsome fighting team”) and who the main characters are (They completely define each turtle in only a few words. “Raphael is cool but rude, Michelangelo is a party dude”)
• They use multiple singers, which I think always helps. A different twist for the other themes we’ve looked at so far, there are sections of the song that are sung solo, with the backup singers only giving support. This is pretty typical of an 80s theme; Ducktales and Chip n Dale do the same thing.
• They begin and end with a catchphrase “Heroes in a half-shell, turtle power!”)

The only drawback is the style, which the elecronic drums, electric guitars, and synths all really scream 80s. Again, I might be biased, but I don’t think that hurts this theme as much as it could because the song is so functionally and catchy.