Michael Bérubé - American Airspace

ABF Friday: Now with extra arbitrariness!

I’m in West Lafayette, Indiana today. Just sightseeing, you know. And I brought my very own (actually borrowed from P/T, for now) molded pillow on which to rest my weary neck. Also from P/T: the surprising and welcome news that I can get my very own CD of my MRI! Though I suppose I still need a real professional doctor person to look at it, too.

Today I have two Arbitrary observations. Number one: every so often, it occurs to me that when I was young I used to watch some really crappy animation with some really kickin’ theme songs.

Recognize the tune? Why, it’s Charles Mingus’ “Boogie Stop Shuffle.”

No, that’s not true. This is “Boogie Stop Shuffle.”

What’s your favorite really crappy animation with some really kickin’ theme song? I have to admit the band is pretty tight on this old chestnut, but the tune is nowhere near the coolitude of “CC/MM.” Cf. this. And no fair going here or here, because now we’re well into the realm of camp. Indeed, “Underdog” appears the very same year as Sontag’s “Notes on Camp.” Coincidence? Or influence?

Number two: this stands up pretty amazingly well as a cover of this. One is compelled to admire young Mr. Lennon’s cojones in singing those William Robinson, Arthur Alexander, and Isleys tunes—and acquitting himself admirably. But this overproduced mess is an epic ex-Beatle fail as a cover of this minimalist gem. Even Lennon’s splat-on-the-bar phrasing on the chorus is Teh Suck. I blame Phil Spector. And booze.

Actually “Twist and Shout” was co-written by Bertrand Russell. Little-known almost-true fact!

Posted by on 09/11 at 07:33 AM

I’m in West Lafayette, Indiana today. Just sightseeing, you know.

Since this is impossible, it’s much more likely that you’re up to no good. Remember, no matter how marvelous Purdue’s offer sounds, it will still be located in West Lafayette.

I blame Phil Spector. And booze.

Not to mention Ringo’s sloppy drumming.

What’s your favorite really crappy animation with some really kickin’ theme song?

Well, it’s not really “kickin’” in the way that, say, the theme to Underdog is, but this did have a way of getting stuck in my head. And apparently Michael Chabon’s head, if Elyse Dinh’s violin work in Spiderman 2 was any indication.

Actually “Twist and Shout” was co-written by Bertrand Russell. Little-known almost-true fact!

Well, far be it from me to indulge in semi-accurate nitpicking of your almost-true fact, but no credit for Whitehead? It would have just been “Shout” if not for him.

Posted by on 09/11 at 10:01 AM
Well, if Gigantor and Underdog are off limits for campiness, then I suppose it is really poor form to bring up Speed Racer. I wouldn’t necessarily classify any of the three as “kickin’”; however, I still know all the lyrics to those songs at an age when I find myself forgetting what I had set out to do ten minutes earlier. Talk about indoctrination.

Posted by on 09/11 at 10:10 AM
This is arbitrarily a difficult task in trying to remember 55 years ago and so forth, when those wonderful old 30s and 40s cartoons would come on in green scaled Hoffman TV images with great jazz band sound. I do remember Heckel and Jeckel cartoons as representing the mix of big band sounds with silly antics.

As for arbitrary oneriness, today marks some octet of years since Bob Dylan released Love & Theft; a pretty damn good album (especially if you like the work of Sexton and Campbell on stringy type instruments.)

Posted by on 09/11 at 10:17 AM
That’s an alternate take of “Boogie Stop Shuffle,” no? The Booker Erwin and John Handy solos aren’t the ones I remember from the Columbia LP as it as released long ago. Cooks anyway, though.

Posted by on 09/11 at 10:18 AM
uno mas por favor:
As a kid growing up in the 50s, literally living with TV in LA-la land, i can’t fail to mention Crusader Rabbit!

Posted by on 09/11 at 10:22 AM
My own view is that Paul was the real rock and roller and John was pretty much a pop singer. And without George Martin they would have been...well “The Dave Clark Five”???

e.

Posted by on 09/11 at 10:23 AM
Well, it’s not really “kickin’” in the way that, say, the theme to Underdog is, but this did have a way of getting stuck in my head.

Indeed—one of the fine middle-eights in theme songs for crappy animated cartoons. And these guys do a wonderful cover of it.

No offer from Purdue, I’m afraid, mds. Just a conference of some kind.

Well, if Gigantor and Underdog are off limits for campiness, then I suppose it is really poor form to bring up Speed Racer.

Well ... yes, yes it is. I left that Mark V door open, and you walked right through it, V. Ed. But I understand—I know all the words too, just as our children and their children’s children will be repeating Obama’s “Stay in School and Work Hard” address in FEMA camps for decades to come.

That’s an alternate take of “Boogie Stop Shuffle,” no? The Booker Erwin and John Handy solos aren’t the ones I remember from the Columbia LP as it as released long ago.

Not exactly. It’s from the CD, which restores a couple passages cut from the LP, like the first 12 bars of Erwin’s solo. When I first heard it a few years ago it was truly unsettling, as if someone had “restored” 16 lost bars of “I Wanna Hold Your Hand.”

My own view is that Paul was the real rock and roller and John was pretty much a pop singer. And without George Martin they would have been...well “The Dave Clark Five”???

Oh, the guys who wrote “Please Please Me” and “I Saw Her Standing There” for their first LP had more promise than that. But one thing everybody forgets—the young Mr. Lennon could do those croon-in-June songs too, witness “Ask Me Why,” “This Boy,” and “Yes It Is.”

Posted by Michael on 09/11 at 10:58 AM
The link above led to the notice that Astro Boy is now on YouTube.

Which gives me flashbacks to Channel 17 and Wee Willie Weber and Kimba, the White Lion and Prince Planet and all that other JapAnimation before the phrase existed. The shows that, if they are on video at all, have been redubbed with contemporary people due to rights issues or somesuch.

So Secret Squirrel and Atom Ant, anyone? Or Ruff and Ready?

Captcha: “perhaps,” which somehow seems appropriate.

Posted by Ken Houghton on 09/11 at 11:16 AM
Ooooh!

Double-oh.

See double-oh.

See double-oh el.

See double-oh el mack!

Cool McCool.

Danger is his business.

Posted by on 09/11 at 11:25 AM
Jonny Quest theme, featuring Krupa-esque tom-toms, thumping gut fiddle, and just outstanding trombone work throughout.

Posted by Gary Oxford on 09/11 at 11:53 AM
Moloch be praised, that Jonny Quest theme is cool with a double o. Folks, I think we have hit upon an important and deeply underappreciated late-capitalist art form here.

Posted by Michael on 09/11 at 12:04 PM
I think the Johnny Quest theme song must be disqualified because in my 40-year old memory of the show it was the coolest thing ever and in no way could it be considered a “crappy cartoon.”

Posted by on 09/11 at 12:28 PM
Peanuts?

I spent a half hour or so trying to find something appropriate from the 80s, but everything seemed like another commercial for Mattel or Kenner products. Plus, none of the cartoons I could remember had theme songs that kicked....

Posted by on 09/11 at 12:34 PM
But fardels bear, I’m not saying it was a crappy cartoon, although I don’t think it has aged well. I’m just saying it had crappy animation. For example.

Posted by Gary Oxford on 09/11 at 12:39 PM
You’re having lunch with Pa*l Deign*n and you didn’t invite me?

Color me miffed.

And please do that coloring as if you were Jackson Pollock, because I’m pretty sure I’m meaningful only within a small slice of a distance dimension.

Posted by Chris Clarke on 09/11 at 02:38 PM
I’m pretty sure I’m meaningful only within a small slice of a distance dimension.

Yeah, but Fourier transformed into momentum space, your meaningfulness is vast, Chris. As I think we already knew. *Wink*

You’re having lunch with Pa*l Deign*n and you didn’t invite me?

I suspect he was worried that you would proceed to sit there staring silently, occasionally shaking your head more in sorrow than in anger. Until the management of the Triple XXX were forced to throw you out.

Posted by on 09/11 at 02:54 PM
Do these pants make my meaningfulness look vast?

Posted by Chris Clarke on 09/11 at 04:22 PM
do they provide molded neck pillows at the Triple XXX?

Posted by on 09/11 at 04:28 PM
Not exactly “kickin’,” more of an Indigos/"Uncle John’s Band” sorta folky vibe, but here’s my favorite theme song from my daughter’s era of cartoons. Something about the vocal harmony on that last word I really like a lot.

Posted by on 09/11 at 05:31 PM
Almost forgot...I once mentioned to an acquaintance from Southern Indiana that my brother was going to Purdue. He sez “West Lafayette? I wouldn’t hit a dog in the ass with that town.”
Which seemed both nonsensical and eloquent at the time.

Posted by on 09/11 at 05:37 PM
Peanuts had wonderful animation, but that is definitely the best theme song in all cartoondom.

I submit:
Spiderman, Spiderman
He can do anything a spider can:
Climb a wall, spin a web . . .
Where to look? Overhead!
Hey there, there goes a spider-man!

Even the original was great, and the jazzy possibilities are made more explicit in the link.

Posted by on 09/11 at 06:16 PM
Picking on “Stand By Me” is not only arbitrary, it’s dead wrong. The travesty on Rock ‘n’ Roll is “Sweet Little Sixteen.”

Posted by Dr. Drang on 09/11 at 06:20 PM
I am always-already pwned, so I need not express surprise or shame that mds (of course) pwned me in the first, but I will say in my defense that it’s easier on the back of the class if you name what you link to instead of saying “this.”

At least I linked to the cover version.

The capture word is “son,” as in “I’ve been sonned.”

Posted by on 09/11 at 06:24 PM
Oh, rm! Never rely on your memory unless it’s phonographic.

Spider-man, Spider-man
Does whatever a spider can
Spins a web, any size
Catches thieves, just like flies
...
Take a look, overhead

Posted by Dr. Drang on 09/11 at 06:26 PM
Dr. D,

You lie!

Posted by on 09/11 at 06:47 PM
At least I linked to the cover version.

Michael Bublé? Way to suck up to the Perfesser by picking one of his relatives, rm.

And I was just following our host’s lead in linking via “this.” I thought the mention of Spiderman 2 would be sufficient. Nothing obliques like obliquity.

“I’ve been sonned.”

Me, too. The mdslet has definitely changed everything. Except himself. That, I get to take care of.

Do these pants make my meaningfulness look vast?

Oh, yeah. Chicka, etc.

Posted by on 09/11 at 06:59 PM
Re: Spidey – don’t forget my favorite couplet:

Is he strong? Listen, bud;
He’s got radioactive blood!

Even as a child, I wondered about that connection…

Posted by Dave Maier on 09/11 at 08:00 PM
Picking on “Stand By Me” is not only arbitrary, it’s dead wrong. The travesty on Rock ‘n’ Roll is “Sweet Little Sixteen.”

Ouch! Well, I used to consider myself a Lennon fan, but ever since 9/11, I’m outraged by that cover of “Sweet Little Sixteen.”

You’re having lunch with Pa*l Deign*n and you didn’t invite me?

Sorry, Chris! I figured he wouldn’t be able to keep up with our tequila-and-arm-wresting-with-Ward-Churchill pace. Besides, he’s much nicer in person, not at all obsessive or stalkery, although he did insist on correcting my spelling a few times.

Ah, the fall of ‘05. Good times, except when they were, you know, bad.

And yes, those pants make your meaningfulness look fat! They are, after all, Hottie McNaturepants.

As for Spiderman Theme Song Appreciation Day: just as the middle eight makes the song, the line “is he strong? listen, bud—he’s got radioactive blood” makes the lyrics. It’s right up there with the best of Sammy Kahn.

Posted by Michael on 09/11 at 09:04 PM
Dear Commentariat,

This evening I let my emotions get the best of me when reading Dr. Drang’s comment regarding the true and correct version of the Spiderman lyrics. While I disagree with Dr. Drang’s alleged version,* my comments were inappropriate and regrettable. I extend sincere apologies to the Perfesser for this lack of civility.

*Dr. Drang, after all, has only the evidence of every single Google hit for and recorded version of this song to back up his contention that the lyrics go like he said. It is well known that Internet sources are liberal and cannot be trusted. We should all be concerned by the fact that all these internet sources agree.<i> Think of how far Dr. Drang’s power must reach in order to . . . <i>organize . . . all of these webpages. What kind of intimidation must have been applied to make this happen?

Posted by on 09/11 at 09:22 PM
Because Pookie and White Fang matter, i nominate the zany early 20th century tunes that make the nearly intolerable production values worth watching for the laughs.

Posted by on 09/11 at 09:31 PM
Vince Guaraldi’s work for the Peanuts shows was brilliant.

For worst composition by an otherwise highly regarded composer is The Batman Theme Song by Neal Hefti.

Posted by Randy Paul on 09/11 at 10:27 PM
Hippest Spiderman Theme: Woody Shaw.
Hippest Flintstones Theme: Clark Terry.

(Flintstones is I Got Rhythm changes. With a “Yabba Dabba Doo” coda.)

Posted by on 09/11 at 10:33 PM
since its ABF, I have to ask…

Just when are we going to get around to discussing “Inglorious Basterds”?

we now return you to your regularly scheduled discussion.

Posted by on 09/11 at 11:22 PM
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PrM0E9pag8E

(I’m so sorry, but I don’t know how to do to the link-thingy in the text.) This is the theme song for “Danger Mouse.” My kids watch it on DVD at my parents’ house. Sometimes we have to “translate” the British terms for them, but they get a big kick out of it, especially since we’re all mad about James Bond.

“Spiderman” is clearly one of the best, but I thought he was catching “fleas” for the longest time. We try to see if we can hold the final note longer than Michael Buble’ when we’re on long car rides; it can get very loud.

(Sven, I like the “Dragontales” theme song too.)

Posted by on 09/11 at 11:25 PM
Not to belabor the obvious, or anything, but the best rendition of the Spiderman theme is clearly the one performed by the Ramones.

It’s an objective fact.

Posted by Jason B. on 09/12 at 09:57 AM
I don’t know how that first comma got into that post. I’m sorry if anyone got hung up on it.

Posted by Jason B. on 09/12 at 09:58 AM
What about The Scooby Doo theme for a slightly later generation of crap animation with kickin’ theme songs. Or for the girl group version for what is essential the *same* crap animation, there’s Josie and the Pussycats. For more funk with your 70s childhood crap animation, there’s The Fat Albert theme.

My word verification is “not.” I fear that will be the response to my offering.

Posted by Dr. Virago on 09/12 at 01:32 PM
Thanks for the Ramones cover JB.

if folks haven’t seen it already: http://www.avclub.com/articles/chuck-klosterman-repeats-the-beatles,32560/

Posted by on 09/12 at 01:54 PM
I was wondering when someone was gonna bring up Scooby-Doo, Dr. V. But if you do, you have to go with that first season’s song, which is kinda Archies/ Edison Lighthouse bubblegum, and not the followup song, which is simply Teh Suck.

And Colin, as it happens, I am in a heated and desperate debate at The Edge of the American West about that very Klosterman item to which your “hyper-link” leads.

Posted by Michael on 09/12 at 02:39 PM
I got almost nothing, the other shows that I recall not really being worthy of this thread (like Roger Ramjet, which is still kinda fun though). My favorite badly animated (actually barely animated) cartoon as a young kid was Clutch Cargo, whose minimalist theme is promising but very short (a bit more is played during and at the end of the show).

A completely different kind of thing, but I really did like Daria and it’s very apt theme song.

Posted by on 09/12 at 03:44 PM
I was having a hard time trying to reconstruct my childhood 50s, but i found this site with most of the ones i watched back then (on Engineer Bill on RKO/KHJ and much of the Hanna Barbera/UPC stuff on KCOP/KTTV). A pretty good list to start with, given that sudio orchestras at the time were mostly arranged and conducted by swing band veterans.

Posted by on 09/12 at 09:03 PM
Oh, I do miss Daria.

Posted by Michael on 09/12 at 11:05 PM
As discussed, I heart the opening music of Gerald McBoing-Boing.

Posted by Lauren on 09/12 at 11:27 PM
This site (someone’s link above went to it) also has a *very* comprehensive collection of TV Theme songs (not just cartoons), and browsing through it I’ve recalled a few that I had forgotten.

Posted by on 09/13 at 01:59 AM
I thought Daria was brilliant - which makes me wonder, being that I’m a 50-year-old married man, whether it had any appeal at all to its target demographic.

Posted by on 09/13 at 02:57 PM
I haven’t checked all the links, but I’m a bit surprised there’s no love for the Pink Panther. Now *there* was some sucky animation, but for my young self that snazzy Mancini theme was the coolest ("teh cool”?).

Posted by Dave Maier on 09/13 at 03:20 PM
I used to know a guy who was an LA studio musician in the 60s and played in the sax section on Mancini’s Pink Panther theme (not the tenor solo; that was Plas Johnson). My friend’s biggest claim to fame was that he was the only guy who could get a corny enough alto sound for the My Three Sons lead.

Posted by on 09/13 at 03:29 PM
See, that’s the thing, Bloix—Daria really did appeal to her own age cohort and to ours at the same time and largely for the same reasons. Which makes Daria ... Beatlesque!

And yeah, Dave, the Henry Mancini Pink Panther theme is a classic, which is why cartoon-theme historians refer to it as “Birth of Teh Cool.” But I must admit I prefer the Vince Guaraldi. That left-hand riff is genius, and the whole composition—solos too—is actually quite evocative. Of what? Oh, childhood, innocence, mischievous WW1 flying-ace puppies, that kind of thing.

Posted by Michael on 09/13 at 05:21 PM
All I got is this crappy animation “The Incredible Hulk” with what might just be the crappiest theme song in the history of cartoon theme songs: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Dj26N10Ymlg

Does that count?

Posted by on 09/13 at 05:34 PM
Well, there’s this, sung by Johnny Nash no less, the theme song to Hercules, which I watched religiously before afternoon kindergarten: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vQRasr-0hsM
Love that lyric: “softness in his eyes, iron in his thighs"--might have shaped the sexuality of thousands of late boomer girls.

Posted by on 09/13 at 05:41 PM
Sorry to be unclear - I agree completely about Guaraldi > Mancini. Maybe I thought that went without saying. What a great tune.

Posted by Dave Maier on 09/13 at 05:48 PM
Love that lyric: “softness in his eyes, iron in his thighs"--might have shaped the sexuality of thousands of late boomer girls.

And, I imagine, the sexuality of thousands of late boomer boys, too. I mean, Herc is in the red-orange zone on the gaydar, no?

Posted by Michael on 09/13 at 06:31 PM
I go away for a couple of days, editing the internets to conform to my memory of the Spider-man (don’t ever forget that hyphen!) theme song, and when I come back I see disrespect for the earlier Marvel cartoons. Yes, those theme songs stunk, but they had the great advantage of being short. And patriotic.

When Captain America throws his mighty shield,
All those who chose to oppose his shield must yield.
If he’s led to a fight, and a duel is due,
Then the red and the white and the blue’ll come though
When Captain America throws his mighty shield.

Limited animation has never been so limited, but at least they started with real Kirby artwork.

Posted by Dr. Drang on 09/13 at 07:56 PM
Because Sven and i suffer so mercilessly at the hand of pinball’s fates. The foothills indeed.

If we start opening this up to film animation of opening sequences then the early Bond films of the 60s must be considered too, right??

Posted by on 09/13 at 09:45 PM
Hmmm, I was looking for that Hercules theme song (both now and a few months back) because I don’t “see” sexual orientation. Total Google fail on my part. I mean, thanks!

Daria did appeal to my daughter when she was in the target demo (I discovered it through her), although she was a bit young so we missed the beginning.

Posted by on 09/13 at 10:59 PM
effectual...intellectual

Posted by on 09/13 at 10:59 PM
My gaydar’s almost always on the fritz, Michael. But yes, likely boys too. When I was watching, Mighty Hercules came on just before Captain Kangaroo (when he was young playing old) and Tom Terrific!--who could turn into rockets and hassocks and such. All that switching around must have messed up development of that particular instrument.

Posted by on 09/14 at 06:46 AM
All that switching around must have messed up development of that particular instrument.

Chicka-Wow Chicka-Wow Wow!

Posted by on 09/14 at 11:35 AM
The new york dolls used to open shows with a version of the courageous cat theme:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=IOkA-aI4tZM

Posted by on 09/16 at 04:30 PM
A pretty good list to start with, given that studio orchestras at the time were mostly arranged and conducted by swing band veterans.

Posted by Facebook Backgrounds on 01/30 at 05:33 AM

Next entry: I for one welcome our new Objectivist overlords

Previous entry: Pre-existing conditions

<< Back to main

ABF Friday: Now with extra arbitrariness!

These Comments Are Aware of All Your Sublime and Funky Internet Traditions

Monthly Archives

Most recent entries

Syndicate