"Meet the Flintstones", also worded as "(Meet) The Flintstones", is the theme song of the American 1960s animated television series The Flintstones . Composed in 1961 by Hoyt Curtin, Joseph Barbera and William Hanna, it is one of the most popular and best known of all theme songs, with its catchy lyrics "Flintstones, meet the Flintstones, they're the modern Stone Age family". [1] [2]
The opening and closing credits theme during the first two seasons was called "Rise and Shine", a lively instrumental underscore accompanying Fred on his drive home from work. The tune resembled "The Bugs Bunny Overture (This Is It!)", the theme song of The Bugs Bunny Show , also airing on ABC at the time, which may have been why it was changed in the third season. [3]
Before being adopted as the TV theme, "Meet the Flintstones" was released on the Golden Records 78 rpm children's record release Songs of the Flintstones (Golden R680, 1961), as the A-side to a version of "Rise and Shine" with lyrics. It includes verses related to Barney and Betty Rubble and to Dino that are not heard in the later TV version. The melody of "Meet the Flintstones" can also be heard as incidental music in some episodes of the first two seasons.
Starting in Season 3, Episode 3 ("Barney the Invisible"), "Meet the Flintstones" became the opening and closing credits theme. This version was recorded by a 22-piece big band conducted by Curtin and performed by the Randy Van Horne Singers.[ citation needed ] The melody is believed to have been inspired from part of the B section of the second movement of Beethoven's Piano Sonata No. 17 (The "Tempest"). [4] The "Meet the Flintstones" opening was later added to the first two seasons for syndication, with "Rise and Shine" restored when the series was rereleased to syndication and, later, home video in the 1990s. The musical underscores were also credited to Curtin for the show's first five seasons; Ted Nichols took over in 1965 for the final season. [3] During the show's final season, "Open Up Your Heart (And Let the Sunshine In)", performed by Pebbles and Bamm-Bamm in a clip from that season's first episode, was used as alternate close music.
In 2010, a PRS for Music survey of 2,000 adults in the UK found that the "Meet the Flintstones" theme tune was the most recognised children's TV theme, ahead of those for Top Cat and Postman Pat . [1] [5]
Recorded in E-flat major, "Meet the Flintstones" is a contrafact of the jazz standard “I Got Rhythm”, as it conforms to the structure known as rhythm changes, a well-known and popular chord structure in jazz composition. “Meet the Flinstones” may be played as a stand-alone jazz piece, or its melody may be used briefly as a jazz quote over the many other more traditional jazz standards that are also contrafacts using rhythm changes. The song or quote may be played to amuse audiences, in what is known as "jazz humor". [6] The International Association of Jazz Record Collectors calls it "campy" and "cheek by jowl". [7] Rhythm changes and its contrafacts are often performed at an exhilarating pace, which is technically challenging for some. The song has been recorded by Barry Harris on his album Live at Maybeck Recital Hall, Volume Twelve included in a medley with "It Never Entered My Mind" and "I Love Lucy". In 2015, The Brian Setzer Orchestra recorded a version with Christmas-themed lyrics, "Yabba-Dabba-Yuletide", on its Christmas album Rockin’ Rudolph .
The song was featured in the sitcom Full House and its successor Fuller House . [8]
"(Meet) The Flintstones" | ||||
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Single by the B.C. 52's | ||||
from the album The Flintstones: Music from Bedrock | ||||
Released | May 14, 1994 | |||
Genre | Rock | |||
Length | 2:24 | |||
Label | MCA | |||
Songwriter(s) | ||||
Producer(s) | ||||
The B-52's singles chronology | ||||
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"(Meet) The Flintstones" was covered by American new wave band the B-52's as "the B.C. 52's", a fictional band from the film The Flintstones , with an additional verse added. The song was released by MCA as a single from the movie's soundtrack, peaking at number 33 on the US Billboard Hot 100. It was the band's joint highest entry on the Billboard Hot Dance Club Play chart at number three, tying with "Summer of Love" from 1986. The song was also the band's second-highest-charting single in the U.K. (the highest being "Love Shack" at number two), also peaking at number three. Its accompanying music video received heavy rotation on MTV Europe [9] and was A-listed on Germany's VIVA in August 1994. [10]
Larry Flick wrote in Billboard , "That's actually enduring kitsch rock act The B-52's having a field day with the theme from the classic animated series. Lifted and revamped from the soundtrack to the upcoming movie, the track pushes an insistent tribal beat, topped with snatches of cartoon music and vocal loops. Props to remixer Junior Vasquez for a valiant effort. He handles the task of turning a novelty tune into hip jam with agility. Still, the whole thing is so weird that punters may stand and listen before they begin to twirl." [11] Dave Sholin from the Gavin Report concluded, "Only someone who's been hiding in a cave or living under bedrock for the past year wouldn't know about this cartoon come-to-life. Who better than this fun-loving trio to put a '90s spin on this well-known theme." [12]
Pan-European magazine Music & Media commented, "Yabba Dabba Doo! Temporarily renamed BC-52's, Fred Schneider and Kate Pierson make a credible Fred and Wilma on this 'remake of the cartoon's classic theme song." [13] Alan Jones of Music Week wrote, "The Flintstones movie spins off its first single, a quirky remake of the familiar theme tune by the barely incognito B52's. Great fun, in both its succinct pop edit and a stomping house remix." [14] David Quantick from NME viewed it as "a fine single". He added, "It gets off to a corking start and then hangs around waiting from some kind of melodic bus. This turns up and then things get going again. Next there is a spectacularly stupid bit and it ends. [...] But for now "Meet the Flintstones" is a classic of leopardskin good nature-style poperama." [15] Emma Cochrane from Smash Hits gave it three out of five, saying, "This lacks anything resembling tastefulness yet it's so happy you can't help liking it." [16]
Weekly charts
| Year-end charts
|
Region | Certification | Certified units/sales |
---|---|---|
New Zealand (RMNZ) [50] | Gold | 5,000* |
United Kingdom (BPI) [51] | Silver | 200,000^ |
* Sales figures based on certification alone. |
Region | Date | Format(s) | Label(s) | Ref. |
---|---|---|---|---|
United States | May 14, 1994 |
| MCA | [ citation needed ] |
Japan | June 22, 1994 | Mini-CD | [52] | |
United Kingdom | June 27, 1994 |
| [53] |
On May 1, 2016, Jacob Collier released a multitrack vocal jazz version of the song as the second single from his debut album In My Room . [54] He won the Grammy Award for Best Arrangement, Instrumental and Vocals for the cover at the 59th Annual Grammy Awards. [55] The song is also a running gag on the musical parody YouTube channel SiIvaGunner, where it is frequently incorporated into bait-and-switch videos claiming to be "high quality rips" of video game music produced by the group. [56] [57] [58]
"When Doves Cry" is a song by American musician Prince, and the lead single from his sixth studio album Purple Rain. According to the DVD commentary of the film Purple Rain (1984), Prince was asked by director Albert Magnoli to write a song to match the theme of a particular segment of the film that involved Prince's character The Kid's intermingled parental difficulties with his father Francis L. and mother and a love affair with Apollonia. The next morning, Prince had composed two songs, one of which was "When Doves Cry". According to Prince's biographer Per Nilsen, the song was inspired by his relationship with Vanity 6 member Susan Moonsie.
"Take My Breath Away" is a song written by Giorgio Moroder and Tom Whitlock for the 1986 film Top Gun, performed by American new wave band Berlin. It won the Academy Award for Best Original Song as well as the Golden Globe Award for Best Original Song in 1986.
"I Will Survive" is a song recorded by American singer Gloria Gaynor, released in October 1978 by Polydor Records as the second single from her sixth album, Love Tracks (1978). It was written by Freddie Perren and Dino Fekaris. The song's lyrics describe the narrator's discovery of personal strength following an initially devastating breakup. The song is frequently regarded as an anthem of gay empowerment, as well as a disco staple.
"What's Up?" is a song by American rock group 4 Non Blondes, released in March 1993 by Interscope and Atlantic Records as the second single from their debut album, Bigger, Better, Faster, More! (1992). The song was written by lead singer Linda Perry and produced by David Tickle. It has gained popularity in the United States and in several European countries, peaking at number one in Austria, Belgium, Denmark, Germany, Iceland, Ireland, the Netherlands, Norway, Poland, Sweden, and Switzerland. The accompanying music video was directed by American film director Morgan Lawley and was also nominated in the category for Best Alternative Rock Video at the MTV Video Music Awards.
"Boulevard of Broken Dreams" is a song by American rock band Green Day. The power ballad is the fourth track from their seventh studio album American Idiot (2004). Reprise Records released "Boulevard of Broken Dreams" as the second single from American Idiot on November 29, 2004. The song's lyrics were written by lead singer Billie Joe Armstrong, and the music was composed by the band. Production was handled by Rob Cavallo and Green Day.
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"Endless Love" is a song written by Lionel Richie and originally recorded as a duet between Richie and singer/actress Diana Ross. In this ballad, the singers declare their "endless love" for one another. It was covered by Luther Vandross with R&B-pop singer Mariah Carey, and also by country music singer Shania Twain. Billboard has named the original version as the greatest song duet of all time.
"Can You Feel the Love Tonight" is a song from Disney's 1994 animated feature film The Lion King composed by English musician Elton John with lyrics by Tim Rice. Released as a single in May 1994, the song was a hit in the UK, peaking at number 14 on the UK Singles Chart, and achieved success in the United States, reaching number four on the Billboard Hot 100. The song was a number-one hit in Canada and France. At the 67th Academy Awards in March 1995, it won the Academy Award for Best Original Song. The same year, the song also won John the Grammy Award for Best Male Pop Vocal Performance. Completing a trifecta, the song also won a Golden Globe at the 52nd Golden Globe Awards held in 1995 for Best Song - Motion Picture.
"Another Night" is a song by German Eurodance and pop music project Real McCoy. The single is featured on their hit album Another Night (1995), which was the American release of the project's second album, Space Invaders. The song was written and produced in Germany by Juergen Wind and Frank Hassas (Quickmix) in 1993 under the producer team name Freshline. It was released in Europe on 12 July 1993 by Hansa Records and two music videos were produced, directed by Nigel Dick and Angel Garcia.
"Cantaloop (Flip Fantasia)" is a song by British jazz-rap group Us3, originally released in October 1992 by Blue Note Records as the lead single from the group's debut album, Hand On the Torch (1993). The song was recorded as a demo a year before the group's first release and features a sample of Herbie Hancock's song "Cantaloupe Island". Another sample, the announcement by Pee Wee Marquette, is taken from the Blue Note album A Night at Birdland, Vol. 1 by The Art Blakey Quintet. "Cantaloop (Flip Fantasia)" did not chart in the group's native UK, but in the US, it reached No. 9 and 7 on the Billboard Hot 100 and Cash Box Top 100, becoming the group's only top 40 single. It was subsequently re-released in UK where it peaked at No. 23. The song was certified gold by the Recording Industry Association of America (RIAA) on March 25, 1994 for selling over 500,000 copies.
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This is the discography and videography of American rock band The B-52s.
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