Music Toons: 1970’s
by David Krell
david@davidkrell.com
Between the hard-rock sounds of Woodstock and the disco beat of the Bee Gees, the bubble-gum sound thrived in the early 1970’s. Cartoons capitalized on it. Kid Power used music to illustrate a moral message. Jackson 5ive displayed the Jackson Five’s songs in an arena other than radio, albums or American Bandstand.
Whether used as literary devices or merchandising tools, music provided another example of the inevitable connection between music and television.
The cartoons that used music in stories were spinoffs of fictional parent properties (The Partridge Family, The Brady Bunch) or derivatives of real-life singing groups (The Osmonds, Jackson Five).
Kid Power
Produced by: Rankin-Bass
Aired: ABC, 1972-74
Peanuts and Our Gang meet the Rainbow Coalition. The late 1960’s and early 1970’s messages of peace, love, and harmony filled this Rankin-Bass series. The kids comprised a virtual melting pot of nationality, religion, and color. WIth no grownups around, the stories revolved solely around the kids and their ‘power’ to come together and accomplish their goals, hence the show’s title.
Mike Curb directed The Curbstones as the show’s music consultant. The songs might be used to emphasize the story or illustrate a lesson.
Partridge Family: 2200 A.D.
Produced by: Hanna-Barbera
Aired: CBS, 1974-75
The title explains the premise. All the actors from The Partridge Family reprised their roles and lent their voices to their cartoon counterparts, except for Shirley Jones and David Cassidy. This short-lived cartoon lasted six months. It aired the season after ABC cancelled the live-action show. Perhaps it would have found more success had the two shows aired at the same time. Initially, Hanna-Barbera worked on a remake of The Jetsons, but the idea transformed into a futuristic version of the singing family from San Pueblo, California set 200+ years in the future.
The Brady Kids
Produced by: Filmation
Aired: ABC, 1972-74
Chronologically, The Brady Kids is the first spinoff of The Brady Bunch. It lasted about as long as the other spinoffs -- not long at all.
The Brady Kids feature the six actors and actresses from the live-action series provided the voices for their animated likenesses. The kids’ home base is a treehouse with pet pandas Ping and Pong.
Music naturally fit the cartoon because the Brady kids toured in concerts as The Brady Kids, released albums, and performed on The Brady Bunch. Unlike Partridge Family: 2200 A.D., The Brady Kids coincided with its parent show. However, the timing did not help the cartoon’s shelf life.
During the show’s run, a contract dispute led to Barry Williams (‘Greg’) and Christopher Knight (‘Peter’) sitting out the final five episodes. Twenty-two episodes aired.
The other Brady television series spinoffs are:
The Brady Brides (tv-movie of Marcia and Jan’s double wedding and subsequent series)
Aired: February 6, 1981 to April 17, 1981 (NBC)
The Brady Bunch Hour (variety show with comedy sketches)
Aired: January 23, 1977 to May 25, 1977 (ABC)
The Bradys (America’s favorite family crises are portrayed)
Aired: February 9, 1990 to March 9, 1990 (CBS)
Pebbles and Bamm-Bamm
Produced by: Hanna-Barbera
Aired: CBS, 1971-76
Only five years after The Flintstones left ABC’s prime time lineup in 1966, Hanna-Barbera produced a Saturday morning spinoff. In Pebbles and Bamm-Bamm, the title characters are teenagers voiced by Sally Struthers (All in the Family) and Jay North (Dennis the Menace).
Sugary sounds of the early 1970’s appear in the show’s songs, for example, Me and You and a Dog Named Boo. Pebbles, Bamm-Bamm formed their own band -- the Bedrock Rockers.
Pebbles puts her own spin on Fred’s trademark celebratory phrase Yabba Dabba Doo!. When she gets and idea, she exclaims Yabba Dabba Doozy! Her ideas followed Lucy Ricardo’s schemes in nature -- simplistic in theory, difficult to execute. But Bamm-Bamm and the gang -- Moonrock, Penny, and Wiggy -- always pitched in to help Pebbles.
Pebbles and Bamm-Bamm is not the first appearance of Pebbles as a teenager. In the 1963 Flintstones episode Groom Gloom, Fred dreams that Arnold the paperboy marries Pebbles when they grow up.
Fat Albert and the Cosby Kids
Produced by: Filmation
Aired: CBS, 1972-84
The issues facing children are universal. Acceptance by peers. Performing well in school. Being different.
Fat Albert and the Cosby Kids artfully, thoughtfully, and effectively explored these issues in an inner-city setting. Based on Bill Cosby’s stand-up comedy routines about growing up in Philadelphia, the show includes kid versions of Cosby, his younger brother Russell, Fat Albert, Rudy, Mush Mouth, Dumb Donald, Bucky, and Weird Harold.
Cosby addressed the audience about the story in between segments. The kids sang a song depicting the episode’s lesson.
Jackson 5ive
Produced by: Rankin-Bass
Aired: ABC, 1971-73
Rankin-Bass produced Jackson 5ive featuring the famous Motown group from Gary, Indiana and its hit songs. The Jackson Five already experienced tremendous success when the show debuted in 1971. The year prior, the group had four hits reach the #1 slot: I Want You Back, ABC, The Love You Save, I’ll Be There.
Michael, Marlon, Jackie, Tito, and Jermaine voiced their animated likenesses for the show. In the mid-1970’s, CBS aired a prime time variety show featuring the original group minus Jermaine who pursued a solo career. Sisters Maureen, LaToya, and Janet appeared on the show.
The Osmonds
Produced by: Rankin-Bass
Aired: ABC, 1972-74
In between The Andy Williams Show and Donny and Marie, the Osmond boys got their own show, also produced by Rankin-Bass. The Osmond brothers got their big break on Williams’ show in the mid-1960s. Already a bona fide success by the early 1970’s, the Osmonds voiced their cartoon counterparts. The group travelled around the globe, acting as goodwill ambassadors for the U.S.
Charlie Chan and the Chan Clan
Produced by: Hanna-Barbera
Aired: CBS, 1972-73
Charlie Chan and the Chan Clan features the famous detective from the Orient with a large brood consisting of ten children and a dog, Chu Chu. Traveling around the world to solve cases, the Chans benefited from a van that could change into other vehicles at the push of a button. The older Chan kids formed a singing group -- The Chan Clan. Their songs appeared over action sequences and also featured shots of the children playing instruments and singing. Don Kirshner supervised the music as he did on the various Saturday morning incarnations of Archie. Another Archie connection -- Ron Dante provided vocals for The Chan Clan as he did for the Archies. Dante was the Archies’ lead singer.
The Archie Show
Produced by: Filmation
Aired: CBS, 1968-69
Archie and the gang from Riverdale found animated life in 1968 on The Archie Show. It introduced The Archies singing group. Proving the incredible potential of television as a music platform, the fictional group enjoyed the #1 hit of 1969 with Sugar, Sugar. Studio musician Ron Dante provided the vocals.
Although The Archie Show only lasted one year, the characters appeared in several sequel series throughout the 1970’s: Archie’s Fun House Featuring the Giant Juke Box, Archie’s TV Funnies, Everything’s Archie, U.S. of Archie, The New Archie/Sabrina Hour, Archie’s Bang-Shang Lalapalooza Show.
Josie and the Pussycats
Produced by: Filmation
Aired: CBS, 1970-72
Archie comic book artist Dick DeCarlo created the character ‘Josie’ in 1963. Josie characters live in the Archieverse, evidenced by several crossover appearances.
In 1970, Filmation introduced an animated version of Josie. Josie and the Pussycats focus on the singing group of the same name consisting of Josie and her friends Valerie and Melody. Accompanying the group on its adventures is Alexander Cabot III (the group’s manager), his sister Alexandra Cabot (Josie’s rival), and Alan Mayberry (Josie’s boyfriend). Alexandra’s pet cat Sebastian laughs at his mistresses’ failed attempts to bring chaos to the group.
In 1972, Filmation launched Josie and her friends into a new setting. Josie and the Pussycats in Outer Space begins when the signing group tours NASA, gets locked in a rocket, and accidentally launches into space. Josie and the group battle alien forces on their trek through the final frontier. A cuddly alien named Bleep joins them on their galaxy quests.
Josie and the Pussycats in Outer Space lasted one season.