The Banana Splits Adventure Hour was a popular American television variety show created by Hanna-Barbera Productions. It premiered in 1968 and featured a unique blend of live-action comedy skits, cartoons, and musical performances.
The show was designed as a children’s program but had elements that appealed to audiences of all ages, making it a significant cultural phenomenon of its time. The main characters of the show were anthropomorphic animal characters known as The Banana Splits, who were members of a fictional rock band. The band consisted of Fleegle the beagle (the lead guitarist and vocalist of The Banana Splits band.
He is known for his energetic and playful personality, often leading the group in various adventures and musical performances), Bingo the gorilla (the drummer of the band and is portrayed as a fun-loving and sometimes mischievous gorilla character. Despite his large size, he is depicted as gentle and good-natured), Drooper the lion (the bass guitarist of The Banana Splits, known for his laid-back and easygoing demeanor.
He is portrayed as the calm and collected member of the band), and Snorky the elephant (the keyboardist of The Banana Splits and is portrayed as a shy and gentle elephant character. He communicates through honks and sounds rather than speech). Each episode typically included comedic sketches involving the characters, as well as animated segments featuring other Hanna-Barbera cartoons like “The Arabian Knights”,
“Danger Island”, “Micro Ventures”, and “The Three Musketeers.” Musically, The Banana Splits are remembered for their catchy and upbeat songs, often performed within the show. Some of their most popular tracks included “The Tra La La Song (One Banana, Two Banana)” and “Doin’ the Banana Split.” These songs not only entertained viewers but also became iconic representations of the show’s lively and playful spirit.
Voiced By
Original Cartoon Voices
- Fleegle – by Paul Winchell (1968–1972)
- Bingo – by Daws Butler (1968–1972)
- Drooper – by Allan Melvin (1968–1972)
- Snorky – performed on-screen sounds by James Dove (1968–1972)
- Announcer – by Allan Melvin (1968–1972)
Hanna-Barbera cartoons
The Banana Splits Adventure Hour aired originally on NBC from September 7, 1968, to September 5, 1970, and later in syndication. The Banana Splits’ bubblegum pop rock and roll was provided by studio professionals, including Al Kooper (“You’re the Lovin’ End”), Barry White (“Doin’ the Banana Split”), and Gene Pitney (“Two Ton Tessie”).
We’re the Banana Splits Album (1968) Decca DL-75075
Side One:
- “We’re the Banana Splits” (Tony Powers/Ritchie Adams)
- “I’m Gonna Find a Cave” (Buddy Scott/Jimmy Radcliffe)
- “This Spot” (Jay Fishman/Don Lauren)
- “Doin’ The Banana Split” (Barry White)
- “Toy Piano Melody” (Roy Alfred)
- “Soul” (Jimmy Radcliffe/Carl Spencer)
Side Two:
- “The Tra La La Song (One Banana, Two Banana)” (N.B. Winkless Jr.)
- “Wait Til Tomorrow” (Ritchie Adams/Mark Barkan)
- “You’re The Lovin’ End” (Al Kooper/Irwin Levine)
- “In New Orleans” (Billy Barberis/Bobby Ronga/Aaron Schroeder)
- “Two Ton Tessie” (Aaron Schroeder/Gene Pitney)
- “Don’t Go Away—Go-Go Girl” (Jimmy Radcliffe/Buddy Scott)
Jimmy Radcliffe provided his songs (“I’m Gonna Find a Cave”, “Soul”, “Don’t Go Away Go-Go Girl”, and “The Show Must Go On”) but did not contribute vocals to Splits recordings. The music director was music publisher Aaron Schroeder who picked the songs created by his staff writers. The intended main theme song was to be the Ritchie Adams[1] and Tony Powers song
“We’re the Banana Splits” but the television and advertising executives thought the “Tra La La Song”, credited to Mark Barkan and Ritchie Adams, was a catchier theme. It was actually written by N. B. Winkless Jr. of the Leo Burnett Agency but credited to Adams and Barkan for contractual reasons.
N.B. Winkless Jr., born in Chicago in 1913, was a prolific jingle writer and creative force at the Leo Burnett Agency, known for his memorable contributions to advertising music. In addition to writing “The Tra La La Song” for The Banana Splits, Winkless crafted numerous iconic jingles, including the enduring “Snap! Crackle! Pop!” for Rice Krispies, ‘K-E double L O double Good…Kellogg’s best for you, ‘Who, Who the Wizard/The wonderful wizard/The wizard of oats, and the theme song for Magilla Gorilla among others.
His ability to create engaging and memorable tunes played a significant role in shaping the auditory landscape of advertising during his career. Two 45RPM EP records with four Banana Splits songs each were available via an offer on the back of Kellogg’s cereal boxes. Decca released three 45 RPM singles in mono mixes. The 1969 Decca 73256 single, “Long Live Love” and “Pretty Painted Carousel”, were not included on the album.
Kellogg’s Extended Play Records
Kellogg’s Presents The Banana Splits Sing’n Play The Tra-La-La Song (One Banana, Two Banana) (1969) Hanna-Barbera Premium Division #34578 (with picture sleeve)
- Side One: “The Tra La La Song (One Banana, Two Banana)” (alternate mix)/”That’s The Pretty Part Of You”
- Side Two: “It’s A Good Day For A Parade”/”The Very First Kid On My Block”
Kellogg’s Presents The Banana Splits Sing’n Play The Tra-La-La Song (One Banana, Two Banana) (1969) Hanna-Barbera Premium Division #34578 (with picture sleeve)
- Side One: “Doin’ The Banana Split” (alternate mix)/”I Enjoy Being A Boy (In Love With You)”
- Side Two: “The Beautiful Calliopa”/”Let Me Remember You Smiling”
The other two singles were the 1969 Decca 32391, “Wait Til Tomorrow”/”We’re the Banana Splits”, and the 1968 Decca 32429 “The Tra La La Song (One Banana, Two Banana)” (single version)/”Toy Piano Melody” The single version of “The Tra La La Song” is an entirely different arrangement and recording of the song from the one on the We’re the Banana Splits album and the TV show and features an additional verse.
Songs featured in the television series but not released on records
- “Doin’ the Banana Split” (alternate vocal) (show #2, first broadcast 1968-09-14)
- “The Show Must Go On” (show #2, first broadcast 1968-09-14)
- “I’d Be a Millionaire” (show #6, first broadcast 1968-10-12)
- “Adam Had ‘Em” (show #9, first broadcast 1968-11-02)
- “The Beautiful Calliopa” (alternate version) (show #11, first broadcast 1968-11-16)
- “A Place for the Music to Come Out” (show #13, first broadcast 1968-11-30)
- “You Had Your Chance” (show #15, first broadcast 1968-12-14)
A compact disc of the album was released in 1995, Hollywood Library HL 75075. It includes the album tracks and more. They also included The Beagles LP, the Total TV characters (this is unreleated to the Banana Splits but is excellent).
We’re The Banana Splits
- The Tra La La Song (One Banana, Two Banana) (Album version)
- We’re The Banana Splits
- I’m Gonna Find A Cave
- This Spot
- Doin’ The Banana Split (listed as “Doin’ The Banana”)
- Wait Til Tomorrow
- You’re The Lovin’ End
- Toy Piano Melody
- In New Orleans
- Two-Ton Tessie
- Long Live Love
- Don’t Go Away–Go-Go Girl
- It’s A Good Day For A Parade
- Pretty Painted Carousel
- I Enjoy Being A Boy (In Love With You)
- The Tra La La Song (One Banana, Two Banana) (Single version)
- That’s The Pretty Part Of You
- The Very First Kid On My Block
- The Beautiful Calliopa
- Let Me Remember You Smiling
- Soul
Here Come The Beagles
- Looking For The Beagles
- Sharing Wishes
- I’d Join The Foreign Legion
- What More Can I Do?
- Be The Captain
- Humpty Dumpty
- Thanks To The Man On The Moon
- I Wanna Capture You
- Indian Love Dance
- You Satisfy
Several of the songs released on record (or CD) but not featured in the television series include “In New Orleans”, “Don’t Go Away—Go-Go Girl”, “Let Me Remember You Smiling”, “Long Live Love”, and “Pretty Painted Carousel”. The Banana Splits’ adventures continued in comic books. Gold Key began publishing a comic version in 1969, releasing eight issues through 1971. Drawn by Jack Manning, these stories followed the musicians either trying to find work or on the road between gigs.
Footnotes
- Ritchie Adams, born Richard Adam Ziegler, was a multifaceted American musician, singer, and songwriter, best known for his work in the 1960s and 1970s. He began his career as the lead singer of The Fireflies, a doo-wop group that achieved success with hits like “You Were Mine.” Adams later transitioned to songwriting, where he penned numerous popular songs, including “Tossin’ and Turnin’,” which became a chart-topping hit for Bobby Lewis. His versatility extended to television, co-writing “The Tra La La Song (One Banana, Two Banana)” for The Banana Splits. Throughout his career, Adams contributed to a variety of musical genres, leaving a lasting impact on the industry. [Back]
Further Reading
Sources
- Discogs “The Banana Splits – The Tra La La Song (One Banana, Two Banana)” https://www.discogs.com/release/9596783-The-Banana-Splits-The-Tra-La-La-Song-One-Banana-Two-Banana
- Casey’s Rock N Roll Gazette “N.B Winkless & The Banana Splits” https://comrrb.blogspot.com/2019/10/nb-winkless-banana-splits.html
- Hanna-Barbera Wiki “List of songs in The Banana Splits Adventure Hour” https://hanna-barbera.fandom.com/wiki/List_of_songs_in_The_Banana_Splits_Adventure_Hour
- The Banana Splits Wiki “The Tra La La Song” https://thebananasplits.fandom.com/wiki/The_Tra_La_La_Song
- Wikipedia “Banana Splits discography” https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Banana_Splits_discography
- Wikipedia “The Tra La La Song (One Banana, Two Banana)” https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Tra_La_La_Song_(One_Banana,_Two_Banana)
- Discogs “The Banana Splits” https://www.discogs.com/artist/396568-The-Banana-Splits
- Wikipedia “The Banana Splits” https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Banana_Splits
