"Meet the Flintstones", also worded as "The Flintstones", is the theme song from the 1960s animated television seriesThe 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".
Background
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 ", the theme song of The Bugs Bunny Show, also airing on ABC at the time, and may have been the reason the theme was changed in the third season. Prior to being adopted as the TV theme, "Meet the Flintstones" was first released on the Golden Records 78 rpm children's record release Songs of the Flintstones, 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, "Meet the Flintstones" became the opening and closing credits theme. This version was recorded with a 22-piece big band, and the Randy Van Horne Singers. The melody is believed to have been inspired from part of the 'B' section of Beethoven's Piano Sonata No. 17, Movement 2, composed in 1801/02, and reharmonized. The "Meet the Flintstones" opening was later added to the first two seasons for syndication, with "Rise and Shine" restored when the series was re-released to syndication and, later, home video in the 1990s. The musical underscores were credited to Hoyt Curtin for the show's first five seasons; Ted Nichols took over in 1965 for the final season. During the show's final season, "Open Up Your Heart ", performed by Pebbles and Bamm-Bamm, in a clip from that season's first episode, was used as alternate close music.
Popularity
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.
Jazz standard
Recorded in the key of E-flat major, it has since become a jazz standard; in addition, harmonically it conforms to the structure known as rhythm changes, a well known kind of composition for jazz musicians. It is often played for the amusement of audiences as part of a medley, forming what is referred to as "jazz humor". The International Association of Jazz Record Collectors refer to it as "campy" and "cheek by jowl". Often performed at an exhilarating pace, it is technically challenging for some. The song has been performed in the middle of a jazz medley with "It Never Entered My Mind" and "I Love Lucy". In 2015, The Brian Setzer Orchestra recorded a version with Christmas-themed lyrics entitled "Yabba-Dabba-Yuletide" on his Christmas albumRockin’ Rudolph. The theme song was featured in the sitcomFull House and its successor Fuller House.
The song was covered by The B-52's, with an additional verse added, as "The B.C. 52's", a fictional band from the film The Flintstones. It was released 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 BillboardHot 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 United Kingdom, also peaking at number three.
