Meet the Flintstones

"Meet the Flintstones", also worded as "(Meet) The Flintstones", is the theme song from the 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".
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 (This Is It!)", 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" (Golden R680, released 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 with a 22-piece big band conducted by composer Hoyt Curtin and performed by 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 (The "Tempest"), 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 also credited to 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 (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.
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 album "Rockin’ Rudolph".
The theme song was featured in the sitcom "Full House" and its successor "Fuller House".
The B-52's cover.
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 "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 United Kingdom (the highest being "Love Shack" at number two), also peaking at number three.
Critical reception.
Larry Flick from "Billboard" wrote, "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." 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." Alan Jones from "Music Week" stated, ""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."
Track listing.
7" Single
12" Maxi
12" Promo
Jacob Collier and other covers.
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". He won the Grammy Award for Best Arrangement, Instrumental and Vocals for the cover at the 59th Annual Grammy Awards.
In that same year, portions of the melody were featured on numerous remixes and parodies of video game music. These have been uploaded to the collaborative YouTube channel SiIvaGunner.