Whether it's Tom and Jerry, Scooby-Doo, the Jetsons, Yogi Bear, Top Cat, Huckleberry Hound, or hundreds of others, the creations of the Hanna-Barbera studio continue to delight generations worldwide. The groundbreaking company employed thousands in the art and business of animation. Some of them were vintage-era veterans, others were up-and-coming talents, some of whom found blockbuster success at other studios. The power of the sounds that Hanna-Barbera crafted to accompany the compelling visuals was a key factor in its spectacular success. Legendary vocal performances and signature sound effects evoke countless visual images. Catchy music cues and theme songs are recalled instantly. Hanna-Barbera, the Recorded History: From Modern Stone Age to Meddling Kids chronicles, for the first time, the story of this entertainment phenomenon from one century to the next and reveals unexplored aspects of its artistry. Hanna-Barbera's impact on the music industry is chief among these aspects. Author Greg Ehrbar chronicles the partnership between Bill Hanna, Joe Barbera, and their talented associates-and, at the same time, parallels the impact of their artistry on the recording industry. Page after page abounds with exclusive interviews, surprising facts, and previously unpublished anecdotes. Also featuring the first extensive H-B discography ever published, Hanna-Barbera, the Recorded History earns its place on the go-to shelf of every animation, music, television, and film enthusiast.
Greg Ehrbar is a writer/author for television, advertising, publishing, and theme parks. His credits include content for Walt Disney Imagineering and Disney marketing, Warner Bros., DreamWorks, Universal, and the Television Academy. A two-time Grammy Award nominee and Addy Award winner, he has spoken at CalArts, Stetson, Florida Atlantic University, and the Norton Museum; appeared on CNN; and consulted for the BBC. His books include Mouse Tracks: The Story of Walt Disney Records (with Tim Hollis) and Inside the Whimsy-Works: My Life with Walt Disney Productions by Jimmy Johnson (coedited with Didier Ghez), both published by University Press of Mississippi. For further information, go to gregovision.net.
Contents Foreword by Tim Matheson A Personal Note by Leonard Maltin About This Book Chapter 1: Tom and Jerry and Bill and Joe Chapter 2: Ruff and Reddy Get H-B Set Chapter 3: Huckleberry Hound Goes to College Chapter 4: Quick Draws and Loopy Loops Chapter 5: The Flintstones Rock the World Chapter 6: Top Cat's Big City Blues Chapter 7: Jetson Jazz: A Crazy Thing! Chapter 8: Jonny Quest and Ann-Margrock Chapter 9: Movies, Guest Stars, and Rock 'n' Roll Chapter 10: Enter, Stage Left: Hanna-Barbera's Record Company Chapter 11: The Gruesomes Have a Monster Party Chapter 12: Pebbles and Bamm-Bamm Go to Hollyrock Chapter 13: Mary Poppins and James Bond Chapter 14: Atom Ant, Secret Squirrel, and The Way-Outs Chapter 15: Fred, Barney, Sammy, and Alice in Wonderland Chapter 16: Laurel and Hardy and The Three Stooges Chapter 17: The Avengers, Elvis, and the Beanstalk Chapter 18: Banana Splits and Cattanooga Cats Chapter 19: Scooby-Doo, Where Are Your Records? Chapter 20: Making Tracks with Josie and the Pussycats Chapter 21: Charlotte, Wilbur, Bill, Joe, Bob, and Dick Chapter 22: The Funtastic, Radiant, Humble Seventies Chapter 23: Smurfs Heard 'Round the World Chapter 24: Heidi Sings and the Jetsons Fly Again Chapter 25: The Man Called Spielrock Chapter 26: H-B's Coast-to-Coast Powerpuff Laboratory Chapter 27: Modern Millennium-Age History Chapter 28: Possible Impossibles Acknowledgments Notes Hanna-Barbera Discography by Label Selected Bibliography Index
Sound and music in animation is one of the most interesting but perhaps undertold stories in show business. In this remarkable book, Greg Ehrbar has gone both deep and wide, and brings the sound out from behind the scenes to stand proudly alongside the visuals. He celebrates not just the great achievements and iconic characters of Hanna-Barbera, but the voices, composers, musicians, and audio technicians who played such a huge part in their success. - Loren Bouchard, creator of Bob's Burgers "I'm so glad that Greg Ehrbar has done this deep dive into H-B audio history to set the often-forgotten record straight (pun intended). No one is more qualified to tell the story." - From the preface by Leonard Maltin, film critic and author of the Leonard Maltin's Movie Guide series "Hanna-Barbera made records? Who knew? The answer: Greg Ehrbar, Hanna-Barbera historian extraordinaire who follows these lost tracks and uncovers a whole missing chapter in animation history. It's a deep cut into the story of one of the world's most successful animation studios. The TV soundtracks and theme songs, the spoken-word audio plays and the rock & roll-it's all covered with expertise by Ehrbar. An overlooked piece of music and cartoon history-with smarter-than-the-average research and writing. Bravo!" - Jerry Beck, author of The Hanna-Barbera Treasury "What a nostalgia fest! Even cartoon fanatics will find plenty to discover within these pages-how our favorite Hanna-Barbera characters became recording stars, from the Flintstones to the Banana Splits to Josie & the Pussycats. It's all here in this thoroughly researched, fascinating history." - Jon Burlingame, author of Music for Prime Time: A History of American Television Themes and Scoring "For years I've had a zillion and five questions about Hanna-Barbera records and now along comes Greg Ehrbar to answer all of 'em in one fell swoop and one swell book. Nobody knows more about this kind of thing than Greg, but if you read and study this must-have volume you might be tied with me for second place." - Mark Evanier, historian and comic book and television writer "Hanna-Barbera, the Recorded History is an entertaining study of one of the world's most influential and prolific creators of character-based storytelling. Scholars and fans of Hanna-Barbera and television animation will undoubtedly find this book to be an invaluable addition to their collections." - James Bohn, author of Music in Disney's Animated Features: "Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs" to "The Jungle Book"
