The Bugaloos
Encyclopedia
The Bugaloos is an American
children's television series produced by brothers Sid and Marty Krofft
, airing on NBC on Saturday mornings from 1970 to 1972. The show featured a musical group composed of four British-accented teenagers, who lived in fictional Tranquility Forest. They wore insect-themed outfits with antenna and wings which allowed them to fly (though on occasion flying on surfboards), and were constantly beset by the evil machinations of Benita Bizarre (played by comedienne Martha Raye
), who was covetous of the Bugaloos' musical prowess.
version of The Monkees
, The Bugaloos attracted more than 5,000 young actors and actresses to audition for the show's four lead roles, each having to demonstrate aptitude in dance, singing, and acting. Among those auditioning in spring 1970 were Elton John
's future manager John Reid
, and Phil Collins
, who joined the art-rock band Genesis
later that year.
Reid and Collins had been two of the three finalists for the role of "I.Q." given to McIndoe. "If one of those guys had gotten it instead of me, rock-'n'-roll history might have changed," McIndoe later joked. "Whenever I see them, I say, 'Hey guys, you were lucky you didn't get the part.'"
The show was taped in Los Angeles, California
. Seventeen episodes of the series were produced. Like its predecessor H.R. Pufnstuf
(1969), The Bugaloos ran for only one season (1970–1971), with reruns airing the following year (1971–1972).
Like most children's television shows of the era, The Bugaloos contained a laugh track
. Cast members John Philpott and Caroline Ellis discussed its usage while viewing an episode of the show for DVD commentary.
Supporting characters were:
Though peace loving and hippie
-like, The Bugaloos were pursued by an evil, jealous old crone named Benita Bizarre (Martha Raye
) who lived in a gigantic jukebox
, and used it to broadcast her own brand of blaring, obnoxious, unpleasant music. A dreadful singer, she was furious at the popularity of The Bugaloos' more melodic, upbeat sound, and she plotted elaborate, unsuccessful schemes to destroy or enslave them.
Benita was aided by two bumbling henchmen, the anthropomorphic speakers Woofer and Tweeter (Joy Campbell and Van Snowden), and her chauffeur and chief flunky, the German
-accented Funky Rat (Sharon Baird
). She frequently made use of a powerful ultrasonic weapon called the Stereo Zapper, which could render its victim unconscious in seconds.
Raye also appeared the same year in the HR Pufnstuf movie as the Head Witch. The Funky Rat costume was also used for essentially the same role (the Head Witch's Chauffeur).
Voice Characterizations for the various characters in the series were provided by Joan Gerber
and Walker Edmiston
.
and Charles Fox
, the songwriters of "Killing Me Softly with His Song
" and the theme songs to films and programs such as Last American Hero ("I Got A Name
," sung by Jim Croce
), Happy Days
, Laverne and Shirley, and The New Adventures of Wonder Woman
. A cover of the Bugaloos theme performed by Collective Soul
is included on the 1995 tribute album
Saturday Morning: Cartoons' Greatest Hits, produced by Ralph Sall
for MCA Records
.
The Bugaloos released an album in 1970 (Capitol Records
ST-621), featuring studio-recorded versions of some of the songs performed on the show. The track list is as follows:
Side 1
Side 2
One single was released in conjunction with the album: "For a Friend"/"The Senses of Our World" (Capitol 2946). "For a Friend" charted as a minor hit.
The track "Just the Memory Stays Around" did not appear in any episode, and is available only on the LP. The LP was re-released on CD in January 2000 by Vivid Sound in Japan and in 2006 by Cherry Red Records of London.
The Bugaloos recorded 15 songs. Aside from the 11 that appear on their album, there are 4 unreleased songs that can be heard in episodes of the TV series. The 4 unreleased songs are:
1. "Sparky"
2. "I'm As Happy As Can Be"
3. "I Really Love You"
4. "Flicker Town"
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
children's television series produced by brothers Sid and Marty Krofft
Sid and Marty Krofft
Sid Krofft and Marty Krofft , are a sibling team of television producers who were influential in children's television and variety show programs in the USA, particularly throughout the 1970s and early 1980s....
, airing on NBC on Saturday mornings from 1970 to 1972. The show featured a musical group composed of four British-accented teenagers, who lived in fictional Tranquility Forest. They wore insect-themed outfits with antenna and wings which allowed them to fly (though on occasion flying on surfboards), and were constantly beset by the evil machinations of Benita Bizarre (played by comedienne Martha Raye
Martha Raye
Martha Raye was an American comic actress and standards singer who performed in movies, and later on television....
), who was covetous of the Bugaloos' musical prowess.
Production and airing
Touted as the BritishUnited Kingdom
The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern IrelandIn the United Kingdom and Dependencies, other languages have been officially recognised as legitimate autochthonous languages under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages...
version of The Monkees
The Monkees
The Monkees are an American pop rock group. Assembled in Los Angeles in 1966 by Robert "Bob" Rafelson and Bert Schneider for the American television series The Monkees, which aired from 1966 to 1968, the musical acting quartet was composed of Americans Micky Dolenz, Michael Nesmith and Peter Tork,...
, The Bugaloos attracted more than 5,000 young actors and actresses to audition for the show's four lead roles, each having to demonstrate aptitude in dance, singing, and acting. Among those auditioning in spring 1970 were Elton John
Elton John
Sir Elton Hercules John, CBE, Hon DMus is an English rock singer-songwriter, composer, pianist and occasional actor...
's future manager John Reid
John Reid (music)
John Reid is a Scottish manager and music industry figure, currently living and working in Australia.Between 1975 and 1978, Reid was the manager of British rock group Queen and Kevin Ayers...
, and Phil Collins
Phil Collins
Philip David Charles "Phil" Collins, LVO is an English singer-songwriter, drummer, pianist and actor best known as a drummer and vocalist for British progressive rock group Genesis and as a solo artist....
, who joined the art-rock band Genesis
Genesis (band)
Genesis are an English rock band that formed in 1967. The band currently comprises the longest-tenured members Tony Banks , Mike Rutherford and Phil Collins . Past members Peter Gabriel , Steve Hackett and Anthony Phillips , also played major roles in the band in its early years...
later that year.
Reid and Collins had been two of the three finalists for the role of "I.Q." given to McIndoe. "If one of those guys had gotten it instead of me, rock-'n'-roll history might have changed," McIndoe later joked. "Whenever I see them, I say, 'Hey guys, you were lucky you didn't get the part.'"
The show was taped in Los Angeles, California
Los Angeles, California
Los Angeles , with a population at the 2010 United States Census of 3,792,621, is the most populous city in California, USA and the second most populous in the United States, after New York City. It has an area of , and is located in Southern California...
. Seventeen episodes of the series were produced. Like its predecessor H.R. Pufnstuf
H.R. Pufnstuf
H.R. Pufnstuf was a children's television series produced by Sid and Marty Krofft in the United States. It was the first Krofft live-action, life-size puppet program. The seventeen episodes were originally broadcast September 6, 1969 to September 4, 1971...
(1969), The Bugaloos ran for only one season (1970–1971), with reruns airing the following year (1971–1972).
Like most children's television shows of the era, The Bugaloos contained a laugh track
Laugh track
A laugh track is a separate soundtrack invented by Charles "Charley" Douglass, with the artificial sound of audience laughter, made to be inserted into television programming of comedy shows and sitcoms.The term "laugh track" does not apply to the genuine audience laughter on shows that shoot in...
. Cast members John Philpott and Caroline Ellis discussed its usage while viewing an episode of the show for DVD commentary.
Characters
Actor / Character Name / Role In the Band- Wayne LaryeaWayne LaryeaWayne Laryea is a former British television actor. Wayne is best known to American audiences for his role as Harmony in The Bugaloos . British viewers may remember him as Johnny in Pipkins...
/ Harmony (a bumblebeeBumblebeeA bumble bee is any member of the bee genus Bombus, in the family Apidae. There are over 250 known species, existing primarily in the Northern Hemisphere although they are common in New Zealand and in the Australian state of Tasmania.Bumble bees are social insects that are characterised by black...
) / keyboards - John PhilpottJohn PhilpottJohn Philpott is a British actor. Philpott is best known to American audiences for his role as Courage in The Bugaloos . As he shared the same first name as taller co-star John McIndoe, Philpott was referred to as "Little John" to differentiate between the two actors.Philpott is no longer acting,...
/ Courage (a ladybug) / drums - Caroline EllisCaroline EllisCaroline Ellis is an English actress. Ellis is best known to American audiences for her role as the character Joy in The Bugaloos ....
/ Joy (a butterflyButterflyA butterfly is a mainly day-flying insect of the order Lepidoptera, which includes the butterflies and moths. Like other holometabolous insects, the butterfly's life cycle consists of four parts: egg, larva, pupa and adult. Most species are diurnal. Butterflies have large, often brightly coloured...
) / percussion, lead and backup vocals - John McIndoeJohn McIndoeJohn McIndoe is a British singer and guitarist and actor. McIndoe is best known to American audiences for his role as I.Q. in The Bugaloos ....
/ I.Q. (a grasshopperGrasshopperThe grasshopper is an insect of the suborder Caelifera in the order Orthoptera. To distinguish it from bush crickets or katydids, it is sometimes referred to as the short-horned grasshopper...
) / guitars and lead vocals
Supporting characters were:
- Sparky (portrayed by Billy BartyBilly BartyBilly Barty was an American film actor.-Biography:Barty, an Italian American, was born William John Bertanzetti in Millsboro, Pennsylvania...
, in the first of many roles he would play from the Krofft Brothers), a firefly who was taken in by The Bugaloos - Nutty Bird, local messenger who periodically delivered messages to and from the Bugaloos
- Peter Platter, a DJ for radio station KOOK in nearby Rock City
- Mike, Peter Platters's smart-alecky talking microphone
- Magico The Magician, magician & hypnotist extrordinaire
- Gina Lolawattage, firefly singer & actress who becomes smitten with her #1 fan, Sparky
- Bluebell Flower, a giant talking flower who alerted the Bugaloos of impending danger, such as Benita's latest schemes, serving as their "alarm bell."
- The Grapevine, a bunch of talking grapes who aided Bluebell in giving the Bugaloos the latest bad news — a visual take on the hit Motown song "I Heard it Through the GrapevineI Heard It through the Grapevine"I Heard It Through the Grapevine" is a landmark song in the history of Motown. Written by Norman Whitfield and Barrett Strong in 1966, the single was first recorded by Smokey Robinson & the Miracles...
."
Hippie
The hippie subculture was originally a youth movement that arose in the United States during the mid-1960s and spread to other countries around the world. The etymology of the term 'hippie' is from hipster, and was initially used to describe beatniks who had moved into San Francisco's...
-like, The Bugaloos were pursued by an evil, jealous old crone named Benita Bizarre (Martha Raye
Martha Raye
Martha Raye was an American comic actress and standards singer who performed in movies, and later on television....
) who lived in a gigantic jukebox
Jukebox
A jukebox is a partially automated music-playing device, usually a coin-operated machine, that will play a patron's selection from self-contained media...
, and used it to broadcast her own brand of blaring, obnoxious, unpleasant music. A dreadful singer, she was furious at the popularity of The Bugaloos' more melodic, upbeat sound, and she plotted elaborate, unsuccessful schemes to destroy or enslave them.
Benita was aided by two bumbling henchmen, the anthropomorphic speakers Woofer and Tweeter (Joy Campbell and Van Snowden), and her chauffeur and chief flunky, the German
German language
German is a West Germanic language, related to and classified alongside English and Dutch. With an estimated 90 – 98 million native speakers, German is one of the world's major languages and is the most widely-spoken first language in the European Union....
-accented Funky Rat (Sharon Baird
Sharon Baird
Sharon Baird is an American actress and dancer who is best known for having been a Mouseketeer.-Early life:Sharon Baird was born in Seattle, Washington to Eldon Baird, an aerospace worker, and Nikki Marcus, a future talent agent. She has one younger brother, Jimmy Baird, also a former child actor...
). She frequently made use of a powerful ultrasonic weapon called the Stereo Zapper, which could render its victim unconscious in seconds.
Raye also appeared the same year in the HR Pufnstuf movie as the Head Witch. The Funky Rat costume was also used for essentially the same role (the Head Witch's Chauffeur).
Voice Characterizations for the various characters in the series were provided by Joan Gerber
Joan Gerber
Joan Gerber is an American voice actress for a variety of cartoons.- Filmography :* 1959: Matty's Funday Funnies : Additional Voices...
and Walker Edmiston
Walker Edmiston
-Career:Walker Edmiston was an American character actor and voice-over artist who was born in St. Louis, Missouri. Edmiston appeared on various television programs in character roles during the 1950s – 1970s, such as Gunsmoke, Mission: Impossible, Knots Landing, and The Dukes of Hazzard, all...
.
Music
The show's music director was Hal Yoergler, who also wrote many of the show's songs and produced the album, "The Bugaloos," released in 1970. The title song "The Bugaloos" was written by Norman GimbelNorman Gimbel
Norman Gimbel is an American lyricist of popular songs, television and movie themes whose writing career includes such titles as "Sway", "Canadian Sunset", "Summer Samba", "The Girl from Ipanema", "Killing Me Softly With His Song", "Meditation" and "I Will Wait for You", along with an Oscar for...
and Charles Fox
Charles Fox (composer)
Charles Ira Fox is an American composer for film and television. His most heard compositions are probably the "love themes" , and the dramatic theme music to ABC's Wide World of Sports and the original Monday Night Football.....
, the songwriters of "Killing Me Softly with His Song
Killing Me Softly with His Song
"Killing Me Softly with His Song" is a 1971 song composed by Charles Fox and Norman Gimbel. It has been covered by numerous artists, most notably by Roberta Flack whose version topped the U.S...
" and the theme songs to films and programs such as Last American Hero ("I Got A Name
I Got a Name
-Songwriting:Croce's wife Ingrid Croce has an autobiographical cookbook, Thyme In A Bottle, in which she writes interesting anecdotes about Jim. What she wrote about "I'll Have To Say 'I Love You' in a Song" is this....
," sung by Jim Croce
Jim Croce
James Joseph "Jim" Croce January 10, 1943 – September 20, 1973 was an American singer-songwriter. Between 1966 and 1973, Croce released five studio albums and 11 singles...
), Happy Days
Happy Days
Happy Days is an American television sitcom that originally aired from January 15, 1974, to September 24, 1984, on ABC. Created by Garry Marshall, the series presents an idealized vision of life in mid-1950s to mid-1960s America....
, Laverne and Shirley, and The New Adventures of Wonder Woman
Wonder Woman (TV series)
Wonder Woman is an American television series based on the DC Comics comic book superhero of the same name. Starring Lynda Carter as Wonder Woman/Diana Prince and Lyle Waggoner as Steve Trevor, the show originally aired from 1975 to 1979....
. A cover of the Bugaloos theme performed by Collective Soul
Collective Soul
Collective Soul is an American rock band originally formed in Stockbridge, Georgia. Collective Soul broke into mainstream popularity with their first hit single, "Shine", which came from their debut album Hints, Allegations, and Things Left Unsaid, released in 1993...
is included on the 1995 tribute album
Tribute album
A tribute album is a recorded collection of cover versions of songs or instrumental compositions. Its concept may be either various artists making a tribute to a single artist, a single artist making a tribute to various artists, or a single artist making a tribute to another single artist.There...
Saturday Morning: Cartoons' Greatest Hits, produced by Ralph Sall
Ralph Sall
Ralph Sall is a record producer, music supervisor, composer, songwriter, and screenwriter. He is the president of Bulletproof Entertainment, a company involved in several facets of the entertainment industry, including film, television, comic books and graphic novels, music, internet and live...
for MCA Records
MCA Records
MCA Records was an American-based record company owned by MCA Inc., which later gave way to the larger MCA Music Entertainment Group , of which MCA Records was still part. MCA Records was absorbed by Geffen Records in 2003...
.
The Bugaloos released an album in 1970 (Capitol Records
Capitol Records
Capitol Records is a major United States based record label, formerly located in Los Angeles, but operating in New York City as part of Capitol Music Group. Its former headquarters building, the Capitol Tower, is a major landmark near the corner of Hollywood and Vine...
ST-621), featuring studio-recorded versions of some of the songs performed on the show. The track list is as follows:
Side 1
- "If You Become a Bugaloo"
- "The Senses of Our World"
- "For a Friend"
- "Believe"
- "It's New to You"
Side 2
- "Fly Away With Us"
- "Older Woman"
- "Just the Memory Stays Around"
- "Gna Gna Gna Gna Gna"
- "Castles in the Air"
- "The Bugaloos (Theme Song)"
One single was released in conjunction with the album: "For a Friend"/"The Senses of Our World" (Capitol 2946). "For a Friend" charted as a minor hit.
The track "Just the Memory Stays Around" did not appear in any episode, and is available only on the LP. The LP was re-released on CD in January 2000 by Vivid Sound in Japan and in 2006 by Cherry Red Records of London.
The Bugaloos recorded 15 songs. Aside from the 11 that appear on their album, there are 4 unreleased songs that can be heard in episodes of the TV series. The 4 unreleased songs are:
1. "Sparky"
2. "I'm As Happy As Can Be"
3. "I Really Love You"
4. "Flicker Town"