WE'RE THE BANANA SPLITS  -  THE BANANA SPLITS

YEAR:  1968
LABEL:  Decca
TRACK LISTING:  We're the Banana Splits,  I'm Gonna Find A Cave,  This Spot,  Doin' the Banana Split,  Toy Piano Melody,  Soul,  The Tra La La Song (One Banana Two Banana),  Wait Til Tomorrow,  You're the Lovin' End,  In New Orleans,  Two Ton Tessie,  Don't Go Away -- Go-Go Girl
IMPRESSIONS:  In the interest of documentary truthfulness, this record actually belonged to my father.  Yep, that's right.  But he was a hippy so what can I say.  Naturally, as a kid I watched reruns of "THE BANANA SPLITS" show on UHF (it was on channel 48, I seem to recall) and loved the silliness -- even if I only saw it on my black & white TV for years.  The sound of the album (as were the songs featured on the TV show) have that bubblegum pop sixties flavour of the songs that were being written for the Monkees.  Hardly a surprise there since I'll bet more than a couple songwriters wrote for both.  And the shocking thing is that one or two of the songs (notably the surprisingly wistful "Wait Til Tomorrow") stand up as legitimate songs that any artist of the time would've been happy to record.  Mostly though, the songs are silly fun most suitable for a children's Saturday morning programme.  It is also recommended that you only listen to this album while wearing white go-go boots.
MY FAVOURITE TRACKS:  I'm Gonna Find A Cave,  This Spot,  Doin' the Banana Split,  Toy Piano Melody,  Soul,  The Tra La La Song (One Banana Two Banana),  Wait Til Tomorrow,  Two Ton Tessie,  Don't Go Away -- Go-Go Girl
FACT SHEET:  WE'RE THE BANANA SPLITS was the only album released by the session musicians who were masquerading as the Banana Splits.  Apparently the vinyl copy I own is the earliest pressing with a darker green cover and no copyright notice on the front cover; later pressings had a lighter green cover with a copyright notice in the bottom left corner.  The Banana Splits, of course, were a band of four musical animals:  Fleegle (the beagle), Bingo (the gorilla), Drooper (the lion) and Snorky (the elephant) who were played by actors in animal suits a la Disneyland.  Apparently vocals on "Doin' the Banana Split" were provided by Barry White (!), "Two Ton Tessie" by Gene Pitney and "You're the Lovin' End" by Al Kooper.  "We're the Banana Splits" was originally intended to be the TV show's theme song but the television executives and advertiser thought "The Tra La La Song" was catchier and the latter was chosen to open the show.