"Sanford And Son" theme vs. "Fat Albert & The Cosby Kids" theme

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1972 saw the debut of a comedic TV series featuring the performing talents of one of America's most popular black entertainers, well-known for his 1960s comedy LPs. Every week, we tuned in to follow the lighthearted misadventures of our gravelly-voiced protagonist and his oddball friends in a run-down, junk-strewn inner-city setting. The show was popular and stayed on the air until decade's end; and it had one HELL of a funky theme song! Of course, the show I'm talking about could only be Redd Foxx's "Sanford and Son"...

...unless it's NOT, in which case it would have to be Bill Cosby's "Fat Albert & The Cosby Kids." Many similarities among those two; but there's a few dissimilarities too. One was animated and aired on Saturday mornings, the other live-action and Friday nights. And whereas Fred Sanford was always faking his heart attacks, Fat Albert himself surely would've had a real (fatal) attack if he didn't lose 200 lbs. or so! [Incidentally, do any of you know what Redd Foxx's given name was? It was John Sanford!]

...alright, back to the topic in hand, finally: Which one of those two ultra-funky themes is better? Fat Albert's, with it's cowbells and fuzz guitars and "Na, na, na, gonna have a good time"; or "Sanford", with its bass harmonica and clavinet?

― Myonga Von Bontee (Myonga Von Bontee), Friday, 3 September 2004 04:48 (twenty years ago)

[uh, this thread is a TS, obviously!]

Love Quincy Jones's weird-ass arrangement and instrumentation - who the hell ever heard of a bass-harmonica [besides myself!] anyhow - but ultimately I gotta take the Fat Albert theme - always grabs me right from the opening cowbell and bass-guitar zooms. This surely belongs on that Black Acid-Rock thread. Hey, hey, hey!

― Myonga Von Bontee (Myonga Von Bontee), Friday, 3 September 2004 05:25 (twenty years ago)

FA&TCK has the better theme thnks to Q, but S&S has some funky music-themed shows like the time Lamont's pimped out buddy Rollo becomes manager of Philly soul group the Three Degrees. Can't remember what song they performed. Another claasic episode revolves around Fred's old crony Bubba and his belated discovery that his daddy was an esteemed blues singer w/ a riduclous name like Blind Melon Lemon.

― lovebug starski (lovebug starski), Friday, 3 September 2004 10:12 (twenty years ago)

Fred had some prized blues records by Blind Mellow Jelly...

― dave225 (Dave225), Friday, 3 September 2004 10:49 (twenty years ago)

Or how 'bout the one where Aunt Esther's old beau Riley turns out to be B.B. King!

And yes, the Fat Albert theme rules.

― briania (briania), Friday, 3 September 2004 11:02 (twenty years ago)

"Hey, hey, hey."

― Mark (MarkR), Friday, 3 September 2004 12:23 (twenty years ago)

"I want my daddy's records!"

― Myonga Von Bontee (Myonga Von Bontee), Friday, 3 September 2004 16:05 (twenty years ago)

one year passes...

im so happy this thread exists. you have no idea, it's like a dream come true *wipes tear*

― tiger yak, Friday, 11 November 2005 05:37 (nineteen years ago)

the what's happening? theme by henry mancini!

― teeth marks on your tongue (Jody Beth Rosen), Friday, 11 November 2005 05:39 (nineteen years ago)

YOU BEAT ME BY A MINUTE!

― JUJUBEANCOBIAN (dr g), Friday, 11 November 2005 05:40 (nineteen years ago)

(of course what's happening? didn't take place in a junkyard, and the characters were fairly middle-class for being "inner-city," but it fits in with the time period and genre and has a funky theme song.)

― teeth marks on your tongue (Jody Beth Rosen), Friday, 11 November 2005 05:42 (nineteen years ago)

http://www.sitcomsonline.com/sounds/whatshappening.wav

― teeth marks on your tongue (Jody Beth Rosen), Friday, 11 November 2005 05:45 (nineteen years ago)

i just realized how similar it is to "east st. louis toodle-oo."

― teeth marks on your tongue (Jody Beth Rosen), Friday, 11 November 2005 05:47 (nineteen years ago)

WTF is going on?

― JUJUBEANCOBIAN (dr g), Friday, 11 November 2005 05:48 (nineteen years ago)

SANFORD & SON WINS BIG TIME!!!

http://www.supermantv.net/mikes/whatif/Sanford_and_Son.jpg

― Ally McBeal, Friday, 11 November 2005 06:12 (nineteen years ago)

Oh no, the Fat Albert tune wins easy.

― Bimble The Nimble, Jumped Over A Thimble! (Bimble...), Friday, 11 November 2005 06:13 (nineteen years ago)

oh man, that "What's Happening" is so so classic. Haven't heard that in ages! Thanks for the link JBR. The best was that sproingy sound in the music synched up with Rerun or whoever it was bouncing the basketball in slow motion as they all walked down the sidewalk.

― Stormy Davis (diamond), Friday, 11 November 2005 06:22 (nineteen years ago)

the sproing is tops. the other great '70s tv sproing is in the match game music.

― teeth marks on your tongue (Jody Beth Rosen), Friday, 11 November 2005 06:25 (nineteen years ago)

whoa
http://mgmusic.fasthost.tv/

― teeth marks on your tongue (Jody Beth Rosen), Friday, 11 November 2005 06:32 (nineteen years ago)

Note: This theme does get annoying but yet people will listen to it over and over again, listen at your own risk!!!

― Stormy Davis (diamond), Friday, 11 November 2005 06:36 (nineteen years ago)

Does anyone know where I can get the ending credits song to The Jeffersons?

I always loved that big, burly hums.

"HMMMMMmmmmm. HMMMMMMmmmmmMMMMMMMmMmMmmmmmmmmmmm"

― Voodoo Child, Friday, 11 November 2005 06:42 (nineteen years ago)

where's the love for the theme from "chico and the man"? sung by jose feliciano?!? scatman crothers as a series regular?!?!?

― Eisbär (llamasfur), Friday, 11 November 2005 08:22 (nineteen years ago)

one year passes...

Chrissakes - I didn't know Mancini wrote that "What's Happening!!" theme!

(Also didn't know that this forgotten thread - one of my first - enjoyed a one-day revival over a year after it was created. A slow Remembrance Day, maybe?)

― Myonga Vön Bontee, Wednesday, 25 April 2007 21:36 (eighteen years ago)

Quincy Jones's use of bass harmonica = hoteness

Cosby was underrrated as a songwriter

― PappaWheelie V, Thursday, 26 April 2007 04:20 (eighteen years ago)

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