AP reports that Snorky (center, top, with trunk) of the Banana Splits has passed away from a pulmonary edema at the age of 61, a week after forwarding the final revisions to his publisher, Ferrar and Strauss, of the long-awaited memoir of his life and times with the band. The Banana Splits were to have reunited for a colosseum tour this summer.
It’s somewhat poignant, as the band only recently resolved their differences. Jealousy of the attention that Snorky attracted is said to have strained relations and caused The Banana Splits’ initial dissolution after their third album, Fursonic for the Now, was critically panned and sold poorly. Fleagle’s well-publicized heroin addiction scuttled some public appearances, and the band called it quits in 1971. They got in touch with one another again last year, as the result of a “Behind the Music” documentary.
I have happy memories of The Banana Splits, and I wish the band, their families and friends the very best in this lugubrious time.
Heh. You’re a strange man, Dan Collins.
“Sha-la-la, Sha-la-la-la, Sha-la-la, Sha-la-la-la.”
Lyrics like that get you into the Rock Hall of Fame.
Oh yeah, thanks for the earworm.
One banana, two banana, three banana, four!
Four bananas make a bunch and so do many more…
I spent a lost summer with the Banana Splits. I was trying to work my way up to Link, but Bingo was really possessive and it just freaked me out. You know?
Yeah, Bingo was a lot more uptight than he seemed. And drank too much.
I just hope there aren’t any tapes.
And here all this time I’d thought the lyrics were “La, la, la, lala-la la, la, la, la, lala-la la.”
Disappointing. The inside-my-head version rocked way more. Shalalalalala, my baby.
I think all that attitude from the Sour Grapes finally caught up to old Snorky.
Bitches!
If this post were to create an Instalanche, I would find that one of the saddest things I’d have ever seen.
Or…
I’d laugh until I heaved. Collins, did you have a valve installed in your head that gives you direct but metered access to teh crazee?
Sad. One of the first dog / elephant inter-racial bands. The bigotry took a big toll on them.
Wasn’t it just “Snork”? sorry to be picky! but my little ones love The Banana Splits show!
Man, you guys are OLD.
Splits Reunion Falls Apart —
“Ask not for whom the banana peels . . .”
The tour disaster didn’t help, either. Snorky refused to wear glasses that weren’t “cool”.
Nothing stops a tour like having to pay for a bunch of crushed seven year olds because your lead singer couldn’t see the edge of the stage.
Man, I resented those crap theme-park musical interludes interrupting my fine cartoon entertainment. So I guess he got his.
And of course, you could just see America going downhill with the 71′ advent of the “new adventure hour”. Give me back my Arabian knights!
And damn if you could buy a pair of straight-leg pants or penny loafers anymore.
No, it’s two-tone cloddhopper hushpuppies for you. And hippies.
As a longtime Splithead, I always resented the fact that the Monkees got more pub than the Splits. I mean, Nesmith vs Drooper? Davey Jones or Fleegle?
And don’t even get me started on Bingo vs Micky Dolenz.
A sad day indeed. Reminds me of when Brian Jones died.
Can’t wait to get the book.
Proof that drinking one’s way through college is no way to go through life – I never heard of these guys.
Carin, the word is “experienced.” I’m not even eligible for Social Security.
Fleegle eventually got a costume change, and put springs in his tail.
Remember the laughable punk version of the band,The Splitz?
They were on channel 50 in Detroit. Ah, UHF television – what more could a kid ask for.
Carin – you should be silent around your elders!
“#Comment by Carin on 3/19 @ 10:09 am #
Man, you guys are OLD.”
Carin, I got pants that are older than you.
Some things are timeless.
I actually met Bingo – he was the guest of honor at a furry convention. We took him out for sushi – said he got paid less than minimum wage to jump around in a costume on film and never saw a dime of the residuals.
luagha–
Have you ever experienced Tubby on Furry Violence?
All the weed they smoked definitely lowered their incentive to get back together. You think the resemblance of Marley’s “Buffalo Soldier” to their theme song is just coincidence?
Ha! I guess I should give up, because when “I” was young, I watched Kimba on channel 50. On sick days, I got to catch the afternoon show Bill Kennedy at the Movies and on Saturday I cut my horror-movie teeth on The Ghoul.
O’Brian – if you’ve got pants older than 40 years … I say it’s time to let them go :)
In other less important news, Arthur C Clarke has died at age 90. One of the great writers and futurists of our time… I’ve been waiting since 1969 to visit that space station on the damn Pan Am Space Clipper.. Heh.. I read Clarke say somewhere that by the start of the 21st century utilities would be free because nuuclear energy was cheap and plentiful.. I guess the one thing he couldnt foresee was unbridled corporate greed..
… and in the end even his death is eclipsed by SNORKY..
Oh, the indignity..
Snorky was always overrated. Drooper? Musical genius.
There. I said it.
Carin – You remember ‘Kimba’? I watched that show! Um,…how old are you?
Didja watch ‘Sir Graves Ghastly’?
I don’t think that’s why the fangirls admired Snorky, McGehee.
He was overcompensating. You may not have heard, but he “came out” back in ’89.
Sad news indeed. I’m for one, was never forgived Bob Marley for ripping of there riff for “Bufallo Soldiers, (Dreadlock Rasta).” Everytime I heard it I was like no way! That is the Banana SSplits song, when they were falling down at the amusement park.
Anyone know what’s the up with Capt. Kool and the Kongs? That’s a re-union tour I could get my behind.
Dan, yeah I know. But not being a girl myself I was more interested in the music. Drooper had the chops, ‘sall I’m saying.
WITHELD!!!!!1!!!!!eleven!!!
Witheld! Good to see you. I haven’t heard anything about CK&K, but I’ll ask around. Or Karl may know.
After clowns, those guys were the creepiest things around. Stuff of nightmares, right there in Bingo’s oversized teeth.
Carin – You remember ‘Kimba’? I watched that show! Um,…how old are you?
I turned the big 4-0 in December. A dark day it was … lol. Actually, I think it’s all a big mistake, since I don’t feel old. I was carded until I was about 35 – so if it weren’t for these darn kids hitting puberty and other signs of the passing of time …
This may be off topic, hard to tell, but it is fucking hilarious:
from Reuters’ Vincent Baldino:
Sorry for the delay in getting back to you but I wanted to look into this. Our online photo editor just got back to me and confirmed that the (R) means that he is the person on the right side of the photo. It has nothing to do with democrat or republican.
Apparently at least one of our regulars can make this shit up.
http://tinyurl.com/yptl2y
Don’t diss the Snork. Or it’s go time…
Okay – 42 here.
I’m still your elder, though. heh.
So, which of Snorky’s “trunks” did Cynthia Plaster-Caster get a molding of?
OH NOOOOOOOOOO!!!
Since it’s already out there in the public domain, I’m 42 with couple years worth of dust accumulated on top of that.
As in, 45.
I was in top form scant months ago. This aging thing seems to accelerate.
Actually, my copy of “Saturday Morning Cartoon’s Greatest Hits” says that the Banana Splits Theme is called The TRA-la-la Song.
Snork was the dark and moody one. I always wondered if he would off himself for the cred.
Well, mishu, that’s because Snork was the artiste who cared about the music, the art. Drooper had the musical genius but he was always about the business end.
Conflict insued. Fur flew. Friendships were shattered. Just another sad story in the concrete jungle that was furry pop music.
They were doing fine until Snork met Yoko Ono.
“Four bananas, three bananas, two bananas, one!
All bananas sittin’ in the bright, warm sun!”
DAMN you, Dan Collins!
Sorry, ths!
And what became of that scary band of little Mexican singing girls?
They got caught up in that Pee Wee Herman thing.
Oh, please. Snorky barely even knew which end of the kazoo to hum into.
Of course, they did have that cameo in The Shining.
… neither H.R. Pufnstuf nor Wilhelmina W. Witchiepoo had any comment about the untimely death of Snorky.
I thought Fleagle was rehabbing on Danger Island with teenage sidekick Chongo?
Sure man, I did a lot of smack back then. But that Snorky was high on blow, like, all the time. He had what the dopers called “a golden trunk”. Two, four lines of bolivian baby powder at a time, man. And backstage after the show, he got all the groupie chicks and wouldn’t share with his band mates. He even had Valerie Bertinelli once, I swear!
I wonder if they spent any time over at Rainbow
Ok, we’ll try again
Rainbow