The Tra La La Song (One Banana, Two Banana)

In 1979 "The Tra La La Song" was made a Top 10 radio hit in the United Kingdom by the American punk band The Dickies, whose label marketed the tune as "Banana Splits."

"The Tra La La Song (One Banana, Two Banana)" was written by Mark Barkan and Ritchie Adams to be the theme song for the children’s television program The Banana Splits Adventure Hour.^[1]

Originally released in 1968 by Decca Records on the album titled We're the Banana Splits, the single release peaked at #96 on the Billboard Hot 100 on February 8, 1969.^[2]

In 1995, Hollywood Library released the 1,000-copy limited-edition CD reissue We're the Banana Splits/Here Come the Beagles which, in addition to the original album version, includes an alternate version on the song.^[3]

Cover versions

Cal Tjader covered the song in 1969 as "Tra La La Song", which appears on his album Plugs In.

American punk rock band The Dickies made the song a hit in the United Kingdom in 1979 with their cover version, marketed by A&M Records as "Banana Splits (Tra La La Song)". The record reached #7 in the UK Singles Chart.^[4] This cover version was later used in the 2010 film Kick-Ass.^[5]

The 1983 Bob Marley song, Buffalo Soldier has a bridge (with the lyrics woy! yoy! yoy!) similar to the chorus of the Banana Splits' "The Tra-La-La Song". There has never been any litigation connected to the similarity.^[6]

A cover of "The Tra La La Song (One Banana, Two Banana)", performed by Liz Phair with Material Issue, is included on the 1995 tribute album Saturday Morning: Cartoons' Greatest Hits, produced by Ralph Sall for MCA Records.^[1]

Children's music group Ralph's World covered the song on their 2002 album At the Bottom of the Sea.

References