Schoolhouse Rock!

From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

Schoolhouse Rock!

Schoolhouse Rock.
Format Educational
Created by David McCall
Country of origin Flag of the United States United States
Production
Running time 3 minutes
Broadcast
Original channel ABC
Original run 1973 – 2001

Schoolhouse Rock! is a U.S. series of fifty-two educational short films featuring songs about schoolhouse topics, including grammar, science, economics, history, mathematics, and politics. Originally conceived by Thomas G. Yohe in 1972, the shorts were broadcast on the ABC television network in the U.S. between 1973 and 1986. They were then broadcast infrequently during the 1990s and 2000s with new shows created between 1993 and 1996.

Initially, Schoolhouse Rock! was played in between each ABC Saturday and Sunday Morning Children's program. Some shows were 27 minutes and others were 57 minutes. The shows would either end at 27 minutes after the hour or at 3 minutes before the hour. ABC ran this from 1972 until 1989. Beginning in 1989, ABC ran Schoolhouse Rock! three times a week on Saturday mornings. Schoolhouse Rock usually aired once at the end of The Bugs Bunny and Tweety Show, a collection of Looney Tunes shorts, aired. In 2001, Schoolhouse Rock! was dropped from ABC; while wholly educational, each episode was only 3 minutes long and thus did not count toward federal E/I requirements (which required that E/I shows be a half hour in length).

An additional short, I'm Gonna Send Your Vote To College, was created for the 30th anniversary video release.

Often viewed with nostalgia by members of both late Baby Boomers and Generation X, Schoolhouse Rock! has become part of American popular culture.

The word "rock" is something of a misnomer, as only a few of the songs are in rock format (e.g., "Elementary, My Dear" and the progressive rock-like "Little Twelvetoes"). The rest are either jazz (e.g., "I'm Just a Bill," "Figure Eight"), blues ("Naughty Number Nine"), or straight pop songs (e.g., "A Noun Is a Person, Place, or Thing," "Interjections!," "No More Kings").

Contents

[edit] Origins

Schoolhouse Rock! began as a commercial advertising venture by David McCall. The idea came to McCall when he noticed one of his sons, who was having trouble in school remembering the multiplication tables, knew the lyrics to many current rock songs. The first song recorded was "Three Is A Magic Number", by Bob Dorough. It tested well, so a children's record was compiled and released. Tom Yohe Sr. listened to the first song, and began to doodle pictures in relation to the lyrics. He informed McCall that these songs would make good animation.

When a print workbook version fell through, McCall's company decided to produce their own animated versions of the songs, which they then sold to ABC (which already was McCall's company's biggest advertising account) based on a demo animation of the original "Three Is A Magic Number" for its Saturday morning lineup. They pitched their idea to Michael Eisner, who was 27 at the time and vice president of ABC's children's programming division. Eisner brought longtime Warner Bros. cartoonist/director Chuck Jones to the meeting to also listen to the presentation.

The network's children's programming division made producers of its regular 30- and 60-minute programs cut three minutes out of each of their shows, and sold General Foods on the idea of sponsoring the segments. The series stayed on the air for 12 years. Later sponsors of the Schoolhouse Rock segments included Nabisco, Kenner Toys, Kellogg's, and McDonald's.

The last of the original series were four segments about the then-novel personal computer technology. The shorts featured two characters by the name of Scooter Computer and Mister Chips, and so these were the only episodes in the series to feature any recurring characters. These episodes were so disliked by the creative team that they promptly wiped all of the episodes. The first of the four is presumed lost;[citation needed] the other three exist on secondhand media.

A 1987 production of the series for VHS tape featured Cloris Leachman opening the collection and some songs with child dancers and singers.[1][2]

In the 1990s the team reunited to produce Money Rock and two more Grammar Rock segments ("Busy Prepositions" and "The Tale of Mr. Morton"). In 2002, the team once again reunited to produce a new song, "I'm Gonna Send Your Vote To College" for the release of the 30th Anniversary DVD. For the new song, Tom Yohe Jr. took over as lead designer for his father Yohe Sr., who had died in 2000.[2]

[edit] VHS Release

In 1987, Golden Book Video released Schoolhouse Rock on tape. But things weren't quite the same. Actress Cloris Leachman and a litter of annoying, singing children now introduced the timeless segments, and to make room for Cloris and the gang, some spots, including "Three Ring Government," "The Good Eleven" and "Little Twelve Toes" were not included on the videos. Tom Yohe deeply regrets the omissions. Regarding Cloris Leachman, he says, "She's just hideous. She is the antithesis of what we wanted to do." In reference to the Golden Book Video releases in general, Bob Dorough states, "The quality is poor and there is also some new, inappropriate and inferior material not written by me and more or-less sung by Cloris Leachman and some kids." Dorough also makes a point of noting that he "hasn't gotten any royalties from these videos yet."

In 1995 ABC Video Release 4 Schoolhouse Rock On VHS Including

Multiplication Rock

Grammar Rock

Science Rock

America Rock

[edit] 25 Anniversary Release

In 1998 Disney bought Schoolhouse Rock! and released 5 VHS tapes entitled Disney Presents Schoolhouse Rock!.

The tapes were:

Multiplication Rock

Grammar Rock

Science Rock

America Rock

Money Rock

[edit] CD Release

In 1996 Kid Rhino Released 4 SchoolHouse Rock! CD's In A Folder It Had Bonus Track In Each CD's

Multiplication Rock Had 1 Bonus Track From Schoolhouse Rock! Rocks

Grammar Rock Had 4 Bonus Tracks From Money Rock

America Rock Had 1 Bonus Track From Schoolhouse Rock! Rocks

Science Rock Had 4 Bonus Tracks From Scooter Computer & Mr Chips AKA Computer Rock

In April 1997 Kid Rhino Released The 4 Cd's Again But Without The Bonus Tracks

In 2000 Kid Rhino Released The 4 Cd's In A Lunchbox It Was $49.99. & To This Day The Lunchbox Is Discontinued Also The 4 Cd's & The Folder




[edit] Episodes

[edit] Multiplication Rock

Episode Title Subject Music By[3] Lyrics By[3] Performed By[3] First Aired[3] Lyrics
My Hero, Zero 0 Bob Dorough Bob Dorough Bob Dorough 1973 [1]
Elementary, My Dear 2 Bob Dorough Bob Dorough Bob Dorough 1973 [2]
Three Is a Magic Number 3 Bob Dorough Bob Dorough Bob Dorough 1973 [3]
The Four-Legged Zoo 4 Bob Dorough Bob Dorough Bob Dorough (and chorus of children) 1973 [4]
Ready or Not, Here I Come 5 Bob Dorough Bob Dorough Bob Dorough 1973 [5]
I Got Six 6 Bob Dorough Bob Dorough Grady Tate 1973 [6]
Lucky Seven Sampson 7 Bob Dorough Bob Dorough Bob Dorough 1973 [7]
Figure Eight 8 Bob Dorough Bob Dorough Blossom Dearie 1973 [8]
Naughty Number Nine 9 Bob Dorough Bob Dorough Grady Tate 1973 [9]
The Good Eleven 11 Bob Dorough Bob Dorough Bob Dorough 1973 [10]
Little Twelvetoes 12 Bob Dorough Bob Dorough Bob Dorough 1973 [11]

No shows were produced featuring the numbers 1 or 10 explicitly, though Zero was a lesson in base 10, and thus sense was about the number.

[edit] Grammar Rock

Episode Title Subject Music By[3] Lyrics By[3] Performed By[3] First Aired[3] Lyrics
Unpack Your Adjectives adjective George R. Newall George R. Newall Blossom Dearie 1975 [12]
Lolly, Lolly, Lolly, Get Your Adverbs Here adverb Bob Dorough Bob Dorough Bob Dorough 1974 [13]
Conjunction Junction conjunction Bob Dorough Bob Dorough Jack Sheldon and Terry Morel 1974 [14]
Interjections! interjection Lynn Ahrens Lynn Ahrens Essra Mohawk 1974 [15]
Rufus Xavier Sarsaparilla pronoun Bob Dorough Kathy Mandary Jack Sheldon 1977 [16]
Verb: That's What's Happening verb Bob Dorough Bob Dorough Zachary Sanders 1974 [17]
A Noun Is A Person, Place Or Thing noun Lynn Ahrens Lynn Ahrens Lynn Ahrens 1973 [18]
Busy Prepositions preposition Bob Dorough Bob Dorough Jack Sheldon and Bob Dorough October 24, 1993 [19]
The Tale of Mr. Morton subject and predicate Lynn Ahrens Lynn Ahrens Jack Sheldon December, 1993 [20]

[edit] Science Rock

Episode Title Subject Music By[3] Lyrics By[3] Performed By[3] First Aired[3] Lyrics
The Body Machine nutrition Lynn Ahrens Lynn Ahrens Bob Dorough and Jack Sheldon 1979 [21]
Do The Circulation cardiovascular system Lynn Ahrens Lynn Ahrens Joshie Armstead, Mary Sue Berry, & Maeretha Stewart 1979 [22]
Electricity, Electricity electricity Bob Dorough Bob Dorough Zachary Sanders 1979 [23]
The Energy Blues energy conservation George Newall George Newall Jack Sheldon 1978 [24]
Interplanet Janet the at the time 9 planet solar system Lynn Ahrens Lynn Ahrens Lynn Ahrens 1978 [25]
Telegraph Line nervous system Lynn Ahrens Lynn Ahrens Jaime Aff and Christine Langner 1979 [26]
Them Not-So-Dry Bones skeletal system George Newall George Newall Jack Sheldon 1979 [27]
A Victim Of Gravity gravity Lynn Ahrens Lynn Ahrens The Tokens 1978 [28]
The Weather Show weather Lynn Ahrens Lynn Ahrens Bob Kaliban 1979 [29]

[edit] America Rock

Episode Title Subject Music By[3] Lyrics By[3] Performed By[3] First Aired[3] Lyrics
Elbow Room U.S. territorial expansion Lynn Ahrens Lynn Ahrens Sue Manchester 1976 [30]
Fireworks Declaration of Independence Lynn Ahrens Lynn Ahrens Grady Tate 1976 [31]
The Great American Melting Pot immigration/melting pot Lynn Ahrens Lynn Ahrens Lori Lieberman 1977 [32]
I'm Gonna Send Your Vote to College Electoral College George R. Newall and Bob Dorough George R. Newall and Bob Dorough Jack Sheldon 2002* [33]
I'm Just a Bill legislation Dave Frishberg Dave Frishberg Jack Sheldon 1975 [34]
Mother Necessity American inventions Bob Dorough Bob Dorough Bob Dorough, Jack Sheldon, Blossom Dearie, & Essra Mohawk 1977 [35]
No More Kings American independence Lynn Ahrens Lynn Ahrens Lynn Ahrens 1975 [36]
The Preamble United States Constitution Lynn Ahrens Lynn Ahrens Lynn Ahrens 1975 [37]
The Shot Heard 'Round The World American Revolutionary War Bob Dorough Bob Dorough Bob Dorough 1976 [38]
Sufferin' Till Suffrage women's suffrage Bob Dorough Tom Yohe Essra Mohawk 1976 [39]
Three Ring Government separation of powers Lynn Ahrens Lynn Ahrens Lynn Ahrens 1979 [40]

* I'm Gonna Send Your Vote to College was never officially aired on TV.

[edit] Money Rock

Episode Title Subject Music By[3] Lyrics By[3] Performed By[3] First Aired[3] Lyrics
Dollars and Sense interest and loans Dave Frishberg Dave Frishberg Val Hawk and Bob Dorough [41]
Making $7.50 Once a Week budget Dave Frishberg Dave Frishberg Dave Frishberg [42]
Where The Money Goes paying bills Rich Mendoza Rich Mendoza Jack Sheldon [43]
Tax Man Max taxes Lynn Ahrens and Stephen Flaherty Lynn Ahrens and Stephen Flaherty Patrick Quinn [44]
Walkin' On Wall Street stock exchange Dave Frishberg Dave Frishberg Dave Frishberg [45]
This For That barter George R. Newall George R. Newall Bob Dorough [46]
Tyrannosaurus Debt budget deficit Tom Yohe Tom Yohe Bob Dorough and Bob Kaliban [47]
The Check's In The Mail using checks Bob Dorough Bob Dorough Luther Rix [48]

[edit] Scooter Computer and Mr. Chips (a.k.a. Computer Rock)

Episode Title Subject Music By[3] Lyrics By[3] Performed By[3] First Aired[3] Lyrics
Introduction computers Lynn Ahrens, Tom Yohe and Bob Dorough Lynn Ahrens, Tom Yohe and Bob Dorough Darrell Stern and Bob Kaliban 1983 [49]
Hardware computer hardware Dave Frishberg Dave Frishberg Darrell Stern and Bob Kaliban 1983 [50]
Software computer software Lynn Ahrens Lynn Ahrens Darrell Stern and Bob Kaliban 1983 [51]
Number Cruncher computerized statistics Dave Frishberg Dave Frishberg Darrell Stern Aff and Bob Kaliban 1984 [52]

[edit] Schoolhouse Rock! The Official Guide

In 1996 Hyperion published Schoolhouse Rock! The Official Guide (SBN 0-7868-8170-4). Written by Tom Yohe and George Newall. the book includes synopses,lyrics and production notes about each of the shorts created to date except "The Weather Show," which was the subject of pending litigation and so could not be included.

[edit] The Schoolhouse Rock! Songbook

In 1996 Cherry Lane Music Published The Schoolhouse Rock Songbook The Book Includes Lyrics & Notes It Includes 10 Songs Such As

Conjunction Junction

Dollars And Sense

Electricity, Electricity

The Great American Melting Pot

I'm Just A Bill

Interplanet Janet

Lolly Lolly Lolly Get Your Adverbs Here

My Hero Zero

No More Kings

Three Is The Magic Number.


[edit] Trivia

 Trivia sections are discouraged under Wikipedia guidelines.
The article could be improved by integrating relevant items and removing inappropriate ones.
  • The America Rock series was made in 1976 to coincide with the United States bicentennial.
  • "Three-Ring Government" was made in 1976, but not aired for several years out of concern that some politicians might be offended by the circus analogy.[4]
  • Lauren Yohe, the daughter of Schoolhouse Rock creator Tom Yohe, is the little girl that voiced the classic line "Darn! That's the end" in "Interjections!"
  • The short "The Preamble" has a slightly abridged wording of the Preamble to the United States Constitution. The song starts, "We the people, in order to form a more perfect union...", but the actual document starts, "We the people of the United States, in order to form a more perfect union...."
  • If you watch "The Preamble" carefully, you will notice a bunch of voters dropping their ballots into a ballot box during the year 1787. The last "voter" is a little girl, who is dragged away by an adult before she can drop in her ballot. This was more than just a cute chuckle, as women did not receive universal suffrage until 1920, though they could vote in some jurisdictions at various times prior to that.
  • "Fireworks" contains an error. Grady Tade incorrectly says that Philip Livingston helped write the Declaration of Independence. It was actually Robert Livingston, although Philip Livingston did sign and support the document.
  • Originally called Scholastic Rock, the series name was changed to Schoolhouse Rock when lawyers at Scholastic Corporation, a children's publisher, objected.
  • In "Busy Prepositions", Bob Dorough lists the "nine or ten" prepositions that "do most all of the work" and correctly states that "for" is a preposition. However, the word "far", which is an adjective or adverb, appears on the screen in its place.
  • "Three Is A Magic Number" has been adopted by both the Irish television station TV3 Ireland and the British television station BBC Three as their theme tunes. In 2006, the Blind Melon version of "Three is a Magic Number" was used by Three in Australia as part of an advertising campaign. The Blind Melon cover was also featured at the end of the movie You, Me and Dupree. Portions of "Three Is A Magic Number" were also sampled and used in a song entitled "The Magic Number" by hip-hop group De La Soul on their album 3 Feet High and Rising. "Three Is A Magic Number" is notable for its musical sophistication and its use of the kalimba.
  • One subtlety of note is that, in many of the episodes, the producers added in staff names in unlikely places. Prime examples: "Tyrannosaurus Debt", where Tom Yohe's name is on the $10 bill; "The Preamble", where the voting booth has Jack Sheldon's and Lynn Ahrens' names on it; and "Ready or Not, Here I Come!", where there is a boy wearing a T-shirt labeled "Camp Yohe".
  • The release of "Sufferin' Till Suffrage" coincided with the height of the 70's women's liberation movement and the push to ratify the proposed Equal Rights Amendment.
  • In the mid-1980s, when Schoolhouse Rock left ABC, it was replaced first by a series of exercise shorts hosted by Mary Lou Retton (capitalizing on her Olympic fame) for one season, then by Puerto Rican teen band Menudo.
  • "The Good Eleven", "Lolly Lolly Lolly Get Your Adverbs Here", "The Preamble", and "Them Not-So-Dry Bones" were the tunes heard on the closing credits of their respective Rock. These "closing credit" runs were aired only on Sunday mornings at the end of the final episode that morning (around noon).
  • In "Walkin on Wallstreet", Lester mentions that Leroy uses Dollar cost averaging, an investing strategy that has been questionable[citation needed] since 1979, but has been generally accepted by most financial advisors as a safe way to diversify risk for the average investor.[citation needed]
  • When Multiplication Rock first began airing, the opening of each short would begin with a jingle that sang "Multiplication Rock, brought to you by Nabisco, You'll find quality in our corner" with the Zero Hero boy sticking out of the corner of the screen. Another variation, for sponsor General Foods, included the lyrics "brought to you by your very favorite general, General Foods."
  • According to the DVD commentary and her official website, Lynn Ahrens was a copy secretary at McCaffrey and McCall when she first began writing lyrics, music and singing for the show.
  • ABC stopped airing "The Greatest Show On Earth" (aka "The Weather Show") in the 1990s due to a lawsuit brought by Ringling Bros. Barnum & Bailey Circus, which has trademarked the phrase. An edited version of the short, eliminating the offending phrase, is included on the 30th anniversary DVD set. The segment previously had been included in the first VHS release of the series, issued by Golden Books Home Video in the 1980s, but was left out of a 1990s VHS series issued by Buena Vista Home Video. The Golden Books video series did not include "The Good Eleven," "Little Twelvetoes," and "Three Ring Government."
  • According to the DVD liner notes, "Little Twelvetoes" is dedicated to the Duodecimal Society of America, which changed its name in 1978 to the Dozenal Society of America, an organization which promotes the base-12 number system.
  • Computer Rock characters Scooter Computer & Mr. Chips also appeared in a children's book explaining how computers can calculate numbers. Scooter is trying to earn money to buy building supplies in order to build a clubhouse. He and Mr. Chips meet a kindly shopkeeper who wants to buy an unused business adjacent to his shop in order to sell more goods and give Scooter a job. Mr. Chips calculates how much the shopkeeper will need to sell in order to retire the loan.
  • Schoolhouse Rock! was adapted into a live musical production, performed off-Broadway, called "Schoolhouse Rock Live!". It told the story of a teacher preparing for his first day teaching a class and his many different personalities.

[edit] References in Popular Culture

  • "I'm Just A Bill", arguably Schoolhouse Rock!'s most famous episode, has been spoofed several times:
    • On The Simpsons episode The Day the Violence Died, a Schoolhouse Rock!-esque cartoon called "I'm An Amendment To Be" aired in place of an Itchy and Scratchy cartoon (after Chester Lampwick won the settlement in the copyright case and bankrupted I&S Studios), about an amendment against flag burning hoping to be ratified. Jack Sheldon (who voiced the bill in "I'm Just A Bill") voiced the Amendment in "I'm An Amendment To Be".
    • In Family Guy, There are numerous title references. In the episode Brian Wallows and Peter's Swallows, After being told that it's illegal to remove a Rare swallow after the bird finally found its nesting place, the zoologist ends saying,“It’s great to learn, ’cause knowledge is power!”. Another episode titled "Mr. Griffin Goes to Washington", Jack Sheldon voices a piece of paper named Bill who's sitting on the stairs of Capitol Hill and gets picked up by a wandering street cleaner before he can finish his song.
  • In American Dad!, Stan sings about Oliver North and the Iran-Contra scandel in a segment that spoofs the style of Schoolhouse Rock in the episode "Stanny Slickers II: The Legend of Ollie's Gold".
  • The Daily Show aired a Schoolhouse Rock spoof purporting to explain the uselessness of midterm elections.
  • Saturday Night Live aired a TV Funhouse parody called "Conspiracy Theory Rock" that told of the media overtaking the government. Because it also mocked GE (the company that owns NBC), it was only shown once on the season 23 episode hosted by Julianne Moore (with musical guest: The Backstreet Boys). It can now be seen on video websites such as YouTube and is featured on the DVD version of the SNL special "The Best of TV Funhouse", which highlights the animated segments created by Rob Smigel from this sketch show.
  • Saturday Night Live's rival show, MADtv, had a recurring sketch called "Public Schoolhouse Rock" that made fun of controversial trends in public schools, such as overmedicating hyperactive students, selling junk food in vending machines, and, overcrowding classrooms.
  • "The Sensitive Male" segment of Johnny Bravo is a tribute to Schoolhouse Rock. Jack Sheldon also provided the voice of the Sensitive Male who teaches Johnny how to fake sincerity towards women.
  • The Drawn Together episode Foxxy vs. the Board of Education has a Schoolhouse Rock!-esque musical sequence explaining how American school systems are keeping African-American students from succeeding so they can buy tacky items, such as gold teeth and "pimped-out rides"
  • Sumo of the Opera (a 24th Veggie episode silly song of "Schoolhouse Polka" about Schoolhouse Rock!).

[edit] List of songs used in movie soundtracks


[edit] Schoolhouse Rock! Rocks

Main article: Schoolhouse Rock! Rocks

[edit] DVD Release

On August 27, 2002 Buena Vista Home Video released a 2-disc DVD featuring 51 of the 52 episodes (the only one missing being the presumed-lost Computer Rock segment) as well as many special features. The release coincided with the 30th anniversary of the show. An abbreviated VHS, featuring the "top 25" episodes plus "I'm Gonna Send Your Vote to College," was released at the same time.

Cover Art DVD Name Ep # Release Date Additional Information
Schoolhouse Rock- Special 30th Anniversary Edition 51 August 26, 2002
  • All 46 original episodes
  • Audio Commentary
  • "I'm Gonna Send Your Vote to College" Making Of
  • Long Lost Song "The Weather Show"
  • Top Ten Jukebox
  • Top 20 Countdown
  • "Earn Your Diploma" Trivia Game
  • Arrange-a-Song Puzzle
  • 4 Music Videos by Contemporary Artists
  • Emmy Awards Featurette
  • "Three is a Magic Number" Nike Commercial
  • "I'm Gonna Send Your Vote to College" in DTS 5.1 Surround
  • Three of the four Computer Rock segments

[edit] References

  1. ^ video: America Rock, packaged as commercial video, 1987
  2. ^ a b Unofficial history of Schoolhouse Rock!
  3. ^ a b c d e f g h i j k l m n o p q r s t u v w x Official Schoolhouse Rock Website
  4. ^ Schoolhouse Rock! The Official Guide, p. 63

[edit] External links

Wikiquote has a collection of quotations related to: