Full Official Lyrics to 'Meet the Flintstones' Matched with Classic Opening Scenes
By James H. Sterling
Early viewers tuning in during the autumn of 1960 heard a radically different sonic identity. Fred Flintstone stepped onto the screen backed by "Rise and Shine instrumental," a jaunty, woodwind-and-banjo number composed by Hoyt Curtin. While pleasant, it resembled standard 1950s situation comedy themes rather than an ambitious prime-time experiment aimed at adult viewers. The show was breaking new ground as an evening animated program sponsored by Winston cigarettes, yet its audio identity lacked punch.
By the summer of 1962, William Hanna and Joseph Barbera realized their flagship series required an unmistakable calling card. Hanna-Barbera Productions had established a rapid production model, but they spared no expense on Curtin's new arrangement. Curtin booked an elite 22-piece jazz ensemble in Hollywood. He recruited five studio vocalists, the Randy Van Horne Singers, to deliver tight, syncopated harmonies that channeled the era's popular swing revival.
The resulting track, officially titled "Meet the Flintstones," elevated the entire series. When syndication packages rolled out globally in the late 1960s, Hanna-Barbera retroactively edited the vocal theme into the opening sequences of seasons one and two, permanently cementing the melody across generations of reruns.
James Sterling reports on renewable energy developments, climate policy, ecological conservation, and green tech innovations around the globe.
