The Bugaloos

The Bugaloos, one of the more psychedelic and far-out of Sid and Marty Krofft's bizarre children's TV programs, was a clear attempt to appeal to the younger brothers and sisters of the hippies, i.e., my g-g-g-generation. I see it today, and I'm flooded with sensory memories of being three and four years old. They were like a child's introduction to the Beatles and psychedelic rock.


Groovy! I love the music at the beginning of that.
Along with The Bugaloos, my love for these guys
pretty much guaranteed my interest in guitars and rock and roll.


Here's the opening, along with the catchy theme-song:

The program "starred" Martha Raye as Benita Bizarre.
She either had a terrible agent, was desperate for a job, or signed the contract in the midst of an alcoholic stupor (I'm guessing). Either way, it's good to see she was able to maintain her dignity...

I had what could only be described as a "crush" on Caroline Ellis, who played Joy. This must have presented me with some confusion, as my little sister had the exact same hairstyle. Caroline Ellis will be 56 years old in October...
Britney Spears? Is it just me?
The great Billy Barty played Sparky the Firefly, and he would of course go on play the part of Sigmund in another Krofft show, Sigmund and the Sea Monsters.

Here is the song from the first episode ("Firefly, Light My Fire", September 12, 1970), called "The Senses of Our World." The lyrics are a bit...acid-drenched:

"So take the time to taste the honey in a summer breeze
Touch the love song every bird has learned to sing
Smell the sunlight as it warms you on the coolest day
And you'll feel a part of what you're gathering
The senses of our world..."
It's like something off of Days of Future Passed. It doesn't help that the blonde guy looks sort of like Justin Hayward. The Internet is still pretty amazing: the chords and lyrics for that are available at this great Bugaloos website.

So, just remember, when you're feeling down, do what I do, and take the time to taste the honey in a summer breeze. Also, if you can, touch the love song every bird has learned to sing.