Raymond Scott: Composer of that music from WB cartoons...

[MaggieL]

...you know his music, you just don't know you do.

Scott's most familiar and oft-used tune was Powerhouse, which contains two distinct, unrelated sections: the first, uptempo passage evokes a coyote-chasing-Roadrunner melee; the second, slower passage suggests a menacing assembly-line-gone-haywire. Both found their way into over 40 WB scores. Animation World Magazine

"Raymond Scott was definitely in the forefront of developing electronic music technology, and in the forefront of using it commercially as a musician."
- Bob Moog, inventor of Moog synthesizers

"Being introduced to the music of Raymond Scott was like being given the name of a composer I feel I have heard my whole life, who until now was nameless. Clearly he is a major American-composer."
- David Harrington, leader of the Kronos Quartet

"Raymond Scott's musical genius should not be-overlooked."
- John Flansburgh, They Might Be Giants

"What can you say about a man who inspired cartoon melodies and bebop, invented Frank Zappa and electronic music, and still found time to work for-Motown?"
- Andy Partridge, songwriter & leader of XTC

"Raymond Scott's music gets better as it gets older. When it first appeared, it was so bizarre it could not be categorized. Now, it is no less innovative and comic, but it begins to occupy a serious role in our total music-appreciation."
- Dick Hyman, musician

You can hear clips of "Powerhouse" and other samples of his work at http://raymondscott.com/

[wolf]

Powerhouse is one of my favorites.

[MaggieL]

Originally Posted by wolf

Powerhouse is one of my favorites.

Until I bumped into a site pointing to the Scott site, I never knew what it was called.

The recycling of WB cartoons from their original movie theater audience to weekday afternoon TV in the 50's/60's gave me an oddly warped view into a wartime/postwar culture I never actually lived in. Some of those procenium-breaking scenes in which members of the audience appear as faux-silouettes at the bottom edge of the screen had a particularly surreal effect...later put to good use on Mystery Science Theater 3000. :-)

[Elspode]

Also not to be overlooked is the great Carl Stalling's work in Looney Tunes.

I used to have Powerhouse play when my computer received a fax...

My best friend has his whole cat of work on CD. I can upload some of it if you like.

[Ibby]

please do!

[Elspode]

RZK...Stalling or Scott? Either way, I'd dig it. I used to have a Stalling collection on CD, but it has gone missing.

[MaggieL]

Stalling's stuff is delightful too...but now that I know Scott's story it's imbued with an incredible cachè of geek appeal. ;-)

I'll ask him if he has Scott, I know he has Stalling.