# cartoon music question **URL:** \ **Category:** Cafe Society\ **Created:** [April 28, 2005, 5:35am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/cartoon-music-question/301502 "2005-04-28T05:35:30Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![DrDeth](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/b487fb/32.png) [@DrDeth](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/DrDeth)\ **Post date:** [April 28, 2005, 5:35am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/cartoon-music-question/301502/1 "2005-04-28T05:35:30Z")
There is a tune they play in cartoons, usually when there is a assembly line going, or some complicated big machine. Anyone? Bueller? ---
**Author:** ![ZeroGyro](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/z/e47774/32.png) [@ZeroGyro](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/ZeroGyro)\ **Post date:** [April 28, 2005, 5:45am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/cartoon-music-question/301502/2 "2005-04-28T05:45:11Z")
You might be thinking of Raymond Scott’s “Powerhouse.” ---
**Author:** ![Kamino\_Neko](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/kamino_neko/32/34_2.png) [@Kamino\_Neko](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Kamino_Neko)\ **Post date:** [April 28, 2005, 5:45am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/cartoon-music-question/301502/3 "2005-04-28T05:45:32Z")
This has come up a few times before. [This](http://boards.straightdope.com/sdmb/showpost.php?p=1087577&postcount=23) is the only one I can find, though. It’s a piece called Powerhouse by Raymond Scott. ---
**Author:** ![Jenaroph](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/e8c25b/32.png) [@Jenaroph](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Jenaroph)\ **Post date:** [April 28, 2005, 5:46am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/cartoon-music-question/301502/4 "2005-04-28T05:46:25Z")
[Powerhouse](http://raymondscott.com/MENsndf.html) by Raymond Scott. In the links at the top of the page, there’s a wav clip labeled “section B only,” which ought to sound familiar despite the different arrangement. The .mp3 clip has an opening section, which in fact I’ve heard before but didn’t know I knew. ---
**Author:** ![Jenaroph](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/e8c25b/32.png) [@Jenaroph](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Jenaroph)\ **Post date:** [April 28, 2005, 5:47am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/cartoon-music-question/301502/5 "2005-04-28T05:47:28Z")
Shoot. You guys weren’t there when I previewed. ---
**Author:** ![ZeroGyro](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/z/e47774/32.png) [@ZeroGyro](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/ZeroGyro)\ **Post date:** [April 28, 2005, 5:51am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/cartoon-music-question/301502/6 "2005-04-28T05:51:55Z")
Wow! My first simulpost! Well, **Jenaroph** , you were the only one to link to a sound file, so you should be an honorary member of the simulpost. ---
**Author:** ![DrDeth](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/b487fb/32.png) [@DrDeth](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/DrDeth)\ **Post date:** [April 28, 2005, 5:57am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/cartoon-music-question/301502/7 "2005-04-28T05:57:11Z")
That’s the one!!! Thanks! 🆒 ---
**Author:** ![Electronic\_Chaos](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/bbe5ce/32.png) [@Electronic\_Chaos](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Electronic_Chaos)\ **Post date:** [April 28, 2005, 6:11am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/cartoon-music-question/301502/8 "2005-04-28T06:11:20Z")
I could’ve sworn I played the latter section in band, but the name isn’t familiar at all, so maybe I’m misremembering. ---
**Author:** ![ouryL](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/ouryl/32/6067_2.png) [@ouryL](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/ouryL)\ **Post date:** [April 28, 2005, 6:33am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/cartoon-music-question/301502/9 "2005-04-28T06:33:21Z")
Listen to the other files too! The seem to have used these others too! :eek: ---
**Author:** ![rjung](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/45deac/32.png) [@rjung](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/rjung)\ **Post date:** [April 28, 2005, 7:05am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/cartoon-music-question/301502/10 "2005-04-28T07:05:00Z")
“The Scare Floor” from the **Monsters Inc.** soundtrack has a similar style. It’s a fun big-brass variation on the theme. ---
**Author:** ![davmilasav](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/e9bcb4/32.png) [@davmilasav](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/davmilasav)\ **Post date:** [April 28, 2005, 10:08am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/cartoon-music-question/301502/11 "2005-04-28T10:08:41Z")
About 10 years ago a Carl Stalling music tribute CD [http://www.bestprices.com/cgi-bin/vlink/musicartists/cds-by-artist-Carl-Stalling.html](http://www.bestprices.com/cgi-bin/vlink/musicartists/cds-by-artist-Carl-Stalling.html) was put out and Powerhouse is on there. Stalling was the music director for all the classic WB cartoons. ---
**Author:** ![The\_Mad\_Hermit](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/b5ac83/32.png) [@The\_Mad\_Hermit](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/The_Mad_Hermit)\ **Post date:** [April 28, 2005, 12:58pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/cartoon-music-question/301502/12 "2005-04-28T12:58:11Z")
Another version of this piece is embedded in the middle of “La Villa Strangiato”, by Rush. They call it “Monsters.” ---
**Author:** ![Telemark](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/telemark/32/372_2.png) [@Telemark](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Telemark)\ **Post date:** [April 28, 2005, 1:16pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/cartoon-music-question/301502/13 "2005-04-28T13:16:32Z")
The piece was composed and originally recorded by Raymond Scott, but the cartoon scores were all done by Carl Stalling for WB. I highly recommend getting “The Carl Stalling Project” and also “Reckless Nights & Turkish Twilights” by the Raymond Scott Quintette, both are excellent. ---
**Author:** ![Bosda\_Di\_Chi\_of\_Tricor](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/bosda_di_chi_of_tricor/32/16845_2.png) [@Bosda\_Di\_Chi\_of\_Tricor](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Bosda_Di_Chi_of_Tricor)\ **Post date:** [April 28, 2005, 1:20pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/cartoon-music-question/301502/14 "2005-04-28T13:20:35Z")
There are several Raymond Scott albums over on Amazon, & **his** versions are much, much better than the crappy house bands & second tier session musicians used in the cartoons. ---
**Author:** ![Hey\_It\_s\_That\_Guy](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/h/6f9a4e/32.png) [@Hey\_It\_s\_That\_Guy](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Hey_It_s_That_Guy)\ **Post date:** [April 28, 2005, 1:20pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/cartoon-music-question/301502/15 "2005-04-28T13:20:43Z")
Raymond Scott was really ahead of his time. He was a pioneer in electronic music, a great jazz composer and bandleader, and a major influence on everyone from Spike Jones to Frank Zappa. ---
**Author:** ![Raguleader](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/258eb7/32.png) [@Raguleader](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Raguleader)\ **Post date:** [April 28, 2005, 2:32pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/cartoon-music-question/301502/16 "2005-04-28T14:32:29Z")
> [@Jenaroph](#): > > [Powerhouse](http://raymondscott.com/MENsndf.html) by Raymond Scott. In the links at the top of the page, there’s a wav clip labeled “section B only,” which ought to sound familiar despite the different arrangement. The .mp3 clip has an opening section, which in fact I’ve heard before but didn’t know I knew. I’ve heard it in a lot of old WB cartoons too. The bit where it gets higher and higher is usually used when someone is on a roller coaster or running up a long set of stairs or something similar. ---
**Author:** ![Raguleader](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/258eb7/32.png) [@Raguleader](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Raguleader)\ **Post date:** [April 28, 2005, 2:38pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/cartoon-music-question/301502/17 "2005-04-28T14:38:40Z")
> [@Jenaroph](#): > > [Powerhouse](http://raymondscott.com/MENsndf.html) by Raymond Scott. In the links at the top of the page, there’s a wav clip labeled “section B only,” which ought to sound familiar despite the different arrangement. The .mp3 clip has an opening section, which in fact I’ve heard before but didn’t know I knew. I’ve heard it in a lot of old WB cartoons too. The bit where it gets higher and higher is usually used when someone is on a roller coaster or running up a long set of stairs or something similar. ---
**Author:** ![fessie](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/f/c37758/32.png) [@fessie](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/fessie)\ **Post date:** [April 28, 2005, 2:51pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/cartoon-music-question/301502/18 "2005-04-28T14:51:42Z")
Soulcoughing sampled it on their album _Ruby Zoom_ - it’s either the 3rd or 5th track, can’t recall. Something about a bus and Beelzebub. ---
**Author:** ![MovieMogul](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/f08c70/32.png) [@MovieMogul](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/MovieMogul)\ **Post date:** [April 28, 2005, 3:08pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/cartoon-music-question/301502/19 "2005-04-28T15:08:53Z")
> [@Bosda Di'Chi of Tricor](#): > > There are several Raymond Scott albums over on Amazon, & **his** versions are much, much better than the crappy house bands & second tier session musicians used in the cartoons. You’re calling the Warner Brothers Studio Orchestra a “crappy house band”? Because it was the studio orchestra that recorded decades worth of WB cartoon shorts under the wand of Carl Stalling. ---
**Author:** ![Hey\_It\_s\_That\_Guy](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/h/6f9a4e/32.png) [@Hey\_It\_s\_That\_Guy](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Hey_It_s_That_Guy)\ **Post date:** [April 28, 2005, 3:15pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/cartoon-music-question/301502/20 "2005-04-28T15:15:22Z")
The Pietasters, a ska band, also borrowed “Powerhouse” in their instrumental song “Factory Concerto.” [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/cartoon-music-question/301502.md?page=2)