What's this piece of music I've heard in a few Warner Bros cartoons?

Cafe Society
1

I grew up with the classic Warner Brothers cartoons on TV. There’s this one piece of instrumental music that shows up in more than a couple of 'toons, usually when there’s mechanized mayhem going on. It’s not a classical number but a big scary percussive modern compostion.

Anyway it starts with this hard-ass one-two-one-two thing like nuh-NUH-nuh-NUH-nuh-NUH-nuh-NUH and then it goes Duht-duht-DAAH-dudududududuh, Duht-duht-DAAH-dudududududuh, Duht-duht-DAAH-dudududududuh, dahdahdududdut DAH DAH! Like I mentioned above, it’s a standard for scenes of machine violence, and big busy factories.

Help me out, fellow old-cartoon-obsessionists,what IS the name of that big scary noise ?

2

It’s Powerhouse, by Raymond Scott.

3

Powerhouse

4

Every time this question is asked, it’s Powerhouse…I’m beginning to think it should be a sticky.

5

I knew that before I even opened the thread. Ain’t I a stinker?

6

I really hope that song’s on these guys’ set list!

7

I was hoping it was the “Mynah Bird Music”…but if course it’s…Powerhouse.

8

I saw what you did, there.

9

Yep. It’s ALWAYS Powerhouse. Knew what it was going to be before I opened the thread.

10

It’s Rio, by Dur—wait, no, it’s Powerhouse.

11

“Mynah Bird Music,” indeed. Harrumph! :mad:

12

Also used beautifully on The Simpsons:

13

Carrots are divine
You get a dozen for a dime
It’s maaaaaaaaaaagic.

14

If you listen to other Raymond Scott works, you’ll hear quite a few familiar motifs from cartoons. Carl Stalling borrowed heavily from Scott when he was doing the music for Warner Brothers cartoons back in the '40s.

15

Scott sold the rights to his songs to Warner Brothers, so Stalling was free to use them (much like he used songs by the great Harry Warren). Scott moved on to be a pioneer in electronic music. (And John Coltrane was in Scott’s band for a time).

16

If it’s a question about cartoon music, it’s almost always “Powerhouse”.

If it’s a question about classical music, it’s almost always “Carmina Burana”.

If it’s a question about 1920’s-style death rays, it’s almost always “Rio” by Duran Duran.

17

There’s also a riff of it in La Villa Strangiato @5:49

18

That song from the Muppets= Ma Na Ma Na

19

I keep hoping it will be “Freddy the Freshman” or “If I Could Be With You An Hour Tonight,” but it’s alway “Powerhouse.”

20

I was betting it was “Ride of the Valkyries.”