Harlem Globe Trotters Theme (Intro & Outro)

Aired on CBS from Sept 1970 to Sept 1972. Theme by Jeff Barry.

[@TallDocK]

Thumbs up for everybody who loved this cartoon almost 50 years ago. RIP Scatman Crothers, Robert Doqui, Hanna and Barbera, Stu Gilliam, "Rochester" Anderson. Played it for my son and he just couldn't get it.

[@The1baddman]

Also Don Kirshner (Music Supervision) who hosted The Midnight Special, and Rock Concert tv shows in the 70s and 80s.

[@SirAndacar]

Watched it every Saturday morning when it came out.

[@grizzflowers2522]

Classic 💯🙏🏾

[@dennishardy5024]

Yep I sure remember this cartoon. Was really great. Meadowlark lemon, curly and so on. Great cartoon.

[@edwardflounoy7207]

Also #rip Curly Neal

[@theresecallahan8548]

Gotta love those hand claps.

[@travismclaurin9419]

Whoever is playing the bass on this is rocking. Funky.

[@koolpopjones6499]

RIP The Great Curly Neal 🕊️

[@garysmith8073]

I saw them when they had Curly Neal .He was so cool. He made bald look cool.

[@kimberlytaylor5886]

I loved Curly Neal as a kid. He was my favorite.

[@AllRequired]

I think pretty much everyone loved him, and why not? It's because of the lineups he was part of -- not he himself -- that the Trotters' profile got to its ultimate point.

[@SirAndacar]

I watched this show in the early 70s and loved it. I still remember this catchy theme even after fifty years.

[@doughesson]

Hey!

[@dphalanx7465]

@@doughesson _Whaat?!?_

[@qwammienewsome1357]

I always felt Ludacris son STAND UP sampled this show's theme song intro.

[@erinmeggik391]

Born in the 60s and I loved this on Saturday morning TV. Such a simpler time...

[@Ceresoracle]

I love the artwork in the end credits!

[@greenmonsterprod]

It reminds me of the art Leroy Nieman did for the 1976 Olympics.

[@davidclark8543]

On hip! Love that artwork in the end credits, especially the last one! And the music was fabulous. Looked forward to it every Saturday in '78 during it's 2nd wave of reruns

[@NichOlsonSmooth]

I believe the artist is Ernie Barnes (the same one who did the painting on the end of Good Times show)

[@michaeljones2925]

This theme is so funky. Yes Hannah Barbara brought the funk in on this one!!

[@MrMaxismybaby]

Used to watch this every Saturday!

[@kwameaboagye121]

RIP, Bill Hanna Joe Barbera & Scatman Crothers

[@BrandonKohout]

They’re the magicians of basketball.

[@davidwesley2525]

They were also the comedians of basketball.🤩🤩🤩❤❤❤

[@2005peasah]

RIP, Scatman Crothers, Bill Hanna and Joe Barbera.

[@AllRequired]

And Meadowlark Lemon.

[@davidwesley2525]

@@AllRequired & Curly Neal.

[@robertdubs9466]

@@davidwesley2525 RIP all the 1970 Globetrotters except Geese. Pablo died in 1990, Bobbie Joe died in 2006, Gip died in 2009, Meadowlark died in 2015, and Curly died in 2020.

[@kurtkauffman4326]

Don't forget Stu Gilliam & Eddie "Rochester" Anderson who provided the V/O's of the Team Members.

[@AllRequired]

@@davidwesley2525 I don't recall Curly being a voice here.

[@kevinfacey6975]

One of my favorite cartoons, as well when they appeared on Scooby Doo.

[@clarencecoats6498]

At least twice!

[@nilaiahharris-jones7345]

Enjoyed watching them on Scooby Doo and their show; used to watch the cartoon when I was a little kid growing up in Boston

[@mrnobody2018]

The series is fun without the Scooby-Doo crosser franchise

[@stephenholloway6893]

​@Clarence Coats 3 times actually in both seasons of the New Scooby Doo Movies. The first one wasn't included when the Globetrotters & Scooby DVD was released but was later released in the New Scooby Doo Movies DVD.

[@a.mckenny6545]

So many childhood memories!!

[@leftcoaster67]

3-4 years old when this came out on TV. And loved in re-runs. Funky baseline. Kids need shows like this.

[@johnaquino7619]

That is an exceptionally catchy theme song. =]

[@Halpin2006]

I met Meadowlark Lemmon way back in 1988. His Stars basketball team played a televised game on the flight deck of my aircraft carrier in San Diego. It was a true event to remember!

[@wb3381]

Best cartoon theme song in history

[@anthonymarcano2974]

This or Underdog.

[@wb3381]

@@anthonymarcano2974 Harlem globetrotters

[@TaylorZanderFrancis]

Never seen this, and never been too interested in doing so, but DAMN the music is great!

[@johndukes8130]

I agree

[@AndyBHome]

I've been searching for this for 30 years. Fantastic. THANK YOU

[@demicratsuck7675]

I wish someone would loop that baseline clapping into about a 30 second to a minute loop

[@edsoliz]

Love the use of the basketball bounce sound.

[@a.k.4486]

The images of the outro makes basketball looks like a mythical reality. This how I felt looking at it as a kid, and it feels the same now. Back in the days, you did not know too much about celebrities (no FB, Twitter, etc) so your imagination had to fill the gap... The legend of basketball was then a lot more real.

[@brianjohnson5771]

This was my favorite cartoon as a kid. I wish that they had an extended mix of this!!! #Classic!!! 😎

[@maoconn7]

Makes me wanna grab a bowl of cereal and park myself in front of the tv for Saturday morning cartoons.

[@susanfit47]

On February 4, 1978, the HARLEM GLOBETROTTERS were back on Saturday Mornings after a 5 year-hiatus. Only this time around they switched networks from CBS to NBC as a 1977-78 mid-season replacement. The series returned in repeated episodes titled "Go-Go Globetrotters", a 2-hour show, complete with a 'new' title sequence and disco-like theme song. It contained repeats of the 1960's action-adventure series "The Herculoids", and also repeated episodes of "Space Ghost", "The Herculoids", "Motormouse and Cat" (from "Cattanooga Cats"), and a new entry along with that season titled "The C.B. Bears". It ran for 7 months in 1978, and ran less than for 1 season, 120-minute and ran for 13 episodes. It ran until September 2, 1978, just prior to the beginning of the 1978-79 schedule. Go Go Globetrotters aired alongside reruns of Hong Kong Phooey and before Space Sentinels.

[@hanslesolo]

The theme is bangin' !

[@jamesmoss3424]

Harlem Globe Trotters kick ass. 😀👍🏀

[@arober9758]

Excellent job guys!! Thumbs up for everybody who loved this cartoon almost 50 years ago.

[@juneshopper]

Never saw this, but we always watched them play on TV. Dad made sure he knew when they would be on, and remember Meadowlark Lemon and Curly Neal, always great and funny games. Those guys sure could play awesome B ball and make it fun at same time.

[@sexymama1966]

i recognize about 3/4 of the voice cast and that's a rarity for me.

[@seansherrod8725]

Thank you for posting my absolute number one all-time favorite cartoon theme song

[@louisb5563]

I forgot this intro, I used to love it...song is still groovy!

[@mierpaul]

Nothing beats the golden age of Saturday morning cartoons. late 60's to late 70's. Great time to be a kid.

[@travismclaurin9419]

Sure was.

[@ismaelnunez3888]

SO TRUE

[@lesterjordan1317]

Curly Neal thanks for the memories

[@LNSmithee]

Hey, Robert DoQui, so memorable as the beleaguered precinct captain in the original "RoboCop"!

[@a.k.4486]

My childhood

[@MrScottx]

This was a fun show!!

[@tj3688]

Back in the early '70's about 7 or 8 years old I remember shooting baskets by myself while I'd be singing this song.

[@Mafon2]

Wow, the tune is pretty darn good.

[@clevelandantwine8985]

Remember playing this song in the marching band

[@brew5010]

That baseline loop would be so cool for someone to rap off of...especially if the song had something to do about basketball.

[@garysmith8073]

Looking at this brings back memoriez. When I was a little boy I wanted to be like my HEROES.

[@garysmith8073]

So did I . I HAD A PAIR OF RED SHORTS AND PUT WHITE TAPE ON THEM FOR STRIPES . I MADE IT HAPPEN . TO GOD BE THE GLORY !!!

[@mariellclement8092]

Funky! That bassline needs a doctor, it's so sick. lol

[@travismclaurin9419]

Yeah!

[@johndukes8130]

It sho is

[@jhankline8963]

This was the coolest cartoon show ever when i was growing up I couldn't wait for the next show the next saturday. When cartoons were done in the morning and ate my breakfast i was outside playing untill my aunt mary called me in for supper Then i went back outside until it was time for bed. Now a days kids dont even go outside they have video games. But you know what thats the parents fault. Dumb kids dumb parents

[@a.k.4486]

Fantastic!!! My childhood. The intro is so fun. The outro images makes basketball look like a mythical experience from a glorious past. The music is as FUNKY as one can get!!!!

[@hanslesolo]

fantastic!

[@robertdubs9466]

RIP: Paul "Pablo" Robinson, Harlem Globetrotter from 1967-1974 (1944-1990) Robert "Bobby Joe" Mason, Harlem Globetrotter from 1963-1977 (1936-2006) J.C. "Gip" Gipson, Harlem Globetrotter from 1952-1971 (1932-2009) George "Meadowlark" Lemon, Harlem Globetrotter from 1954-1979 (1932-2015) and Freddie "Curly" Neal, Harlem Globetrotter from 1963-1985 (1942-2020) Only Hubert "Geese" Ausbie, Harlem Globetrotter from 1961-1985 (b. 1938) is still alive today.

[@AllRequired]

Meadowlark was said to be an actual voice in this series.

[@susanfit47]

While the original 1970-'71 Globetrotters premiered on CBS (I think there's a mention of Columbia Systems in tiny print under the opening title card), 10 out of its 22 episodes were brought back midseason 1977-'78 on NBC as part of a makeshift anthology Go Go Globetrotters that reran a motley combination of Herculoids, Space Ghost and Motormouse episodes (from 1966, '67 and '69 respectively) with that season's C.B. Bears. In spring 1999, TV Land aired repeats of on Saturday mornings as part of its TV Land Super Retrovision Saturdaze lineup. The series has not been rerun since.

[@goodlife6145]

Funkiest theme tune EVER. If we're talking cartoons.

[@jkirby6576]

I met Robert Do Qui at an elementary school I worked at.

[@TijayEverette]

i miss that show

[@jamesfulton564]

I grew up in the 80's & 1 major thing I realized as a kid watching reruns of the 70's & 60's toons (especially Hanna Barbera) was how much more FUNKY the theme songs were

[@wb3381]

My children loved this cartoon especially the humor

[@diogocatalano9557]

I loved this cartoon !

[@travismclaurin9419]

Grazzii

[@stephenholloway6893]

This was the next to last series that Michael Maltese had an role in writing before he left Hanna Barbera. The Funky Phantom would be his last series at the studio.

[@mrmenfangachafanobjectshow1545]

Oh yeah!😎👍🏀

[@nathanielwaters6730]

Wow, the theme music sounds like Mandrill, a R&B Funk group from the '70s!!!

[@TheKEVMART1]

YES IT DOES...OMG!!!

[@Mrtv1017]

this show was recently aired on TV Land in 1999

[@teeeeeveeeee314]

RIP Meadowlark

[@leftcoaster67]

And Curly :(

[@rp51]

OMG !!! Childhood 👶🏻 👶🏻 👶🏻 I recall my memories... we used to pertain globetrotters players and used to do funny things with basketball 🏀 😂 🤣 Sweet years 70s & 80s ♥️

[@randyherx9748]

A bowl of trix and Saturday morning! Great memories!

[@steveaceves6214]

Harlem Globetrotters Is The Best Cartoon Characters In The Universe Right 🇺🇸🏀💲🏆⭐🚩

[@edwinkirk1706]

So good to hear this music again!

[@JHollowayNetwork]

The end theme plays over the Hanna-Barbera logo (although it has a Taft byline still).

[@Musicradio77Network]

And then, it has the “V of Doom” at the end as well. kzbin.info/www/bejne/pHmroKKCbb94gLM

[@thefabulousthomasj]

Love this! Thank you for posting this, 11db11!!!

[@rafaelmiranda1119]

Best theme I've ever heard from a Hanna-Barbera cartoon, hands down.

[@jalaneperry7643]

I remember watching that back in 1971 when I was a kid I was 8 years old at the time and I remember seeing this cartoon show every Saturday morning at 10 in the morning it would come on and channel for and I remember watching it and then afterwards they had the Harlem Globetrotters popcorn machine with Rodney Allen rippy but that was years later the popcorn machine was back in 1976 with Rodney Allen rippy

[@steveaceves6214]

Who Else Likes Harlem Globetrotters 🏀💯🏆⭐🔥❄

[@cheritripp9470]

I'm usually not a fan of sports, but with these guys I made an exception. Even watched them perform on TV (always felt sorry for the team they played against and got trounced). Loved Meadowlark I read a bio on the team that came out around the time of the cartoon. They knew about it and said the personality of the cartoon characters usually matched them. Did any of them contribute their voice in the cartoon?

[@freddyvidz]

Funky!!!

[@LogoAttitude]

Original CBS airings probably followed the H-B logo with a screen saying "In Association With the CBS Television Network"

[@14DaveHunter]

RIP Curley Neal, who passed away last week.

[@AldenRDavis]

HEY!!! WHAT?!

[@FishHooksLover_2024]

GLOBE TROTTERS!!! OH!!! OH YEAH!!!!

[@lashaydavis8593]

This song is so freaking catchy I love this theme even as a grown ass woman. Even though I wasn't alive when this cartoon came on. I dig the theme song. 😁

[@lasonyasuttle6839]

WATCH YOUR MOUTH! 😠😡🤬

[@lasonyasuttle6839]

GOOD GRIEF! 🙄😔🙄😔

[@AllRequired]

The Harlem Globe Trotters Super Travels.

[@TnseWlms]

Thumbs up if you ever had or remember their metal lunchbox.

[@cgstylzes]

The funk, this is what the young kids nowadays need to see on saturday vsome real history right here 1luv

[@taurnguard]

RIP Curly Neal. :/

[@70briareos]

RIP Curly Neal :(

[@lonecrapshooter67]

RIP Curly Neal

[@jeannetteMiller-dv3ko]

TOTALLY AWESOME 💪🏾💋💯🔥💯🔥 HIPHOP HIPHOP

[@joshuasutton6813]

Warner Archive needs to release this on dvd

[@stephenholloway6893]

They have to talk to Paramount in this case since CBS owns the series they co produced it and assuming took the show with them instead of letting Hanna Barbera keep it

[@herbertturner8808]

@@stephenholloway6893 Unusual, since Hanna-Barbera usually holds some rights on the shows they produce, even those they do under license. The 1967 Fantastic Four series is one example.

[@yaddamop]

OK, who had the lunchbox? I know I did! Great program! Always been a Globetrotters fan.

[@susanfit47]

26 episodes of were produced: 16 for the 1st season, and 6 more for the 2nd season, plus repeats. The show was later rerun on NBC as the headline segment of , a Saturday morning block which also included reruns of CB Bears, Space Ghost, The Herculoids, and Motormouse & Autocat (from Cattanooga Cats).

[@mysteriomarvel933]

Is this available to purchase on DVD? I only see theb1979 super globetrotters cartoon for sale.

[@EmmaJo-e]

👍👍👍

[@MrAdriancooke]

My friends and I thought "Meadowlark Lemon" was a hilarious name 😂

[@susanfit47]

The 1977-78 midseason reruns of GLOBETROTTERS, Space Ghost, Herculoids, and Motormouse & Autocat shorts from 1969's ABC CATTANOOGA CATS were packaged as what appeared to be a 'new' show, GO-GO GLOBETROTTERS- with a 'new' title sequence and disco-like theme song.

[@jimibarkley7829]

Take me back to Cartoon Network and boomerang

[@DavidChrisCastillo-im1wg]

1970!

[@davidpitkat6031]

R.I.P. Curly Neal 🏀

[@AllRequired]

RIP Meadowlark Lemon (whom, if I recall correctly, was a legit Globetrotter).

[@alanstrong55]

Liked that show.

[@susanfit47]

The world famous HARLEM GLOBETROTTERS, arguably the best-known professional basketball team in the world,was organized in 1927 by Abe Saperstein in Chicago,Illinois--rather than the famous uptown New York City neighborhood of Harlem that gave the team its name. Not to mention the theme song as well "Sweet Georgia Brown", which was part of the team's signature song every time the players step out on the court. The all-African American team grew in fame all over the world and for the next few decades,and got excellent exposure during the 1960's TV sports series like "The CBS Sports Spectacular", and others (like "ABC's Wide World Of Sports) which no doubt led to this animation adaptation. During its 3-season run, The animated version of THE HARLEM GLOBETROTTERS was one of the surprise hits that CBS had on its very successful Saturday Mornings schedule and it was right up there with "The Archies", "Sabrina and the Groovie Goolies", "Sabrina, the Teenage Witch", "The Monkees", "Dastardy and Muttley in Their Flying Machines", "The Jetsons", "Bugs Bunny" "Scooby Doo, Where Are You?", "The New Scooby-Doo Movies", "Help!... It's the Hair Bear Bunch", "The Pebbles and Bamm-Bamm Show", "The Flintstones Comedy Hour", "You Are There", "The Amazing Chan and the Chan Clan", "Fat Albert and the Cosby Kids", "Josie And The Pussycats" and "Josie And The Pussycats in Outer Space". In fact when the series premiered on CBS-TV on September 12, 1970, it came on a hour before another series "Josie And The Pussycats" which also premiered that same year. The series would last two seasons on Saturday Mornings with CBS until September 2, 1972 (in repeated episodes from the first season) and from there the network moved the show from Saturday Mornings to Sunday Mornings in repeated episodes from September 10, 1972 until the last broadcast on May 20, 1973. The series was produced by Hanna-Barbera Productions. THE HARLEM GLOBETROTTERS was the first series to featured an all minority cast with a hint of diversity in some of the segments. As this befits their name,the Globetrotters traversed the world to play various opponents in locales from hillbilly country in the United States to snowy European mountains and to other places as well including islands in the South Pacific, and exotic locations like London, Paris, India and Japan. Granny (Nancy Wible), the only Caucasian on board, drove the team bus, and Dribbles (Frank Welker) the dog that accompanied the group as sort of a team mascot. The players consisted of Meadowlark Lemon (Scatman Crothers), comical relief Curly (Stu Gilliam), and the other players on the roster including B.J. Mason (Eddie "Rochester" Anderson), Geese Ausbie (Johnny Williams), Gip Gipson (Richard Elkins), and Pabs "Pablo" Robertson (Robert Do Qui). The series within itself showed what the team does best and that is show off their impressive athleticism with their superior basketball expertise. Plus other stuff of interest that you may not see in live-action,but in an animated cartoon-they could get away with it very easily. The group also did its own album for Don Kirshner in 1970, but could not make them emulate the success of his proteges, "The Archies". The songs that were for the album were written by Neil Sedaka for the Warner Bros. Records label. After the animated series went off the air in 1973, The cartoon Globetrotters also guest-starred three times on . the "real" Harlem Globetrotters came back the following year with their own weekly variety-musical-comedy series "The Harlem Globetrotters Popcorn Machine", which lasted one season on CBS. That variety featured The Globetrotters along with its child star-Rodney Allen Rippy and featuring Avery Scheriber as Mister Evil. On February 4, 1978, the HARLEM GLOBETROTTERS were back on Saturday Mornings after a 5 year-hiatus. Only this time around they switched networks from CBS to NBC. The series returned in repeated episodes titled "Go-Go Globetrotters", 2-hour show which also contained repeats of the 1960's action-adventure series "The Herculoids", and also repeated episodes of "Space Ghost", "The Herculoids", "Motormouse and Cat" (from "Catanooga Cats"), and a new entry along with that season titled "The C.B. Bears". It ran for 7 months in 1978 On September 2,1978, NBC resurrected the team as they returned for a new animated incarnation as superheroes called "The Super Globetrotters", which lasted one season. It featured the Globetrotters (now including new squad members James "Twiggy" Sanders (Buster Jones), Nate Branch (Scatman Brothers), and Louis "Sweet Lou" Dunbar (Adam Wade)) as undercover superheroes who would transform themselves by entering magic portable lockers carried in "Sweet Lou" Dunbar's afro or in a basketball-shaped medallion. Although the Super Globetrotters would first attempt to take on the villain with standard comical heroics, things would almost always be settled with a basketball game. Fluid Man/Liquid Man, Multi Man and Spaghetti Man (previously Coil Man) were recycled intact super-heroic identities and powers were taken from the characters from a previous Hanna-Barbera cartoon, . The transformation sequences and many of the Super Globetrotters' moves were also the same as their Impossibles counterparts. aired in its own half-hour timeslot from September 22 to November 3, 1979 and beginning November 10, episodes were packaged together with under the title which ran until September 20, 1980. The series ended its association with NBC in repeated episodes during the end of the 1979-1980 season. The entire show was later parodied in several episodes of Futurama.

[@carlossoto1715]

It’s such a shame that, possibly due to trademarks and copyrights, this didn’t air on Boomerang (or at least during times that I’ve watched it). I only remember these guys appearing alongside Scooby Doo, but never saw this show. This theme however is funky fresh.

[@JimHawkwind03411]

This version of the Globetrotters was co-produced and owned by CBS, which is why it’s not shown on Cartoon Network or Boomerang.

[@marcustrice3246]

@@JimHawkwind03411 Funny thing is the cartoon show "Where's Huddles" was also co-produced and owned by CBS aired on Boomerang but not the Harlem Globetrotters cartoon. Why is that?

[@stephenholloway6893]

​@Marcus Trice CBS did distribute and air Where's Huddles but I don't think they ever owned that series unlike this one.

[@johnpastore7685]

Great these song

[@mrnobody2018]

They help innocents and defeat the villains in basketball tournaments

[@MrMusicbyMartin]

As a white English kid in the 1970s, I though this was the greatest. I didn’t even understand that basketball was a sport, in my head it was some sort of crime-fighting tool!!

[@randybaumery5090]

I watched this in the 1970s

[@giants8691]

RIP Curley Neal

[@thema1998]

Today is the *2* year anniversary of when you uploaded this video. 🤓 EDIT- 6:09 P.M.: *finishes video 2 minutes later* I've never had much of an interest in Harlem Globetrotters but I do plan on seeing it one day.