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A Tribute To ‘Captain Kangaroo’ You’ll Want To Read, HEAR

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Eyes Of A Generation.com

A Tribute To ‘Captain Kangaroo’ You’ll Want To Read, HEAR And Share!

Today is the first time I ever knew the name of this show’s famous theme song, much less, heard the full 2:43 version of “Puffin Billy”.


At this link is the original full version. The ‘Captain Kangaroo’ theme we heard on television was an edited version that repeated the first two verses over and over, but never allowed us to hear the bridge and nice half step up into the final verses that come around 1:08.

“Puffin Billy” was an instrumental, written by Edward G. White in 1934. The track was from a British stock music production library known as the Chappell Recorded Music Library which was sold through a New York agency called Emil Ascher. The tune’s original title referred to a British steam locomotive which is now on display in Melbourne, Australia.

You’ll never guess who the man in the photo is…even if I told you his name…Cosmo Allegretti. He was on the show every day, but we never saw him. Cosmo was the puppet master of the show! He did Bunny Rabbit, Grandfather Clock, Dancing Bear and more.

By the way, I just read yesterday that before videotape came along, Bob Keeshan and company did this two hour show live twice in a row, six days a week with only a :40 second break between the live east coast broadcast and the live west coast broadcast. There was no time for a Kinescope and they did this for three years from 1955 till 1958. Amazing! Enjoy and SHARE THIS! – Bobby Ellerbee

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18 responses to “A Tribute To ‘Captain Kangaroo’ You’ll Want To Read, HEAR”

  1. Steve Williams

    Yes, this is it.
    http://youtu.be/XW_h-diJtao

  2. Steve Williams

    This sounds, in retrospect exactly like something Leroy Anderson could have written. And I mean that as a compliment.
    Question though ; why do I remember the song with Kangaroo related lyrics like ” in his treasure house he says your gonna find lots to do”?
    Perhaps with Bob Keeshsn singing part of the song?
    Was that ever on the broadcast?
    I might have had a little golden 78 record of this as a child. Will have to research this now.

  3. Terry Wilkie

    I vividly remember as a kid the day the show switched from B&W to Color. He walked up a set of steps in the Treasure House in B&W, went through a door and came out the door on the other side in Color. Nothing fancy, just a cut, but instantly going from B&W to Color in those days was quite dramatic. I would give anything to see that again as an adult.

  4. Bruce Ferrell

    How dare those Brits take credit for the theme to Captain Kangaroo !!

  5. Joel O’Brien

    O.K. I learned something today!

  6. John Bolin

    You can find a good version of this theme on the TVToons CD’s of TV show themes.

  7. Mark Tipton

    Boy, did those opening strains bring back a flood of memories.

  8. James Fleming

    http://youtu.be/uDDdHBh5IRQ

  9. Max A Schindler

    Tjhat may have been the best of the early morning shows.

  10. Terry Drymon

    BTW so glad i am now in the habit og just going to EOAG because this didnt show up n my thread 2 day and this is just f-in great

  11. David Breneman

    “Puffin’ Billy” is on the first volume of “TV’s Greatest Hits.”

  12. James Fleming

    Ah the memories!

  13. Alan Rosenfeld

    Grew up with the Captain as well, remember seeing Cosmo’s name in the credits once I’d learned to read…

  14. Brett R. Henry

    It can STILL be heard occasionally on the BBC, usually being performed during one of the many BBC Proms concerts held every summer at Royal Albert Hall, or on the weekly “Friday Night is Music Night” broadcasts on BBC Radio 2. “Puffin’ Billy” may have even snuck its way into the programme of one of the summer concerts I regularly produced on behalf of the local borough council that used to employ me (here in “the land of tea & crumpets”). My clandestine ode to my own growing up with the Captain. 😉

  15. Derek Toten

    Ed DiCamillo – Came to say the same thing – besides being a legendary puppeteer, Cosmo was an on camera regular in later years. I grew up with the Captain.

  16. Glenn Mack

    The Kangaroo theme was one of my dad’s favorite instrumentals. I know I’m going off topic here, but it makes me think of one other song, he used to play on his Hi-Fi system. WABC eyewitness news used this as a Sunday night closer.

    http://youtu.be/VMDMSQWgBQ0

  17. Paul Fleming

    I always wondered about that them song. It’s on iTunes, and I just bought it. I just got to hear it in it’s entirety for the first time.

  18. Ed DiCamillo

    Actually we did see Cosmo occasionally, when he played inept apprentice painter Dennis (as pictured here) in front of the camera.

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