By: Paul Dobry for Earvolution.com
Nickelodeon, the self proclaimed "first network for kids," in the mid-nineties was a special time and place to be a part of. In the fashion of The Simpsons' humble beginnings as a series of shorts, premiering on The Tracy Ullman Show, a quirky show for kids was born out of spots aired among commercials during regular shows. The Adventures of Pete & Pete provided a generation of kids a parallel dimension that looked enough like their own to be relatable, while providing enough eccentricities to spark imagination and change the perspective from which one usually looks at suburban life. The first season was recently released on DVD sparking nostalgia and new discoveries from a now grown-up fan base.
As kids we may have overlooked the myriad of guest stars, not yet being familiar enough with these stars to recognize Iggy Pop or Steve Buscemi in their recurring roles as neighborhood parents. Upon looking back, it is the music that is most interesting however. This extends to the guest spots, with episodes featuring the likes of Michael Stipe, Debbie Harry, Juliana Hatfield, Gordon Gano of The Violent Femmes and LL Cool J among others. Creators Will McRobb and Chris Viscardi strove to use the music of independent bands to provide the show with a score befitting of its oddball humor. Music from bands including Yo La Tengo, The Magnetic Fields, and Apples in Stereo was featured and Luscious Jackson appears in an episode as the band at a school dance.
But what fans of the show remember most is the theme song at the beginning of every episode. The song is "Hey Sandy" by Polaris. Of the myriad of music featured , that of Polaris is featured most often and most prominently. Music From the Adventures of Pete & Pete was Polaris' first record, 12 tracks of bouncy, bittersweet indie-pop many of which were heard in episodes of Pete & Pete.
Article comments
1 - Russ
Great review ! I'd almost forgotten about that show, and I loved it when it was on. And, as a musician, I loved the music that was regularly featured, even the theme song.
2 - Temple Stark
I promoted this review to Advance.net. That means I put it here (and these places) where it could potentially be read by another few hundred thousand readers.
- Thank you for the post. Temple Stark
3 - Temple Stark
I have never ever heard of this show but the music sounds wild. In the near future you will be asked to remove the .com from your username. If it not yet in our written policies, it is planned.
Well, I'm asking now, but you'll get a further request. Nice review.
4 - yan
The music of pete and pete is very good, the track when the show start (hey sandy) is very good and there are other goods.
5 - montananude
i like your review, you sound intellegent and not like a stupid candy ass, congratulations on being such a fantastic critic of what really matters