Cool finds from The Hardy Boys cartoon and '70s show

MacGyver · February 05, 2010, 12:22:53 PM

Hey- I ran across some pretty neat finds today online that I thought all The Hardy Boys fans here would enjoy.
First off, I found the audio file for the 1978 LP album released with 2 original mysteries, simply titled "The Hardy Boys". (Featuring "The Disco Conspiracy" and "The Mystery of the Missing Iceman".) This was obviously released as a tie-in merchandise album to The Hardy Boys/Nancy Drew Mysteries show of the 1970s.
(See this site for a little more info on this collectible, along with many others- http://hardyboys.bobfinnan.com/hbom.htm)
And see this site for the actual MP3s (http://franklinmintblog.blogspot.com/2009/02/hardy-boys-1978.html)
[Note: If you poke around enough on this guy's blog, he's also got an entry on some of the albums produced from The Hardy Boys cartoon show band from the '60s- there's a link for one of the albums, but unfortunately it seems to be no longer valid.]

This site has lots of great info on The Hardy Boys cartoon from 1969! There's lots of neat, rare band photos and ads for the show and for live appearances from the band. There's also recent interviews with some of the members and information on their present whereabouts. For anyone who's ever been curious about this cartoon, this is definitely a very cool site of information.
http://www.popcultureaddict.com/music/hardyboys.htm
(Tons of cool info and pictures of The Hardy Boys 1969 cartoon series!)
(WARNING- includes nude pic from Playboy article!)

I also ran across this site, but I don't think this is really the same '60s cartoon rock band. However, they are called "The Hardy Boys"- but I think they're just borrowing the name.
http://noiseboxmusiccollection.blogspot.com/2009/11/hardy-boys-wonderful-lie-ep.html
(Not sure if this is really the 1969 Hardy Boys cartoon band, but anyway)

Enjoy.

tomswift2002 · February 05, 2010, 07:10:22 PM

Quote from: MacGyver on February 05, 2010, 12:22:53 PM

I also ran across this site, but I don't think this is really the same '60s cartoon rock band. However, they are called "The Hardy Boys"- but I think they're just borrowing the name.
http://noiseboxmusiccollection.blogspot.com/2009/11/hardy-boys-wonderful-lie-ep.html
(Not sure if this is really the 1969 Hardy Boys cartoon band, but anyway)

The 1960's Hardy Boys band, based on the cartoon, only released 2 albums and the song "White Lie" was not apart of either album, and it definitely wasn't on the 78's and 33's that Disney released in the 1950's. And in the 1970's the only "Hardy Boys" albums released were the LP's by Shaun Cassidy and the one LP with the 2 stories.

Plus I was reading the write-up on that link and it sounds like that "Hardy Boys" was a UK band that was popular in Japan.

hardygirl847 · February 06, 2010, 01:13:24 AM

This is just too weird to me. Frank and Joe are brothers that solved mysteries. I have a hard time getting into the whole cartoon and music thing. Just my opinion.

MacGyver · February 06, 2010, 01:27:13 AM

Frank and Joe Hardy still solved mysteries in the cartoon series. Chet "Chubby" Morton was there for the ride too, along with newly created band members Pete Jones and Wanda Kay. If The Hardy Boys can be adapted to live action TV shows, why not a cartoon? The thing you have to remember with this cartoon is that it was created by Filmation in 1969. They were riding off the success of The Archies cartoon that started in 1968 and of course, this cartoon featured Archie and the gang singing songs in their band along with having various adventures. "Sugar Sugar" got to be a huge bubblegum pop rock hit. Hanna-Barbera also started airing Scooby-Doo, Where Are You? at the same time in the fall of 1969 (Sesame Street also started airing that fall too, for that matter- but that's just an aside.

). Anyway- suffice it to say that it was a popular trend at the time and thus The Hardy Boys were now a rock and roll band that used their touring schedule as a cover to be out solving mysteries. They were really compact mysteries of course, because it's a 30 minute show with 2 songs at the start and end, if I understand correctly, and a mystery in-between. I have one comic book based on the show- it's pretty decent really- just rather compact, like I said- similar to the 1990s Hardy Boys live action show. (as far as pacing goes- not necessarily style and setting, obviously.)
The site I listed is more about the actual live actors who portrayed The Hardy Boys rock band, as seen in the cartoon, and actually went out on real tours and everything and even had a few hits like "Love and Let Love". Live actors portraying The Hardy Boys band were seen in the credits of the cartoon (and they were dressed like their cartoon counterparts)- but otherwise they were pulled together just to form the actual real life band. It's kinda like how The Monkees band was originally just a band created for the live action TV show, but kinda took a life of its own from there and really took off. The Hardy Boys didn't quite do as well as The Monkees, but they certainly have some '60s bubblegum pop rock fans who remember them. And obviously the diehard Hardy Boys fans who are still jonesing to actually see the cartoon series beyond the clips on Youtube. I enjoy the one comic book I have based on the series- but I'd like to see the show itself someday. Maybe it will be released on DVD eventually...

tomswift2002 · February 06, 2010, 09:09:16 AM

Quote from: MacGyver on February 06, 2010, 01:27:13 AM
The Hardy Boys didn't quite do as well as The Monkees, but they certainly have some '60s bubblegum pop rock fans who remember them. And obviously the diehard Hardy Boys fans who are still jonesing to actually see the cartoon series beyond the clips on Youtube. I enjoy the one comic book I have based on the series- but I'd like to see the show itself someday. Maybe it will be released on DVD eventually...

Well they managed to do well enough to get 2 albums released.

And I would like to see the series on DVD since I wasn't around when the show was airing. But from what I've heard, because no one knows right now where the show is or who owns it, it could be that if it ever gets a DVD release we might see it, here in North America anyway, in a PAL converted to NTSC way, since, apparently when Hallmark owned the Filmation back catalogue in the 1990's and they converted all the Filmation shows that they had to digital, "only PAL-format copies were made with the original film prints apparently discarded". (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Filmation#Ownership)

NancyDrew · February 06, 2010, 11:42:12 AM

Quote from: hardygirl847 on February 06, 2010, 01:13:24 AM
This is just too weird to me. Frank and Joe are brothers that solved mysteries. I have a hard time getting into the whole cartoon and music thing. Just my opinion.

Same here as well. I just never did. But I do enjoy the 70's show. I thought I woudn't but found otherwise.

But thank you!

hardygirl847 · February 06, 2010, 10:50:36 PM

I'm not saying the cartoon was bad or the idea of the band was bad either. I am just into it. Like Nancy, I wasn't sure I'd like the 70s series. Truth be told, if I found it 13 years ago, I probably wouldn't. But I love it now!! I am still waiting for season 3 to come out!! I love me some Parker Stevenson! hehe

BTW I love "Sugar, Sugar"!

tomswift2002 · February 07, 2010, 12:09:10 PM

Quote from: hardygirl847 on February 06, 2010, 10:50:36 PM
I am still waiting for season 3 to come out!! I love me some Parker Stevenson! hehe

You might want to head over to Shout Factory's website and send them a note or log onto their forums and let them know that you'd like to see Season 3 on DVD. I was just told within the past week that Shout has signed an agreement with Universal to release the rest of Universal series that Universal has abandoned.

hardygirl847 · February 07, 2010, 05:07:11 PM

Thanks tomswift! I did just that. I sent them an email. If I get one in return, I will pass it along.

hardygirl847 · February 08, 2010, 03:51:08 PM

I got a reply...and sadly it's not good news. They do not have any plans on releasing Season 3. I was told that it could change and to check back. But I'm not holding my breath on this one.

MacGyver · February 08, 2010, 04:50:26 PM

You never know. There's always hope. Shout! Factory has been known for releasing titles that no one else would bother with- and because of the core group of fans getting the word out, they do make some sales. If there's enough demand, they might consider it. That's one reason I kinda do hope The Hardy Men movie gets made, if only to inspire either Universal or Shout! to get around to releasing Season 3 on DVD!

hardygirl847 · February 08, 2010, 11:22:23 PM

I honestly hope there is another way of getting Season 3! I DO NOT want the Hardy Men movie to be made for many reasons.

*sighs* Only time will tell...neither one are for sure yet.

tomswift2002 · February 09, 2010, 04:58:05 PM

Quote from: hardygirl847 on February 08, 2010, 11:22:23 PM
I DO NOT want the Hardy Men movie to be made for many reasons.

I think a lot of people are "counting their chickens before they've hatched" on the movie.

hardygirl847 · February 09, 2010, 05:41:40 PM

Meaning that it won't be made?

Yeah I suppose so. However, if the irony in my life has anything to do with it...the more we don't want it, the more likely it will happen.

MacGyver · June 22, 2010, 06:01:49 PM

Found another incredible article on the history of Corgi's Rolls Royce toy car from The Hardy Boys cartoon series, which also offered great insight into the creation of the cartoon itself and a little history about The Hardy Boys in media as well. Check it out.
http://www.toycollector.com/index.php?option=com_myblog&show=The-Hardy-Boysa-Rolls-Royce-Corgia-s-Most-Obscure-and-Grooviest-Character-Toy.html&Itemid=157