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What libraries are these?

SqueakyCartWheel
SqueakyCartWheel • 6 December 2019 • User blog:SqueakyCartWheel

Would anyone be able to help me solve a couple of SFX mysteries I've been wondering about for a while now? Nothing to do with mystery sounds (plus familar sounds I wish I knew the origin of), that'll be saved for another post, but with a couple of stock libraries (or post audio services?) used by a handful of producers I've been wondering about for quite some time now, from which many familar sounds originated from.

I actually thought these two were one library because they shared some of the same effects, but I've recently realized that there are actually two stock libraries. I don't know which library originated which.

Mystery Library #1

This library was frequently used by Art Clokey in Gumby, and was utilized in a few Sesame Street animated segments. The editor Rich Harrison also used this library during his tenure at Chuck Jones' studio (Bugs Bunny's Bustin' Out All Over (1980), A Chipmunk Christmas (1981), etc.), and some studios like TV Spots/Creston Studios included sounds from here in their own in-house SFX libraries. Another editor, Phil Kaye, who worked for Creston/TV Spots and Rankin/Bass, also included effects from here in his library. Many of the sounds listed below likely originated with this library, and appear to be edited from Sound Ideas, COMEDY - MONTAGE OF VARIOUS COMEDY EFFECTS 01 and Sound Ideas, COMEDY - MONTAGE OF VARIOUS COMEDY EFFECTS 02. Some Disney, Jay Ward and Phil Kaye/TV Spots effects also found their way into this library. (Speaking of Jay Ward, his studio used this library in their 1980 pilot film "Rah, Rah, Woozy". It's possible this is the Audio Effects library, credited in a few 60s Gumbys, but I'm not positive.

Sounds That Likely Originated From or Were Included in This Library

Mystery Library #2

This library was mainly used by Cambria Productions. Filmation also utilized it in their "Marx Brothers" pilot film.

Larry Harmon Productions also used a few effects which were in this library, but they likely didn't use the same library as Cambria, having watching their Popeye and Bozo cartoons and noticing a mostly-different SFX array being utilized.

I honestly don't think any of these were recorded or created for this library (although for some it's possible!), rather they got all their sounds from other sources. They later acquired a decent number of UPA's sounds, and some Disney effects also found their way into this library, along with many selections from "Mystery Library #1", plus low-quality copies of Warner Brothers' ricochet sounds and a few Hanna-Barbera sounds, plus Jay Ward's explosion sound and the Universal bullet riccos.

Valentino later acquired this library and released their sounds as part of their SFX library. Probably a sound effects division of the Gordon Zahler music library, which both studios used, but that's only a theory. I don't know if any of the sounds in this library are original, I'm sure it's unlikely. This Sesame Street insert also utilized selections from this library.

Sounds That Originated At or Were Included in This Library

I don't know if the H-B SFX used in "Stooges" and the sounds I've only heard in Harmon's projects are part of this library, but if they are, that means the following were included as part of it:

Mystery Library #3

This library had a small assortment of old Jimmy MacDonald/Disney sounds that a bunch of studios, including Hanna-Barbera and Ralph Bakshi used. Pixar even used a couple of these in their short film "Tin Toy," and I imagine they all got these sounds from the same source. Here's a list of the Disney sounds I know for certain were included in whatever library this was:

Mystery Library #4

This library was the source of some of the newer SFX on Cartoon Trax Volume 1, and was also used in the Robin Williams movie Popeye (1980). Horta Editorial and Sound used these sounds as well before their release on the aforementioned Hollywood Edge library.

Sound Effects Created for This Library

Mystery Library #5

This library was used frequently in the late 80s and early 90s, especially by the DIC studio. Tiny Toon Adventures and other Russell Brower and Robert Hargreaves projects used it as well, and it was also used in the 1987 intro for The Woody Woodpecker Show and the EFX Systems post-production audio service. Some of their signature sounds are H-B or Valentino, but a few of these appear to be original, although it's possible they originated with the Digiffects library or Valentino CD library. Other projects which used this include Beakman's World and Adventures in Wonderland, as well as Bob Saget-era episodes of America's Funniest Home Videos.

Sounds That Originated At or Were Included in This Library

Mystery Library #6

This library was used in at least three DePatie-Freleng cartoons from the mid-60s:

  • Sugar and Spies
  • That's No Lady, That's Notre Dame
  • Unsafe and Seine

Some of the sounds used by them are probably original, but a few of them aren't. At least one of the sounds in this library was also used by Chuck Jones and MGM in the 60s as well.

Sounds That Originated At or Were Included in This Library

Mystery Library #7

This library was used by Total Television in a number of "Tennessee Tuxedo" and "Underdog" segments, as well as in a few silent comedy compilations from Robert Youngson. Most of these effects appear to be original to this library, but a few are originally from other sources.

Sounds That Originated At or Were Included in This Library

Mystery Library #8

This library was used in a handful of King Features Syndicate projects, namely the intro, outro, commercial bumpers and sing-a-long segments in The Beatles and some "Harry McCool and the Comedy Cops" segments of "Cool McCool". Some of these effects were obviously ripped from old film prints judging by the quality and the presence of background music in some samples.

Sounds That Originated At or Were Included in This Library

Mystery Post Audio Service

The only cartoon work I know of from this post-production audio company was on the following episodes of Inspector Gadget (in "ABC" order):

  • "All That Glitters"
  • "Art Heist"
  • "Basic Training"
  • "A Clear Case"
  • "The Coo-Coo Clock Caper"
  • "Eye of the Dragon"
  • "Gadget Goes West"
  • "Launch Time"
  • "Map Trap"
  • "Sleeping Gas"

There are probably others this group worked on, but I've never seen them to know. They primarily used H-B sounds, plus some Jimmy MacDonald/Disney SFX (although available on the H-B library). They used at least one effect originally from Skywalker Sound/Sprocket Systems and Major Records each (a "synth gun ricochet" and the "boi-oi-oing" heard in many a Gene Deitch "Tom and Jerry" respectively). Here's the list of sounds this team used I recognize:

The show, in its first season credited two post audio companies: Film Arts and the Film House Group. It's one of them, I'm not sure which.

Information regarding the sources of these sounds is appreciated. If you'd like to comment on the subject, please do so below if you'd like to.

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