Overview
Mark Barkan (1934 – May 8, 2020) was an American songwriter, record producer and musical director whose work helped shape popular music of the 1960s and early 1970s. He wrote or co-wrote several songs that became charting singles for well-known artists and served as the musical director for the television program The Banana Splits Adventure Hour. Over a long career he contributed songs to pop, rock and television soundtracks, and his melodies continued to be recorded and performed by subsequent generations of musicians.
Notable songs and recordings
Barkan is credited with writing or co-writing a number of commercially successful and frequently covered songs. Among the best-known are:
- "She's a Fool" — a Top 5 hit for Lesley Gore that exemplified the teen-pop sound of the early 1960s.
- "Pretty Flamingo" — recorded to great success by British band Manfred Mann in 1966 and covered by other artists over the years.
- "I'm Gonna Be Warm This Winter" — a seasonal pop single recorded by Connie Francis that received airplay and chart presence in the 1960s.
- "The Tra La La Song (One Banana, Two Banana)" — the upbeat theme associated with The Banana Splits television series, recognizable for its sing-along hook and lasting pop-cultural presence.
Work in television and production
Beyond individual singles, Barkan worked in television music production. He was musical director for The Banana Splits Adventure Hour, a children's variety show that combined live-action characters, comedy sketches and pop songs; the series originally aired in 1968–1969. In that role he helped create and supervise songs tailored to the program's characters and audience, blending commercial pop sensibilities with music written for television. His experience as a songwriter informed his approach to arranging and producing material intended for broadcast.
Style and collaborators
Barkan's songwriting reflected the melodic, radio-friendly tendencies of 1960s pop—clear hooks, concise structure and lyrical themes often focused on young love and catchy refrains. He worked with performers and industry professionals who were active in the Brill Building and mainstream pop scenes of the era. While many of his compositions were recorded by established stars, others found new life through covers and compilation releases, demonstrating the adaptability of his material across genres and decades.
Legacy and later life
Mark Barkan's songs remain part of the recorded history of mid-20th-century popular music. Tracks he wrote have appeared on retrospective compilations and have been rediscovered by listeners interested in the period's songwriting craft. He continued to be associated with both commercial pop and television music until later in life. Barkan died at his home in New York City on May 8, 2020, at the age of 85.
Selected resources and further reading
For an overview of his career and a listing of recordings, see biographical summaries and discography entries. Background on the television series he worked on is available at sources about The Banana Splits, while archives and artist pages for performers who recorded his songs may be found at artist reference pages and music history collections at archival listings. These resources provide context for his songwriting credits and the reception of his work over time.
Selected compositions and recordings listed above illustrate Barkan's role in shaping a portion of 1960s pop music; his songs continue to be discovered by new audiences and included in programs exploring the era's popular culture.