Butterfly in the Synth: Reading Rainbow’s Magical Theme Song
Twenty Thousand Hertz - The stories behind the world's most recognizable and interesting sounds.
The theme song to Reading Rainbow has been delighting kids (and nostalgic grown-ups) for over 40 years. But how did this instantly iconic track come to be? In this episode, composer Steve Horelick reveals the unlikely story of its creation, from its empowering lyrics, to its “fluttering butterfly” synth sound, to how Chaka Khan and a mystery drummer helped shape one of its later versions.
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The theme song to Reading Rainbow has been delighting kids (and nostalgic grown-ups) for over 40 years. But how did this instantly iconic track come to be? In this episode, composer Steve Horelick reveals the unlikely story of its creation, from its empowering lyrics, to its “fluttering butterfly” synth sound, to how Chaka Khan and a mystery drummer helped shape one of its later versions.
Support the show and get ad-free episodes at 20k.org/plus.
Twenty Thousand Hertz is produced by Defacto Sound.
Subscribe on YouTube to see our video series.
If you know what this week's mystery sound is, tell us at mystery.20k.org.
Follow Dallas on Instagram, TikTok, Facebook, and LinkedIn.
Join our community on Reddit.
Explore Steve Horelick's work on his website and YouTube channel.
Visit expressvpn.com/20k to find out how you can get 4 extra months of protection.
Get 3 months of free payroll at gusto.com/20k.
Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
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