this Fresh Prince of Bel Air is a classic ’90s sitcom starring the incredible Will Smith and is ultimately credited as kicking off his career. The hit series lasted from 1990 to 1996 for six seasons (148 episodes), but it still made waves with new generations through Netflix and other streaming services.
Even though it was twenty years ago, almost everyone knows the famous line and can’t help but rap to the title song, “Yo Home to Bel-Air!” But do you know all the crazy facts behind creating and writing this famous theme? Here are 10 facts about the theme song and the intro. We wanted to spend some time, so just sit there!
Contents
- 1 Theme song by Will Smith and DJ Jazzy Jeff
- 2 The whole song took three weeks to make
- 3 The song stayed on the chart for 10 weeks
- 4 This song led to school closures in Pennsylvania
- 5 Alfonso Ribiro, Will Smith, Jaz Jeff and Jaden Smith perform on The Graham Norton Show
- 6 The bank’s house on file is not in Bel Air
- 7 There is a longer full version of this song
- 8 The song has been covered by dozens of celebrities
- 9 Quincy Jones is not a taxi driver
- 10 The soundtrack CD is only released in the Netherlands
Theme song by Will Smith and DJ Jazzy Jeff
The two who played Will and Jazz on the show, were actually a hip-hop duo before the show was created in the 1980s. They even won a Grammy Award for Best Rap Performance in 1989! Their most successful single was “Summertime”, which peaked at number four on the Billboard Hot 100 and earned the band a second Grammy.
These two rap geniuses wrote the lyrics for this theme, why wouldn’t they? Will Smith is actually behind the show, but what about Uncle Phil, who keeps kicking that creepy character out of the house? Yes, so is he.
The whole song took three weeks to make
Apparently, it only took 15 minutes to record and produce the title track! Jazzy Jeff and Will Smith are certainly no strangers to business or musical representation, and they clearly had a pretty clear idea for the song and what they wanted the final product to look like.
The duo released five albums when this show was made, so it’s safe to say they know what they’re doing. According to these two points, less is more and we really cannot deny this. Popular song seems to be working fine!
The song stayed on the chart for 10 weeks
The song was an absolute hit in the Netherlands, and in 1992 it spent 10 weeks in the top 40 singles chart, reaching number three. It’s so popular!
rolling stone even ranked the song at number six on the list of the 10 best TV theme songs, and digital espionage The song came in at number three on their own list of title tracks. There are a lot of sitcoms out there, and this is certainly no small thing.
This song led to school closures in Pennsylvania
When a receptionist at a Pennsylvania high school called a student in 2013, the voicemail appeared to contain a clip of the student singing the Bel-Air theme song. However, the woman, who does not appear to be a performer, believes she heard “gunshots outside the school” and notified authorities.
The student was later arrested but released after the matter was resolved. Who knew that liking dramas could cause such a stir? oh and it’s spinning basketball!
Alfonso Ribiro, Will Smith, Jaz Jeff and Jaden Smith perform on The Graham Norton Show
In 2013, long after the show ended (which took place in 1996), the four performed the hit title song on the popular British talk show, program gham norton.
Even Will’s son, Jaden Smith, joined his father. The four then began to dance the Carlton dance. We certainly weren’t disappointed!
The bank’s house on file is not in Bel Air
As is the case with most TV shows, the show’s location isn’t actually where it was filmed. The giant White House made famous in the opening theme is not in Bel-Air, but actually in Brentwood.
It’s not that far from Bel-Air, after all, but hey, we all think we know what houses in the affluent part of Bel-Air look like. Obviously we don’t know much.
There is a longer full version of this song
We all know every word of the popular theme song (there are 344!), but do you know all the words in the entire extended version? There is a full version, which is 3 minutes long.
Quincy Jones actually composed the theme introduction, but it was officially released by Fresh Prince and Jazzy Jeff (also known as Will Smith and Jazz). Hear more talent (classic school) from Will Smith and Jazzy Jeff.
The song has been covered by dozens of celebrities
The hit song has become a hotbed of spoofs and covers, ranging from hilarious parodies to serious and truly virtuoso covers. Ed Sheeran performed the song on Capital FM in 2017, Jimmy Fallon did a camera parody in 2015, and The Lonely Island performed it at the 2016 MTV Awards.
Other covers and parodies include Logic, Alessia Cara and One Direction! Again, this show ends with 1996. That’s a pretty long time to fake after twenty years, isn’t it? However, we are not complaining. very attractive.
Quincy Jones is not a taxi driver
There has been quite a bit of debate about the taxi driver’s identity on record, with many fans believing him to be none other than celebrity executive producer and record producer Quincy Jones.
Unfortunately, this theory was debunked by the daughter of Quincy (Rashida Jones) and Jada Pinkett Smith. We’re not sure who that taxi driver was, but we’re guessing it might just be someone extra hired on the show. hehe.
The soundtrack CD is only released in the Netherlands
Yes, you are not mistaken. The show’s original soundtrack CD is only available in the Netherlands (we remind you it’s topped the Dutch charts for 10 weeks) and you can purchase an extended version of the title track CD.
Apparently, there’s no way to buy a physical copy of the song other than jumping on a plane. However, you can get this hit from Spotify and other streaming services to suit your needs. But let’s be honest, we know you’ve got it.