diff --git a/stepmania/src/BGAnimation.cpp b/stepmania/src/BGAnimation.cpp
index 2610730b7c..bc12ce626f 100644
--- a/stepmania/src/BGAnimation.cpp
+++ b/stepmania/src/BGAnimation.cpp
@@ -238,9 +238,6 @@ void BGAnimation::LoadFromNode( const CString &sDir, const XNode& node )
 	cmd.Load( "PlayCommand,Init" );
 	this->RunCommandOnChildren( cmd );
 
-	if( !m_bGeneric )
-		PlayCommand( "On" );
-
 	/* Backwards-compatibility: if a "LengthSeconds" value is present, create a dummy
 	 * actor that sleeps for the given length of time.  This will extend GetTweenTimeLeft. */
 	float fLengthSeconds = 0;
diff --git a/stepmania/src/Background.cpp b/stepmania/src/Background.cpp
index 05ebe23427..92ce718ae1 100644
--- a/stepmania/src/Background.cpp
+++ b/stepmania/src/Background.cpp
@@ -250,6 +250,7 @@ CString Background::CreateRandomBGA()
 	case PrefsManager::BGMODE_MOVIEVIS:		ret->LoadFromVisualization( file ); break;
 	case PrefsManager::BGMODE_RANDOMMOVIES:	ret->LoadFromMovie( file ); break;
 	}
+	ret->PlayCommand( "On" );
 
 	m_BGAnimations[file] = ret;
 	m_RandomBGAnimations.push_back( file );
@@ -326,7 +327,10 @@ void Background::LoadFromSong( const Song* pSong )
 			{
 				BGAnimation *pTempBGA = CreateSongBGA( sBGName );
 				if( pTempBGA )
+				{
+					pTempBGA->PlayCommand( "On" );
 					m_BGAnimations[sBGName] = pTempBGA;
+				}
 				else // the background was not found.  Use a random one instead
 				{
 					sBGName = CreateRandomBGA();
@@ -365,6 +369,7 @@ void Background::LoadFromSong( const Song* pSong )
 		CString sSongBGPath = pSong->HasBackground() ? pSong->GetBackgroundPath() : THEME->GetPathToG("Common fallback background");
 		BGAnimation *pTempBGA = new BGAnimation;
 		pTempBGA->LoadFromStaticGraphic( sSongBGPath );
+		pTempBGA->PlayCommand( "On" );
 		m_BGAnimations[STATIC_BACKGROUND] = pTempBGA;
 	}
 
diff --git a/stepmania/src/ConditionalBGA.cpp b/stepmania/src/ConditionalBGA.cpp
index c925ad2458..ac5efe9491 100644
--- a/stepmania/src/ConditionalBGA.cpp
+++ b/stepmania/src/ConditionalBGA.cpp
@@ -265,6 +265,7 @@ void ConditionalBGA::Load(CString szScreenName)
 		{
 			LOG->Info("Best Match BGA Was: %s",bganimtouse.c_str());
 			bganim.LoadFromAniDir( THEME->GetPathToB(bganimtouse) );
+			bganim.PlayCommand( "On" );
 		}
 
 	}
diff --git a/stepmania/src/Foreground.cpp b/stepmania/src/Foreground.cpp
index 7fe4458861..3aa666e8d7 100644
--- a/stepmania/src/Foreground.cpp
+++ b/stepmania/src/Foreground.cpp
@@ -40,6 +40,7 @@ void Foreground::LoadFromSong( const Song *pSong )
 		LoadedBGA bga;
 		bga.m_bga = new BGAnimation;
 		bga.m_bga->LoadFromAniDir( sAniDir );
+		bga.m_bga->PlayCommand( "On" );
 		bga.m_fStartBeat = change.m_fStartBeat;
 
 		const float fStartSecond = pSong->m_Timing.GetElapsedTimeFromBeat( bga.m_fStartBeat );
diff --git a/stepmania/src/ScreenCredits.cpp b/stepmania/src/ScreenCredits.cpp
index 85828c0477..b2470ee7e6 100644
--- a/stepmania/src/ScreenCredits.cpp
+++ b/stepmania/src/ScreenCredits.cpp
@@ -252,13 +252,13 @@ ScreenCredits::ScreenCredits( CString sName ) : ScreenAttract( sName )
 	}
 
 	m_Overlay.LoadFromAniDir( THEME->GetPathToB("ScreenCredits overlay") );
+	m_Overlay.PlayCommand( "On" );
 	this->AddChild( &m_Overlay );
 
 	this->MoveToTail( &m_In );		// put it in the back so it covers up the stuff we just added
 	this->MoveToTail( &m_Out );		// put it in the back so it covers up the stuff we just added
 
 	this->ClearMessageQueue( SM_BeginFadingOut );	// ignore ScreenAttract's SecsToShow
-	LOG->Trace("XXXXXXXXX %f", fTime);
 	this->PostScreenMessage( SM_BeginFadingOut, fTime );
 //	this->PostScreenMessage( SM_BeginFadingOut, m_Background.GetLengthSeconds() );
 	SOUND->PlayOnceFromDir( ANNOUNCER->GetPathTo("credits") );
diff --git a/stepmania/src/ScreenDemonstration.cpp b/stepmania/src/ScreenDemonstration.cpp
index 7a915c6a5e..be0c0918a2 100644
--- a/stepmania/src/ScreenDemonstration.cpp
+++ b/stepmania/src/ScreenDemonstration.cpp
@@ -45,6 +45,7 @@ void ScreenDemonstration::Init()
 
 
 	m_Overlay.LoadFromAniDir( THEME->GetPathToB("ScreenDemonstration overlay") );
+	m_Overlay.PlayCommand( "On" );
 	this->AddChild( &m_Overlay );
 
 	this->MoveToTail( &m_In );
diff --git a/stepmania/src/ScreenHowToPlay.cpp b/stepmania/src/ScreenHowToPlay.cpp
index 3a40532844..ff71a7f0fe 100644
--- a/stepmania/src/ScreenHowToPlay.cpp
+++ b/stepmania/src/ScreenHowToPlay.cpp
@@ -80,6 +80,7 @@ ScreenHowToPlay::ScreenHowToPlay( CString sName ) : ScreenAttract( sName )
 	m_Out.Load( THEME->GetPathToB("ScreenHowToPlay out") );
 
 	m_Overlay.LoadFromAniDir( THEME->GetPathToB("ScreenHowToPlay overlay") );
+	m_Overlay.PlayCommand("On");
 	this->AddChild( &m_Overlay );
 
 	if( (bool)USEPAD && DoesFileExist( GetAnimPath(ANIM_DANCE_PAD) ) )
diff --git a/stepmania/src/ScreenManager.cpp b/stepmania/src/ScreenManager.cpp
index e8136c6406..0a9db9a6c6 100644
--- a/stepmania/src/ScreenManager.cpp
+++ b/stepmania/src/ScreenManager.cpp
@@ -99,6 +99,7 @@ void ScreenManager::ThemeChanged()
 	
 	// reload shared BGA
 	m_pSharedBGA->LoadFromAniDir( m_sLastLoadedBackgroundPath );
+	m_pSharedBGA->PlayCommand( "On" );
 }
 
 void ScreenManager::EmptyDeleteQueue()
@@ -376,6 +377,7 @@ retry:
 		// any common textures loaded.
 		BGAnimation *pNewBGA = new BGAnimation;
 		pNewBGA->LoadFromAniDir( sNewBGA );
+		pNewBGA->PlayCommand( "On" );
 		SAFE_DELETE( m_pSharedBGA );
 		m_pSharedBGA = pNewBGA;
 
diff --git a/stepmania/src/ScreenMiniMenu.cpp b/stepmania/src/ScreenMiniMenu.cpp
index dade7efe01..d22b8640e1 100644
--- a/stepmania/src/ScreenMiniMenu.cpp
+++ b/stepmania/src/ScreenMiniMenu.cpp
@@ -41,6 +41,7 @@ ScreenMiniMenu::ScreenMiniMenu( Menu* pDef, ScreenMessage SM_SendOnOK, ScreenMes
 
 
 	m_Background.LoadFromAniDir( THEME->GetPathToB("ScreenMiniMenu background") );
+	m_Background.PlayCommand("On");
 	this->AddChild( &m_Background );
 
 	float fHeightOfAll = min( SCREEN_HEIGHT-80, (m_Def.rows.size()-1)*SPACING_Y );
diff --git a/stepmania/src/ScreenPrompt.cpp b/stepmania/src/ScreenPrompt.cpp
index 49e66e74f0..6a08758c0a 100644
--- a/stepmania/src/ScreenPrompt.cpp
+++ b/stepmania/src/ScreenPrompt.cpp
@@ -30,6 +30,7 @@ ScreenPrompt::ScreenPrompt( CString sText, bool bYesNoPrompt, bool bDefaultAnswe
 	m_pCallbackData = pCallbackData;
 
 	m_Background.LoadFromAniDir( THEME->GetPathToB("ScreenPrompt background") );
+	m_Background.PlayCommand("On");
 	this->AddChild( &m_Background );
 
 	m_textQuestion.LoadFromFont( THEME->GetPathToF("Common normal") );
diff --git a/stepmania/src/ScreenStage.cpp b/stepmania/src/ScreenStage.cpp
index e7ce28e08d..4874076d9e 100644
--- a/stepmania/src/ScreenStage.cpp
+++ b/stepmania/src/ScreenStage.cpp
@@ -32,6 +32,7 @@ ScreenStage::ScreenStage( CString sClassName ) : Screen( sClassName )
 
 	m_Background.LoadFromAniDir( THEME->GetPathToB(m_sName + " "+GAMESTATE->GetStageText()) ); 	 
 	m_Background.SetDrawOrder( DRAW_ORDER_BEFORE_EVERYTHING ); 	 
+	m_Background.PlayCommand( "On" );
 	this->AddChild( &m_Background );
 
 	m_Overlay.SetName( "Overlay" );
diff --git a/stepmania/src/ScreenTextEntry.cpp b/stepmania/src/ScreenTextEntry.cpp
index 2db1b8363e..d948206bec 100644
--- a/stepmania/src/ScreenTextEntry.cpp
+++ b/stepmania/src/ScreenTextEntry.cpp
@@ -43,6 +43,7 @@ ScreenTextEntry::ScreenTextEntry( CString sClassName, CString sQuestion, CString
 	m_bCancelled = false;
 
 	m_Background.LoadFromAniDir( THEME->GetPathToB("ScreenPrompt background") );
+	m_Background.PlayCommand( "On" );
 	this->AddChild( &m_Background );
 
 	m_textQuestion.LoadFromFont( THEME->GetPathToF("Common normal") );
diff --git a/stepmania/src/ScreenWithMenuElements.h b/stepmania/src/ScreenWithMenuElements.h
index d98e6456fa..dd6f340fda 100644
--- a/stepmania/src/ScreenWithMenuElements.h
+++ b/stepmania/src/ScreenWithMenuElements.h
@@ -4,7 +4,6 @@
 #include "Screen.h"
 #include "Sprite.h"
 #include "Transition.h"
-#include "BGAnimation.h"
 #include "ActorUtil.h"
 #include "RageSound.h"
 #include "MemoryCardDisplay.h"
diff --git a/stepmania/src/Transition.cpp b/stepmania/src/Transition.cpp
index ccbc9259eb..3f5e7c2a8e 100644
--- a/stepmania/src/Transition.cpp
+++ b/stepmania/src/Transition.cpp
@@ -18,6 +18,7 @@ void Transition::Load( CString sBGAniDir )
 		sBGAniDir += "/";
 
 	m_BGAnimation.LoadFromAniDir( sBGAniDir );
+	m_BGAnimation.PlayCommand( "On" );
 	m_fLengthSeconds = m_BGAnimation.GetTweenTimeLeft();
 
 	m_State = waiting;