Fun, I used to build various things with the 76495 (http://robotics.mcmanis.com/resource/rs_sn76495.pdf) and I'm not sure what exactly is different between the two, apparently there were at least 3 'complex sound generators' in the TI family( '477, '488, '495 ). When RadioShack discontinued them I bought 6 or 7 of them from the discount table for 50 cents each.

Of course these days you'd use a microprocessor to generate all of the sounds these could do. But it would still be fun to build the sound effects kit that RS use to sell.