Throwback Thursday: The Sesame Street Book & Record!

In celebration of Sesame Street's 45th anniversary this week, for today's Throwback Thursday we'll take a look at the very first record album of Sesame Street material ever released - "The Sesame Street Book & Record."

According to the Muppet Wiki:

The album was recorded in April 1970, at the end of the show's first season, and was released later that summer. The album was originally packaged in a gatefold sleeve that contained a full-color poster and a 24-page book featuring illustrations by Brian Cranner, as well as lyrics to all of the songs. It was also released simultaneously in a less expensive edition with a different cover, no book, and no poster. The songs from this album were also released on nine consecutively numbered 45-rpm, 7-inch records. The first six of these were also available in a "Carry About" boxed set, and the final three were also available as a set.

The album peaked at #23 on Billboard's Top LP's chart in 1970, and was certified Gold (sales of 500,000 copies) by the RIAA. It also won a Grammy Award for Best Recording for Children. It was subsequently reissued many times (without the book or poster), first on Columbia under several different titles and covers, then on other labels (see below for details). It was also later issued as part of the 1977 2-LP set Sesame Street Gold!

Track listing

Side One
"Sesame Street" - The Entire Cast
"ABC-DEF-GHI" - Big Bird
"I've Got Two" - Big Bird and Oscar the Grouch plus everybody including Mr. Hooper
"Goin' for a Ride" - Anything People
"What Are Kids Called" - Bob and Susan
"Everybody Wash" - Ernie and Bert
"One of These Things" - Bob and Susan
"Up and Down" - Two Monsters
"Green" - Kermit the Frog

Side Two
"Somebody Come and Play" - The Kids
"I Love Trash" - Oscar the Grouch
"A Face" - Bob
"J-Jump" - The Kids
"People in Your Neighborhood" - Bob and The Anything People
"Rub Your Tummy" - Gordon
"Number 5" - The Kids
"Five People In My Family" - Anything People
"Nearly Missed" - Susan
"Rubber Duckie" - Ernie

This video, by LuckyPennyShop, shows the entire book, sleeve and record. 

Too Many Cookies!

Last week Adult Swim released a short called "Too Many Cooks" that took the internet by storm.

This week our friends at Tough Pigs made their own parody version starring everyone's 
favorite googly-eyed monster. 

Happy Veterans Day!

The Muppets celebrate all soldiers and conflicts using War's classic "Why Can't We be Friends?"

Happy 45th Birthday Sesame Street!

Sesame Street premiered 45 years ago today and after wining more then 159 Emmy Awards (29 for Outstanding Children's Series), 10 Grammys, three Peabodys, and Life Achievement Emmy Award the world's favorite street is still going strong!

Check out the season 45 season sizzle reel!

RIP Richard Schaal

Actor Richard Schaal has passed away. He's probably best known to Muppet fans as the lead actor in Jim Henson’s experimental short film, “The Cube."

He played “Chuckles the Clown” as well as many others on The Mary Tyler Moore Show and was married to Muppet Show guest star Valerie Harper from 1964 to 1978.

Check out a clip of Schaal and the late, great, Jerry Nelson from "The Cube."

Kermit talks TED!

Yesterday Kermit sat down with a group of folks at the TED conference in Mississippi to answer the age old question "Why are we here"?

His talk was very moving, creative, and featured some amazing - live and in person - puppet tricks. Special thanks to our friends at the Muppet Wiki for posting the video!

Sky Movies Christmas ad uses Frozen, Lego, The Muppets and Spiderman!

Sky movies in the UK will be adding Frozen, The LEGO® Movie, The Amazing Spider-Man 2 and Muppets Most Wanted to the line up with winter and Disney, Warner Bros and Sony teamed up to make ad and highlighting each film. 

Check out the ad:

While the clips used from Spiderman and Frozen appear to be recycled from the films, 
the Muppet and Lego segments are completely brand new. 

Here's the full article from the Irish Mirror:

Sky Movies Christmas advert packs in Frozen, the Muppets and Spiderman to bring family on
incredible adventure

Nov 07, 2014 00:01 

By Colin Brennan 

Ever dreamed of taking your family on a Frozen adventure with Olaf? Or fight villains with Spiderman? What about having fun with the Muppets?

Well, that's exactly what one family does in Sky Movies' new Christmas advert.

We've got an exclusive look at the festive clip, which will premiere on TV during The X Factor on November 8. You can check it out now above.

Viewers will be transported through movie worlds that will join Sky Movies this December:
Frozen, The LEGO® Movie, The Amazing Spider-Man 2 and Muppets Most Wanted.

The advert follows the unsuspecting family as they are whisked off on a magical movie tour.

Along the way, they transform into a variety of animated versions of themselves, which have been painstakingly created by filmmakers from across the world.

From taking a sleigh-ride through the icy Frozen landscape, to popping-up centre-stage in the
middle of the Muppets theatre, the ad follows the family as they are dropped directly into the action
and adventure.

Throughout their journey, they also come face-to-face with film characters, including Kermit the Frog (Muppets Most Wanted), Spiderman (The Amazing Spider-Man 2), Emmet (The LEGO® Movie)
and Olaf (Frozen).

Bringing the films to life even further, Sky is also offering families and movie fans the chance to
create their own adventure.

Created by WCRS and directed by critically acclaimed cinematographer, Ivan Bird, the 60 second
spot includes bespoke hand-drawn and CGI animations, alongside brand new scenes and characters created especially for Sky Movies in collaboration with Animal Logic, Disney, Sony Pictures
Television and Warner Bros.

It took a team of over 130 artists, animators, crew, performers and producers to bring the family to
life, working in film studios across the world from California, to New York and London to Sydney.

Ian Lewis, Director, Sky Movies commented: “Enjoying movies with the family is a big part of
Christmas so we decided to bring some of them to life this year. We are very proud that Disney,
Warner Bros. and Sony have allowed us to create special scenes with these iconic characters
for our new Christmas ad campaign."

Each animation and bespoke film scene required a huge number of man-hours, with the
crew clocking-up over 5,500 hours in total.

From early December, visitors to SkyMovies.com will be able to create a personalised Christmas
image that they can share online and send to loved ones, featuring themselves, family and friends with
characters from the four movies featured in the advert.

/www.irishmirror.ie/whats-on/arts-culture-news/sky-movies-christmas-advert-packs-4582167