ABBA

The theme song from the children’s television show of the same name that debuted in 1969. It was originally performed by June Angela, Andrea Giglio, Todd Graff, Althea Jackson, Ana Isa Otis, Clyde Otis, Jr., Tom Spiro, Christine Winter, and Lois Winter, with a harmonica solo by Toots Thielemans. This version was used for the first twenty-three seasons. It first appeared on vinyl in 1970 on The Sesame Street Book & Record.

Jon Stone was openly disappointed with the lyrics, as he thought they were too clichéd and that the slang of the day would soon be dated. Time has yielded a different verdict, as the song has become one of the most enduring themes on TV, inextricably linked to the show it introduces.

It has also undergone a series of re-workings, including calypso and hip-hop versions, to keep up with the times. The Oscar Peterson Trio and The Singers Unlimited did a cover version on the 1973 album, In Time. In 1988, Gladys Knight performed the song on The Sesame Street Special, which aired during a PBS pledge drive. Her version eventually appeared on the tribute album, Sing: Songs of Joe Raposo. In 1992, a re-mix version by The Smart E’s called “Sesame’s Treet” climbed as high as #2 in the U.K. Ursula 2000 did their own re-mix on the boxed set, Songs from the Street: 35 Years of Music.

The Oscar Peterson Trio and The Singers Unlimited recordings

BASF M 15159 A

Sources: