Sesame Street Soul
Forty years of funky television
by Kurt Iveson
Musical Guest Appearances
Stevie Wonder “Superstition,” “1-2-3 Sesame,” and Grover sketch
In 1973, Stevie brought his touring band to Sesame Street, and the producers made the most of it. Along with a blistering seven-minute performance of “Superstition,” Stevie also performed his own jingle for Sesame Street (with some great vocoder action), and then did a singing sketch with Grover. Check for the kids dancing on the fire escapes and in the street during the performances.
Herbie Hancock makes sounds
Ever the gadget man, Herbie Hancock turned up on set with a Fairlight and a technician. He then proceeded to show Maria and a group of kids how it worked by sampling their voices.
Listen My Brother “Counting Song”
Listen My Brother were a gospel group of sixteen Harlem youngsters put together by Apollo Theater manager Peter Long (whose wife Loretta played Susan on Sesame Street). They made a couple of great appearances, singing their songs (complete with a live band) on fire escape ladders and brownstone steps. The group featured a young Luther Vandross.
Ray Charles “I’ve Got a Song” (with Bert and Ernie), and the alphabet
Totally sweet version of “I’ve Got a Song,” with Bert and Ernie chipping in some drums, bass, and backups.
Charles also took some kids through a soulful version of the alphabet. This was a bit of a tradition on Sesame Street—Lou Rawls, Lena Horne, and Patti Labelle are among the many others who have contributed their versions of the alphabet over the years.
