Only The Hardcore Play Sesame Street

I was browsing one of my favorite haunts, Wired Online, when I stumbled across an article on the music of Sesame Street. Having written a few things on what Sesame Street can do to professional musicians, I felt inclined to give it a read.

Most music from Sesame Street annoys me. It's usually the happy, moralistic chirpy crap that you can't get out of your head. But this particular read made for a fun, albeit short, trip down memory lane. I do remember some of the music from those days. The pinball machine tune in particular made for a strange brain trip in a day where sleeplessness, muscle-relaxers, and alcohol were unknown to me. I have no idea what house band pulled that tune off, but I tip my hat to them.

But there has been a lot I haven't seen. I didn't grow up with a daily expectation of talking puppets with life lessons to offer. I grew up in the analog days, out in the middle of nowhere. NBC and ABC were all I knew. On a particularly stormy night, you might get a few hours of CBS as a treat.

So, PBS was not something I got to see until I was visiting family in the real world. So, my intake of Sesame Street was very sporadic (which probably added to its more annoying qualities.) So, I missed a good chunk of what classic Sesame Street had to offer.

One of the things I missed was Stevie Wonder performing "Superstition." I had never seen it before until I read that article. And I was completely blown away with what I had missed. For those of you who are interested, and were too lazy to read the Wired article, check it out below.



Isn't that badass? Is that version not meaner and angrier than anything you heard on a proper Stevie Wonder album? Nothing wrong with the original, in fact I think it sounds disco-riffic. It's disco-tastic even. Something you'd want to dance to with happy smiles on your face and your gal at your side.

But not this version, ooooh no. This is the version you want to listen to before you hurt somebody. It's ferocity on a level unknown in those times. Even the kids dance like they're being compelled into violence.

And personally, I think we owe this ode of greatness to Stevie's backing band. Those guys in the vid are some of the scariest looking thugs I've ever seen. Hardcore, thick-veined urbanites who feared nothing. Even the hippie-love child Caucasians in the band look menacing. Look at those faces, they've done some shanking. My personal favorite is the bongo player. That man's seen some shit.

And it's wild to see a very sweet, soft spoken man like Stevie surrounded by these rough customers. But I suppose it makes sense. If you're blind, and a sensitive musical-type, having some badasses around keeps you safe and most importantly, paid.

What I wouldn't give to have a backing band like that. Groovy, tight, and absolutely dangerous. Those are the kind of guys who can say, "We're gonna walk onto a kid's program, play hard for as long as we want, and there ain't a damn thing anyone can do about it. And ain't nobody gonna accuse us of selling out."

God knows I sure won't.