Sesame Street: Old School, Vol. 1: 1969-1974 [Box set, Soundtrack]

Sesame Street (Artist) | Format: Audio CD

Product Details

• Audio CD (March 23, 2010)
• Original Release Date: 2009
• Number of Discs: 3
• Format: Box set, Soundtrack
• Note on Boxed Sets: During shipping, discs in boxed sets occasionally become dislodged without damage. Please examine and play these discs. If you are not completely satisfied, we'll refund or replace your purchase.
• Label: E1 Entertainment
• ASIN: B002MT3CAM
• Average Customer Review: 4.8 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (11 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #14,597 in Music (See Top 100 in Music)

Track Listings

Disc: 1

1. Sesame Street

2. Abc-Def-Ghi

3. I've Got Two

4. Goin' for a Ride

5. What Are Kids Called?

6. Everybody Wash

See all 19 tracks on this disc

Disc: 2

1. Abc-Def-Ghi

2. A Really Good Feeling

3. The Noodle Song

4. Very, Very Special Letter

5. Big Bird Writes a Poem

6. Y'all Fall Down

See all 14 tracks on this disc

Disc: 3

1. I Refuse to Sing Along

2. I've Been Working on the Railroad

3. Old Macdonald Had a Farm

4. A Really Good Feeling

5. Bats in My Belfry

6. Row, Row, Row Your Boat

See all 21 tracks on this disc

Editorial Reviews

Just in time for the 40th Anniversary, comes Sesame Street Old School Vol. 1, a reissue project to release some of the earliest Sesame Street albums, featuring the original art, and the earliest cast (sorry kids no Elmo here). When Sesame Street first aired on television in 1969, it was a revolutionary new show aimed specifically at preschool children - an audience previously not targeted by television programming. From its earliest planning stages, Sesame Street was designed to be a show that would use music and singing as a part of the material being taught. So it was only natural to release the musical content on records, not only to reinforce the curriculum lessons for children when they weren't watching the show, but also because Sesame Street music is enjoyable just for its own sake. Many of the albums went on to chart on Billboard top album charts and get nominated and win Grammys. Sesame Street: Old School Volume 1 features three of the classic early Sesame Street albums: The Original Cast Record, Big Bird Sings, and Bert & Ernie Sing Along. All albums have been fully remastered, with original artwork. The Original Cast Album, originally released in 1970, peaked at #23 on Billboard's Top LP's chart in 1970, and was certified Gold by the RIAA. It also won a Grammy Award for Best Recording for Children. "Big Bird Sings" was originally released in 1974. "Bert & Ernie Sing Along" was released in 1975 and was nominated for a Grammy Award for Best Recording for Children. All titles have never before been available on CD. These CDs are sure to be a hit with parents, collectors, and even kids as the lessons taught then are just as appropriate and the music just as enjoyable.

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

19 of 19 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Old School Sesame Street--FINALLY! Go Joe Raposo!, March 26, 2010

By 

P. Costello - See all my reviews
(VINE VOICE)    (REAL NAME)   

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This review is from: Sesame Street: Old School, Vol. 1: 1969-1974 (Audio CD)

It's amazing what the Sesame Workshop can do when they set their minds to it. Suddenly, after parcelling out little pieces of the past, they release three whole albums at once, and give those of us who grew up with this show something that we really like at a price we can afford. Absolutely terrific. Joe Raposo's "Somebody Come and Play" and "J-Jump," two of our all-time favorite songs, are now in the car, on the IPOD. Our own children can now hear it, too.

Please, Sesame Workshop, all we want is for you to unlock what it meant to be a child in the 60s and 70s, when we thought that you actually cared about us. Before Elmo. Before you moved from a Fisher Price house and little plastic toy people to a Sesame Street image on absolutely everything that is marketed to children. Don't continue to over-commercialize our past. Just give us back our memories and this beautiful music and the episodes that meant the world to a four year old who wanted to believe that people could live together.

After all, it's about kids, right? And raising them well? And the message that you portray? It's not about sitting on things in vaults and miserly handing them out one precious drop at a time.

Release it all.

17 of 17 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars How to get (back) to Sesame Street, March 26, 2010

By 

AngusMcTavish "AMT" (Auburn, WA United States) - See all my reviews

Amazon Verified Purchase

This review is from: Sesame Street: Old School, Vol. 1: 1969-1974 (Audio CD)

Finally, we are starting to hear our memories come flooding back with these classic albums, now in CD format! SESAME STREET OLD SCHOOL, VOLUME 1 has three of the great albums from the '70s, and after listening to them, I can hardly wait for the next set!

And don't be fooled by the cover shown here. The CD cover is not the same as the DVD set.

A listing for the three CDs:

THE SESAME STREET RECORD (1970)
01. Sesame Street - Kids
02. ABC-DEF-GHI - Big Bird
03. I've Got Two - Bob, Susan, Gordon, Mr. Hooper, Oscar, Big Bird
04. Goin' for a Ride - Anything Muppets
05. What Are Kids Called? - Bob, Susan
06. Everybody Wash - Ernie, Bert
07. One of These Things - Bob, Susan
08. Up and Down - Cookie Monster, Herry
09. Bein' Green - Kermit
10. Somebody Come and Play - Kids
11. I Love Trash - Oscar
12. A Face - Bob
13. J-Jump - Kids, with Big Bird's poem
14. People in Your Neighborhood - Bob, Anything Muppets
15. Rub Your Tummy - Gordon
16. Number 5 - Kids
17. Five People in My Family - Anything Muppets
18. Nearly Missed - Susan
19. Rubber Duckie - Ernie

-The last few seconds of 07 are edited out, but the CD does come with the original record ending (including the LP instructions)!

BIG BIRD SINGS! (1974)
01. ABC-DEF-GHI
02. A Really Good Feeling*
03. Noodle Song - with Oscar
04. Very, Very Special Letter
05. Big Bird Writes a Poem - with Snuffleupagus and Herbert Birdsfoot
06. Y'All Fall Down - with Ernie, Bert, Cookie and others
07. I Just Adore Four*
08. How Do I Know I'm Here - with Bob, Luis, Gordon and Susan
09. Everyone Makes Mistakes - with Farley
10. The Sound of the Letter "A"
11. Just Three Colors - with Oscar
12. Ha, Ha - with Harvey Kneeslapper and Herry
13. No Matter What Your Language - with Luis
14. Big Bird's Poem

* - Two tracks from the original album have been replaced with others. The sound quality in 07 is not the best here, but still enjoyable.

BERT & ERNIE SING-ALONG (1975)
This is one title that works the songs in a basic plot. Here, Ernie hosts a sing-along in his bathroom while an irritated Bert tries to take his bath!

01. I Refuse to Sing Along - B&E
02. I've Been Working on the Railroad - Ernie, Gordon, Susan
03. Old MacDonald Had a Farm - Bob, Luis, Maria, David
04. A Really Good Feeling - Big Bird
05. Bats in My Belfry - Count
06. Row, Row, Row Your Boat - Herry, Grover, Cookie Monster
07. I'll Give You a Song - Oscar
08. Oscar Don't Allow - David, Big Bird, Ernie, Luis
09. The Limerick Song - Susan, Bob, Count, Ernie, Bert
10. On Top of Old Smokey - Grover
11. Living Hand in Hand - Gordon, Susan
12. What's the Name of That Song?
13. A Very Simple Dance - David
14. Morningtown Ride - Bob
15. Everyone Likes Ice Cream - Susan, David, Prairie Dawn, Bob, Ernie, Grover
16. "C" is for Cookie - Cookie Monster
17. Peanuts - Luis, Prairie Dawn, Ernie, Big Bird
18. John Jacob Jingleheimer Smith
19. She'll Be Comin' 'Round the Mountain - Maria, Susan, Gordon, David
20. Finale: What's the Name of That Song? (Reprise)
21. Sing

Classics, each and every one of 'em! If you grew up watching the Street in the years B.E. (Before Elmo), or you just want to hear what things were like in those days, this is the set for you!

8 of 10 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars A must have! But a few oversights, March 27, 2010

By 

Motown Collector (Bridgeport, CT USA) - See all my reviews

Amazon Verified Purchase

This review is from: Sesame Street: Old School, Vol. 1: 1969-1974 (Audio CD)

This collection is a MUST-HAVE for many reasons. The albums have been out of print for too long. As an adult, they're worth having for the nostalgia factor. I loved them as a child, and I loved listening to them again as an adult. Such happy memories. And if you have or know any children, they will love it too. As I listened, I kept thinking of grown nieces and nephews who would have loved these if they were on CD ten or twenty years ago, but now I have to wait until there are some more little ones in the family. It sounds great, and the packaging is nice. But... The collection falls flat in a few places, and here's where the Sesame Workshop could improve with Volume 2, 3, 4, etc:

First, Sesame Street taught me my letters and my numbers. Therefore I can count and I can read, and I LOVE to do it. There absolutely should have been a booklet. Tell us the story about these albums. Many of the cast members and production folks are still around to explain the phenomenon of the early albums. How many albums did the records originally sell? How did the cast feel about them? How did they affect the show? How many Grammy's did they win? How many times were they nominated? How about an introduction by Joan? There is no booklet! I understand that booklets can be costly, but the workshop chose to put three cardboard slip cases inside a large outer case, which if swapped for a booklet and a jewel case, would have been less expensive. More for less.

Second, the first album The Sesame Street Record (Original Cast) was originally issued as a gatefold album with a book inside. The book contained original artwork, pictures, etc. Aside from the complaint above, this was a major oversight. The 1974 reissue with the alternate cover should have also been included. Again, why no booklet? Cookie monster must have eaten it.

Third, these albums are actually pretty long, but Big Bird Sings was short enough to fit on one of the CDs with one of the other albums. It could have been done as a 2 CD set, or as the current 3 CDs with another album added (and there are many more to choose from!). These decisions may be made based on other factors such as licensing or clearances, and it is nice to have them available on separate discs, but again, it's not too efficient this way.

Don't let this prevent you from purchasing this collection. It is still worthy of purchase, perhaps alongside the wonderful book Sesame Street: A Celebration! 40 Years Of Life On The Street. But if you folks at the Workshop are reading this, please know how much this collection means to us, and how much more valuable it will be if you add little details like a booklet. We will gratefully appreciate it.

We can't wait for The Count Counts, Letters... And Numbers Too!, The Sesame Street Monsters, Sesame Street 2, My Name Is Roosevelt Franklin, Sesame Street Live, At Home With Ernie & Bert, Grover Sings The Blues, Sesame Disco! Sesame Fever, and more! Thank you Sesame Workshop!