E. Tyler Harp - Raised on the Music of the Tube - Part 2

When I was in grade school there was a magic hour between the time that I finished my homework and dinner time.  Looney time!  Nickelodeon, the then fledgling children's cable network, was transitioning from You Can't Do that On Television! and Double Dare to the Spongebob/iCarly world we know today.  It seemed like they weren't quite sure what to show between the kids programing of the daytime and the Nick at Nite programming of the evening.  Their decision?  One solid hour of classic Looney Tunes/Merrie Melodies cartoons!  Thus began my love of classical and orchestral music.  The brilliant use of classical favorites (Morning Mood from Peer Gynt by Grieg for sunrise or Fudd's Kill the Wabbit version of Flight of Valkyries in "What's Opera, Doc?") and the genius original tunes composed by legendary scoresmith Carl Stalling.  I was thoroughly intrigued and often physically dragged away from the tube to the dinner table. (These days I'm usually dragged AWAY from the dinner table)  Here are a few of my favorites that I hope you'll enjoy!

Rabbit of Seville  

(For some reason Bugs and Elmer Fudd wander their way into the Hollywood Bowl during a performance of The Barber of Seville by Rossini.  I love how the conductor seems surprised when the curtain opens early, checks his watch, shrugs off the whole situation and counts off the pit!)

Baton Bunny

(Bugs conducts A Morning, Noon and Night in Vienna by von Suppe at The Hollywood Bowl despite constant wardrobe malfunction and being bothered by a fly.)

What's Opera Doc?:  
Link

(Kill da wabbit, kill da wabbit!)

Three Little Bops: 

(My favorite of them all!  The story of The Three Little Pigs in new jazzy, swingin', hepcat way!  "The Big Bad Wolf, he learned the rule!  You gotta get hot to play real cool!")

Finally, a montage of Looney Tunes arrangements of Raymond Scott's "Powerhouse"

E. Tyler Harp - Raised on the Music of the Tube

Like most toddlers, my best friends were the characters on Sesame Street.  Bert, Ernie, Grover and my favorite Oscar the Grouch (even though my mother  thought he was a bad influence)  When I really look back on it, what I really enjoyed most from the educational and often sacrine-y sweet Children's Television Workshop production was the musical guests.  Be it on a rooftop all Beatles farewell style or just down in front of Hooper's store, I can remember boppin' in my Huggies before our giant, wooden, floor console TV (with the cigarette burn on the top.  Busted Pop!)  There was always an abundance of kids dancing frenetically (the way only little kids can) and also the occasional duet with a monster or two.  The list of performers is surprisingly long when you really think about it.  So in this first blog article focusing on time spent with my 3rd parent, television, I'd like to share with you (through the magic of Youtube) some of my most favorite Sesame Street musical guests:

(You gotta love the front-of-the-brownstone performance and the little girl ad-libing)  

Billy Joel, Marlee Matlin and Oscar The Grouch - Just the Way You Are

(Classic Oscar, givin' Billy the business)

Stevie Wonder - Superstition

(Stevie at his best, plus some weird kid havin' a fit up on a fire escape)

Last but certainly not least...

James Taylor and Oscar the Grouch - You're Grouchy Face

(Up-on-the-roof duet.  James changes the lyrics to match Oscar's generally rotten disposition) 

This blog post is brought to you by the letter's L, S, D and MP!

Tune in next time when we talk about the music of Looney Tunes and how I didn't really care who Carl Stahling was when I was 5.