Sesame Street - Count It Higher

[HawkNelsonLuvrr]

I like that they're called the Alphabeats, but they're counting numbers.

[AnukTheMaster1000]

Thumbs up if Prarie Dawn screams like a man at 0:41 and 1:31!

[AnukTheMaster1000]

0:41 - Prarie Dawn screamed like a man!

1:31 - Prarie Dawn screamed like a man, really loud! LOL.

[Chel093086]

I'm in my mid twenties...and am LOVING this!

[rayandreina]

The original song was "Twist and Shout" by the Isley Brothers, 1962 (the music world was having racial wars at that time).

[H20MichaelMyers]

This is a great debut for a muppet.

[Ja100453]

Stalter-Can u Count it higher

Waldlf-Shure I can

Aniaml cames out (I will through higher)

Throws stature off the balcany

[BayareaGuy06]

RIP Joe Raposo 1937-1989 and Jeff Moss 1942-1998

[bdj567]

7 people can't count it higher

[Clamanath]

@bdj567 Agree

[Trinitus231]

Boo to the seven ppl that disliked this video..and any thereafter!!!

[mrkingofkings]

This Song can be heard in "Sesame Street Number" for the PC.

[raggedyanarchist]

I love it. I love how Sesame Street never used to shy away from musical concepts that a lot of preschool shows either think are too complex for a young audience, or are just too lazy to explore. Those harmonies... that triumphant transpose when the Alphabeats finally count high enough... YES! You just don't get that on Barney.

[littlemsdst289]

Kenar's Favorite Music Video

[DaDeadMako]

I love this. Paul McCartney would be proud

[Rlotpir1972]

This track is found in a couple of Sesame Street LP's in 1974.

[SMSTERN2]

count it even higher!!!

[ErnieandBert1]

The info says Richard Hunt is the Green Alphabeat. Yet, I'm certain that was Joe Raposo as the Green Alphabeat.

[wattamack4]

Joe and Richard tend to sound alike sometimes. It's hard to tell, I will admit.

[wattamack4]

Listening more carefully, you're right; it is Raposo.

[wattamack4]

I still think it's Moss.

[wattamack4]

I don't think Richard is even in this song, to be perfectly honest.

It'd just be easier if there's an album that credits who did the Alphabeats in this song. We can already tell Jerry is the pink guy though.

[obnoxiousoboe]

You oughta hear the crowds. I bet they were eager to tear Little Chrissy's shirt apart.

[kalimaganeshshivan]

God bless Sesame Street.

[kalimaganeshshivan]

This sounds alot like Billy Joel and his style, not the Beatles.

[TelephoneRock4ever]

Have you even heard Twist and Shout? That is not a Billy Joel song. It's a Beatles song, and the tune for Count It Higher was based off of Twist and Shout.

-_-

[kalimaganeshshivan]

Twist and Shout is actually an Isley Brothers song. And the voice of the muppet sounds like Billy Joel.

[TelephoneRock4ever]

Well, yes, the Beatles covered Twist and Shout after the Isley Brothers' original single. In fact, the Beatles' version is the only version I know.

Furthermore, Chris Cerf is doing the voice of Little Chrissy, hence the namesake (but I bet you already know that).

[kalimaganeshshivan]

I love that voice.

[TelephoneRock4ever]

Wow! For Little Chrissy's very first song, this is really good! The Alphabeats looked totally different back in '73.

Even though this was the pink guy's only time as an Alphabeat, I think he's cute! But seriously, I have my eyes on the green Alphabeat (and Little Chrissy).

;-)

[kungfujiapple]

Muppet performers in this song:

Little Chrissy: Christopher Cerf

Alphabeat #1: Richard Hunt

Alphabeat #2: Jeff Moss

Alphabeat #3: Jerry Nelson

[cdjic1122]

Are all the songs performed live during taping?

[wattamack4]

All songs are pre-recorded. That's why it might look like some parts are a bit off synch on some songs.

[wattamack4]

Echoing can be a common thing sometimes - sort of like "The Letter N" by Nick Normal and the Nickmatics.

As for the performers... well... who knows?

[wattamack4]

Maybe it was just produced that way, I don't know.

[wattamack4]

Where did you find all this from?

[wattamack4]

I think the dialouge before/after songs are performed on stage.

[ncfwhitetigress]

this is like the best song ever

[GwynfrynWilliams]

How is this a song, and a movie ?!?!!

[GwynfrynWilliams]

This is my favorite!!!!!!!!!!! It is so fantastic!

[1f5sda]

That was awesome!!!!!!

[thegirl44]

It's Twist and Shout by the Beatles.  La Bamba sounds nothing like this.

[thegirl44]

No, the piano is exactly the Twist and Shout bass melody.

I'm not hearing La Bamba, at all.

[thegirl44]

Arguments get to the point where you have to concede that you're wrong. The song is Twist and Shout, the piano piece being played is the bass melody line from that song, slightly embellished so as not to infringe copyright.

La Bamba, regardless of who performs it, is an entirely different song.

[thegirl44]

Had you never heard Twist and Shout prior to watching that video? I can understand you reaching for the nearest association, for you "La Bamba", if you had never heard the song but then why would you argue the point so passionately if you had no point of reference? That just doesn't compute for me, 1RH.

[1RichardHunt]

@thegirl44

Because I am entitled to my opinion. When I make my first guess, I stick to it and never like to be wrong. If someone disagrees, I resent it and insist on what I think until they agree. Besides I'm autistic.

[thegirl44]

@1RichardHunt

Is it your autism that makes you get lonely for me every 6 months or so causing you to message me out of the blue, or have you just developed a crush on me due to the fact that I have continually crushed you under my boot heal of cultural reference :)?

[thegirl44]

@1RichardHunt

It was a joke, dude. See the little smiley face at the end?

How are you doing these days?

[WelshVitian]

the song is a pardoy of twist and shout, that y the comparison to the beatles dumbass!

[spicy321]

I think Richard Hunt could have been successful as a rock singer by himself. Great voice!

[landyachtfan79]

This is Chris Cerf singing here.

[spicy321]

I for some reason thought it was Richard. My mistake. Even still, great voice.

[finnishminnow]

This is the best song sung by Chris & The Alphabeats as well as all the others.

[mymuahh]

rotflmbo! i remember this one too...i still love to watch sesame street!

[actorflaw]

Gloria Estefan's parody "1-2-3" counts higher, but only to 11.

[MortalAnonymous]

W00T! I love Little Chrissy and the Alphbeats! = )

[finnishminnow]

So do I.

[pickledude19]

dummies....don't you know that that is Little Chrissy...a parody of Little Richie. Little Richie was NOT a beatle. Why don't you go back to grade school

[thegirl44]

The song is a Beatles song, that is where the beatles reference comes from.

[wattamack4]

Actually, to me, I always thought the Lavender alphabeat was Chris Cerf, the green one was Richard Hunt, but I can definetly tell the pink one is Jerry Nelson.

[wattamack4]

I only assumed that it was Chris doing the Lavender alphabeat, considering the way he says "8", and how he screams on the last verse.

Plus, you know, songs are basicly done off the show, then lip-synched on the video.

[wattamack4]

Like I said, the songs are orignially performed off the show. ;)

[cavdex]

Wattamack's right. The blue lead singer is indeed voiced by Chris Cerf, hense its name Little Chrissy. Jim Henson performed the puppet. So Chris *could* have voiced more than one character. Although I'm pretty sure he didn't.

According to the credits it's Henson, Hunt, Oz, and Nelson who puppeteered this particular clip. I *think* Cerf, Hunt, Nelson, and Jeff Moss are the singers.

[wattamack4]

It's really hard to tell, particularly because of the way the pitches of the voices tend to change during the counting.

[fjccommish]

I think I can count it HIGHER!

[ethandaman2four]

if there's one thing i hate in life, it's beatle immatators.

[patchworks2]

however, you've got to admit that Sesame Street is pretty freakin' awesome

[cavdex]

Well, your idol Paul McCartney thinks otherwise. He said he loved this parody!

[cavdex]

Cerf (or PBS, I'm not sure) did indeed get sued. Not by The Beatles, but by the record company. They were gonna sue for over 5 million dollars. Just before they went to court, Michael Jackson purchased the rights to all Beatles songs, and dicided to sue for the symbolic amount of only fifty dollars.

[Maximara]

It may have been due to it being a PARODY which is exempt under copyright law as far as the US is concerned.

[phillynottrocks]

I wonder what the little pink guy is on?

[mel4pat2000]

Seeing that it was around the same time and with those glasses, I would have thought it was a parody of Elton John's "Yellow Brick Road" album.

[tsman29]

Never mind I'm an idiot.. haha.

[tsman29]

Idk i think this is actually a parody of "I wanna take you higher" by Sly and the Family Stone... at least I think...

[videoguy100]

This is a great video. Wonder who performed the little pink guy?

[Crackrzz]

Watch the little guy after the first minute. He gets upstaged... for a second. :)

[TelephoneRock4ever]

Yeah, I saw the pink guy get upstaged by one of the Alphabeats (the green one I'm sure)! Poor fella.....

[wattamack4]

Actually, kind of looking at it a little, I think that was a mistake. I think Richard performing the Green guy probably lip-synched Jerry's vocals for the Pink Alphabeat by accident, so Jerry just did the same with Richard to go with the flow.

[TelephoneRock4ever]

Oh really? Oh well, it happens to even the best muppeteers!

[beautifuldayboy]

Dad remembers this from the early 1970s

[eurasian73]

Gosh I remember this watching this as a kid back in the late 70s! Hahaha

[chax1971]

You gotta count it higher.....and you went and counted higher...if you like this, try letter b...another good one.

[AJenbo]

This rocks :)

[1f5sda]

okay!

[billyrubybiggle0807]

A video parody.

[KPCarter2000]

This was the first one Litte Crissy did.

[lion371]

theone you are talkin about where the keys get smashed off if 8 balls of fur.

[Detaliah]

YES!!!!! I loved Chris and thr Alpbabeats!! I love the little guy!

[mountaingoat2004]

The original version similar to this video would have been Twist & Shout.

[yotipo911]

Would you happen to have the original version where the piano player smashes the keys off the piano?

[1f5sda]

Great song!!!!!!