Pinball Number Count

Album: Sesame Street: Songs from the Street, Vol. 3 (1972)
Play Video

Songfacts®:

  • This song played with a cartoon that aired regularly on the television show Sesame Street. There were 11 different versions (2 through 12, with no version made for the number 1), all with the same main chorus but different styles of music for the individual numbers - some jazz, some funk, one with music hailing for the Caribbean Islands - eclectic but familiar enough so the children would identify each number with a separate melody. (Think Schoolhouse Rocks but for numbers.)
  • The Pointers were asked to record the series for Sesame Street because at the time, their records were in the style of '40s doo-wop, funk, country, and a little bit of rock - eclectic enough to make them the ideal artist to record such a set of "Auditory Vignettes."
  • This was remixed for the club scene and was a dance hit in 2002. >>
    Suggestion credit:
    Rich - West Hollywood, CA, for all above

Comments: 2

  • Patrick from Tallapoosa, GaI have seen the original cartoon. It is very trippy and can be frightening to smaller children.
  • Tom from Atlanta, GaA parody of this cartoon appeared on the FOX sitcom Family Guy (12/18/05). The parody starts out with Stewie saying "you would not believe the morning I've had." The cartoon then begins with Stewie in a plastic ball replacing the actual the pinball in the cartoon. Pretty funny stuff. The cartoon was almost identical to the original.
see more comments

Editor's Picks

David Sancious

David SanciousSongwriter Interviews

Keyboard great David Sancious talks about his work with Sting, Seal, Springsteen, Clapton and Aretha, and explains what quantum physics has to do with making music.

Ramones

RamonesFact or Fiction

A band so baffling, even their names were contrived. Check your score in the Ramones version of Fact or Fiction.

David Bowie Lyrics Quiz

David Bowie Lyrics QuizMusic Quiz

How well do you know your David Bowie lyrics? Take this quiz to find out.

Chrissie Hynde of The Pretenders

Chrissie Hynde of The PretendersSongwriter Interviews

The rock revolutionist on songwriting, quitting smoking, and what she thinks of Rush Limbaugh using her song.

80s Video Director Jay Dubin

80s Video Director Jay DubinSong Writing

Billy Joel and Hall & Oates hated making videos, so they chose a director with similar contempt for the medium. That was Jay Dubin, and he has a lot to say on the subject.

Lita Ford

Lita FordSongwriter Interviews

Lita talks about how they wrote songs in The Runaways, and how she feels about her biggest hit being written by somebody else.