RFI: Sesame Street Song

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That hippie muppet song from Sesame Street is now being used in a Dr. Pepper commercial. I'll try to write the lyrics:

Ma-na-ma-na
Doo doo be doo be
Ma-na-ma-na
Doo doo be doo
(That should be enough, but I'll keep going because I can't stop)
Ma-na-ma-na
Doo doo be doo be
Ba doo be Ba doo be Ba doo be doo be doot doot doodoo doo.

So my question is, are there any writing/performing credits for that song? Because it's fucking brilliant.

― geyser muffler and a quarter (Dave225), Wednesday, 13 July 2005 10:44 (twenty years ago)

Piero Umiliani

― mark grout (mark grout), Wednesday, 13 July 2005 10:47 (twenty years ago)

yeah, it's "mahna mahna." there was already a thread about this.

― president carter loves repetition (Jody Beth Rosen), Wednesday, 13 July 2005 10:48 (twenty years ago)

Thanks. Didn't really know what to search for.

― geyser muffler and a quarter (Dave225), Wednesday, 13 July 2005 10:51 (twenty years ago)

Wasn't it originally used for a Swedish porno flick?

― Jazzbo (jmcgaw), Wednesday, 13 July 2005 10:51 (twenty years ago)

different words.

― mark grout (mark grout), Wednesday, 13 July 2005 10:52 (twenty years ago)

Well, yes. I assumed as much.

― Jazzbo (jmcgaw), Wednesday, 13 July 2005 10:53 (twenty years ago)

It was a small piece composed for the documentary "Svezia: Inferno e Paradiso", which I think came out in 1968. The strange nasal voice must belong to Alessandro Alessandroni. Piero Umiliani composed it -he was a prolific composer, arranger and jazz pianist who started playing with bands sometime in the 40's, with earliest recordings appearing, I think, from the early-mid 50's. He had some kind of health problems - stroke-related, perhaps(?), in around 1980 or so, and worked much, much less after that (there was a CD called "Umiliani Jazz Family" that I think was from the late 90's - his daughter sang on it, which contained a lovely, elaborate arrangement of this song). He passed away not so many years ago. The CD "Svezia: Inferno e Paradiso" contains the original arrangement and recording - I'm not sure whether the version used on The Muppet Show is the same one or not. I don't know of a version by Mr. Umiliani recorded in the late 70's, but it's possible.

-- Pangolino again (electrically_wire...), February 22nd, 2005 10:25 AM.

― president carter loves repetition (Jody Beth Rosen), Wednesday, 13 July 2005 10:54 (twenty years ago)

http://www.milkandcookies.com/links/7452/

― Jazzbo (jmcgaw), Wednesday, 13 July 2005 10:54 (twenty years ago)

those pinks things look like puckering assholes.

― Lupton Pitman (Chris V), Wednesday, 13 July 2005 11:04 (twenty years ago)

i was thinking they looked like an ex of mine, but there ya go.

― president carter loves repetition (Jody Beth Rosen), Wednesday, 13 July 2005 11:07 (twenty years ago)

What does RFI stand for? Request for information?

― matt2 (matt2), Wednesday, 13 July 2005 12:56 (twenty years ago)

Repeat Fread Infinitely.

― mark grout (mark grout), Wednesday, 13 July 2005 13:17 (twenty years ago)

Phenomena!

― Joseph McCombs (Joseph McCombs), Wednesday, 13 July 2005 13:28 (twenty years ago)

As I was so anxious to come in here and type Piero Umiliani, I see I'm a day fucking late to the game...so with that, I offer:

The Fat Boys - My Nuts

Yes, it really is based on Mah Nah Na Nah.

― PappaWheelie (PappaWheelie), Wednesday, 13 July 2005 13:29 (twenty years ago)

Only 3 hours late.

― mark grout (mark grout), Wednesday, 13 July 2005 13:34 (twenty years ago)

Also, K-Taro - former member of Pizziacto Five - did a cover of it titled Sweden, Heaven, and Hell (obvously an English translation of the movie title) with heavy samples from Perry-Gershon's Spooks in Spce

― PappaWheelie (PappaWheelie), Wednesday, 13 July 2005 13:34 (twenty years ago)

"Letter B"

― n/a (Nick A.), Wednesday, 13 July 2005 13:44 (twenty years ago)

ok seeing as weve already sorted out the song from the question, i have a new question about a sesame st song:
it has the lyrics
'its a rainy day, its a rainy day
its rainin outside and i cant go out to play
why do we need the rain anyway?' (and then it explains why we need rain!)
what is it, is it actually good? now that im thinkin about it, not really. it was good enough for me to remember it for 20 yrs tho

― minna (minna), Wednesday, 13 July 2005 13:50 (twenty years ago)

Another one that I only saw on TV twice, as an adult, was Kermit's alphabet in the swamp.. "A is for alligator, b is for bayou, c is for cypress tree, d is for dew. E is for everything like f fern g grass and h - that's home to you. J is for juniper, k is for kelp, l log, m is the moon. N is (I forget) O is the otter - he'll be sleeping soon. P (I forget) Q is for quicksand - very tricky, r rushes, s swamp, t tar very sticky. U is the universe that's V vast and W wide, X marks the spot where I love to hide. Y is the yellowbird that sings so sweet, which brings us back to z and now my alphabet's complete in the swamp"

If anyone can send me an mp3 via gmail, ....

― geyser muffler and a quarter (Dave225), Wednesday, 13 July 2005 14:26 (twenty years ago)

What about the "Capital I" song? Nobody remembers this but me it seems.

We all live in a capital I
In the middle of the desert in the center of the sky
and all day long we polish our I
Till it get so bright and shiny that it lightens up the ski
Capital I
Capital I
And when we're done with our daily chore
We go back in the I and then we shut the door.

It has a really beautiful, meloncholic melody. Sorta pop-jazzy.

― Austin Still (Austin, Still), Wednesday, 13 July 2005 14:36 (twenty years ago)

Phenomena!
That's what I thought it was called.

― k/l (Ken L), Wednesday, 13 July 2005 14:39 (twenty years ago)

Something Like A Mahna Mahna.

― k/l (Ken L), Wednesday, 13 July 2005 14:40 (twenty years ago)

C is for Cookie.

― mark grout (mark grout), Wednesday, 13 July 2005 14:42 (twenty years ago)

Was I the only person who ever saw Cookie MOnster all pimped out like Isaac Hayes, singing "What's the best treat you can eat?"
Backup singers: "Cookie!"
CM: "You're darn right."

― geyser muffler and a quarter (Dave225), Wednesday, 13 July 2005 14:45 (twenty years ago)

These days he can be seen singing "Eating Cookies" to the tune of "Making Whoopie."

― k/l (Ken L), Wednesday, 13 July 2005 14:46 (twenty years ago)

Repeat Fread Infinitely.

-- mark grout (mark.grou...), July 13th, 2005.

Can't be so. If it is, huh?

― matt2 (matt2), Wednesday, 13 July 2005 15:49 (twenty years ago)

1 2 3 4 5!

6 7 8 9 10!

11 12!

now those are lyrics. made all the more vivid (IIRC) by being set to a weird psychedelic pinball-table video.

― grimly fiendish (grimlord), Wednesday, 13 July 2005 16:10 (twenty years ago)

I think Mahna Mahna was originally called "Mais Non, Mais Non" when it was first recorded back in the '60s, but I could be wrong.

Anyone remember "Lowercase N", a deadly Sesame Street song. Incidentally, loads of the classic Sesame Street songs are on a boxset called "Songs From The Street - 35 Years of Sesame Street"

― musicjohn73 (musicjohn73), Wednesday, 13 July 2005 16:49 (twenty years ago)

I remember "Letter B" based on "Let It Be."

― k/l (Ken L), Wednesday, 13 July 2005 17:19 (twenty years ago)

nine months pass...

A, alligator, B, bayou, C, cypress tree, D, dew, E is for everything like D ferns and G, grass that's H, home to you. I, insects, J is for juniper, K kelp, L log M is the moon. N is noontime, O for otter, P for possum, he'll be sleeping soon! Q is quicksand that's very tricky! R rushes, S snakes, T tar that gets you sticky! U is the Universe that's V vast and W, wide, X marks the spot where I love to hide. Y is the yellow bird that sings so sweet, which brings me back to Z and now my alphabets complete, in the swamp!

As well as>>>

We all live in a capital I in the middle of the desert in the centre of the sky
And all day long we polish on the I
To keep it clean and shiny so it brightens up the sky
Rubbing it here and scrubbing it there
Polishing the I so high in the air
As we work we sing a lively tune, "it is great to be so happy on a busy afternoon"
And when we're through with the day's only chore
We go into the I and we close the door.
Capital I
Capital I
Capital I
Capital I

― Mr Correction, Tuesday, 9 May 2006 14:45 (nineteen years ago)

If you want to watch the "Capital I" song online, go here!

http://youtube.com/watch?v=_InFRdJGHFk

― Mr corrections, Tuesday, 9 May 2006 14:47 (nineteen years ago)

Mr. Corrections, I salute you!

― Austin Still (Austin, Still), Tuesday, 9 May 2006 15:07 (nineteen years ago)

I liked the song that was like onetwothreeFOURfive...sixseveneight NINEten...eleven tweeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeelve!

not as good written out.

"I liked the song that was like onetwothreeFOURfive...sixseveneight NINEten...eleven tweeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeelve!

not as good written out."

If I'm not mistaken, the Pointer Sisters sang that one.

― James, Tuesday, 9 May 2006 16:07 (nineteen years ago)

yep there's a 12-inch of it that Ninja Tune put out! along with "C Is For Cookie (Larry Levan Remix)."

http://www.discogs.com/release/185027

― Renard (Renard), Tuesday, 9 May 2006 16:13 (nineteen years ago)

If I'm not mistaken, the Pointer Sisters sang that one

Pointer Sisters sung, but written by Herbie Hancock!

― Dominique (dleone), Tuesday, 9 May 2006 16:14 (nineteen years ago)

I heart that Letter I song! And the Pointers counting to twelve! And Grace Slick counting to ten!

― Myonga Von BertandErnie (Myonga Von Bontee), Tuesday, 9 May 2006 16:19 (nineteen years ago)

another one I remember is "You Really Got a Hold on Me" as sung by a muppet being overenthusiastically hugged by the letter U

― Renard (Renard), Tuesday, 9 May 2006 16:21 (nineteen years ago)

THE DEAD HENSONS DO THIS SONG

― city of gyros (chaki), Tuesday, 9 May 2006 17:01 (nineteen years ago)

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