Sing! (1973) 7/17/20

(Lots of song links below..I invite you to click them all!)

Joe Raposo was an extremely talented songwriter who wrote a number of TV theme songs, including “Come and Knock on Our Door” from “Three's Company.”

But Joe was MOST famous for his work on Sesame Street. In fact, he not only wrote the opening theme:“Can You Tell Me How to Get to Sesame Street,”but “It Ain't Easy Being Green” for Kermit the Frog.

And one of the many songs he wrote for the “Street” became a “Great Song of the '70s!”

On the show, Bob (McGrath) usually sang it with a variety of friends and helpers, including the Muppets, the “Street” kids and adults, and many different A-list celebrities.

(***In the mashup link below. Bob starts and ends the song, and he appears a few times in the middle, but you have to watch the whole thing to get an idea just how many stars got a chance to sing it!***)

Anyway, there were some adults watching who thought the song could be a hit with an older audience.--and they were right!

Believe it or not, Barbra Streisand was the first to give it a try in a medley with “Make Your Own Kind of Music” and in 1972, it was a minor hit on Billboard's Easy Listening chart at #28.

Richard Carpenter claims he hadn't heard Barbra's version when he decided that he & Karen should record it. He gave it a full arrangement, and wisely added children to the chorus, just to stay true to the song's original audience.

This time, “Sing,” went all the way to the top of the Easy Listening chart and peaked at #3 on the Hot 100. In Canada, the matching chart numbers were 5 and 4. It was also a #1 hit in Japan.

“Sing:” A Great Song of the '70s...for the child in all of us! Thanks, Joe!

*The Carpenters (1973):

*Barbra Streisand (1972):

*Bob McGrath, with Luis (Emilio Delgado), Susan (Loretta Long) & the Kids:

*“Sing” Mashup: