Livin' Just Enough for Sesame Street

This is probably the most amazing thing you will see today.  Tomorrow, too.

Stevie Wonder, servin' up a tasty slice of the hot soul funk to the kids on Sesame Street.  This was 1973, apparently.  I was 4 or 5, and if I saw it, it probably meant nothing to me.  I was not ready for Stevie then.

You know who was ready for Stevie then? Check out the kid on the stairs, in the red shirt, with the Joey Ramone haircut.  Dude is stone gettin' down.  Kids in the city are always ahead of us provincial types.

A commenter on the YouTube page says that's a young Ray Parker, Jr. on guitar (pre-Raydio and "Ghostbusters").  The guy playing lead, wearing an onion bulb on his head, not the Richard Brautigan-looking white guy playing rhythm. Ray did do session work with Stevie, so it's possible.

Putting aside the novelty of it being on "Sesame Street," that's just an astounding performance of that song.  With July 4th around the corner, I'm starting to think about the reasons I'm glad to be an American, and this is one of them -- this country produced Stevie Wonder.

Bonus!

Stevie wraps things up with the "Sesame Song."

I'm just... wow.  Goddamn.  That is hot, right there.

Update: This just keeps getting better.  On bass is Anthony Jackson, who I'd admittedly never heard of before but is apparently legendary.  The reason why this is awesome is that he's also the guy who played bass on the O'Jays' "For the Love of Money," with that amazing echo-laden intro, which you've heard if you've watched "The Apprentice."

Comments

[Marianne]

Check out those kids playing maracas too in the back - can you imagine telling your kids you played with Stevie Wonder when you were a kid? Pretty awesome

[minty]

I watched Sesame Street when I was way too old to be watching Sesame Street (heck, I was too old to be watching Sesame Street when it first came on!), and it was because of stuff like this that I kept watching it. In fact I'm sure I saw this one, as in 1973 I was in junior high, and I was all about the Stevie Wonder and the Curtis Mayfield and the Marvin Gaye.

This is indeed a great performance of a great song.

[I Zimbra]

I've always thought that Superstition was the funkiest song ever but the next time I hear it, I'll be able to remember this clip. That kid freaking out and dancing is too much.

[lastewie]

The kid in the red shirt reminds me of a muppet. Do you think they based Animal on him?

Good find, Jerry. Kudos.

[ds]

i think the kid in the red shirt was the first child in america to be diagnosed with adhd. Stevie Wonder is the man

[pinky]

I wonder if all the old Sesame Street episodes are out on DVD? I wonder if a person could have a child, and JUST show them the pre-elmo, pre-current-characters episodes. Maybe it's because I was watching during my formative years, but *my* Sesame Street was awesome, and the current Sesame Street blows.

(the bear with the speech impediment really gets on my nerves)

[minty]

There was a time, several years ago, when the cable channel Noggin was showing vintage Sesame Street episodes in the middle of the night, and also The Electric Company (which I LOVED). But I don't think they're doing that anymore. I was able to find some petitions about releasing old Sesame Street episodes on DVD, but no evidence that it's happening.

[Jerry]

I was way into "The Electric Company," the best of which is available on DVD. I remember getting an autographed picture of the Short Circus in the mail, although that, like most of my childhood, might have never actually happened.

Oh, man. Jennifer of the Jungle, y'all. Judy Graubart, where are you now?

[Jerry]

Hey, has this thing been asking y'all to type in confirmation words? I don't remember setting it to do that.

[minty]

It's not asking me for any confirmation words. It must think you look shady!

I loved Fargo North, Decoder; Love of Chair ("and what about Naomi?"); and, of course, Easy Reader!