Sesame's Treet

Album: Sesame's Treet (1992)
Charted: 2
Play Video

Songfacts®:

  • Smart E's was a short-lived production/instrumental group formed by the London trio of DJs/producers Tom Orton, Chris 'Luna C' Howell and Nick Arnold. Their only hit was basically the theme tune for the UK version of the children's TV series Sesame Street on top of some hardcore rave break beats. It was one of a number of novelty "kiddie rave" tracks in Britain during the early 1990s that referenced drug use and clubbers' '70s childhoods. Other tunes in the same vein included "A Trip to Trumpton" by Urban Hype, "Charly" by The Prodigy and "Roobarb And Custard" by Shaft.
  • Howell recalled to Mojo magazine in a 2011 interview that they had few expectations for the song: "Using the Sesame Street theme was just a little joke, it took about six hours to make," he said. "We were surprised people liked it, more surprised when it started getting radio play, then a video, the gigs, the charting, I was over the moon."
  • The song was Smart E's only single to chart. Said Howell to Mojo: "I knew that we would be a one-hit wonder even as the record blew up. When it came to the follow up I argued we should make something very underground. The others were keen to make a more commercial-sounding track. In the end we made something between the two (Loo's Control), it wasn't bad, but it didn't fit anywhere. We also made an album for the US market, and it was every bit as good as you can imagine."

Comments

Be the first to comment...

Editor's Picks

Corey Hart

Corey HartSongwriter Interviews

The Canadian superstar talks about his sudden rise to fame, and tells the stories behind his hits "Sunglasses At Night," "Boy In The Box" and "Never Surrender."

In The Cards

In The CardsSong Writing

Songwriters have used cards and card games to make sense of heartache, togetherness, and even Gonorrhea.

Grunge Bands Quiz

Grunge Bands QuizMusic Quiz

If the name Citizen Dick means anything to you, there's a chance you'll get some of these right.

Greg Lake of Emerson, Lake & Palmer

Greg Lake of Emerson, Lake & PalmerSongwriter Interviews

Greg talks about writing songs of "universal truth" for King Crimson and ELP, and tells us about his most memorable stage moment (it involves fireworks).

Mike Rutherford (Genesis, Mike + The Mechanics)

Mike Rutherford (Genesis, Mike + The Mechanics)Songwriter Interviews

Mike Rutherford talks about the "Silent Running" storyline and "Land Of Confusion" in the age of Trump.

Rock Revenge Songs

Rock Revenge SongsMusic Quiz

John Lennon, Paul Simon and Lynyrd Skynyrd are some of the artists who have written revenge songs. Do you know who they wrote them about?