![]() Guest stars performing musical numbers became such an integral part of the show that it was used to amazing comic effect for John Cleese's appearance, where he refused to do "The Impossible Dream", allowing Cleese to go full Basil Fawlty while poking fun at the expectations of guest stars on the show. Roger Moore, James Bond himself, having fun with his super-spy association while singing "If I Could Talk to the Animals". Comic actress Madeline Kahn sings a wonderfully comic rendition of "Your Feet". But even celebrities not associated with music were encouraged to do a musical number. ![]() Elton John in full 70s-era extravagance (as Sam the Eagle (Oz) would say, "Why does he dress like a stolen car?") singing "Crocodile Rock" as a number of Muppet crocodiles sing along, or Julie Andrews Muppet-fied performance of "The Lonely Goatherd" from The Sound of Music. When singers would appear, it was a given that they would perform one or two of their own songs accompanied by some Muppet madness. In the 1970s, The Muppet Show was the place to be, and guests came on board regularly just to be part of the fun. Yet The Muppet Show didn't shy away from deeper material either, allowing a performance like Judy Collins' impactful "Send in the Clowns" to breathe on its own. And like Sesame Street before it, The Muppet Show produced a number of original, memorable musical moments, perhaps none more so than the immortal "Mahna Mahna" by Mahna Mahna and the Snowths. Classical music was an element that would pop up frequently, usually in conjunction with Gonzo ( Dave Goelz) performing a magnificent feat, like eating a tire while Korsakov's "Flight of the Bumblebee" plays, or destroying an antique car to Verdi's "The Anvil Chorus". Often it was a little stranger, like "Baby Face" performed by a chorus of chickens, or Animal (Oz) performing "Wild Thing" as only Animal can. Sometimes it was a contemporary song like Billy Joel's "New York State of Mind". Sometimes that music was an old standard like "Chattanooga Choo Choo". When The Muppet Show first aired in 1976, it settled into the format it would keep for the duration of its run, with elements of vaudeville, sketch comedy, and, of course, music. Sesame Street also proved that the Muppets could go beyond novelty songs, delivering poignant numbers like Kermit's "It's Not Easy Bein' Green", and cover versions of popular music (with an educational twist) like Muppet band The Beetles' "Letter B", to the tune of "Let It Be" from The Beatles. The educational yet very silly "C is for Cookie" from Cookie Monster ( Frank Oz). Oscar the Grouch's declaration of love for all things ragged, rotten, or rusty: "I Love Trash" (if you've never heard the Steve Tyler cover, you must). There was Ernie's (Henson) ode to his favorite bath toy, "Rubber Duckie". The early years of Sesame Street proved that these Muppets were the perfect instrument for original novelty songs, many of which would become iconic. ![]() ![]() The names are legendary: Kermit the Frog ( Jim Henson), Oscar the Grouch ( Carroll Spinney), Big Bird (Spinney), and so on. The series was revolutionary in how it meted out a hearty educational component with entertainment, often through the use of Muppets created for the program. The Muppets' strong connection to music really began with the introduction of Sesame Street in 1969. It's the blend of the original and unique covers of songs, from old standards to contemporary, that has always been a part of the Muppets' makeup, and is what separates them from their peers (with "peers" applied loosely - there really is nothing else like the Muppets out there, now or ever, right?). Among the chaos is a number of new and old Electric Mayhem tunes (a reprise of "Can You Picture That?" from 1979's The Muppet Movie is a welcome highlight) along with a handful of classic rock covers. And as we know, anything that involves Muppets trying to focus on finishing something is akin to herding cats. Teeth and the Electric Mayhem, and the efforts of junior music executive Nora ( Lilly Singh) to get the group to finish an album - their first - that they have yet to deliver for the small record label she works for. The series focuses on the Muppet house band Dr. With the new Disney+ series The Muppets Mayhem, Disney is going all-in on what has always made the Muppets great: music. ![]()
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