'Eleven Twelve' by Braces Tower

May 18, 2004 6:22 AM

One two three, four five, six seven nine ten, eleven twelve. [6.5mb .wmv]. An excellent remix video of the the Sesame Street 'Pinball Song'. Features the Pointer Sisters on vocals, apparently. The remix was done by Braces Tower, who also have the mp3 up on their site.
posted by tapeguy (27 comments total)

Damn, forgot the 'eight'. That'll teach me to try and be clever.
posted by tapeguy at 6:23 AM on May 18, 2004

FWIW, Walt Kraemer wrote the original song, here is a letter from him about the original.
posted by tomplus2 at 6:26 AM on May 18, 2004

Thanks for the link. This song is my most enduring memory from watching Sesame Street as a child.
posted by internal at 6:47 AM on May 18, 2004

Wow. Now that is truly a song that will never, ever, get out of your head. Brings back good memories of being a kid though. Something I remember that I hadn't even remembered I'd forgotten.
posted by tiamat at 6:49 AM on May 18, 2004

The official name of the song is "Pinball Number Count." You can buy a DJ Food Remix of the song on 12" album (with "C is for Cookie" on the B-side).
posted by deanc at 6:50 AM on May 18, 2004

This is pretty freaky, because just yesterday, I was wondering why CTW hasn't put out a DVD with all their cartoon number and letter shorts...non-muppet stuff. I'd be all over it.
posted by byort at 6:57 AM on May 18, 2004

Strictly Kev (DJ Food) also pops up in that thread linked by tomplus2.
posted by sauril at 7:10 AM on May 18, 2004

Strictly Kev is only half of DJ Food. PC is the other. Except there are other memebers. Or there were. Its all a little confusing.

A brief History of DJ Food

/trainspotter
posted by davehat at 7:45 AM on May 18, 2004

Thanks for the link, tapeguy!

byort, just go to amazon.com and search in the DVD section for 'sesame street'. They have what you are looking for.
posted by sciatica at 8:06 AM on May 18, 2004

Cool link to the letter tomplus2. The visuals were a great reminder (except that blatant theft of yellow submarine - what was that about) but the music left a lot to be desired. The original was much more alive and funky - with the cool steel drum solo I can still hear . . .

FIVE!!!
posted by petebest at 8:07 AM on May 18, 2004

That made me happy. Thanks.
posted by pomegranate at 8:10 AM on May 18, 2004

Very cool! "Pinball Number Count" was my favorite animated segment on "Sesame Street" when I was a kid.

This also reminded me of Crystal Waters' take on "the Price is Right" theme a few years ago. Her version was called "Come on Down."
posted by fredosan at 8:19 AM on May 18, 2004

This is one of those great earworms. I have not seen that short in at least 20 years and I still find myself suddenly humming that synchopated tune now and then. I didn't know that the Pointer Sisters did the vocals (but I didn't know who they were when I fell in love with it.)
posted by KirkJobSluder at 8:35 AM on May 18, 2004

Wow. Nice memory. Anyone have any clue who did the animation? It's very Yellow Submarine, but so many things in the early 70s / late 60s were.
posted by grabbingsand at 8:40 AM on May 18, 2004

In Canada, we also got a rousing rendition of "une deux trois quatre cinque, sixe sept huit neuf dix, onze douze!"

I won't be happy until I hear the drum 'n bass remix of We All Live in a Capital I...
posted by krunk at 9:19 AM on May 18, 2004

The original was better.
posted by mr_crash_davis at 9:33 AM on May 18, 2004

grabbingsand, check out the link tomplus2 provided. the composer of the music talks extensively about creating the whole thing. animation and music by Imagination, Inc. in San Francisco.
posted by jeremy at 9:36 AM on May 18, 2004

Did the original include an occasional bar and a half vocal breakdown on twelve? twe-eh-eh-eh-eh-eh-elve.

I'm trying to work out if they've cut the vocal high out of the track to make life easier or if my earworm evolved.
posted by Flat Feet Pete at 9:45 AM on May 18, 2004

Damn. I was just humming this to myself today!

Unfortunately, must wait several hours to see it as media downloads are blocked at my work...but thank you!!
posted by contessa at 10:05 AM on May 18, 2004

That was a great flash back but...

I still like the
Elephant Elevator Operator
song..
posted by TangerineGurl at 11:00 AM on May 18, 2004

Flat Feet Pete: That was my favorite part! It was great to see this again, but I wish they hadn't messed with the song so much.
posted by dual_action at 11:17 AM on May 18, 2004

But it doesn't answer the question I've been asking since I was a child! Why the hell did it always end with 12? it's such an odd number to end with.

End with 10, sure I can see that but 12? You could logic it out they were going to teach time... but there's absolutely no reference to a clock in the cartoon
posted by KnitWit at 11:21 AM on May 18, 2004

(no reference to a clock in the original cartoon that is)
posted by KnitWit at 11:22 AM on May 18, 2004

Sorry to be the grumbling Gus, but this production in no way improves upon the original. Thanks for the link, anyhoo. It was fun to relive the old memories.
posted by squirrel at 11:23 AM on May 18, 2004

twelve is the last number in the sequence that has its own unique word in english. After 12 we start into the "teens." 12 is actually quite common in American culture beyond just time. On the other hand, I've seen my niece have trouble figuring out just where 12 fit on the number line alternately thinking of it as 2 and 10.
posted by KirkJobSluder at 11:31 AM on May 18, 2004

This was cool! I loved the Pinball song. I was just waiting for the baker to show up at the end. : )
posted by SisterHavana at 2:21 PM on May 18, 2004

I won't be happy until I hear the drum 'n bass remix of We All Live in a Capital I...

In the middle of the desert
In the center of the sky

I'm glad somebody else remembers that tune. And what about that ecstatic, funky ending credits theme? The one with the horn blasts, wah-wah guitar and the cowbell? That was wicked.
posted by arto at 1:04 AM on May 20, 2004