Joe Raposo: ‘Sesame Street’ Sounds

“S unny day, everyone come and play . . . .” The “Sesame Street” theme may have a new beat these days, but it’s still quintessential Joe Raposo, the late songwriter whose unique mix of joie de vivre and wistfulness came to be known as the “sound” of Sesame Street.

If you’ve heard “Bein’ Green,” “Sing,” “ ‘C’ Is for Cookie” or any one of countless songs on the show capturing the essence of peanut butter and pigs, rhinoceroses, the alphabet and aardvarks, you’ve heard the Raposo sound.

That sound, alternately sweet, exuberant and irrepressibly comical, can be found on a new Golden Music recording, “Sing Songs of Joe Raposo,” a collection featuring a raft of singers who have done Raposo turns on “Sesame Street.”

Gladys Knight & the Pips lead off with their R&B; rendition of the “Sesame Street” song. The Grammy-winning “Sing” is heard twice, once in the mellow tones of Karen and Richard Carpenter and then with the Muppet gang, Big Bird, Grover, Cookie Monster, et al.

In “ABC-DEF-GHI,” Raposo didn’t just do letters. He turned the alphabet into one long peculiar word for Big Bird to puzzle over. He had Muppet Marty singing the blues in “Has Anybody Seen My Dog?” and helped Ernie’s pal Bert, not known for being hip, introduce a new dance called “Doin’ the Pigeon.”

Some of Raposo’s most inventive songs were written to accompany short films on the show and he often gave whimsical voice to them himself. Represented here are “Bein’ a Pig,” “I’m Pretty,” “Peanut Butter,” “I’m an Aardvark!” and “Fruit Song.”

Raposo also sings his lyric ballad about growing up, “A Little Bit (at the Beginning),” which segues into a jubilant, rafter-raising gospel offering sung by Patti LaBelle and the Abyssinian Baptist Church Chancel Choir.

No Raposo collection would be complete without “Bein’ Green,” another Grammy winner. Kermit’s poignant, bittersweet theme song--”It’s not easy bein’ green”--has been sung by a number of superstars, including Frank Sinatra and Lena Horne. Here, Ray Charles, dipping into Raposo’s gentle lyrics like a spoon into honey, gives it a depth of meaning that’s hard to top.

“Sing Songs of Joe Raposo.” Golden Music. Audiocassette: $ 9 . CD: $1 2 . Widely available.

Tell Me a Story: New York storyteller Gerald Fierst is featured in a family Hanukkah concert of music and songs on Sunday at 1 p.m. at Temple Isaiah as part of the 12th annual Festival of Jewish Artisans, which runs from noon to 5 p.m. In addition to the concert, Sunday’s activities include several arts workshops for adults and children. Fierst will also perform tonight when the festival opens, along with oud player John Bilezkijian. Information: (310) 277-2772.