Muppet Songs - Originals and Covers

[David French]

Don't be confused about the title of this thread - it's the best I could come up with.

What I thought I might do is post YouTube links to some of the songs/sketches that the Muppets either lip synched to or sang a cover version of. The idea with the latter is try and get (where possible) the oldest version or (in case of TMS) the guest star's original recording of the song(s) they performed.

Let's start with the early years; one of the most of famous Sam & Friends sketches is of Sam and Kermit (in drag) lip synching to Louis Prima and Keely Smith's That Old Black Magic. The song was also performed on TMS with guest Jaye P. Morgan duetting with Dr. Teeth.

 

[David French]

When the Muppets made their debut appearance on NBC's Today Show back in April 1961, they did a lip synch performance of Yes! We Have no Bananas. For many years the identity of the two performers were unknown, however that changed when in 2021 it was finally determined that the recording came from an album entitled Side by Side as recorded by the Alley Singers. The Alley Singers were Phil Stern and Al Brennan - stage names were two members of Spike Jones' City Slickers - banjo player and vocalist Freddy Morgan and vocalist Paul "Mousie" Garner.

 

[David French]

Less than a minute exists of a Sam & Friends sketch in which Kermit lip synchs to the song The Horse Named Bill as sung by Bob Gibson. Here's the full version.

 

[David French]

Here is the original version of that ever popular classic of our times You and I and George. The song was written by bassist Red Kelly, a member of the Stan Kenton Orchestra.

 

[David French]

When she appeared as a guest on 'The Muppet Show', Connie Stevens sang two songs - the Carpenters' (They Long to Be) Close to You and this song originally recorded by Dion & the Belmonts - A Teenager in Love.

 

[David French]

The opening number in the TX version of the Connie Stevens episode was Lydia the Tattooed Lady. The original version was sung by Groucho Marx in the Marx Brothers film "At the Circus". Here is Groucho's performance from the film; note the Muppet version contains a changed lyric.

 

[David French]

It was performed by Scooter & Fozzie on The Muppet Show, but here's the original version of Simon Smith and the Amazing Dancing Bear as recorded by the Alan Price Set.