Rubber Duckie (song)

"Rubber Duckie" is Ernie's signature song, a tribute to his beloved Rubber Duckie. The song enjoyed popular fame, reaching number 16 on Billboard's "Hot 100 Singles" chart in 1970. It was even nominated for a Grammy Award for Best Recording for Children, but it lost to The Sesame Street Book & Record, which also contains the song.

Ernie originally performed the song in the first season of Sesame Street, singing in a bathtub in a room that resembled his living room. The most common version, filmed for the second season, features Ernie in a bathroom with a plain blue background. The song has been dubbed into many different languages, a montage of which was featured in the special Sesame Street: 20 and Still Counting.

In 1974, Ernie sang the song as "El Patito," with a new Latin arrangement, translation by Wyatt Day, and Spanish-language vocals by Jim Henson. This version was released on the album ¡Sesame Mucho!, and later issued as a single backed with the original English version in 1976.

A new version of "Rubber Duckie" with Ernie was filmed in season 30, using the original album recording with Jim Henson's vocals. Similarly, the same track was also used for a film segment showing various kids taking baths. In addition to Ernie, the song has also been covered by Little Richard, Bob McGrath and other artists.

Releases

 * Audio (Ernie's version)
 * The Sesame Street Book & Record (1970)
 * Everybody Wash/Rubber Duckie/Rub Your Tummy (single, 1970)
 * Rubber Duckie/Sesame Street Theme (single, 1970)
 * Ernie's Hits (1974)
 * 60 Favorite Songs from Sesame Street (1975)
 * 25 Greatest Hits (1975)
 * Ernie Sings: Rubber Duckie/El Patito (single, 1976)
 * What Time Is It on Sesame Street? (1977)
 * 10th Anniversary Album (1978)
 * Muppet Masquerade (1978)
 * Sesame Street Fever (disco version) (1978)
 * Rubber Duckie (disco version)/Doin' the Pigeon (disco version) (single, 1979)
 * The Case of the Missing Rubber Duckie (1981)
 * Sesame Street Sing-Along (1982)
 * The Best of Ernie (1983)
 * Favorite Songs From Jim Henson's Muppets (1986)
 * The Best of Sesame Street (1987)
 * Jim Henson: A Sesame Street Celebration (1991)
 * Platinum All-Time Favorites (1995)
 * Splish Splash: Bath Time Fun (1995)
 * Bert and Ernie's Greatest Hits (1996)
 * Sesame Street Best (1997)
 * Big Bird's Sunny Day Camp Out (2000)
 * Songs from the Street: 35 Years of Music (2003)
 * Sunny Days Collection (2012)


 * Audio (El Patio's version)
 * ¡Sesame Mucho! (1974)
 * Ernie Sings: Rubber Duckie/El Patito (single, 1976)
 * Bert & Ernie: Side By Side (1981)
 * Fiesta Songs (1998)


 * Audio (Little Richard's version)
 * Sesame Street Celebrates! (1994)
 * Splish Splash: Bath Time Fun (1995)


 * Audio (Bob's version)
 * Bob's Favorite Street Songs (Bob McGrath, 1991)


 * Video (Season 2 version)
 * Shalom Sesame: The Land of Israel (1986, in Hebrew)
 * Sing Along (1987)
 * Sesame Street's 25th Birthday: A Musical Celebration (1993, clip only)
 * The Adventures of Elmo in Grouchland: Sing and Play (1999, with animated on-screen lyrics)
 * Sesame English: Mine! (2000, beginning cut)
 * Old School: Volume 1 (2006, listed as part of Season 1)
 * 40 Years of Sunny Days (2009, also listed as part of Season 1)


 * Video (remade version)
 * Kids' Favorite Songs 2 (2001, beginning cut, edited with the clips of kids in the bathtubs on second chorus)
 * Shalom Sesame: Adventures in Israel (2011, in Hebrew)


 * Special (original version)
 * The Muppets: A Celebration of 30 Years (1986, clip only)


 * Online
 * Sesamestreet.org
 * season 2 version
 * Bert's version
 * SesameStreet's YouTube Channel
 * season 2 version
 * Little Richard version
 * Daveed Diggs version
 * Bert's version


 * Publications
 * Sesame Street Songbook Vol. 1
 * The Sesame Street Song Book (1971, 1992 and 2007 editions)
 * Songs of Sesame Street (1977)
 * The Songs of Sesame Street in Poems and Pictures (1983)
 * The Reader's Digest Children's Songbook (1986)
 * Favorite Songs from Jim Henson's Muppets (1986)
 * Jim Henson: The Works (1993)
 * Sesame Street Unpaved (1998)