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[[File:Christophercerf.jpg|thumb|300px|Cerf with the Sesame Street Song Book.]]
  
[[File:Christophercerf.jpg|thumb|300px|Cerf with the Sesame Street Song Book.]]
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[[Image:Chriscerfanimalrats.jpg|thumb|300px]]
   
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'''Christopher B. Cerf''' (born August 19, 1941) originally joined the [[Sesame Workshop|Children's Television Workshop]] as the head of ''[[Sesame Street]]''’s "non-broadcast" products division, which spun off books, records, and toys. However, Cerf's true forte was composing songs for the show, including parodies of contemporary pop hits.<ref>Lambert, Craig. [https://harvardmagazine.com/2011/07/channel-cerfing "Channel Cerfing."] ''Harvard Magazine'', July 2011.</ref>
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'''Christopher B. Cerf''' (born August 19, 1941) brought a mid-century pop music sound to the music of ''[[Sesame Street]]'', composing and contributing vocals for songs by [[Little Jerry and the Monotones]], [[Little Chrissy and the Alphabeats]], and other short-lived pop-star parodies. Among his best known works are "[[Put Down the Duckie (song)|Put Down the Duckie]]" and "[[Monster in the Mirror]]," two collaborations with former ''Sesame Street'' head writer [[Norman Stiles]]. Both songs have been filmed in versions that feature large numbers of celebrities. He appears in the television documentary ''[[Sing! Sesame Street Remembers Joe Raposo and His Music]]'' in tribute to his friend and collaborator. Cerf also composed songs for the short-lived series, ''[[Little Muppet Monsters]]''.
  
 
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__TOC__
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Among his best known works are "[[Put Down the Duckie (song)|Put Down the Duckie]]" and "[[Monster in the Mirror]]," two collaborations with former ''Sesame Street'' head writer [[Norman Stiles]]. Both songs have been filmed in versions that feature large numbers of celebrities.
⚫
His father, [[Bennett Cerf]], was the co-founder of [[Random House]] books and a panelist of ''[[What's My Line?]]'' and his mother, Phyllis Fraser, co-founded Random House's ''Beginner Books'' with [[Dr. Seuss]]. His brother, [[Jonathan Cerf]], wrote ''[[Big Bird's Red Book]]''.
  
   
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Some characters that Cerf has provided voices for include [[Little Chrissy]] (who was based on Cerf), [[Little Jerry and the Monotones|Chrissy]] (of Little Jerry and the Monotones), [[Bruce Stringbean]], [[Mick Swagger]], [[How Now Brown]], the [[Frazzletones|Lead Frazzletone]], and the [[Captain]] from "[[Imagine That (song)|Imagine That!]]". Cerf's voice can also be heard on the [[Cecille]] theme song.
 +
Cerf also contributed vocals for many of his songs. Muppet characters that Cerf has provided voices for include [[Little Chrissy]] (who was based on Cerf), [[Little Jerry and the Monotones|Chrissy]] (of Little Jerry and the Monotones), [[Bruce Stringbean]], [[Mick Swagger]], [[How Now Brown]], the [[Frazzletones|Lead Frazzletone]], and the [[Captain]] from "[[Imagine That (song)|Imagine That!]]". Cerf also sang on the [[Cecille]] theme song.
  +
  +
Cerf also composed songs for the short-lived series, ''[[Little Muppet Monsters]]''.
  +
  +
He appears in the television documentary ''[[Sing! Sesame Street Remembers Joe Raposo and His Music]]'' in tribute to his friend and collaborator.
  +
  ⚫
His father, [[Bennett Cerf]], was the co-founder of [[Random House]] books and a panelist of ''[[What's My Line?]]'' and his mother, Phyllis Fraser, co-founded Random House's ''Beginner Books'' with [[Dr. Seuss]]. His brother, [[Jonathan Cerf]], wrote ''[[Big Bird's Red Book]]''.
   
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[[Sesame Place]]'s [[The Game Centre]] was "the creative brain-child of Cerf.<ref>"[http://books.google.ca/books?id=Kz4EAAAAMBAJ&pg=PA17&dq=%22sesame+place%22&ei=L1MRS-S0A4P2zQTW5Y3hDA#v=onepage&q=%22sesame%20place%22&f=false Correction: Ahl's only part of Sesame Place]", ''InfoWorld'', October 31, 1979.</ref>
 +
[[Sesame Place]]'s [[The Game Centre]] was "the creative brain-child of Cerf".<ref>"[http://books.google.ca/books?id=Kz4EAAAAMBAJ&pg=PA17&dq=%22sesame+place%22&ei=L1MRS-S0A4P2zQTW5Y3hDA#v=onepage&q=%22sesame%20place%22&f=false Correction: Ahl's only part of Sesame Place]", ''InfoWorld'', October 31, 1979.</ref>
   
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Christopher Cerf is also the co-creator and an Executive Producer of ''[[Between the Lions]]''. He was a close personal friend of the late [[Douglas Adams]], acclaimed author of the ''[[The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy]]'' trilogy. He wrote the introduction for the US edition of ''The Salmon of Doubt'', a posthumous release of some of Adams' last works.
 +
Cerf is also the co-creator and an Executive Producer of ''[[Between the Lions]]''. He was a close personal friend of the late [[Douglas Adams]], acclaimed author of the ''[[The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy]]'' trilogy. He wrote the introduction for the US edition of ''The Salmon of Doubt'', a posthumous release of some of Adams' last works.
   
 
==Composer credits==
  
==Composer credits==
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File:EnVogue.Adventure.jpg|"[[Adventure]]"
  
File:EnVogue.Adventure.jpg|"[[Adventure]]"
 
File:Song.Air.GuySmiley.jpg|"[[Air (Cerf)|Air]]"
  
File:Song.Air.GuySmiley.jpg|"[[Air (Cerf)|Air]]"
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File:YoshShmenge.jpg|"[[Alphabet Polka]]"
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File:AlphabetPolka.jpg|"[[Alphabet Polka]]"
 
File:Antarctica.jpg|"[[Antarctica!]]"
  
File:Antarctica.jpg|"[[Antarctica!]]"
 
File:Count-babycountonme.jpg|"[[Baby, You Can Count on Me]]"
  
File:Count-babycountonme.jpg|"[[Baby, You Can Count on Me]]"
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File:12starsbythrees.jpg|"[[Counting Stars by 3's]]"
  
File:12starsbythrees.jpg|"[[Counting Stars by 3's]]"
 
File:Count vacation.JPG|"[[Counting Vacation]]"
  
File:Count vacation.JPG|"[[Counting Vacation]]"
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File:CrossItOut.jpg|"[[Cross It Out]]"
 
File:D-A-D.jpg|"[[D-A-D Song]]"
  
File:D-A-D.jpg|"[[D-A-D Song]]"
 
File:2096w.jpg|"[[Dance Myself to Sleep]]"
  
File:2096w.jpg|"[[Dance Myself to Sleep]]"
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File:GoBabyGo!.jpg|"[[Gonna Rock You to Sleep]]"
  
File:GoBabyGo!.jpg|"[[Gonna Rock You to Sleep]]"
 
File:Googlebugle.jpg|"[[Google Bugle]]"
  
File:Googlebugle.jpg|"[[Google Bugle]]"
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File:2802c.jpg|"[[Grouch Come Out]]"
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File:1983.JPG|"[[Grouchy Book]]"
 
File:Song.HandTalk.jpg|"[[Hand Talk]]"
  
File:Song.HandTalk.jpg|"[[Hand Talk]]"
 
File:HandfulOCrumbs.jpg‎|"[[Handful of Crumbs]]"
  
File:HandfulOCrumbs.jpg‎|"[[Handful of Crumbs]]"
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File:IfElmoHadTeeth.jpg|"[[If Elmo Had Teeth]]"
  
File:IfElmoHadTeeth.jpg|"[[If Elmo Had Teeth]]"
 
File:Gotoschool1.jpg|"[[I Go to School]]"
  
File:Gotoschool1.jpg|"[[I Go to School]]"
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File:1619e.jpg|"[[I Love to Eat]]"
 
File:4135-abbysong.jpg|"[[I Love Words (Cerf)|I Love Words]]"
  
File:4135-abbysong.jpg|"[[I Love Words (Cerf)|I Love Words]]"
 
File:4125s.jpg|"[[I Want to Be Me]]"
  
File:4125s.jpg|"[[I Want to Be Me]]"
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File:Song.natashaslullabye.jpg|"[[Natasha's Lullabye]]"
  
File:Song.natashaslullabye.jpg|"[[Natasha's Lullabye]]"
 
File:NearFar.balcony.jpg|"[[Near and Far (Cerf)|Near and Far]]"
  
File:NearFar.balcony.jpg|"[[Near and Far (Cerf)|Near and Far]]"
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File:3538c.jpg|"[[Near to You (Cerf/Ferraro)]]"
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File:3538c.jpg|"[[Near to You (Cerf/Ferraro)|Near to You]]"
 
File:Nexttoewe.jpg|"[[Next To Song]]"
  
File:Nexttoewe.jpg|"[[Next To Song]]"
 
File:Travelsongs.jpg|"[[Ninety Nine Bats (In My Car Today)]]"
  
File:Travelsongs.jpg|"[[Ninety Nine Bats (In My Car Today)]]"
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File:OnceIsNotEnough.JPG|"[[Once is Not Enough]]"
  
File:OnceIsNotEnough.JPG|"[[Once is Not Enough]]"
 
File:OneWaysong.jpg‎|"[[One Way]]"
  
File:OneWaysong.jpg‎|"[[One Way]]"
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File:noimage-landscape.png|"[[Oops! (song)]]"
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File:noimage-landscape.png|"[[Oops! (song)|Oops!]]"
 
File:Song.OPEN.jpg|"[[Open Song]]"
  
File:Song.OPEN.jpg|"[[Open Song]]"
 
File:OppositeGame.JPG|"[[Opposite Game]]"
  
File:OppositeGame.JPG|"[[Opposite Game]]"
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File:3957s.jpg|"[[Playground Map Song]]"
  
File:3957s.jpg|"[[Playground Map Song]]"
 
File:Song.Pleasebecareful.jpg|"[[Please Be Careful]]"
  
File:Song.Pleasebecareful.jpg|"[[Please Be Careful]]"
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File:2867-03.jpg|"[[Practice (Cerf/Moss)]]"
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File:2867-03.jpg|"[[Practice (Cerf/Moss)|Practice]]"
 
File:Pushsong.jpg|"[[Push! Push! Push!]]"
  
File:Pushsong.jpg|"[[Push! Push! Push!]]"
 
File:PutDowntheDuckie.jpg|"[[Put Down the Duckie (song)|Put Down the Duckie]]"
  
File:PutDowntheDuckie.jpg|"[[Put Down the Duckie (song)|Put Down the Duckie]]"
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File:4116za.jpg|"[[Shake Your Rattle and Roll]]"
  
File:4116za.jpg|"[[Shake Your Rattle and Roll]]"
 
File:Song.ShortTall.jpg|"[[Short or Tall]]"
  
File:Song.ShortTall.jpg|"[[Short or Tall]]"
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File:2586g.jpg|"[[Silly Dancing (song)|Silly Dancing]]"
 
File:3161u.jpg|"[[Silly Squirrel Dance]]"
  
File:3161u.jpg|"[[Silly Squirrel Dance]]"
 
File:Lake_song.jpg|"[[(Sittin' On) A Boat on a Lake]]"
  
File:Lake_song.jpg|"[[(Sittin' On) A Boat on a Lake]]"
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File:Bert-moranis.jpg|"[[Stick Out Your Hand and Say Hello]]"
  
File:Bert-moranis.jpg|"[[Stick Out Your Hand and Say Hello]]"
 
File:3715e.jpg|"[[Stinky's Love Song]]"
  
File:3715e.jpg|"[[Stinky's Love Song]]"
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File:3144p.jpg|"[[Take 6 (song)]]"
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File:3144p.jpg|"[[Take 6 (song)|Take 6]]"
 
File:noimage-landscape.png|"[[Take a Bath with Bert]]"
  
File:noimage-landscape.png|"[[Take a Bath with Bert]]"
 
File:3370d.jpg|"[[Take a Bird to Work Day]]"
  
File:3370d.jpg|"[[Take a Bird to Work Day]]"
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File:TellyTheDad.jpg|"[[Telly the Dad]]"
  
File:TellyTheDad.jpg|"[[Telly the Dad]]"
 
File:10CommandmentsofHealth.jpg|"[[The Ten Commandments of Health]]"
  
File:10CommandmentsofHealth.jpg|"[[The Ten Commandments of Health]]"
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File:Canttakethat.jpg‎|"[[They Can't Take That Away from Me (Sesame Street)]]"
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File:Canttakethat.jpg‎|"[[They Can't Take That Away from Me (Sesame Street)|They Can't Take That Away from Me]]"
 
File:Song.NotAlive.jpg|"[[They're Not Alive]]"
  
File:Song.NotAlive.jpg|"[[They're Not Alive]]"
 
File:3187za.jpg|"[[Things Are Always Changin']]"
  
File:3187za.jpg|"[[Things Are Always Changin']]"
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File:3259f.jpg|"[[Yell]]"
  
File:3259f.jpg|"[[Yell]]"
 
File:3816s.jpg|"[[You Don't Have to Be a Grizzly]]"
  
File:3816s.jpg|"[[You Don't Have to Be a Grizzly]]"
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File:AYGYGYNoseMonster.jpg|"[[You Got a Nose]]"
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File:1815h.jpg|"[[You Got a Nose]]"
 
File:BePatient.jpg|"[[You Gotta Be Patient (To Be a Patient)]]"
  
File:BePatient.jpg|"[[You Gotta Be Patient (To Be a Patient)]]"
 
File:CountElvis.jpg|"[[You Gotta Count My Blue Suede Shoes]]"
  
File:CountElvis.jpg|"[[You Gotta Count My Blue Suede Shoes]]"
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File:2356-4.jpg|"[[ZZ Blues]]"
  
File:2356-4.jpg|"[[ZZ Blues]]"
 
</gallery>
  
</gallery>
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==Writing credits==
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*''[[Count It Higher: Great Music Videos from Sesame Street]]''
  +
*''[[Monster Hits!]]''
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*''[[Sing Yourself Silly!]]''
  +
*''[[Rock & Roll!]]''
   
 
==Sources==
  
==Sources==
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[[Category:Composers]]
  
[[Category:Composers]]
 
[[Category:Lyricists]]
  
[[Category:Lyricists]]
  +
[[Category:Writers]]
 
[[Category:Muppet Voice Actors]]
  
[[Category:Muppet Voice Actors]]
 
[[Category:Sesame Workshop Staff]]
  
[[Category:Sesame Workshop Staff]]

Revision as of 03:41, 8 August 2020

Christophercerf

Cerf with the Sesame Street Song Book.

Chriscerfanimalrats

Christopher B. Cerf (born August 19, 1941) originally joined the Children's Television Workshop as the head of Sesame Street’s "non-broadcast" products division, which spun off books, records, and toys. However, Cerf's true forte was composing songs for the show, including parodies of contemporary pop hits.[1]

Among his best known works are "Put Down the Duckie" and "Monster in the Mirror," two collaborations with former Sesame Street head writer Norman Stiles. Both songs have been filmed in versions that feature large numbers of celebrities.

Cerf also contributed vocals for many of his songs. Muppet characters that Cerf has provided voices for include Little Chrissy (who was based on Cerf), Chrissy (of Little Jerry and the Monotones), Bruce Stringbean, Mick Swagger, How Now Brown, the Lead Frazzletone, and the Captain from "Imagine That!". Cerf also sang on the Cecille theme song.

Cerf also composed songs for the short-lived series, Little Muppet Monsters.

He appears in the television documentary Sing! Sesame Street Remembers Joe Raposo and His Music in tribute to his friend and collaborator.

His father, Bennett Cerf, was the co-founder of Random House books and a panelist of What's My Line? and his mother, Phyllis Fraser, co-founded Random House's Beginner Books with Dr. Seuss. His brother, Jonathan Cerf, wrote Big Bird's Red Book.

Sesame Place's The Game Centre was "the creative brain-child of Cerf".[2]

Cerf is also the co-creator and an Executive Producer of Between the Lions. He was a close personal friend of the late Douglas Adams, acclaimed author of the The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy trilogy. He wrote the introduction for the US edition of The Salmon of Doubt, a posthumous release of some of Adams' last works.

Composer credits

According to his bio in Encyclopedia Paranoiaca (2012, with Henry Beard), Cerf has written over 300 Sesame Street songs.

Writing credits

Sources

Cerf-ernie-henson

Cerf with Ernie and Jim Henson.

  1. ↑ Lambert, Craig. "Channel Cerfing." Harvard Magazine, July 2011.
  2. ↑ "Correction: Ahl's only part of Sesame Place", InfoWorld, October 31, 1979.

External links

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