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Band

How Now Brown and the Moo Wave is a Muppet new-wave rock band seen on Sesame Street in Season 16 in 1985, introduced to spoof MTV music videos with then-current new-wave rock bands.[1] The band's lead singer was How Now Brown (voiced by Christopher Cerf, who also wrote the group's music), whose backup singers were two Muppet cows (voiced by Ivy Austin and Tish Sommers Rabe).

The other band members consisted of three Anything Muppets: a Pumpkin keyboardist (who wears a headband with built-in cow horns), a Green drummer, and a Lavender guitarist (both wear matching gold necklaces).

The band performed two songs: "Danger's No Stranger" and "Wet Paint." As both songs were designed to parody then-current MTV new-wave rock music videos with unique visual effects, the TV versions have music video-style captions that refer to Splotchkat Records, an in-joke reference to composer Chris Cerf’s publishing company.

In an introduction seen in three airings of "Wet Paint” (episodes 2033, 2199 and 2326), spoofing MTV's VJ intros, a Hot Pink Anything Muppet VJ of SMV (Sesame Music Video) explains the group's backstory; the group formed in Mississippi, and when trying to make it big in New York City, they sold an occasional quart of milk to help make ends meet.

Notes[]

  • The Moo Wave cows also did backup vocals for Kermit the Frog in "Do-Op Hop," another song from Season 16 composed by Christopher Cerf.
  • The black and white cow was puppeteered by Pam Arciero.[2]
  • In the MTV parody intro of "Wet Paint," the Hot Pink VJ mentions one of their albums (said to be new and unreleased): "Wet Paint and other Sight Words." Another album, "Signs of the Times," is mentioned on the Count it Higher video.

Sources[]

  1. The Times-News: 'Sesame Street' turns sweet 16
  2. Facebook communication between P. Arciero and G. Kieran. March 7, 2011
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