Growing up as a kid during the 1970’s and 1980’s, children’s educational programming and accompanying soundtracks always seemed to have background and theme music that was jazzy and funky which perfectly fit the time period and sound of the era. Not only here in the states but in Japan as well, some of the best musicians and composers scored the soundtrack of our childhood and having your own portable turntable and record collection felt special. Dropping the needle down on your favorite favorite record to listen to on your portable Big Bird turntable or Show N Tell meant that you’ve made it to big kid status. Everything from Multiplication Rock to the highly collectible album The Stark Reality Discovers Hoagy Carmichael’s Music Shop, a heavily improvised reinvention of a 1958 children’s album by songwriter Hoagy Carmichael to be used for the show Hoagy Carmichael’s Music Shop which aired on PBS featured funky bits that could be played out and enjoyed by not only children but adults alike. From Sesame Street to Electric Company and children’s shows in between the musical backgrounds were just as important and the education and lessons taught on screen.
As the 1980’s wound down, so did the sound of funk and jazz in television series as did the pressing of the music to vinyl leading to many of the previously released LP’s to be sought after especially within the Hip Hop community as DJ’s and producers alike found creative ways to utilize them either by sampling or playing doubles of open drum breaks. Back in 2020 I tapped into nostalgia and wrote a magazine article in Disco Patrick’s Hot Stuff where I explored the world of digging for childrens records which really hit the spot with alot of collectors. It’s been the better part of 30 years since we’ve seen or heard a release of that nature that is until now and out of all places, right here in Philadelphia and from one of my favorite labels, Eraserhood Sound.
Enjoy the music from the Emmy-winning PBS Kids show Carl The Collector now! Sound Spectrum: A Collection of Themes From Carl The Collector features the singular scoring work of Philadelphia’s Eraserhood Sound. Across 34 tracks, including the show’s indelible theme song, listeners will get a taste of funk, soul, rare groove, jazz, samba, r&b, new wave, and more, all delivered with Eraserhood Sound’s signature Synth & Soul stylings.
The groundbreaking series, which follows Carl, an autistic raccoon, and his group of friends, is one of the first major shows to feature characters on the autism spectrum. Series creator Zachariah OHora knew he needed a one-of-a-kind musical score to fully realize the show’s potential. He approached Eraserhood Sound based on their Italian library music album Ribelle Di Mare, and requested a similar Synth & Soul approach. Says OHora, “I didn’t want typical kids’ music. I wanted nuanced, emotionally rich music made by and for record lovers.”