Herbie Demonstrates the Fairlight CMI Synthesizer on Sesame Street, 1983

[@deweybeattie4829]

Love watching my dad as a child on Sesame Street (black boy with fro) he’s 43 years old in 2 weeks ♥️

[@jasminecaldwell6118]

Awww, I’ll be 43 in June. I remember watching. Crazy how swift time moves but the things you can remember from that age.

[@byronbenguche]

Wait that's your dad as a kid on Sesame Street that's so awesome 😎😎😎

[@lukeveillon3490]

Not many can say they visited Herbie Hancock on Sesame Street ! 😮

[@sadomaz0]

Wish him a happy 44th from us.

[@philb4462]

That is so wonderful! Has he talked to you about this? What does he remember about it?

[@garykuovideos]

This video inspired me to become a composer for TV. Years later, I saw Mr. Hancock on a flight to LA and asked the flight attendant to share a handwritten note of appreciation and admiration. He was so touched that he left his seat to find me and say hello! Keep on rockin’ Herbie, and thank you for everything!

[@JasonBoon02]

Great story! ✌🏼

[@SewerTapes]

Awesome story. Herbie seems like a genuinely cool dude.

[@awfully.average]

How old were u when you saw this video ? Tv composer sounds oddly specific for a child ambition ☺️

[@SewerTapes]

@@awfully.average I got the impression he was attributing where he ended up to the inspiration from this Sesame Street episode. Not that it necessarily instilled a drive to become a TV composer, but rather drove him to make music in general.

[@zachhaywood1564]

Awesome story! Thanks so much for sharing!

[@erik_gerhard]

“What do you need a monitor for in music? What are you looking at?” Most unintentionally insightful take on music production ever.

[@mastercadillactus]

What I love about these old shows is that they took their time to experience things. Allowed for some natural reactions/interactions. Pretty funky and fun stuff for these kids. God bless Herbie and his mastery

[@stephaniecarrow4898]

Yes ~ the old Sesame Street was much better than more recent years.

[@SomebodyPickaName]

For sure - what you said reminded me of the Dick Cavett show and how he and his guests would have natural conversations and interactions. It's too bad it isn't like that anymore.

[@mastercadillactus]

@@SomebodyPickaName Dick Cavity was great. Tom Snyder was like that, too.

[@Breakbeats92.5]

I bet Herbie stayed up for 3 days straight when he got his Fairlight.

[@djinsomnia666]

that was just to load his first sample :p

[@lundsweden]

Sampling was very exciting back in the 80s!

[@AshleyPomeroy]

I learn from the internet that the sequencer had a 65-page instruction manual, and because it was a computer system there were at least nineteen revisions of the software, so I imagine he must have spent ages getting up to speed. He has a degree in electrical engineering though.

[@DicoT951]

For sure 🤩

[@dopedrums]

@@AshleyPomeroy I understand it sounds like a lot but it's really not. My synthesizer manual is thicker than the Bible. 300+ pages.

[@masterofdoinit6697]

It was interesting to see a younger Ashley Banks getting her voice sampled by Herbie Hancock in the 80's. This is a treasure!

[@pharoahanderson6675]

And Tatiana Ali from Fresh Prince..

[@evilmario6061]

@@pharoahanderson6675 same person, fool

[@TundieRice]

@@pharoahanderson6675 That’s who they were talking about, Tatiana Ali played Ashley Banks on Fresh Prince of Bel Air.

[@_jacksheldon]

@@TundieRice He was making a joke.

[@sharktamer]

oh I thought she looked a lot like her!

[@lo-firobotboy7112]

I was 11 years old when this episode first aired. It laid the seeds of much of my life thus far... an amateur collector and player of synthesizers and a professional toy designer working with Sesame Street. Thanks Herbie and co.!! I miss the early days, back when Sesame Street was awesome and adults respected children.

[@JosephDillman]

This was one of my favorite bits that's stuck with me my whole life. I even remember seeing it years later, being shocked to realize our Tatyana became Ashley on Fresh Prince of Bel-Air.

[@jazznotes3802]

Because stars are grown in Hollywood. The world elite’s won’t just let anyone become a “star.”

[@ChadDoebelin]

i reckoned that little girl looked familiar before she even said her name!

[@arrjee9474]

@@jazznotes3802 She was never a star. People in that field who start at a very young age tend to continue in that direction. Therefore they land more jobs in the acting field as they get older. Some become popular enough that you recognize them throughout their career. This idea that there is an elite secret group that only allows certain people in is like an old wives tale. You see people progress, in any field by the way, because they work at it long and hard.

[@jazznotes3802]

@@arrjee9474 Would be great if what you say was true, but unfortunately it isn’t. Just because you lack the knowledge, don’t let it blind you. Do the research!

[@calumbliss8556]

@@arrjee9474 Of course with exceptional talent an actor can make it big, but elites are certainly brushing shoulders with each other. Makes it a lot easier to do anything when you have those connections.

[@pfdtx4633]

What a treat it must have been. I love how he was so quick to ask Herbie to play in the lower keys. He was curious how a small girl's voice would sound in lower registers. That would have been my first thought at that age.

[@djcoolcliff]

My uncle Wah Wah Watson played rhythm guitarist on a lot of Herbie’s music!!!! RIP!!!!

[@Jamaicafunk]

Nice. I played with Wah Wah briefly auditioning for Maxwell’s first tour. Being a hard core Herbie fan I was star struck. ( I didn’t get the gig) But Wah Wah was very nice. He changed the direction of Herbie’s sound. Herbie never used guitar until Hang up you Hang ups.

[@uponthedownlow3555]

Wah Wah Watson is a LEGEND

[@kevinr.3542]

Your uncle played on all my favorite Herbie albums. His funky 70s stuff was the best. And when he added Wah Wah it was even better.

[@djcoolcliff]

@@kevinr.3542 Thanks Kevin and you are right!!!!

[@farty555]

We didn't know what we had with Sesame Street. What a great video, smiled all the way thru

[@tnawcwvictoria]

I ❤️ watching old clips of Sesame Street Rather watch old school clips of Sesame Street, The Electric Company, 3-2-1 Contact, Square One TV and Ghostwriter than watch the new stuff they have now

[@stephaniecarrow4898]

The natural interaction between Mr. Hancock and the children is delightful and touching. And this clip reminds me just how great the early Sesame Street was.

[@dustincassidy]

Truly a special moment. These are some of the first children on planet earth to be shown the joy and fun of a digital sampler and manipulating sound in this way.

[@MaggillaKutz71]

Herbie Hancock was always in the forefront when it came to technology changing our music forever

[@valuedhumanoid6574]

It's funny how people only associate Herbie with this kind of electronic synth music when he is in fact one of the giants of jazz. He has many jazz standards in his catalog and was with the legendary Miles Davis among others. A truly gifted man.

[@stonetank7455]

Fat Albert Rotunda is one of my fav jazz albums of all time.

[@ahoimeboy6063]

name a single person who knows herbie as an electronic musician rather than a jazz musician

[@jwaj]

@@ahoimeboy6063 joe

[@stonetank7455]

@@ahoimeboy6063 Hate to burst your bubble, but I'd be willing to bet that if you polled people about who Herbie Hancock is, most people wouldn't have a clue unless they saw the Rockit video in the 80s. It's sad, but that's reality.

[@flashylite]

You could say a similar (but opposite) thing about Miles. He's obviously associated with cool jazz and hard bop, but he was also doing wild things with fusion and a more electronic sound later in his career.

[@booklover3959]

What true class Mr. Hancock displays with his kindness towards these children. I know this instrument from the music of Kate Bush and this was fascinating to watch too as demonstrated by this famous music composer.

[@chandeleerjet5637]

That’s where I first heard of the fair light too. It’s amazing that her song Running Up That Hill just became one of the biggest modern-day hits ever and was made and released decades ago on this synth. So cool that her music is getting recognized by the newer generation. That’s like the definition of timeless music

[@Phil_529]

@@chandeleerjet5637 Crockett's Theme by Jan Hammer is a classic Fairlight piece worth checking out.

[@Kohntarkosz]

Damn near every record made between circa1983 and 1988 or so had a Fairlight on it. The ubiquitous "orchestra hit" sample that you heard everywhere back then came from the Fairlight.

[@wado1942]

1983 "What do you need a monitor for in music?" 2022 "How could you make music without a monitor?"

[@bcj842]

So true. I wouldn't know where to begin trying to record onto tape with no DAW.

[@wado1942]

@@bcj842 You should try it sometime. It's quite liberating. I put the recorder in the insert loop of my console so I can start building the mix, while the band is recording, without affecting what's being recorded. If they goof up a section, just rewind a few seconds and punch in a correction.

[@smadaf]

I make music every day without a monitor. Thank goodness.

[@Merlincat007]

Limitations breed creativity! I haven't done much recording out of the box myself, but I do have a Tascam 4 track Cassette Portastudio that I use often for its cool distortion (feeding it boosted signals) and simple mixing. One of my favorite artists, Mid-Air Thief, uses tape (cassette?) re-recording per track from his DAW to get really nice slightly saturated slightly lofi textures

[@Kohntarkosz]

I read recently about a band who had to cancel a concert because their laptop died on them. Pathetic.

[@KRAFTWERK2K6]

EVERYONE here aged fantastically :) The Music, Herbie, Tatiana and also the Fairlight Computer Music Instrument. So happy you uploaded this to your own channel too, Mr. Hancock. It really belongs here!! :)

[@lupcokotevski2907]

The Fairlight was invented by two guys in their garage in the 1970's in Sydney Australia. It cost a fortune. Stevie Wonder was one of the first artist to use it. Its use in the 1980's was ubiquitous.

[@geofftefl]

In the Sydney northern beaches suburb of Fairlight, adjacent to the also legendary suburb of Manly.

[@lupcokotevski2907]

@@geofftefl I bought a vintage Manly Wormald footy jumper last Friday at an antique centre.

[@carsonky]

Yep. Stevie and Theo Huxtable... "Jammin' on the One"

[@FozziesRandomReviews]

Peter Gabriel and Kate Bush were prolific users of the Fairlight in the UK too

[@J.S.3259]

@@FozziesRandomReviews yep. I can’t think of 2 albums that employ it better than Gabriel’s Security/IV or Bush’s The Dreaming. There is a short BBC documentary here on KZbin that shows footage of Gabriel in his home studio using it

[@MikeSmith-tx2lp]

Back in the eighties in Cheltenham, England, I had a couple of acquaintances, Julian Ilett (has his own KZbin channel - still crazy smart with electronics) and Brett Gossage (he had somehow acquired a Yamaha DX1 - rare then!). Anyway, the pair of them spent a few weeks in a dingy top flat on the London Road developing their own four note polyphonic Fairlight using a Sinclair ZX Spectrum and a memory / A/D/A board of their own design. I think it cost less than £100 and worked brilliantly. I still have a recording of their cover of ‘Drive’ by the Cars which made great use of their ‘Fairlight’ for the backing vocals. Very happy days and great respect for those two crazy guys.

[@insolitusau]

Man I love these kind of stories :) thanks for retelling!

[@JMC4101994]

2:10 That little boy just foresighted Vaporwave lol

[@ogulkoker]

rofl

[@jwstout007]

I remembered the little girl’s name Tatiana Ali & spoke it before she did. What an amazing thing music does with the memory.

[@bobbo11357]

Tatiana Ali from Fresh Prince of Bel Air?

[@jwstout007]

@@bobbo11357 the same!

[@DiegoMartinezCoria]

This is how you deal with kids, always enthusiastic and happy.

[@Ahzpayne]

how has no one mentioned that Tatyana Ali was Ashley Banks on Fresh Prince of Bel-Air??

[@tooltechrecords]

on german wikipedia its listed that she "performed" with herbie on sesame street

[@hervegilles7941]

Au moins, ce sample ne l'a pas traumatisée.

[@drumatic]

Nor that Jim Carrey was the Cpu / synthesizer operator.

[@the9-2-5outlawdoestech9]

I knew when those kids came into the room, one of them had to become famous.

[@starboy80s]

@@drumatic haha

[@papankunci]

i know all those kids just dying to push all those keys... but they are still well behaved.. =)

[@svenjansen2134]

80s kids

[@dilliot2k]

I'm 38 years and I still get nervous and excited about this the same way I did when I was a child.

[@poproxycodone6409]

'what do you need a monitor for in music' oh simpler times

[@thesonuvman7612]

😂

[@Art-zs6sl]

Nothing simple about learning an instrument. These days, people just use the monitor.

[@St0ckwell]

@@Art-zs6sl Electronic music production is extremely complicated and takes years of hard work before you can make anything good. But it's easier now than it was when EDM started blowing up in the late oughts/early 2010s, because back then, we didn't have nearly as many resources, but people were complaining that "that's not real music, you just press play on a computer". In reality, there's composition, which involves knowing all about music theory from voice leading to arrangement; there's mixing and mastering which takes years of practice to do well; there's TASTE which can only be developed individually through years of exposure to different kinds of music; and then there's the "it" factor of having all the technical skills and taste, and also being able to be true and original AND marketable. Electronic music production is not as complex as composing classical for an orchestra, but it's a lot closer to that than just playing an instrument is.

[@7cleverboys]

@@St0ckwell lbozo click button instant music

[@St0ckwell]

@@7cleverboys Yes, music exists at the click of a button. You can click play and hear Coltrane or Bach or Van Halen or Stormzy or Hawaiian folk music or hillbilly covers of famous songs. Why is that supposed to be a bad thing? Or are you insinuating that electronic music is made with a single click? If you're really brain damaged enough to believe that, then why not put your money where your mouth is? Post your crypto address. I am giving you one week from the time that I'm writing this to create one electronic music song. If you can make a good product with no knowledge of it because it's that "easy", then I will send you 1000 USD, no further questions asked. It's so easy, you can do it in a few clicks! So you really have nothing to lose. Go ahead and nut up or shut up there big guy.

[@jordycomic144]

2:39 Tatyana.exe has stopped responding

[@ConceptJunkie]

Classic Sesame Street segments were done in a way that adults could appreciate them as well. This is really cool.

[@Doty6String]

I like how the synth takes a player and an operator to use

[@BD-yl5mh]

Like a sniper and a spotter haha

[@viralbuthow000]

Trivia: Sonia Manzano who plays Maria is a longtime Herbie Hancock fan. In 1974 she convinced her then boyfriend director Michael Winner to let Herbie compose the soundtrack for his film DeathWish, starring Charles Bronson. Sonia had a bit part as a store clerk.

[@lancepage1914]

Thanks for that bit of trivia. I love Deathwish movie and the soundtrack. 👍

[@mrpositronia]

Watching 'Maria' now reminds me of how much I used to love watching her back then. I still feel the same way.

[@nupreznz]

That's the coolest trivia I've heard in a long time! I loved the original death wish never knew my fave pianist was part of it.

[@PHDWhom]

And to think that now I can open up my iPad Pro, load a sampler or synth, and be instantly productive musically is ALL DUE TO the Fairlight CMI, and others of similar origin.

[@RobertFairweatherMusic]

I remember this as being one of the best Sesame Streets ever. Never forgot this one.

[@djdigital3806]

I’m 56 years old and remember this. Today I own keyboards 🎹

[@oholm09]

Me too I dont give rid of my gear I work hard for it

[@rdm5190]

Amen,60,got my 1st synth at 16(still have it and 33 more) and still remeber watching this with my younger sister in 1983.... Herbi,edgar&rodgerinfunced me alot

[@matthewcasey7226]

Herbie is a national treasure.

[@Westindiantoffee]

Her Trinidadian accent was very strong in this video. 🇹🇹

[@johnnylongfeather3086]

Whose

[@bentojgaard5434]

Buying a workstation synth 40 years ago, a computer nerd were one of the accessories in the catalog 😀

[@novakingood3788]

When you've gigged with Miles Davies and Kermit, you know you've arrived. No one cooler than HH.

[@byronbenguche]

Awwww that's Ashley (Tatiana Ali) she was adorable 🥰🥰

[@raminhonary5499]

I saw this on TV when I was like 4 or 5 years old (I'm probably younger than these kids by like 5 years, all in our 40s now). I still remember this. I still remember the name "Tatyana Ali." This short film really stuck with me.

[@blakfloyd]

DUDE. Big same. I'm not sure if I saw this when it was new (I woulda been 2) or a little later but I know I was no older than 4 or 5 and I still remember my brother and I being captivated by how spacey it sounded hearing her name looped on the synth and we used to reference it for months afterward.

[@seyfodiaz5723]

Ten minutes before, I'd just watching videos about Peter Gabriel and Kate Bush (using the Fairlight), then I'm here. Herbie Hancock in 80s jogging outfit presenting the Fairlight (perfectly) to Tatyana M. Ali? I wouldn't believe it, if not everything would add up 🙊. Man, history can be so increadibly unbelievable, it's insane 😆.

[@melancholiaenshrinesalltriumph]

when i first used an emulated version of the CMI i didn't really believe that the monitor was a replica of the original. it seemed so futuristic but here it is. what an amazing instrument.

[@TheBeefeta]

I remember this. Ashley Banks at 6.

[@jollyrott3nn]

That computer had a frickin stylus!

[@retromasterhd1607]

My favourite Herbie Hancock song is I thought it was you because it came on in my Dad’s car and he also really loves that song, seeing Herbie appear on Sesame Street is absolutely amazing because he’s demonstrating how the instruments he uses for his songs work. Keep going Herbie Hancock your the best. 👍🏿👍🏿👍🏿😄😄😄😀😀😀.

[@kumada84]

When Fresh Prince of Bel-Air first came on I was like, "OMG, is that Tatyana Ali Tatyana Ali Ttatyaaannaaa Aaaliii??"

[@mingwingming1999]

All these years on we all still dream of owning a fairlight what a bit of kit..

[@ehvway]

A living legend that made a great contribution to the music industry! A while ago I saw a KZbin video about the best synthesizer music ever. Rock It was the #1 😎 God bless you and your family Sir

[@andrulemon]

I remember seeing this as a kid. Have always loved sampling and synths since then

[@_gili7626]

Tatyana’s soooo cute

[@skinlayers]

This clip was the first time I saw a synth as a child. It's one of my oldest memories.

[@birdthompson]

laughter of kids is so needed these days! (& good jams)

[@newforestpixie5297]

Thankyou Herbie for being out -there back in those days and extending the boundaries of pop & dance music with others like Peter Gabriel , Georgio Moroder ,Trevor Horn and slightly before then with your writing of “I Thought It Was You “- which they’d play on Radio Victory in Portsmouth England before BBC Radio 1 did - & was a really nice song as well as being tech clever 👍🏴❤️😁

[@derekdexheimer3070]

Amazing to hear the print-through at 6:04 and later from a 40 year old tape. And at about 8:00 you can hear that giant 8" floppy clacking away.

[@jlinky2746]

This video is beyond friggin delightful and awesome. I got to learn how to use the thing and I didn't even have to pluck down the 30k or so it took to own the system.

[@hypnagogicoid6341]

I love this! Made a huge impression on me as a kid and has stayed in my memory to this day!

[@philipchance5454]

Digital Sampling was so hip back then...

[@themr.wchannel7687]

It’s still is

[@MatthewHarrold]

Liked and sub'd ... how is this channel NOT a heavy hitter? Herbie Hancock is such an influence of mine, as is the Australian Fairlight CMI by Peter Vogel. He is also a legend of the emergent digital music industry. $0.02 with love to Sesame Street too.

[@EdgetonWolfeDrezwellington]

I'm 48. Remember this episode. Changed my creative ideas. Later developed into my own band, then my music at the age of 15. Built my 1st electric guitar in woodshop. The rest is history, man.

[@yaronbrecher7397]

Sweet kids beautiful to watch them happy

[@elcasho]

A machine 10 years ahead of anything else

[@MuzikJunky]

Just think that Tatyana Ali is now in her 40s! Peace.

[@Dingdong297]

And Sesame Street is now in its 50s!

[@jeusgarcia8597]

AND STILL LOOKS GORGEOUS 😍

[@jasminecaldwell6118]

I remember watching this in real time, lol. I can recall trying to get other people to remember with me that Tatyana Ali was on Sesame Street when Fresh Prince premiered but nobody did. I recall her speaking Spanish on here because I remember taking Spanish at my Montessori preschool and our teacher would show us Sesame Street clips to help us get the accent. Oh, the memories. 😁 Oh,and Herbie Hancock was everything. My friends dad had a synthesizer like this because he was a band teacher, so he had lots of instruments and we’d get in trouble playing his drums and saying our name in his keyboard…and of course, “Jammin on the one”, 🤣

[@Punketeria1369]

This was such an awesome show back in da day; so happy I grew up watching it ;-) chEErs, 93

[@wadahabbasher]

Love this video, this was ground breaking tech for them

[@Brandoncolemanofficial]

This is absolutely incredible ✨🤘🏾🙌🏾

[@BKaneNp8]

This is classic footage for so many reasons

[@Octovisuals]

Love synths! I'm a millennial who grew up playing videogames, so... Thank you.

[@toddtrillo7445]

While at my sisters recently her 13 year old daughter was showing us where she has got to with her bass playing skills , I said to hear do you know who that is , that you are playing , she did , I was really impressed that a young girl her age knew who he was and that her teacher introduced him to her

[@etpslick100]

Herbie & Jane Childs really utilized the Fairlight CMI. The Future Shock album was the bomb!😌🎹🎶❤️👍🏾

[@Sinjinator]

I thought the first Jane Child album was the bomb! 😁

[@etpslick100]

@@Sinjinator Oh yeah! It was! To me, Still is!😌🎹❤️🎶👍🏾

[@krazywabbit]

Love the approach. Instead of telling, let me show you. On a side note, thank you for Rockit. Change my life for the better.

[@heroinmom153]

This is incredible, I actually remember this from when I was a kid

[@richardbishop503]

Oh my gosh she is so so freaking adorable

[@damienlobb85]

The Fairlight really was quite something. There were others like the Emulator and the Synclavier but this really was the Apple of samplers. Not necessarily the best when the Synclavier was around, but it was easy to use and had the ability to do quite a bit, well.

[@Hectik17]

It was the first

[@highestsettings]

The Apple of samplers? So overpriced, lacking in features or third party support and manufactured with slave labour?

[@romulus_]

Emulator, Synclavier, and Fairlight. Sounds like the recipe for a timeless hit.

[@hermestrismegistus3417]

It’s price tag was quite something too

[@johnduff3914]

It's crazy he had an assistant to play that thing. I remember reading an article about the Fairlight back in the early '80's. I thought how long does it take to learn to use it?

[@ConstantXplorer]

Truly brings back plenty good memories.

[@MorrisChannel4]

Bro!!!! I remember this One! I think it was a rerun. Classic Herbie rocking the jogger sweats!

[@bjedo3]

Its so wholesome 🥹

[@idontwanttousemynameyoutub7538]

Thank you Herbie. I don't think you have any idea how many lives you've changed for the better - mine included.

[@kahlilsmith5243]

It was before I knew what sampler was, But I knew that I wanted one...

[@bernardw4842]

Wow listen to those 8" floppy drives grind

[@eldesgraciado6690]

This is art!

[@davidlivernoche3683]

I want a complete version of the song at the start of the video❤

[@simonr4773]

Herbie is such a legend. No snob, just pure music enthusiasm. And also a lot of stage energy for a man in his 80's 😉

[@jdolandev]

Love the tech support on staff in case a sample fills up all 4k of on board memory and crashes

[@alifmuhammadchicago]

This changed everything for me as a kid. Everything.

[@Dazlidorne]

This reminds me of a Casio keyboard that could play dog barks. Used to love to mess around with that.

[@tomvanbreukelen2909]

Wow that is so amazing

[@waverlyphillips2849]

This is awesome!

[@soso694]

This video is 40 years old. Wow.

[@_brocklee]

Amazing how close they got to a “Rhodes” tine sound on this in the early 80s

[@naota3k]

I love how you can just hear a hard disk platter seeking away in the background.

[@SenpaiSchuda]

This is so adorable!!!!!!!!!! And educational for the kids and me too......

[@FrankNFurter1000]

One of the most wholesome things out there.

[@martinferreyra755]

uffffff pedazo de historia, lo que el sintetizador marco la musica es increible

[@tigershav]

this is so sweet

[@yaronbrecher7397]

HAncock is a genius. Getting better evry minute

[@TheBillyarnezz]

Happy belated birthday, bro!

[@JukeboxBalowski]

People may not realize this but this was actually the future of music that he was showing off. While 1970's and very early 80's pop music was centered around rock guitars and live bands, synthesizers became a very big part of music in the 80's and 90's, especially in the cities and Metropolitan areas where freestyle music, hip-hop, and other types of music frequently used synthesizers and drum machines! Sometimes even in place of full bands with live musicians.

[@Number4lead]

Herbie Hancock's music is an important part of my childhood soundtrack.