Here Come the ABCs

Here Come the ABCs is the second children's album and eleventh studio album by alternative rock band They Might Be Giants, aimed at young children learning the alphabet. The CD and DVD were originally released separately, but since have been released together as a combo. There are 25 songs in the CD and 39 in the DVD.

Here Come the ABCs
Studio album by
They Might Be Giants
ReleasedFebruary 15, 2005
Recorded2004–2005
StudioKampo Studios,

Skyline Studios, Hello Studio,

Collier Bros. Studio
GenreChildren's music
Length57:57
LabelDisney Sound/Idlewild
ProducerThey Might Be Giants and Pat Dillett
They Might Be Giants chronology
Venue Songs
(2004)		 Here Come the ABCs
(2005)		 A User's Guide to They Might Be Giants
(2005)
Professional ratings
Review scores
SourceRating
Allmusic link
Common Sense Media link
Robert Christgau link

While it was produced and released by Walt Disney Records under their Disney Sound label, the band was reportedly given complete creative control over the project, which at the time was very unusual for Walt Disney Records, which had until then followed a strict artist control policy. As a result, the DVD features a variety of puppetry, animation and live action supplied by personal friends of the group, including AJ Schnack, who directed the TMBG documentary Gigantic (A Tale of Two Johns). For guest vocals on a few tracks, they turned to their family: John Flansburgh's wife Robin Goldwasser, and John Linnell's son, Henry. The music videos that appear on the DVD were also aired (in part or whole) on the Disney Channel's children's programming block, Playhouse Disney.

Here Come the ABCs was a great success for They Might Be Giants, the video being certified Gold (sales over 50,000) in 2005. The album reached #1 on Billboard’s Children’s Music charts, won Parenting Magazine’s Children’s DVD of the Year Award and two National Parenting Publications Awards (NAAPA).[1] In addition, Amazon.com called it "the best Children's Music album of 2005" and the 13th best overall album of 2005. Two follow-ups were released, Here Come the 123s in 2008 and Here Comes Science in 2009.

Although the audio-only release is considered to be They Might Be Giants' 11th studio album, some of the songs make little sense without their visual accompaniment.

Track listing

CD

All songs by They Might Be Giants unless otherwise noted.

  1. "Here Come the ABCs" – 0:11
  2. "Alphabet of Nations" – 1:26
  3. "E Eats Everything" – 2:43
  4. "Flying V" – 1:34
  5. "Q U" – 1:09
  6. "Go for G!" – 1:14
  7. "Pictures of Pandas Painting" – 2:07
  8. "D & W" – 1:37
  9. "Fake-Believe" – 1:51
  10. "Can You Find It?" – 2:55
  11. "The Vowel Family" – 1:59
  12. "Letter/Not a Letter" – 1:08
  13. "Alphabet Lost and Found (Marty Beller) – 2:49
  14. "I C U" – 1:49
  15. "Letter Shapes" – 1:22
  16. "Who Put the Alphabet in Alphabetical Order?" – 1:46
  17. "Rolling O" – 1:26
  18. "L M N O" – 1:43
  19. "C Is for Conifers" – 2:37
  20. "Fake-Believe (Type B)" – 1:56
  21. "D Is for Drums" – 2:21
  22. "Z Y X" – 1:21
  23. "Goodnight My Friends" – 0:25
  24. "Clap Your Hands" – 1:21
    • A bonus track
  25. "Here in Higglytown (Theme to Playhouse Disney's Higglytown Heroes)" (Dan Miller, They Might Be Giants) – 0:58
    • A bonus track

DVD
  1. "Here Come The ABCs" 0:25
  2. "Alphabet Of Nations" 1:26
  3. "E Eats Everything" 2:43
  4. "Flying V" 1:34
  5. "I Am A Robot" 1:29
  6. "Q U" 1:09
  7. "Go For G!" 1:14
  8. "Pictures Of Pandas Painting" 2:07
  9. "D & W" 1:37
  10. "Fake-Believe" 1:51
  11. "Can You Find It?" 2:55
  12. Introducing The Vowel Family 0:11
  13. "The Vowel Family" 1:59
  14. "A To Z" 0:24
  15. "Letter / Not a Letter" 1:08
  16. "Letter Shapes" 1:22
  17. "Alphabet Lost And Found" 2:49
  18. "I C U" 1:49
  19. "I Am A Robot (Type B)" 0:56
  20. John And John Introduce... 0:10
  21. "Who Put The Alphabet In Alphabetical Order?" 1:46
  22. "Rolling O" 1:26
  23. "L M N O" 1:43
  24. Introducing C Is for Conifers 0:12
  25. "C Is For Conifers" 2:37
  26. "Fake-Believe (Type B)" 1:56
  27. "A To Z (Type B)" 0:29
  28. "D Is For Drums" 2:21
  29. "Introducing ZYX" 0:09
  30. "Z Y X" 1:21
  31. "Goodnight My Friends" 0:25
  32. "Here Come The ABCs' 0:11
  33. Introducing The Bonus Tracks 0:14
  34. "Clap Your Hands" 1:21
  35. "Violin" 3:33
  36. "Stalk of Wheat" 1:19
  37. "Robot Parade" 1:22
  38. "Sleepwalkers" 2:40
  39. "Here in Higglytown (Theme to Playhouse Disney's Higglytown Heroes)" 0:58

Exclusive bonus tracks

Special editions with exclusive bonus tracks were produced for various outlets. Bonus tracks include:

  • "Hovering Sombrero '05" on the Amazon.com CD
  • "I Never Go To Work" on the Best Buy CD
  • "Violin" and "Stalk of Wheat" on the Amazon.com DVD
  • A CD/DVD combo has since been sold by Amazon.com which features all of the bonus tracks above, as well as "Robot Parade" and "Sleepwalkers" bonus videos on the DVD.
  • An iTunes single was released for "T-shirt" as a companion to Here Come the ABCs

Personnel

They Might Be Giants

Additonal musicians

  • Dan Miller – guitar, piano
  • Danny Weinkauf – bass guitar
  • Marty Beller – drums, lead vocals on "Alphabet Lost and Found"
  • Dan Levine – trombone on "D & W", "Letter/Not A Letter", "Rolling O" and "A to Z (Type B)", tuba on "Flying V", "Go for G" and "Fake Believe (Part 1)"
  • Mark Pender – trumpet on "D & W", "Letter/Not A Letter", "Rolling O" and "A to Z (Type B)"
  • Dan Hickey – drums on "Clap Your Hands"
  • Pat DIlliett – piano on "Goodnight My Friends"
  • Robin Goldwasser – lead vocals on "Who Put the Alphabet in Alphabetical Order?"
  • Henry Linnell – lead vocals on "Letter/Not A Letter"
  • Desi Tomaselli – lead vocals on "Letter/Not A Letter

Production

  • Pat Dillet, They Might Be Giants - producers

Production Crew
  • Executive Producer: David Agnew
  • Audio Engineer/Mixer: Pat Dillett
  • Audio Mastering: UE Nastosi at Sterling Sound Studios NYC
  • Recorded at: Kampo Studios and Skyline Studios, Manhattan, New York
  • Additional Recording at: Collier Brothers Studios and Hello Studios, Brooklyn, New York
  • Band Manager: Jamie Lincoin Kitman at Homblow Studios USA

Video Production Crew
  • Music Performed by They Might Be Giants
  • DVD Produced by Bonfire Films of America
  • Directed by AJ Schnack
  • Starring Chris Anderson, John Flansburgh, John Linnell, AD Miles
  • Animated by Courtney Booker, Euan Mitchell, Greg Rozum and Divya Srinivasan
  • Animation Produced at Asterisk, The Chopping Block Studios Inc. and Colourmovie

"Can You Find It?" was featured on the soundtrack to the movie Wordplay.

"Robot Parade" was featured during the credits to an episode of the animated television series The Simpsons.

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References
  1. tmbg.com fact sheet Archived 2007-01-15 at the Wayback Machine.
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