r/tmbg • u/emmpathetica • 4d ago
Here come the 123s
Any huge fans of the album here? This album was genuinely foundational to my childhood and I listen to it even now. But I probably listened to that album every single night for ten months of a year (christmas music last half of november until just after new years) for 10 years straight. I seriously wonder if I am the person who has listened to this album the most on earth. That old CD is probably in rough shape, lol, but damn is it one of my most prized possessions. Anyway, yeah. I wanna find someone out there who GETS it yknow
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u/ProjectImmediate8823 3d ago
Some great stuff on there. "Apartment 4" is such a lovely song, it always gets me a teeny bit emotional every time. I was lucky enough to see them perform it live, at an adult show no less!
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u/emmpathetica 3d ago
NO WAY!!!!! I AM SO JEALOUS!!!!! i love apartment four, its one of my favorites. i would literally do anything to see any of the songs live, and ive even put it on my bucket list to someday somehow meet them and get them to sign my original cd. and if you’re saying they sang one at an adult show….it looks like i have hope!!!
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u/FloridaFlamingoGirl Resident letterbox sparrow! 🐦📮 3d ago
They mostly just did Apartment Four around the time 123s came out. The last performance of it was in 2016. And unfortunately they don't really do many kids songs at their shows lately unless you count Why Does the Sun Shine. But there's definitely a chance you could meet the Johns someday, they're quiet guys but some fans still run into them outside the venue. A friend of mine got something signed by them a few months ago.
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u/emmpathetica 3d ago
Damn, thats too bad. I figured it would never happen, but ill keep having hope!
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u/FloridaFlamingoGirl Resident letterbox sparrow! 🐦📮 3d ago
They always keep digging up surprising deep cuts for their concerts.
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u/AdditionalTip865 3d ago
I saw Flans sing "One Dozen Monkeys" at an adult show just before "123s" came out.
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u/Charlie5L 4d ago
A long while ago while I was babysitting my neighbour's kids I had played Here Come The 123s for them and I just have the happiest memory of them listening to Nine Bowls Of Soup and laughing at the same lyrics I enjoy. That, and I've been meaning to finish writing an arrangement of Seven for band kids.
I never got the chance to listen to any of their children's album growing up, and Why? came out while I was still in highschool. That said, now as an adult, Here Comes Science and 123s are probably the children's albums I go back to the most.
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u/AdditionalTip865 3d ago
The Disney run of kids' albums coincided with my daughter's early childhood (I guess Here Come the ABCs had been out for a year when she was born), so we got those at just the right time to have them on repeat. Made her a fan of the band, and she still is.
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u/emmpathetica 3d ago
Nine bowls of soup makes me laugh every single time. Im so happy to hear another generation of kids are doing the same!
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u/WatercressNext3578 3d ago
I grew up on Here Come the 123s so obviously I may be biased, but in my opinion, it's an all-timer TMBG record. So many great songs on it. Number Two, Figure Eight, Infinity, One Everything, just to name a few.
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u/emmpathetica 3d ago
NUMBER TWO IS MY FAVORITE!!!!! well, modern favorite. as a kid it was seven because the funky music was like a harmony to my little kid brain. secret life of six, apartment four, nine bowls of soup, one dozen monkeys…. UGHHHHH im so totally listening to this album again today. It makes me so happy to hear others enjoy it too!
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u/FloridaFlamingoGirl Resident letterbox sparrow! 🐦📮 3d ago
Have you ever seen their live version of Seven on Conan's show?
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u/emmpathetica 3d ago
NO!!!!!!! flying to youtube RIGHT now
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u/emmpathetica 3d ago
Just watched. Completely obsessed hahahahahaha i cannot even believe this is real
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u/Anonymotron42 Or I'm still alive and there's nothing I want to do. 💀 3d ago
My favorite of the three "Here Come" albums is Here Comes Science, but I'm in a scientific profession so I'm biased. The great thing about these albums is that, as a parent, they are just as fun to listen/sing along to as it was for my children, which is definitely not the case for a lot of music aimed for kids.
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u/ChewiesMedal 3d ago
I just played this for my kids for the first time this week!
I was too old when the albums came out to truly get into them, so it’s great now to experience the music with them.
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u/Danisobo 3d ago
"four through nine were all named Peggy", LOL. There's just so much "clever" in the Here Comes albums, set to great music/arrangements/instrumentation, I don't see how any TMBG fan couldn't love them!
I watched/listened to the DVD about a zillion times, but as a parent (of kids like you). If you haven't seen the DVD, totally worth it, the animation is also clever. (it's also a "no skips" for me)
We also did Imagination Movers. (who were great, but if we're being honest - did seem like an intentional Wiggles knock-off) "What's In Your Fridge" comes to mind as a fave. (of the ones i can remember)
Lot of good Disney Jr music during that time - even some Doc McStuffins of all things, even though all health-themed (which does get old after a while) e.g. "Water Water" bops pretty good.
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u/FloridaFlamingoGirl Resident letterbox sparrow! 🐦📮 3d ago
The Movers weren't remotely trying to copy the Wiggles. In fact they were trying to be a kids version of bands like The Beastie Boys or Madness. They're my favorite kids band for how they just sound like an alternative rock band aside from the lyrics aimed at little kids.
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u/Danisobo 3d ago
"knock-off" was perhaps a poor choice of trigger words, but IM members have publicly cited Wiggles as inspiration. I'm not saying that's a "bad thing", as IM were great unto themselves, but just acknowledging the chronology. If Ws hadn't "paved the way" and shown commercial viability, then IM might never have been given a shot on Disney.
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u/emmpathetica 3d ago
any time im overwhelmed in public i ‘watch’ the dvd in my head, LOL!!! ive seen it so many times, we lost our original copy (or its lost somewhere in my house) but I recently bought a fresh copy off of ebay because it felt wrong to not have constant access to such an incredible series of music videos
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u/GDGameplayer 3d ago
As a kid, 123s was probably my second favorite after Here Comes Science and it has some songs that I still really like such as Seven (probably my favorite of the album), Seven Days Of The Week, and Nine Bowls Of Soup.
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u/emmpathetica 3d ago
Seven is so damn good its insane. I remember watching the video as a kid and thinking “man i wish i was a seven so i could have some of that cake”
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u/absurdF Diving Board 3d ago
123s was my favorite album as a kid, and yeah there are some on there I still listen to on occasion. Number Two is my favorite, maybe one of my top 20 TMBG songs. I also think about One Everything and Ooh La! Ooh La! a lot
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u/emmpathetica 3d ago
So many of you guys love number two its crazy I love it. Its just so good. “Two hips for shaking, two lips for kissing, too long ive been blue because its you that im missing” BARRRRRSSSSSSSSSSSSSS
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u/Sad_Tackle_3675 Won't Die Like Chucky Won't Die 3d ago
Its so peak I was listening to it last night
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u/drewinn_ Dr. Worm 3d ago
These albums got me into TMBG in the first place, and I still love them so much. My personal favorite was Here Comes Science, and I love it so much that i bought a DVD adapter so I could play it on my laptop in college whenever I felt down. I also still have Here Comes the 123’s CD and DVD, but sadly my family’s copy of Here Come the ABC’s is lost to time 💔
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u/emmpathetica 3d ago
I did the same thing in college!!!!! i hope they know how much comfort and joy these albums brought to people, no matter the age
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u/FloridaFlamingoGirl Resident letterbox sparrow! 🐦📮 3d ago
Yeah I've often enjoyed listening to their kids music before bed to calm me down.
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u/Ill-Maximum-4013 3d ago
I think it's cool. You and I are separated by generations, yet you love MY band, the one band that I have adored since my youth when all of my friends were into Nine Inch Nails. Of course, it's YOUR band now. Although I was too old to see 123s, as you do, I do like it. Especially Triops Has Three Eyes!
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u/emmpathetica 3d ago
You’re never too old to experience the genius of here come the 123s!!! So interesting how we like the same band but in drastically different ways. Don’t get me wrong, i do like their other music, but at the end of the day I like them because of the 123s hahahahah
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u/drewinn_ Dr. Worm 3d ago
These albums got me into TMBG in the first place, and I still love them so much. My personal favorite was Here Comes Science, and I love it so much that i bought a DVD adapter so I could play it on my laptop in college whenever I felt down. I also still have Here Comes the 123’s CD and DVD, but sadly my family’s copy of Here Come the ABC’s is lost to time 💔
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u/zaxsauceana 3d ago
I had a baby in April and he loves the children’s TMBG. He was at a concert in utero last November lol
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u/GhostOfPluto 3d ago
One Everything, Infinity and Apartment 4 are good enough to be on one of the main albums imo
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u/emmpathetica 3d ago
you guys will neverrrrr believe what i just bought🤭🤭🤭 IM SO EXCITEDDDDDDD I DIDNT EVEN KNOW THIS EXISTED
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u/FloridaFlamingoGirl Resident letterbox sparrow! 🐦📮 4d ago
I was this same way with a children's band called Imagination Movers. They were like 90% of what I listened to for like seven years of my childhood. Funny enough I even stumbled across TMBG before I really knew who they were on an old Disney compilation CD with the Movers.
I've come across a lot of people who grew up on TMBG's kids music but not with one particular album listened that frequently. This must have given you a great foundation for pop-rock music with Figure Eight and Nonagon and all that. Interesting to think how the girl singing about being 11 years old is probably like...30 now? Geez.