The Fresh Beat Band: Music from the Hit TV Show

Children’s television network Nick Jr. aims for the young music lovin' crowd (and their grownups) with The Fresh Beat Band, a program about the everyday, lighthearted situations confronted by a band of four young adults, most often leading to a related song. The Fresh Beat Band: Music from the Hit TV Show is the first compilation of songs from the program, and includes fan favorites like “Here We Go,” “A Friend Like You,” “Just Like a Rock Star,” and the tune that closes each episode, “Great Day.”

Since the advent of Rock and Roll, there have been countless television shows wherein the basic premise of the program was written around the idea of a band or a singer performing songs on the show. The Adventures of Ozzie and Harriet began as a radio show, but when the program moved to TV in 1952 and son Ricky Nelson began singing songs like covers of Fats Domino’s “I’m Walkin’” and later Gene Pitney’s “Hello Mary Lou,” Jerry Fuller’s Travelin’ Man,” and Baker Knight’s “Lonesome Town,” the show’s popularity spilled over into the Billboard Music Charts.

The producers of The Monkees TV show purposely fashioned their program to closely resemble the cute, tumble-about image of The Beatles’ A Hard Day’s Night film, and as a promotional tool to sell millions of records by songwriting stars like Neil Diamond, Tommy Boyce and Bobby Hart, Gerry Goffin and Carole King, Barry Mann and Cynthia Weil, Harry Nilsson, Michael Martin Murphey, John Stewart, Carole Bayer Sager, and Neil Sedaka. The Monkees’ charm and the songwriters’ talents also translated into Billboard Top 40 success.

Other megapopular music-themed TV shows for kids that have visited the Top 40 over the years have included The Archie Show and The Banana Splits Adventure Hour. Other kids’ shows that were produced with a musical emphasis but weren’t aimed at the Billboard Charts include Sesame Street, Barney and Friends, Yo Gabba Gabba!, and Jack’s Big Music Show.

On Nick Jr.'s The Fresh Beat Band, Jon Beavers plays Twist the Disc jockey, whose talents include turntables, beatboxing, and vocals. Shayna Rose originally portrayed Marina the Drummer on the first two seasons of The Fresh Beat Band, and was replaced by Tara Perry for season three. Shout the Keyboardist is played by Thomas Hobson, while Yvette Gonzalez-Nacer portrays Kiki the Violinist, although she is primarily the band’s guitarist. The songs featured on The Fresh Beat Band are written by the production group Matter Music, a team that includes composers Ric Markmann, Danny Pinnella and Christopher “Wag” Wagner.

Four singles have already been released to iTunes: "Great Day" was released February 2, 2010, "Here We Go" was released June 28, 2011, "A Friend Like You" was released September 13, 2011, and “Just Like a Rock Star” was released November 29, 2011.

The Fresh Beat Band: Music from the Hit TV Show kicks off with the brief “Fresh Beat Band Theme Song,” during which the members of the group are introduced. The band then make a call for all to join in the fun with the second single released from Music from the Hit TV Show, the super upbeat and catchy “Here We Go;” while “A Friend Like You,” the third single from the album, is another bubbly tune about friendship that features a brief rap by Twist. The electro pop tune “Just Like a Rock Star” is the fourth single to be released from The Fresh Beat Band: Music from the Hit TV Show, and invokes the rock star in all of us.

“Loco Legs” introduces a new dance to the world via a 1980’s-like jam featuring a short violin interlude by Kiki and a rap by Twist, while “I Can Do Anything” is an inspirational, hands-in-the-air shouter. Other musical highlights that make regular appearances on The Fresh Beat Band TV show include “Get Up and Go Go,” “Friends Give Friends a Hand,” and “Bananas.” The album ends with the first single released from The Fresh Beat Band: Music from the Hit TV Show, the upbeat and catchy tune “Great Day,” which also serves as each episode’s closing song. The song “Sun Beautiful Sun” from fellow Nick Jr. show The Bubble Guppies is added as a bonus tune, and sounds like it was most likely written by Adam Schlesinger (listen for similarities to Jellyfish, Jason Falkner, and Fountains of Wayne).

The Fresh Beat Band: Music from the Hit TV Show will absolutely thrill devotees of the program, and might even win over a few new fans. The songs on The Fresh Beat Band music compilation are sort of like shiny, catchy tunes on chewing gum commercials: brief, happy, and almost impossible to get out of your head after hearing them. The Fresh Beat Band: Music from the Hit TV Show is a great little introduction to pop fandom for the littlest rockers. For more information about the music from The Fresh Beat Band TV show, visit the official Fresh Beat Band website on Nick Jr. dot com.

Released January 31, 2012; Sony Legacy

Track Listing

1. “Fresh Beat Band Theme Song”
2. “Here We Go”
3. “A Friend Like You”
4. “Just Like a Rock Star”
5. “Reach For the Sky”
6. “I Can Do Anything”
7. “Bananas”
8. “Music (Keeps Me Movin')”
9. “Good Times”
10. “Loco Legs”
11. “Get Up and Go Go”
12. “Another Perfect Day”
13. “Shine”
14. “Stomp the House”
15. “Surprise Yourself”
16. “We're Unstoppable”
17. “Friends Give Friends a Hand”
18. “Freeze Dance”
19. “Great Day”
20. “Sun Beautiful Sun” - The Bubble Guppies