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One Elephant, Deux Éléphants facts for kids

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One Elephant, Deux Éléphants
OneElephant1.jpg
Studio album by
Sharon, Lois & Bram
Released July 1978
Recorded May/June 1978
Genre Children's music
Length 40:30
Label Elephant Records
A&M Records
Drive Entertainment
Casablanca Kids Inc.
Producer Bill Usher
Sharon, Lois & Bram chronology
One Elephant, Deux Éléphants
(1978)		 Smorgasbord
(1979)

One Elephant, Deux Éléphants is the very first album by the famous children's group Sharon, Lois & Bram. It was first released in 1978. Over the years, this album has been re-released many times with different names. The song "One Elephant, Deux Éléphants" became the fun opening theme for their popular TV show, The Elephant Show. This show ran for five seasons! This album also featured the first recording of "Skinnamarink". This song became the group's signature song and was sung at the end of every episode of The Elephant Show and Skinnamarink TV.

Making the Album: How It Started

Before making this album, Sharon, Lois, and Bram had already been performing for children for a combined 40 years. They had lots of experience!

The album was recorded in a studio located in Kensington Market, a lively area in Toronto, Ontario.

When the record first came out in the autumn of 1978, it included a special activity book. This book had all the song lyrics, plus ideas for games, actions, and activities. The group borrowed $1000 from 20 friends to help them make the first 5000 copies of the album.

Music Styles on the Album

The album was known for having many different kinds of songs. The Canadian Press news service mentioned that it included "everything from an Iroquois lullaby to a Bach gavrotte."

Sharon Hampson, one of the group members, explained that adults sometimes think children can only enjoy simple music. She said that adults "underestimate what children can understand and enjoy."

The album also features the voices of children singing along. These voices were recorded live on playgrounds, making the songs sound even more authentic and fun!

Promoting the Album

The album was promoted as "a children's record for the whole family." This meant it was made for everyone to enjoy, not just kids.

Young People's Theatre in Toronto held special concerts called A Children's Elephant Concert with Sharon, Lois and Bram. These concerts celebrated the release of their first album. There were four shows over two days!

CTV Television Network also created a TV special named One Elephant, Deux Éléphants. This one-hour show aired on July 7, 1979. The Red Deer Advocate newspaper called it a "vibrant, refreshing musical special." They praised how Sharon, Lois, and Bram understood what children enjoy. The special showed songs and games that came directly from children's everyday world.

The lyrics from the song "One Elephant, Deux Éléphants" were used in later projects too. For example, a VHS tape released in 1995, featuring songs from Sharon, Lois & Bram's Elephant Show, was titled One Elephant Went Out to Play.

Awards and Recognition

One Elephant, Deux Éléphants was nominated for a 1979 Juno Award. This award was in the category "Special Award for Children's Album." However, Anne Murray's album There's a Hippo in My Tub won that year.

Other albums nominated were Are We There Yet? by Sandy Offenheim and Family, the soundtrack Songs From the Polka Dot Door, and Canada's Favorite Folksongs for Kids.

How Well the Album Sold

At the time, One Elephant, Deux Éléphants became the fastest-selling Canadian children's record ever!

The very first batch of albums had 5000 copies. In just three months, by mid-December 1978, over 27,000 copies had been sold. By December 1980, it had sold 100,000 copies.

The album received several special awards for its sales:

  • Gold Album: Certified in September 1979 for selling over 50,000 copies.
  • Platinum Album: Certified in December 1980 for selling over 100,000 copies.
  • Double Platinum: Certified on November 18, 1986, for selling over 200,000 copies.

The group isn't sure exactly when it reached Triple Platinum status, which means over 500,000 copies sold!

Songs on the Album

Here is a list of the songs featured on the One Elephant, Deux Éléphants album:

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