'WELCOME BACK KOTTER' - JOHN SEBASTIAN | FRANKS BASS COVERS & TAB

'WELCOME BACK KOTTER' - JOHN SEBASTIAN | FRANKS BASS COVERS & TAB
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'WELCOME BACK KOTTER' - JOHN SEBASTIAN | FRANKS BASS COVERS & TAB
Released March 1976 from the album 'Welcome Back'

On September 9th 1975, the television sitcom 'Welcome Back, Kotter' debut on the ABC-TV network; the series ran for four years with a total of 95 episodes...
Eight months later on May 2nd, 1976 the show's theme song, "Welcome Back", would peak at #1 {for 1 week} on Billboard's Hot Top 100 chart...

Sebastian wrote this as the theme song for the ABC TV series Welcome Back, Kotter, starring Gabe Kaplan as a teacher who returns to his old school and is placed in a class of misfits known as The Sweathogs.

The show was a big break for John Travolta, who played one of The Sweathogs.

It became clear that there was demand for a full-length song, so Sebastian wrote a second verse and it was released as a single.

Although the song does not have the word "Kotter" anywhere in the lyrics or title, the first pressings of the single were released as "Welcome Back, Kotter," to make sure everyone connected the song with the TV show

Sebastian recalled the story of the song "I got a call from a guy called Alan Sacks from Brooklyn, who was writing a TV show with Gabe Kaplan. He wanted New York guys to do older writing. I saw a pilot and read some early scripts, and went away thinking, 'I could hit this out of the park!'

I came back with this song 'Welcome Back,' and their reaction was to change the name of the show from Kotter to Welcome Back, Kotter."

Steve Barri produced this song with Sebastian. Barri had lots of success with TV theme songs: He co-wrote "Secret Agent Man" (for the series Secret Agent) and co-produced "Theme From S.W.A.T.," which was a #1 hit 10 weeks before this song hit the top spot.

Key Musicians:
John Sebastian: Lead vocals, electric/acoustic guitars, harmonica, autoharp, piano.
David Hungate: Bass guitar (also known for Toto).
Richard Bell: Acoustic piano, electric piano, clavinet, organ.
Jeff Porcaro: Drums (also famous from Toto).