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The song 'Welcome Back' inspired TV show's name change

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Today's Morning Edition music is from the song "Welcome Back" by the former Lovin' Spoonful frontman John Sebastian.

It was No. 1 on the Billboard pop chart 40 years ago today.

It was commissioned for a television series about a man who takes a job teaching in the same remedial high school classroom where he had been a student.

Before the song was written the show was going to be called "Kotter," but the producers liked the song so much that they changed the name of the series to "Welcome Back, Kotter."

That series was on the air for four seasons and launched the career of actor John Travolta.