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Monday, March 31, 2008

Baby Mine - Debra Byrne & Arja


Over here in North America we don't really hear about famous Australian musicians. In fact, I have a whole CD of Disney music by famous Australians and I haven't heard of any of them! But a little bit of research reveals that these artists are very accomplished and should be made known to the world. DEBRA BYRNE is one of those artists. Debra started her career on an American Idol style talent show for youth that produced a record contract and a hit single in the 70s. She has acted in many Aussie productions and more recently Aussie Broadway productions like Cats and Sunset Boulevard.

Debra's version of Baby Mine, taken from DUETS: A FAMILY CELEBRATION pairs her up with her 19 year old daughter Arja. The two voices are very similar and it sure seems like Arja has had some training from mom. However, the vibrato in their voices causes me to not like the parts they sing in unison. Separately they would be fine and I'm sure they would sound great in harmony.

This cover draws heavily from Bonnie Raitt's version that appeared on the STAY AWAKE compilation album from 1988. I haven't posted that version yet so you'll have to go elsewhere to compare (It's better).









Baby Mine
Debra Byrne & Arja
1999

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Friday, March 28, 2008

Mickey and Minnie on a Moonlit Night - Matt Land


I've been trying to decide if I want to only post Disney songs from the movies and the parks or do I want to branch out to include other areas of Disney music, such as Walt Disney Records and CDs. I could power this blog just with songs from the features, there are a lot of them and even more covers, after all. But I think I will step out and share with you a cover of a song that was released on a Disney album but not featured in a movie. And this being Obscure Disney Song Friday makes this entry apropos.

In 1987, Disneyland Records released a record of original songs featuring their popular characters all written in the popular bebop/oldies style of the 50s. The record was a hit, especially since Little Richard was featured on one of the tracks.

My favourite track on the album is a do-op song called Mickey and Minnie on a Moonlit Night. And I was quite surprised to hear this track covered on EUROBEAT DISNEY 2. The song is covered by Italian singer/actor MATT LAND who is very popular in the Eurobeat scene. Land is on the Eurobeat label A-Beat C and has contributed his voice to many projects.

Although I am not a big techno or Eurobeat fan, I think this song is treated with respect of the original and does a good job of keeping it tender even with the underlying frantic techno beat. Check out this track and let me know what you think.









Mickey and Minnie on a Moonlit Night
Matt Land
2001

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Thursday, March 27, 2008

You've Got A Friend In Me - Bonerama


Greetings, Disney fans! Boyhowdy of folk coverblog Cover Lay Down here, back to lay another new find upon your ears. Today we take a trip down the delta to the Crescent City itself, where a star-studded cast of New Orleans musicians from swampy funkmeisters The Radiators and Ivan Neville to deep southern bluesman Walter "Wolfman" Washington have pulled together to lend their support to music education with the release of FUNKY KIDZ, a brand new collection of "funkified classic hits for children and adults". And there's no better place to start than the kick-off track, a fine, funky version of the Toy Story theme song You've Got A Friend of Me by BONERAMA.

Though Randy Newman originally wrote the song for his own rolling piano pop style, You've Got A Friend in Me plays out as a terrific New Orleans second line number, full of trombones and barrelhouse swing, and ballsy New Orleans brass band Bonerama (Best Rock Band, Big Easy Awards 2007) has the chops to pull it off with aplomb. And I can vouch for the fact that the song is equally awesome in the ears of kids and adults alike, as my daughters and I have been bopping along to this one for weeks, ever since I snagged a copy of the pre-release.

But though the kids would never hear it, there's something bittersweet about re-grounding what was originally a song about buddy-buddy friendship in a post-Katrina world. By framing the song in the kind of funky pomp and circumstance we typically associate with a New Orleans funeral, Bonerama asks us to hear the lyric as an offer of friendship to New Orleans itself. And anyone familiar with the current lot of the Big Easy, a city which remains depressed and half-deserted, can't help but hear the weariness of such an offer, despite the high energy of the performance.

The end result is a recasting of the song in a different, more courageous kind of friendship than the original. If asked to choose, I'd have to say this is the most powerful version of this song I've heard. Which makes it only that much more incredible that the rest of the album manages to stand up to the high standards set by this track.

Funky Kidz hit the streets March 4th -- the only day of the year which is also a military command, and thus the perfect day to launch this exquisite hi-stepping street parade -- and it's already been touted by musical critics from kidbloggers to Jambase as the best thing to hit the kid's music rack for years. And if the music wasn't enough incentive, a portion of the proceeds go to ASAP Productions, an organization which fosters music education in New Orleans and across the US. So what are you waiting for? Adults and children alike can and should head on over to Funky Kidz Music, where you can sample the other tracks, including some seriously funky covers of songs from Dumbo (When I See an Elephant Fly) and Song of the South (Zip A Dee Doo Dah) before you buy.

For a second full-sized track from Funky Kidz, plus twice-weekly megaposts of the best from the world of coverfolk, c'mon over to Cover Lay Down, where the most recent installment of our popular Covered in Kidfolk series featured Walter "Wolfman" Washington and the Roadmasters' amazing delta blues cover of Woody Guthrie's This Land Is Your Land. It's not Disney, but like Toy Story, it's associated with a tall, earnest cowboy named Woody, so perhaps it's not too much of a stretch to mention it, eh?









You've Got A Friend In Me
Bonerama
2008

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Wednesday, March 26, 2008

Supercalifragilisticexpialidocious - Connie Francis


CONNIE FRANCIS was one of the most well recognized pop singers of the sixties. Her distinct voice and catchy tunes helped her sell millions of records over the decade she was active.

Here is a track from a lesser known Connie Francis album called CONNIE FRANCIS SINGS WITH THE KIDS NEXT DOOR. I don't know much about this album but it I do know that it was one of three albums that wasn't released on her regular record label, MGM Records. The album contains her versions of Supercalifragilisticexpialidocious and A Spoonful of Sugar, both from Mary Poppins which would have come out two years before this album was released. The inclusion of these two songs on the album was probably to help sell records as the music from Mary Poppins was very popular at the time.

CONNIE FRANCIS SINGS WITH THE KIDS NEXT DOOR is long since out of print. I don't think there are Amazon or iTunes links that I can give you (although you can prove me wrong!) but you can download a copy of the album at Dartman's World of Wonder.









Supercalifragilisticexpialidocious
Connie Francis
1966

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Tuesday, March 25, 2008

Give a Little Whistle - Dave Brubeck Quartet


Here is another track from the wonderful Disney tribute album DAVE DIGS DISNEY. This time the DAVE BRUBECK QUARTET tackles the Pinocchio classic Give a Little Whistle.

Here is an excerpt the ablum's producer, George Avakian, from the album's liner notes. It mentions counterpoint which is a musical style in which two different time signatures are played at the same time. In this case, it is Dave Brubeck on the piano playing in 4/4 and Paul Desmond on the sax playing 3/4.
"Give a Little Whistle" also features some counterpoint work by these two remarkable musicians. It is one of the earliest Disney tunes in the Dave Brubeck repertoire, and contains one thoroughly unexpected twist-possibly brought on by the fact that the boys have been playing it so long-which is the surprise ending. It's just one of those things that happened in the studio, and we liked it.









Give a Little Whistle
Dave Brubeck Quartet
1957

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Monday, March 24, 2008

I just Can't Wait To Be King - Broadway Kids


The BROADWAY KIDS are a singing group made of up of children who have been in a major Broadway production. They practice singing Broadway showtunes and have a big performance twice a year as well as special events and CD recordings.

Broadway Kids has been a starting point for some notable child actors. Lacey Chabert (Party of Five), Andrea Bowen (Desperate Housewives), Ashley Tisdale (High School Musical), Chris Trousdale (Dreamstreet), and Christy Carlson Romano (Kim Possible) have all credited Broadway Kids as having helped them get to where they are now.

In 1998 Broadway Kids recorded their third album which included two Disney songs. I Just Can't Wait To Be King was one of them. Some may find it cheesy, some may find it cute, but I find it quite amazing that I'm listening to a bunch of kids who have been on Broadway. I'm leaning more toward the cute side, especially with the kid who is pretending to be Zazu.









I Just Can't Wait To Be King
Broadway Kids
1998

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Friday, March 21, 2008

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When You Wish Upon a Star/Hi-Diddle-Dee-Dee - Mormon Tabernacle Choir


As with every third Friday of the month, today is When You Wish Upon a Star Friday and this time I'm featuring a version of the song sung by one of the most famous choirs in the world.

THE MORMON TABERNACLE CHOIR formed in 1847 almost immediately after the Mormons settled in the Salt Lake Valley. Over the years they have toured the world, recorded many albums (its first was recorded in 1910), won many awards, performed for many presidents, and have hosted their own radio program(Music and Spoken Word, the longest running program in history) and television programs. The choir is made up of 360 men and women.

In 1990, under the direction of JEROLD OTTLEY, the Mormon Tabernacle Choir recorded a Walt Disney tribute album called WHEN YOU WISH UPON A STAR. The choir is backed by Columbia Records very own Columbia Symphony Orchestra and together they create a beautiful journey through the history of Disney music classics.

When You Wish Upon a Star/Hi-Diddle-Dee-Dee is the lead track on the album and a great blend of the two classic Pinocchio tunes.









When You Wish Upon a Star
The Mormon Tabernacle Choir
1990

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Thursday, March 20, 2008

Part of Your World - Captain Bogg & Salty


Finishing up our Pirate Week is a mermaid lullaby sung by an Oregon based pirate rock band. CAPTAIN BOGG & SALTY formed in 1999, performing original songs with a pirate theme. They have three self-produced album on their own record label and are very popular in the Portland area. The consistantly play sold out shows everywhere from libraries, schools and zoos to bars, clubs and casinos! They are popular with children and adults all together.

On their third album, PRELUDE TO MUTANY, you will find a familiar track. A certain pirate version of Part of Your World from the Little Mermaid. Not only is this a great version of the song, the novelty of it being sung by a pirate is priceless! Although it my get old in the future, I'm not getting tired of it yet.

I hope to see one of their shows sooner or later but I don't think they ever come up to Canada. You hear that Captain Bogg? Set sail for the Port of Vancouver!









Part of Your World
Captain Bogg & Salty
2006

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Wednesday, March 19, 2008

Yo Ho (A Pirate's Life For Me) - Pointer Sisters


A big 'ol "happy birthday" goes out to the eldest Pointer sister today! Ruth Pointer turns 62 today and I've chosen a special cover that fits our Pirates Week theme!

Today, the POINTER SISTERS many only be heard in commericals with their hit I'm So Excited, but there was one time when this sister act was a top selling pop/r&b singing group. They broke into the scene in 1973 with their hit Yes We Can Can and were a solid force for the rest of the 70s and into the 80s with hits like Fire, Slow Hand and Jump (For My Love).

If you are a Sesame Street child like I am, I'm sure you will recognize the Pointer Sisters singing the classic Pinball Number Count.

I've posted the Pointer Sisters version of Yo Ho to give this week a bit of variety. While this isn't the best version of the song, it is a good representation of the Pointer Sisters' style and abilities.









Yo Ho (A Pirate's Life For Me)
The Pointer Sisters
1996

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Tuesday, March 18, 2008

Yo Ho (A Pirate's Life For Me) - Buckethead


Many people have asked me to post something by BUCKETHEAD, the guitar shredder with a KFC bucket on his head! The man is a guitar legend and a genius songwriter. He has recorded dozens of albums and has a huge fan base all over the world! And he loves Disney songs! He constantly incorporates Disney tunes in his sets, including Yo Ho (A Pirate's Life For Me) which he recorded for his 1996 release GIANT ROBOT.

Today marks the 41st anniversary of the Pirates of the Caribbean ride at Disneyland. Many things have changed in the displays over the years. Many of the displays have been changed to be more politically correct. But these are pirates! They are not meant to be PC! But I guess some people don't want children to think that the pirate's life is a glorified life.

The picture I have posted above is one of the more recent changes. It used to be a drunk pirate who was holding a bit of a girl's clothing and the girl is hiding in the barrel behind him. As the ride would pass you could hear him saying things about the wench. Now it has been changed to a pirate with a treasure map and you can see Jack Sparrow in the barrel behind him. They say the change was made to be a movie tie-in but I think they also got pressure from PC activists.









Yo Ho (A Pirate's Life For Me)
Buckethead
1994

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Monday, March 17, 2008

Yo Ho (A Pirate's Life For Me) - Snuff


I have a special treat for everyone this week! I have decided to commemorate the anniversary of the Pirates of the Caribbean ride at Disneyland with a special week of Pirate tunes! I know I haven't posted any versions of Yo Ho (A Pirate's Life For Me) yet so this week I'm catching up by posting three versions from Monday to Wednesday with a special treat on Thursday.

Yo Ho was written in 1967 by George Bruns and Xavier Atencio. Bruns wrote many songs and scores for Disney during the 50s and 60s, including The Ballad of Davy Crockett, A Cowboy Needs a Horse, Jack and Old Mac, 101 Dalmatians, Robin Hood and Jungle Book. Xavier 'X' Atencio was a Disney artist turned Imagineer and co-wrote much of the music you hear during the original Disneyland rides, like Haunted Mansion and Adventure Thru Inner Space.

The song, which is actually 16 minutes long if you sit through the ride, has been covered numerous times, including this version by 80s British punk band SNUFF. It is a great energetic tune and has been covered in many different styles. It translates really well to punk rock as you can hear with this version.









Yo Ho (A Pirate's Life For Me)
Snuff
2002

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Friday, March 14, 2008

You Can Fly! You Can! You Can Fly! - Wrench


In 2005, the Japanese punk rock band WRENCH took a break from the music scene. They had been part of it since 1992 and were doing everything they could to reach fans and crank out the albums.

But lead singer Shige felt that they were in a rut, so they took a hiatus and did some soul searching. But last year they went back to the studio to record their newest album, containing the same punk, hardcore and rock sounds as before but now adding his new found love of DJing to bring a new sound to their style.

This version of You Can Fly! is taken from the 2004 album MOSH PIT ON DISNEY and features their old style and is probably the best moshing track. However, I think this version is a disgrace to the Peter Pan classic. The song is now ruined thanks to Wrench. Hard rock and screaming vocals do not work with You Can Fly! This is why I am picking this track for this month's Terrible Track Friday.









You Can Fly! You Can Fly! You Can Fly!
Wrench
2004

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Thursday, March 13, 2008

Zip-A-Dee-Doo-Dah - Dave Clark Five


In the 60s there was no band more popular than the Beatles. They were everywhere. There was no escaping. But there was another band that was desperately wanting to compete with the Fab Four. That band was the DAVE CLARK FIVE.

Named after their drummer, the Dave Clark Five became a popular choice for many as their single Glad All Over hit #1 on the UK charts in 1964, knocking I Want to Hold Your Hand from its spot. Glad All Over also made a noteworthy appearance on the US charts at #6, making them the first British band, other than the Beatles, to make the US charts. Two years later, Over and Over would hit #1 on the US Charts.

The group disbanded in 1970 but each musician continued to make music for many years. Last week lead singer and keyboardist Mike Smith passed away.

The Dave Clark Five's first LP was released in 1964 and contained a cover of the Song of the South classic Zip-A-Dee-Doo-Dah. This version is a popular was to cover the song. They take the time signature and cut it in half. The song really settles down into a nice groove and takes its time rather than the happy-go-lucky feel of the original.









Zip-A-Dee-Doo-Dah
The Dave Clark Five
1964

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Wednesday, March 12, 2008

Chim Chim Cher-ee - Seldom Scene


Here's a nice short cover of Chim Chim Cher-ee that I thought I'd share with you today. It's done by a bluegrass group called SELDOM SCENE who have been making music since 1971 and, dispite constant member changes, are still performing today.

Seldom Scene is based out of Maryland and performs in the surrounding states. They started out as four guys who just got together with their guitars to jam and it was six years before they started playing shows. They found fame by being in the right place at the right time. Bluegrass was their style and it just so happened that bluegrass became all the rage in the early 70s with their progressive bluegrass style being particularly popular. They went on to have a successful 25 year career.

But in 1996, founder and lead singer for 25 years John Duffy suffered a heart attack and died. The group disbanded and it wasn't until 2000 that they would get back together to record and perform.

This cover of Chim Chim Cher-ee is the lead track off their 1973 release ACT III and features John Duffey on lead guitar backed by Mike Auldrige on Dobro and Tom Gray on bass. It's beautiful. I think it's my favourite cover of this song. Too bad it's so short.









Chim Chim Cher-ee
Seldom Scene
1973

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Tuesday, March 11, 2008

Hip Hip Pooh-ray - Domino & Stormy Seven


Today is the 31st anniversary of The Many Adventures of Winnie the Pooh, the feature film that took the three Winnie the Pooh short subjects, Winnie the Pooh and the Honey Tree, Winnie the Pooh and the Blustery Day and Winnie the Pooh and Tigger Too, and tied them together in a seamless package.

Today I have chosen to celebrate this anniversary with a song heard at the end of Winnie the Pooh and the Blustery Day from 1968. Hip Hip Pooh-Ray was sung to Pooh after he 'saved' Piglet from almost certain death and to Piglet after he gave up his home for Owl. It was written by the Sherman Brothers and is one of the lesser known Pooh songs.

In 2000, Eurobeat record label A-Beat-C released a series of Eurobeat Disney albums. The fourth in the series focus on Pooh and featured a few obscure Pooh songs, all by Eurobeat's top talent.

One of most recognized names in the Eurobeat is DOMINO who has recorded a number of Disney songs. Domino, whose real name is Allesandra Mirka Gatti, was part of the duo Dave and Domino with her husband until they divorced in 2004. Together, they were one of the top Eurobeat groups and have made a name for themselves since their split.

Thanks to Jamie for turning me onto this album! He doesn't think it's that great (I do agree that it is super cheesy and can get quite annoying a few songs) but the Eurobeat albums are far greater than any of the American produced Dance remix albums.









Hip Hip Pooh-Ray
Domino & Stormy Seven
2001

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Monday, March 10, 2008

Colors of the Wind - Lea Salonga


Many Disney fans should recognize the name LEA SALONGA. If you don't recognize the name then perhaps you will recognize the voice. Lea Salonga was the singing voice for Jasmine in Aladdin and Mulan from Mulan I & II.

Her career started in the Philippines in 1978 when she was seven. She took part in many Broadway musicals including The King and I, The Sound of Music, Cat on a Hot Tin Roof and Annie. By the time she was seventeen she had already recorded two albums and starred in her own tv show, Love, Lea!

Her big break was moving to the UK to star as Kim in Miss Saigon, a role that she would reprise numerous times between 1988 and 2001. She continued to do many musicals and recorded many albums, the latest of which came out a month ago.

This cover of Colors of the Wind is taken from one of her live concerts in the Philippines in 2001. Lea has a great voice and I enjoy listening to her sing these classic movie songs. I think I even like her singing this song more than Judy Khun.









Colors of the Wind
Lea Salonga
2001

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Friday, March 7, 2008

Poor Unfortunate Souls - Jonas Brothers


The Little Mermaid was one of the first movies I saw in the theatre and the first Disney movies I saw in the theatre. So imagine being eight years old and seeing Ursula, an octopus sea-witch, casting evil magic spells, turning merpeople into little plants and growing several stories high! She was frightening!

But looking at her character now, I can see even more evil in the form of sneaky deception. Her true goal is taking down King Triton for banishing her from the kingdom many years earlier but this is not revealed until the climax of the film. The whole movie makes you think that she is playing with Ariel's mind for no reason other than to have fun, but then -BAM!- she reveals that she has had a plan all along! That's my kind of villain!

Poor Unfortunate Souls is a song from which I never thought we'd hear a good rock cover. I thought it to be too 'showtuney'. Too much starting and stopping and playing with tempo. But the JONAS BROTHERS proved me wrong with the amazing cover! They cut a bit of the 'showtuney' parts out of the middle but the rest is there and it rocks!

A few of the lyrics are changed to remove any mention of magic. I'm not sure why.
ORIGINAL: They weren't kidding when they called me, well, a witch.
COVER: They weren't kidding when they called me kinda strange.

ORIGINAL: And I fortunately know a little magic.
COVER: And I fortunately know a little secret.

ORIGINAL: They come flocking to my cauldron, crying "Spells, Ursula, please!"
COVER: They come flocking to me, crying "Will you help us, will you please?"

I can only assume that Disney wanted to make the song a little more kid friendly. Or maybe the Jonas Brothers don't believe in magic and only agreed to the song if they could change the lyrics. Who knows?

A cover of Poor Unfortunate Souls was one of the earliest request I got so I am happy to be able to finally fill it. Have a great weekend!









Poor Unfortunate Souls
Jonas Brothers
2006

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Thursday, March 6, 2008

Trust In Me - Belly


Brian Ibbott visiting again from Coverville. Kurtis was nice enough to invite me to guest post during Villains Week (heyyyyy, wait a minute...), and even before I knew the theme for the week, I had my song picked out.

Today's song originally comes from the 1967 animated adaptation of Rudyard Kipling's The Jungle Book. Speaking personally, it's hard to think of any of the villains of Jungle Book as villains. You look at Cruella De Vil? She chose to be evil. How about Jafar? Again, voluntarily wicked. But the antagonists in Jungle Book were really just being their animal-instinct selves. Shere Khan is a tiger, for pete's sake. What's he going to do? Suddenly become a vegetarian? King Louie is just satisfying the curiosity of his baboon-like obsession with fire. And then there's Kaa. Kaa the boa constrictor, who captures Mowgli and hypnotizes him to the strains of Trust In Me, a slithery slink of a song, with the hopes of dining on him. Snakelike behavior? Okay, maybe not the hypnotism, but you get the picture.

Siouxie and the Banshees' version of Trust In Me may be more well known, but the cover by BELLY should not be discounted. On my cover song-based podcast, Coverville, I featured the lineage of the band Belly in episode 352. Stepsisters Kristin Hersh and Tanya Donnelly formed Throwing Muses in the early 1980's. In 1990, Donnelly started working with the Pixies' Kim Deal in a band called The Breeders, and shortly afterwards, left the Muses. And as if she weren't busy enough, Donnelly formed a new band, Belly, that same year. Belly's biggest hit came in 1991, a confusing track called Feed The Tree. And staying together (through a couple lineup changes) through 1996, Tree remained their biggest hit.

Appearing on the Japanese exclusive BABY SILVERTOOTH in 1993 and their 2002 BEST OF compilation, Belly's take on Trust In Me is less sinister without Siouxie's vocals, but Tanya's octave-higher performance makes the song more hypnotic. In fact, listening to it now, I...









Trust In Me
Belly
1993

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Wednesday, March 5, 2008

Gaston - Erich Kunzel & the Cincinnati Pops Orchestra


We continue on with Villains Week with a cover of Gaston, the beer-drinking song about the greatness of Beauty and the Beast's lead villain. Gaston's ego is as big as his biceps but his brain is as big as his tact. He is not very smart and is played mostly for comedic effect.

Gaston's major goal in the film is to marry Belle, but when the Beast gets in the way he becomes a very jealous man. So is that what makes him a villain? Jealousy? Many of the Disney villains try to defeat the hero because of jealousy: Cinderella's Step-sisters, Scar, the Queen from Snow White, but Gaston doesn't have as much to gain as all of these villains. He won't be marrying into royalty or inheriting a kingdom. He just wants the girl of his dreams and is being a baby becuase she said no. Whereas Scar is a great, evil villain, Gaston just come off as a hurt little boy who got pushed out of the sandbox.

This cover is performed by the CINCINNATI POPS ORCHESTRA under the direction of ERICH KUNZEL. This song is on the second of three Disney albums that Erich Kunzel has released. THE MAGICAL MSUIC OF DISNEY features all the songs from Beauty and the Beast, Little Mermaid, Aladdin and the Lion King.









Gaston
Erich Kunzel & the Cincinnati Pops Orchestra
1995

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Tuesday, March 4, 2008

Cruella De Vil - Steve Tyrell


To coincide with the DVD release of 101 Dalmatians that hits the stores today, I have posted a cover of Cruella De Vil to fit in with this week's theme, Villains Week.

Cruella is one of the most glamorous villains in the Disney Villains legacy. She is rich and a diva, but she is also completely insane! Her obsession with the dalmatians sets her apart from other villains who seem to keep their mind when pursuing their goal. Cruella is just plain crazy and her over the top expressions and outbursts a really fun cartoon character.

The scariest thing about Cruella is that she is a person. She is not a witch or a monster or something out of your imagination. She could actually exist in reality. I think the car chase scene is more frightening than Ursula growing gigantic or Maleficent turning into a dragon because it is an action that can be replicated in real life. She is truly a scary person.

Many artists have covered Cruella's theme song, including STEVE TYRELL who released a whole album of Disney songs in 2006. Steve is a jazz artist who got his start singing a song for the Father of the bride soundtrack. He has since gone on to become a popular modern jazz musician.









Cruella DeVil
Steve Tyrell
2006

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Monday, March 3, 2008

Who's Afraid of the Big Bad Wolf - Henry Hall & the BBC Dance Orchestra feat. Les Allen


Mrmunkeepants wanted to have a villains week and I think this week would be a great week to spotlight some of the greatest Disney villains and the songs about them!

I'm kicking off the week with a look at one of Disney's oldest villains: The Big Bad Wolf from the 1933 Silly Symphony, The Three Little Pigs. This film is often said to be one of the first animated films to bring unique characteristics to characters that look the same (the pigs).

The Wolf, also known as Zeke Wolf in the Dell published Disney comics in the 40s, was seen as an allegory for the Great Depression and the pigs represented the way people reacted. Later in the 40s, the Wolf represented Hitler and the Nazi movement. Many other animation studios of the time also characterized Hitler as a wolf.

This version of Who's Afraid of the Big Bad Wolf was recorded shortly after the film was released by the famous British bandleader HENRY HALL and the BBC Dance Orchestra. Another British musician, Les Allen, provides the vocal work.









Who's Afraid of the Big Bad Wolf
Henry Hall & the BBC Dance Orchestra feat. Les Allen
1933

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