A Dream is a Wish Your Heart Makes - Kei Kobayashi

KEI KOBAYASHI has been surrounded by jazz his whole life. His dad, a jazz pianist, and his mom, a jazz vocalist, kept him constantly surrounded by the music they loved.

When he was sixteen he performed with Herbie Hancock in a benefit performance for victims of the Kobe earthquake. This was his big break. Soon after he released his indie album PS I Love You which sent Kobayashi into a bidding war between major labels!

He has now signed with Toshiba EMI and has released a few albums including JUST YOU in 2000 which includes a nice jazz cover of A Dream is a Wish Your Heart Makes.

A Dream is a Wish Your Heart Makes Kei Kobayashi 2000

A Dream is a Wish Your Heart Makes - Michael Bolton

It's the second Friday of the month and you know what that means! Terrible Track Friday! I've got one today that will make your ears cringe.

If you're a Disney fan then you know that MICHAEL BOLTON provided the music for Hercules in 1997. However, did you know that he recorded a version of A Dream is a Wish Your Heart Makes in 1991 for SIMPLY MAD ABOUT THE MOUSE?

I can't say that I am much of a fan of Michael Bolton. I like his song writing but his voice leaves something to be desired. My least favourite part of the Hercules soundtrack is the pop version of Go the Distance. I chose this track today because he goes the distance with his normally strained voice and ends up sounding like he's clenched his butt cheeks together so hard he could turn a lump of coal into a diamond in there! The result is a nails-on-a-chalkboard like sound that is his voice.

Don't want to listen to the whole thing? Then at least skip to 2:30 to hear what I'm talking about.

A Dream is a Wish Your Heart Makes Michael Bolton 1991

A Dream is a Wish Your Heart Makes - Daniel Bedingfield

Out of all the genres of music to cover Disney songs, my favourite has to be the Big Band style. This probably stems from playing baritone sax in the jazz band at high school. This style, which was popularized in the 20s, is different than small jazz combos like the Dave Brubeck Quartet whose songs are made up of improvised solos. Big bands are made up of one or two dozen musicians that have arrangements of the music. The focus is not on the improvised solos but rather the arrangement that people could dance to.

This week at Covering the Mouse I will be posting a big band cover of several different Disney songs. Today's big band cover is by UK pop star DANIEL BEDINGFIELD.

Bedingfield has been on the scene since 2001 but has already scored four #1 singles and three other Top 10 singles in the UK! Not bad for a guy that only had two albums out! He and his sister, Natasha, hold the Guinness World Record for being the only siblings to have had solo number-ones in UK chart history.

His last album was released in 2004 but he has three more albums newly recorded that he is now waiting to be released. When this happens I'm sure we will hear more number ones!

In 2004, Daniel recorded A Dream is a Wish Your Heart Makes for DISNEYMANIA 2. It is by far the best track on the album and the best version of this song that I have heard. The big band arrangement is fun to listen to and the weird time change at the end of the chorus always throws me but makes the song interesting and unique.

A Dream is a Wish Your Heart Makes Daniel Bedingfield 2004

A Dream is a Wish Your Heart Makes - Diana Ross & the Supremes

One of my readers, Liz Orbitron, has requested that I post more Disney Princess songs. So seeing that this is request week, I will post a cover of A Dream is a Wish Your Heart Makes from Cinderella. Disney Princess songs like Some Day My Prince Will Come, A Whole New World and Part of Your World get covered a lot so I have many. I'll start posting them on a more regular basis.

The song I have chosen for today is a track from an unreleased album from DIANA ROSS & THE SUPREMES. The idea for a Disney album, called DIANA ROSS & THE SUPREMES SING DISNEY CLASSICS, came about in 1966 and recording began in 1967. But the recording was cut short when Florence Ballard was fired from the group. Recording picked up again and four more tracks were recorded with Ballard's replacement, Cindy Birdsong, but the album was shelved again.

A total of 14 tracks were recorded for this album and all but three have been released on various compilation albums. From what I have heard, this album is fantastic! It was recorded in a period of transition for the group from the classic motown sound to a more pop-based sound and showtunes style. All of these styles are represented on this album. I hope that one of these days we'll see DIANA ROSS & THE SUPREMES SING DISNEY CLASSICS hit the shelves.

A Dream is a Wish Your Heart Makes Diana Ross & the Supremes 1967