The Second Star to the Right - James Taylor



It was on this day 57 years ago that Walt Disney's animated classic Peter Pan was introduced to the world. Peter Pan was one of Walt's favourite stories and he tried hard to obtain the legal rights to turn J.M. Barrie's play into an animated film. This was hard to do as Barrie had made the Great Ormond Street Hospital, a children's hospital in London, the sole copyright holder so that they could benefit from any royalties from his play.

Disney was able to make arrangements with the hospital in 1939 to make the film, but the project was put on hold due to World War II.

JAMES TAYLOR brings us a delightful version of The Second Star to the Right which can be found on the Disney tribute album, STAY AWAKE, from 1988.

Labels: adult contemporary, james taylor, peter pan, second star to the right, stay awake album

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  If I Never Knew You - Michael Crawford & Sherie René Scott



Today's cover is brought to you by MICHAEL CRAWFORD who turns 68 today. Happy birthday! If I Never Knew You is a duet Crawford sang with fellow Broadway star SHERIE RENÉ SCOTT for his 2001 album THE DISNEY ALBUM.

Both Crawford and Scott have other Disney connections: Possibly most famous for his role as the Phantom in Andrew Lloyd Webber's Phantom of the Opera, Michael Crawford has been in the Broadway and film business since the late 50s. Crawford played the role of Cornelius Hackl in the Gene Kelly's 1969 film Hello, Dolly!. You can see him sing and dance in the few clips that are used in WALL*E. (Crawford plays another character named Cornelius in the animated film Once Upon a Forest, which is often mistaken for a Disney movie.)

Sherie René Scott's career has stayed mostly in musical theatre. Some of her credits include Dirty Rotten Scoundrels, Rent, Grease, Tommy, and the lead role in Debbie Does Dallas: the Musical! In 2000, she was the star of Elton John and Tim Rice's Aida and she landed the role of Ursula in the 2007 The Little Mermaid Broadway musical.

Labels: adult contemporary, disney album, if i never knew you, michael crawford, pocahontas, sherie rene scott

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  Can You Feel the Love Tonight - Neil Diamond




In the Bill Murray movie What About Bob? Bob explains that there are only two types of people in the world. "Those who like NEIL DIAMOND and those who don't."

I don't know which category you fall into, but there is no denying the popularity and success of this singer songwriter.

I'm making this post the unofficial sequel to yesterday's post by Jamie who mentioned that the Simba/Nala sequence during Can You Feel the Love Tonight is almost a mirror of the same events that happened in a much earlier Disney movie, Robin Hood.

Neil Diamond's version of the Elton John love ballad can be found on AS TIME GOES BY: THE MOVIE ALBUM, a two-disc set that Diamond released in 1998.

The album is full of movie song covers, however he turns the "Adult Contemporary" knob up to 11 and churns out the sappiest versions of already sappy movie love ballads such as Unchained Melody, As Time Goes By and My Heart Will Go On.

The highlight of this album is the fact that film score composer Elmer Bernstein, whose credits range from The Ten Commandments to Airplane, arranged all the music and conducted the 80 piece orchestra.

Overall, each track may sound pretty, and fans of Neil Diamond's voice will no doubt enjoy listening to his voice, but whole album really sounds like one big long song. Not too much variety. Take a listen to Can You Feel the Love Tonight and see for yourself.

Labels: adult contemporary, as time goes by at the movies, can you feel the love tonight, lion king, neil diamond, showtunes

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  A Dream is a Wish Your Heart Makes - Linda Ronstadt
Starting out her career in the 60s as the lead singer for the folk rock band The Stone Poneys, LINDA RONSTADT made a solid career for herself in the 70s, topping the charts and becoming known as the Queen of Rock.

As the 80s hit, Ronstadt branched out from the world of rock 'n' roll to Broadway where she won a Tony award for her role in Pirates of Penzance. She continued to record hit records through the 80s, and when the 90s rolled around she was recording albums in many different styles, including pop, rock, latin, jazz, country and adult contemporary.

In 1995, Linda Ronstadt recorded A Dream is a Wish Your Heart Makes in both English and Spanish for THE MUSIC OF CINDERELLA. The album features the classic songs from the film reworked by the days top pop stars and has a newly recorded score. Ronstadt's version of the song has become one of the well-known and best-loved covers of this song.

A Dream is a Wish Your Heart Makes Linda Ronstadt 1995

Labels: a dream is a wish your heart makes, adult contemporary, cinderella, linda ronstadt, music from the park, music of cinderella

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  Mi Príncipe Vendrá - Mocedades
An anonymous reader turned me on to this Spanish Disney cover album by MOCEDADES. He/she requested Some Day My Prince Will Come off this album and since this is Request Friday I am happy to oblige!

Mocedades formed in 1967 in Spain and recorded many hit songs throughout the 70s and 80s. Though their music was popular mainly to the Spanish-speaking world, Mocedades was able to reach the American market with their single Eres Tú in the early 70s. Eres Tú is one of the only Spanish language songs to reach the top 10 in the United States and has been covered by dozens of artist including Perry Como, Bing Crosby, Petula Clark, Johnny Mathis and even a duet between Chris Farley and David Spade for the movie Tommy Boy.

In 1997, Mocedades released their 21st album, MOCEDADES CANTA A WALT DISNEY, a collection of Disney songs in their Spanish pop sound. The track I am sharing with you today is Some Day My Prince Will Come from Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs.

Mi Príncipe Vendrá Mocedades 1997

Labels: adult contemporary, canta a walt disney, mocedades, pop, snow white and the seven dwarfs, some day my prince will come

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  Can You Feel the Love Tongiht - Jim Brickman
I don't have time for a full post today so I am just posting another track from JIM BRICKMAN'S THE DISNEY SONGBOOK.

This one is Can You Feel the Love Tonight played beautifully on the piano. For more information about Brickman, click here.

Can You Feel the Love Tonight Jim Brickman 2005

Labels: adult contemporary, can you feel the love tonight, disney songbook, jim brickman, lion king, piano

  ¶ 12:33 PM 1 Comments Links to this post

  It Only Takes a Moment - Paige O'Hara
Wall*E opened this weekend and I was one of the thousands that needed to rush out and see it right away. And once I picked my jaw off the floor I knew that I needed to find a way to work it into Covering the Mouse so that I could talk about it with you!

Wall*E is a fantastic movie with beautiful animation, wonderful characters and and heart-warming story. The concept is unique and original and the animators should be praise for brilliant acting with characters that don't really use verbal language.

The reason I have posted a cover of It Only Takes a Moment is because the song is a pivotal element of the story. In the film, Wall*E finds a 700 year old tape of Hello Dolly! which helps teach him about human characteristics. A few different Hello Dolly! songs are heard but this one is heard through out the film.

Here is what director Andrew Stanton had to say about the use of It Only Takes a Moment in his film:

"And then I found the song It Only Takes a Moment and then I looked at the movie footage, and I saw the two lovers holding hands. That was a big 'Ah-ha!' moment for me, because I have a character who can’t actually say 'I love you' but he can express it by holding hands. And when you get a gift like that from an initial inspiration, you take it as fate. So I ran with it (laughs)."

It looks like Andrew Stanton, who directed Finding Nemo and won an Oscar for it, has another Oscar headed his way.

I know that It Only Takes a Moment isn't really a Disney song but it was featured in this film so I feel that it is acceptable. However, don't expect to hear any covers of Route 66 (Cars), Ain't No Mountain High Enough (Chicken Little) or Heartbreak Hotel (Lilo & Stitch). And don't expect to hear any more covers of It Only Takes a Moment either.

And to give It Only Takes a Moment a greater Disney connection, I've chosen a cover of the song by PAIGE O'HARA who you may recognize as the voice of Belle from Beauty and the Beast.

It Only Takes a Moment Paige O`Hara 1995

Labels: adult contemporary, it only takes a moment, paige o'hara, sings jerry herman, wall*e

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  Sooner or Later - Barbara Cook
Todd, a faithful reader and ex-Disney 'cast member', emailed me a week ago, asking me why I haven't posted any songs from THE DISNEY ALBUM by BARBARA COOK. That's a good question. There are actually a number of albums that I haven't posted anything from as of today. In fact, yesterday's post was the first time I posted something from Mary Martin's album. So let's fix things and post one of the Cook covers today!

Actually, it works out well as today is Obscure Disney Song Friday and there is a fairly obscure Disney song on her album. The song is Sooner or Later from the controversial Song of the South. I bring up the term 'controversial' because that is the very reason why this song has become obscure. Due to the insensitive stereotypes in the picture, Disney has locked this movie away in the faults with no plans on releasing it ever. So to the modern generation, and even the generation before that, the only exposure to Song of the South that they will get is Splash Mountain and the various cover versions of Zip-A-Dee-Doo-Dah by their favourite tween idols.

Well, here is a little bit of Song of the South for you! Sooner or Later was originally sung by Hattie McDaniel in what would end up being one of her last movies. She was the first black woman to win an Oscar because of her role of Mammy in Gone with the Wind. In Song of the South McDaniel plays Aunt Tempy, who sings this song about how Uncle Remus is always after her cooking, and her gooseberry pie especially!

Barbara Cook takes this song, slows it down and turns it into a fun cabaret piece perfect for her Broadway concerts. In fact, this song has become a standard for Cook and she still performs it to this day!

And common thing for recording artists to do while covering this song is change the focus of the lyrics by swapping cooking for loving and adding a few extra verses. In fact, there is Disney produced sheet music with these lyrics because, I assume, the subject matter is better for radio and concerts. Cook retains the actual lyrics in this version and sings about cooking!

Sooner or Later Barbara Cook 1988

Labels: adult contemporary, barbara cook, disney album (cook), song of the south, sooner or later

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  When She Loved Me - Michael Crawford
Last week Brian Ibbot, creator of the awesome cover podcast Coverville, emailed me asking me if I knew of any good covers of Sarah McLaughlin's When She Loved Me from Toy Story 2. I told him I knew of a few and then realized that I haven't posted any of them here!

So tonight, please check out Coverville to find out which version I recommended to Brian, and in the mean time, enjoy this version of When She Loved Me by MICHAEL CRAWFORD from his album of Disney songs called THE DISNEY ALBUM.

When She Loved Me Michael Crawford 2001

Labels: adult contemporary, disney album, michael crawford, toy story 2, when she loved me

  ¶ 8:22 AM 2 Comments Links to this post

  Bella Notte - Demis Roussos
Here's a song that I can't believe I haven't covered yet. Bella Notte, the love ballad from Lady and the Tramp. This song has become very popular for Italian singers to cover, but today's cover is not one of those.

DEMIS ROUSSOS is from Egypt but he started his career in Greece when he was 17. After playing in a number of folk cover bands he met up with Aphrodite's Child and joined the group as a lead singer in 1968. His operatic style put the band on the map and after their break up in 1971 Pandolfi had a sucessful solo career. Many of his EPs and single have reached number one in the UK but Roussos remains under the radar in North America.

You'll hear a good sample of his vocal ability in his cover of Bella Notte which he recorded for his 1996 album SERENADE.

Bella Notte Demis Roussos 1996

Labels: adult contemporary, bella notte, demis roussos, lady and the tramp, serenade

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  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

Labels: a dream is a wish your heart makes, adult contemporary, cinderella, michael bolton, pop, simply mad about the mouse, terrible

  ¶ 6:40 AM 2 Comments Links to this post

  Proud of Your Boy - Clay Aiken
Today is Obscure Disney Song Friday and to finish off American Idol Week I have chosen a deleted song from Aladdin that was featured on the Platinum Edition DVD.

Proud of Your Boy was an important song to the staff of Aladdin. It was written by Howard Ashman and Alan Menkin, the composing duo who also wrote the music for The Little Mermaid and Beauty and the Beast. The song focused on Aladdin's relationship with his mother and Ashman said that it was his favourite song in the film.

In the middle of Aladdin's production Howard Ashman died of AIDS. It was tough for the staff but it became even tougher for Alan when the decision was made to take the mother out of the story. The cut meant taking Proud of Your Boy out of the film which now Alan had become very attached to since the death of his friend.

You can hear the original demo put to storyboards from the scene on the DVD as well as a new recording of the song by American Idol second season runner-up, CLAY AIKEN

Aiken won second place but only barely. The votes were very close but Ruban Studdard still won. But what really matters is what happens after that! Clay's career has been ten times Ruban's career. He has recorded three albums and an EP. His three albums all debuted in the Top 5 making him the fourth artist ever to have his first three albums debut in the Top 5!

He has toured the world, sang the national anthem at the World Series, won many awards, has been on countless TV specials and is currently playing the part of Brave Sir Robin in the Monty Python's Spamalot! Broadway musical!

Even though I can't really stand his music, you have to admit that he has done pretty well for himself.

Pround of Your Boy Clay Aiken 2004

Labels: adult contemporary, aladdin, clay aiken, disneymania 3, obscure, pop, proud of your boy

  ¶ 10:36 AM 6 Comments Links to this post

  I Will Go Sailing No More - Michael Crawford
In 2001, MICHAEL CRAWFORD recorded a tribute album to the music of Disney. He chose to take songs from more modern films, like Mulan and Tarzan, instead of making an album of "Disney standards". If you pick up this album you will hear this number from Toy Story: Buzz Lightyear's theme song, I Will Go Sailing No More.

Michael Crawford is an English actor and singer who started his career in entertainment at a very young age. He landed a role on the British sitcom Some Mother Do 'Ave 'Em but it was after the show ended that Crawford found his real fame. He was cast as the Phantom in Andrew Lloyd Webber's Phantom of the Opera.

But after leaving Phantom, Crawford tried a few project that have not taken him anywhere. THE DISNEY ALBUM was the last album of new material that Crawford recorded and it makes me wonder if he recorded I Will Go Sailing No More because he realized that career was fading out and that he wouldn't be able to "sail" like he used to.

Also, today is Randy Newman's 64th birthday! The composer of I Will Go Sailing No More wrote the piece twelve years ago.

I Will Go Sailing No More Michael Crawford 2001

Labels: adult contemporary, disney album, i will go sailing no more, michael crawford, toy story

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  When You Wish Upon a Star - Gene Simmons
It's time for another installment of When You Wish Upon a Star Week and Miko Mars has requested to hear the Gene Simmons version so here it is, just for you!

One of the most successful rock acts of the 70s has got to be KISS. If you're not familiar with their songs (I Wanna Rock and Roll All Night) then you must be familiar with their outlandish costumes that include white and black face paint and elongated tounges. GENE SIMMONS was the KISS bassist and vocalist as is probably the most successful of all the members due to his reputation with women and various tv programs.

In 1978, all four members of KISS released self-titled solo albums. The final track on Gene's is a very passionate version of When You Wish Upon a Star. It is said that this song is very special from his childhood (Gene and his mother fled to America after being the only surviving members of their family from the Holocaust) and you can tell that he puts full emotion into singing it. The arrangement stays quite faithful to the original while updating the sound to fit Gene's style.

When You Wish Upon a Star Gene Simmons 1978

Labels: adult contemporary, gene simmons, gene simmons album, pinocchio, rock, when you wish upon a star

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