Everybody Wants to Be a Cat - Brian Setzer

The famous Rockabilly singer and guitarist BRIAN SETZER turns 49 today and I have chosen his cover of Ev'rybody Wants to be a Cat from the Aristocats for today's post.

Setzer has been in the music scene since the early 80s when he fronted the rockabilly act known as the Stray Cats. After the group broke up in 1984 and Setzer released a solo album, Setzer decided to take a more swing approach to his next project. He formed the 17 piece BRIAN SETZER ORCHESTRA which still performs across the country to this date. Setzer also wrote and recorded the theme song for Disney's House of Mouse

If you are a fan of cover songs like I am, then you should check out the Brian Setzer Orchestra if you haven't already. Since the band's style is taken from the Big Band era you will hear a lot of jazz standards on their albums (Jump, Jive and Wail, Mac the Knife, Pensylvania 6-5000). They also have two albums of Christmas music for all you Christmas cover lovers (You're a Mean One, Mr. Grinch and Nutcracker Suite are two good ones)!

And to top it all off, last year the Orchestra released Wolfgang's Night Out, an album of classical music turned Rockabilly which won them a Grammy for Best Classical Crossover Album!

This version of Ev'rybody Wants to Be a Cat fits Brian's style perfectly, however, I would have like to hear him include the second half of the song and have the rest of the Orchestra kick in.

Everybody Wants to Be a Cat Brian Setzer 2004

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

I Wan'na Be Like You - Smash Mouth

Today is the last day of Sequel Week and I am finishing it up with a song that was covered for the Jungle Book 2 by a group that only seems to be famous these days when they record covers.

I haven't seen Jungle Book 2 nor do I want to. Unlike Return to Neverland which was released a year earlier, Jungle Book 2 doesn't have that stellar looking animation nor does it appear to have a captivating story. However, I have hear the I Wan'na Be Like You cover by SMASH MOUTH and it is great! Smash Mouth has taken this track and reworked it into their distinct surf-rock style that has made them so popular for movie soundtracks. The song was first released on DISNEYMANIA but can also be found on the movie soundtrack as well as MOSH PIT ON DISNEY.

Here is an interesting note about Jungle Book 2: King Louie was not in the movie at all because voice actor Jim Cummings provided a perfect imitation of Louis Prima's voice for Talespin in 1992. Prima's widow, Gia Prima, sued Disney for the unauthorized use of his distinctive voice. King Louie was never heard from again.

I Wan'na Be Like You Smash Mouth 2002

Give a Little Whistle - the band apart

THE BAND APART was formed in 1997 in Japan by three friends who just wanted to play metal cover songs. They took their name from Quentin Tarentino's production company A Band Apart. They soon realized that they wanted to explore their style and write their own music. So while playing cover songs they secretly recorded new material, with all English lyrics, and in 2000 they released three demos and official became a pop rock band.

Their musical style varies from time to time, ranging from rock and punk to jazz, bossa nova and a little bit of electronica. the band apart's first album was released on their own record label, Asian Gothic, in 2002 and to coincide with the release they recorded a track for the Japanese Disney tribute album MOSH PIT ON DISNEY. The track they covered is Give a Little Whistle from Pinocchio.

This track is a real treat because we really get a taste of the jazz influence in their music. Their Japanese accents are charming and the arrangement is really fun.

And don't forget that today is Pinocchio's 68th anniverary!

Give a Little Whistle the band apart 2004

Hi-Diddle-Dee-Dee - Monteroza 4950

To celebrate WALTER CATLETT'S birthday, I'm posting a cover of Hi-Diddle-Dee-Dee from Pinocchio. Catlett provided the voice of J. Worthington Foulfellow the Fox who tricked Pinocchio into joining the puppet show. He sang this song to influence Pinocchio with the promise of fame and wealth.

This cover of Hi-Diddle-Dee-Dee isn't really a cover. Monteroza 4950 create their own version and add some voice samples of someone saying lyrics from the song. It is completely different. However, I am considering this to be a valid cover because it appears on the Disney produced MOSH PIT ON DISNEY cover album. Covers of Hi-Diddle-Dee-Dee are hard to come by and if anybody knows of any please let me know! (The other cover I have is off the STAY AWAKE album).

I couldn't find any information on Monteroza 4950. If anyone can point me to some webpages I would love to read up on them! Today's post is a communial post. Everyone needs to contribute! Leave info in the comments!

Hi-Diddle-Dee-Dee Monteroza 4950 2004

When You Wish Upon a Star - American Hi-Fi

For When You Wish Upon a Star Week I've chosen another track from the popular Japanese release MOSH PIT ON DISNEY. This time it's by American rock band AMERICAN HI-FI.

You probably know American Hi-Fi from their hit single Flavor of the Week, the first single off their self-titled debut album from 2001. They have released six or seven more singles but none of them have done nearly as well as that first one. The group formed in 1998 under the name BMX Girls. They soon realized that BMX Girls sucked as a band name and started looking for a new one. Here's the cool part: They just happened to meet Keith Richards in a bar and during the conversation mentioned that they were looking for a new name, to which he replied, "How about American Hi-Fi?" How cool is that?

American Hi-Fi has recorded a few covers over the years including Surrender (Cheap Trick), Message in a Bottle (Police), the Transformers theme song, and When You Wish Upon a Star. Their power-pop style and great harmonies make this Pinocchio cover a good one. If you are at work, you may want to turn your volume down because it is a bit loud.

When You Wish Upon a Star American Hi-Fi 2004

Mickey Mouse Club March - Andrew WK

If Walt Disney was still alive today, he'd be celebrating his 106th birthday. I've chosen to celebrate his birthday by singing the theme to his famous television show, The Mickey Mouse Club!

This hard rock version of the the Mickey Mouse March is remade by rocker ANDREW WK who joins the list of 'people we never thought we'd hear a Disney cover song from'. But his version is really good! So full of energy and excitement! I'm sure that Walt would have loved this as the theme song in a more modern version of the show!

Andrew WK is a very good musician. He has been performing and writing since he was thirteen! He is best known for his two albums, I GET WET, which sports a picture of him bleeding from the nose on the cover, and THE WOLF, on which he played all the instruments. His career has taken him on tours all over the world and more recently behind the soundboard to record and mix other artists! This is a man of many talents!

Mickey Mouse Club March Andrew WK 2004

Part of Your World - Suemitsu & the Suemith

Suemitsu Atsushi is a wonderful composer/pianist/vocalist who may be best known for composing and performing the main theme to the anime, Nodame Cantabile. In 2004 Suemitsu took part in part of the Japanese Disney project, MOSH PIT ON DISNEY under the moniker SUEMITSU & THE SUEMITH.

SUEMITSU & THE SUEMITH became a big hit due to the exposure from this album and in 2006 he released his first album, MAN HERE PLAYS MEAN PIANO.

The track he recorded for MOSH PIT ON DISNEY is Part of Your World from The Little Mermaid. His Billy-Joel-like piano playing and upbeat tempos have turned this from a song of longing into a song of determination. It is a great cover and one of the best on this album.

Part of Your World Suemitsu & the Suemith 2004