You've Got a Friend In Me - Amanda Martin & Lyle Goodman
Like many Randy Newman tunes, You've Got a Friend In Me makes a great transition over to the world of bluegrass. Taken from the album O MICKEY WHERE ART THOU?, this cover is performed by AMANDA MARTIN and LYLE GOODMAN, two nashville artists who are at the beginning of their careers.

This album was produced by Fred Molin who has produced a number of Disney albums including DISNEY LULLABYS and LIGHTNING MCQUEEN'S FAST TRACKS.

You've Got a Friend In Me Amanda Martin & Lyle Goodman 2003

Labels: amanda martin, bluegrass, lyle goodman, o mickey where art thou, toy story, you've got a friend in me

  ¶ 11:48 AM 0 Comments Links to this post

  When I See an Elephant Fly - Robbie Fulks
ROBBIE FULKS is a alternative country musician. He calls himself this because he doesn't really likes the country music industry, mainstream modern country music and basically the huge empire that rules over musicians. His music is littered with tongue-in-cheek references to Nashville and country music and on his webpage you'll read some sarcasm and cynicism toward rock 'n roll, record labels, and digital downloads.

However, his singing, songwriting and guitar playing is really fantastic. Each of his albums features a slightly different musical direction, each showcasing Fulks' musical talent. For cover fans, Fulks released an album of country covers called 13 HILLBILLY GIANTS.

Fulks demonstrates his ability to play bluegrass with this cover of Dumbo's When I See an Elephant Fly which is the perfect song for him due to the sarcastic nature of the lyrics. But it make me wonder, wouldn't it fit Robbie's character to also not like the Walt Disney Company? Why would he record this track for them?

When I See an Elephant Fly Robbie Fulks 2003

Labels: bluegrass, dumbo, o mickey where art thou, robbie fulks, when i see an elephant fly

  ¶ 10:39 AM 1 Comments Links to this post

  Circle of Life - Collin Raye
Yesterday I posted a bluegrass song as part of Country Music Week and today I continue with another bluegrass tune, this time one that is more on the country side of things.

As I said yesterday, traditional bluegrass has its roots in blues, jazz and folk and uses acoustic instruments like guitars, upright bass, banjo and the fiddle. In the late 60s and in the 70s there was a movement that introduced electric instruments into the genre. Electric bass is the most commonly used electric instrument but it is not unusual to hear piano and a full drum kit in some modern bluegrass tunes.

Songs from other genres, rock 'n' roll in particular, also started popping up in bluegrass sets. The musicians took the popular songs and put a new twist on them. More unusual chord progressions and 'jamming' sections in the songs also became part of this movement. This new style is called progressive bluegrass, also known as newgrass.

However, the focus of the music is still on the acoustic instruments, especially the fiddle and acoustic guitar. In the 90s, it became a popular thing for country artists to record a bluegrass album now that the genres seemed to be getting closer together.

The song that I have posted is the Circle of Life from the Lion King by country music artist COLIN RAYE. Colin's version of this song is a good example of a newgrass piece. Especially nice is the inclusion of the bluegrass standard Will the Circle Be Unbroken which fits both musically and lyrically.

According to producer Fred Mollin, Colin recorded this track in one take!

Circle of Life Colin Raye 2001

Labels: circle of life, colin raye, country, lion king, o mickey where art thou

  ¶ 8:00 AM 0 Comments Links to this post

  Zip-A-Dee-Doo-Dah - Elizabeth Cook
ELIZABETH COOK has been making music all her life. She started performing on stage with her father at four and had her own band at nine. And even though she graduated college with dual degrees in Accounting and Computer Information Systems, her first love was music and her life went in that direction and hasn't looked back.

The song she sings for Disney is an old classic. Zip-A-Dee-Doo-Dah was written in 1946 for the movie Song of the South, Disney's first live action movie. I'm not really a fan of Cook's music or her voice, but she seems to fit quite well with this song. I find that her voice sounds like a cartoon so it is only fitting that she sings the song that, in my mind, is a bunch of cartoon characters being goofy and taking me for a ride in the Splash Mountain attraction at Disneyland.

Zip-A-Dee-Doo-Dah Elizabeth Cook 2003

Labels: bluegrass, elizabeth cook, o mickey where art thou, song of the south, zip a dee doo dah

  ¶ 6:40 AM 0 Comments Links to this post

  Mickey Mouse Club March/The Ballad of Davy Crockett
Walt Disney was one of the earliest people to jump on the television bandwagon and the Disney presence has been there ever since. This medley strings together the themes from two of Walt's earliest TV projects.

The Mickey Mouse March from the Mickey Mouse Club (1955) is the first half of the medley and the Ballad of Davy Crockett from the TV serials that are commonly known as the Adventures of Davy Crockett brings up the end. This song is found on the 2003 release O MICKEY, WHERE ART THOU? which was made to capitalize on the bluegrass craze that swept the music world after the release of O Brother, Where Art Thou? While the music is nice, it's not really bluegrass. Certain elements, like Aubrey Haynie's fiddle and Randy Korhs' dobro, are bluegrass but there is far more country here than there should be.

Although no names are credited, the liner notes tell me that Bryan Sutton, Mark Casstevens and Kerry Marx played guitar, Randy Kohrs played the dobro, Larry Paxton played bass, Aubrey Haynie played the fiddle, Richard Bailey played banjo and Sam Bush played the mandolin. All of these players, and others, are top of the line session players and provide all the music for this album.

Mickey Mouse Club March/ The Ballad of Davy Crockett 2003

Labels: ballad of davy crockett, bluegrass, mickey mouse club, mickey mouse march, o mickey where art thou

  ¶ 6:53 AM 1 Comments Links to this post