With a Smile and a Song - Carroll Gibbons and the Savoy Hotel Orpheans

While doing research for this album, it became clear that there is no good source of information on the internet about CARROLL GIBBONS AND THE SAVOY HOTEL ORPHEANS. I have a couple of Disney songs by this group and absolutely love them and want to share them with you, but don't really have any info about them.

Here is what I do know: The house band for the Savoy Hotel in London, England, the Savoy Havana Band, was one of the top dance bands in the country in the 20s, but when they left to tour in 1923 the manager of the hotel hired a new group. This new group, called the Savoy Orpheans, specialized in fresh renditions of current pop hits and soon grew to have the same and then even greater popularity than their predecessors.

The Savoy Orpheans was lead by Debroy Sommers until his departure in 1926 and, after changing hands a few times, the baton was handed to Carrol Gibbons who had played with the group as a musician since the beginning.

With all the reading I did, I'm not sure what instrument Gibbons played in the band. I know he later moved to piano, but in the early days he was said to be in the band but Billy Thorburn was the pianist.

Gibbons lead the Savoy Orpheans starting in 1932 and continued to play at the Savoy Hotel until 1937 when they quit being the house band because the hotel wouldn't let them play gigs in other venues. The name of the band was changed to the Savoy Hotel Orpheans and later, when Carroll Gibbons became a big selling point for the group, it was changed again to Carroll Gibbons and the Savoy Hotel Orpheans.

I know this seems like I actually found a lot of information, but certain things remain a mystery, like the recording date of this track. Snow White's With a Smile and a Song was released as a single on the Columbia record label with One Song, another Snow White song, as the b-side. But when was it recorded? Well, Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs was released in 1937 so it can't have been before that. I would guess that it was probably recorded around 1938 or 1939 as the music from that film was quite popular after its release.

It should also be noted that the vocals are sung by Anne Lenner, a popular British singer who sang for Carroll on many occasions.

With a Smile and a Song Carroll Gibbons and the Savoy Hotel Orpheans 1939?

Whistle While You Work - Polly James and the Mike Sammes Singers

Happy Earth Day everyone! April 22 marks the date that 20 million Americans took to the streets in 1970 protesting the harmful effect of mankind on the environment. Earth Day has now become an annual event, especially in schools, around the world, reminding people to be aware of their actions and the effects they have on the environment.

To tie in to this holiday, I have chosen the happy cleaning song from Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs, which is also the theme of the week. I hope that this song with remind you to tune up and start to whistle while you work on cleaning up this planet!

This version of Whistle While You Work was recorded in 1966 by UK actor/singer POLLY JAMES who released a whole album of Snow White tunes with TONY PETERS and THE MIKE SAMMES SINGERS. Peters is not on this track but you can hear the Mike Sammes Singers as the Seven Dwarfs. The vocalists are backed by Brian Fahey and His Orchestra.

If anyone has any info on this album, link for purchase or cover art, please let me know!

Whistle While You Work Polly James with the Mike Sammes Singers 1996

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

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

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

The Three Caballeros - Bing Crosby & the Andrews Sisters

Hi there! It's Thomas from Upcoming Pixar Kurtis kindly invited me to do a guest post here on Covering the Mouse. I must just say what a fantastic site this is!

I've always liked Disney's compilation movie, The Three Caballeros, and I always get the theme song stuck in my head. One day I came across Bing Crosby and the Andrews Sisters doing a cover of it. I don't think either Bing Crosby or the Andrews Sisters need any introduction. They have both collaborated many times before on such hits as "Ac-cent-tchu-ate The Positive" and "Don't Fence Me In".

The Andrews Sisters have also sung for two Disney films, but this song was released before any collaboration occurred between Disney and the sisters. The song reached the #8 position on the charts in 1945, which really is no surprise, as the Andrews Sisters sold the most records in the 40's only beaten by Bing Crosby.

You can view the original version on YouTube, where you can note how perfect the Andrews Sisters' voices were for the song, considering that the Three Caballeros were birds.

The Three Caballeros Bing Crosby & the Andrews Sisters 1944

Toyland - Perry Como

Let's continue our Christmas themed week today with a tune from the 1961 film Babes in Toyland starring Annette Funicello, Tommy Sands and Ed Bolger. The film, based of the 1903 operetta by Victor Herbert. This movie has become a Christmas standard, airing at least once every holiday season (although I think the Drew Barrymore/Keanu Reeves version is seen more often these days).

The songs in the Disney version are almost all based on the original score by Herbert. Some of the tunes get new lyrics, tempos or complete overhauls and the result is a very charming feature.

The song Toyland is one that didn't change too much. It can be heard in almost all the versions of Babes in Toyland and was a popular Christmas tune in the 60s. There are many covers of this song out there including this one by Perry Como from his 1968 album THE PERRY COMO CHRISTMAS ALBUM.

Toyland is not really a Disney song but it did appear in a Disney film and Disney has used it in a lot of Christmas merchandise so I say it qualifies for this blog.

Toyland Perry Como 1968

The Headless Horseman - Kay Starr

It's Obscure Disney Song Week here at Covering the Mouse and I have a spooky Halloween song for you! This month's obscure Disney song is The Headless Horseman from the Legend of Sleepy Hollow segment of The Adventures of Ichabod & Mr. Toad. The song was originally sung in 1949 by BING CROSBY and covered a few months after the films release by jazz singer, KAY STARR.

This version of Headless Horseman reminds me of classic Disney music from the shorts of the 40s. It has that distinct pop jazz sound to it. In fact, it is not that different from the Bing Crosby original but her sweet jazz voice is, dare I say it, nicer to listen to than Bing's. She is backed by the BILLY BUTTERFIELD QUINTET with background vocals by the THREE BEAUS AND A PEEP.

In 1948, the American Federation of Musicians was threatening a strike so Capitol Records, Starr's label, made all of their singers record a bunch of popular songs so that they could continue to release music while the strike was on. But Starr was new to the industry at the time so all of the good songs were given to the "popular" singers and she was left with the scraps. Is this why she recorded Headless Horseman? Because the all the good ones were taken? It certainly isn't a pop hit and it does fit with the timing of the strike. That's my guess.

The Headless Horseman Kay Starr 1949

Bibbidi-Bobbidi-Boo - Jo Stafford & Gordon MacRae

JO STAFFORD'S career started in the late thirties when she started singing with her sisters. The Stafford Sisters made a name for themselves and soon Jo found herself joining another group, the Pied Pipers.

In 1944 she decided to go solo and recorded many records for Capital Records. It was here that she met GORDON MCRAE and together they recorded the hit Say Something Sweet to Your Sweetheart. They recorded a few more songs together, including Bibbidi-Bobbidi-Boo in 1949.

Bibbidi-Bobbidi-Boo is not an original Disney song. It was written in 1948 and was popularized by two recordings in 1949. One by Perry Como and the Fontane Sisters and this one. This is why you will hear a few extra verses that were not included when Disney introduced this song in Cinderella in 1950. The Jo Stafford and Gordon McRae recording can be found on CAPITAL SINGS KIDS' SONGS FOR GROWN-UPS.

Bibbidi-Bobbidi-Boo Jo Stafford & Gordon McRae 1949

Winnie the Pooh - Louis Prima

A big thank-you to Jerry Beck and Cartoon Brew for featuring Covering the Mouse on their blog! Jerry, this post is for you!

LOUIS PRIMA was one of the leading Swingers of the 30s and 40s and continued to make the music he loved up until his death in the 70s. You will recognize him as the voice of King Louie in the Jungle Book (the line 'I'm the King of the Swingers' from I Wan'na Be Like You was a reference to him).

Prima has done more work with Disney over the years, recording his swing versions of many Disney songs, including the theme to Winnie the Pooh. I found this old record called WINNIE THE POOH AND TIGGER sitting in a guys old stack of records. It was scratched beyond belief but it had this great version of Pooh's theme by Louis Prima that I knew I had to have. So here it is. Please excuse the all the pops. It was the best I could do to get it sounding good.

You'll notice, if you click the album cover below, that Tigger looks totally wrong. Tigger made his debut in Winnie the Pooh and the Blustery Day in 1968 and this record was released in 1968 and is a soundtrack to that short. I can only assume that the cover art was done well in advance so the artist never saw any character designs or concept art.

Winnie the Pooh Louis Prima 1968

When You Wish Upon a Star - Dion and the Belmonts

DION AND THE BELMONTS didn't have a long career. Dion DiMucci, a singer since childhood who toured with many big names, joined the Belmonts in 1957 and left the group in 1960 to persue a solo career. They had a few hits together but the Belmonts were not as popular after Dion left.

An interesting fact: Dion and the Belmonts were part of the Winter Dance Party in 1959. They couldn't afford the $36 that it would cost to fly to the next gig so they stayed behind. The plane, which was carrying Buddy Holly, Ritchie Vallens and the Big Bopper, crashed. There were no survivors. This day is called "the day the music died."

Dion and the Belmonts released two albums. The second, released in 1960, is called WISH UPON A STAR WITH DION AND THE BELMONTS and contains a nice cover of When You Wish Upon a Star. I absolutely love the 50s do-op style that they give this song! It is totally authentic and a great representation of the musical styles of the day.

When You Wish Upon a Star Dion and the Belmonts 1960