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

  ¶ 9:21 AM 0 Comments Links to this post

  Never Smile at a Crocodile - Captain Bogg and Salty
To celebrate ten glorious years of nautical nonsense, CAPTIAN BOGG AND SALTY released their fourth album, EMPHATICAL PIRATICAL a month ago.

The disc offers the same piratical goodies that fans have come to know and love over the years. Remember this cover of Part of Your World from their previous album?

The band was nice enough to send along this cover of Never Smile at a Crocodile which was recorded for their newest release. I hope you all enjoy it! ...And buy the album!

Never Smile at a Crocodile Captain Bogg and Salty 2009

Labels: captain bogg and salty, emphatical piratical, never smile at a crocodile, peter pan, rock

  ¶ 11:07 AM 2 Comments Links to this post

  The Second Star to the Right - Jesse McCartney
Today's cover is The Second Star to the Right by Disney star JESSE MCCARTNEY, who started his career in 1999 in the boy band Dreamstreet. He was twelve. He left the group at fifteen to focus on his solo career and now, at 21 years old, he has released three albums and has been a part of many television shows and movies. Jesse recorded this Peter Pan classic for DISNEYMANIA 2 in 2004, right around the time of his first solo release.

And speaking of Peter Pan, I saw a commercial on TV that said the DVD will be pulled from the shelves and locked in the vault soon, so if you haven't picked it up yet you'd better do it soon!

The Second Star to the Right Jesse McCartney 2004

Labels: disneymania 2, jesse mccartney, peter pan, pop, second star to the right

  ¶ 7:00 AM 1 Comments Links to this post

  Never Smile At a Crocodile - Mary Louise
Today's cover tune is taken from an episode of the first season of the Muppet Show from 1976. Never Smile at a Crocodile is the musical number sung by MARY LOUISE as she rides a crocodile through a swamp. The froggy chorus that backs her up is unaware of the fact that the crocodile is eating them one by one.

I love the Muppets and I especially love the Muppet Show so it is always a delight to hear a Disney song pop up on the show. This song is taken from Peter Pan which can be heard in the film without lyrics as the crocodile's theme. The lyrics were added for later recordings.

Mary Louise is a Muppet that never made it quite as big as Gonzo or Fozzie or even Pepe. Her acts always seemed to include frogs in some way or another. Look out Miss Piggy, you've got competition!

Never Smile at a Crocodile Mary Louise 1976

Labels: folk, mary lousie, muppet show, never smile at a crocodile, peter pan

  ¶ 8:16 AM 1 Comments Links to this post

  Second Star to the Right - Voices of Ascension
On the first Friday of every month I post a requested cover. Isreal wants to hear more from HEIGH-HO MOZART and to tie into our week-long Disney Orphans theme I am posting Second Star to the Right by the VOICES OF ASCENSION, one of the world's best professional choral ensembles.

Peter Pan's life has been full of excitement and adventures. Unfortunately, without the guidance of a parent or other good role model Peter has become a underdeveloped preteen. He's probably about 12 or 13 in the film but acts as if he were seven years old. He is a bratty orphan who exists in his own world and lives to please only himself. Not the stuff of a protagonist, but he does end up learning something at the end.

Of all the orphans in all the Disney films, Peter Pan is the most annoying and the most in desperate need of parental support. If only Wendy had stayed in Neverland...or would she regress to Peter Pan's level?

As with all the songs on HEIGH-HO MOZART, this song is modeled after a famous classical composer, in this case THOMAS TALLIS.

Tallis lived in the 16th century and specialized in writing music for the church. He wrote choral anthems that were sung in English rather than Latin which ended up being quite controversial.

The Second Star to the Right Voices of Ascension 1995

Labels: classical, heigh-ho mozart, peter pan, second star to the right, voices of ascension

  ¶ 7:53 AM 0 Comments Links to this post

  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

Labels: mosh pit on disney, peter pan, rock, terrible, wrench, you can fly

  ¶ 1:59 PM 2 Comments Links to this post

  The Second Star to the Right - Jonantha Brooke
The Disney sequel that I will talk about today is another that I would put in the 'sequels I like' catagory. The story of Return to Neverland is one of those lame 'offspring does opposite of what the main character did in the original' plots. Usually I don't like those at all but for some reason this movie really hooked me (Captain Hook! Get it?!).

The story follows Jane, the daughter of Wendy, who, because she has grown up during war times, is very jaded and cynical. She doesn't believe in Neverland or Peter Pan and refuses to stay a child. I really liked Jane's character and the way she deals with both kid and adult situations. The animation is very good for a sequel and the music is really great too.

I had never heard of JONATHA BROOKE before I saw this film. She is a folk singer who has been releasing albums on her own record label since the early 90s. She was asked to provide some music for this Peter Pan sequel and she recorded I'll Try, one of my favourite modern Disney songs, as well as a cover of the Second Star to the Right. The song sets the mood for the film by creating a melon collie version that foreshadows the dramatic situations that are about to happen.

Only a snippet can be heard in the film so please listen to the whole thing here or buy the soundtrack.

The Second Star to the Right Jonatha Brooke 2002

Labels: jonatha brooke, peter pan, pop, return to neverland, second star to the right

  ¶ 6:41 AM 5 Comments Links to this post

  À Voar, À Voar, À Voar - Joyce
Here is another installment of the BOSSA DISNEY NOVA album released in Japan in 2004. The album features some of Brazil's top Bossa Nova talent and this song is no exception.

JOYCE is a self-taught guitarist. She learned by watching her older brother play bossa nova with his bossa nova musician friends. In 1964, when she was sixteen she was invited to be a part of a recording session. Her talent was obvious and she was asked back to record some jingles.

A few years later in 1968 Joyce released her first album made up of songs that she had written over the past few years. Since then she has recorded dozens of albums, both solo and with other famous Brazillian musicians.

Her take on Peter Pan's You Can Fly! is very unique. She really plays with the timing especially in the chorus. It says in the song that one can fly just by thinking wonderful thoughts (and pixie dust) but I think that listening to bossa nova would be enough to make anyone fly!

By the way, today marks the 55th anniversary of Peter Pan which was released to theatres on this day in 1955!

À Voar, À Voar, À Voar Joyce 2004

Labels: bossa disney nova, Joyce, peter pan, you can fly

  ¶ 7:26 AM 0 Comments Links to this post

  Never Smile At a Crocodile - Kimbo Educational

Hi, folks - Boyhowdy here, host of folk cover blog Cover Lay Down. As a teacher and a parent of two girls ages two and five, I'm always on the lookout for good kids music, though I'm usually suspicious of any company which claims to be "educational" -- too often, the word belies a set of creative choices which sacrifice quality and care for curricular relevance and namby-pamby sappiness. But the other day I discovered this wonderful version of the Peter Pan classic Never Smile At a Crocodile on SIX LITTLE DUCKS, a CD from a company called KIMBO EDUCATIONAL, which might just change my mind.

The songs on Six Little Ducks are typical preschool sing-along fare, heavy on the tune and rhythm, light on the kind of nuance which most adults would look for in a "good" song. But that's not a bad thing, in the context of a playroom or family car ride. The whole point of music for the tiniest tot set is to introduce the simplest songs to another generation, and provide an opportunity to engender movement and enjoy the simple pleasure of a good tune.

In the case of Never Smile At a Crocodile, this means an upbeat acoustic guitar and clear, uncredited storysong vocals, supported by bouncy synthesizer, percussive sax, and a crisp drumbeat. It's a perfect setting for this playful tune, one which exposes its silly-yet-honest moral without crossing the bar into cheesiness. In short, for what it claims to be, this is one of the best songs around.

Amazon reviewers -- all parents and preschool teachers -- universally describe Six Little Ducks as the best CD in their collection, both for its breadth and its catchiness. And a quick browse through the Kimbo Educational catalog shows a bevy of other Disney tunes on their other CDs, too. If you're a parent, or just a serious collector of Disney tunes wherever you can find them, I can't recommend the Kimbo Education series highly enough.

Looking for more coversongs for kids? Then head over to Cover Lay Down, where our regular kidfolk feature compiles the best coversongs for cool moms and dads in a variety of folk styles.

Never Smile at a Crocodile Kimbo Educational 2000

Labels: childrens, kimbo educational, never smile at a crocodile, peter pan, six little ducks

  ¶ 8:11 AM 0 Comments Links to this post

  Second Star to the Right - Sun Ra and his Intergalaxtic Arkestra
SUN RA is of the Angel Race from Saturn who came to Earth to teach earthlings through his music. Sounds like an interesting guy, doesn't he? Even more interesting is his music. Sun Ra has been an influential musician since the 40s, developing his skills in free jazz and improvisation. He formed his group, which he calls his Intergalaxtic Arkestra, and they recorded many albums and played many gigs up until Sun Ra's death in the early 90s. The Arkestra continues today.

In 1988, Sun Ra was part of the Disney tribute album STAY AWAKE, contributing his version of Pink Elephants On Parade. Sun Ra liked the project so much it inspired him to incorporate other Disney songs into his roster. A year later he recorded a live performance of Disney covers in Austria and packaged it under the name SECOND STAR TO THE RIGHT (SALUTE TO WALT DISNEY). This version of Second Star to the Right is from that album.

Second Star to the Right Sun Ra and his Intergalaxtic Arkestra 1989

Labels: jazz, peter pan, second star to the right, second star to the right (salute to walt disney), sun ra

  ¶ 8:57 AM 1 Comments Links to this post