The Siamese Cat Song - Bobby McFerrin
I don't have much time today for a long post so here is an awesome track off SIMPLY MAD ABOUT THE MOUSE by BOBBY McFERRIN.

The song is The Siamese Cat Song from Lady and the Tramp.

The Siamese Cat Song Bobby McFerrin 1991

Labels: a capella, bobby mcferrin, lady and the tramp, pop, siamese cat song, simply mad about the mouse

  ¶ 7:21 PM 0 Comments Links to this post

  Some Day My Prince Will Come/One Song - En Vogue
EN VOGUE was very new in the R&B world when they recorded this track for SIMPLY MAD ABOUT THE MOUSE in 1991. They found success with their debut album in 1990 and Disney got them to record Some Day My Prince Will Come and One Song knowing that their name would be a big selling point.

Unfortunately, I think this song is the worst track on the album which is why I've chosen it for Terrible Track Friday. The tempo has been slowed down so much that it becomes boring. And while the vocals get more interesting toward the end, it is not enough to make me like the song. And what's with the cheesy background vocals on One Song? En Vogue has had a lot of good songs but this isn't one of them.

Some Day My Prince Will Come/One Song En Vogue 1991

Labels: en vogue, one song, rnb, simply mad about the mouse, snow white and the seven dwarfs, some day my prince will come, terrible

  ¶ 11:56 AM 2 Comments Links to this post

  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

  The Bare Necessities - Harry Connick, Jr.
We're almost at the end of Big Band Week and today is the last good post of the week because tomorrow is Terrible Track Friday.

Today I'm posting a song from a modern jazz artist who often uses the big band sound in his work. HARRY CONNICK, JR. Disney was keeping an eye on this young talent from the start. In 1991 Harry was asked by Disney to record The Bare Necessities for SIMPLY MAD ABOUT THE MOUSE, a compilation album of famous pop musicians. This was only a year after Harry found success recording the soundtrack for When Harry Met Sally.

I'm surprised that more people haven't used this song in this fashion. The mood seems to fit so well as a jazz piece but it gets over shadowed by the jazzier I Wan'na Be Like You. Harry's version is really nice but he cuts out the "When you look under the rocks and plants" part of the song and it throws me off when I hear it.

The Bare Necessities Harry Connick, Jr. 1991

Labels: bare necessities, big band, harry connick jr, jazz, jungle book, simply mad about the mouse

  ¶ 9:07 AM 1 Comments Links to this post

  I've Got No Strings - Gypsy Kings
The GYPSY KINGS have been doing their thing since the early eighties and have made quite a career for themselves. They were the first group to take their Rumba Flamenca style and craft it for the pop world. The tight guitar playing and rhythmic tapping and hand claps are impressive when you hear them and even more impressive when you hear them live.

For the 1991 project, SIMPLY MAD ABOUT THE MOUSE, the Gypsy Kings took a crack at the famous Pinocchio tune I've Got No Strings. Lyrically, this song about freedom fits perfectly with the gypsy lifestyle and rhythmically provides the basis for a really good cover.

I love the chord changes they make, turning some major chords to minor to create some more intricate melodies. I also love the hand claps. It takes a special group of people to stay on time like that.

I've Got No Strings Gypsy Kings 1991

Labels: flamenco, gypsy kings, i've got no strings, pinocchio, simply mad about the mouse

  ¶ 9:07 AM 0 Comments Links to this post

  Who's Afraid of the Big Bad Wolf - LL Cool J
LL Cool J has had a remarkable career. Since 1984, he has had multiple platinum albums and number one hits, he put Def Jam on the map, he launched the FUBU clothing line, acted in numerous movies, has his own record label, and he's still going strong!

In 1991, Disney put together a series of music videos in a direct-to-video/soundtrack album package called SIMPLY MAD ABOUT THE MOUSE: A MUSICAL CELEBRATION OF IMAGINATION. The videos are all acts who were top acts of the time and LL's contribution to the album is one of the more interesting renditions.

Who's Afraid of the Big Bad Wolf from the 1933 film Three Little Pigs was Disney's first hit single. People loved the Frank Churchill song because of the allegory to the Great Depression, and later to Nazi Germany. But above all, people loved the song because it was a great song. It has lasted generations and it is still loved all over the world. LL adds rap verses that tell the tale of the Three Little Pigs and place you right in the action. This isn't so much a cover song but a rap song that samples the Who's Afraid of the Big Bad Wolf chorus.

Who's Afraid of the Big Bad Wolf LL Cool J 1991

Labels: ll cool j, rap, simply mad about the mouse, three little pigs, who's afraid of the big bad wolf

  ¶ 9:00 AM 0 Comments Links to this post

 

Labels: ll cool j, rap, simply mad about the mouse, three little pigs, who's afraid of the big bad wolf

  ¶ 2:20 PM 1 Comments Links to this post