Under the Sea - The Chipmunks



A big bulk of WHEN YOU WISH UPON A CHIPMUNK is fluff. Super sweet pop versions of Disney tunes with annoying voices. But if you grew up through the 80s and 90s watching a lot of Alvin and the Chimpunks on TV like I did, you will probably enjoy this track.

At first this may sound like an exact rip off of the original version of Under the Sea with squeaky vocals, and to some extent that may be true. But the strong rock star-esque strength of the lead, the high-pitched vibrato and the powerful harmonies are indicative of THE CHIPMUNKS and I can't help but smile just a little bit when listening to it.

Labels: chipmunks, little mermaid, pop, under the sea, when you wish upon a chipmunk

  ¶ 9:15 AM 0 Comments Links to this post

  Under the Sea - Bena Lobo
BENA LOBO is a Bossa Nova artist from Rio de Janeiro whose style includes Samba, Jazz, Reggae, Funk, and Pop. However, for this cover of Under the Sea, Lobo went for a pure Bossa Nova groove and created one of the more interesting covers of the Little Mermaid classic.

The song can be found on a now out of print Bossa Nova cover album called BOSSA DISNEY that was released in 2001 in Japan.

Under the Sea Bena Lobo 2001

Labels: bena lobo, bossa disney, bossa nova, little mermaid, under the sea

  ¶ 6:48 AM 1 Comments Links to this post

  Under the Sea - Shaggy
Today's cover is by Orville Richard Burrell. Don't recognize that name? Maybe you know him by his stage name, SHAGGY.

Shaggy is a nickname given to him by his peers in high school due his name, Orville Richard, striking a close resemblance to the actual name of Scooby-Doo's companion, Norville "Shaggy" Rogers. The name stuck and he kept it as his stage name once he started his career in 1993.

In 1998, Shaggy covered Under the Sea for UNDER THE SEA - 18 COOL REGGAE HITS, a pop/reggae compilation album that was co-produced by Disney and Polygram. His unique vocal style and reggae tendencies really bring the song to life.

Under the Sea Shaggy 1998

Labels: little mermaid, pop, reggae, shaggy, under the sea

  ¶ 1:21 PM 0 Comments Links to this post

  DJ Skribble Megamix - DJ Skribble
The mid 90s saw a trend that was becoming popular for every artist. The dance remix. It seemed that every hit song needed to have its own techno version so that the clubs could play it. Remix albums became super popular and often found at the end of those albums was a megamix.

A little late on the bandwagon, Disney released DISNEY REMIX MANIA in 2005 which was an album of techno remixes of the already electronic-heavy versions of past DISNEYMANIA cover songs. And yes, you can find a megamix at the end of this album.

This megamix is remixed by DJ SKRIBBLE and features Under The Sea by Raven-Symone, I Won't Say [I'm In Love] by the Cheetah Girls and Cruella De Vil by Lalaine. All three tracks were originally heard on DISNEYMANIA 3 and have their own individual remix on DISNEY REMIX MANIA.

I'm not really a fan of these dance/techno remixes, but megamixes are fun. And I like medleys and hearing the way the songs are tied together. However, this megamix is not that great. It is pretty much three songs tied together with a beat. There is no mushing them together at all. I prefer a little bit more creativity.

DJ Skribble Megamix DJ Skribble 2005

Labels: 101 dalmatians, cheetah girls, cruella de vil, disney remix mania, dj skribble, dj skribble megamix, hercules, i won't say i'm in love, lalaine, little mermaid, raven-symone, techno, under the sea

  ¶ 10:13 AM 0 Comments Links to this post

  Under the Sea - Squirrel Nut Zippers
There is a lot of controversy surrounding the recording of Under the Sea by the swing band from North Carolina, SQUIRREL NUT ZIPPERS. Apparently, the Squirrels recorded the track for the release of The Little Mermaid on DVD in 1999. Disney was in the middle of purchasing Mammoth Records, the band's label, both all parties involved seem to have a different idea of what should happen with the song.

To make a long story short, the song got shelved and never saw the light of day until 2002 when it was released on the band's greatest hits album.

Under the Sea Squirrel Nut Zippers 1999

Labels: best of squirrel nut zippers, jazz, little mermaid, squirrel nut zippers, swing, under the sea

  ¶ 11:26 AM 2 Comments Links to this post

  Under the Sea - Suburban Legends
Way back when, Christine requested the SUBURBAN LEGENDS version of the Oscar winning Under the Sea. The song is often used as the band's show closer as it is a huge fan-favourite. Unfortunately, we may never see an album recording of this song due to licensing issues.

I don't know what show this live recording is taken from. If you search youtube you can find many different recordings from many different shows. If any of you out there knows what show this comes from, please leave a comment!

Since their formation in 1998, Suburban Legends has used many Disney songs in their live shows. Their fun ska/funk style turns this song into a great crowd pleaser. It makes me want to go to their show just so I can join the dancing crowd! I'll post more Disney covers by Suburban Legends in the future with a special track coming in May. Stay tuned!

Under the Sea Suburban Legends

Labels: little mermaid, ska, suburban legends, under the sea

  ¶ 7:12 AM 3 Comments Links to this post

  Under the Sea - Kevin Davis and Jason Lamb
Hey, Ray here from Cover Me. Kurtis was nice enough to let me take the helm – an appropriate metaphor for today’s song – and I hope to return the gesture soon.

As a kid, The Little Mermaid was the Disney movie I hated. It had too much girl-whining and hair-combing for a seven-year old boy who is far more interested in a pirate’s sword or a dwarf’s axe than a redhead’s clam-shell bra. However, there was one song I’d rewind the tape for again and again, a song probably thrown in the movie just to give all us Y-chromosome children something to enjoy, Under the Sea. Ariel doesn’t sing a word and any ideas about boy-girl romance (ew, cooties!) are miles away. Practical issues such as breathing didn't enter my mind as, hearing how much fun the ocean's depths sounded, I planned my move there.

Turns out though the song doesn’t need Sebastian the crab’s faux-Jamaican accent or careening steel drums to be effective, as evidenced by Kevin Davis and Jason Lamb’s guitar and harmonica rendition. A songwriter from southern Illinois, Davis is a little-known, record-label-less gem of a performer, using simple instrumentation and straightforward singing to focus on the melodies. It’s a technique that lends itself to great covers like this one: just enough instrumentation to make it interesting, but not to distract from the great lyrics and vocal presentation. Add in Lamb’s harmonica wailing in the background on this one and you’ll see just why it’s hotter under the water.

Under the Sea Kevin Davis and Jason Lamb 2006

Labels: acoustic, jason lamb, kevin davis, little mermaid, under the sea

  ¶ 11:04 AM 3 Comments Links to this post