the disney song encyclopedia

Song THE DISNEY ENCYCLOPEDIA THOMAS S. HISCHAK and MARK A. ROBINSON THE DISNEY Song ENCYCLOPEDIA HISCHAK and ROBINSON PERFORMING ARTS • MUSIC From the fi lm shorts of the 1930s to the recent phenomenon High School Musical, songs written for Disney productions over the decades have become an enduring part of popular culture. The Disney Song Encyclopedia discusses hundreds of famous and not-so-famous songs from Disney fi lms, television programs, Broadway shows, and theme parks from the 1930s to the present. In this comprehensive reference, authors Thomas S. Hischak and Mark A. Robinson review more than 900 songs in alphabetical order. Songwriters and original singers are identifi ed, as well as the source of the song and other venues in which it has been used over the years. Notable recordings of the song are also provided, but most important are discussions of what makes each song memorable. This volume also contains a glossary of song terms, a songwriter’s directory, a guide to recordings and DVDs of Disney productions, and a list of Academy Award nominees and winners. THOMAS S. HISCHAK is the author of eighteen books, including Through the Screen Door: What Happened to the Broadway Musical When It Went to Hollywood (Scarecrow Press, 2004), Theatre as Human Action (Scarecrow Press, 2006), and The Oxford Companion to the American Musical (2008). He is professor of theatre at the State University of New York College at Cortland. MARK A. ROBINSON has taught theatre and fi lm in various high schools in Nebraska and New York. For orders and information please contact the publisher SCARECROW PRESS, INC. A wholly owned subsidiary of The Rowman & Littlefi eld Publishing Group, Inc. 4501 Forbes Boulevard, Suite 200 Lanham, Maryland 20706 1-800-462-6420 | fax 717-794-3803 www.scarecrowpress.com Cover image: 101 DALMATIONS, 1961. Walt Disney Productions / Photofest Cover design by Allison Nealon Disney Song Litho.indd 1Disney Song Litho.indd 1 6/16/09 12:13:07 PM6/16/09 12:13:07 PM The Disney Song Encyclopedia Thomas S. Hischak Mark A. Robinson THE SCARECROW PRESS, INC. Lanham, Maryland • Toronto • Plymouth, UK 2009 SCARECROW PRESS, INC. Published in the United States of America by Scarecrow Press, Inc. A wholly owned subsidiary of The Rowman & Littlefield Publishing Group, Inc. 4501 Forbes Boulevard, Suite 200, Lanham, Maryland 20706 www.scarecrowpress.com Estover Road Plymouth PL6 7PY United Kingdom Copyright © 2009 by Thomas S. Hischak and Mark A. Robinson Cover photo: At the end of the animated adventure movie 101 Dalmatians (1961), songwriter Roger Radcliffe (voice of Ben Wright) is inspired to compose the merry “Dalmatian Plantation” to the approval of his canine listeners. (Walt Disney Productions/Photofest) All rights reserved. No part of this publication may be reproduced, stored in a retrieval system, or transmitted in any form or by any means, electronic, mechanical, photocopying, recording, or otherwise, without the prior permission of the publisher. British Library Cataloguing in Publication Information Available Library of Congress Cataloging-in-Publication Data Hischak, Thomas S. The Disney song encyclopedia / Thomas S. Hischak ; Mark A. Robinson. p. cm. Includes bibliographical references and index. ISBN 978-0-8108-6937-0 (hardback : alk. paper) — ISBN 978-0-8108-6938-7 (ebook) 1. Motion picture music—Encyclopedias. I. Robinson, Mark A., 1973– II. Title. ML102.M68H58 2009 782.421640973—dc22 2009011174 ϱ ™ The paper used in this publication meets the minimum requirements of American National Standard for Information Sciences—Permanence of Paper for Printed Library Materials, ANSI/NISO Z39.48-1992. Manufactured in the United States of America. For the Bleemer family, devoted Disney fans —T.S.H. For Dorothy and Robert VanWagenen, the closest thing to a Disney “happily-ever-after” that I know —M.A.R. When Walt Disney (at head of the table) drew this sketch circa 1941, his company had already introduced several unforgettable characters, many still familiar icons today. Seated around the table, clockwise, are Mickey Mouse, Ferdinand the Bull, Pluto, the Three Little Pigs, Jiminy Cricket, Pinocchio, Donald Duck (sporting a Pinocchio hat), Snow White, Dopey, and Minnie Mouse, with the Blue Fairy casting a spell on the whole ensemble. (Walt Disney/Photofest) v CONTENTS Preface vii Acknowledgments xi A Brief History of Disney Music xiii Songs 1 Appendix A: Alternate Song Titles 245 Appendix B: Songwriters Directory 249 Appendix C: Sources and Songs 265 Appendix D: Guide to Recordings, Videos, and DVDs 287 Appendix E: Academy Awards for Disney Songs and Scores 311 Glossary of Song Terms 315 Bibliography 319 Index 323 About the Authors 349 vii There’s a terrific power to music. You can run any of these pictures and they’d be dragging and boring, but the minute you put music behind them, they have life and vitality they don’t get any other way. —Walt Disney Songs written for Disney productions over the decades have become a potent part of American popular culture. Since most Americans first discov- ered these songs in their youth, they hold a special place in our collective consciousness. Yet there have been few serious studies of these beloved songs. The purpose of this book is to describe and discuss hundreds of fa- mous and not-so-famous songs from Disney films, television shows, Broad- way productions, records, and theme parks, from the 1930s to the present day. The goal is not only to inform readers about these many songs but also to rekindle memories readers have associated with them. What is a Disney song? For the purposes of this book, it is any new song written for a Disney product, be it a feature or short film, a Broadway mu- sical, a television show or special, a made-for-video production, a record, or a theme park. But a Disney song is also a state of mind, a lyrical and musical expression of an idea that harkens back to the simple but potent premise that first distinguished Walt Disney more than nine decades ago. Whether it is an animated fairy tale, a live-action adventure, a silly sitcom, or a Disneyland attraction, a Disney production is distinguished by its fine PREFACE craftsmanship, ambitious goals, and generally optimistic view of life. The same can be said for most of the songs created for these productions. The variety of songs is impressive, from sunny kids’ songs and heartfelt blues numbers to rustic folk songs and pulsating rock numbers. Yet there is something positive in the outlook of all these songs. The Disney experience is basically a hopeful one. The productions affirm life and avoid cynicism and despair. Even when the Disney artists tackle disturbing issues, such as racial inequality or the destruction of the environment, the tone is one of hope. A Disney song, regardless of the many and diverse forms it may take, is a small musical affirmation of what makes life worth living. We have selected 940 songs and given them individual entries presented in alphabetical order. The songwriters and original singers are identified, as well as the source (film, television, theatre, theme park, or record) of the song and other venues in which it might have been used over the years. Notable recordings of the song are also listed. But most important, an effort has been made to describe each song and explain what makes it memorable. The goal is to provide not a reference list but a true encyclopedia of Disney songs. Both short and feature films are covered, as well as movies made for television. While the Disney Company also releases films and television programs under the banners of Touchstone, Hollywood, and Caravan Pic- tures, these are only included here if it is felt they are truly in the Disney tone. Full-length and short video productions are covered, as are all the Broadway musicals produced by Disney. The company has long been ac- tive in recordings, starting with Disney Records, and introduced many new songs in that venue; a sampling of these are included. Walt Disney was among the first Hollywood producers to branch out into television. Hun- dreds of Disney songs have been written and presented on programs such as The Mickey Mouse Club, Disneyland, Walt Disney’s Wonderful World of Color, and many shows on the Disney Channel. We have attempted to provide a wide and representative selection of these, from the 1950s to the present day. A brief history of Walt Disney’s interest in music is offered to intro- duce the reader to the special relationship the studio has always had with soundtrack scores as well as songs. Following the entries is a listing of al- ternate song titles to help the reader locate songs that are known by differ- ent titles. There is also a directory of all the songwriters mentioned in the book, along with lists of the Disney productions that utilize their work. A guide to recordings, videos, and DVDs and a selected bibliography are also included to help readers find these songs and books dealing with Disney viii PREFACE and Disney music. Because song terminology varies in meaning, a glossary of popular music terms is included to define these terms as they are used in this book. Finally, it should be pointed out again that a Disney song in this book is one written for a Disney production and not one that is just interpolated into the presentation. Disney has used classical music, Tin Pan Alley stan- dards, traditional folk songs, and pop songs in its productions. Unless they were translated or largely reconfigured for the Disney presentation, they are not included here. PREFACE ix [...]... much they miss and worry about Scamp, the four voices combining in a gentle and moving quartet “American Dragon” is the hard-rock number by Perry LaMarca that serves as the theme song for the second and succeeding seasons of the animated adventure series American Dragon: Jake Long (2005) It replaced The Chosen One,” the series’ original theme song The Jonas Brothers sing the repetitive song about the. .. Orbach), and the other enchanted objects Later in the film, when the Beast casts Belle into the dungeon for trying to celebrate Christmas, the song is reprised by Belle and the French tree ornament Angelique (Bernadette Peters) During the final credits, a duet version of the song is sung on the soundtrack by Roberta Flack and Peabo Bryson “ATHENA’S SONG 9 “At the Ball” is the clever song of exposition... it was the top-selling song in Japan for a while Billy Cotton, the Cliff Adams Singers, Eddie Fisher, the Wellingtons, Eddy Arnold, the Kentucky Headhunters, the Four Mosquitos, and Mannheim Steamroller were among the others who recorded the ballad in the States Disney legend has it that Bruns and Blackburn quickly wrote the song at the last minute because the episode was running short and they needed... all its own, and the scene is perhaps the finest in the film “Beauty and the Beast” is the entrancing title ballad from the 1991 animated film The teapot Mrs Potts (voice of Angela Lansbury) sings the gentle number while the Beast and Belle dance in the castle ballroom The song is also reprised at the end of the film with a chorale version as Belle and the transformed prince dance in the same ballroom... one’s nose if they didn’t like your face, the lyric was changed to references about the flat terrain and the intense heat when the movie was released on video The number serves as the theme song for the animated television series Aladdin (1994) and is reprised by Adler in the animated video sequel Aladdin and the King of Thieves (1995) “Are We Dancing?” is the waltzing love song for the Philadelphian... tradition over the years, and in the 1980s it spawned its own network in the form of the Disney Channel More TV shows meant more theme songs, so there are literally hundreds of Disney songs ingrained in our collective psyche through the availability and affordability of television entertainment In 1955 the Disneyland theme park opened in Anaheim, California, and with it came dozens of Disney attractions,... in on the cheery song, and the entire cast reprises it at the end of the musical Ashley Brown played Mary in the 2006 Broadway version and led the cast in singing the song “Anything Can Happen Day” is the zesty theme song used for Wednesdays on the television series The Mickey Mouse Club (1955) The Mouseketeers announce in song that Wednesday is a day for surprises and that there will be unexpected thrills... bumbling crooks The feisty campfire song, complete with “yeehaws,” tells the story of the young trio and is sung by Randy Sparks and the Back Porch Majority over the opening credits of the film The melody is also heard in the sequel The Apple Dumpling Gang Rides Again (1979) The Apple Song is a merry list song written by Kim Gannon and Walter Kent for the “Johnny Appleseed” section of the animated movie... and others who have worked at the country club for the summer gather together around the pool and have one last celebration of their fun in the sun by singing the spirited pop song “All in a Golden Afternoon” is the operetta-like choral number that various flowers sing in the animated movie Alice in Wonderland (1951) Sammy Fain (music) and Bob Hilliard (lyric) wrote the lyrical number in which the various... defense The seemingly genial song has a dark undercurrent of foreboding in the music, which foreshadows the disturbing events of the movie The Bare Necessities” is the Oscar-nominated song of low-down, lowkey philosophy by Terry Gilkyson that was featured in the animated movie The Jungle Book (1967) Baloo the Bear (voice of Phil Harris) sings to the man-cub Mowgli (Bruce Reitherman) about taking the easy . Song THE DISNEY ENCYCLOPEDIA THOMAS S. HISCHAK and MARK A. ROBINSON THE DISNEY Song ENCYCLOPEDIA HISCHAK and ROBINSON PERFORMING ARTS • MUSIC From the fi lm shorts of the 1930s to the. DALMATIONS, 1961. Walt Disney Productions / Photofest Cover design by Allison Nealon Disney Song Litho.indd 1Disney Song Litho.indd 1 6/16/09 12:13:07 PM6/16/09 12:13:07 PM The Disney Song Encyclopedia Thomas. there is something positive in the outlook of all these songs. The Disney experience is basically a hopeful one. The productions affirm life and avoid cynicism and despair. Even when the Disney