Wednesday, September 9, 2015

Disney Songs #63: Bella Notte to #54: Bibbity Bobbity Boo



The next 10 entries all happen to be from movies that I haven't seen in a while.  Since I don't have too much in the way of commentary, personal memories, or interviews lined up, I am presenting them as one post.

#63: Bella Notte

To Listen: Click Here

The Facts:
  • Writers: Sonny Burke (music), Peggy Lee (lyrics)
  • Year: 1955
  • Key:  F Major

Heard In: 
Lady and the Tramp

Background / Personal Connection:
This is the song from the famous scene where Lady's got one end of the spaghetti in her mouth and Tramp's got the other end.  That Tramp was a pretty slick fellow.


#62: Chim Chim Cheree

To Listen: Click Here

The Facts:
  • Writers: Richard and Robert Sherman
  • Year: 1964
  • Key:  C Minor

Heard In: 
Mary Poppins

Background / Personal Connection:
Our first Mary Poppins tune to make the list, and certainly not the last.  In fact, there are two more later in this post.

#61: Be Prepared


To Listen: Click Here

The Facts:
  • Writers: Elton John (music), Tim Rice (lyrics)
  • Year: 1994
  • Key:  A Minor

Heard In: 
The Lion King

Background / Personal Connection:
Our first Lion King tune to make the list, and certainly not the last.  Wow, does Jeremy Irons have a voice or what?  His Disney resume includes a turn as narrator of Spaceship Earth from 1994-2007. And he appeared as a memorable villain in one of my favorite action movies of all time: Die Hard 3.  Speaking of music, that movie's "Johnny Comes Marching Home" rendition is outstanding.  I am now officially way off track.  

#60: Let's Get Together


To Listen: Click Here

The Facts:
  • Writers: Richard and Robert Sherman
  • Year: 1961
  • Key:  C# Major

Heard In: 
The Parent Trap

Background / Personal Connection:
The Sherman Brothers strike again!  Great movie, though one I haven't seen in a while.  I like the remake also with Dennis Quaid and Lindsay Lohan.   

#59: Let's Go Fly a Kite


To Listen: Click Here

The Facts:
  • Writers: Richard and Robert Sherman
  • Year: 1964
  • Key:  B Major / F# Major

Heard In: 
Mary Poppins

Background / Personal Connection:
Awesome song and a great way to end the movie.  One personal memory about this one is that I played it on the piano during a 1st grade assembly (in fact there is video proof of this somewhere out there). 

#58: You'll be in my Heart


To Listen: Click Here

The Facts:
  • Writer: Phil Collins
  • Year: 1999
  • Key:  F# Major / E Major / F Major

Heard In: 
Tarzan

Background / Personal Connection:
Tried to get a hold of Phil to talk to him about this song but didn't have any luck.  Phil, if you're reading this, call me!  Jeremy Irons, same goes for you!

#57: Someday my Prince will Come

To Listen: Click Here

The Facts:
  • Writer: Frank Churchill (music), Larry Morey (lyrics)
  • Year: 1937
  • Key:  A Major

Heard In: 
Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs

Background / Personal Connection:
Classic, classic stuff.  

#56: Baby Mine

To Listen: Click Here

The Facts:
  • Writers: Frank Churchill (music), Ned Washington (lyrics)
  • Year: 1941
  • Key:  A Major

Heard In: 
Dumbo

Background / Personal Connection:
A beautiful song, but it loses points since it's so darn depressing (we see Dumbo crying while he visits his mother who is locked up behind bars).  I was looking online for Alison Krauss's version of this song (which I like) and I discovered that Bette Midler also had a version which appeared in the movie Beaches -- I guess the producers of that movie decided that Wind Beneath My Wings wasn't depressing enough.

One other fun fact about Dumbo -- when I was about 4 or 5, I spend almost all my Disney World vacation souvenir money (about $50 from my Grandma) on a giant stuffed Dumbo.  When I got home, I would sit on Dumbo's back while watching Dumbo's Circus on television.  These are things you need to know.

#55: A Spoonful of Sugar

To Listen: Click Here

The Facts:
  • Writers: Richard and Robert Sherman
  • Year: 1964
  • Key:  F Major

Heard In: 
Mary Poppins

Background / Personal Connection:
Hard to believe there are 54 songs better than this one.  In fact, I don't know if there are -- I may have undersold this one.  I'm also a big fan of Mary's "snap your fingers to clean up your room" that we see in the video -- that's a superpower that I wouldn't mind having (as opposed to all the other superpowers that I don't want). 

#54: Bibbity-Bobbity-Boo

To Listen: Click Here

The Facts:
  • Writer: Al Hoffman, Mack David, Jerry Livingston
  • Year: 1937
  • Key:  A Major

Heard In: 
Cinderella

Background / Personal Connection:
Another all-time classic, and the name lives on in the Bibbity Bobbity Boutique salons where little girls become Disney princesses for a day.  There's also an updated version of this song from the 2015 Cinderella remake (which I haven't seen yet). 

3 comments:

  1. In kindergarten I was supposed to perform 'Let's Go Fly a Kite' as Mrs. Banks in the school production of Mary Poppins, but I got the freakin' chicken pox from my little sister and couldn't go. =( I was really bummed at the time.

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    Replies
    1. What's up H2! Bummer that you missed out on the Mary Poppins production. I was the little brother who spread the chicken pox to my older sisters, and they ended up with the worse end of it.

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    2. Yeah - I think my sister got it from another girl at church and I picked it up shortly thereafter. I don't think one of us had it worse than the other, but it was probably the least fun Christmas time ever. I managed to be able to do the dress rehearsal, but ended up with the chicken pox just before the big production night in front of all the people. *sigh* So much for any potential acting career I thought I might one day get into.

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