Covering the Mouse

I would find it very hard to believe if you told me that you had never heard of UB40. Anyone born in the 70s or later should know that name, and even if you didn’t recognize that name, surely you have heard their cover of Neil Diamond’s Red Red Wine or their version of Elvis’ (Can’t Help) Falling in Love With You at least once in your lifetime.

This 80s British reggae band certainly has a well-recognizable song which has been a mainstay on modern Adult Contemporary radio stations (at least here in Vancouver). Interesting fact: UB40 is the document that people in Britain had to fill out to claim their unemployment benefits.

UB40 are one of the more well known bands (to a North American audience, anyway) to be included in the DISNEY REGGAE CLUB, an album of Disney tunes by reggae masters which was released in 2010.

HOME FREE is not just an a cappella group. They are a country a cappella group! The real difference is found in their vocal harmonies which have a definite country sound to them.

Case in point, this cover of Shakira’s Try Everything from Zootopia goes from dance pop to new country thanks to their arrangement of the song.

Home Free found fame after winning season four of The Sing-Off in 2013. They’ve recorded eight albums since 2009, but their first on a major label in 2014 reached #8 on the country charts! Let’s hope we hear more Disney covers in their future!

Originally part of the Christian hip hop trio dc Talk, KEVIN MAX SMITH has a signature vocal style that fans latched onto during their 90s heyday. Unfortunately, when the band dissolved in 2001, Kevin Max was the only one of the trio that couldn’t break his solo act into the Christian market.

However, that didn’t deter Kevin Max who has now spent the past 15 years  refining his sound and creating for himself a very niche and dedicated fanbase  with eight studio albums and a number of EPs. That’s not even counting performing the lead role in Joseph and the Amazing Technicolor Dreamcoat, starring in the indie film The Imposter, and fronting a couple of other bands, including his Christian rock contemporary Audio Adrenaline.

This cover of When You Wish Upon a Star can be found on his 2015 album STARRY EYES SURPRISE. The entire album is jazz covers of songs from various decades - everything from 60s classic Moon River to 80s pop hit Sunglasses at Night. His take on the classic Pinocchio song is an excellent example of modal jazz. He plays with the melody and creates a very moody atmosphere.

A few of my knowledgeable Disney friends on Facebook posted that MARNI NIXON passed away a few days ago.

I had never heard of Marni Nixon before but it made sense why when I looked her up. Nixon had made a whole film career around being a “ghost singer” - someone who is the singing voice for another usually without receiving credit so that everyone thinks the actual actress can sing. Marni Nixon has been the singing voice of Deborah Kerr, Marilyn Monroe, Sophia Loren, Audrey Hepburn, and many others.

She has also played a few Disney roles over the years. She was the soloist for the main title of Cinderella, some singing flowers in Alice in Wonderland, the singing geese in Mary Poppins and the singing voice of Grandmother Fa in Mulan.

Her first actual onscreen role was Sister Sophia in The Sound of Music, staring Julie Andrews, so I thought it would be appropriate to pick a cover from a different Julie Andrews movie. Here is Marni Nixon doing her best Julie Andrews from the Disneyland Records LP, MARY POPPINS.

Disney’s making a new Pete’s Dragon film and I fully expect to hear a new cover of this classic attached to the credit roll and soundtrack album. The original is a heartfelt ballad that is very fond to those who grew up with the original movie.

HELEN REDDY was one of the most successful female recording artists of the seventies and when she joined the cast of Pete’s Dragon it was obvious that there would be a song written with her in mind. Candle on the Water was a smash hit and was nominated for a “Best Song” Oscar in 1977. It was competing with another Disney song, the Rescuers song Someone’s Waiting For You, but both lost to You Light Up My Life. Reddy recorded her own version of Candle on the Water and released it as a single. It reached #27 on the Adult Contemporary charts.

The cover, by ANNELIESE VAN DER POL, off the album DISNEYMANIA 4, is nice enough, but nothing really special. It pretty much sounds like how it would sound if the song were written today. A cheesy, adult contemporary piece of pop fluff. Anneliese does have a nice voice and, along with her theatre experience, it proves to me that she was a good choice to play Belle in the Broadway production of Beauty and the Beast. In fact, she was the last girl to play Belle before the show ended its thirteen year run in 2007.

Happy Canada Day, everyone!

One of my childhood memories of growing up in Canada and in the eighties is coming home after school to watch Fred Penner’s Place on CBC. He was a very entertaining performer and he fit right in with my other tv friends, Mr. Rogers and Mr. Dress-Up.

I’ll talk about FRED PENNER when I post another Disney cover song of his in the future, but right now I want to tell you about this song.

Never Smile at a Crocodile can be found on his 1993 release, POCO. The tune is heard as an instrumental piece in Peter Pan whenever the Crocodile enters the scene.

The tune was written by Frank Churchill who wrote most of Disney’s music in the 30s and the early 40s. Walt had planned to make Peter Pan in the early 40s and asked Frank to start writing the music for it. But when legal rights got in the way, the feature and its music were shelved.

Years later, Walt was finally able to make Peter Pan and asked Jack Lawrence, who was working on Sleeping Beauty at the time, to write some lyrics for the tune that Churchill wrote. Although the words were never heard in the movie, the song has gone on to be a popular children’s song, especially in Australia.

Remember TAY ZONDAY?  Back in 2007, Tay (real name Adam Bahner) released a video on YouTube called Chocolate Rain, which tackled important themes like racial tensions, violence against minorities, and desperation while living in poverty.  Of course, what made it viral was Tay’s crazy deep voice set against a frantic synth loop.  The internet is a funny place sometimes, but Tay took it all in stride, enjoying every moment of his new found notoriety, even appearing on America’s Got Talent with a big smile on his face.

Tay is still out there making music, and one way he’s able to keep up with the times, and keep a decent amount of views, is to do cover songs. Disney songs haven’t been safe from his vocal stylings.  And it goes without saying that LET IT GO from Frozen was an easy choice.  His youthful exuberance definitely emphasizes the lyrics, even giving a perturbed look when referring to himself as a queen. This still translates even through the audio, as Tay admittedly decided to go as deep as possible with this one. A fun take, even though at times he starts croaking the lyrics.  Hey, it’s all part of the fun.

For extra credit, go watch his cover of Ylvis’ The Fox.  Best use of your time all day.