Ok, so we all know we love Disney music. What do we think is the best song from a non-Disney animated feature? I offer two suggestions: Once Upon a December from Anastasia, and the other one is from Charlotte's Web. I believe it is called "How Very Special Are We," but I am not too sure about that. It is the song about Mother Earth and Father Time. Perhaps I give Charlotte's Web an insider advantage because it is the Sherman Brothers.
Best Non-Disney Animated Movie Song?
- Thread starter Charles
- Start date
W
wondergreg
I would choose the title song from CHARLOTTE'S WEB. From the moment I first heard the melody in the titles, I loved it. Some other non-Disney animated songs include LILA'S THEME and WOODSTOCK'S SAMBA from SNOOPT COME HOME (also by the Shermans), and every song from MR. MAGOO'S CHRISTMAS CAROL.
SharonKurland
Active Member
Wondergreg-
Mr. Magoo's Christmas Carol was (and is) my favorite Christmas animated show of all time. Did it ever come out on CD or DVD?
Anyway, I would put ALL of the songs from that on my list, as well as the Charlie Brown piano song (I know it has a real name...just can't think of it...but you know the one I mean).
-Sharon-
Mr. Magoo's Christmas Carol was (and is) my favorite Christmas animated show of all time. Did it ever come out on CD or DVD?
Anyway, I would put ALL of the songs from that on my list, as well as the Charlie Brown piano song (I know it has a real name...just can't think of it...but you know the one I mean).
-Sharon-
Off the top of my head I agree about the choice of any material from Charlotte's Web.
I am also a VERY big fan of the songs written for the various Rankin/Bass Holiday specials, which would count if "animation" includes stop-motion animation (although some of these were also done in traditional animation). Most of the music for the songs from these shows was written by the great, underated Maury Laws (who also served as musical director on most of them), with lyrics by Jules Bass. But, for all of the Rudolph specials Johnny Marks wrote the songs and one that I am thinking of in particular is "There's Always Tomorrow" from the original Rudolph the Red-Nosed Reindeer special from 1964 which I think is quite beautiful. I could name tons of other great songs from these specials, though.
If the question is expanded beyond animation, some of my favorites include "Over the Rainbow" from The Wizard of Oz, "Edelweiss" from The Sound of Music, "Pure Imagination" from Willy Wonka and the Chocolate Factory, and "The Rainbow Connection" from The Muppet Movie, to name just a few.
David
I am also a VERY big fan of the songs written for the various Rankin/Bass Holiday specials, which would count if "animation" includes stop-motion animation (although some of these were also done in traditional animation). Most of the music for the songs from these shows was written by the great, underated Maury Laws (who also served as musical director on most of them), with lyrics by Jules Bass. But, for all of the Rudolph specials Johnny Marks wrote the songs and one that I am thinking of in particular is "There's Always Tomorrow" from the original Rudolph the Red-Nosed Reindeer special from 1964 which I think is quite beautiful. I could name tons of other great songs from these specials, though.
If the question is expanded beyond animation, some of my favorites include "Over the Rainbow" from The Wizard of Oz, "Edelweiss" from The Sound of Music, "Pure Imagination" from Willy Wonka and the Chocolate Factory, and "The Rainbow Connection" from The Muppet Movie, to name just a few.
David
Sharon,
If you are thinking of the famous, jazzy instrumental Schroeder plays during rehersal in A Charlie Brown Christmas, that one is called "Linus and Lucy". That's one of my favorites as well. I also really like "Christmas Time Is Here" which opens the show, and the version of "Hark the Herald Angels Sing" at the finale... a truly great Christmas special that really resonates.
David
If you are thinking of the famous, jazzy instrumental Schroeder plays during rehersal in A Charlie Brown Christmas, that one is called "Linus and Lucy". That's one of my favorites as well. I also really like "Christmas Time Is Here" which opens the show, and the version of "Hark the Herald Angels Sing" at the finale... a truly great Christmas special that really resonates.
David
Count me down as a Charlotte's Web fan too. The Shermans did excellent work with that movie - beautiful songs!
And David - I'm a huge fan of Rainbow Connection! Actually, I love most songs from that movie (The Muppet Movie). They play them outside of Muppet Vision 3D, and I will usually start singing Rainbow Connection along with the music! Yeah, I get the weird looks, but heck - it's from people wearing Goofy hats. Go figure...
Jessica
And David - I'm a huge fan of Rainbow Connection! Actually, I love most songs from that movie (The Muppet Movie). They play them outside of Muppet Vision 3D, and I will usually start singing Rainbow Connection along with the music! Yeah, I get the weird looks, but heck - it's from people wearing Goofy hats. Go figure...
Jessica
It's easy to make a parody of something, but it's quite a different matter to do it successfully. Parker and Stone have done a fantastic job of that on South Park, and they owe much of their success to Groening and crew's work over the last 13+ years on the Simpsons.
I agree that Alf Clausen is highly overrated. I can't think of another tv show, even of the variety sort, that has required such depth and familiarity with countless musical styles from its staff composer, as does The Simpsons from Alf Clausen. The Disney parodies they do on that show are drop dead hysterical, especially the theme park ones such as Duff Gardens and Itchy & Scratchy Land (remember Euro Itchy & Scratchy Land?). Yet, it is a film spoof that is the pinnacle so far, that being the Shari Bobbins episode. I especially like the end credits music for that episode, which spoofed the opening overture of Mary Poppins; very well done. There was also one musical number that didn't make it into the episode: a parody of I Love to Laugh titled, "I Love to Smoke" by Patty and Selma...it's on the Go Simpsonic with The Simpsons album.
While we're on Christmas specials, I like the music from The Bear who Slept through Christmas. That's the animated special with the 2 little bears who try to "refrain from hibernatin'", in order to see Santa Claus and then the ranger tries to make it to their cave dressed as Santa but gets delayed by the snow.
Speaking of Rankin/Bass, I enjoyed the music from their production of The Hobbit, including the title song, "The Greatest Adventure".
And I second the motions for the Charlie Brown Specials music, the Rankin/Bass stop-motion animated holiday specials, and the Muppett Movie. Now, I'll be "Movin' Right Along"...
I agree that Alf Clausen is highly overrated. I can't think of another tv show, even of the variety sort, that has required such depth and familiarity with countless musical styles from its staff composer, as does The Simpsons from Alf Clausen. The Disney parodies they do on that show are drop dead hysterical, especially the theme park ones such as Duff Gardens and Itchy & Scratchy Land (remember Euro Itchy & Scratchy Land?). Yet, it is a film spoof that is the pinnacle so far, that being the Shari Bobbins episode. I especially like the end credits music for that episode, which spoofed the opening overture of Mary Poppins; very well done. There was also one musical number that didn't make it into the episode: a parody of I Love to Laugh titled, "I Love to Smoke" by Patty and Selma...it's on the Go Simpsonic with The Simpsons album.
While we're on Christmas specials, I like the music from The Bear who Slept through Christmas. That's the animated special with the 2 little bears who try to "refrain from hibernatin'", in order to see Santa Claus and then the ranger tries to make it to their cave dressed as Santa but gets delayed by the snow.
Speaking of Rankin/Bass, I enjoyed the music from their production of The Hobbit, including the title song, "The Greatest Adventure".
And I second the motions for the Charlie Brown Specials music, the Rankin/Bass stop-motion animated holiday specials, and the Muppett Movie. Now, I'll be "Movin' Right Along"...
W
wondergreg
Yes, MR. MAGOO'S CHRISTMAS CAROL is on DVD. The soundtrack was never released on records, but the song THE BRIGHTEST CHRISTMAS is on a Nick at Nite CD called A CARTOON CHRISTMAS, TOO.
Rankin/Bass music really deserves more attention and acclaim. THE GREATEST ADVENTURE from the Hobbit was released on Disneyland Records, so it's a sort of a second cousin to Disney music. In the upcoming book THE CARTOON MUSIC BOOK, I did a chapter about the great Maury Laws. The book comes out in the fall. Please excuse the plug, but books like these get little publicity.
http://www.amazon.com/exec/obidos/ASIN/155...product-details
Rankin/Bass music really deserves more attention and acclaim. THE GREATEST ADVENTURE from the Hobbit was released on Disneyland Records, so it's a sort of a second cousin to Disney music. In the upcoming book THE CARTOON MUSIC BOOK, I did a chapter about the great Maury Laws. The book comes out in the fall. Please excuse the plug, but books like these get little publicity.
http://www.amazon.com/exec/obidos/ASIN/155...product-details
SharonKurland
Active Member
> Yes, MR. MAGOO'S CHRISTMAS CAROL
> is on DVD. The soundtrack was never
> released on records, but the song
> THE BRIGHTEST CHRISTMAS is on a Nick
> at Nite CD called A CARTOON CHRISTMAS,
> TOO.
Wondergreg-
Thanks for the heads up! I just made a "hint" for a Christmas present .
-Sharon-
> is on DVD. The soundtrack was never
> released on records, but the song
> THE BRIGHTEST CHRISTMAS is on a Nick
> at Nite CD called A CARTOON CHRISTMAS,
> TOO.
Wondergreg-
Thanks for the heads up! I just made a "hint" for a Christmas present .
-Sharon-
Posted by Shane:
>While we're on Christmas specials, I like the music from The Bear who Slept through Christmas. That's the animated special with the
>2 little bears who try to "refrain from hibernatin'", in order to see Santa Claus and then the ranger tries to make it to their cave
>dressed as Santa but gets delayed by the snow.
Yes!!! I saw that on Fox Family Channel's (oops, now ABC Family Channel's) excellent "25 Days of Christmas" programming block a few years ago and really enjoyed it (I hadn't seen it before). Unfortunately, I don't think it came on this past year but I seem to remember really enjoying the music. Is that the one with songs featuring beautiful female vocals including a song called "Wintertime" or something like that?
David
>While we're on Christmas specials, I like the music from The Bear who Slept through Christmas. That's the animated special with the
>2 little bears who try to "refrain from hibernatin'", in order to see Santa Claus and then the ranger tries to make it to their cave
>dressed as Santa but gets delayed by the snow.
Yes!!! I saw that on Fox Family Channel's (oops, now ABC Family Channel's) excellent "25 Days of Christmas" programming block a few years ago and really enjoyed it (I hadn't seen it before). Unfortunately, I don't think it came on this past year but I seem to remember really enjoying the music. Is that the one with songs featuring beautiful female vocals including a song called "Wintertime" or something like that?
David
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wondergreg
The film you are thinking about is called SANTA AND THE THREE BEARS. It was released to theaters and appears on budget videos. It was written and produced in the early seventies by Hanna-Barbera and Disney TV Animation veteran Tony Benedict and featured the voices of Hal Smith and Jean "Wilma Flintstone" Vaner Pyl. Good news is that the soundtrack was released on Sunset (Liberty) records and reissued on the Mr. Pickwick label. You should be able to find it easily on eBay.
THE BEAR WHO SLEPT THROUGH CHRISTMAS was also made in the early 70's. It was produced by DePatie-Freleng (The Pink Panther) and starred the voices of Tommy Smothers and Barbara Feldon. Two songs from the soundtrack were issued on a 45 RPM record sold by FTD florists. In the 80's the story was re-created on an LP album with Smothers on the Starland label, but it was not the soundtrack.
THE BEAR WHO SLEPT THROUGH CHRISTMAS was also made in the early 70's. It was produced by DePatie-Freleng (The Pink Panther) and starred the voices of Tommy Smothers and Barbara Feldon. Two songs from the soundtrack were issued on a 45 RPM record sold by FTD florists. In the 80's the story was re-created on an LP album with Smothers on the Starland label, but it was not the soundtrack.
Good subject. You all are naming some great ones. I too, love the score from "Rudolph", especially the song "Silver and Gold". "The Bear Who Slept Through Christmas" is also great. The song from it, "Where Can I Find Christmas?" is so gorgeous. There is a beautiful recording of it by Johnny Mathis and a chorus, on the CD "Christmas Eve With Johnny Mathis" (1986). Also on that Mathis CD is "Every Christmas Eve / Giving" from "Santa Claus the Movie" written by Henry Mancini and Leslie Bricusse. Amazing work. If you haven't heard these, you've just got to.
Speaking of Christmas, "Walking In The Air" from the animated "The Snowman" is a memorable and haunting piece.
"Rainbow Connection" is another that you all mentioned that I also love. A recording of it by the Carpenters was released last year, but it is available only as an import so far. Hopefully it will be released in the States as well because it is a wonderful performance. Karen recorded it in 1979, which is no surprise since they recorded quite a few songs by Paul Williams through their career. Speaking of Paul, I also like his songs for "The Great Muppet Caper", like that song when Kermit and Piggy are riding bicycles. It's so pretty. Also nice is the song they dance to at the supper club, "The First Time it Happens".
Oh! What about all the great music from Sesame Street? Much of it by the late Joe Raposo. Classics like "Sing", "Bein' Green", "Somebody Come And Play", and one that just breaks my heart, "Little Things" -
excerpt:
I believe in little things
Like colors in the sky
And noticing the waves roll in
And how the flowers die,
Knowing they'll be back again
Whenever it's July
I believe in little things
Like you and me,
And just how big
Little things can be.
Speaking of Christmas, "Walking In The Air" from the animated "The Snowman" is a memorable and haunting piece.
"Rainbow Connection" is another that you all mentioned that I also love. A recording of it by the Carpenters was released last year, but it is available only as an import so far. Hopefully it will be released in the States as well because it is a wonderful performance. Karen recorded it in 1979, which is no surprise since they recorded quite a few songs by Paul Williams through their career. Speaking of Paul, I also like his songs for "The Great Muppet Caper", like that song when Kermit and Piggy are riding bicycles. It's so pretty. Also nice is the song they dance to at the supper club, "The First Time it Happens".
Oh! What about all the great music from Sesame Street? Much of it by the late Joe Raposo. Classics like "Sing", "Bein' Green", "Somebody Come And Play", and one that just breaks my heart, "Little Things" -
excerpt:
I believe in little things
Like colors in the sky
And noticing the waves roll in
And how the flowers die,
Knowing they'll be back again
Whenever it's July
I believe in little things
Like you and me,
And just how big
Little things can be.
Hey there, Hi there, Ho there,
I just have to oput my voice up with a vote for Anastacia - compared to most other non-Disney animated features it not delivers a couple of great songs but a real unity between the score and the songs. It is really obvious that you have a lyrcist/composter team here who is workign together for quiet a time already and who know how to create an score which flows seamlessly into the songs and backwards, incorporating the themes into both elements. Basically they have created a real animated musical, while most other non-Disney animated features make teh same mistakes as e.g. Tarzan did: just sticking songs and a score together that do not really go with each other. Therefor I rate Anastacia really high - but maybe I should admit that I also love their stage musicals "Ragtime", "Once on the Island" and "Lucky Stiff"...
Yours
Dirk
I just have to oput my voice up with a vote for Anastacia - compared to most other non-Disney animated features it not delivers a couple of great songs but a real unity between the score and the songs. It is really obvious that you have a lyrcist/composter team here who is workign together for quiet a time already and who know how to create an score which flows seamlessly into the songs and backwards, incorporating the themes into both elements. Basically they have created a real animated musical, while most other non-Disney animated features make teh same mistakes as e.g. Tarzan did: just sticking songs and a score together that do not really go with each other. Therefor I rate Anastacia really high - but maybe I should admit that I also love their stage musicals "Ragtime", "Once on the Island" and "Lucky Stiff"...
Yours
Dirk
W
wondergreg
"Walking in the Air" is a superb song, and my kids love THE SNOWMAN too. Thanks for the info on the Mathis album.
Joe Raposo wrote the fine songs for THE GREAT MUPPET CAPER, which is the most stylish and sophisticated of the Muppet films. Raposo also wrote some nice tunes for the troubled but occasionally brilliant RAGGEDY ANN & ANDY - A MUSICAL ADVENTURE, including "Candy Hearts and Paper Flowers" and "Blue." Like Jim Henson, Raposo left us too soon.
I have lots of favorite SESAME STREET tunes, particularly SOMEDAY, LITTLE CHILDREN, LIVING HAND IN HAND, SING ME YOUR SONG, TRUE BLUE MIRACLE and the magnificent THIS FROG.
Even though it wasn't animated, I've always loved "Different" from PUFNSTUF.
The more we think about these, the more we seem to come up with!
Joe Raposo wrote the fine songs for THE GREAT MUPPET CAPER, which is the most stylish and sophisticated of the Muppet films. Raposo also wrote some nice tunes for the troubled but occasionally brilliant RAGGEDY ANN & ANDY - A MUSICAL ADVENTURE, including "Candy Hearts and Paper Flowers" and "Blue." Like Jim Henson, Raposo left us too soon.
I have lots of favorite SESAME STREET tunes, particularly SOMEDAY, LITTLE CHILDREN, LIVING HAND IN HAND, SING ME YOUR SONG, TRUE BLUE MIRACLE and the magnificent THIS FROG.
Even though it wasn't animated, I've always loved "Different" from PUFNSTUF.
The more we think about these, the more we seem to come up with!
Oh, so Joe Raposo wrote for "Great Muppet Caper"! Thanks, wondergreg! I assumed it was Williams since he did the first film and also "Muppet Christmas Carol". Wow. My appreciation for Raposo just grows even more now..and now that you mention it, those songs in "Caper" are in his style for sure.
Yes, the Mathis CD is great. It's rarer now in the stores during Christmas, but still available. Get a store to order it if you don't see it. You won't be sorry.
I have to chime in with you all for the Charlie Brown music as well. That jazz is so great. I own just about every Peanuts music CD there is, including the recent one by David Benoit, which is really something. There is another great Peanuts celebration CD called "Happy Anniversary, Charlie Brown" (1989) that some of you may be familiar with. It's a compilation of top Smooth Jazz artists. It includes super versions of "The Great Pumpkin Waltz", "Christmas Time Is Here", "History Lesson", and of course "Linus and Lucy".
Speaking of Charlie Brown, I also love "Happiness" from the stage musical "You're a Good Man Charlie Brown". There's a really nice version of it sung by Al Jarreau on the recent David Benoit CD - "Charlie Brown: 50 Great Years".
Yes, the Mathis CD is great. It's rarer now in the stores during Christmas, but still available. Get a store to order it if you don't see it. You won't be sorry.
I have to chime in with you all for the Charlie Brown music as well. That jazz is so great. I own just about every Peanuts music CD there is, including the recent one by David Benoit, which is really something. There is another great Peanuts celebration CD called "Happy Anniversary, Charlie Brown" (1989) that some of you may be familiar with. It's a compilation of top Smooth Jazz artists. It includes super versions of "The Great Pumpkin Waltz", "Christmas Time Is Here", "History Lesson", and of course "Linus and Lucy".
Speaking of Charlie Brown, I also love "Happiness" from the stage musical "You're a Good Man Charlie Brown". There's a really nice version of it sung by Al Jarreau on the recent David Benoit CD - "Charlie Brown: 50 Great Years".
Richard T.
New Member
Okay, I'm assuming you mean feature length...
I've got a winner here, and I want to hear a chorus of "OH YEAH!" from the forum!
Drumroll, please......
"The Money Cat" from Gay Purree. Paul Frees at his best! Anyone know who wrote the song?
If anyone out there says "What the heck is Gay Purree?" I'm gonna scream!
I've got a winner here, and I want to hear a chorus of "OH YEAH!" from the forum!
Drumroll, please......
"The Money Cat" from Gay Purree. Paul Frees at his best! Anyone know who wrote the song?
If anyone out there says "What the heck is Gay Purree?" I'm gonna scream!
Richard T.
New Member
Okay, Charles, I got another one - "Daydreamer" from the Rankin/Bass feature film of the same name.
I am so old.
I am so old.