NOT the America Sings voices I thought??

[s8ntmark]

Since the beginning of my love of America Sings I always thought I knew who did the voices from the attraction. Jack Elam ws Saddlesore Swanson, Phil Harris was the pig in the Modern Times act, and of course Burl Ives was the voice of Sam the Eagle.

But about a year ago I saw the cast listing for the attraction and the only voice I even remotely knew was Burl Ives. No Jack Elam or Phil Harris.

How can this be? The singing pig sounds JUST LIKE Phil Harris How can it NOT be him?? Why would they bother with a sound alike when they had the ORIGINAL under contract?? And SaddleSore Swanson LOOKS AND SOUNDS just like Jack Elam...Whats going on??? Jack had just done Hot Lead and Cold Feet, why couldnt they use HIM either????

Can anyone clear up this confusing conundrum? This titillatingly tingley trap of traversing twists and turns??

It would be most appreciated.

 

[Chris Lang]

Here is the cast listing (apology for the CAPS, I didn't type it, personally).

This information is from the Disneyland Press and Publicity Materials issued when "America Sings" opened in 1974:

EAGLE SAM: Burl Ives (America's primer balladeer, also in Disney films "So Dear To My Heart" & "Summer Magic")

MR OWL: Sam Edwards (well known for his Disneyland Records recording of "The Wonderful Thing About Tiggers" in the late 1960s)

SINGING GEESE (QUARTET): Bill Cole Jerry Whitman Gene Merlino Bill Lee (Merlino and Lee were members of The Mellomen)

THE SWAMP BOYS: Mac Curtis Geary Hanley Ray Campi

MOTHER POSSUM: Jean Ritchie

CONVICT FOX: Skuffy Shew

"DOWN BY THE RIVERSIDE" CHORUS: Gwen Lightner Group Bill Cole Group Jewel Hall

SADDLESORE SWANSON: Chill Wills

"SOMBRERO" DOG: Rex Allen (both versions)

THE BOOTHILL BOYS: Bill Cole Bill Lee (Lee also sang for Christopher Plummer in "The Sound of Music!")

"HOME ON THE RANGE" DOG: Lloyd Perryman

THE "WANDERING BOY'S" MOTHER: Diana Lee

"BILL BAILEY" SALOON SINGER: Betty Taylor (Taylor was "Slue Foot Sue" for decades in the Disneyland "Golden Horseshoe Revue")

BLOSSOM NOSE MURPHY: Jerry Whitman

OLD GREY MARE & ENSEMBLE: Perry Clark Quartet

GILDED CAGE BIRD: Cheryl Poole

TENOR FOX: Bill Cole

COLLEGIATE QUARTET (in roadster): Sue Allen Peggy Clark Bill Cole Bill Lee

"EIGHT TO THE BAR" PIANO PIG: Ray McKinley

"ALLIGATOR" CRANE: Tim Morgan

ALLIGATOR: Mic Bell

"RATTLE & ROLL" CRANE: Mic Bell

"RATTLE & ROLL" FROG: Mic Bell

BIKER BIRD: Mic Bell

BIKER CHICK: Jewel Hall

"JOY TO THE WORLD" CHOIR: John Beal Group

------------------------------------

- Chris Lang
- Webmaster, America-sings.com (among others)

 

[s8ntmark]

Thanks Chris thats a great list, a lot of good people. I think this was the list I saw...but I dont remember Chill Wills being Saddlesore Swanson. Im sad it wasnt Jack Elam.

Its weird that Ray McKinley should sound SO MUCH like Phil Harris...why didnt they just USE Phil Harris? Unless it was just a coincidence.

On a happy note, Its GREAT to see Rex Allen back in the Carousel Theater Im really glad they used him

Ill have to listen again that sure doesnt sound like him, but thats a good thing...he can disguise his voice very well.

 

[Eric Paddon]

I could tell that Harris wasn't in it, but until I saw the list I could have sworn that "Blossom Nose Murphy" was Mel Blanc.

Speaking of Mel, I was surprised to see the footnotes in the "Persistence Of Vision" magazine on Disney And The World's Fair say that Bill Lee was Cousin Orville in "Carousel Of Progress" but there is no way that that voice that says "No privacy at all in this place!" (as well as the parrot in Act I) isn't Mel Blanc unless it's the best dead ringer for Mel of all time (unless the reference was to the "alternate universe" version of COP that can be heard on the World's Fair set)

 

[Steve Carras]

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[s8ntmark]

Actually Eric, Mel Blanc IS the voice of Cousin Orvill and the Parrot. In fact I read somewhere that CoP was the only work he did for Disney.

Bill Lee's credit is probably in reference to the demos on the Worlds Fair discs...that is someone else.

 

[Eric Paddon]

That is what I figured, and that the authors in the POV piece had goofed, though reading between the lines it could be they are referring to the demo version when they mention Lee.

Blanc's lines are the only ones that have survived all four versions of COP from the World's Fair to the present Jean Shepherd version.

 

[Steve Carras]

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