Pop Century Bus Loop: A First Stab

[TofuForBrains]

I just returned from a Pop stay that was slightly and unexpectedly extended a bit due to the weather...I used this as an opportunity to compile the beginnings of a bus loop playlist for Pop. I find that the music on the bus loop is more entertaining than that in the 10-hour (!) Classic Hall loop, but it is somewhat difficult to get info because of inconsistent track volume, ambient noise, drivers who turn off the music now and then, and WDW Transportation announcements. I was not able to establish whether there is a single Pop loop that is common to all buses, or whether it varies based upon destination, but I do have data on time and destination for each list if this is helpful to anyone. This definitely needs verification and further work to complete the loops--apologies for the incomplete segments (generally when I could barely hear the music). Here are the loop segments I was able to piece together using a notebook and stopwatch (none of this fancy iPod-music-recognition software for me!):

Part 1--Compiled from return trips from MK and EPCOT:
Flintstones Theme

Star Trek TOS Theme
Johnny B. Goode -- Chuck Berry
Jetsons Theme (~90 seconds)
Boogie Shoes -- KC and the Sunshine Band
M*A*S*H Theme (some sort of long, orchestral, syncopated version)
The Simpsons Theme (~1'15")
Like A Rolling Stone -- Bob Dylan
Words -- Missing Persons
Cheers Theme

Diamonds are a Girl's Best Friend -- Marilyn Monroe
Brady Bunch Theme
Macareña -- Los del Río



Part 2 --Different Part of ?Same Loop—lots of ambient noise:

Oh Yeah – Yello

YMCA – Village People

?Unknown theme (sounds like a fight song with the word “Go” repeated)

Locomotion – Little Eva

Hot! Hot! Hot! (4’04”)

Unknown Theme—sounds like it has “Three Blind Mice” incorporated (51”)

Bohemian Rhapsody

Looney Tunes Theme

Ghostbusters – Ray Parker, Jr.




Part 3 --From DTD:
Girls Just Wanna Have Fun--Cyndi Lauper
Cosby Show Theme Song
I Got You (Babe) -- Sonny and Cher
Conjunction Junction (~2'56")
The Jeffersons Theme (~1'04")
Sweet Caroline -- Neil Diamond (~3'09")
Tonight Show Theme

Part 4—From DTD:

Stayin’ Alive – Bee Gees

Rock Around the Clock – Bill Haley & His Comets

?Unknown (lyrics included “Something always happens when we’re together” and “Singin’ a song, song that we’re singing”)

 

[Emcduck]

Nice Tofu!

I've found that in several resorts that the bus loop can be more entertaining than the loop at the resort itself. (Old Key West's buses being my favorite)

My experience thus far has been that the loop seems to be the same on all buses as long as they are heading To: the resort. It just happens to depend upon when you happen to catch the bus. When I first got interested in the background music to the World, We were going on a trip to OKW and stayed for about two weeks. My stop was early on, and it would often still have OKW displayed and play the music. I picked out several songs and noticed that Ziggy Marley's "Tomorow People", Jimmy Buffett's "Margaritaville" along with the Beach Boys "Kokomo" could be heard on the bus going to the resort, pretty much from wherever I picked it up.

I believe that there is just one loop for each resort, and one for each park.

However, I believe that the to the Park loop is simply the entrance loop for that park. And each park has it's "Arrival" song as well.

Two more songs I can add to your list are the Theme for SWAT (the old 70's TV show) and Soul Bossa Nova (commonly known as the Austin Powers Theme).

The others that I am 100% sure that I remember from my ride are on your list already.

Unfortunately my trip in 2 weeks is going to have precious little time in the World. Since we'll mostly be on DCL (oh poor me ) Or I'd try and help more. I have some recording planned, but I want to see how much of the OKW loop I can get.

 

[Emcduck]

And I'm sure you noticed how many tv themes are in this loop. I would be willing to be the Hawaii 5-0 theme is in there somewhere.

 

[Casamir67]

I also like the bus loops. It's always kind of a guessing game

Unknown Theme—sounds like it has “Three Blind Mice” incorporated (51”)

Could possibly be The Three Stooges theme.

However, I believe that the to the Park loop is simply the entrance loop for that park. And each park has it's "Arrival" song as well.

Not quite sure about that - for example, I've often heard "Hapa Duniani" (the song played on the Kilimanjaro Safari truck radio) on the way to AK, and it's not in AK's entrance loop.

 

[Emcduck]

Not quite sure about that - for example, I've often heard "Hapa Duniani" (the song played on the Kilimanjaro Safari truck radio) on the way to AK, and it's not in AK's entrance loop.

Yup, you've probably heard Hapa Duniani just as you cross into into DAK. that is what I was referring to as the "Arrival Track"

 

[TofuForBrains]

Casamir67--AHH! The Three Stooges Theme! Of course. By Larry, Moe, and Curly, I think you've got it!

Hmm...Now I'm not sure if "Looney Tunes theme" should be replaced with "Merrie Melodies theme." Add that to the list of things that needs verification....

 

[Emcduck]

Hmm...Now I'm not sure if "Looney Tunes theme" should be replaced with "Merrie Melodies theme." Add that to the list of things that needs verification....

Merrie Melodies theme = "merrily we roll along" (adapted)

Looney Tunes="The Merry-Go-Round Broke Down"

1964 "The Merry-Go-Round Broke Down" was used for both.

I'm betting since "The Merry-Go-Round Broke Down" was used for both at one point as well as being used in Who Framed Roger Rabbit, that it is TMGRBD, but only you are going to know for sure.

 

[TofuForBrains]

Yeah, the problem is that I couldn't hear it too well, and also that many of the TV themes have multiple versions...it would make sense if they were derived from the same collection played in the ABC Commissary, but I'm not sure. I wish I had had more time to ride the buses! (You don't think THAT too often on your vacation, do you?)

 

[Emcduck]

Yeah, does sounds a bit weird. but then so does my hoping for a full bus...

( so me holding an induction mike to the speaker isn't so obtrusive)

 

[Maestrojosh87]

I do remember both times I went to the Magic Kingdom by bus, the moment I arrived they played the marching band version of "Mickey Mouse Club March."

 

[TofuForBrains]

Yes--they definitely have some satellite-synched music that starts to play when you near the entrance of a particular park, regardless of where your bus originated. For MK, it's Mickey Mouse Club March; for EPCOT it's a version of Imagination. As above, for AK it's Hapa Duniani. It's a pretty cool system. I'm still trying to figure out how the loops work--do they start over again or keep running continuously in the ether, even when they've been interrupted by arrival music?

It will likely be a longish while before I have a chance to take another crack at this playlist. :-( No trips in my immediate future. I have a fair bit of the Classic Hall loop on my iPod and still think the bus loop is much better!

 

[TofuForBrains]

Just returned from a work trip that included 2 days of vacation at Pop at the very end. Unfortunately, I didn't get to hear much of the bus loops, but I was able to link a few things together and add some more details. Here is the updated list. I would definitely welcome help with the IDs of tunes I couldn't hear that well! Seems like it's nearly a 2-hour loop, although there are still holes. Additions/changes are offered in orange.
----------

Part 1
Flintstones Theme
Star Trek TOS Theme
Johnny B. Goode -- Chuck Berry
Jetsons Theme (~90 seconds)
Boogie Shoes -- KC and the Sunshine Band
M*A*S*H Theme (some sort of long, orchestral, syncopated version) Likely the Ahmad Jamal version
The Simpsons Theme (~1'15")
Like A Rolling Stone -- Bob Dylan
Words -- Missing Persons
Cheers Theme
Diamonds are a Girl's Best Friend -- Marilyn Monroe
Brady Bunch Theme
Macareña -- Los del Río



Part 2
Oh Yeah – Yello
YMCA – Village People
?Unknown theme (sounds like a fight song with the word “Go” repeated)
Locomotion – Little Eva
Hot! Hot! Hot! (4’04”)
Unknown Theme—sounds like it has “Three Blind Mice” incorporated (51”) Now believed to be the Three Stooges theme--thanks, Casamir67!
Bohemian Rhapsody
Looney Tunes Theme
Ghostbusters – Ray Parker, Jr.
Don't You (Forget About Me) -- Simple Minds


Part 3 --now linked with Part 4
Girls Just Wanna Have Fun--Cyndi Lauper
Cosby Show Theme Song
I Got You (Babe) -- Sonny and Cher
Conjunction Junction (~2'56")
The Jeffersons Theme (~1'04")
Sweet Caroline -- Neil Diamond (~3'09")
Tonight Show Theme
Unknown 50s do-wop song--couldn't hear it well but it was male vocals with lots of "Oh Oh Oh"...reminded me of Billy Joel's Innocent Man album
Muppet Show theme

The Twist--Chubby Checker


We Got the Beat--The Go-Gos


Friends Theme--The Rembrandts


"I love Bosco"


Stayin’ Alive – Bee Gees
Rock Around the Clock – Bill Haley & His Comets
?Unknown theme (lyrics included “Something always happens when we’re together” and “Singin’ a song, song that we’re singing”)

 

[Cmdr Crimson]

?Unknown theme (lyrics included “Something always happens when we’re together” and “Singin’ a song, song that we’re singing”)

This would be the song "Come on Get Happy" The Opening Theme song to The Partridge Family...Here's the lyrics you mention in the song

"We had a dream we'd go travelin' together
And spread a little lovin', then we keep moving on
Something always happens whenever we're together
We get a happy feeling when we're singing a song"

 

[TofuForBrains]

Yeah, it's been suggested, and it would make sense, although I think I listened to it afterwards and wasn't sure that was the exact song, since I wrote down the lyrics as I heard them on the bus. Still, the bus was crowded and noisy so I could have misheard. I would love confirmation of this if any of y'all are going to be staying at Pop in the near future.

(Plus...you may get to hear the Pop Halloween Loop! It wasn't up yet as of last week.)

Thanks, Cmdr Crimson!

 

[imthewalrus97]

It's been a few months since I was last at the Pop Century Resort. So, maybe I'm totally wrong on this; but was the Doo Wop song Little Darling by the Diamonds? Also, the song that you said soundd like a fight song with the word "Go" repeated a lot... was that a regular song or a television theme? It seems that most, if not all, of the TV themes Disney World uses are from the Television's Greatest Hits series of discs, which I have all of. So, if it's a TV theme, I can try going through the discs and see if I can find that song.

 

[TofuForBrains]

It's been a few months since I was last at the Pop Century Resort. So, maybe I'm totally wrong on this; but was the Doo Wop song Little Darling by the Diamonds? Also, the song that you said soundd like a fight song with the word "Go" repeated a lot... was that a regular song or a television theme? It seems that most, if not all, of the TV themes Disney World uses are from the Television's Greatest Hits series of discs, which I have all of. So, if it's a TV theme, I can try going through the discs and see if I can find that song.

Thanks, Kevin! I heard so little of the doo wop, I'm not going to be 100% sure, but I'll have a listen. Meanwhile, I would guess the "Go!" thing was a TV show theme, although I went through several dozen listens on Amazon and didn't hear anything that sounded familiar. The problem is that they also have commercials and things mixed into the loop, so I can't swear what it was and I'm not sure I have timing information on that particular track. Anything you can dig up despite this murky description would be much appreciated!

 

[TofuForBrains]

What about the 1957 cover of Little Darlin' by the Four Seasons? Sounds more familiar, though it will still need independent confirmation:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DxWcElRHBZI&feature=related

 

[imthewalrus97]

Is it possible that the theme with the word "go" used a lot is the theme from "Speed Racer?"

 

[TofuForBrains]

Ah, man, it' s a REALLY good thought but I don't think so. The era is right, but the feel of the music was a lot more marching-band-y and I recall the word Go! repeated over and over, with fewer-to-no other lyrics (that I could hear). Also I think they were shouting rather than singing the "Go!" I wish there was someone to ask at Disney about this. I mean, someone must put these loops together, right?? And that someone must have an e-mail address? I have been entertaining myself recently by cleaning my house to the Pop Century Halloween Loop

 

[imthewalrus97]

I wish there were someone to email or a Disney created site where they put the playlists for all their parks and resorts. Even if you had to actually find the songs to purchase them on your own, it'd be a great start. I love the Pop Century Loops, both the regular and Halloween loops. Such a great collection of songs.

Going by you're description of it sounding "marching band-y" could it be the theme song from "Go Go Gophers?" If it's not, I may need to dig those "Television's Greatest Hits" CD's out and listen to them. There are seven volumes of themes randing from the 50's to the mid '90's with 65 themes on each disc. Plus they released an 8th CD with commercials from the '50's to the '70's, which is where the Bosco commercial must come from.


http://melaman2.com/cartoons/singles/mp3/gogo-gopher.mp3