Favourite Unknown / Forgotten Disney Songs

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Atlantica
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Favourite Unknown / Forgotten Disney Songs

Post by Atlantica »

I was casually looking through Disney Infinity and Disneyland Kinect gameplay videos on youtube the other day, and Kingdom Hearts popped up as suggested viewing. I selected it, and it took me to the Little Mermaid section of the gameplay, specifically the musical number 'Swim This Way'.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=l65fmEZHUrM

Now, I'm under no illusion that this is one of Disney's best ( :lol: ) but I havent been able to get it out of my head since I've heard it ! I remember playing it and it being exactly the same thing then. It is so truly awful, but catchy darn it.

So just thought we could share random / peculiar / lost / interesting / missed / awful pieces of Disney music :)
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Mach Full Force
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Re: Favourite Unknown / Forgotten Disney Songs

Post by Mach Full Force »

I assume deleted songs would count too, right?
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Re: Favourite Unknown / Forgotten Disney Songs

Post by UmbrellaFish »

One Dance: http://youtu.be/_qisvIhDqas

For years I thought this was just a very good song from a Disney Princess complimation, but if the YouTube comments are to be believed it's a deleted song by Ashman and Menken. Someone said it was supposed to play during Eric's tour of the kingdom. I love it.
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Atlantica
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Re: Favourite Unknown / Forgotten Disney Songs

Post by Atlantica »

Oh my gosh, really ?! I never knew that !! How amazing if true, such a pretty song.

I'll also include this, for the novelty of seeing Ariel perform a bit of 'Under The Sea';

http://youtu.be/02RskvG9rOo

I've heard Jodi sing it at the announcement of Ariel's Undersea Adventures, but not Ariel herself :)
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Dr Frankenollie
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Re: Favourite Unknown / Forgotten Disney Songs

Post by Dr Frankenollie »

^Not sure whether or not to find Sora's singing cute or cringe-worthy. :P

Excellent topic, by the way. From the deleted songs, the first one that comes to my head is Yzma's "Snuff out the Light" - the best Disney villain song there never was; at first it's just a fun and catchy tune, but gradually builds up to a glorious crescendo. Eartha Kitt is also perfect, but the movie makes that clear even without the loss of her song. Does that mean I would have wanted a Kingdom of the Sun? No. Emperor's New Groove is a unique gem and I wouldn't trade it, even for a great song. And at least we have a recording of it.

Next: "Beyond the Laughing Sky". A melody so perfect they used it for something else...and, as far as I'm concerned, to a lesser effect. There's nothing wrong with "Second Star in the Right", but "Laughing Sky" has such a melancholy tone to it that I find it infinitely preferable. And yet, again, as much as I enjoy it in isolation, I think Alice in Wonderland is stronger without it. It jars quite a bit with the atmosphere of the opening, and by holding off all sentimentality until the "Very Good Advice" sequence, when the film goes for the heart, it packs more of a wallop.

And of course, if we're talking deleted songs, we just have to mention "Proud of Your Boy." What can be said that hasn't already been said? It's heartbreaking. One more deleted song I really like: "I Can't Believe My Heart", Meg's deleted ballad from Hercules. Does it fit her? Christ no. The movie's substitute is much more fitting. Yet I still have a soft spot for the original.

As far as songs that survived the cutting room floor that are unfairly forgotten:
- "Les Poissons" understandably gets totally buried by the many better, excellent songs in Little Mermaid, yet in and of itself it's just a hilarious romp. A genuinely very funny song.
- I'm not sure how underrated Tarzan's "You'll Be In My Heart" is, yet as far as I can tell, it's not exactly raved about. But I think it's got the same magic as something like "Baby Mine."

Finally, the song which is, as far as I'm concerned, the single most emotionally devastating and upsetting song in the entire Disney canon: "When She Loved Me", from Toy Story 2. No doubt pushed aside because 1) it's Pixar and 2)No one is singing it onscreen, it's just a heart-rending, tragic piece, with a load of bittersweet nostalgia thrown in to completely yank off one's heartstrings.
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SWillie!
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Re: Favourite Unknown / Forgotten Disney Songs

Post by SWillie! »

My favorite "forgotten" Disney song is "In My Favorite Dream" from Fun and Fancy Free/Mickey and the Beanstalk. Beautiful voice, beautiful melody... It's really too bad it's stuck in a package feature. Also wish it was a bit longer.
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Re: Favourite Unknown / Forgotten Disney Songs

Post by Dr Frankenollie »

@SWillie!: Personally, I'm more partial to "My, What a Happy Day!" :wink:
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Re: Favourite Unknown / Forgotten Disney Songs

Post by SWillie! »

Definitely another great one! I've always loved Mickey and the Beanstalk. I hope there are some fun nods to it in Giants.
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Atlantica
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Re: Favourite Unknown / Forgotten Disney Songs

Post by Atlantica »

Dr Frankenollie wrote:One more deleted song I really like: "I Can't Believe My Heart", Meg's deleted ballad from Hercules. Does it fit her? Christ no. The movie's substitute is much more fitting. Yet I still have a soft spot for the original.
Gosh, I couldn't agree more; the song doesn't fit but Susan performs it beautifully. She actually rerecorded it for one of her albums and its just such a lovely little gem.
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Re: Favourite Unknown / Forgotten Disney Songs

Post by Disney's Divinity »

Atlantica wrote:...the musical number 'Swim This Way'.

Now, I'm under no illusion that this is one of Disney's best ( :lol: ) but I havent been able to get it out of my head since I've heard it ! I remember playing it and it being exactly the same thing then. It is so truly awful, but catchy darn it.
I feel the same way about "A New Day Is Dawning." I know it's awful, but it was stuck in my head for a while. I enjoy the songs from the TV series much more, although they're very cheesy, too ("In Harmony," "The Edge of the Edge of the Sea," etc.). I have a hard time believing "One Dance" is Ashman/Menken though. Oh, and not exactly forgotten, but I still listen to the "All Good Things Must End" demo for TLM musical--it's so depressing it didn't make it in the Broadway show considering some of the new songs that did make it.

Anyway, hard to decide what qualifies, but I love two of Cinderella's deleted songs, "The Dress That My Mother Wore" and "I'm in the Middle of a Muddle." Not exactly a song, but my favorite musical moment from Cinderella is the ghostly, haunting reprise of "ADIAWYHM" that plays just before the godmother appears. One deleted song I wish had made it to the finished film is from SB, "Riddle Diddle 1, 2, 3." I love those magic-word songs like "Bibbidi Bobbidi Boo" and "Higitus Figitus"; I wish Mama Odie from TP&TF had had a song like this, since she may have been one of the last chances for another fairy godmother character. "Keep 'Em Guessing" for Mulan is another one I strangely like (despite a few...bad lyrics) that didn't make it. And I also enjoy Menken's song "Love Can't Be Denied" for The Snow Queen that never was.

As far as covers, I love the Alison Krauss version of "Baby Mine" and the On the Record line additions to "I'm Wishing/One Song." Also, Donna Summer's version of "Someday" (the Hunchback song).
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Listening to most often lately:
Ariana Grande ~ "we can't be friends (wait for your love)"
Ariana Grande ~ "imperfect for you"
Kacey Musgraves ~ "The Architect"
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Dr Frankenollie
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Re: Favourite Unknown / Forgotten Disney Songs

Post by Dr Frankenollie »

SWillie! wrote:Definitely another great one! I've always loved Mickey and the Beanstalk.
Me too. Shame about Bongo...
Disney's Divinity wrote:I enjoy the songs from the TV series much more, although they're very cheesy, too ("In Harmony," "The Edge of the Edge of the Sea," etc.).
I LOVE "In Harmony"!
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BwayJ
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Re: Favourite Unknown / Forgotten Disney Songs

Post by BwayJ »

Two words: "Headless Horseman"

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=uRU_vH4Kk2g
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Mach Full Force
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Re: Favourite Unknown / Forgotten Disney Songs

Post by Mach Full Force »

Here's something I found on Tumblr and thought might be relevant: a list of songs that were written for Frozen, but discarded after Idina's performance of Let It Go made Elsa into a sympathetic character. I'm really curious about what these songs would have sounded like, in particular "Spring Again", "Like It Like That", "Melt Me", and "Love You That Way".
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Re: Favourite Unknown / Forgotten Disney Songs

Post by disneyprincess11 »

Mach Full Force wrote:Here's something I found on Tumblr and thought might be relevant: a list of songs that were written for Frozen, but discarded after Idina's performance of Let It Go made Elsa into a sympathetic character. I'm really curious about what these songs would have sounded like, in particular "Spring Again", "Like It Like That", "Melt Me", and "Love You That Way".
Those were from a FAKE song list people created. :P
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Re: Favourite Unknown / Forgotten Disney Songs

Post by Mach Full Force »

disneyprincess11 wrote:
Mach Full Force wrote:Here's something I found on Tumblr and thought might be relevant: a list of songs that were written for Frozen, but discarded after Idina's performance of Let It Go made Elsa into a sympathetic character. I'm really curious about what these songs would have sounded like, in particular "Spring Again", "Like It Like That", "Melt Me", and "Love You That Way".
Those were from a FAKE song list people created. :P
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Atlantica
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Re: Favourite Unknown / Forgotten Disney Songs

Post by Atlantica »

How about 'Go The Distance' & the Reprise from Hercules ?

Thats a brilliant and epic song, and deserves way more in the Disney Legacy songbook.
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Re: Favourite Unknown / Forgotten Disney Songs

Post by carolinakid »

I love the song Let The Rain Pour Down from Song of the South and It's Not Easy from Pete's Dragon.
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Re: Favourite Unknown / Forgotten Disney Songs

Post by Mach Full Force »

Atlantica wrote:How about 'Go The Distance' & the Reprise from Hercules ?

Thats a brilliant and epic song, and deserves way more in the Disney Legacy songbook.
Isn't Go the Distance fairly well-known?
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Re: Favourite Unknown / Forgotten Disney Songs

Post by Prince Edward »

Mach Full Force wrote:
Atlantica wrote:How about 'Go The Distance' & the Reprise from Hercules ?

Thats a brilliant and epic song, and deserves way more in the Disney Legacy songbook.
Isn't Go the Distance fairly well-known?
It is fairly known I think, it got nominated for an Academy Award after all, but it seems like Disney is not actually that proud of Hercules the movie (songs from Hunchback and Hercules are not sampled in the Aladdin Broadway musical for example, but songs from all the Menken movies that received Oscar awards are - Mermaid, BATB, Pocahontas). Had Hercules earned more money at the box office and/or won an Oscar for best song, it would have been a different case.

But, it is a fun and charming movie (with a heart as well), and the soundtrack is really catchy. Epic score by Alan Menken, and witty and clever songs by Menken and David Zippel. Interesting to see Menken try out different musical styles in the different movies (reggae in The Little Mermaid, "Arabian flavour" in Aladdin, some Native American inspiration in Pocahontas, church music in The Hunchback of Notre Dame, gospel in Hercules...)

They really should use songs like Go the Distance, Reflection and You'll Be In My Heart more often... (Actually, Disney should promote Pocahontas, Hunchback, Hercules, Mulan and Tarzan better in general; )
Favorite Disney-movies: Snow White, Cinderella, Alice in Wonderland, Sleeping Beauty, The Little Mermaid, Beauty and the Beast, Aladdin, Pocahontas, The Hunchback of Notre Dame, Hercules, Mulan, Tarzan, Tangled, Frozen, Pirates, Enchanted, Prince of Persia, Tron, Oz The Great and Powerful
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Re: Favourite Unknown / Forgotten Disney Songs

Post by Atlantica »

Yes, completely agree Prince Edward; yes it was Oscar nominated, but its barely (if at all) used by Disney which is just such a shame. Truly epic piece of music, especially the reprise. The note that Roger Bart holds is just amazing !
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