Toon Talk Special: The 101 Greatest Disney Songs - Part 1 of 2 - Aug 17, 2001

Toon Talk Special: The 101 Greatest Disney Songs - Part 1 of 2
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#1 - "Minnie's Yoo-Hoo"
Mickey's Follies - 1929
Music and Lyrics by Walt Disney and Carl Stalling

"With the cows and the chickens
They all sound like the dickens
When I hear my little Minnie 'yoo-hoo!'"

Vocals: The Disney Studio Chorus
Source Album: Classic Disney, Volume I

Behind the Music:

  • Mickey's first theme song, written for the original Mickey Mouse Club, an actual club that kids could join in the 1930s.
  • It was first heard in a short in Mickey's Follies, where the "guy they call little Mickey Mouse" sings it to his sweetheart in a barnyard full of animals.
  • "Minnie's Yoo-Hoo" was the first sheet music published by Disney.
  • It was also used as the theme song for the television series The Mouse Factory.

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(c) Disney

#2 - "Who's Afraid Of The Big Bad Wolf?"
The Three Little Pigs - 1933
Music and Lyrics by Frank Churchill, Additional Lyrics by Ann Ronell

"Who's afraid of the Big Bad Wolf?
Big Bad Wolf?
Big Bad Wolf?
Who's afraid of the Big Bad Wolf?"

Vocals: Mary Moder, Dorothy Compton and Pinto Colvig as the Three Little Pigs and Billy Bletcher as the Big Bad Wolf
Source Album: Classic Disney, Volume II
Track Note: The song is heard throughout the short. This track is a condensed version.

Behind the Music:

  • Disney's first hit song, it appealed to the audiences of it's time with it's optimistic tone and up-beat melody.In the throes of the great depression, folks were afraid of a very real "Big Bad Wolf" (financial ruin) knocking on their door, and they took this simple song to heart.
  • Churchill was inspired by an early childhood trauma, when one of his own three pet pigs was killed by a wolf.He penned this song in about five minutes.
  • LL Cool J rapped about a very different Big Bad Wolf on Simply Mad About the Mouse.

#3 - "Heigh-Ho"
Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs - 1937
Music by Frank Churchill, Lyrics by Larry Morey

"Heigh-ho, heigh-ho
It's home from work we go"

Vocals: Roy Atwell as Doc, Billy Gilbert as Sneezy, Scotty Mattraw as Bashful, Otis Harlan as Happy and Pinto Colvig as Grumpy and Sleepy
Source Album: Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs Original Soundtrack
Alternate Track: Michelle Nicastro's "madrigal in seven dwarfs" on Toonful

Behind the Music:

  • How many times have you sung this song on your way home from a long day at the office?
  • The very first full-length animated film beget the very first "Original Soundtrack Album", with the vocal tracks from the actual film used for the recording.Previously, songs from films were recorded by popular singers of the time for sale as albums.
  • The score for the film was nominated for an Academy Award.

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(c) Disney

#4 - "Some Day My Prince Will Come"
Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs - 1937
Music by Frank Churchill, Lyrics by Larry Morey

"And the birds will sing
And wedding bells will ring
Some day when my dreams come true"

Lead Vocals: Adriana Caselotti as Snow White
Source Album: Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs Original Soundtrack
Alternate Track: En Vogue channel the Supremes in their Simply Mad About the Mouse medley with "One Song".

Behind the Music:

  • The very first "I Want" song, Walt's original concept for this song had Snow White fantasizing about a waltz in the clouds with her prince.
  • More hit songs came from this film then any other Disney film, including these two, "I'm Wishing", "One Song", "With A Smile And A Song" and "Whistle While You Work".

  • Barbra Streisand is providing a special recording of this classic song for the upcoming Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs DVD.

#5 - "When You Wish Upon A Star"
Pinocchio - 1940
Music by Leigh Harline, Lyrics by Ned Washington

"Like a bolt out of the blue
Faith steps in and sees you through
When you wish upon a star
Your dreams come true"

Lead Vocals: Cliff Edwards as Jiminy Cricket
Source Album: Pinocchio Original Soundtrack

Behind the Music:

  • This song not only became the official anthem of the Disney empire, it is also one of the most beloved songs in motion picture history.
  • Disney's first Best Song Oscar, Pinocchio also won the Oscar for Best Original Score.
  • Another huge hit, it broke all Hit Parade records at the time.
  • Used as the original theme song for the Disneyland television series.
  • Probably the most covered song in Disney music history.Artists as diverse as Etta James, Ringo Starr, Billy Joel, Bryan White and Barbra Streisand have all taken a shot at it.