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Are there any songs that you would love to see Brian cover for his Disney covers album? I'm sure we all agree that When You Wish Upon A Star is a big probability but what else would you like to see him record?

Heigh Ho

Good one! Still, it's such an absurd thought! Brian singing Disney. Who would have thought? I just can't imagine hearing Brian sing some of these songs. I mean some of them are just great recordings (for what they are) so it'll just be interesting to hear what Brian can do with them. Hopefully, as someone has already said, he does his own little arrangement and changes it up a bit and doesn't just do straight covers. That could be really disappointing.

Anyway, how about You've Got A Friend In Me?

“Hakuna Matata"  ;D

I'm not too excited about the Disney covers. Really excited about that Gershwin stuff though

Yeah the Gershwin stuff is much more interesting to me as well. Because they are all unheard compositions right? So it will be a fresh listening experience to hear what he can come up with. Whereas I think the Disney one will be interesting but certainly not very inspired.

I think the Disney project can be outstanding. He might as well just cover this entire album in his own style:

(http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_Qzd9HIsRWeA/R-sGdRU_UxI/AAAAAAAAHMw/1kf6lyt9MPQ/s400/Stay+Awake.jpg)

Which is what I'm guessing he will do. But will that be any good? I'm just not sure. I mean back in his heyday when he used to record cover versions of songs he used to top them or at least make it interesting by doing something a little different. Do you really think he could top those classic Disney records by just doing the entire album in his own style?

That is the $$$$$$ question. If he succeeds in retrieving that special quality of his, to add new rainbows of sound to the material and arranging it well (e.g. changed bass runs), it will be tops. But flat covers is a no-go zone, to be honest.

I would like to suggest the following...

1. Rumbly in My Tummy (Featuring the "Theme From Shortenin' Bread")
2. A Spoonfull of Sugar  >:D

I love many works from the Disney-movies. Don't know the english titles to all of them though. But "Junglebook" has some fantastic stuff on it (and Van Dyke Parks played on the original recordings iirc)

Always thought it would be great if Brian writes his own music to Peter Pan. You know, innocent, magical and exotic. Would fit him very well. John Williams did a hell of a job for Spielberg's "Hook" in the 90s. One of my alltime favorite soundtracks

According to Wikipedia (which is of course 100% fact...) Van Dyke arranged the song "The Bare Necessities"

Interesting. My memory was that he played piano but never heard of him doing arrangements. Cool. The soundtrack has great music btw

He arranged the Harry Nilsson-composed soundtrack for Robert Altman's 'Popeye'. Great album, sold poorly. Never released as a CD. If you would like to hear it (it's out of print), please PM me in some three weeks.

He needs to get VDP for this!

This project sounds great if Brian can approach it seriously - yet not too seriously, if you get my drift. He should just have a good time with it.

Here are some of my favorite Disney tracks... I think he should stay away from anything that he wouldn't have heard as a kid or young man - tough call on the Mary Poppins and Disneyland stuff though - it's sooo classic.

Turkey In The Straw
Heigh-Ho
Whistle While You Work
Someday My Prince Will Come
When You Wish Upon A Star
Casey Junior
Little April Shower
Zip-A-Dee-Doo-Dah
You Can Fly! You Can Fly! You Can Fly!
The Ballad Of David Crocket
Lavender Blue (Dilly, Dilly)
Meet Me Down On Main Street
A Dream Is A Wish Your Heart Makes
Meet Me Down On Main Street
Once Upon A Dream
A Whale Of A Tale
Higitus Figitus
When I See An Elephant Fly
A Spoonful Of Sugar
The Tiki, Tiki, Tiki Room
Love Is A Song

Lovely list! And I love you avatar too... they don't make 'em like that anymore.

Tiki room FTW

No, no he doesn't. Seriously, I love VDP, but if Disney wanted VDP they would've hired VDP. The whole reason they want Brian is because they want Brian arranging - as will the majority of people who will be buying this. I hate that they use the phrase "Brian-izing" as that could confuse Brian into thinking he has to do something a certain way. Man should just be himself, and have a good time while doing it... if he's arranging it it will sound like Brian no matter what choices he makes. I don't want this becoming another project that they slap Brian's name on top of so it shifts units, yet someone else does all the heavy lifting behind the scenes.

"Baby Mine" from Dumbo.

hehe - They sure don't!

Yes please... tailor-written for Wilson!

Thanks Ed! IMHO The Two Jakes is vastly underrated. It has a highly comical subtext, with for instance the idea of 'explosions' every once in a while. I will surely check out the Popeye movie. Van Dyke played in King Vidor's 'The Swan', with Alec Guinness and Grace Kelly. A great anecdote: he was reading something in ms. Kelly's dressing room.  As he was only 8 years or so, Grace thought nothing of taking off her bra. Mr. Parks had a whale of a good time peeping just over the book...

The Bear Necessities
....AND! The song that timon and pumba sing to distract the jackals.

"if you're looking for a hunk of fresh and juicy meat, eat my friend pumba here- he's a real treat!"

@DSamore: "Aaaare ya ackin' (yep yep yep) foooor some bacon? (yep yep yep)"
That would be classic  :-D

I agree with the Bear Necessities. Maybe even "I Wanna Be Like You". Or how about "That's What Friends Are For" duet with Paul McCartney since that song has Beatles influence with the vultrues.

When You Wish Upon A Star (of course)
The Monkey's Uncle - with Taylor on lead
Cruella Devil

A whole new world   ;D

What, no love for Robin Hood?

Prince John, The Phony King of England
Ooo-da-lolly What A Day
Every Town Has Its Ups and Downs
Love Goes On and On

Bare Nessecities
I Wanna Be Like You

...and that's about all the Disney I can take before I want to stick knives in my ears and gouge my eyes out!!!

I'm really excited about both of these new projects. The Disney one seems pretty out of the blue; I wouldn't have expected Brian to do something like that. Disney movies were a huge part of it childhood. I'd like to hear:

Kiss the Girl
Can You Feel the Love Tonight
Hakuna Matata
Why Should I Worry
Colors of the Wind

...and many more :-D

I'd like to see him do an arrangement of the beginning instrumental theme of the Jungle Book. Always thought that was an underrated tune. Other then that:
When you Wish upon a Star (Pinocchio)
Baia (Three Caballeros)
Bella Note (Lady and the Tramp)
The Best of Friends (Fox and the Hound)
Kiss the Girl (Little Mermaid)
Circle of Life (The Lion King)
You'll Be in my Heart (Tarzan)

If Brian does Hakuna Matata he HAS to do it with Michael. That's the only way the song will work! :)

Seriously, a few other suggestions.

You've Got A Friend In Me (Toy Story)
Be Our Guest (Beauty and the Beast)
Friend Like Me (Aladdin)
Part Of Your World (The Little Mermaid)

And...what was the song that Ratigan sang in The Great Mouse Detective? That would KILL with Brian's current voice. Vincent Price would be proud. :)

 :lol


The Oogie Boogie Man? http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1eOqNmrFXmY
haha

Here's an oddball pick- "The Age Of Not Believing", from "Bedknobs And Broomsticks".  I have a nice version by the Living Voices that I wish I could post.  Would have killed to hear the Beach Boys do it in about 1966- before it was written, of course.

The original song "Winnie The Pooh": "Deep in the Hundred Acre Wood, where Christopher Robin plays..."

"You Can Fly! You Can Fly! You Can Fly!"

"Alice In Wonderland" and "I Give Myself Very Good Advice"

"Everybody Wants To Be A Cat"

And how about "The Monkey's Uncle 2009"?

EDIT: Here's a nice demo of that first song I mentioned, in a medley along with another fairly obscure one Brian might consider- "Candle On The Water" from "Pete's Dragon", though I'm not sure he could handle the range on that one:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4gGeYKHygE0

Does this mean that Brian will finally get to sound like Mickey Mouse with a sore throat?

If he croaks in the middle of recording and this ends up as his posthumous release...woof.

Hey Alex, that was what my input was gonna be!  Robin Hood is my fav Disney film

Besides some obvious choices ("When You Wish Upon A Star" NEEDS to be on this), I'd like to see some songs from the classic Disneyland attractions, which I think inspired Brian quite a bit in both tone and orchestration.  I particularly find a lot of crossover in the way Disney and Brian arranged horns and winds.

"In The Tiki, Tiki, Tiki Room" and "Yo-Ho (A Pirates Life For Me)" I think would suit Brian very well in particular.

I've heard a version of When You Wish Upon a Star by a Beach Boys cover band with guest vocals by Foskett and Darian. It sounds exactly like you'd think it would.

I'd really like to hear Brian do "Virginia Company" from Pocohantas. He'll almost certainly do "Zip-A-Dee-Doo-Dah" -- it's on the Spector boxset (not the Song of the South version, of course).

I'm more looking forward to the Gershwin album, especially if Brian does a whole 9 minute version of Rhapsody in Blue, either solo piano or arranged like a 1966 Beach Boys instrumental.

You should hear Tom Waits do it, if you haven't.

Brian's Disney covers album should aspire to be this good:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=C4_zaZ3utUY

As a proud Disney mark, I'm excited as hell. Am I crazy to think it might have hit potential?

""Les Poissons" would rule, cause it'd be Brian singing about food! :lol
I can picture him & Taylor (or Carnie!) doing a duet on "A Whole New World". "Under the Sea" with Brian doing his "The Waltz" voice could be a camp classic. He'd sound like Oscar the Grouch after a massive stroke but it'd still be pretty tight. "The World's Greatest Criminal Mind"...oh hell YEAH. Even the title is Spector-ish ;)

"Why Should I Worry?", "Human Again", "Friend Like Me", ""With a Smile and a Song" and maybe even ""The Siamese Cat Song" would be fun.

I love most Disney songs but that is one I'm not very fond of. I'd hate for Brian to cover that!

I hope he stays away from the 90s Adult Contemporary stuff, personally ... although I worry he won't stay away from "Can You Feel the Love Tonight." The stuff from 30s-50s is much, much better.

The band Los Lobos have also just completed an album of Disney covers, called "Los Lobos Goes Disney".

Also released on Walt Disney Records.

Any others on the way?  ???

Oo that one might be classy. They did 'I Wanna Be Just Like You' for the Willner album, very good.

BTW: I like their 'Kiko' best - an underrated minor classic, just like R.E.M.'s 'Fables'.

It's the only Disney movie I can watch without cringing or having to fast forward!

There is a Disney soundtrack for the movie 'Treasure Island'. Does that ring a bell?

It's on this record too. So are "When You Wish Upon A Star", "Heigh-Ho", "Bella Notte", "Bare Necessities" etc. etc.

Oh yes, it is. A terrific album (if you like "Kiko" don't forget to check out the Latin Playboys' selftitled debut too).

Now that I think of it, Sun Ra's "Second Star To The Right" is another fine Disney (tribute) record.

I like The Fifth Estate's version...

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=p_2v_zHz5UM

Almost sounds like Brian singing...

Eh...Sorta...

Yeah, I just listen to it while I'm looking for some Disney-songs on youtube in english. That one would be perfect for Brian. In fact it would've been perfect on Wild Honey along with "I'd like just once to see you" and "Country air"

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9ogQ0uge06o (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9ogQ0uge06o)

Another junglebook-song would also be perfect for Brian imo:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Y5ojV1r1XHM (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Y5ojV1r1XHM)

(Anyone else reminded of Murry's KFC-song?)

Makes me wish it was under the Disney umbrella, but before 1987 it wasn't - the first Benji film had a Charlie Rich-sung track during the credits called "I Feel Love". That would be EXCELLENT if Brian did it.

Just had a thought of Brian doing "Whistle while you Work" in his Busy Doin Nothin style.

Hey...wasn't "Inspector Gadget" a Disney flick?

Brian: Hey guys...everybody sing"Diddley-deet Inspector Gadget" followed by "Aum bop diddit" in Am.
*everybody runs*
Brian: ...