Alice in Wonderland (song)

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"Alice in Wonderland" is the theme song composed by Sammy Fain for the Walt Disney 1951 animated film Alice in Wonderland . It was performed by The Jud Conlon Chorus and The Mellomen. The lyrics were written by Bob Hilliard and were arranged by Harry Simeone for treble voices. [1] [2]

The song plays during the opening and end credits. [3] Izumi Yukimura sang her own theme song for the Japanese release of the film. The "dreamy" [3] song has become a jazz standard [4] that has been performed by Bill Evans, [5] Oscar Peterson, Dave Brubeck, [6] and others. In his book The History of Jazz, Ted Gioia cites "Alice in Wonderland" as one of Evans's most beautiful performances, likening its "pristine beauty" to his "Waltz for Debby". [7] Evans recorded it at the Village Vanguard which featured on his 1961 album Sunday at the Village Vanguard . [8] Rosemary Clooney recorded the ballad with "The Unbirthday Song" which also appeared on the soundtrack to the movie, and Michael Feinstein has also recorded it along with the other songs from the movie in a medley. [3] The original recording for the film was in the key of G major, but the jazz standard is usually played in C major, as it was by both Evans and Peterson.

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Alice in Wonderland may refer to:

<i>Alice in Wonderland</i> (1951 film) 1951 animated film by Walt Disney

Alice in Wonderland is a 1951 American animated musical fantasy comedy film produced by Walt Disney Productions and based on the Alice books by Lewis Carroll. The thirteenth release of Disney's animated features, the film features the voices of Kathryn Beaumont, Ed Wynn, Richard Haydn, Sterling Holloway, Jerry Colonna, Verna Felton, J. Pat O'Malley, Bill Thompson, and Heather Angel. The film follows a young girl named Alice who falls down a rabbit hole to enter Wonderland, ruled by the Queen of Hearts. Along the way, she encounters an odd assortment, including the Mad Hatter and Cheshire Cat.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Sweet Georgia Brown</span> 1925 Song by Ben Bernie, Maceo Pinkard, Kenneth Casey

"Sweet Georgia Brown" is a jazz standard composed in 1925 by Ben Bernie and Maceo Pinkard, with lyrics by Kenneth Casey.

"Tenderly" is a popular song published in 1946 with music by Walter Gross and lyrics by Jack Lawrence. Written in the key of E♭ as a waltz in 3
4 time, it has since been performed in 4/4 and has become a popular jazz standard. Notable versions have been recorded by singers, such as Sarah Vaughan and Nat King Cole, and pianists, such as Art Tatum, Bill Evans and Peruchín.

"You Go to My Head" is a 1938 popular song composed by J. Fred Coots with lyrics by Haven Gillespie. Numerous versions of the song have been recorded, and it has since become a pop and jazz standard.

Works based on <i>Alice in Wonderland</i>

Lewis Carroll's books Alice's Adventures in Wonderland (1865) and Through the Looking-Glass (1871) have been highly popular in their original forms, and have served as the basis for many subsequent works since they were published. They have been adapted directly into other media, their characters and situations have been appropriated into other works, and these elements have been referenced innumerable times as familiar elements of shared culture. Simple references to the two books are too numerous to list; this list of works based on Alice in Wonderland focuses on works based specifically and substantially on Carroll's two books about the character of Alice.

"My Romance" is a popular jazz song, with music by Richard Rodgers and lyrics by Lorenz Hart, written for Billy Rose's musical, Jumbo (1935). Gloria Grafton and Donald Novis introduced the song in that musical.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Caravan (Juan Tizol and Duke Ellington song)</span> 1936 single by Barney Bigard and His Jazzopators

"Caravan" is an American jazz standard that was composed by Juan Tizol and Duke Ellington and first performed by Ellington in 1936. Irving Mills wrote lyrics, but they are rarely sung.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">The Way You Look Tonight</span> 1936 song by Jerome Kern and Dorothy Fields

"The Way You Look To-night" is a song from the film Swing Time that was performed by Fred Astaire and composed by Jerome Kern with lyrics written by Dorothy Fields. It won the Academy Award for Best Original Song in 1936. Fields remarked, "The first time Jerry played that melody for me I went out and started to cry. The release absolutely killed me. I couldn't stop, it was so beautiful."

"Someday My Prince Will Come" is a song from Walt Disney's 1937 animated movie Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs. It was written by Larry Morey (lyrics) & Frank Churchill (music), and performed by Adriana Caselotti. It was also featured in the 1979 stage adaptation of the 1937 animated musical movie. In AFI's 100 Years...100 Songs, it was ranked the 19th greatest film song of all time.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">The Man I Love (song)</span> Original show tune written and composed by Ella Fitzgerald

"The Man I Love" is a popular standard in AABA form with music by George Gershwin and lyrics by his brother Ira. Part of the 1924 score for the Gershwin musical comedy Lady, Be Good, the song was deleted from that show and put into the Gershwins' 1927 government satire Strike Up the Band, which closed out-of-town. It was considered for, then rejected from, the 1928 Ziegfeld hit Rosalie.

"Nice Work If You Can Get It" is a popular song and jazz standard composed by George Gershwin with lyrics by Ira Gershwin.

"I Can't Get Started", also known as "I Can't Get Started with You" or "I Can't Get Started (with You)", is a popular song. It was written in 1936 by Vernon Duke (music) and Ira Gershwin (lyrics) and introduced that year in the revue Ziegfeld Follies of 1936, where it was performed by Bob Hope and Eve Arden.

"Prelude to a Kiss" is a 1938 ballad composed by Duke Ellington, with lyrics by Irving Gordon and Irving Mills.

"Easy Living" (1937) is a jazz standard written by Ralph Rainger and lyrics by Leo Robin for the film Easy Living where it was the main theme of the score but not sung. A popular recording in 1937 was by Teddy Wilson with Billie Holiday, Benny Goodman, and Lester Young.

"Softly, as in a Morning Sunrise" is a song with music by Sigmund Romberg and lyrics by Oscar Hammerstein II from the 1928 operetta The New Moon. One of the best-known numbers from the show, it is a song of bitterness and yearning for a lost love, sung in the show by Philippe (tenor), the best friend of the hero, Robert Mission (baritone).

"Waltz for Debby" is a jazz standard composed by pianist Bill Evans. He recorded it as a solo piano piece on his album New Jazz Conceptions (1956). Lyrics were written by Gene Lees. "Debby" in the composition's title refers to Evans's niece, Debby Evans.

"If You Could See Me Now" is a 1946 jazz standard, composed by Tadd Dameron. He wrote it especially for vocalist Sarah Vaughan, a frequent collaborator. Lyrics were written by Carl Sigman and it became one of her signature songs, inducted into the Grammy Hall of Fame in 1998. Dameron himself included a version, sung by Barbara Winfield, on his 1962 album The Magic Touch.

<i>Dave Digs Disney</i> 1957 studio album by Dave Brubeck Quartet

Dave Digs Disney is a 1957 studio album by the Dave Brubeck Quartet. It features jazz renditions of songs from the animated Disney films Alice in Wonderland, Pinocchio and Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs. It is one of Brubeck's most popular albums. The album was reissued in 2011, with remastered recordings and two bonus tracks: "Very Good Advice" and "So This Is Love".

<i>Alice in Wonderland</i> (franchise) Disney media franchise based on the Alice books by Lewis Carroll

Alice in Wonderland, or simply Alice, is a Disney media franchise, commencing in 1951 with the theatrical release of the animated film Alice in Wonderland. The film is an adaptation of the books by Lewis Carroll, the 1865 novel Alice's Adventures in Wonderland and its 1871 sequel Through the Looking-Glass, which featured his character Alice. A live-action film directed by Tim Burton was released in 2010.

References

  1. ↑ Library of Congress. Copyright Office (1952). Catalog of Copyright Entries: Musical compositions. U.S. Government Printing Office. p. 65.
  2. ↑ Muljadi, Paul. Disney Theatrical Animated Features. Paul Muljadi. p. 100.
  3. 1 2 3 Hischak, Thomas S.; Robinson, Mark A. (29 July 2009). The Disney Song Encyclopedia. Scarecrow Press. p. 3. ISBN   978-0-8108-6938-7.
  4. ↑ Rawlins, Robert; Bahha, Nor Eddine (1 January 2005). Jazzology: The Encyclopedia of Jazz Theory for All Musicians. Hal Leonard Corporation. p. 211. ISBN   978-0-634-08678-6.
  5. ↑ Ake, David Andrew (January 2002). Jazz Cultures. University of California Press. p. 214. ISBN   978-0-520-92696-7.
  6. ↑ Bogdanov, Vladimir; Woodstra, Chris; Erlewine, Stephen Thomas (2002). All Music Guide to Jazz: The Definitive Guide to Jazz Music. Backbeat Books. p. 179. ISBN   978-0-87930-717-2.
  7. ↑ Gioia, Ted (8 April 2011). The History of Jazz . Oxford University Press. p.  283. ISBN   978-0-19-983187-6.
  8. ↑ Levine, Mark (12 January 2011). The Jazz Theory Book. O'Reilly Media, Inc. p. 597. ISBN   978-1-4571-0145-8.
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