"Zip-a-Dee-Doo-Dah" | |
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Song by James Baskett | |
Recorded | 1946 |
Genre | |
Length | 2:19 |
Composer(s) | Allie Wrubel |
Lyricist(s) | Ray Gilbert |
"Zip-a-Dee-Doo-Dah" is a song composed by Allie Wrubel with lyrics by Ray Gilbert for the Disney 1946 live action and animated movie Song of the South , sung by James Baskett. [1] For "Zip-a-Dee-Doo-Dah", the film won the Academy Award for Best Original Song [1] and was the second Disney song to win this award, after "When You Wish upon a Star" from Pinocchio (1940). [1] In 2004, it finished at number 47 in AFI's 100 Years...100 Songs , a survey of top tunes in American cinema.
Disney historian Jim Korkis said the word "Zip-a-Dee-Doo-Dah" was reportedly invented by Walt Disney, who was fond of nonsense words such as "Bibbidi-Bobbidi-Boo" from Cinderella (1950) and "Supercalifragilisticexpialidocious" from Mary Poppins (1964). [2] Ken Emerson, author of the book Doo-dah!: Stephen Foster And The Rise Of American Popular Culture, believes that the song is influenced by the chorus of the pre-Civil War folk song "Zip Coon", a "Turkey in the Straw" variation: "O Zip a duden duden duden zip a duden day". [3]
Since 2020, Disney has disassociated itself from the song due to the longstanding controversy over racial connotations associated with Song of the South, with the song largely being removed from music loops in the company's theme parks and associated resorts in the United States. [4]
The Walt Disney Company never released a single from the soundtrack.
"Zip-a-Dee Doo-Dah" | ||||
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Single by Bob B. Soxx and the Blue Jeans | ||||
from the album Zip-a-Dee-Doo-Dah | ||||
B-side | "Flip and Nitty" | |||
Released | 1962 | |||
Studio | Gold Star Studios, Los Angeles | |||
Genre | Pop | |||
Length | 2:40 | |||
Label | Philles | |||
Songwriter(s) | Allie Wrubel, Ray Gilbert | |||
Producer(s) | Phil Spector | |||
Bob B. Soxx and the Blue Jeans singles chronology | ||||
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Bob B. Soxx & the Blue Jeans, a Phil Spector-produced American rhythm and blues trio from Los Angeles, recorded "Zip-a-Dee Doo-Dah" using the Wrecking Crew [9] in late 1962. According to the Beatles' George Harrison: "When Phil Spector was making 'Zip-A-Dee Doo-Dah', the engineer who's set up the track overloaded the microphone on the guitar player and it became very distorted. Phil Spector said, 'Leave it like that, it's great.' Some years later everyone started to try to copy that sound and so they invented the fuzz box." [10] The song also marked the first time his Wall of Sound production formula was fully executed. [11]
In 1963, Bob B. Soxx & the Blue Jeans took their version of the song to number 8 on the Billboard Hot 100 chart and number 7 on the Hot R&B Singles chart. [12] Their song also peaked at number 45 in the UK Singles Chart the same year. [1] The song was included on the only album the group ever recorded, Zip-a-Dee-Doo-Dah, issued on the Philles Records label.
This version was sung by the following people: [13] [14]
For many years, the song was part of an opening theme medley for the Wonderful World of Disney television program and it has often been used in other TV and video productions by the studio, including being sung as an audition piece by a series of children in the Disney film Life with Mikey . It is one of many popular songs that features a bluebird ("Mr. Bluebird's on my shoulder"), epitomized by the "bluebird of happiness", which symbolizes cheer.
The song is used in Splash Mountain, a log flume ride based on Song of the South at Tokyo Disneyland in Japan (and formerly at Disneyland in California and Magic Kingdom in Florida), and is also the departure melody of platform 1 of Maihama Station in Urayasu, Chiba, Japan due to its proximity to the Tokyo Disney Resort.
The song was performed by Muppet bunnies in a 1980 episode of The Muppet Show guest starring Alan Arkin, and by Tom Hanks in several scenes from Walt Disney Studios' 1984 film Splash .
"Zip-a-Dee-Doo-Dah" is sung at some point in Paul McCartney's film, Give My Regards to Broad Street .
A Calvin and Hobbes comic strip shows Calvin, transmogrified into an owl, singing the song loudly and exuberantly after initially being worried about going to school as an owl and then Hobbes pointing out that owls do not go to school.
The Saturday Night Live "TV Funhouse" animated cartoon "Journey to the Disney Vault" features a brief parody of the song. This rendition replaces "My, oh my, what a wonderful day! Plenty of sunshine headin' my way!" with Uncle Remus instead singing the lyrics "Negroes are inferior in every way. Whites are much cleaner, that's what I say." [15]
The phrase is mentioned on the song "Klap Ya Handz" from the debut album of hip-hop group Das EFX, when Krayz Drayz utters the line "So zippity doo, da day, whoops I gots stuck."
Tom Cruise uses the name of the song to help prove a point in the movie A Few Good Men .
A variant of the song is sung by Kurt Russell in Overboard .
It is used in The West Wing Season 3 Episode 6 25:33
It is used in the movie, Fletch Lives , where it is sung by Chevy Chase, along with appearances by a cartoon dog and a bluebird.
In the 2012 "Disneyland" episode of the ABC sitcom Modern Family , Manny mentions the song when he comments about the lack of cell reception on Splash Mountain: "Do you know how many bars I had? Zip-a-dee-doo-dah."
Song of the South is a 1946 American live-action/animated musical comedy-drama film directed by Harve Foster and Wilfred Jackson, produced by Walt Disney, and released by RKO Radio Pictures. It is based on the Uncle Remus stories as adapted by Joel Chandler Harris, stars James Baskett in his final film role, and features the voices of Johnny Lee, Baskett, and Nick Stewart. The film takes place in the U.S. state of Georgia during the Reconstruction era, a period of American history after the end of the American Civil War and the abolition of slavery. The story follows seven-year-old Johnny who is visiting his grandmother's plantation for an extended stay. Johnny befriends Uncle Remus (Baskett), an elderly worker on the plantation, and takes joy in hearing his tales about the adventures of Br'er Rabbit (Lee), Br'er Fox, and Br'er Bear. Johnny learns from the stories how to cope with the challenges he is experiencing while living on the plantation.
Bob B. Soxx & the Blue Jeans was an early 1960s vocal group produced by Phil Spector, and was initially conceived as a vehicle for the lead vocals of Bobby Sheen, who took the stage name Bob B. Soxx. The Blue Jeans were backing vocalists Darlene Love and Fanita James, both of whom were also members of the girl group the Blossoms.
"Turkey in the Straw" is an American folk song that first gained popularity in the 19th century. Early versions of the song were titled "Zip Coon", which were first published around 1834 and performed in minstrel shows, with different people claiming authorship of the song. The melody of "Zip Coon" later became known as "Turkey in the Straw"; a song titled "Turkey in de Straw" with different music and lyrics was published in 1861 together with the wordless music of "Zip Coon" added at the end, and the title "Turkey in the Straw" then became linked to the tune of "Zip Coon".
"Mah Nà Mah Nà" is a popular song by Italian composer Piero Umiliani. It originally appeared in the Italian film Sweden: Heaven and Hell. It was a minor radio hit in the United States and in Britain, but became better known internationally for its use by The Muppets and on The Benny Hill Show.
Splash Mountain is a log flume ride at Tokyo Disneyland. Other versions, which have since been rethemed, were formerly located at Disneyland and Magic Kingdom. The attraction is based on the animated sequences of Disney's 1946 film Song of the South. The ride experience begins with an outdoor float-through that leads to indoor dark ride segments, with a climactic steep drop followed by an indoor finale. The drop is 52.5 feet.
"Blues in the Night" is a popular blues song which has become a pop standard and is generally considered to be part of the Great American Songbook. The music was written by Harold Arlen, the lyrics by Johnny Mercer, for a 1941 film begun with the working title Hot Nocturne, but finally released as Blues in the Night. The song is sung in the film by William Gillespie.
"The Ballad of Davy Crockett" is a song with music by George Bruns and lyrics by Thomas W. Blackburn. It was introduced on ABC's television series Disneyland, in the premiere episode of October 27, 1954.
"Bibbidi-Bobbidi-Boo" is a novelty song, written in 1948 by Al Hoffman, Mack David, and Jerry Livingston. Introduced in the 1950 film Cinderella, and performed by actress Verna Felton, the song is about the Fairy Godmother transforming an orange pumpkin into a white carriage, four brown mice into white horses, a gray horse into a white-haired coachman and a brown dog into a white-haired footman. The song was nominated for the Academy Award for Best Original Song in 1951 but lost out to "Mona Lisa" from Captain Carey, U.S.A. Disney used the song once again in their 2015 remake of Cinderella which starred Lily James in the leading role. The song was performed by Helena Bonham Carter, who plays Fairy Godmother, and was the final song of the movie, playing with the end credits. Bonham Carter's version can also be found as the 30th song on the original movie soundtrack.
Fantasy in the Sky was the first fireworks performance at Disneyland in Anaheim, California, beginning in 1958 and running until 1996. The show also appeared at the Magic Kingdom in Lake Buena Vista, Florida from 1971 until 2003, at Tokyo Disneyland in Urayasu, Chiba, Japan from 1983 until 1988 and at Disneyland Paris from 1993 to 2005 in Marne-la-Vallee, France.
Disney Sing-Along Songs is a series of videos on VHS, betamax, laserdisc, and DVD with musical moments from various Disney films, TV shows, and attractions. Lyrics for the songs are sometimes displayed on-screen with the Mickey Mouse icon as a "bouncing ball". Early releases open with a theme song introduction containing footage featuring Professor Owl and his class, seen originally in 1953 in two Disney shorts, Melody and Toot, Whistle, Plunk, and Boom. Professor Owl hosts some of the videos, while either Jiminy Cricket or Ludwig Von Drake host others. Later volumes, as well as the two Christmas videos, do not feature a host at all. Scenes with Jiminy Cricket and Ludwig Von Drake were taken from television programs, including the Walt Disney anthology television series and The Mickey Mouse Club, which featured the characters in the 1950s and 1960s.
Mickey Mouse Disco is an album released by Disneyland Records in 1979. A late entry in the genre of disco, Mickey Mouse Disco included disco versions of Disney songs and Disney-fied versions of disco hits. The album was re-released on CD in 1995, and later as a download. On April 13, 2019, in honor of the album's 40th anniversary, the original LP was reissued for the annual Record Store Day.
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The Mickey Mouse Revue was an indoor audio-animatronic stage show at the Magic Kingdom and Tokyo Disneyland theme parks. It was one of the three original opening day attractions in Magic Kingdom's Fantasyland in 1971. After closing at Magic Kingdom in 1980, it was moved to Tokyo Disneyland for that park's opening in 1983 where it remained for 26 years before closing permanently in 2009.
"The Happiest Girl in the Whole USA" is a country and pop music song written, composed, and recorded by Donna Fargo. It is written in the voice of a newlywed girl, sung to her new husband. It has since become her signature song.
The Blossoms were an American girl group that originated from California. During their height of success in the 1960s, the group's lineup consisted of Darlene Love, Fanita James, and Jean King.
Robert Joseph Sheen was an American rhythm and blues singer.
"I Love How You Love Me" is a song written by Barry Mann and Larry Kolber. It was a 1961 Top Five hit for the pop girl group The Paris Sisters, which inaugurated a string of elaborately produced classic hits by Phil Spector. Bobby Vinton had a Top Ten hit in 1968 with a cover version. The song has been recorded by many other artists over the years.
Eurobeat Disney is the first of a series of compilation albums of various Disney songs which has been remixed in the style of eurobeat. It is produced by Italian singer Dave Rodgers for Walt Disney Records and released exclusively in Japan. The first Eurobeat Disney was released on July 26, 2000. Some of the songs on this album are featured in the game Dance Dance Revolution Disney Mix and were part of the special event "Club Disney Super Dancin' Mania" at Tokyo Disneyland in 2000.
Don Randi is an American keyboard player, bandleader, and songwriter who was a member of the Wrecking Crew.
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