Disney Sing Along Songs
Disney Sing Along Songs is a series of videos, laserdiscs and DVDs with musical moments from various Disney films, TV shows and attractions. Lyrics for the songs are displayed on-screen with the Mickey Mouse icon as a "bouncing ball" (The concept, which was originated at the Fleischer Studios. In 1926, along with brother Dave, Max Fleischer patented the "bouncing ball" technique, by which a small animated ball would bounce over the words, cueing both the audience and the theater organist, in the silent Song Car-Tunes series. In 1928, the concept was revived as Screen Songs, to take advantage of techniques afforded by the sound era, and incorporating such musical guest stars as Ethel Merman and Rudy Vallee.), or the text changing color as the song is sung, or a combination of the two. Early releases open with a theme song introduction (written by Patrick DeRemer) containing footage featuring Professor Owl and his class, seen originally in 1953 in two Disney shorts Melody and Toot, Whistle, Plunk, and Boom (voiced then by Bill Thompson). Professor Owl (now voiced by Corey Burton) hosts some of the videos while either Ludwig Von Drake or Jiminy Cricket host others, and later volumes, as well as the two Christmas videos, had no host at all. The footage of Von Drake and Jiminy Cricket were taken from several television programs (including the Walt Disney anthology television series) featuring the characters in the 1950s and 60s.
History
Issued beginning on December 23, 1986, there have been four distinct series. The 1st launched in 1986 with Zip-a-Dee-Doo-Dah, followed by five more volumes. The 2nd series began appearing in August 1990 with Under the Sea and Disneyland Fun-It's a Small World, featuring a new design and reissued volumes labeled One (1) through Twelve (12) in North America (worldwide, volume numbers differed). The 3rd series, beginning in 1994 with Circle of Life, saw another new package design and the re-release of all previous volumes (excluding Fun with Music, repackaged as 101 Notes of Fun for the non-North American market). Around 1996 this series incorporated Mickey's Fun Songs repackaged as Sing Along Songs (a three volume live-action set in the style of Disneyland Fun). Spanish language editions of some volumes were released (Disney Canta Con Nosotros). Some songs moved to newer volumes, newly remixed opening and closing songs appeared, and the final release in this format was Flik's Musical Adventure at Disney's Animal Kingdom on June 8, 1999. During the remixed opening and closing themes, the remixed opening was heard on Friend Like Me, Circle of Life, Honor to Us All and Collection of All-Time Favorites and the remixed closing was heard on Heigh-Ho (heard on the 1993 VHS and the 1994 VHS), Friend Like Me, Circle of Life and Collection of All-Time Favorites. This series abandoned any new volume numbers, included only sporadically on third series volumes. A special three volume set, Collection of All-Time Favorites, was released in 1997. There have been over 30 titles released to home video. Newly remastered editions began appearing in 2002 on Disney DVD, beginning with Very Merry Christmas Songs, featuring a new package design, bonus features, and some new songs. Some Disney DVD feature releases include individual songs as bonus features. Winnie-the-Pooh Sing a Song volumes are being incorporated into the Sing Along Songs series. The DVD series (4th series) features Sebastian the Crab (from The Little Mermaid) singing the theme song, replacing Professor Owl. All VHS volumes are out of print. The 1993 VHS of Be Our Guest has a closing with a black screen with a beeping noise.
Volumes
Zip-a-Dee-Doo-Dah
- Volume notes
- Stock #480 - NTSC Vol. 2
- Hosted by Professor Owl
- Originally issued to promote the November 21, 1986 theatrical re-release of Song of the South, celebrating the film's 40th Anniversary, and representing the launch of the new home-video series of (as yet, unnumbered) Sing Along Songs.
- Footage for the song It's a Small World was taken from Disneyland Goes to the World's Fair which aired May 17, 1964.
- Ending footage to Zip-a-Dee-Doo-Dah Reprise was taken from A Day in the Life of Donald Duck where the Disney gang comes to pay tribute to Mickey and Donald.
- 1986 original print featured Sorcerer Mickey with "presents" appearing below it.
Heigh-Ho
- Volume notes
- Stock #531 - NTSC Vol. 1, PAL Vol. 4
- Hosted by Professor Owl
- Released in 1987 to promote the theatrical re-release of Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs on the film's 50th Anniversary
- Though designated in 1990 as Volume One (just as Snow White is "Animated Feature #1"), Sing Along Songs: Heigh Ho was the second release, preceded by Sing Along Songs: Zip-a-Dee-Doo-Dah (1986)
- There is extensive use of footage from Adventures in Music: Melody, and Toot, Whistle, Plunk, and Boom throughout the entire program with a new script synched to the old video
- The 1993 edition features a preview for all eleven numbered volumes to date
- Footage of Pirates of the Caribbean in the song Yo Ho was taken from Disneyland: From Pirates of the Caribbean to the World of Tomorrow which aired January 21, 1968
- The Siamese Cat Song returns in Honor to Us All.
- The 3rd series edition (1994) incorporates the new themes introduced in Friend Like Me, Circle of Life, Collection of All Time Favorites, and Honor to Us All
- The 2nd series edition (1993) includes the remixed closing theme, which was also heard on Friend Like Me, Circle of Life, and Collection of All Time Favorites.
The Bare Necessities
- Volume notes
- Stock #581 - NTSC Vol. 4, PAL Vol. 1
- Hosted by Jiminy Cricket
- Released in 1987 to mark the 20th Anniversary of The Jungle Book.
You Can Fly!
- Volume notes
- Stock #662 - NTSC Vol. 3, PAL Vol. 7
- Hosted by Ludwig Von Drake
- Released in 1988 to mark the 35th Anniversary of Peter Pan.
Fun with Music
- Volume notes
- Stock #763 - NTSC Vol. 5
- The song Let's All Sing Like the Birdies Sing includes a montage with Disney birds from Bambi and the Silly Symphonies cartoon, Birds in the Spring.
- Hosted by Professor Owl
- †Old MacDonald Had a Band originally appeared in the Disney short Jack and Old Mac and was incorrectly credited to Toot, Whistle, Plunk, and Boom.
- This installment was the first to promote, and feature songs from, a then recently-released Disney film (in this case, Oliver & Company). Prior to this, most installments promoted anniversary re-releases of older films.
- The end credits mistakenly credit Eva Gabor as she didn't sing any of the songs in The Aristocats (Robie Lester did), and also forgets to credit Roscoe Lee Browne (voice of Francis in Oliver & Company) as he too sang in the final scene as well.[1]
Under the Sea
- Volume notes
- Reprinted December 28, 1990 and February 2, 1994.
Stock #908 - NTSC Vol. 6, PAL Vol. 2
- Hosted by Ludwig Von Drake
- The first Disney Sing Along Songs videocassette to use familiar tunes not from Disney movies, set to clips from Disney movies and cartoons (merely marked as "Disney scenes").
- The original 1990 release included a Disneyland 35th anniversary graphic in the beginning of the video.
- There were two 1990 prints as of 12/28/90.
Disneyland Fun
- Volume notes
- Stock #935 - NTSC Vol. 7, PAL Vol. 5
- Hosted by Professor Owl (though no host after the first song)
- Roger Rabbit from Who Framed Roger Rabbit? stars alongside the main Disney characters.
- After an introductory sequence, the sing-along commences with footage of the rides and attractions of Disneyland, with the appropriate characters' voice actors, & actress dubbing lines of their costumed character counterparts.
- The 1994 re-print introduced a new opening graphic for the series but retained the original closing graphic.
- Released in 1990 to mark the 35th Anniversary of Disneyland
- This was the first Disney theme-park Sing-Along video.
- According to the quotes of this video shown on IMDB, the kid who is the vacationer reveals to be David Buntley.
I Love to Laugh!
- Volume notes
- Stock #1029 - NTSC Vol. 9, PAL Vol. 3
- Hosted by Ludwig Von Drake
- Retitled Supercalifragilisticexpialidocious in 1994, featuring new graphics at the start and new end credits
- The 1994 print featured the gold WDHV logo (with blue background), replacing the 1986 Sorcerer Mickey WDHV logo, which was a video editing error, but was bothered not to be corrected.
Be Our Guest
- Volume notes
- Stock #1311 - NTSC Vol. 10, PAL Vol. 8
- Hosted by Jiminy Cricket
- †Little Wooden Head was cut in 1993 to appear on Colors of the Wind and appears again in All-Time Favorites, Vol. 1, The Early Years in 1997
Friend Like Me
- Volume notes
- Stock #1730 - NTSC Vol. 11, PAL Vol. 9
- Hosted by Jiminy Cricket
- This to have a different intro to the theme song play over the opening graphics. In its place, we hear the last couple of bars of Friend Like Me, with the title Friend Like Me appearing in Disney's Aladdin-style font, framed by blue and purple smoke, continuing into the remixed opening theme. The remixed opening was heard on Circle of Life, Honor to Us All and Collection of All-Time Favorites while the remixed closing theme was also heard on Heigh-Ho (heard on the 1993 VHS and the 1994 VHS), Circle of Life and Collection of All-Time Favorites.
- Instead of Professor Owl introducing Jiminy Cricket, Jiminy Cricket just shows up at the very beginning of the film.
- This is the first time that Professor Owl did not introduce the host.
Campout at Walt Disney World
- Volume notes
- Stock #2600, 30 min. (VHS)
- Originally released as "Mickey's Fun Songs - Campout at Walt Disney World", later reissued in the Sing Along Songs series
Let's Go to the Circus!
- Volume notes
- Stock #2599, 32 min. (VHS)
- Originally released as "Mickey's Fun Songs" - Let's Go to the Circus!", later reissued in the Sing Along Songs series.
- Barry Manilow is reported to have composed the score for the video and wrote two original songs with Bruce Sussman, but credited as written by Andy Belling and Nick Allen.
- This is the only Disney live-action video that doesn't take place at Walt Disney World, even though the Disney Characters are shown.
Circle of Life
- Volume notes
- Stock #3491, 29386, DVD Stock #29382 - PAL Vol. 13
- Hosted by Jiminy Cricket
Beach Party at Walt Disney World
- Volume notes
- Stock #4721, 32 min. (VHS)
- Originally released as "Mickey's Fun Songs - Beach Party at Walt Disney World", later reissued in the Sing Along Songs series.
Colors of the Wind
- Volume notes
- Stock #4814 (VHS), 4814AS (Laserdisc), PAL/UK Vol. 14, Stock #D248142
- Hosted by Ludwig Von Drake
- Laserdisc featured Mickey's Fun Songs - Let's Go to the Circus! on side two
- VHS edition features updated preview for the 3rd series, plus a preview for Mickey's Fun Songs three tape series
- The song Can You Feel the Love Tonight includes a new montage with various Disney lovers
Topsy Turvy
- Volume notes
- Stock #7648, PAL Stock #D269902
- No host
Pongo and Perdita
- Volume notes
- Stock #8525
- The "Following the Leader" segment actually used a recording of the version in "Disneyland Fun".
- The only volume without sing-along words on the screen, though it is Closed Captioned (CC) for hearing impaired (as are most volumes), and sing-along lyrics have been added to the 2006 DVD release (though still incomplete)
Collection of All Time Favorites: The Early Years
- Volume notes
- Stock #11432 - Volume 1
- No host (voiceover only)
- Features songs from 1933–1949
Collection of All Time Favorites: The Magic Years
- Volume notes
- Stock #11435 - Volume 2
- No host (voiceover only)
- Features songs from 1950–1977
Collection of All-Time Favorites: The Modern Classics
- Volume notes
- Stock #11436 - Volume 3
- No host (voiceover only)
- Features songs from 1989–1997
Honor to Us All
- Volume notes
- Hosted by Professor Owl (voiceover only, before first song)
- Features the return of The Siamese Cat Song, cut from the 1994 edition of Heigh-Ho.
- The remixed opening from Friend Like Me, Circle of Life, and Collection of All Time Favorites is included at the beginning, while the ending includes the regular closing.
Sing a Song with Pooh Bear & Piglet Too!
- Volume notes
- Stock #30135 (DVD), #14017 (VHS)
- DVD release April 2003 as "Sing a Song with Pooh Bear & Piglet Too!", to coincide with the theatrical release of Piglet's Big Movie.
- † Songs seen only in the 2003 edition
- Originally released as "Winnie-the-Pooh: Sing a Song with Pooh Bear", later reissued in the Sing Along Songs series under a new name with new songs.
- Featured at the end of the original release from 1999, Gopher hosts "How to Draw", as he shows you how to draw Pooh's face.
Flik's Musical Adventure at Disney's Animal Kingdom
- Volume notes
- Stock #14022
- Hosted by Flik the Ant from Disney/Pixar's A Bug's Life
Winnie the Pooh - Sing a Song with Tigger
- Volume notes
- Stock #18856 (VHS)
- Bonus Programming - Tiggerrific Tips on How to Make a Scrapbook!
- Hosted by Tigger, who is showing you his scrapbook
- Released in 2000 in promotion of The Tigger Movie
- This video was not released as a Sing Along Songs volume, rather a "Sing a Song with"..., but otherwise conforms to SAS volume standards.
- Opening credits feature a computer animated tour of Christopher Robin's bedroom showing his stuffed toys, also shown in Sing a Song with Pooh Bear
- Also features bonus music videos at the end of the video to promote the Walt Disney Gold Classic Collection titles: A Girl Worth Fighting For (Mulan), Scales and Arpeggios (The Aristocats), The Best of Friends (The Fox and the Hound), Steady as the Beating Drum (Pocahontas), and Higitus Figitus (The Sword in the Stone) given to you by Tigger, as noted at the end of the Scrapbooking segment.
Brother Bear - On My Way
- Volume notes
- Stock #31968 (DVD)
- The first volume to feature a new opening sequence, with the theme song sung by Sebastian from The Little Mermaid
- Hosted by Rutt and Tuke
- Also features Karaoke Mode and three Vocabulary Activities
- † Songs also presented as Dance Along alternate video.
- On the Open Road was presented on Honor to Us All and features a Wilhelm Scream
Home on the Range - Little Patch of Heaven
- Volume notes
- Stock #33819 (DVD)
- Hosted by Maggie the Cow
- Also features Karaoke Mode and three Vocabulary Activities
Disney Princess Sing Along Songs Vol. 1 - Once Upon a Dream
- Volume notes
- "If You Can Dream" appears to be an original song composed exclusively for this Sing Along Songs volume
Disney Princess Sing Along Songs Vol. 2 - Enchanted Tea Party
- Volume notes
- DVD includes Princess Tea Time game, Dance Along, Karaoke, Random Play
- Where Dreams Begin was newly created for this volume.
Disney Princess Sing Along Songs Vol. 3 - Perfectly Princess
- Volume notes
- Includes Karaoke, Princess Pen Pals, Princess Pals DVD-ROM
Sources
- Song lists drawn from VHS/DVD packaging and actual song order from programs
- Many release dates from Amazon.com
References