Disney Songs - The impact of the music
Although Walt Disney never played an instrument, you’ll find that few people can claim more of an impact than Disney songs have made on the world of music. History tells us that Walt Disney did not know how to read or write music, yet the Disney songs from his cartoons and films are familiar to children of all ages. His loveable personality and the beauty of his dream, have inspired generations of composers, writes, artists and musicians, and features a collection of timeless Disney songs that are the very heart and soul of the empire. Based on the popularity of animated films, he made his first and only attempt at co-writing lyrics to a song in the classic Mickey mouse cartoon, ‘The Shindig’. In 1930, he and Carl Stalling wrote, “Minnie’s Yoo Hoo”.
After a few years, Walt decided to make a feature film. He wanted to turn a new page so to speak, and begin a new pattern in which the music and lyrics of the Disney songs are weaved into the story. The task of combining the story with music tracks began with ‘Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs’. The audience fell in love. A tradition for producing top, high-quality movies began. Other films of that same time frame include ‘Pinocchio’, ‘Dumbo’, and ‘Bambi’.
With the beginning of World War ll, production came to a temporary halt. After the end of the war, Disney experimented mixing live-action with animation. The film, ‘Song of the South’, was created in this way. One item from this film almost everyone has sang or hummed in their lifetime, the Disney song, “Zip-A-Dee-Doo-Dah”.
Cinderella was the next animated feature to come. At the time, Walt Disney relied heavily on the talented members of Tin Pan Alley in New York City to continue the tradition of making memorable Disney songs. These individuals gave the world more favorite Disney songs from films such as, Alice in Wonderland, Lady and the tramp, Sleeping Beauty and 101 Dalmatians.
Disney songs were primarily created in the 1960’s by the Sherman brothers. Live-action and animation came together again in Bedknobs and Broomsticks, also to the full-length animated films; The Sword and the Stone, The Jungle Book, and The Aristocats. The Sherman brothers won two Academy Awards for the hit, Mary Poppins. One award for Best Musical Score, and “Chim-Chim-Cheree”, won the award for Best Song. Mary Poppins was one of the last video productions Walt Disney would see leave his studios. Although he died on December 15,1966; his Disney songs will live on forever.