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View Full Version : Music not to play at the Club Buzz area of Disneyland



Darkbeer
06-20-2005, 05:24 PM
Something happened yesterday that got my attention, but first...

It seems like the CM's that pick the music in the area for the pre-recorded stuff like to have a little fun...

I have heard the Smashmouth hit many times that makes be think of Shrek 4-D and Universal...

But yesterday, I got one to top that...

Buzz Lightyear was out and dancing with some kids on the dance floor area in front of the Club Buzz Stage...

Then what do you hear, but the theme for Mr. Six, you know, the "old" guy that dances for Six Flags.....

Have to love those CM's humor.... :fez:

bradk
06-20-2005, 05:34 PM
on a slightly related note, when i was at universal, i could hear the theme to batman (the adam west tv series) being played somewhere. i was sure there was a reason for it, but it definitely caught me offguard

Andrew
06-20-2005, 10:23 PM
The song is "We like to party" by the Venga Boys. It's part of Six Flags' national ad campaign (http://www.sixflags.com/press/adlaunch.asp).

PragmaticIdealist
06-20-2005, 11:57 PM
I heard a band there play a song or two off the album "Tragic Kingdom" by No Doubt, one time.

I wonder if the irony was intentional.

TikiGeek
06-21-2005, 07:13 AM
About a month ago we were walking through Frontierland and they played the theme song from Blazing Saddles. :eek: I was really suprised to hear this at DL. What's the connection? It's a Warner Bros. movie?

Andrew
06-21-2005, 09:24 AM
About a month ago we were walking through Frontierland and they played the theme song from Blazing Saddles. :eek: I was really suprised to hear this at DL. What's the connection? It's a Warner Bros. movie?
The theme from Blazing Saddles has been part of the Fantasyland soundtrack for many years. I like to think that some quietly subversive Imagineer slipped it in under the nose of Pressler and his ilk, but I really have no idea how it got there.

Opus1guy
06-21-2005, 09:52 AM
The theme from Blazing Saddles has been part of the Fantasyland soundtrack for many years. I like to think that some quietly subversive Imagineer slipped it in under the nose of Pressler and his ilk, but I really have no idea how it got there.

The subversive in me would like to think that too. ;) But in this case it was all above-board and nothing clandestine at all.

It got there mainly due to Tony Baxter, Eddie Sotto and Disneyland's own music master: Stacia Martin, who Imagineering called in from Disneyland to consult and help build a playlist.

Many years ago when it was decided to update the music tracks all over the park (mainly because they were creating new tracks for the then soon-to-open Euro Disneyland theme park), they felt they wanted not only generic historical theme music, but also more contemporary music that would make the same type of subliminal emotional connection to the newer generations. And especially for Europeans who got much of their U.S. cultural musical "connection" from the scores of U.S. films and television. They selected scores from various non-Disney movies and television shows, along with some other pieces (like from composer Aaron Copland) to include in the new tracks.

Tracks from The Music Man, Hello Dolly, Blazing Saddles and many other non-Disney films and TV shows made the cut. However, Stacia (being a true blue Disney person) was particularly proud that a cut from Walt Disney's "The Happiest Millionaire" made the list (it's her favorite Disney live-action film).

But nothing was slipped past anyone. It was a major project that went through the usual disclosure and approval process at all appropriate levels of the Company.

TikiGeek
06-21-2005, 10:13 AM
But Blazing Saddles??? It's just so "not Disney" in many ways - Then again, I love that movie and I love things Disney - so maybe it was done to connect with those twisted Disney fans that can appreciate the humor. It does work, when we heard that music we all laughed and had huge smiles. :)

Opus1guy
06-21-2005, 11:49 AM
But Blazing Saddles??? It's just so "not Disney" in many ways - Then again, I love that movie and I love things Disney - so maybe it was done to connect with those twisted Disney fans that can appreciate the humor. It does work, when we heard that music we all laughed and had huge smiles. :)

Yeah. But for most folks it's just subliminal background music. They really aren't paying much attention to what it's source and history is. As long as it's familiar in some way and sounds "right" then it works.

The tune itself is rather familiar even when it was first written. And that was on purpose. Even in the film it was supposed to evoke the style of the classic Wagon Train type western songs.

I was at a film retrospective where Mel Brooks talked about this a great deal. It was a funny story. The Blazing Saddle theme song was supposed to be a parody of the old Frankie Laine western theme-songs that Laine was so well known for in films and television. In particular, his popular "Mule Train" song.

So they wrote rather plain and simple "dumb-downed" lyrics and decided to ask Frankie Laine if he would record the song himself. Well, seems someone didn't tell Frankie that it was supposed to be a parody of his own works!

Frankie came in to record and Mel was puzzled when Frankie told him how much he loved the lyrics! Mel said that as he recorded the song Frankie had tears rolling down his cheeks and then came up to him quite sincerely and said, "That's one of the most beautiful songs I've ever heard. Do you mind if I give it another take...that last one I kinda broke down."

Mel said sure and then when Frankie walked away called "his boys" around him and said, "Hey fellas...Frankie thinks this is for real! He thinks it's for like, a real western or something!"

Frankie then belted out the tune with everything he had. Mel just couldn't believe his luck. Because Frankie had thought it was a legit song and really liked it, he performed it full bore. Which of course made the parody even better.

When the song received it's nomination for an Oscar for Best Original Song, an excited Frankie called Mel to congratulate him on "our song." According to Mel...as far as he could tell...Frankie never did catch on! :)

While the film was tactless and rather crude (by design of course), there's nothing in the lyrics of Blazing Saddles itself that would offend. They are just absurd in their banality:


CHORUS:
He rode a blazing saddle
He wore a shining star
His job to offer battle
To bad men near and far
He conquered fear and he conquered hate
He turned our night into day
He made his blazing saddle
A torch to light the way

When outlaws rule the West
And fear fills the land
A cry went up for a man with guts
To take the West in hand
They needed a man who was brave and true
With justice for all as his aim
Then out of the sun rode a man with a gun
And Bart was his name, yes Bart was his name

So apparently since the song was not so bad...the music of it and it's popular acceptance perhaps caused it to make the cut. :)

I've never noticed the song playing at Disneyland myself. There's a Copland tune that sounds similar to Blazing Saddles. Hope we're not confusing the two.

Andrew
06-21-2005, 11:53 AM
Oh, it's definitely there in the Fantasyland background loop, along with Copland's "Rodeo" (aka "Beef: It's what's for dinner") and something that sounds like it might be from Silverado (http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0090022/).

TikiGeek
06-21-2005, 12:03 PM
So apparently since the song was not so bad...the music of it and it's popular acceptance perhaps caused it to make the cut. :)It definitely does evoke the feeling of that era - at least in movie form. Thanks for that explanation. :)

DisneylandForever
06-21-2005, 12:14 PM
Oh, it's definitely there in the Fantasyland background loop, along with Copland's "Rodeo" (aka "Beef: It's what's for dinner") and something that sounds like it might be from Silverado (http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0090022/).

Don't they also play the theme from City Slickers in that Frontierland loop?

Opus1guy
06-21-2005, 12:45 PM
It definitely does evoke the feeling of that era - at least in movie form. Thanks for that explanation. :)

You're welcome.

Besides...I've unfortunately seen more fart jokes in recent Disney "family" films...than Mongo could even dream of!

;)

infinite
06-21-2005, 01:00 PM
Ha ha ha, I never even noticed Disneyland HAD background music. Oh my gosh, ha ha ha.

tbminnie
06-21-2005, 08:24 PM
Probably because the band is from Anaheim and extremely popular. I doubt they played the actual song "Tragic Kingdom."


I heard a band there play a song or two off the album "Tragic Kingdom" by No Doubt, one time.

I wonder if the irony was intentional.

Andrew
06-21-2005, 08:38 PM
I was very disappointed to miss the "Tragic Kingdom" tour stop at the Pond, as I understand the band came onstage to the Main Street Electrical Parade theme. Since this was the year after MSEP "glowed away forever", I'll bet there was quite a reaction.

Weren't one or two of the band members former Cast Members?

stan4d_steph
06-22-2005, 06:45 AM
I was very disappointed to miss the "Tragic Kingdom" tour stop at the Pond, as I understand the band came onstage to the Main Street Electrical Parade theme. Since this was the year after MSEP "glowed away forever", I'll bet there was quite a reaction.That concert is available on VHS ("Live in the Tragic Kingdom"). It's set to be released on DVD but has been delayed due to clearance issues.

tbminnie
06-22-2005, 07:03 AM
I was at that concert and it was awsome. The best concert I have ever seen. They Rock!!!!!!!!!!!


I was very disappointed to miss the "Tragic Kingdom" tour stop at the Pond, as I understand the band came onstage to the Main Street Electrical Parade theme. Since this was the year after MSEP "glowed away forever", I'll bet there was quite a reaction.

Weren't one or two of the band members former Cast Members?