Songful September 2020 Exercise Challenge

[sophy1996]

30-minute walk

145/1000

 

[sophy1996]

A belated congratulations to ljcrochet for being the first team member to turn Be Our Guest Blue (yesterday, actually)! And more congratulations to PollyannaMom and me for turning Be Our Guest Blue today.

Disney followed The Little Mermaid with The Rescuers Down Under (1990). I don't have much to say about it here, though, because it doesn't have any songs! It does have a soundtrack, with a score by Bruce Broughton. Brougton is a prolific composer who has won 10 Emmy Awards and been nominated for an Academy Award and a Tony.

Here's a video for Broughton's end-credits music for The Rescuers Down Under.

Have a great weekend, everyone!

 

[ljcrochet]

9/4-44
9/5-72

327

 

[sophy1996]

Next up is another mega-popular Disney movie, Beauty & the Beast (1991). Like The Little Mermaid, Alan Menken was the composer and Howard Ashman the lyricist, and both had significant roles in the development of the film as a whole. Sadly, Ashman was quite ill with complications from AIDS, and he did not live to see the final version of the film. A tribute to Ashman is included in the end credits.

Let's look first at this month's Blue namesake, the highly catchy "Be Our Guest."

"Be Our Guest" was nominated for the Academy Award for Best Original Song and was performed by Jerry Orbach live at the Academy Award ceremony that year. It didn't win, however; do you know what song beat it out?

Spoiler: Answer

"Beauty & the Beast." A third song from the movie, "Belle," also was nominated.

The documentary Howard includes tape of Jerry Orbach and Angela Lansbury recording their lyrics to "Be Our Guest" with an orchestra. I always think that Jerry Orbach was enjoying himself immensely in this role!

Here's a video of "Be Our Guest" at the Academy Awards:

 

[ljcrochet]

9/6-50
9/7-77

454

 

[sophy1996]

Congratulations to ljcrochet for being the first team member to turn Out There Orange, and for moving the team to Be Our Guest Blue!

"Out There" is from The Hunchback of Notre Dame, but for right now we're still checking out Beauty and the Beast. Today's song is the titular song, "Beauty and the Beast."

Spoiler: Related to Yesterday's Post

"Beauty and the Beast" won the Academy Award for Best Original Song, over "Be Our Guest" and "Belle." It also won the Golden Globe for Best Original Song and two Grammys.

Interestingly, "Beauty and the Beast" was the first Disney song to be arranged as a pop version of itself for the end credits. The duet by Celine Dion and Peabo Bryson made it to number 9 on the Billboard Hot 100. At the time, Dion was little known outside of her native Canada, and "Beauty and the Beast" established her as an international recording artist.

According to Wikipedia, Angela Lansbury was hesitant to sing "Beauty and the Beast," partly because she felt her voice wasn't up to the song. She thought it should probably be given to another character. But a director asked her to sing it, just in case. She did it in one take. With only a few changes, that take is version used in the film.

Here's a recording from the Academy Awards that combines Angela Lansbury with Celine Dion and Peabo Bryson:

 

[sophy1996]

By the way, it's 33 degrees here, with quite a snowstorm. Yesterday it was 93 degrees. So goes Colorado!

 

[Twilight Sparkle]

450 minutes - walking, walk/jog, weeding, some strength training, horses

600/2000

 

[Twilight Sparkle]

I met Jerry Orbach at a billiard convention in Vegas once. He was a super nice guy.

 

[BonnieF]

40 minutes walking, and little yoga for stretching (70/600)

Love, love, love the clips from the Academy Awards! How Celine Dion has changed - luckily, not her voice! I saw the wonderful Jerry Ohrbach in 42nd Street on Broadway - what a consummate performer! He was terrific. I always felt Be Our Guest should have won - it's so much fun.
@sophy1996 - Yikes!!!!!!!! That's incredibly crazy. BTW - here in NJ, we had an earthquake during the night! The epicenter was about 4 miles away. It sounded like an explosion, not the usual rumbling. We jumped up from the concussion thinking the bed was collapsing! What a way to wake up! I'm chalking it up to 2020, Chapter 9 - lol!

 

[sophy1996]

+50

220/1000

 

[sophy1996]

Congratulations to BonnieF on turning Be Our Guest Blue (and for getting through an earthquake! ) and to Twlight Sparkle for jumping to Out There Orange!

Beauty and the Beast has a few other memorable songs, including "Belle," "Gaston," and "Something There."

Here's an unusual rendition of "Belle: Reprise":

And here's a cute sing-off of "Gaston" from The Jonathan Ross Show:

 

[Elizabeth Smith]

Enjoying all the musical trivia so far. I’m surprised Beauty and the Beast beat Be Our Guest. I feel the latter is more memorable, though not as beautiful.

adding 200 minutes over the last week. It’s been crazy up and down. The virus is hitting close to home now with some friends coming down with it. Trying to stay optimistic. At least it’s not snowing here.

220/800

 

[sophy1996]

Congratulations to Elizabeth Smith and to me for turning Out There Orange!

Disney followed Beauty and the Beast with another mega-hit, Aladdin (1992). Aladdin first was pitched by Howard Ashman while he and Alan Menken were working on The Little Mermaid. He collaborated on several songs with Menken. Lyricist Sir Tim Rice took over after Ashman's death.

September's Purple namesake, "Prince Ali," is one of Ashman's songs. I remember hearing "Prince Ali" in the Aladdin's Royal Caravan parade through Hollywood Studios (then MGM Studios) circa 1993. I believe that the spitting camels from the Carpets of Aladdin ride used to be part of that parade.

If you need a few extra active minutes, here's a Prince Ali dance routine:

 

[ljcrochet]

9/8-44
9/9-154
9/10-43

695

f you need a few extra active minutes, here's a Prince Ali dance routine:

I've actually done that dance. When we started our lockdown we did a subscription to just dance on the apple tv. I told my daughter I would only dance if they picked a disney song.

 

[sophy1996]

ljcrochet is *this* close to turning Prince Ali Purple!

Today's song is Aladdin's famous ballad "A Whole New World." This song started out as a tentative composition by Alan Menken called "The World at Your Feet." Tim Rice changed it to "A Whole New World." In the movie, it was performed by Jasmine's singing voice, Lea Salonga, and Aladdin's singing voice, Brad Kane. The song won the Academy Award and the Golden Globe for Best Original Song, and a Grammy for Song of the Year for the version by Regina Belle and Peabo Bryson. That version, done for the end credits, peaked at number 1 on the Billboard Hot 100 (replacing Whitney Houston's "I Will Always Love You").

Here's one of my favorite performances of "A Whole New World," a YouTube video from a Lea Salonga concert. Apparently she calls (or maybe called) random audience members to sing with her, and this guy knocked it out of the park.

Have a great weekend, everyone!

 

[ljcrochet]

ljcrochet is *this* close to turning Prince Ali Purple!

I so wanted to do a quick workout just to get to it but I figured it was silly.

9/11 65 minutes
760

 

[sophy1996]

Congratulations to ljcrochet for reaching Prince Ali Purple!!

I so wanted to do a quick workout just to get to it but I figured it was silly.

Well, I admit I've been known to extend a walk by passing my house and going halfway down the block and back just because I needed a few more minutes. Motivation!

 

[Twilight Sparkle]

270 minutes - horses, walking, qigong

870/2000

 

[Twilight Sparkle]

Enjoying all the musical trivia so far. I’m surprised Beauty and the Beast beat Be Our Guest. I feel the latter is more memorable, though not as beautiful.

adding 200 minutes over the last week. It’s been crazy up and down. The virus is hitting close to home now with some friends coming down with it. Trying to stay optimistic. At least it’s not snowing here.

220/800

A close friend of ours tested positive this week. Hoping he and his family will be okay. Best wishes for your friends, too.