Disney Sing-Along Songs


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.

History

The first of four distinct series was issued beginning on December 23, 1986, with Zip-a-Dee-Doo-Dah, which would be followed by five more volumes. The second series released in August 1990 with Under the Sea and Disneyland Fun, featuring a new design and reissued volumes labeled One through Twelve in North America. The third series, which began with 1994's Circle of Life, saw another new package design and the re-release of all previous volumes. Around 1996 this series incorporated Mickey's Fun Songs repackaged as Sing-Along Songs. Spanish-language editions of some volumes were released. Some songs moved to newer volumes, newly remixed opening and closing songs appeared. The final release in this format was Flik's Musical Adventure at Disney's Animal Kingdom on June 8, 1999. In the remixed opening and closing themes, the remixed opening can be heard on Friend Like Me, Circle of Life, Honor to Us All, and Collection of All-Time Favorites, and the remixed closing can be heard on the 1993 and 1994 editions of Heigh-Ho, as well as 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 features Sebastian the Crab singing the theme song, replacing Professor Owl.
Following the advent of YouTube's online video-sharing platform, Disney has chosen to release individual sing-along videos on their channel, thus discontinuing the video series.

Volumes: Original series (1986–1998)

''Zip-a-Dee-Doo-Dah'' (1986)

;Volume notes
  • 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 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. On the song itself, the pitch appears to be shifted one semitone higher on the recording after the snake charmer-style music.
  • Ending footage to "Zip-a-Dee-Doo-Dah Reprise" was taken from This is Your Life, Donald Duck, where the Disney gang comes to pay tribute to Mickey, Donald and Goofy.
  • 1986 original print and 2001 print featured Sorcerer Mickey with "presents" appearing below it.
  • For some reason, the 2001 print starts with the same promo featured at the end of the 1990 print, then goes on to Sorcerer Mickey and then the 1994 print's intro.
  • Known as Cancion del Sur: Zip-a-Dee-Doo-Dah in Spanish, released in Spain.
  • Known as Cendrillon: Bibbidi-Bobbidi-Boo in French, released in France and the United States.

    ''Heigh-Ho'' (1987)

;Volume notes
  • 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, Sing Along Songs: Heigh Ho was the second release, preceded by Sing Along Songs: Zip-a-Dee-Doo-Dah. But Volume Four in the UK.
  • 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 the Pirates of the Caribbean to the World of Tomorrow, which aired January 21, 1968
  • †"The Siamese Cat Song" was cut from the 1994 print, but returns in Honor to Us All and is retained on the Spanish version.
  • †"Yo-Ho" was cut from the 1993 print, but is retained on the Spanish version.
  • The 1993 edition includes the remixed closing theme, which was also heard on Friend Like Me, Circle of Life, From Hercules and Collection of All Time Favorites.
  • The 3rd series edition incorporates the new themes introduced on Friend Like Me, Circle of Life, Collection of All Time Favorites, and Honor to Us All
  • Known as Blanca Nieves: Heigh-Ho in Spanish, released in Spain, Latin America, and the United States.
  • Known as Blanche-Neige: He Ho in French, released in France and the United States.

    ''The Bare Necessities'' (1987)

;Volume notes
  • Hosted by Jiminy Cricket
  • Released in 1987 to mark the 20th Anniversary of The Jungle Book.
  • Known as El Libro de la Selva: Ritmo en la Selva in Spanish, released in Spain, and only a limited number of copies were released in the United States.
  • Known as Le Livre de la Jungle: Il En Faut Peu Pour Être Heureux in French, released in France.

    ''You Can Fly!'' (1988)

;Volume notes
  • Hosted by Ludwig Von Drake
  • Released in 1988 to mark the 35th Anniversary of Peter Pan.
  • †"He's a Tramp" was cut from the 1993 English print, but was retained in the Spanish version.
  • Known as Peter Pan: Volorás, Volorás in Spanish, released in Spain, Latin America, and the United States.
  • Known as Peter Pan: Tu T'Envoles in French, released in France and the United States.

    ''Very Merry Christmas Songs'' (1988)

;Volume notes
  • † Songs featured only on the 2002 DVD release
  • The first three prints of the program opened with the song "From All of Us to All of You", sung by Jiminy Cricket, with Mickey Mouse playing the piano. It was cut from the 2002 print, replaced by a voice-over and a Christmas setting instead of transition cards.
  • During the end credits shown on the VHS release, a wide shot still frame background of the Christmas tree from the beginning of Lady and the Tramp is shown.
  • Known as Feliz Navidad in Spanish, released in Spain.

    ''Fun with Music'' (1989)

;Volume notes
  • Co-hosted by Professor Owl and Ludwig Von Drake. At the beginning of the program, Professor Owl hosts. When "All in the Golden Afternoon" ends, Ludwig Von Drake takes over as host. Finally, after "Blue Danube Waltz" is over, Professor Owl takes over as host for the rest of the program.
  • 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.
  • "Old MacDonald Had a Band" first appeared in the Disney short Jack and Old Mac, but is here credited to the Toot, Whistle, Plunk, and Boom episode of Walt Disney Presents.
  • This installment was the first to promote, and feature songs from, a then recently released Disney film. Prior to this, most installments promoted anniversary re-releases of older films.
  • Retitled 101 Notes of Fun in the UK and other countries, and was not released until 1994.
  • † "Cruella de Vil" appears in 101 Notes of Fun and replaces "Let's All Sing Like the Birdies Sing". It also replaces the reprise of "Why Should I Worry?".
  • The end credits mistakenly credit Eva Gabor, as she didn't sing any of the songs in The Aristocats, and also forgets to credit Roscoe Lee Browne, as he sang in the final scene as well.
  • Known as 101 Dalmatas: Notas Musicales in Spanish, released in Spain. Also known as 101 Dalmatas: 101 Notas Musicales.
  • Known as Les 101 Dalmatiens: 101 Notes de Musique in French, released in France.

    ''Under the Sea'' (1990)

;Volume notes
  • Hosted by Ludwig Von Drake
  • The first Disney Sing-Along Songs videocassette to feature familiar tunes not from Disney movies, set to clips from Disney movies and cartoons.
  • The first volume to credit the Quantel Paintbox in the end credits. Mike Bonner was credited as "Paintbox artist" for both this volume and "I Love to Laugh".
  • The original 1990 release included a Disneyland 35th anniversary graphic at the beginning of the video.
  • Known as La Sirenita: Bajo el Mar in Spanish, released in Spain, Latin America, and the United States.
  • Known as La Petite Sirène: Sous L'Ocean in French, released in France and the United States.

    ''Disneyland Fun'' (1990)

A full day of Disneyland is shown over Disney hit songs. A remake of Disneyland Fun set at what was then known as Euro Disney Resort was released in 1993 under the name Let's Go to Disneyland Paris!.
;Volume notes
  • Released in 1990 to mark the 35th Anniversary of Disneyland.
  • This was the first Disney theme park Sing-Along video.
  • After an introductory sequence, the sing-along commences with footage of the rides and attractions of Disneyland, with the appropriate characters' voice actors 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.
  • This volume was given a DVD release in 2005 as part of the Happiest Homecoming on Earth, using the 1994 re-print.
  • During "Following the Leader", the kids follow Donald Duck in Disneyland and Peter Pan in Euro Disneyland.
  • "Zip-a-Dee-Doo-Dah" includes a rap verse not present in the original version.
  • Roger Rabbit from Who Framed Roger Rabbit stars alongside the main Disney characters.
  • Let's Go to Disneyland Paris! was released in 1993.
  • More modern characters such as Ariel, Beast, Belle, Aladdin, Jasmine, Jafar, Iago, Genie, Launchpad McQuack, Grammi Gummi, Sunni Gummi, and Tummi Gummi appear in Let's Go to Disneyland Paris!
  • More dialogue is used in Let's Go to Disneyland Paris! than in Disneyland Fun.
  • Known as Vamos a Disneyland Paris in Spanish, released in Spain. There is no Spanish version for Disneyland Fun.
  • Known as En Route Pour Euro Disneyland in French, released in France. There is no French version for Disneyland Fun.