Wednesday, April 9, 2008

Let's Dance at Disneyland!


As you may know, I have become increasingly thrilled with iTunes’ release of heretofore out of print vintage Walt Disney Records from the ‘50s and ‘60s. The folks at iTunes seem to be releasing these albums in waves, a few at a time. A few complaints: It has been brought to my attention that they do not necessarily last a long time, so if you see one you have to have, it’s best to jump on it as it may not always be available. Additionally, it can be hard to pin down some of these records, especially if you don’t know exactly what you’re looking for. A broad search for “Walt Disney Records” produces little except the latest Hannah Montana album. The best way, I have found, to browse for these vintage albums is by starting with the name of one such album or group that you know (for example “The Mellomen”) and then do a chain reaction search of sorts by clicking different albums in the box called, “Listeners also Bought” for more leads. It really is kind of like finding a needle in a haystack, but when you stumble upon something good, well, it’s almost like being a kid on Christmas morning again.


The newest wave of Walt Disney Records released brought a bunch of gems. My favorite, hands down, is a 1956 (only one year after the park opened) album, “Date Nite at Disneyland,” with the Elliott Brothers and Disneyland Date Niters Orchestra. Evidently the Elliott Brothers Orchestra was a regular entertainment staple around Disneyland in the 1950’s and ‘60s. They played in the big band/jazz/swing style that was popular at the time, providing evening entertainment for Friday and Saturday “Date Nites” at Disneyland during the summer (And evidently until 1 am?? Can anyone verify this?). It’s the kind of wholesome entertainment you would expect from the time, and which admittedly gets my toes tapping and wanting to strap on my Mary Janes for a twirl on the dance floor. It’s not difficult to imagine the hoards of teenagers coupling off under the striped canvas of the Carnation Plaza Gardens swinging and swaying with the bandstand raging on through the night.

Above image courtesy of the Vintage Disneyland Tickets Blog

Of course the “Date Nite at Disneyland” album is the most comprehensive Elliott Brothers’ Orchestra album I’m aware of. Their opening hit, “Let’s Dance at Disneyland” can also be found on the Musical History of Disneyland album. If you want to see the Elliott Brothers in action, there’s a great segment showcasing their talent in the “Disneyland After Dark” Episode on the Disneyland USA DVD which is part of the Disney Treasures Collection. Now that I mention it, that entire episode is well worth watching. It features some excellent footage of Annette Funicello, Bobby Rydell, the great Louis “Satchmo” Armstrong, and even a very young Osmond Brothers Quartet. Also of note, I found an interesting link to a list of big bands and artists who played at Disneyland at the BigBandLibrary.com website. It’s really mind boggling to think that such jazz greats as Duke Ellington, Louis Armstrong, and Count Basie and his Orchestra have all played there.

6 comments:

Anonymous said...

Welcome back! I've been waiting for a post!

loosetoon said...

This my biggest complaint with the iTunes store, too! A while back I wanted to buy the "Saludos Amigos" soundtrack and could only find it by typing in the title. So, if I didn't know what to look for, I never would have found it. Why these gems aren't in a separate, all-inclusive category is beyond me like "Classic Disney" or something. Thanks for the tips!

Anonymous said...

Great you are back!It is from me, Eleonora. I tried to write with my blogger identity and the password has been rejected... I am sure I have the right one though....

Unknown said...

Great to see you back!

Unfortunately, I am one of the few people in the world that doesn't use iTunes (Yahoo music subscription for me!) so I can't get some of this stuff...

G

Jason Schultz said...

While my day-by-day history of the Resort is still incomplete (okay, I still need hours for 19,500 of the days!), during the summer of 1958 Disneyland was open 9 to midnight every night, Friday and Saturday till 1 AM.

I've come across that big bands link before. It's obviously missing a number of years, but a great glimpse into Disneyland's big band heritage. Live music by big name stars used to be a really important part of the Park; they don't do anything like Dixieland at Disneyland anymore, or even the daily name bands during the summer. Maybe they feel that there are enough attractions now that the Guests don't need to be entertained?

Anonymous said...

That's a great album, one of the ones I had burned for me at the Main St shop the Summer before they discontinued the on demand system at Disneyland.