June 1, 2024 • 28 mins
The Great British Mickey Waffle show for the 1st June has been edited to be an exclusive show about the Sherman Brothers, following the sad passing of Richard M Sherman on Saturday 25th May.
We were always due to feature the incredible Sherman Brothers this month in our Imaginearing series, but we had no idea when we recorded that just a few days later this tribute would take on a whole new meaning.
We really hope you enjoy our chat about the brilliance of these amazing musicians, and remember their music fondly. Which earworm is your favourite?
Love what you hear? Subscribe to The Great British Mickey Waffle on your favorite podcast platform to get new episodes delivered straight to your device!
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Transcript
Episode Transcript
Available transcripts are automatically generated. Complete accuracy is not guaranteed.
(00:00):
Hello and welcome to the Great British Mickey Waffle for the
1st of June 2024. Our show was recorded on Monday
20th of May and since that recording the world has sadly
lost the Disney Legend. Richard M Sherman.
Richard Sherman passed away at the age of 95 on Saturday the
25th of May and the outpouring of love for his talent and
(00:24):
amazing musicianship has been overwhelming.
We thought that there was no better tribute to the brilliance
of his 65 year career with his brother Robert than to keep our
June Imagineering Focus section about them, and not only that,
we've decided to leave it as a stand alone segment.
The rest of our 5th birthday discussions will be available
(00:46):
later this month, but until then, remember there's a great
big beautiful tomorrow shining at the end of every day.
This is our show for the 1st of June 2024.
We are firmly into the summer here in the UK, which means it
only rains for about 20 hours a day and we are all thinking
(01:11):
about our very next dose of Disney Sunshine, whether that be
very soon or in a few months time.
The June show is always a special one here at the Great
British Mickey Waffle. It's our anniversary show and
this year we are celebrating creating Disney content together
for five years. We have some interesting
conversations coming up, reflecting on some of those
(01:32):
moments, but also thinking aboutwhat the future holds.
Welcome to the show. Now my wheels in motion and my
wind nose. Open with the wind blowing in
my. Head I'm driving down the
highway gonna do this my way I. Can feel it in the.
(01:53):
Air, here I go. Hey look at those shiny new
graphics on music. What a great birthday present to
from Ben to everyone. Thank you, Ben.
Got a new look for the year. Fifth year.
How exciting is that? Five years?
(02:14):
Who would believe from those first crackly Zoom calls that
would transpire into five years of monthly shows, live YouTube
content every week, and a huge growing community of friends and
collaborators. The team here remained pretty
stable over that time, although we still miss Sammy and Lloyd's
lovely regional accents. But we are super happy to have
(02:36):
Robin and Simon as part of our family.
So today, for the first time in a while, we do have a full house
joining the chat. So let's say hello to everyone
around our virtual birthday party table.
John, I'm coming to you first. Oh, thanks.
Are you OK? I'm good.
It's Joe something I think we mentioned it last month about
(02:57):
how, you know how we start with the weather.
And I'm not going to start with the weather.
I'm going to I'm going to start with the fact.
Yeah, but but I think as well, Ithink going back, you think it
was our first birthday. I think we've had birthday hats
and all that. We're kind of missing out on the
birthday theme and aren't we? And you know, kind of a few
party party poppers and streamers and things like that.
(03:18):
So if you listen to the pop. Oh, there.
You go oh, oh we could. We might have to dress up again
if it was anniversary might not getting into.
That what's the you got you. Got into trouble the last time
you mentioned that. What's the 5th anniversary gift?
(03:40):
I can't remember what it is because first is paper.
I don't know, tin. I think tin.
Tin is tin. He gets a tuna baby.
It's in 10. In his 10.
It could be something a pottery maybe, I can't quite remember.
I know I looked it up when it was awful wedding.
Oh well. Ben and Becca, how are you both
(04:00):
busy today? Good, really good and I've just
looked it up, 5th wedding anniversary gift is actually
wood. Excellent.
Oh no, this is how. It's going to go today.
(04:25):
It's. So.
Cheap. Oh, it's so cheap.
I. Know goodness and the present.
A state wilderness lodge that's not cheap.
No, it is not. Are you OK, Becca?
I don't know. We didn't hear you.
Are you coughing? Still?
Sometimes. So I will try my best not to
cough tonight to make it to you.Peter and Jill, how are you?
(04:49):
Hello, will there be cake as it's our birthday?
Did you make any? You're the chef.
No, no. In that case it's not OK, that's
just natural. Cakes tracks would be
disappointing. Cakes cancel.
Yeah, that. Was it?
Cake. Toast.
Yes, it's only diamond. And over in the other corner, we
(05:13):
have Robin and Simon. How are you both?
Hello. Hey.
Good. All good?
Yeah. Happy to be here.
Although we weren't here at the beginning.
It feels like we're part of the team now, part of the furniture.
Part of the. Family.
Quite closely. That's exactly it.
What's that? What's that song from Oliver?
Consider yourself. Consider yourself yeah.
(05:33):
Well. Are we going for a sing song
with This is the Mutual? Yeah, I think you need.
To be this might not be a good thing.
Who knows what's going to happenlater?
All I know is the deficit and acting skills in some of these
clips that we've got. Coming up later SO.
I say a really bad acting skillsand I apologise in advance.
(05:55):
And some of it I can't believe has happened in the past five
years. Some things I thought I'd have
raised for my memory, but that we're we're.
Going to yeah, we're. Going to refer.
People with memory. Of those tonight.
That sounds all my. So before we crack on with the
meaty content of our discussion,we are going to hear about a
pair of Imagineers that really need no introduction.
And if they had one, it would bea catchy earworm that sticks in
(06:18):
your head for days and days and days.
Legends, ass Imagineers and alsomusicians, The Sherman Brothers
are our focus for this month. Take it away, boys.
(07:00):
The names of Richard and Robert Sherman might not be easily
recognisable to those outside Disney fandom, but it's a safe
bet that pretty much everyone knows at least a few of their
songs. Robert was born in 1925 and
Richard in 1928 in Manhattan. Their father was a songwriter,
(07:22):
and the brothers soon began to follow in his footsteps.
The family moved to California while the boys were still at
school, and their association with Disney began in 1958 when
they wrote several Top ten hits for the famous Mouseketeer
Annette Funicello. Walt soon hired them as staff
(07:42):
composers, and in the early 60s they contributed songs to films
like The Parent Trap, Summer Magic, and The Sword in the
Stone. But it was their songs for
1964's Mary Poppins that really put them in the public eye.
Everyone loved the catchy tunes with their intricate lyrics,
(08:03):
often using long and nonsensicalwords such as chim, chim, turi,
and of course, supercalifragilisticexpialidocious.
But the gentle and simple melodyand words of Feed the Birds,
Walt's favorite of their songs, also have power to stir the
heart even today. They went on to write songs for
(08:23):
many of Disney's classic films, but also made a huge
contribution to the music used in the Disney parks.
The Carousel of Progress song Great Big Beautiful Tomorrow and
its temporary replacement, The Best Time of Your Life are both
Sherman Classics. There's also the Tiki Tiki Tiki
Room or One Little Spark, along with perhaps the greatest
(08:46):
earworm of all time, It's a Small World.
During their thirteen years at Disney, they wrote more than 200
songs. They won two Oscars for their
work on Mary Poppins and were nominated for several others
over the years. In 1990, they were inducted as
Disney Legends and in 2010 they were given a window on Main
(09:08):
Street USA in Disneyland. They work outside of Disney
includes The Slipper and the Rose and Chitty Chitty Bang
Bang, but it's within the Disneyparks that their influence can
be felt most. Walking down Main Street USA,
you can hear fortuosity from TheHappiest Millionaire, which
starred Tommy Steele, and they even wrote a song for Tokyo
(09:30):
Disneyland called Meet the World.
So today, whether you want to gobobbing along in the beautiful
Briny, dodge some heffalumps andwoozles, or go fly a kite, take
a moment to appreciate the legacy of the Sherman Brothers.
(10:11):
I have been looking forward to talking about the show in the
last. Yeah, My goodness.
Where do you start? I mean, Jill's given us a very
brief summary about, you know, who they are, what they did, and
but wow, What? I just can't even put my finger
on my favorite Sherman Brothers song.
There's so many and they're so influential.
(10:33):
What about what about you, Robin?
I feel like I didn't. I learned something, Jill.
Thank you. I didn't know they did the Tiki
Room song. Yes.
Amazing. That's one of your favourites.
It's one of my favourites. So yeah, I'm very excited.
I didn't know that. I have a niche favorite.
What's your favorite? So.
(10:54):
Is everybody. Beverly Beverly Hills Cop Three
with Eddie Murphy right? The little known little known
bit is that wonder world in in Beverly Hills Cop three is like
a pseudo Disneyland. The Sherman Brothers wrote the
wonder World theme TuneIn that movie.
That's actually the most epic. Problem.
Wow. Disney, yes, you can tell it's
(11:17):
so both like a Disneyland song. That's amazing.
Wonder World is that. Wonder world.
Wonder World. Is the it's supposed to be semi
hideous and but an ear worm trap?
But yeah, I mean there's loads of others, but it's always that
one I. Think.
But I knew I knew exactly what the one you meant as soon as you
sung it. If there's ever a reason to go
(11:39):
back and watch Beverly Hills Cop3, it's that.
I'll. Tell you a word.
I might I might give you a mix. That's a great film.
What about you, Peter? What's your favorite?
Favorite. It's a.
Tricky one to pick It's it's it's a tricky 1 to pick.
I'm going to go with It's a Small World because when what
(12:04):
was first doing the ride, what he wanted was all the dolls
singing the national anthem. I of the countries you went
through and the Sherman Brothersthought this would be a bit of a
cacophony, so they saved the dayby writing It's a Small World.
I quite like the Virgin in Paris, where they're singing in
(12:24):
all their different I. Yeah.
Yeah, I mean, I mean, I love theone in Walt Disney World where
the can can dancers go. Oh, la, la.
I like that bit. I do quite like the the Paris
version where you get all the different languages.
I've never heard that one all the way through though.
There's a reason for that, because.
(12:45):
Maybe we get. Back on it, get back on it.
That's a reason to go back. Ever there.
I mean, to me it's a small world.
Sounds like a cacophony of noise.
Anyway, it doesn't matter what reverberates around your brain
for the three years after you'vebeen on the.
Road. Well, don't forget also at Paris
you get the Christmas overlay. Yes, which is great.
(13:05):
Of the sound as well as the the ride, yeah.
Oh, I didn't know that about thesong.
I feel like I need to pay more attention in the future.
What about you, Jill? You must have a favorite.
Oh. I have a thing about long words,
and the Sherman brothers love these long words.
Either words that aren't real, like protocol, agorically
(13:26):
correct, or chim chim churi, or or all these different words
that they've made-up. Or words like substitu,
substituary, locomotion. I love.
Bedknobs and broomsticks. It's a whole Bedknobs and
Broomsticks soundtrack is just. It's incredible.
I love. You know, beautiful, briny, you
(13:46):
just, you have to sing along. It's just the the best the
rules. Although I don't know.
Any I've not seen it in a very long time, if I've never ever
seen it at all. I don't know any Brit who who
actually says bumba shoots. But yes, old bamboo, the old
(14:07):
bamboo and. What about you, Ben?
Have you got a favorite? Yeah, it's going to be classic.
It's going to be feed the birds.Oh yeah, you.
See, I'm fit. Controversial, I know.
That and I know people over it and it was one of those ones
that like but just it, it's all depends on the arrangement as
well. Doesn't do it for me.
(14:28):
And I think that it just, when I'm in Magic Kingdom listening
to it on sort of Casey's Corner,I just think, yeah, it's it's
just lovely. Yeah, I think if Grayson's
playing it up on Casey's corner,then that would be yeah, yeah,
that would be a reason to love it, yeah.
The version from the stage show's really good.
Yeah, if you get to see the stage show, the version of the
(14:50):
stage show is excellent. Yeah.
Right, you've been there. Let's go fly a kite.
It's probably my favorite. OK.
And just for completeness, John,have you got a favorite Sherman
Brothers? Song.
I'd probably go for a great Big beautiful tomorrow, shining at
the end of every day. Just what a great philosophy for
(15:10):
life. Yeah, and it's just that whole
thing of just of how how big a genius the two of them were in
actually putting songs together that instantly come a earworm.
But also they actually, they provided that soundtrack for
what Walt was actually trying toachieve, not just not just from
(15:30):
a film perspective, but also from the theme park perspective.
That's really, that's a very clever way of working.
And, and I think that that to meis something that you only get
an idea of once you can dig a little bit deeper.
Just while we're on the subject,it's worth digging out.
It's like it's still on Disney Plus and it's the Sherman
(15:53):
Brothers story, which is called The boys and it is it is
absolutely unmissable viewing. It just shows you just how their
relationship with Walt was just so entwined with with what they
were all trying to achieve. And that along with if you see
(16:13):
the Shermans depicted in was it saving Mr. Banks?
Yes, again, you you begin to seehow in saying Mr. Banks, you
think, oh, this is all kind of set up and everything, but
actually when you you watch the actual proper footage in the
boys, you actually it's actuallyquite true to life as as to how
they actually, if there's songwriting, they're they're
(16:36):
actual the deadlines that they were given and how they at times
had an an unenviable task of actually trying to come out with
a song in probably a matter of hours because that was the
expectation from the producers of a film or the company needed
the song to be live and to be with them.
(16:56):
And and he did it every time he came up with something
absolutely incredible. And yeah, I think I think that's
the bit that sticks for me. What's your favorite Claire?
Go on, that's. I've got so many and actually
Jill mentioned in the Vt the TheSlipper and the Rose, which is
in my top five films of my like,I love of all time.
(17:18):
And I have lost count of how many times I've watched it.
I had the video as a teenage, yeah, a girl.
And then I had the DVD. If you've never watched it, it's
a version of a Cinderella story.But it's got amazing Sherman
Brothers music all the way through it.
Gemma Craven and Richard. Chamberlain.
(17:40):
Richard Chamberlain, it's the Prince Hughes.
He was about 55 when he recordedit and he was meant to be about
25. It's hysterical.
But Gemma Craven is outstanding at Cinderella.
She's just the most incredible actress and singer.
But of the Disney catalogue, I would probably say that Magic
(18:00):
Journeys is one of my favourites.
And the reason I like it so muchis that the thing that blows my
mind about the Sherman Brothers is their ability to write
melodies but also write incredible lyrics.
And that's what everyone's touched.
John actually is Jill, you're talking about the lyrics,
They're talking about the cleverword play.
And then other people talked about the melody and the fact
that they make those together and they're intertwined.
(18:22):
You can't separate them. Sometimes you can take a piece
of music and play it without thewithout the lyrics and it sounds
just as good. The Sherman Brothers back
catalogue is just so cleverly created to be able to a
represent whatever it was that they were trying to support.
So the the music never overtakesthe story, but it's there as an
(18:43):
absolutely integral part. And it's the melody and the
lyrics together that are the perfect pairing.
And I think that that was the genius of them.
And and you, when you watch thatprogramme, the boys, you know,
their own relationship was tumultuous at times, wasn't a
joke. They weren't quite rocky.
Yeah, I was. I was trying to be polite.
They weren't always the best of friends just to, you know,
(19:03):
that's what friends are for. But you know, I think that the
fact that they could somehow just always pull it out the bag
and, and when you look at the list of songs that they wrote,
it just blows your mind. Because if you were to think
about yourself in a Disney park,you can guarantee that you'll
have heard at least 5 Sherman Brothers songs by the time
(19:25):
you've walked from one end of the the.
Park to the other. Does anyone have any other
favourites or thoughts about them?
I just. About Great Beautiful Tomorrow.
There's there's just something about it that the attraction,
the song, it's just I, we, I hadnever been cast to the progress
until after the pandemic. So until I went back.
(19:48):
So it's like hearing that song quite frequently during 2020.
It was just sort of that sort ofthought of hope of like things
were going to happen afterwards.And it was just, yeah.
And understanding the attraction.
And I think everyone has a little snooze on that attraction
and wakes up to that song as yougo between scenes.
I know, I think I think, you know, it was a throwaway line.
(20:10):
I really do think it's such a great philosophy for life.
You know, it doesn't matter whathappens today.
Tomorrow is fresh day. And it, you know, makes me think
of that Anna Green Gables quote.You know, tomorrow is a a new
day with no mistakes in it. And it is very much like that,
you know, that philosophy for you know, tomorrow will be be
fresh and exciting. So.
And I love the different arrangements of it as you go
through the years. Yeah, yeah.
(20:31):
It's, it's interesting, they play in Disneyland Paris on the
entrance loop as you go to the entrance.
And so I, my mind always sort ofhas kind of Tupac's going on in
its head, in my head at the sametime.
Has anyone ever heard Pineapple Princess?
Which is so if you are downstairs in the Polynesian
(20:55):
hotel in in Walt Disney World and you know that that walk
through from the boutique down towards Captain Cook's as if you
were if you were, you know, if you were to find yourself
waiting for your call back to goto Trader Sam's, for example,
and you were trying to kill sometime in the lobby.
There is a glass fronted case which has got, it's got a small
(21:17):
Hawaiian mini door, but it's also got a whole load of record
sleeves and a lot of them, they're all actually Pineapple
Princess. It's a it's a pop song that they
wrote for Annette Funicello. And there's a whole load of
them. There's an album called
Hawaiianette, which is her one of her albums.
(21:40):
And all of the there's about probably 20 different record
sleeves and stuff and pictures. And when I was there recently, I
was looking at it all thinking, I did not know that the Sherman
Brothers wrote these songs. So yeah, there you are.
If you've not listened to Pineapple Princess, it's quite
unique, but it's one of the earlier, earlier tracks.
(22:01):
Can I bring forward or rather back to meal Bamboo?
It's a very good song. It's very wordy like they are.
And doing it to a dance routine at the same time.
You must just collapse at the end, Yeah?
Could you show us the dance routine, Lee?
(22:23):
When you Dick Van Dyke. The camera.
'S too small, yeah. I don't know.
We saw it two days ago. We were front row centre for
Adam Garcia doing it in. Oh wow, it's going.
To. Be quite the view, the best
view. I poor Simon.
He's very, very, very. I'm appreciation.
(22:43):
I I'm understanding of Robin's Adam Garcia fangirling.
I like that you didn't call it obsession.
Appreciate. You appreciate.
You, I said. I said, oh, Chitty's on at
Woking. Do you want to go and see it?
Adam Garcia's in it, OK. I've already put him.
(23:04):
In it. I.
Bet. He was, really.
Good. Actually, yeah.
And it was. It was wonderful.
Watching Adam sing and dance to that was great.
But the dance, that's that's whyI like step in time.
I I think that is a, the pace ofthat with the dance as well.
It's kind of, I think they're just nice, nice numbers to watch
(23:25):
as well. It's really clever, isn't it?
The, the, the pace, the the rhythmic intention of it.
And I'm going to get all music about it, so I'm going to stop
talking. I.
Don't know, Whitney could have done a whole show about Robert,
about bad Sherman Brothers. I think I remember when we did
the original plan, it was like we could easily do a whole show.
Yeah. One thing that doing all the
(23:46):
research for this has done is that it's encouraged me to give
myself a target for when we go to Disneyland, that I must see
the window. Whatever else we do, I must see
their window. I'm with you there, Jill.
I think we're finding this each month that we're, we're, we're
coming up and we're discussing different Imagineers as well.
(24:09):
I think it's absolutely vital that.
You know. Anyone listening, I, I think we,
we as a, as a group will do thisa little bit more.
Instead of walking past the windows, actually just go and
seek out the windows on Main Street.
There's enough on for free on ifyou Google it to give yourself
(24:29):
your own guided tour in each park.
You don't need to go and buy thebooks, you don't need to go and
purchase anything, but just allow yourself to just go and
see just how they've been honoured in such a beautiful way
in, in, in different parks as well.
And I think that that certainly I think moving forward with this
is something I think, I think everybody you know who's
(24:52):
listening, when you go to a Disney park again, you'll be
you'll have a list and you'll besort of the family will be
racing down towards the castle in the park and you'll be like,
wait, wait, wait, wait, hang on,hang on.
No, I'm trying. I'm trying to find.
I'm it's a window somewhere. I'm.
Here keep. Your eyes locked and it.
But you've got to do it. And.
And actually, I actually think that that really is one of the
(25:14):
best things to do. And even from that entry into
Walt Disney World with the with the window above the station
which says keeping dreams on track, that is that to me before
you've even entered the park. It's just one of the great
statements of of all time. And I just.
I just love it. Yeah.
It's just that we'll come to it later in the show.
(25:34):
But already I get something in my head that is just like, Oh my
word, when I see that again, how's that going to feel?
And the windows on Main Street are going to be the same thing
for each of these Imagineers andamazing musicians that we've
we've explored through this thisseries throughout the whole of
this year. Brilliant.
So thank you. I you know what?
(25:56):
Sherman Brothers are just epic legends in my mind.
The world would be a much lesserplace had they not written all
those amazing. Songs I.
Can hear factory. They are like the stock aching
and watermelon of that day. Oh dear.
Yes, I love it. That's such great.
Now with me, the musicals we love would not be the same,
(26:18):
would they? The difference between stock
aching and Waterman the Sherman Brothers is the Sherman Brothers
can write songs. Oh, controversial.
I think they. Would take umbrance to that
because they are they are they always that they wrote tracks
for exactly what the market wanted and they they adjusted
(26:41):
and the market to be able to make music quickly that they
knew would and I think it's the same for the Sherman Brothers,
right? It's that same essence of they
understood what what Disney needed, what the films needed,
what the parks needed. And I think they understood that
vision enough to turn that into a musical backing that
underpinned everything that was done to the point that if you
(27:03):
were, you wouldn't necessarily always think about it unless you
were a real Disney kind of obsessive about it.
But it it's there in the background and you could easily
ignore it. But you see, you can hear the
consistency that underpins all of Disney.
And I think that's a lot to be said for that kind of ability to
do that. Thank you for your segment on
the Sherman Brothers. Let's all go and sing.
(27:26):
It's a great big, beautiful tomorrow.
Thank you everyone. We look forward to catching up
with you in the near future, andthere is only one thing left to
say. See you real soon now, my.
Wheels in motion. And my windows.
Open with the wind blowing in. My head I'm.
Driving down the. How I'm going to do this my way
(27:49):
I can? Feel it in the air.
Here I go.
Hello and welcome to the Great British Mickey Waffle for the
1st of June 2024. Our show was recorded on Monday
20th of May and since that recording the world has sadly
lost the Disney Legend. Richard M Sherman.
Richard Sherman passed away at the age of 95 on Saturday the
25th of May and the outpouring of love for his talent and
(00:24):
amazing musicianship has been overwhelming.
We thought that there was no better tribute to the brilliance
of his 65 year career with his brother Robert than to keep our
June Imagineering Focus section about them, and not only that,
we've decided to leave it as a stand alone segment.
The rest of our 5th birthday discussions will be available
(00:46):
later this month, but until then, remember there's a great
big beautiful tomorrow shining at the end of every day.
This is our show for the 1st of June 2024.
We are firmly into the summer here in the UK, which means it
only rains for about 20 hours a day and we are all thinking
(01:11):
about our very next dose of Disney Sunshine, whether that be
very soon or in a few months time.
The June show is always a special one here at the Great
British Mickey Waffle. It's our anniversary show and
this year we are celebrating creating Disney content together
for five years. We have some interesting
conversations coming up, reflecting on some of those
(01:32):
moments, but also thinking aboutwhat the future holds.
Welcome to the show. Now my wheels in motion and my
wind nose. Open with the wind blowing in
my. Head I'm driving down the
highway gonna do this my way I. Can feel it in the.
(01:53):
Air, here I go. Hey look at those shiny new
graphics on music. What a great birthday present to
from Ben to everyone. Thank you, Ben.
Got a new look for the year. Fifth year.
How exciting is that? Five years?
(02:14):
Who would believe from those first crackly Zoom calls that
would transpire into five years of monthly shows, live YouTube
content every week, and a huge growing community of friends and
collaborators. The team here remained pretty
stable over that time, although we still miss Sammy and Lloyd's
lovely regional accents. But we are super happy to have
(02:36):
Robin and Simon as part of our family.
So today, for the first time in a while, we do have a full house
joining the chat. So let's say hello to everyone
around our virtual birthday party table.
John, I'm coming to you first. Oh, thanks.
Are you OK? I'm good.
It's Joe something I think we mentioned it last month about
(02:57):
how, you know how we start with the weather.
And I'm not going to start with the weather.
I'm going to I'm going to start with the fact.
Yeah, but but I think as well, Ithink going back, you think it
was our first birthday. I think we've had birthday hats
and all that. We're kind of missing out on the
birthday theme and aren't we? And you know, kind of a few
party party poppers and streamers and things like that.
(03:18):
So if you listen to the pop. Oh, there.
You go oh, oh we could. We might have to dress up again
if it was anniversary might not getting into.
That what's the you got you. Got into trouble the last time
you mentioned that. What's the 5th anniversary gift?
(03:40):
I can't remember what it is because first is paper.
I don't know, tin. I think tin.
Tin is tin. He gets a tuna baby.
It's in 10. In his 10.
It could be something a pottery maybe, I can't quite remember.
I know I looked it up when it was awful wedding.
Oh well. Ben and Becca, how are you both
(04:00):
busy today? Good, really good and I've just
looked it up, 5th wedding anniversary gift is actually
wood. Excellent.
Oh no, this is how. It's going to go today.
(04:25):
It's. So.
Cheap. Oh, it's so cheap.
I. Know goodness and the present.
A state wilderness lodge that's not cheap.
No, it is not. Are you OK, Becca?
I don't know. We didn't hear you.
Are you coughing? Still?
Sometimes. So I will try my best not to
cough tonight to make it to you.Peter and Jill, how are you?
(04:49):
Hello, will there be cake as it's our birthday?
Did you make any? You're the chef.
No, no. In that case it's not OK, that's
just natural. Cakes tracks would be
disappointing. Cakes cancel.
Yeah, that. Was it?
Cake. Toast.
Yes, it's only diamond. And over in the other corner, we
(05:13):
have Robin and Simon. How are you both?
Hello. Hey.
Good. All good?
Yeah. Happy to be here.
Although we weren't here at the beginning.
It feels like we're part of the team now, part of the furniture.
Part of the. Family.
Quite closely. That's exactly it.
What's that? What's that song from Oliver?
Consider yourself. Consider yourself yeah.
(05:33):
Well. Are we going for a sing song
with This is the Mutual? Yeah, I think you need.
To be this might not be a good thing.
Who knows what's going to happenlater?
All I know is the deficit and acting skills in some of these
clips that we've got. Coming up later SO.
I say a really bad acting skillsand I apologise in advance.
(05:55):
And some of it I can't believe has happened in the past five
years. Some things I thought I'd have
raised for my memory, but that we're we're.
Going to yeah, we're. Going to refer.
People with memory. Of those tonight.
That sounds all my. So before we crack on with the
meaty content of our discussion,we are going to hear about a
pair of Imagineers that really need no introduction.
And if they had one, it would bea catchy earworm that sticks in
(06:18):
your head for days and days and days.
Legends, ass Imagineers and alsomusicians, The Sherman Brothers
are our focus for this month. Take it away, boys.
(07:00):
The names of Richard and Robert Sherman might not be easily
recognisable to those outside Disney fandom, but it's a safe
bet that pretty much everyone knows at least a few of their
songs. Robert was born in 1925 and
Richard in 1928 in Manhattan. Their father was a songwriter,
(07:22):
and the brothers soon began to follow in his footsteps.
The family moved to California while the boys were still at
school, and their association with Disney began in 1958 when
they wrote several Top ten hits for the famous Mouseketeer
Annette Funicello. Walt soon hired them as staff
(07:42):
composers, and in the early 60s they contributed songs to films
like The Parent Trap, Summer Magic, and The Sword in the
Stone. But it was their songs for
1964's Mary Poppins that really put them in the public eye.
Everyone loved the catchy tunes with their intricate lyrics,
(08:03):
often using long and nonsensicalwords such as chim, chim, turi,
and of course, supercalifragilisticexpialidocious.
But the gentle and simple melodyand words of Feed the Birds,
Walt's favorite of their songs, also have power to stir the
heart even today. They went on to write songs for
(08:23):
many of Disney's classic films, but also made a huge
contribution to the music used in the Disney parks.
The Carousel of Progress song Great Big Beautiful Tomorrow and
its temporary replacement, The Best Time of Your Life are both
Sherman Classics. There's also the Tiki Tiki Tiki
Room or One Little Spark, along with perhaps the greatest
(08:46):
earworm of all time, It's a Small World.
During their thirteen years at Disney, they wrote more than 200
songs. They won two Oscars for their
work on Mary Poppins and were nominated for several others
over the years. In 1990, they were inducted as
Disney Legends and in 2010 they were given a window on Main
(09:08):
Street USA in Disneyland. They work outside of Disney
includes The Slipper and the Rose and Chitty Chitty Bang
Bang, but it's within the Disneyparks that their influence can
be felt most. Walking down Main Street USA,
you can hear fortuosity from TheHappiest Millionaire, which
starred Tommy Steele, and they even wrote a song for Tokyo
(09:30):
Disneyland called Meet the World.
So today, whether you want to gobobbing along in the beautiful
Briny, dodge some heffalumps andwoozles, or go fly a kite, take
a moment to appreciate the legacy of the Sherman Brothers.
(10:11):
I have been looking forward to talking about the show in the
last. Yeah, My goodness.
Where do you start? I mean, Jill's given us a very
brief summary about, you know, who they are, what they did, and
but wow, What? I just can't even put my finger
on my favorite Sherman Brothers song.
There's so many and they're so influential.
(10:33):
What about what about you, Robin?
I feel like I didn't. I learned something, Jill.
Thank you. I didn't know they did the Tiki
Room song. Yes.
Amazing. That's one of your favourites.
It's one of my favourites. So yeah, I'm very excited.
I didn't know that. I have a niche favorite.
What's your favorite? So.
(10:54):
Is everybody. Beverly Beverly Hills Cop Three
with Eddie Murphy right? The little known little known
bit is that wonder world in in Beverly Hills Cop three is like
a pseudo Disneyland. The Sherman Brothers wrote the
wonder World theme TuneIn that movie.
That's actually the most epic. Problem.
Wow. Disney, yes, you can tell it's
(11:17):
so both like a Disneyland song. That's amazing.
Wonder World is that. Wonder world.
Wonder World. Is the it's supposed to be semi
hideous and but an ear worm trap?
But yeah, I mean there's loads of others, but it's always that
one I. Think.
But I knew I knew exactly what the one you meant as soon as you
sung it. If there's ever a reason to go
(11:39):
back and watch Beverly Hills Cop3, it's that.
I'll. Tell you a word.
I might I might give you a mix. That's a great film.
What about you, Peter? What's your favorite?
Favorite. It's a.
Tricky one to pick It's it's it's a tricky 1 to pick.
I'm going to go with It's a Small World because when what
(12:04):
was first doing the ride, what he wanted was all the dolls
singing the national anthem. I of the countries you went
through and the Sherman Brothersthought this would be a bit of a
cacophony, so they saved the dayby writing It's a Small World.
I quite like the Virgin in Paris, where they're singing in
(12:24):
all their different I. Yeah.
Yeah, I mean, I mean, I love theone in Walt Disney World where
the can can dancers go. Oh, la, la.
I like that bit. I do quite like the the Paris
version where you get all the different languages.
I've never heard that one all the way through though.
There's a reason for that, because.
(12:45):
Maybe we get. Back on it, get back on it.
That's a reason to go back. Ever there.
I mean, to me it's a small world.
Sounds like a cacophony of noise.
Anyway, it doesn't matter what reverberates around your brain
for the three years after you'vebeen on the.
Road. Well, don't forget also at Paris
you get the Christmas overlay. Yes, which is great.
(13:05):
Of the sound as well as the the ride, yeah.
Oh, I didn't know that about thesong.
I feel like I need to pay more attention in the future.
What about you, Jill? You must have a favorite.
Oh. I have a thing about long words,
and the Sherman brothers love these long words.
Either words that aren't real, like protocol, agorically
(13:26):
correct, or chim chim churi, or or all these different words
that they've made-up. Or words like substitu,
substituary, locomotion. I love.
Bedknobs and broomsticks. It's a whole Bedknobs and
Broomsticks soundtrack is just. It's incredible.
I love. You know, beautiful, briny, you
(13:46):
just, you have to sing along. It's just the the best the
rules. Although I don't know.
Any I've not seen it in a very long time, if I've never ever
seen it at all. I don't know any Brit who who
actually says bumba shoots. But yes, old bamboo, the old
(14:07):
bamboo and. What about you, Ben?
Have you got a favorite? Yeah, it's going to be classic.
It's going to be feed the birds.Oh yeah, you.
See, I'm fit. Controversial, I know.
That and I know people over it and it was one of those ones
that like but just it, it's all depends on the arrangement as
well. Doesn't do it for me.
(14:28):
And I think that it just, when I'm in Magic Kingdom listening
to it on sort of Casey's Corner,I just think, yeah, it's it's
just lovely. Yeah, I think if Grayson's
playing it up on Casey's corner,then that would be yeah, yeah,
that would be a reason to love it, yeah.
The version from the stage show's really good.
Yeah, if you get to see the stage show, the version of the
(14:50):
stage show is excellent. Yeah.
Right, you've been there. Let's go fly a kite.
It's probably my favorite. OK.
And just for completeness, John,have you got a favorite Sherman
Brothers? Song.
I'd probably go for a great Big beautiful tomorrow, shining at
the end of every day. Just what a great philosophy for
(15:10):
life. Yeah, and it's just that whole
thing of just of how how big a genius the two of them were in
actually putting songs together that instantly come a earworm.
But also they actually, they provided that soundtrack for
what Walt was actually trying toachieve, not just not just from
(15:30):
a film perspective, but also from the theme park perspective.
That's really, that's a very clever way of working.
And, and I think that that to meis something that you only get
an idea of once you can dig a little bit deeper.
Just while we're on the subject,it's worth digging out.
It's like it's still on Disney Plus and it's the Sherman
(15:53):
Brothers story, which is called The boys and it is it is
absolutely unmissable viewing. It just shows you just how their
relationship with Walt was just so entwined with with what they
were all trying to achieve. And that along with if you see
(16:13):
the Shermans depicted in was it saving Mr. Banks?
Yes, again, you you begin to seehow in saying Mr. Banks, you
think, oh, this is all kind of set up and everything, but
actually when you you watch the actual proper footage in the
boys, you actually it's actuallyquite true to life as as to how
they actually, if there's songwriting, they're they're
(16:36):
actual the deadlines that they were given and how they at times
had an an unenviable task of actually trying to come out with
a song in probably a matter of hours because that was the
expectation from the producers of a film or the company needed
the song to be live and to be with them.
(16:56):
And and he did it every time he came up with something
absolutely incredible. And yeah, I think I think that's
the bit that sticks for me. What's your favorite Claire?
Go on, that's. I've got so many and actually
Jill mentioned in the Vt the TheSlipper and the Rose, which is
in my top five films of my like,I love of all time.
(17:18):
And I have lost count of how many times I've watched it.
I had the video as a teenage, yeah, a girl.
And then I had the DVD. If you've never watched it, it's
a version of a Cinderella story.But it's got amazing Sherman
Brothers music all the way through it.
Gemma Craven and Richard. Chamberlain.
(17:40):
Richard Chamberlain, it's the Prince Hughes.
He was about 55 when he recordedit and he was meant to be about
25. It's hysterical.
But Gemma Craven is outstanding at Cinderella.
She's just the most incredible actress and singer.
But of the Disney catalogue, I would probably say that Magic
(18:00):
Journeys is one of my favourites.
And the reason I like it so muchis that the thing that blows my
mind about the Sherman Brothers is their ability to write
melodies but also write incredible lyrics.
And that's what everyone's touched.
John actually is Jill, you're talking about the lyrics,
They're talking about the cleverword play.
And then other people talked about the melody and the fact
that they make those together and they're intertwined.
(18:22):
You can't separate them. Sometimes you can take a piece
of music and play it without thewithout the lyrics and it sounds
just as good. The Sherman Brothers back
catalogue is just so cleverly created to be able to a
represent whatever it was that they were trying to support.
So the the music never overtakesthe story, but it's there as an
(18:43):
absolutely integral part. And it's the melody and the
lyrics together that are the perfect pairing.
And I think that that was the genius of them.
And and you, when you watch thatprogramme, the boys, you know,
their own relationship was tumultuous at times, wasn't a
joke. They weren't quite rocky.
Yeah, I was. I was trying to be polite.
They weren't always the best of friends just to, you know,
(19:03):
that's what friends are for. But you know, I think that the
fact that they could somehow just always pull it out the bag
and, and when you look at the list of songs that they wrote,
it just blows your mind. Because if you were to think
about yourself in a Disney park,you can guarantee that you'll
have heard at least 5 Sherman Brothers songs by the time
(19:25):
you've walked from one end of the the.
Park to the other. Does anyone have any other
favourites or thoughts about them?
I just. About Great Beautiful Tomorrow.
There's there's just something about it that the attraction,
the song, it's just I, we, I hadnever been cast to the progress
until after the pandemic. So until I went back.
(19:48):
So it's like hearing that song quite frequently during 2020.
It was just sort of that sort ofthought of hope of like things
were going to happen afterwards.And it was just, yeah.
And understanding the attraction.
And I think everyone has a little snooze on that attraction
and wakes up to that song as yougo between scenes.
I know, I think I think, you know, it was a throwaway line.
(20:10):
I really do think it's such a great philosophy for life.
You know, it doesn't matter whathappens today.
Tomorrow is fresh day. And it, you know, makes me think
of that Anna Green Gables quote.You know, tomorrow is a a new
day with no mistakes in it. And it is very much like that,
you know, that philosophy for you know, tomorrow will be be
fresh and exciting. So.
And I love the different arrangements of it as you go
through the years. Yeah, yeah.
(20:31):
It's, it's interesting, they play in Disneyland Paris on the
entrance loop as you go to the entrance.
And so I, my mind always sort ofhas kind of Tupac's going on in
its head, in my head at the sametime.
Has anyone ever heard Pineapple Princess?
Which is so if you are downstairs in the Polynesian
(20:55):
hotel in in Walt Disney World and you know that that walk
through from the boutique down towards Captain Cook's as if you
were if you were, you know, if you were to find yourself
waiting for your call back to goto Trader Sam's, for example,
and you were trying to kill sometime in the lobby.
There is a glass fronted case which has got, it's got a small
(21:17):
Hawaiian mini door, but it's also got a whole load of record
sleeves and a lot of them, they're all actually Pineapple
Princess. It's a it's a pop song that they
wrote for Annette Funicello. And there's a whole load of
them. There's an album called
Hawaiianette, which is her one of her albums.
(21:40):
And all of the there's about probably 20 different record
sleeves and stuff and pictures. And when I was there recently, I
was looking at it all thinking, I did not know that the Sherman
Brothers wrote these songs. So yeah, there you are.
If you've not listened to Pineapple Princess, it's quite
unique, but it's one of the earlier, earlier tracks.
(22:01):
Can I bring forward or rather back to meal Bamboo?
It's a very good song. It's very wordy like they are.
And doing it to a dance routine at the same time.
You must just collapse at the end, Yeah?
Could you show us the dance routine, Lee?
(22:23):
When you Dick Van Dyke. The camera.
'S too small, yeah. I don't know.
We saw it two days ago. We were front row centre for
Adam Garcia doing it in. Oh wow, it's going.
To. Be quite the view, the best
view. I poor Simon.
He's very, very, very. I'm appreciation.
(22:43):
I I'm understanding of Robin's Adam Garcia fangirling.
I like that you didn't call it obsession.
Appreciate. You appreciate.
You, I said. I said, oh, Chitty's on at
Woking. Do you want to go and see it?
Adam Garcia's in it, OK. I've already put him.
(23:04):
In it. I.
Bet. He was, really.
Good. Actually, yeah.
And it was. It was wonderful.
Watching Adam sing and dance to that was great.
But the dance, that's that's whyI like step in time.
I I think that is a, the pace ofthat with the dance as well.
It's kind of, I think they're just nice, nice numbers to watch
(23:25):
as well. It's really clever, isn't it?
The, the, the pace, the the rhythmic intention of it.
And I'm going to get all music about it, so I'm going to stop
talking. I.
Don't know, Whitney could have done a whole show about Robert,
about bad Sherman Brothers. I think I remember when we did
the original plan, it was like we could easily do a whole show.
Yeah. One thing that doing all the
(23:46):
research for this has done is that it's encouraged me to give
myself a target for when we go to Disneyland, that I must see
the window. Whatever else we do, I must see
their window. I'm with you there, Jill.
I think we're finding this each month that we're, we're, we're
coming up and we're discussing different Imagineers as well.
(24:09):
I think it's absolutely vital that.
You know. Anyone listening, I, I think we,
we as a, as a group will do thisa little bit more.
Instead of walking past the windows, actually just go and
seek out the windows on Main Street.
There's enough on for free on ifyou Google it to give yourself
(24:29):
your own guided tour in each park.
You don't need to go and buy thebooks, you don't need to go and
purchase anything, but just allow yourself to just go and
see just how they've been honoured in such a beautiful way
in, in, in different parks as well.
And I think that that certainly I think moving forward with this
is something I think, I think everybody you know who's
(24:52):
listening, when you go to a Disney park again, you'll be
you'll have a list and you'll besort of the family will be
racing down towards the castle in the park and you'll be like,
wait, wait, wait, wait, hang on,hang on.
No, I'm trying. I'm trying to find.
I'm it's a window somewhere. I'm.
Here keep. Your eyes locked and it.
But you've got to do it. And.
And actually, I actually think that that really is one of the
(25:14):
best things to do. And even from that entry into
Walt Disney World with the with the window above the station
which says keeping dreams on track, that is that to me before
you've even entered the park. It's just one of the great
statements of of all time. And I just.
I just love it. Yeah.
It's just that we'll come to it later in the show.
(25:34):
But already I get something in my head that is just like, Oh my
word, when I see that again, how's that going to feel?
And the windows on Main Street are going to be the same thing
for each of these Imagineers andamazing musicians that we've
we've explored through this thisseries throughout the whole of
this year. Brilliant.
So thank you. I you know what?
(25:56):
Sherman Brothers are just epic legends in my mind.
The world would be a much lesserplace had they not written all
those amazing. Songs I.
Can hear factory. They are like the stock aching
and watermelon of that day. Oh dear.
Yes, I love it. That's such great.
Now with me, the musicals we love would not be the same,
(26:18):
would they? The difference between stock
aching and Waterman the Sherman Brothers is the Sherman Brothers
can write songs. Oh, controversial.
I think they. Would take umbrance to that
because they are they are they always that they wrote tracks
for exactly what the market wanted and they they adjusted
(26:41):
and the market to be able to make music quickly that they
knew would and I think it's the same for the Sherman Brothers,
right? It's that same essence of they
understood what what Disney needed, what the films needed,
what the parks needed. And I think they understood that
vision enough to turn that into a musical backing that
underpinned everything that was done to the point that if you
(27:03):
were, you wouldn't necessarily always think about it unless you
were a real Disney kind of obsessive about it.
But it it's there in the background and you could easily
ignore it. But you see, you can hear the
consistency that underpins all of Disney.
And I think that's a lot to be said for that kind of ability to
do that. Thank you for your segment on
the Sherman Brothers. Let's all go and sing.
(27:26):
It's a great big, beautiful tomorrow.
Thank you everyone. We look forward to catching up
with you in the near future, andthere is only one thing left to
say. See you real soon now, my.
Wheels in motion. And my windows.
Open with the wind blowing in. My head I'm.
Driving down the. How I'm going to do this my way
(27:49):
I can? Feel it in the air.
Here I go.
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