Oct 11

Octopus & Crocodile practice songs

Music / 31 views No Comments »

Here are two fun songs for practice. Octopus’s Garden features Director Gavin Tabone on keyboards, Jake Perlman on drums, and Never Smile at a Crocodile is performed by Aaron Dembe on the electric guitar and Gavin Tabone on keyboards. Vocals for both songs are performed by the sixth grade choir.

Octopus’s Garden

Never Smile at a Crocodile

How to download mp3 files from this web site.

Fun facts:

  • Octopus’s Garden, from the Beatles’ Abbey Road LP, was composed by drummer Ringo Starr. He was inspired to write it after being told by a boat captain “how octopuses go ’round the sea bed and pick up stones and shiny objects and build gardens.” It was only the second song he had ever written. You can see Ringo and George Harrison working on the song in the movie Let It Be.
  • Never Smile at a Crocodile is from Disney’s animated Peter Pan movie, released in 1953. The music was composed by Frank Churchill, the composer of the score for Snow White, who died in 1942.  Walt Disney asked Jack Lawrence to write lyrics to the clever melodic piece.

 

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Aug 14

ACL Festival Rehearsal Songs

Music / 78 views No Comments »

Here are ten songs for rehearsal from the set list planned for ACL Festival. Musicians performing on these songs include:

  • Aaron “Hair Doctor” Dembe on bass and guitar
  • Jake “Mr. Bubbles” Perlman on drums
  • Gavin Tabone on keyboards

Race for the Prize / Kamera

Help Me Rhonda / Tossin’ and Turnin’

Bridge Over Troubled Water

Pleasant Valley Sunday

California Dreaming

Nowhere Man

Sir Duke

Daydream Believer

Rockin’ Robin

Running on Empty

How to play and download songs on the BHC web site

Fun facts:

  • “Sir Duke” was written by Steve Wonder in tribute to jazz legend Duke Ellington. The lyrics also refer to Count Basie, Glenn Miller, Louis Armstrong and Ella Fitzgerald.
  • “Pleasant Valley Sunday,” made famous by The Monkees in 1967, was written by Gerry Goffin and Carole King about life in suburbia.  Goffin’s and King’s inspiration for the name was a street named Pleasant Valley Way, in West Orange, New Jersey where they were living at the time.
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Jun 01

Rockin’ Robin for rehearsal

Audio / 66 views No Comments »

Here is Rockin’ Robin for choir members to rehearse during the summer.  This version is performed by Barton Hills Choir third graders, with director Gavin Tabone playing all of the musical instruments – bass, claps, snaps, piano, whistle, and tweedle part. A third grader is singing lead.

Rockin’ Robin

How to play and download songs on the BHC web site

Fun facts:

  • Composed by Jimmie Thomas, Rockin’ Robin was originally a hit for Bobby Day, a native of Fort Worth, Texas, in 1958.
  • Michael Jackson recorded and released a cover version of Rockin’ Robin in 1972, which was taken from his first solo album titled Got to Be There.
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Feb 18

Swingin’ On A Star for rehearsal

Audio, Lyrics, Music / 35 views No Comments »

Here is Swinging On A Star for second and third graders to rehearse in preparation for their February 24 show before the PTA meeting. Both audio and sheet music links are provided. This version is performed by Barton Hills Choir fifth graders, with director Gavin Tabone playing all of the musical instruments.

Swinging On A Star

How to play and download songs on the BHC web site

Sheet music (opens in a new window):

Fun facts:

  • Swinging on a Star was featured in the movie Going My Way in 1944, and won an Academy Award for Best Song.
  • The song was inspired by a remark by singer Bing Crosby to one of his children. Song writer Jimmy Van Heusen was at Crosby’s house one evening for dinner, and to discuss a song for the movie Going My Way. During the meal one of the children began complaining about how he didn’t want to go to school the next day. The singer turned to his son and said to him, “If you don’t go to school, you might grow up to be a mule. Do you wanna do that?” Van Heusen thought this clever rebuke would make a good song for the movie.
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Feb 16

High Hopes / Big Girls Don’t Cry for rehearsal

Lyrics, Music / 67 views No Comments »

Here are two more songs for second and third graders to rehearse in preparation for their February 24 show before the PTA meeting. Both audio and sheet music links are provided.

High Hopes / Pick Yourself Up

Big Girls Don’t Cry

How to play and download songs on the BHC web site

Sheet music (opens in a new window):

Fun facts:

  • “High Hopes” was written by Jimmy Van Heusen and Sammy Cahn for the 1959 movie A Hole In The Head, which starred Frank Sinatra and was directed by Frank Capra.
  • A children’s choir was used on the single release of “High Hopes,” which was credited to “Frank Sinatra and a bunch of kids.”
  • “Pick Yourself Up” by Jerome Kerns and Dorothy Fields was written for the film Swing Time (1936), where it was introduced by Fred Astaire and Ginger Rogers.
  • President Barack Obama, in his inauguration speech, quoted lyrics from the song, saying “Starting today, we must pick ourselves up, dust ourselves off, and begin again the work of remaking America.”
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