Pick-it-up! Pick-it-up! Pick-it-up!
I've got a ska-tastic surprise for you, Disney fans! Ever wondered how the upbeat rhythms of ska music have danced their way into the magical world of Disney? Get ready to discover the unexpected connections between these two seemingly different universes. In this video, we'll explore the three waves of ska and how they've intersected with Disney's history. From Annette Funicello's groundbreaking Jamaica Ska to the Oingo Boingo influence on Tim Burton's Disney projects, we'll uncover the hidden ska gems in the House of Mouse.
Here's what you'll learn in this offbeat adventure:
- The origins of ska and its journey from Jamaica to the world stage
- How Disney embraced ska during its different waves
- The surprising Disney connections of famous ska bands
- Ska's influence on Disney movie soundtracks and theme park performances
- The ultimate Disney ska covers you need to hear
We'll also dive into the story of Suburban Legends, the ska band that turned Disneyland into their own magical kingdom. Plus, discover how Japanese ska bands are keeping the Disney-ska fusion alive. Whether you're a longtime ska fan or just curious about this energetic genre, this video will have you skanking to the beat of Disney magic. So put on your checkered Vans, grab your Mickey ears, and let's explore the unexpected harmony between ska and Disney! Remember, some of the most magical Disney experiences happen outside the theme park gates. You just need to know where to look. Thanks for Enjoying Synergy Loves Company! https://www.synergylovescompany.com
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00:01 --> 28:22 Synergy Loves Company. We have this coterie of rich franchises, the company now that people want to engage with. I came here to try and continue what Walt Disney and his associates set in motion years ago, which is to experiment with every new and innovative kind of entertainment possible. What they hope to do here is to really develop something that, well, just more than an entertainment enterprise, it's something that contributes in many other ways. Before punk turned political and reggae ruled the radio, there was ska, a high energy, horn blasting genre born in Jamaica that made the world dance on the offbeat. From the streets of Kingston to the clubs of London to the 90s suburban mosh pits, ska has had a wild, shape shifting journey through pop culture. But what does any of that have to do at Disney? Well, whether it's Annette Funicello crooning under the Buena Vista label, or the surprise ska covers in Disney parks and on movie soundtracks, the mouse has been skanking to the beat in the background, more than you might think. Today we're diving into the offbeat history of ska and Disney. Three waves, tons of horns, and more than a few unexpected Disney connections all along the way. Hey, this is Synergy Loves Company, where we explore how Disney connects to everything. So you can feel connected to Disney even when you can't be at the theme parks. I'm Eric, and today we're talking all things ska and Disney. And to really understand the history of ska, we gotta talk about its cultural waves throughout pop culture. And there have been three big ska waves, and there's no better place to start than the first wave. First wave of ska originated in late 1950s Jamaica. Emerging from a blend of Caribbean mento and calypso with American jazz and R and B. This upbeat, syncopated style became the soundtrack of a newly independent Jamaica in the early 1960s, reflecting national pride and optimism. Key artists like the Scottalites or Scatolites, Prince Buster and Desmond Decker defined the genre with walking bass lines, offbeat guitar rhythms and prominent horn sections. Ska of this era was closely tied to the sound system culture in Jamaica, where people would set up large, portable sound systems at parties or just start a party in the middle of the street. It was a precursor to rocksteady and reggae in the 1950s and 60s. You could set up a sound system and people would be skanking in the streets. Skanking, that's the name of the dance that originated with ska music. It features sharp arm twists like punches and stomping steps and kicks that match the upbeat offbeat rhythm of the ska Genre first wave ska was both celebratory and socially aware, reflecting on the island's cultural fusion and growing youth identity. And ska also made it stateside in 1964 in two pretty Disney ways. Like many great Disney things, ska owes some of its American first wave to the 1964, 1965 New York World's Fair. No, it wasn't a skank and Abraham Lincoln animatronic, but that would be cool and it would make a great ska band name. Skankin Lincoln. No, no, no. At the World's Fair, Jamaica sent a ska delegation to present their new musical genre to the world. And one of the representatives of ska at the World's Fair was Jimmy Cliff. Jimmy Cliff is a pioneering Jamaican musician who helped bring ska to international audiences in the 1960s with his hits like King of Kings, Miss Jamaica, and you can get it if you really want it. Blending soulful vocals with upbeat ska rhythms, he helped lay the groundwork for reggae while becoming one of ska's first global ambassadors. And Jimmy Cliff worked with Disney? Not in the 60s, no. That would come a little later. In 1993, Jimmy Cliff recorded a reggae style cover of Johnny Nash's I can see clearly now for Walt Disney Pictures cool running soundtrack, and it was a pretty big radio hit. And then the next year, he teamed up with Lebo M to record a reggae pop version of Hakuna Matata from Disney's the Lion King. Oh, yeah, I know I mentioned the 64 World's Fair just to jump to the 90s, but all right, let's get back to the 60s, because that same year as the World's Fair in New York, Annette Funicello dropped her 1964 album Annette at Bikini Beach. Disney legend Annette Funicello was one of the original and most beloved Mouseketeers on the Mickey Mouse Club. She became a teen icon in the 1950s under Walt Disney's personal mentorship. She later became a successful recording artist with Disney's Buena Vista Records, releasing hit songs like Tall Paul written by the Sherman Brothers. And she also starred in Disney films. But she was also known for her 1960s beach party movies, often with Frankie Avalon. And because of that, a lot of her Disney Buena Vista Records had beachy vibes and themes. And on her Bikini beach album, she recorded a ska track called Jamaica Ska. It's kind of ironic that the song called Jamaica Ska would actually kind of make Annette Funicello a pioneer of American ska. Jamaica Ska wasn't a single. It was strictly an album track. But it left a lasting Underground impact on would be ska fans and musicians in the United States. So much so that when Annette revisited her Beach Party movies in the 1987 film Back to the Beach Once again with Frankie Avalon, she performed Jamaica ska with American ska band Fishbone. And it was iconic. But we're getting ahead of the wave here. Let's go back in time so we can go one step beyond to the second wave of ska. The second wave of ska was special. It was madness and it had an English beat. This ska wave hit big in England in large part because of Jamaican immigration to Great Britain. The second wave of ska, often called the two tone movement, began in the late 70s in England, sparked by working class disillusionment and racial tension in the wake of economic decline. Named after the 2 Tone Records label founded by Jerry Dahmers of the Specials, this wave fused the rhythm and energy of Jamaican ska with the edge of the also emerging British punk scene. The Two Tone name though, had more significance than just the record label's name. The dress style of the bands was black and white. You know, like black coat, white shoes, black hat, Cadillac, but also black shades and a lot of checkerboard, you know, black and white together. Because black and white was a symbol too. Bands like the Specials and the Selector used ska as a vehicle for anti racist and anti establishment messages, uniting black and white youth together through music and style. Musically, this wave was faster and more aggressive than the first wave, with politically charged lyrics, stripped down arrangements and gritty urgent tones. And this second wave of ska served as inspiration for another Disney legend over in California. Brothers Richard and Danny Elfman started a street performance troupe in LA after busking or, you know, playing music on the street all over, over Europe and Africa. The street performing troupe was called the Mystic Knights of Oingo Boingo and the group Featured up to 30 different instruments on any given avant garde performance. Some instruments were even made from trash like bottles and cans. And the band would often perform old big band standards with unconventional arrangements made by Danny Elfman. In the late 1970s. Danny took over as the sole leader of the troupe and they dropped the Mystic Knights part, becoming just Oingo Boingo. They were still a pretty big lineup because Danny Elfman was inspired by that two tone ska movement in England. Oingo Boingo had a horn section and played an altered version of ska that included big band music and punk rock. In New Wave, their earlier music, like the 1981 album Only a Lad, leaned heavily into ska. But they drifted from the style a little More with each release after. In the early 80s, though, Disney animator Tim Burton was a fan of Oingo Boingo. And honestly, in my opinion, Oingo Boingo music kind of sounds like a Tim Burton movie looks. But maybe that's because I, you know, associate the two together. Because Danny Elfman and Tim Burton started working together on Tim Burton's first big directorial debut, Pee Wee's Big Adventure. And then they worked a lot more together, like even on some of Burton's Disney projects. Frankenweenie, Oz, the Great and Powerful, Alice in Wonderland, you know, the live action one. Elfman without Burton also started working on Disney projects like, you know, the Simpsons and Mystic Manor at Hong Kong Disneyland. It's that park's answer to the Haunted Mansion. But what you probably most famously know Danny Elfman from in the Disney scope is the Nightmare Before Christmas. Tim Burton got Danny Elfman the gig writing the music for the Nightmare Before Christmas, but it didn't stop there. After hearing the demos Danny recorded for the songs that were going to be used in the Stop Motion musical, they decided he should be the voice of Jack Skellington. So if you're a big Nightmare Before Christmas fan and into ska, I definitely suggest that you check out Oingo Boingo. Even though the jury's still out on whether Oingo Boingo is ska or not, they definitely had the inspiration from and the DNA of a ska band. And some of their songs are indeed straight up ska. And anyway, merging ska with punk is what led to our third wave of ska. Ah, the third wave of ska. There's no doubt that this wave of ska was sublime because some of the bands got real big. And I wouldn't expect anything less than Jake. First off, as a millennial who grew up in the suburbs, this is my wave. In fact, I would like to know, what's your ska? What's your favorite ska wave or band or song? Do me a favor, drop a comment, let me know who is your favorite ska band? What's your favorite ska song? What's the wave that got you going? Go ahead, let me know down below. The third wave of ska took hold in the US in the mid-1980s and gained major traction in the 1990s, evolving into a more eclectic yet somehow commercially friendly style. Often referred to as ska punk. This wave blended ska rhythms with hardcore punk, pop, alternative rock, and it produced a more high energy sound. Embraced by bands like the Mighty Mighty Boss, Stones, Real Big Fish, and no Doubt, it shared the celebratory tone of the first wave of ska and some of the ideology of two tone ska. But it was a little less unified and it thrived more in local scenes, but also in some ways became more commercial than ever. Musically, it favored distorted guitars, fast tempos and humorous or ironic lyrics, reflecting a more individualized, sometimes irreverent take on the ska tradition. And this is when Disney really got into the ska game. In the 1990s, as alternative rock ironically became big business, leaving the underground for the major record labels, ska bands were getting snapped up by the big labels too. Real Big Fish even has a song about this sell out. The record company is going to give me lots of money and everything's going to be all right. I don't have horn section. And it was right in the middle of the third wave of ska when Michael Eisner would not rest until Disney had expanded their media empire. Disney had started a record label of their own, Hollywood Records. And Hollywood Records actually signed two big third wave ska bands. They released an album with Fishbone. Remember them performing with Annette on Back to the beach and the Suicide Machines. Not a very Disney sounding band name. For Disney, ska wasn't just on Hollywood records. The third wave of ska began to pop up in Disney movies, and one in particular in a very big way. In 1998, Disney, in association with Deke, released their first movie together, Meet the Beatles. Did you check out that episode? I did on Deke and Disney? You should. There's a lot of great cartoon history with the two companies, but today we're here to talk music. So let's take a look at the soundtrack of Meet the Beatles. This one leaned heavily into third wave ska, featuring songs by bands like the Mighty Mighty Boss Stones, Goldfinger, Hepcat, Save Ferris and Perfect Thyroid, who do a ska rendition of the Hawaii 5o theme, as well as the Cherry Poppin Daddies, who you probably know from their big swing hit Zeus Suit Riot. But they are also well versed in ska as well. The meet the DLE ska punk sound match the movie's extreme sports surf vibes. The surf, skate and BMX scenes that would give birth to Disney's ESPN's X Games were complementary to the developing punk and ska scenes. And the music became synonymous with the sports. And to add the cherry on top, the film's score was composed by Steve Bartek, the lead guitarist of Oingo Boingo and Danny Elfman's longtime collaborator. Come on, Oingo Boingo's gotta be a ska band. Another extreme sports Disney movie. Steve Bartek Had a hand in was the extremely goofy movie. Bartek was the composer and music director on the film and they even snuck in a little Second Wave ska on the soundtrack With Pressure Drop by the Specials. Steve Bartek also made the music for Disneyland's short lived Rocket Rods Exit area. I. I just wanted to mention Rocket Rods and the third wave of ska and Disney lived happily ever after. Well, well, not always. You see, if the center of the sky universe for the first wave was Jamaica and the second wave center was London, the third wave was big in Orange County, California. There's something else that's pretty big in Orange County, California. That's right. Many third wave ska bands grew up in the shadow of Disneyland. And they didn't all have magical feelings about it. It, no Doubt led by singer Gwen Stefani were from Anaheim, California, and they had been making music in the Orange county scene since the late 80s. But their 1995 album Tragic Kingdom finally made them a smash success. You may know some of the big hits off that one. Just a Girl, Don't Speak and Spider Webs. But wait, did you catch the name of the album? Tragic Kingdom. The album is ripe with rotten orange grove imagery. Disneyland was built on a former orange grove. And the title track, Tragic Kingdom is shots fired at Disneyland. And the song is an ultimate anthem of a Disney fan who has become disenchanted by the state of the company. Let's take a look at the lyrics. It starts with that remain seated sound, kind of like the monorail doors closing in both English and Spanish. And then we're off into the song. Once was a magical place over time it was lost Price increased the cost. Now the fortune of the kingdom is locked up in its dungeon vaults the castle floor lies in traps with coiled wires Set back decoyed by old cheese like mouse traps now the drawbridge has been lifted and millions they drop to their knees they pay homage to a king whose dreams are buried in their minds his tears are frozen stiff Icicles drip from his eyes welcome to the Tragic Kingdom. All right, Price increases, Castles, the mousetraps, and the leader with like a frozen head. Definitely Disney. Sounds to me like they had some feelings about the direction of the company after Walt, but no Doubt didn't totally write off Disney. The same year that this album came out, no Doubt performed at Grad Night in Disneyland. As their fame grew, they recorded a live concert video at Disney's Arrowhead Pond in Anaheim, where Disney's NHL team, the Mighty Ducks played. And there doesn't seem to be any bad blood today. Because even more recently, Gwen Stefani has been known to bring her family to Disneyland quite frequently. There's no doubt that no doubt had some trouble with Disney, especially Disneyland. But there's another Orange county ska band who absolutely loves Disney and got their start right at Disneyland, suburban legends. In 1998, a new ska band hit the Orange county scene in Huntington Beach, California and after a few name changes they became known as suburban legends. In 2002 they got a regular gig playing tons of shows in Downtown Disney and quickly gathered a following of fans who would come out just to watch them perform. Suburban Legends quickly caught the attention of the Disneyland entertainment people and moved from just playing Downtown Disney to gigs inside the park. They performed at the X Games Experience at California Adventure and the Tomorrowland Terrace in Disneyland. In 2008 they even got to perform at Disney legend Miley Cyrus's Sweet Sixteen party. It took over all of Disneyland and there were tons of celebrities there. Over the course of over a thousand shows on Disney property, they basically headed up a whole ska scene at Disneyland. They played performances for It's a Ska World after All, the unofficial annual Ska day at Disneyland, which started around 2010 and had an active social media presence until around 2020. Not a bad run and Suburban Legends devoted following of fans created a Facebook group group the Tomorrowland Legends Social Club that would announce Suburban Legends upcoming Disneyland shows and they're still playing Disneyland in 2024 for D23 day at Disneyland during the D23 Expo, they played the Tomorrowland Terrace as an official performance for the event. But Suburban Legends isn't just a Disney entertainment ban. All along they also recorded albums and toured the world performing with other third wave ska bands like Less Than Jake, Real Big Fish, the AquaBats and Big D and the Kids. TABLE Disneyland though was home turf for them and when they were on the road they never forgot their Disney roots and could always bring the house down with Disney covers. In 2012 on their fifth album, Day Job, they recorded two iconic Disney classics in their ska punk style. Just can't wait to be King from the Lion King and Under the Sea from the Little Mermaid. The next year, Suburban Legends dropped A Disney covers EP 2013's Dreams Aren't Real, but these songs are volume one. It featured a Dream is a wish your heart makes, the DuckTales theme, Kiss the Girl, Beauty and the Beast, Colors of the Wind, and you'd Got a Friend in Me. We haven't gotten the Volume two yet, but they have made a number of Disney covers on their other releases and available as singles. They've covered Eye to Eye from the Goofy movie, the Darkwing Duck theme, and A Whole New World from Aladdin. They also lent their horns and Disney cover knowledge to Punk Rock Factory for their cover of Friend Like Me from Aladdin. And on their album Forever in the Friend Zone, they even recorded a cover of thank you for Being a Friend, the theme song from Disney's Buena Vista Television sitcom the Golden Girls. Ska has continued on because of those three waves. Maybe we're in a fourth wave of ska, or maybe this is just the long tail of the third wave of ska that we're living in. But throughout all the waves, ska has actually been growing and spreading worldwide, not just in those locations synonymous with each wave. And now you can find ska all over the globe. Ska's not dead. In fact, Japan has a pretty big ska scene. In the early 2000s, Walt Disney Records in Japan released two compilations that featured some ska bands doing Disney covers. Dive into Disney and Mosh Pit on Disney. I love those titles. I love that Japan has so many of these compilation albums that I wish we could have here in the States. These two albums featured American ska bands like the Voodoo Glow Skulls and Real Big Fish, as well as some Japanese ska bands like Oiskull Main and Rude Bones, along with a bunch of other punk rock bands. One more ska band of note with a Disney connection is the Tokyo Ska Paradise Orchestra, also over there in Japan. The band started in 1985 right between the second and third waves of ska, but they have stayed strong for the past 40 years with tons of albums, and in 2015 they released, from what I can tell is the only ever official Disney all ska release. It's called Tokyo Ska Plays Disney and it was released by Walt Disney Records and it has Tokyo Ska Paradise Orchestra covering eight different classic Disney hits from throughout the history of Disney films, like Let It Go from Frozen, supercalifragilisticexplidocious from Mary Pop. Ska and Disney have had an offbeat relationship since the beginning, but most recently, bands like Tokyo Ska Paradise Orchestra and Suburban Legends finally found a way to totally bring Disney into the ska universe and I am so here for it. Thanks for joining me for this look into ska and Disney, and if you're still listening, you're my kind of person and I've got some exciting news to share with you. You maybe you've heard this before, but I also create a video version of this podcast over on YouTube. It's the same show, but it just has some visuals to go along with the audio and recently my channel hit over 1 subscribers, a huge milestone that I am totally thrilled about. And maybe you heard me talking about this. But to celebrate, I'll be hosting a live stream. It'll have a different format, still tons of Disney connections, and you'll even get to interact with me in real time. If that sounds like fun, make sure to follow me on social media so you don't miss the live stream announcement. On Bluesky, I'm rickhsynergy on Facebook, Instagram and Threads. Just look for Synergy LovesCompany. Then maybe YouTube's not your thing. Maybe you're listening on the go. Totally fine. Wherever you're listening, Apple, Podcasts, Spotify, whatever. Make sure you click, subscribe or follow. Then you'll always know that you'll get the most recent episodes. And then if you're not around for the live stream, no worries because I'll drop that episode right here in the audio feed so you'll get to hear some of it after the fact. I got another thing I'd like for you to do. Could you tell a Disney fan friend of yours about this show? Bring a friend. Bring a family member. Bring a coworker. Someone who loves Disney just like we do. Share your favorite episode with them on social media. Tag me so I can say hi. Or send him a direct link to synergylovescompany.com before we go. Synergy Love's company is supported by listeners like you. If you'd like to support the show, check the show notes for my link to my Ko Fi page where you can give back your support helps me keep improving and evolving the show to bring you even more Disney magic. Thanks again for spending your time with me and synergy loves company. And remember, Disney magic isn't just in the parks, it's all around us. So go out there and keep discovering the magic in everything.