1966 Pinocchio Record with Mail-In Card

I picked up some cool Disneyland "Record and book" records at the thrift shop today. One of them was the 1966 story of Pinocchio with songs from the original soundtrack of the motion picture. As well as being in near mint condition, I was excited to see that hidden behind the record inside, was a mail-in card from Disneyland Records in Great Neck, NY. It's always amazing to find this sort of stuff, even more amazing to find it in great condition, considering that this record was probably in some kids collection for years and usually these things are pretty beaten up.
As well as asking if you would like to receive more info on Disney merchandise (I'd love to see the merchandise info Disney was mailing out back in 1966), they also asked for the Child's birth date? Did they used to send something out to kids on their birthdays if they replied with this card? If so, I would love to know what the kids received! If by chance anyone reading this, ever did fill one of these cards out and received something in the mail from Disney, let me me know so I can share it with everyone else here at the Disneyland Records blog.

Walt Disney's Song Parade

Here is a record I picked up the other day with some nice graphics on the cover. It's Walt Disney's Song Parade with 25 Best Loved Songs from the Walt Disney Motion Pictures. The album is from 1957 and is on Golden Records, produced in Canada by Arc Sound Ltd, under licence from A. A. Records Inc.
It features the Golden Orchestra under the direction of Mitch Miller, with the voices of: Anne Lloyd, Mike Stewart, Dick Byron, The Sandpipers, Bobby Nick, Art Carney, Gil Mack, Susan Douglas, and the original voices of Mickey Mouse, Donald Duck, Goofy, and featuring Cliff Edwards as Jiminy Cricket.

Side 1:
1. 2nd Star to the Right (Introduction) Frontierland
2. Johnny Appleseed
3. Pecos Bill
4. Wringle Wrangle
5. Ballad of John Colter
6. Johnny Tremain
7. Libery Tree
8. Adventureland
9. Thumper's SOng
10. Zip-A-Dee-Doo-Dah
11. Laughing Place
12. Perri-Title Song

Side 2:
13. Fantasyland
14. Cinderella Work Song
15. A Dream is a Wish Your Heart Makes
16. Bibbidi Bobbidi Boo
17. Alice in Wonderland
18. I'm Late
19. A Very Merry Unbirthday
20. How D'Ye Do and Shake hands
21. Peter pan
22. You Can Fly
23. 2nd Star to the Right
24. March of the Lost Boys
25. Tomorrowland (Part 1 and 2)

RCA Victor Little Nipper "Peter and the Wolf"

Here is a great looking old 78 RPM Little Nipper Story Book Album featuring Prokofieff's Peter and the Wolf from Walt Disney's "Make Mine Music", narrated by Sterling Holloway. The set it from 1949, and features 20 pages of illustrated story pages as well as 2 "non-breakable" records.
I picked it up at a local thrift shop for $4. I also recently purchased an Ion TTUSB10 Turntable which hooks up directly to my Mac via USB. And using the included Audacity software, you can record old 78 RPM LPs at 33 RPM and then use the software to correct the sound. Once I get the time, I am looking forward to adding a bunch of my old 78's to my iTunes collection.

Mickey Mouse Record Player

A while back I mentioned that I really wanted a Mickey Mouse record player. Well, the other day while checking out my favorite used record shop (Crazy Bob's), I found a Mickey Mouse record player in his front display window. I had to have it!
It's in great shape and works perfectly, which is amazing considering it's over 30 years old.
Here a few photos I took, as my son Kaden had fun checking it out.

Songs from Disneyland / Cliff Edwards

I attended the Neptoon Records Swap Meet today and picked up some really fun stuff. One of my favorites is this great Decca Records Extended Play '45 from the "Children's Hall of Fame Series" called "Songs from Disneyland" with 4 classic songs, sung by Cliff Edward, with orchestra directed by Sonny Burke. I don't see a year anywhere on the records, but since it says Disneyland and looks old, I am going to guess its from the mid to late 1950's.
Selections include:
"When You Wish Upon a Star" from Walt Disney's "Pinocchio", with chorus, Leigh Harline-Ned Washington.
"Give A Little Whistle" from Walt Disney's "Pinocchio", Leigh Harline-Ned Washington.
"Jiminy Cricket" from Walt Disney's "Pinocchio", Leigh Harline-Ned Washington.
"The Bird and the Cricket and the Willow Tree" from Walt Disney's "Melody", with the Rhythmaires, Sonny Burke-Paul Francis Webster.
Here is some info taken from the back of the record:
About Cliff Edwards... The voice of Cliff Edwards is a wonderfully sensitive instrument, with its own very special appeal for children (of all ages). Literally millions have heard Mr. Edwards' versatile voice in various Walt Disney film rolls; but if we had to select his most beloved and happiest characterization, most of us would pick his vocal impersonation of Jiminy Cricket in "Pinocchio."
Here to enjoy again and again, are the songs Cliff Edwards sang in "Pinocchio" plus another great favorite, "The Bird, the Cricket and the Willow Tree."
As any regular viewer (and just who isn't?) of Walt Disney's superb TV show, "Disneyland" will attest, the voice of Cliff Edwards is something of a fixture in the hearts and minds of us all.
About the Decca "Children's Hall of Fame Series." We have long felt children the world over deserve a Hall of Fame of their very own. When a children's favorite song or performance passes with flying colors, the trial of the years and successive generations of children, that song is a likely candidate for the "Children's Hall of Fame." Such songs, and the artists with whom they are identified, will be as enchanting to Tomorrow's children as they were to Yesterday's children. In this series, (and on this records for example) you will find songs of varying moods but with several universal qualities: here are songs that children the world over love to hear, love to sing - songs that make children happy!
This DECCA Unbreakable Record can be played only on 45 RPM instruments. For maximum protection, it should be kept in this package, away from heat.

Fisher Price Record Players

Tonight's post is not directly related to Disneyland Records, but I decided I would share it here anyway.
I recently purchased this Fisher Price record player off of my works buy & sell web site for $15.
I was looking for a record player to put into my bedroom where all my records are. I spend a lot of time looking though my record collection, but was never able to listen to any of them in that room.
This little Fisher Price record player is great. Its very compact and takes up very little space, and sounds amazingly good for something with the Fisher Price logo on it. And... its a fun addition to my record collection.
I also have the younger kids version of the Fisher Price record player as well. And just the other day, my mother was doing some renovations in her home, and found one of the plastic records for the Fisher Price record player under the cabinets in her kitchen. To the average person, that would have been nothing. To me, it was like finding buried treasure in the back yard!
Now, if I can just find a Mickey Mouse record player, my life will be complete.

Fisher-Price Talk-To-Me Book #2

I picked up some cool Fisher-Price Talk-To-Me Books a few months ago at the local thrift shop. I found 4 of them; Walt Disney's Ghost Chasers (Book No. 2), Walt Disney's Dumbo's Day At The Circus (Book No. 3), Walt Disney's The Clock Cleaners (Book N. 5), and Big Bird's Look and Listen Book (Book No. 8).
From the back of the book: "Fisher-Price has created the Talk-To-Me Player and Talk-To-Me Books. We've brought the incredible dimension of sound to bocks to make them more 'real' than ever before possible.
All that children have to do it place the Talk-To-Me Player over the sound discs on the pages of this talk-To-Me Book. Press the button and out pour the voices of well-loved friends."
Pictured here is the Ghost Chasers from 1977. As you can see from the photo, there are small 2 inch yellow discs on each page which contain the sound to go along with the text on that page. There are a total of 16 of these sound discs in this book. I don't remember these from my childhood, but I am sure that if I had any of these, I would have spend countless hours sitting and listening to them, just as I did with my favorite Disney LPs.
I don't have the Talk-To-Me Player yet, but I will be sure to keep my eyes peeled for one, as I would love to sit and listen to these books.

New Disney Music on iTunes: Jan 29, 2008

NEW DISNEY RELEASES added to iTunes on January 29th, 2008:
1) Italiannette (BV 3304) – Remastered from the original 3 track Master
2) Annette Sings Anka (BV 3302) – Remastered from the original full track Master
3) Westward Ho the Wagons (WDL 3041) – Remastered from the original full track Master
4) Chilling, Thrilling Sounds of the Haunted House (DQ 1257) – This is the original “White-Cover” release, narrated by Laura Olsher, and was remastered from the original full track master.
5) Walt Disney's 20,000 Leagues Under the Sea – Original Motion Picture Soundtrack. The first classic Disney soundtrack premier on iTunes. Along with the album, you get a Digital Booklet with behind-the-scenes photos, and illustrations, “Producer’s Note” outlining the background of the project, and there is liner notes from composer John Debney.

PREVIOUSLY RELEASED ON WONDERLAND, Also to be released on iTunes:
1) Meet Me Down On Main Street
2) A Musical Tour of France with Maurice Chevalier
3) Songs from Lady and the Tramp
4) The Disney Afternoon
5) Country Bear Jamboree (the show element has been replaced with the restoration from the Musical History of Disneyland Box Set).

On the subject of iTunes, it seems that some albums are deleted from the iTunes store after a while. I have noticed a few Nightwish tracks that I purchased are no longer listed for sale. And I noticed while looking for these new Disney tracks, that the two Firehouse 5 Plus 2 albums that used to be listed (I hadn't bought them yet - darn!) are no longer listed either. So, it would seem that if you are interested in any of this stuff, you might want to purchase them sooner than later.

The Golden Age of Walt Disney Records 1933-1988

If you enjoy Disney collectibles you can listen to, then you need this book! The book is called The Golden Age of Walt Disney Records 1933-1988, and is a price guide for Disney fans and record collector by R. Michael Murray. The book is a comprehensive colorful guide to over 3,200 recorded Disney releases, complete with photos and collector values. The book was released in 1997 and can easily be found on Amazon, or eBay, which is where I picked up my copy years ago for under $10.
The book stats with a short history of recorded Disney music, which is a very interesting and informative 7 page read. There is also a section on condition and pricing of records, which I pretty much skipped right over. I always find prices in books like this are somewhat of a puzzle. Something that you have been desperately looking for is listed as being next to nothing, but something else you seem to see at every thrift shop is listed as being extremely high priced. Obviously prices can swing from very low to very high on just about any item - just check out eBay and see the prices that a single item are being offered for, and better yet, the price that that item is selling for. One can sell for $50, while another that is listed as being in the same condition etc, can sell for $5.
This is the book where I first found a listing for the album "Walt Disney Takes You To Disneyland". I had come into possession of 3 copies of this record in a span of about 5 months. The first copy I bought off of someone on the usenet (this is before the internet really took off and way before eBay). I paid $50 for this album, which is way more than I ever pay for my records - but this one just sounded so cool, I had to have it, I just could not believe how much I was spending for a Disney record, when I was used to picking them up for a few bucks each. Then a few months later I found 2 copies of the same album in a local used record shop for $3.99 and $4.99 respectively. I started to think I really got hosed on the first one, paying so much. In this book, I learned that this was the first record on the Disneyland record label created entirely by Disneyland Records. I was also relieved to read in this book that the album "Walt Disney Takes You To Disneyland" was valued at $75... So, the price listings in these books are good for something.
My collection of Disney records is still considerably small, so, I guess the listings are really just a way for me to see what kind of material is out there. Currently I am concentrating of collecting as many as possible of the record / book 45's that Disney released, so the complete listing of these records in the book is a great way to see what I am still missing.
I spend most of my time just flipping though the book looking at all the great full color album covers. Seeing all the amazing Disney vinyl I still don't have, really gets me excited whenever I am flipping though albums at a thrift shop etc, hoping to find some of these missing gems!

Sing Along With Jimmy Dodd

Here is a neat album I picked up today in a record shop discount bin for $1. It is called Sing Along with Jimmy Dodd [DQ 1235] and is dated 1963, and printed and manufactured in Canada by RCA Victor Company, Ltd.
Side 1:
1) Rag Mop
2) Harrigan
3) M-O-T-H-E-R
4) Do-Re-Mi
5) Mickey Mouse Cha-Cha-Cha
Side 2:
1) Massachusetts
2) Alphabet Song
3) "A" You're Adorable
4) Encyclopedia
5) I've Got A Gal in Kalamazoo
What's a little strange to me is that the album does not list the album tracks on the back. The only songs listed are the 2 on the front; "Alphabet Song" and "Kalamazoo". The back of the record jacket is a generic back cover showing "Walt Disney's Musical Highlights for the Entire Family, including Many Original Sound Tracks - all for only $1.98. These sort of generic back covers are helpful for those of us interested in seeing what albums we are missing from our collections, but not so good for those buying the album who would actually like to know what is on the album they were about to purchase.
There is also a waring on the back cover letting us know, "This is a Disneyland Long Playing Microgroove unbreakable Record can be played only on 33 1/2 RMP instruments."

A Musical History of Disneyland

It finally arrived today! I received my copy of the 50th Anniversary "A Musical History of Disneyland" collection, which includes 6 audio CDs containing over 7 hours of Disneyland music, as well as an exclusive 72 page hardcover book.
I have been wanted this ever since I first heard about it back in 2005. The original sets also included a reproduction of the very first Disneyland Records LP "Walt Disney Takes You To Disneyland" on gold vinyl. The original sets were only available at Disneyland, or though the Disneyland mail order, and the cost was over $100, and shipping though Disneyland mail order is incredibly high to Canada, so as much as I wanted it, I never did buy it. It showed up on Amazon.com about a year later, without the vinyl reproduction, and with a price tag of about $100. At the time the US/Canadian conversion was still pretty high and the cost of shipping to Canada, and the almost assured costs of duty when crossing the boarder were still enough to keep me from buying it. When it finally showed up on Amazon.ca with a slightly lower cost, I was excited, but still never shelled out the cash to buy it.
Finally this Christmas when I was asked by my mother what I would like for Christmas, I though about it for a while and came up with the two items that I really, really wanted; the Disneyland Records display unit, and the Musical History of Disneyland set. Since I knew that I would have many changes to pick up the CD set, but would probably never see another Display unit like this one, I decided to ask for some cash to help out with the purchase of the display unit. But I still wanted the CD set. Upon visiting the Amazon.ca web site over the Christmas holiday and seeing that they were showing 'just 1 copy left' of the "A Musical History of Disneyland", I decided to take the plunge and order my copy before it was too late. A day or two later when I received the conformation email letting me know my copy had been mailed, I was thrilled! Today it arrived. It's been added to my iTunes collection, and I am listening to it while I type this. I am currently listening to "Country Bear Vacation Hoedown".
I always love those photos I see on the internet of people unpacking new computers etc as if they were some sort of incredible treasures. So I decided to take some pictures of my own. I now present the 'unboxing' of my "Musical History of Disneyland" CD set. Enjoy!















If you are looking for a review and complete listing of what is on the set, check out the review on Mouse Planet.

What I Got For Christmas

My Christmas present arrived yesterday. It's a Disneyland Records display unit. I am not 100% sure what it was used for, but it looks like it would have held Disney albums, Disney 45's and tapes. I'm also not sure of the exact year this is from, but I would guess its from the late 70's or early 80's.
This item was destined to belong to me. I saw it first over a year ago at a local antique mall. The price tag was $150 and at the time I just didn't have the cash. I thought about it a lot over the next few months, so I decided to go back and have another look. To my disappointment, the booth that the Disney display unit had been in, was now empty. My chance to purchase it was gone. Fast forward about a year and on a day out thrift shop hunting, I came upon a new antique mall about an hour away from home. After wandering around the mall for a while, I found a both cluttered with junk, and in the back was the Disney Display unit. I don't know for certain, but it must be the same one, as its not the sort of item you find very often. Again this time, I was a little short on cash, so once again, I left without purchasing it. But this time, I just kept thinking about it. I had to own it and add it to my collection to display my favorite Disneyland albums. When my mother asked me what I wanted for Christmas, I thought for a second, and then told her I wanted this Disney display unit I had seen and that if she would go in on the purchase cost with me, that would be the perfect gift. She agreed, so I quickly did some hunting on the internet for the mall's phone number and called to see if it was still there. And luckily for me it was, so I had them put a hold on it for me. We went in the next day and the plan was to dismantle it and put the pieces into my wife's car (a large LeSabre). The problem is, after 20 or 30 minutes to trying to take it apart, we came to realize it wasn't going to be dismantled without destroying it. Undaunted, I asked if there was any way to have it delivered. I was told that her usual delivery guys charged about $40 for local deliveries and more depending of the distance - so this was going to be way to much cash! She said see had a tenant in the mall who lived out my way and that may be able to deliver the item for me. So with that I paid for it and headed home with a bug smile on my face. A few days went by and I didn't hear anything, so I called the shop to see what was up. The lady told me that she had not been able to contact the person she had told me about, but that one of her business associates was coming out to my area on the weekend and that for $20 they would bring it out for me! Hurray! So, at noon on Saturday, my Disney Display until showed up and after spending a day in the front entrance of the house, I finally got around to cleaning it up tonight. It looked like it had about 20 years of dust and dirt on it, so it took a while, but it looks great. I can't wait to clear a spot in my room and bring it up and then fill it with Disney records. I'll be sure to post another picture once its in its out of the hallway and it its new home.

Merry Christmas from the DLR Blog

Merry Christmas to all who visit this happy place!

Thanks for visiting the Disneyland Records Blog!

A Disneyland Records Christmas

Here are four great Disneyland Records Christmas records I picked up recently in my thrift shop travels.
The first is Disney Christmas Favorites - The Mouse Concert plus other Yuletide Favorites. Check out this great album cover. I just love the artwork of the mice on the front and back covers of this album. I didn't photograph it, but the back cover has drawings of the various mice playing their different instruments. This copy is made in Canada, 1973, and distributed in Canada by Walt Disney Music of Canada Limited. Songs on the album are your typical Christmas fare. There are two tracks by Cliff Edwards, and one by Ludwig Mousensky and the All Mouse Symphony Orchestra & Chorus.
Second is Walt Disney's Christmas Favorites. This one is from 1958, and is a product of Pickwick International Inc (GB) Ltd, and distributed under licence from Walt Disney Productions Ltd.
The back of the album jacket has some info on Ludwig Mousensky: "This is a record that embodies all the spirits of St. Nicholas, Santa Claus and Father Christmas. In song and story, some old, some new, Mickey Mouse Record artists bring you many delightful moments on this long playing record.
Discovered under a stairway at the Disneyland Studio, the unique all-mouse symphony orchestra under the able baton of Ludwig Mousensky is undoubtedly the first and finest rodent ensemble in the world. And, we here at Disneyland records are proud to present their first recording, The Christmas Concert. Here are Christmas hymns, Hark The Herald Angels Sing, O Little Town of Bethlehem, O Come All Ye Faithful, Jingle Bells, and the popular Winter Wonderland. The Mousensky group's rendition of these songs is truly a delightful experience for all. Under the maestro, the orchestra, consisting of Skueeky, Zeke, Horace, Henrietta, Tubby, Tootie, Clarence, Pinky, Stuffy, Zooty, Hans, Fritz, Otto (these three were formerly with the Vienna's famed eutschMICEster Band), Pee Wee and Frenchy give a new dimension to these Christmas favourites. All proving that Christmas is a time for both mice and men.
Next up is Rankin/Bass presents Frosty's Winter Wonderland, Complete Story and Original Soundtrack from 1976. The complete story from the second (and not nearly as good) Frosty Christmas animated special, told and sung by Andy Griffith. Other guest voices are Shelley Winters as Mrs. Frosty, Dennis Day as the Parson, Jackie Vernon as Frosty, and Paul Frees as jack Frost. This one is also made and distributed in Canada by Walt Disney Music of Canada Limited.
Finally, we have Disney's Merry Christmas Carols, starting Mickey Mouse, Donald Duck, Goofy & Chop 'n' Dale, with Larry Groce and the Disneyland Children's Sing-Along Chorus. This one also has the usual Christmas songs, including The Chipmunk Song (Christmas Don't be Late), I Wish it Could be Christmas All Year Yong, Here We Come A-Caroling, Sleigh Ride etc. The nice thing about the album is that the back cover has the lyrics for all eleven songs on the album so that everyone can sing along. The date on this one is 1980.

Disneyland Records on iTunes

Being a big Macintosh fan, I have been using iTunes for what seems like forever. And ever since they first introduced Disney music on iTunes back in 2004, I have been hunting around iTunes looking for any new tracks that they add. Unfortunately it can be tricky to find all the new additions, as just typing in Disney in the search box does not find all the wonderful Disney music there is to be had.
The first Disney related album I found on iTunes (and subsequently purchased) was the 1956 album "Walt Disney Takes You To Disneyland", which just happens to be the first album on the Disneyland Records label. I actually own an actual copy of the vinyl album, but it was great to be able to purchase a mint sounding MP3 version to actually listen to. You may also notice from the picture above, that I was also the first one to do a review of the album on iTunes.
As I said above, it can be a bit of a chore to find the Disney albums on iTunes, but they are there is you look. After searching the web for info on Disney music on iTunes, I did find these two listings which list 31 of the great albums you can find on iTunes. Hopefully with time, even more great old Disney albums will show up. For now, here is a list of some of what you can find on iTunes:

Available on iTunes as of January 16, 2007
1. The Black Hole Soundtrack - NOT PREVIOUSLY AVAILABLE
2. Fess Parker: Cowboy and Indian Songs
3. Louis Prima: Let’s Fly with Mary Poppins
4. Danceannette – NOT PREVIOUSLY AVAILABLE
5. Mickey Mouse Disco
6. Echoes of Disneyland – NOT PREVIOUSLY AVAILABLE
7. Saludos Amigos – NOT PREVIOUSLY AVAILABLE
8. Babes In Toyland
9. Stan Jones: Ghost Riders In the Sky – NOT PREVIOUSLY AVAILABLE
10. Tinpanorama

Added to iTuens on November 7, 2006
1. Annette - NOT PREVIOUSLY AVAILABLE
2. Songs from the Mickey Mouse Club Serials
3. Hawaiiannette
4. Mary Martin Hi-Ho
5. Ukulele Ike Sings Again
6. Burl Ives: Chim Chim Cher-ee & Other Children’s Choices
7. Rex Allen Sings 16 Golden Hits
8. Let’s Get Together with Hayley Mills
9. Woody’s Round Up
10. Musical Highlights from the Mickey Mouse Club TV Show
11. Fairy Tale Weddings (Instrumental Impressions)
12. A Child’s Garden of Verses - NOT PREVIOUSLY AVAILABLE
13. Walt Disney Takes You To Disneyland
14. Professor Ludwig Von Drake
15. Annette’s Beach Party – NOT PREVIOUSLY AVAILABLE
16. Summer Magic Soundtrack
17. Alice In Wonderland (Camarata)
18. Sebastian
19. Rhythm of the Pridelands
20. Walt Disney Records Archive Collection Volume 1 – NOT PREVIOUSLY AVAILABLE
21. Walt Disney Records Archive Collection Volume 2 – NOT PREVIOUSLY AVAILABLE