[Dixielandjazz] I Wanna Be Like You (was Aba Daba)

[David Richoux]

Bill, (and all)

That is a Kenny Ball record I don't think I have - do they do it like  
Louis Prima? It must have been recorded very soon after the movie was  
released!

Is there anyone on the list who knows more about the "trad" recording  
sessions for that film?  I have looked at the liner notes for Disney  
CD soundtrack reissues of "Bear Necessities" and "I Wanna Be Like  
You" but there was not a lot of specifics.  I know Frank Thomas was  
the director, but did he actually play? Tubist George Bruns ("Yo Ho -  
A Pirate's Life for Me" and "Dave Crockett!" ) is listed for music  
credits - was the rest of the Firehouse 5+2 gang involved in any way?

Maybe all will be revealed in the 2007 DVD reissue of the film. There  
was a "Making of" on the 1997 release but I don't have it.

Previous  Disney CD releases of tracks from it are sort of vague  
about the personnel (other than the "stars" Prima and Phil Harris -  
and some web listings don't even include Prima as a "star!")   
movies.yahoo.com lists some music credits:, Robert and Richard  
(brothers?) Sherman and Terry Gilkyson for "Bear Necessities." http:// 
tinyurl.com/ysf25n

By the way, the Jungle Book 2 (apparently a bit of a flop) had noted  
New Orleans jazz fan John Goodman in the Phil Harris role of Baloo.

Dave Richoux


On Jul 1, 2007, at 4:33 PM, Bill Haesler wrote:

>> "I wanna Be Like You" is very hot these days with the "Youth" - we  
>> get a very good reaction to it when we play "mixed" festivals. It  
>> may be because of the cover of it by the popular group "Smash  
>> Mouth" (from San Jose!)
>
> Dear Dave,
> The Kenny Ball Band from the UK have been 'doing'  "I Wanna Be Like  
> You" for years.
> It was one of their early hits. Great fun too.
> The first of their many recorded versions, was made for Pye on 12  
> March 1968.
> It is a regular vocal feature at concerts for their clarinet player  
> Andy Cooper.
> Kind regards,
> Bill.
>