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Tag: Song Cover

January 24: Frozen (Idina Menzel) ~ Let It Go (Three versions)

Published by Betsy R. Marks on January 24, 2014

If you’re paying attention to the news, you know the northeast is in a cold snap the likes of which we haven’t seen in 20 years. Don’t go all “Global Warming, huh?” on me, because I’ll quote you all sorts of reasons why climate change is real. And that’s not the point of this post.

No, you’re getting Let It Go for Feel Good Friday this week, because it’s stuck firmly in my head, thanks to the supreme talents of Idina Menzel and song writing team Kristen Anderson-Lopez and Tony Award®-winner Robert Lopez.

Seriously. 52 million views since Disney published the clip on December 6, 2013!

But why three? Well, I could have chosen more – folks are posting their own renditions of the song, mash-ups with Wicked (Defying Gravity chief among them), and more. It appears this one struck a chord in ways I haven’t seen since Beauty and the Beast hit the screens in 1991.

So, here’s the original:

And then the same clip, in 25 languages (perfectly timed):

And finally, in the best Disney parody I’ve heard in a while, [NOT safe for work or younger kids but oh, so funny], a tip of the hat to all of us who wish with all our hearts we *could* hit those high notes the way Ms. Menzel does:

Stay warm out there!

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January 12: Emotional baby! Too cute! (now with Ellen DeGeneres appearance)!

Published by Betsy R. Marks on January 12, 2014

Two things struck me the first time I watched this video. The first was how expressive this 10-month old’s face is. Then I got to wondering at how intensely she’s concentrating on her mother’s voice and expressions. She is so moved by the song and delivery that she’s crying. I think it’s all about the connections we make with each other.

We don’t give our children nearly enough credit for their connections to us. Spiritual Sunday is about exploring that sense of wonder and humor and the special spark that we carry. With over 29 million hits, I think this baby girl has struck a chord.

But wait! There’s more!

The whole family appeared on the Ellen DeGeneres show shortly after the original video aired. Here’s that link, too!

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January 9: Louis Armstrong & Danny Kaye ~ When The Saints Go Marching In

Published by Betsy R. Marks on January 9, 2014

Trust me when I say this is just the first of the Danny Kaye clips you’ll see this year. This clip comes from Kaye’s movie The Five Pennies (1959), .

I had SUCH a crush on him back when I first started watching the Golden Age musicals. I have as many of his films on DVD as I can get my hands on. I just love his work.

Louis Armstrong is such a great partner for this piece. Sit back and enjoy the patter and scat.

Can’t get enough?

Here’s another clip, from Kaye’s television series.

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January 1 (New Year’s Day): Steve Martin & Gregory Hines ~ Fit As A Fiddle

Published by Betsy R. Marks on January 1, 2014

Starting off the New Year in style with my favorite funny man Steve Martin and one of the best there is or was, Gregory Hines.

I would have featured this video during Steve Martin week, but I found it after I’d already compiled all the clips for the week. Which just goes to show, if you wait long enough, you can find enough material for an entire year. And so here’s to the offbeat and unexpected. And to our first Dancing Wednesday!

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November 22: Novis Nerdfest – Sci-Fi Medley

Published by Betsy R. Marks on November 22, 2013

There are other things to remember about the 22nd of November. The 50th anniversary of JFK’s assassination is chief among them. But in the middle of the ongoing conspiracy theories and cute photos of cats, a full third of my friends’ walls are filled with posts shouting from the virtual treetops about the Dr. Who special that’s airing on the 23rd (and in select movie theaters around the country).

So, I’m switching up from dance to Science (Fiction) ahead of the pack. Enjoy the a capella geekery and try to consider what this world might be with a lot less hate and greed and a lot more willingness to see science for the awesome and amazing craft it is.

Starting tomorrow, leading up to the coming week’s activities, we take a visit to Vi Hart’s view of math.

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September 30: “One Woman A Cappella Disney Medley pt. 2” by @heathertraska

Published by Betsy R. Marks on September 30, 2013

And here we end September – and the current playlist – with Heather Traska’s tribute to the villains of Disney. This one’s not quite as viral as yesterday’s clip, but then, yesterday’s clip is also two years older.

October and November are up next, followed by the Musical Advent Calendar I published in Facebook last year. Check the main page of my blog for the complete playlists so far. (August/September will be up shortly.)

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September 29: “One Woman A Cappella Disney Medley” by @heathertraska

Published by Betsy R. Marks on September 29, 2013

The last two videos of September are Disney compilations by Heather Traska. In the grand scheme of self-promotion, you can put this stuff out there, but unless you’re good or you do something special, the chances are, you’re not going to get noticed. This first video has over 2 million hits. Hope that it leads this 19-year-old college student to some sort of fame or fortune, or at least to something she’ll find rewarding in her life.

Seems like a great way to start.

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August 23: Sonny & Cher ~ “Silly Love Songs” + Shields & Yarnell skit

Published by Betsy R. Marks on August 23, 2013

According to comments, this clip is from the start of the Sonny and Cher Comedy Hour’s second season. The episode originally aired September 26, 1976. The opening song is dripping with post-divorce irony.

But it’s not the former singing duo’s relationship that caught my attention. I’m rolling up to classic comedy again, with a whole week devoted to Carol Burnett and her crazy crew of regulars, and this seems to be a decent transition piece (not because it’s Carol Burnett, but because there were other variety shows on air and this was one of the ones I watched.)

If you want to skip the song, jump to 2:16 on the video.

I may have mentioned that I spent a lot of time watching TV when I was a kid. Shields and Yarnell were an off-beat mime team. Their characters, The Clinkers, became something like regulars on the show (for certain levels of “regular”), and I loved to watch them. This episode predates their own variety show, which aired in 1977.

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February 20: The Muppets ~ Pöpcørn

Published by Betsy R. Marks on February 20, 2013

Today has included (in no particular order) 15 email messages that had to be dealt with at the same time I was in classes, two trips to different schools because of poor planning, not enough sleep by half, and chocolate mousse. I’ll leave it as an exercise for the reader which I actually enjoyed.

Spending the evening catching up on email (done) foregoing catching up on FB (sorry) and generating all the membership letters so they can go out in the mail tomorrow, a couple of weeks later than intended.

Call me a woman on the verge. Of what? Dunno. Your guess is as good as mine.

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February 19: The Muppets ~ Beaker’s Ballad

Published by Betsy R. Marks on February 19, 2013

Getting close to taking a major Facebook break. Speaking to people who think they can be rational and still say the things they do has me questioning the rationality of the entire world. Today I need to get stuff done and I’m wasting valuable and increasingly limited energy beating my head against walls. I can’t afford the resulting headaches and I’m too stupid to say “why bother?”

Beaker is my hero.

But wait, there’s more! The Muppets ~ Ode To Joy: 

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