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Who's Afraid of the Big Bad Wolf?

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Wikipedia article




"'Who's Afraid of the Big Bad Wolf?'" is a popular song written by Frank Churchill with additional lyrics by Ann Ronell, which originally featured in the 1933 Disney cartoon 'Three Little Pigs', where it was sung by Fiddler Pig and Fifer Pig (voiced by Mary Moder and Dorothy Compton, respectively) as they arrogantly believe the Big Bad Wolf (voiced by Billy Bletcher) is not a serious threat. The song created a market for future Disney tunes and led to a contract with 'Irving Berlin Publishing Co.' that same year, securing the sheet music rights over 'Mickey Mouse and the Silly Symphonies'.TIME magazine: [https://content.time.com/time/subscriber/article/0,33009,882208,00.html 'Piglets' Tune'], September 25, 1933. The song's theme made it a huge hit during the second half of 1933 and it remains one of the most well-known Disney songs, being covered by numerous artists and musical groups.

Re-use by Disney



The song was reused in the sequels to 'Three Little Pigs', and its writing was re-enacted in the "Cavalcade of Songs" episode on the 'Disneyland' television series in 1955. It featured in the 'Sing Along Songs' video 'I Love to Laugh' and has been included in numerous Disney recordings.

Disneyland Records produced a re-recording of the song in 1958, released concurrently as a single in Disney's "Wonderful Records" series of 45s and on the Mickey Mouse Club LP "Four Disney Stories," conducted by Tutti Camarata. It was a re-enactment of the original cartoon in audio, with noticeable differences being all three pigs voiced by Gloria Wood (unlike the originals, where Practical Pig was voiced by Pinto Colvig), the Big Bad Wolf having a more menacing voice (this time by Jimmy MacDonald), and a few additional verses and dialogue that was not present in the original cartoon. This version was also released on an album in the early 1960s entitled "The Story and Songs of Walt Disney's Three Little Pigs" and a few other compilation albums, and also included on Disney's read-along book-and-audio adaptations of the cartoon.

Contextual similarities



Significant similarities can be found in the British early 20th century chasing game 'Who's Afraid of Black Peter?'Iona Archibald Opie, Peter Opie: 'Black Peter.' In: 'Children's Games in Street and Playground.' At the Clarendon Press, Oxford 1969, pp. 130131. which is based on the ancient children's game of Black Man ('Who Is Afraid of the Black Man?') that had been described in 1796 by German educator Johann Christoph Friedrich GutsMuths.Johann Christoph Friedrich GutsMuths: 'Der schwarze Mann.' In: 'Spiele zur Uebung und Erholung des Krpers und Geistes, fr die Jugend, ihre Erzieher und alle Freunde unschuldiger Jugendfreuden.' Im Verlage der Buchhandlung der Erziehungsanstalt zu Schnepfenthal, Schnepfenthal 1796, pp. 259261. In the game the catcher asks the runners "Who's Afraid of Black Peter?", whereupon the runners answer "Not I!". After the dialogue 'Black Man' or 'Black Peter' seek to catch their victims.

German historian and non-fiction author Susanna Partsch confirms a possible connection between the game of 'Black Man' and Ronell's and Churchill's lyrical conceptSusanna Partsch: 'Wer hat Angst vor Rot, Gelb, Blau?' In: 'Die 101 wichtigsten Fragen. Moderne Kunst.' Verlag C.H. Beck, Mnchen 2006, , p. 60. while Isabel Vollmuth, Portuguese-German professor at the Faculty of Interdisciplinary Studies (University of Applied Sciences in Landshut), describes 'Who's Afraid of the Big Bad Wolf?' as an offshoot of the game-based children's rhyme.Isabel Vollmuth: 'Englisch an der Grundschule. Eine didaktisch-methodische Analyse.' Universittsverlag Winter GmbH Heidelberg 2004, , p. 133. Additionally, the song was the inspiration for the title of Edward Albee's 1962 stage play 'Who's Afraid of Virginia Woolf?'

Cover versions



LL Cool J version



"Who's Afraid of the Big Bad Wolf?" was covered by American rapper LL Cool J on the Disney album 'Simply Mad About the Mouse: A Musical Celebration of Imagination'. It was released as a single in 1991 for Columbia Records and was produced by DJ Eddie F and LL Cool J. It sampled Michael Jackson's "Billie Jean". LL Cool J's version did not make it to the 'Billboard' charts.

Charlie and his Orchestra recorded a German version in English during World War II with propaganda lyrics.

Track listing



'A-side'

# "Who's Afraid of the Big Bad Wolf?" 3:50

'B-side'

# "I Need A Beat" 4:31

# "I Can't Live Without My Radio" 5:27

Charts



Other cover versions

The song has been covered by many artists, including:

* In 1933 by Harry Reser and his Eskimos with vocal by Loretta Clemens /Perfect Records #15827-A/ Recorded September 26, 1933

* In 1933 by American jazz violinist Ben Bernie.

* In 1933 by American bandleader Don Bestor.

* In 1933 by American composer Victor Young.

* In 1934, it was sung by Warren William and Ginger Rogers in the Warner Brothers film Upperworld.

* In 1934 by French singer Jean Sablon entitled "Prenez Garde Au Mchant Loup!".

* In 1934 by Three X Sisters vocals on movie soundtrack "Six of a Kind" w/ W.C. Fields.

* Duke Ellington, an American pianist and composer.

* Rita Pavone, an Italian rock/ballad singer.

* In 1936 by Fredo Gardoni, Manuel Puig and their orchestra as a foxtrot.

* In 1955 by Jack Pleis (and His Orchestra) on his album 'Music from Disneyland'.

* In 1961 by Pinky and Perky, an animated children's TV series on the 7-inch record 'Children's Favourites'.

* In 1963 by American singer Barbra Streisand on her album 'The Barbra Streisand Album'.

* In 1985 as a musical sample refrain throughout Schoolly D's rap song 'Do It Do It'.

* Chucho Avellanet, a Puerto Rican singer and comedian.

* In 2006 by American R&B boy band B5 on the album 'DisneyMania 4'.

* In 2007 by German musician Max Raabe and his Palast Orchester on the album "Heute Nacht oder nie", and as a regular song on their setlist.

References



Category:1933 songs

Category:1991 singles

Category:LL Cool J songs

Category:Disney songs

Category:Barbra Streisand songs

Category:Songs written by Ann Ronell

Category:Songs with music by Frank Churchill

Category:Music published by Bourne Co. Music Publishers

Category:Songs about wolves

Category:Songs based on fairy tales

Category:Works based on The Three Little Pigs

Category:New jack swing songs

Category:Columbia Records singles

Category:Quotations from film

Category:Quotations from music

Category:Quotations from animation

Category:Walt Disney Records singles

Category:1930s neologisms

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