Strange Things 9: Laughing Sky Edition!

Holy Cheshire Cats, "Beyond the Laughing Sky" is on iTunes! Time for another edition of Strange Things -- Recordings of Disney tunes which are offbeat, rarely heard or performed in unexpected ways. All are available on iTunes and Amazon MP3.

This first one, a stealth release from Disney, is one fans have been waiting for since the days of laser disc!

TRACK: Beyond the Laughing Sky
ALBUM: The Lost Chords: Peter Pan

The Lost Chords are short albums highlighting songs which were not used in the Disney films they were written for. Past releases include songs from Cinderella, The Aristocats and The Rescuers. Each lets you hear the original demo version, followed by a new recording of the piece.

"Beyond the Laughing Sky", however, is a special song--one that forever links the production history of Alice in Wonderland and Peter Pan. If you watched the bonus material on the Alice in Wonderland laser disc or recent DVD releases, you probably know its history. The song was written for Alice, but not used. With a new set of lyrics, the song became "Second Star to the Right" in Peter Pan. Here's a music clip from the video releases, hosted by Kathryn Beaumont, the voice of both Alice and Wendy:

The new recording (by Vangie Gunn) on iTunes is beautiful. If you buy one Disney song this week, this is the one to get. Its history is strange, but its performance is wonderful.

Next up (we've got five picks today): Time for a classic 20,000 Leagues song as sung by a bunch of scallawags...

Goofy's Sky School: DCA's Ugly Duckling

Clear across the park from the wonders of Cars Land sits the ride that, in many ways, represents the many unfortunate executive decisions that made DCA such a mediocre park in its first years: the wild mouse coaster currently known as Goofy's Sky School.

Before I continue, though, I must confess: I enjoy Goofy's Sky School, because I love good wild mouse coasters, and this one's excellent. I just wish the structure wasn't such an incredible eyesore at close range.

It used to look worse, of course. It used to be be orange and green, fronted with a giant road map and named Mulholland Madness. As Goofy's Sky School, the ride has gained some charm with its whimsical theme (Goofy has turned his failed chicken ranch into a ramshackle flight academy).

Blue Sky Dreams (with Fish Heads & Crumbs)

For years, Disneyland hosted a Previews of Coming Attractions exhibit on Main Street, featuring such wonders as the models of Big Thunder Mountain and Splash Mountain back when those attractions were under construction.

Today, the Blue Sky Cellar at Disney California Adventure provides the latest peeks at the Imagineering process. A new generation of future world-builders can spend hours there among the blueprints, models and concept art behind the latest park marvels.

Today's crayon doodlers could end up designing tomorrow's parks! Time for Fish Heads & Crumbs...